John paces back and forth in the doorway of the waiting room, sipping from a Styrofoam cup as the sun streams in through the window on this bright morning after the previous rainy day.

Periodically he looks down the corridor – down to where Room #5111A is, down to where Dr. Young is examining Evangeline this morning. He wants to reassure himself that Officer Stokes is still stationed at his post just outside the room, which he is.

Just then, Bo Buchanan appears from the opposite direction, having just come around the corner after stepping off the elevator.

“John,” Bo begins as he approaches. “What’s up? How’s Evangeline?”

“She’s okay,” he answers. “I stayed with her all night and the doctor’s in with her right now.”

“Good. I uh…heard what happened with Hicks.”

“Bo, he left his post. Anything could have happened to Evangeline while he was out here drinking coffee and flirting with that nurse.”

“Hicks says he only stepped away for a minute.”

“A minute’s all it would’ve taken,” John responds.

“True,” Bo agrees. “So you really think that someone was here?”

“It’s just a hunch but…we can’t take any chances. This guy’s out there, Bo. I can feel it. He knows that Evangeline can place him at the scene where Castro was murdered with a gun in his hand - first degree all the way. No way he’s gonna let that happen if he can stop it. That’s why we can’t afford any mistakes.”

“Hey,” Bo reassures, “you don’t have to convince me. I trust your gut. Barry says that the computer’s narrowed it down to a couple of good possibilities from Evangeline’s description – especially that scar. We’re trying to track them now. One’s a guy named Tommy Scanlon out of Philly. The other one logged some hard time for armed robbery. Both of ‘em have records about as long as my arm.”

“What’s the second guy’s name?”

“Danny Winters – originally out of Chicago. A real bad ass. Barry’s still gathering data. A full report should be ready in a couple of hours.”

“Good. One of ‘em could be our guy. Now all we need to do is to put one of them with Krakauer or Castor somehow.”

“Well, I brought the mug shots along – just in case. Maybe Evangeline can look at ‘em. Maybe something’ll click.”

“That should make her happy. She’s been wanting to work with us on trying to find this guy but I wanted her to concentrate on getting better first. Being shot isn’t anything to take lightly.”

“I agree,” Bo says. “But she doesn’t, huh?”

“Not exactly. But since she’s here in the hospital recovering and everything, I kinda won that round.”

Bo smiles.

“Plucky as ever, huh?”

“Hasn’t missed a beat,” John answers.

“Yeah well, that’s one tough lady you’ve got there, John.”

“Yeah,” he agrees. “She’s pretty amazing alright.” He sips at his coffee, his mind going over and over it. “Being shot changes you, Bo. We’ve both been there. Makes you realize how vulnerable you are – how no matter how together you are, no matter how strong you think you are, in a split second, something can happen to take it all away. Somebody like Evangeline…She’s gotta be going through some pretty heavy stuff right now but…Well, so far, I don’t think she’s really dealing with it.”

“She will – when she least expects it, probably,” Bo tells him. “Sometimes it comes in waves, you know – sometimes right away, sometimes way after the fact…And when she does, that’s when she’s really gonna need you – to help her through it.”

“And I’ll be there,” John states. “I just want to get her out of here – away from so many people coming and going – get her someplace where we can protect her better…”

“Well, from what I’m hearing, she’s getting better and better so she should be getting out of here soon.”

“Hope so...”

“Hey listen,” Bo begins, “I haven’t asked you. How’s it going with Evangeline’s mother and everything?”

John shrugs.

“Okay, I guess,” he answers. “We’re on the same side here so…She usually gets here just before official visiting hours start and that’s when I leave and head over to the office.”

“John, I know I said it before but you really need to get some rest. You’ve been going like this ever since Evangeline was shot.”

“I sleep when I’m here, usually.”

“Yeah but how much sleep can you get if you’ve got one eye open all the time? You need a full night’s sleep.”

“I’m okay, Bo. Besides,” he continues, “I’ll sleep once this thing’s all over with, Evangeline’s back home safe and the guys who shot her are locked up and off the streets.”

“Well, you look like hell. I’m sure Evangeline’s noticed.”

“This is how I’ve gotta do it, Bo. You know better than anybody that this is how I work. I stay with it until it’s done. Especially this time…”

“Yeah well…I just don’t want you pushing yourself past your limit. You might just miss something important…and it just might end up costing Evangeline her life.”

Bo’s words replay in John’s head – ‘might end up costing Evangeline her life’.

’Her life…’

“Point taken,” he says.

“So you’ll take today off?”

“Bo -”

“Wasn’t a request, Lieutenant,” Bo interrupts. “I’ll call you if there’s anything worthwhile in Barry’s report.”

John sighs deeply. Everything inside him wants to fight it but, deep down, he knows that Bo’s right.

“Guess I’m taking the day off,” he relents.

“Good,” Bo says. “When Evangeline’s mom gets here, you go home and get some sleep. That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir,” John says.

He peers down the hall at that moment and sees Dr. Young and the nurse that was with her coming out of Evangeline’s hospital room. He tosses his coffee cup into the nearest trash can and quickly heads in that direction, Bo reacting and following close behind.

“Dr. Young?” John calls before she can disappear. “How is she this morning?”

“She’s coming along well,” she answers. “Her recovery has been very good.”

“Good. Any idea when you’ll discharge her?”

“I’d like to watch her for a few more days – make sure she doesn’t overdo, make sure that her internal stitches hold. Another several days at the earliest – as long as she continues this way.”

“No chance on discharging her any sooner than that?” John asks.

“We need to be cautious, Lieutenant McBain,” she explains. “Here we can manage her pain medication, check her vital signs, make sure there are no complications. Miss Williamson strikes me as the type of patient who’ll sail immediately back into her regular routine as soon as she’s released and she really needs to take things slowly.”

John nods.

“Understood. Oh and, I don’t know if you know Commissioner Buchanan. Bo, this is Dr, Carol Young.”

“Commissioner Buchanan,” she says, extending her hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Bo says as they shake hands. “Is it okay for us to go in and see Evangeline?”

“Sure. She’s awake and settled. Be my guests.”

“Thanks, Doc,” John says, waiting for her and the nurse to walk away. “Well, I guess that’s that.”

“Yeah. Guess we’ll have to keep on protecting her here.”

“Yeah well,” John begins, moving to the door to Evangeline’s room, “as long as she’s getting better. That’s the most important thing. We’ll take care of everything else.” He pushes the door open slightly and peeks his head in.

Evangeline notices.

“Hey, you!” she greets with a smile.

“Hey,” he answers. “Feel like some company?”

“Sure.”

John steps into the room and holds the door open for Bo, who follows him into the room.

“Well, good morning!” he greets in a cheerful voice.

“Commissioner Buchanan,” she says. “Good morning yourself, Bo. How are you?”

“I’m good. You look great. And I hear you’re coming along.”

“That’s what my doctor’s telling me.” She looks at John and then at Bo. “So what is it? What’s up?”

“Well,” John answers, moving closer to her bedside, “Bo’s got a couple of mug shots.”

“Oh, great,” Evangeline says. “Let me have a look.”

“Okay,” Bo begins, taking the photographs out of his jacket pocket. “There’s this one.”

Evangeline takes the photograph he hands to her and studies it for no more than a few seconds, shaking her head.

“It’s not him.”

“Okay,” he says, taking that one from her and handing her the other one. “Then there’s this one.”

She looks at the face in the photograph – the full face and profile poses. Her eyes narrow and her back stiffens, both of which John notices.

“You got something?” he asks.

She doesn’t answer as the memory floods into her mind – the dark-haired man standing in the doorway at the Palace, staring at her – his eyes cold, calculating, and completely without feeling – how afraid she was when she thought he was coming closer.

Evangeline feels her pulse quickening and her heart pounding, the terror she felt on that night returning.

“This is him,” she manages, her eyes wide.

“You’re sure?” John asks.

“Positive,” she states. “This is the man from that night at the Palace – the one who shot me.”

John takes the photograph from her hand and looks at the name printed beneath the face.

“Danny Winters,” he announces.

“Good,” Bo says, taking the photo back from John and moving closer to the door. “We’ve got a positive ID. I’ll call the station and have them put out an APB on this guy. Thanks, Evangeline and hey, you keep on doing what the doctors tell you, okay?”

She nods, not able to find her voice at that moment. Instead she’s taking deep breaths and blowing them out slowly, trying to calm herself.

“And I’ll let you know what’s in that report,” Bo tells John, quietly nodding in Evangeline’s direction.

John acknowledges.

“Thanks, Bo,” he says. “Talk to you later.”

“Okay,” Bo says before pulling open the door and stepping out of the room.

John strokes Evangeline’s cheek.

“You okay?” he asks.

She shakes her head.

“It all came rushing back, you know?” she explains. “That night – the incredible pain, how he looked at me, his cold eyes…I really thought he was going to kill me, John…”

She looks up at him, her eyes watery and filled with fear.

“Hey,” he begins softly, pulling the chair close to the bed and sitting – his hand on her left hand. “Listen to me -”

“I was so afraid -”

“Listen to me,” he insists a bit more loudly. “You’re safe, okay? He’s not gonna hurt you anymore. We’re gonna get this guy and he’s gonna pay for what he did to you. You hear me? You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

A small tear falls from her eye, making its way down her cheek.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me…”

“You’ve been through a lot,” John reminds her, tenderly wiping the tear away. “You’re entitled.”

“I know but -”

“Evangeline,” he says in an even, steady voice.

She looks into his eyes.

“It’s okay,” he tells her.

Evangeline closes her eyes, another tear falling.

John stands up from the chair and sits next to her on the bed. He puts his arm around her, careful not to hurt her injured right arm.

She lays her head on his shoulder.

He feels her body tremble against his as she starts to cry.

“It’s okay,” he repeats, rocking her gently. “It’s okay...”