I'd still like to know what you think, just drop me a note - cb.zeer@worldnet.att.net

This is dedicated to AJ, who holds my heart and inspires my thoughts. I love you!

Part 9

Chapter 17

Martha crossed the room and gently embraced the upset woman. "It's going to be all right, baby…I'm here now." She dropped the suitcase behind Lex and held the tall woman tight. She allowed the rancher a few moments to get herself together, then pulled back and gave Lex a no-nonsense look. "Now…you're going to put some clothes on and go wash your face."

"But what if…" Lex argued, until her mouth was covered with a small hand.

"No arguments, Lexie. Charlie and Frank can wait here while we get you all presentable. You don't want Amanda to see you looking like this, do you?" The housekeeper wiped at Lex's face with a cotton handkerchief.

Lex smiled slightly. She always seems to have one of those things stashed somewhere. I don't know where they come from. "No, Mada…you're right. I'm a mess." She gently took the handkerchief away from the smaller woman and dabbed at her eyes. "C'mon…let's get this over with before the doctor comes back." She kissed the graying head beneath hers and bent down to get the suitcase.

"I'll get that for you, sweetheart." Charlie picked up the overnight traveling case.

"Thanks, Uncle Charlie." Lex wrapped her arms around the lanky sheriff and squeezed. "I really appreciate you both coming."

The lawman cleared his throat and returned the hug. "No place else I'd rather be than here with you, honey." He rubbed her back comfortingly then took a step back. "You two go take care of business and I'll stay here with Frank. We'll send word if the doctor comes back before you do, okay?"

The dark-haired woman nodded. "Please, do." Lex took the suitcase from Charlie and kissed his cheek. "Thanks again. I don't know what I'd do without you both." She allowed Martha to lead her from the room.

Charlie watched her leave with a sad look on his face. Wish I could take that hurt look off of her face. He looked over at Frank, who also watched the tall woman as she left the room. "Have you heard anything at all?"

"No…not a damn thing." Frank shook his head and then stood up to stretch. "It's been several hours since we brought Mandy in. The doctor came to get Jacob and Jeannie about twenty minutes ago." He looked at the sheriff with a grim smile. "I thought we were going to have a fight on our hands."

"A fight? Did Lex do or say something?" Charlie sat down next to the brawny man. "I know she's not the most patient person in the world, but…"

Frank shook his head. "It wasn't her…Jacob got upset when the doctor refused to allow Lex in the consultation room with them. He claimed that he could only talk to the immediate family."

The older man sighed. "Damn…I'd forgotten all about that rule. No wonder Lex looked so upset when we came in. I'm just glad that Anna Leigh thought to call us."

"She called you? I was wondering how you two heard so quickly." Frank sat back down and stretched his long legs out. "I keep debating with myself on whether or not to call her parents. I honestly don't know if they would even care."

The door opened and Anna Leigh bustled through it and looked around anxiously. She saw the two men sitting down nearby and rushed over to them. "Charlie! Thank goodness you could make it. Where's Lexington?"

Charlie and Frank had both jumped to their feet as the small woman came into the room. "Martha took her to get cleaned up and dressed. Is something wrong?" The sheriff felt a knot of apprehension build in his stomach.

"Not with Mandy…although they said that the next twelve hours are crucial. We need to find out exactly where they were today. Mandy has been poisoned." Anna Leigh looked around the room. "While we were in there with the doctor, a nurse came in with the most disturbing news."

After Dr. Barnes dropped the bombshell about Amanda's poisoning, he sat back to allow the family time to adjust to the news. He was about to go over the young woman's condition when a knock at the door interrupted him.

A slender blonde nurse entered the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Dr. Barnes…but Dr. Sanderson thought you should read this." She handed him a clipboard and then quickly exited the room.

"Thank you, Francis." He called after the woman. After reading for a few moments, Dr. Barnes looked up at the people seated across the desk. "You're from Somerville, isn't that right?"

"That's right." Anna Leigh answered, and then looked at her husband in confusion. "What does that have to do with Mandy's condition?" she asked quietly.

The doctor looked up from the notes in concern. "It appears that an elderly woman was brought into Somerville Community Hospital earlier this evening with the same symptoms as your granddaughter."

"That means that she may be able to tell us how Mandy was poisoned, right?" Jacob asked expectantly. "It's too much of a coincidence to ignore, isn't it?"

"You're right. But I'm afraid she won't be able to help us. The woman died this evening before she was able to tell anyone anything." The doctor related quietly. "We need to find out where Miss Cauble has been all day - it's the only way we can figure out how it happened and possibly keep others from being exposed to the poisoning agent."

Anna Leigh stood up. "I'll go get Lexington. They went shopping today, and she would be able to answer your questions better than us."

Dr. Barnes stood up as well. "That's a good idea." He looked at Jacob with a small smile on his face. "It would also give me an opportunity to apologize to her." He stepped around the desk and headed for the door. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on my patient. I've also got to contact the authorities and notify them of the latest development." He left the room quickly.

"Are you saying that someone else was poisoned too?" Charlie immediately changed from concerned family member to sheriff. I'd better make some phone calls.

Anna Leigh nodded. "That's what the doctor told us. And now he wants to talk to Lexington to find out where they were today."

The door opened and Lex stepped inside, followed by an upset looking Martha. "Lexie… please calm down. I'm sure that Charlie can get to the bottom of this in no time." Martha looked up and saw Anna Leigh. "Has there been any word?"

"Not yet. But the doctor has gone back in to check on Mandy now." Anna Leigh stepped over to Lex and gently touched her arm. "What's wrong, Lexington?"

Lex had to stop herself before she shook off the light touch. "It's bad enough that they won't tell me what the hell is going on, but now there's a couple of policemen who want to talk to me about Amanda." She looked over at Charlie with tears of frustration in her eyes. "Can you go with me, Uncle Charlie? I could really use the moral support." As much as she hated asking for help, the lawman's presence would be a great comfort. She was wearing her usual denim shirt and jeans and a pair of comfortable-looking boots. Martha had also braided her long hair in one long plait, and it dropped casually down her back.

"That's a good idea, honey. I need to talk to them anyway." The lawman wrapped an arm around Lex's shoulders. How can anyone so tall look so suddenly frail? Poor Lex looks as if she's about to collapse. "C'mon, sweetheart. Let's go see what they want." He nodded at Martha, who returned the look. They'd better be easy on her - I don't think she can handle much more right now.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Martha asked.

The rancher looked at the housekeeper with a sad look. If for some reason they arrest me, I don't want her to witness that. It would just about kill her. "Umm…would it be okay if just Charlie went with me?"

"That'll be fine, Lexie. I'll just wait here with Anna Leigh, okay?" The housekeeper patted Lex on the back as they walked by. "If you need me, just holler." She knew that the young woman was having problems coping, and realized that a roomful of people would be too much for her.

Lex and Charlie stepped into the small room and looked around. It was furnished with a cheap formica-topped desk and several uncomfortable looking chairs. Two men in suits stood up as they entered. The older one was tall with his blond hair in a crew cut. The other was shorter, but stockier built. Both looked uncomfortable in their dark suits. The shorter of the two had loosened his tie and his dark hair was damp with perspiration.

"Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Ms. Walters. We know what a trying time this is for you since your…friend…is so ill." The shorter of the two men came forward and offered his hand. "I'm Detective Weingart, and this is Sergeant Byers." He motioned to the taller man who waved the two people inside. "Please, have a seat. We'll try to make this as quick as possible." The detective looked at Charlie, who was still in his sheriff's uniform. "I'm sorry…I don't believe we've met." Great…a small time sheriff trying to play cop. That is just what we need underfoot.

Charlie stepped forward and shook the man's hand. "I'm Sheriff Bristol from Somerville." He gently guided Lex to a nearby chair. "I hope you don't mind if I sit in." Although I'm not about to leave, I don't like the way the short guy is looking at Lex. He's going to be trouble, I'll bet.

The sergeant reached over and shook Charlie's hand also. "Not at all. We were just hoping that Ms. Walters could help us figure out how Miss Cauble became poisoned."

The dark-haired woman missed the edge of the chair and fell to the floor. "Poisoned?" she gasped out. She didn't even realize when Charlie helped her up and into the chair. "Did you say that Amanda has been poisoned? How in the hell did that happen?"

"That's what we'd like to know. Was she with you at all times today? Did she come in contact with any strangers or suspicious persons?" The crew-cut blond man asked. He consulted an open folder that was lying on the desk.

"We were together all day today. I promised to take Amanda Christmas shopping at the mall, and we spent the entire day there. We never left each other's side." Lex frowned in deep thought. "Wait. I did leave her at the atrium while I went to get us something to drink, but she really wasn't out of my sight."

The sergeant wrote furiously in the folder while the detective stepped around the desk and sat on the corner closest to Lex. "You both had something to drink at the mall?" He looked down at the upset woman. "How do you explain that Miss Cauble became ill, while you appear to be in good health?"

Charlie stepped forward and got between the detective and Lex. "I don't think I like your insinuation, Detective. Just what is it you're trying to say?"

"We're not trying to insinuate anything, Sheriff. We're just trying to find out how Miss Cauble could have been exposed to the poison." Detective Weingart stood firm. He didn't like the attitude of the old man or this woman. She's Miss Cauble's 'special' friend… disgusting!

Lex stood up and put a reassuring hand on Charlie's shoulder. "It's all right. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as they do." She guided the sheriff into a nearby chair and stood over the still seated detective. "We ate the same foods, drank the same drinks…" She stopped suddenly as a thought came to her. "Damn."

"What is it, Ms. Walters?" Sergeant Byers looked up from taking notes.

"I'm not sure…it may be nothing, but…" Lex's brows were creased in thought.

Detective Weingart crossed his arms across his chest. "Why don't you let us be the judges of what's relevant, and what isn't. Just spit it out." Smartass dykes…think they're better than men…

The rancher ignored him and spoke directly to the sergeant. "I bought a couple of drinks from this little stand in the mall. There was this obnoxious teenage boy behind me that was pushing people around and just being a general nuisance. After I turned back around from getting lids for our drinks, he had disappeared."

"And you expect us to believe that a teenage boy is responsible for something as devious and well-planned as this poisoning obviously was? How was he supposed to know which drink belonged to which person?" The detective snorted in disgust. Save me from amateurs.

"I don't know. But that's the only…" Lex paused for a moment. "Wait! I forgot! I didn't drink mine."

Detective Weingart pointed an accusing finger at the rancher. "So you admit that you didn't have the same drink!" I've got you now. Probably had a little lover's quarrel and wanted to get back at her. I'll bet Miss Cauble was going to dump her for a man, and she lost it.

"If you'll just shut your damn mouth for half a second, I'll finish telling you." Lex glared at the pudgy man. When he leaned back a bit and nodded she continued, "Amanda was talking to a little old lady when I got back to where she was sitting in the atrium. I gave Amanda one drink, and offered mine to the old woman because she looked as if she needed it."

The two policemen looked at each other in silent communication. "That certainly explains a few things." The tall man murmured to his partner.

Charlie stood up again. "Explains what? Are you about through giving Lex the third degree? I don't appreciate you treating her as if she was some sort of criminal." He finally quieted when Lex put a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, honey. But I can't stand here and watch them treat you like this."

Lex smiled gently at the older man. "I really appreciate your concern, Uncle Charlie…but these guys are just doing their job." Although, "chubby" over there is beginning to get on my nerves. I hope they're not trying to play good-cop, bad-cop. She almost laughed out loud at that thought. Too many reruns of Miami Vice, I'll bet. She looked back at the officers. "What exactly does this explain?"

Detective Weingart looked over at his sergeant, who shrugged. "We received a report from Somerville Community Hospital some time ago. An elderly woman was admitted earlier this evening with the same symptoms as Miss Cauble."

"Elderly woman? Oh, god…" Lex paled and sat back down in her chair. "How is she?"

"She passed away about three hours ago." Sergeant Byers advised sympathetically. Poor woman…first her friend is poisoned, and then she finds out that her act of kindness killed an innocent bystander.

The dark-haired woman closed her eyes. "She's dead because of me." Charlie's comforting hand on her shoulder almost did her in. Lex slumped in her chair. "What about Amanda? Do you know if she…?"

"Mrs. Carruthers had a history of heart problems. Her family said that she had been complaining of chest pains for the past week or so. We're fairly certain that the poison just sped up the inevitable." The sergeant explained. She's got enough to worry about without the guilt of the old woman's death. Maybe I can make her feel a little better. "Just as an added precaution, we've assigned an officer to Miss Cauble's room. We don't want whoever slipped the poison to her to finish the job." I don't think that's going to happen, but better safe than sorry.

Charlie stood up and squeezed Lex gently on the shoulder again. "I don't think Amanda was the target, gentlemen. Why don't we let Lex go back to the waiting room and I'll be more thank happy to brief you on the events before today. It's a rather long and complicated story."

"I don't know. I think that I'd like Ms. Walters to come down to the station for further questioning." Detective Weingart stated. "I just want to make sure that we have all the details correct." He practically glared at the seated woman. Teach her to take an attitude with me.

"Then you're gonna have to arrest me, Detective. I'm not leaving this hospital any other way." Lex stood up and challenged the red-faced policeman with her eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on my friend." She turned and stomped from the room.

The stocky detective jumped to his feet and started for the door. "She wants to be arrested, I'll be more than happy to oblige her!"

"Hold it, Barry. Let her go." Sergeant Byers ordered. "I'm sure that Sheriff Bristol can answer any questions we may have." After Charlie nodded, he motioned for the detective to sit back down. "Now…why don't you start at the beginning, Sheriff"?

"Hello…I would like to check on the condition of a patient that you have there." Mark Garrett was sitting in a hotel room about four blocks away from Parkdale General. He had been parked outside the Caubles' home earlier to see if his plan had worked, but had been horrified to see Lex carry an unconscious Amanda to the suburban.

"Yes sir. And what is the name of the patient you are inquiring about?" The nurse asked pleasantly.

"Amanda Cauble." Mark crossed his fingers. Please let her be okay…I'll be in so much trouble, otherwise. Stupid teenage kid. Can't depend on anyone to do anything.

The nurse paused for a moment. "Umm…let me check. Will you hold for a moment, please?" Loud classical music began to play on the line as she put him on hold.

Mark slammed down the phone quickly. "Dammit!" He jumped up from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed and began to pace the small room. They must have figured out what happened. That stupid kid was supposed to drug both cups then make sure that Amanda DIDN'T drink hers. He checked his watch and sighed. Midnight in Los Angeles…damn. I really do not want to make this phone call. With slumped shoulders, Mark sat back down on the bed and dialed a number from memory. After several rings it was finally picked up.

"Yes?" A slightly breathless voice answered.

"It's me." Mark knew that no identification from him was necessary.

"Where in the hell have you been? I've been waiting by this phone for hours," the voice berated. "I called your hotel last night, and they said that you had already checked out. What's going on down there?"

The weary man wiped a hand over his face. "Everything kinda fell apart…I had to go into hiding."

The person on the other end of the phone sighed heavily. "It has to do with that jackass you hired, doesn't it? I knew that he was too stupid to be trusted."

"Well, that's part of it." Mark leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes. This is not going to be fun. "He attacked Walters in her barn yesterday morning."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Shocked, she continued, "Well…was he able to do any damage? That would at least be some consolation."

Mark sighed. "Not exactly. She pretty much kicked his ass all over the place, even though she was still recuperating from his last mistake." He took a deep breath. "And, to top it all off, the sheriff is actually engaged to her housekeeper - so he had spent the night there at the ranch. Sterling never had a chance. He got hustled off to jail in a hurry."

There was another thoughtful silence on the phone. "This just keeps getting better and better. Thank god the idiot doesn't know much." A slight pause, "He doesn't know who I am, does he?"

"No! Of course not! That little voice-altering device not only made your voice indistinguishable, but scared the hell out of him," Mark assured his boss. "But, I have more bad news." He braced himself for the outburst that was sure to come. "I wanted to surprise you by getting Walters out of the picture…but things didn't go quite as I had planned."

"What did you do?" The voice turned icy. This will teach me to use amateurs instead of professionals when I want something done.

"It really was a great plan. Even if it didn't succeed, her reputation would be in question." He tried to soften the news.

"What…did…you…do?" Each word was bitten off sharply as the question was drawn out angrily.

"I paid this punk kid fifty dollars cash to dump some drugs in her drink - he was supposed to put it in both cups and then whiz by on his skateboard to knock Amanda's out of her hand."

"Dear god…you don't mean that…?" Pain colored the voice. "Is she…?"

Mark sat up again. "She's alive. But Walters gave her drink to some old lady, and it killed her."

"You stupid fool! You almost killed her!" Shaky fingers rubbed a suddenly pounding forehead. "Where is Amanda right now?"

"She's at Parkdale General Hospital. The last I heard they had her in intensive care. But I can't call for any information, because the cops know that she was poisoned." Mark twirled the phone cord around his finger. "What do you want me to do?"

Silence.

"You still there?" He questioned cautiously.

"Yes, I'm here. Shut up for a minute while I think." Incompetent moron. I should have just hired a professional to do away with that pesky woman when I had the chance.

The exhausted man sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for a brilliant solution to his problem. "Do you want me to…"

"No! You've done quite enough already. Just sit there quietly while I try to think. Wait… my other line is flashing. Hold on a minute." A quiet click, and then silence on the line.

Mark sat patiently. He kept going through his mind other scenarios. I don't know what went so wrong. If I weren't so afraid of going to prison, I'd shoot the bitch at point blank range.

"I'm back." The voice sounded tired and upset. "That was my phone call to notify me of Amanda's condition. About time they called me, don't you think?"

"Maybe they were just waiting until they had something to report. How is she?" Mark was more worried about what would happen to him if she died. He really didn't care too much about her condition.

A slight silence, then a heavy sigh. "She's still in intensive care…the doctor said it would be awhile before we know for sure if she'll pull through."

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked with fake concern.

"I believe you've done quite enough, Mark. Get yourself on the next flight to Los Angeles, and we'll find someplace for you to hide until this mess all blows over." Thoughts of a sudden car accident, or maybe just having the man disappear altogether flashed through their mind. I can't allow him to be out running around - they'd have no trouble getting the little idiot to blab every-thing he knows to save his own skin.

Mark nodded at the phone. "All right. I'll drive straight to the airport from here. I should be able to get a flight out in the next couple of hours."

"Actually, I think it would be better if you drove to Austin to catch a flight. I know it's a lot further for you, but the authorities won't be looking for you there." And it's a long stretch of deserted highway…anything could happen.

"Good idea. I'll leave immediately." He was anxious to please his employer after this past week's mistakes.

"Now remember - keep as low a profile as possible. Fly back coach, and try to make yourself as invisible as you can. I don't want anyone to remember you. I'll have you booked on a flight out of the country when you get here. There will be someone to meet you that will have your itinerary."

Mark exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I know that I let you down, but if you'll just give me a chance, I'll make it up to you."

"I know you will." The voice was calm, almost soothing now. "None of this was your fault. Everything is going to work out just fine. Now hurry back…I've got an assignment for you in Great Britain that I think you'll enjoy."

"Thank you. I won't let you down," the happy man gushed. I KNEW that I was special… this just proves it. A shame my worthless wife didn't seem to think so… but once I get settled overseas, I'll try to get custody of the kids.

"Oh…just in case. You don't have anything with you that could be traced back to me do you? I'm a little concerned that you could be caught by a radar-happy trooper."

Mark thought for a moment. "Nope. Not a damn thing. But you don't have to worry…you can trust me," he assured his employer.

"I believe you. I guess I'm just a little paranoid." They let out a nervous chuckle. "Hurry back, and we'll get you settled overseas."

"Great. I'm leaving right now." Mark hung up the phone with a satisfied smile. Guess someone else will have to take care of that Walters woman. Oh, well…He grabbed his suitcase and looked around the room. No more backwaters dives for me. Ritz Carlton, here I come!

Chapter 18

Dr. Barnes stepped into the waiting room, where six faces turned to him anxiously. Charlie was the only person missing, as he was still in conference with the two police officers. The doctor walked over to where Jacob sat flanked by his wife and Jeannie. "Mr. Cauble…I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you, but I wanted to see how your granddaughter responded to the medication before I spoke to you."

"How is she?" Anna Leigh asked as she spared a glance at Lex and Martha that were over by the windows. The dark-haired woman looked completely lost and alone, and it broke Anna Leigh's heart.

"She's stable for now. We have her on a respirator to help her breathe so that her heart and lungs are not overworked." Dr. Barnes looked over at the woman by the window. Sometimes I really hate my job.

Jeannie squeezed Frank's hand. Her husband sat on the other side of her and pulled her close. "Can we see her?" she asked.

The doctor nodded. "Only for a moment, and not all at once." He turned to face Lex. "And I'm sorry, but only family members are allowed into ICU."

The rancher nodded wearily. "I understand. Thank you for all you've done, Dr. Barnes." Lex felt Martha put a sympathetic arm around her waist. "If it's okay, I'll just hang out here for a while."

"Certainly. Thank you for understanding, Ms. Walters." Dr. Barnes turned away from them and stepped to the door. He spoke loudly to the family. "If you will just follow me…she's in room two-thirty one of ICU. Right next to our supply office." He winked at Lex and led the rest of the family out of the room.

Martha looked after them in surprise. "I do believe that Dr. Barnes is human after all," she murmured to the tall woman next to her.

"You've got that right." Lex smiled down on the older woman. "I'm gonna give the Caubles some time with her first, then I think Amanda is going to have a 'nurse' by her side for a while." She kissed the top of Martha's head. "Why don't you and Charlie check into a nearby hotel? You look a little worn out." More like a LOT worn out… I keep forgetting she's not as young as she used to be. These late hours can't be too good for her, or Charlie.

"Good idea, sweetheart. We'll book several rooms together so that everyone will have a place to rest up," Martha agreed. "That means you too." She gave the rancher one of her serious looks. "And before you give me any trouble, don't bother. You're not too big for me to still take over my knee."

Lex rolled her eyes. "Yes, ma'am. Just call and leave me a message at the nurse's station so I'll know where you are." She pulled the short woman into a strong hug. "Thanks for being here, Mada. I couldn't have made it without you."

The housekeeper returned the hug. "Phooey. That's what family is for, honey. Now don't be too late, all right? You need your rest too, if you're going to do Amanda any good." She pulled away just as the door opened and an exhausted looking Charlie stepped into the waiting area.

"Where'd everybody go?" He asked as he looked around.

"They've gone to see Amanda." Martha walked over to him and rubbed his arm. "Lexie is going to wait here for them, and we're gonna go get a few hotel rooms for us all."

Charlie looked over at Lex, who was leaning against the far wall with her arms crossed over her chest. "Are you sure that you don't need us to stay with you, honey?"

The young woman shook her head as she pushed away from the wall. Lex stepped over to where the older couple was standing. "I'm sure, Uncle Charlie. I really just need a little time by myself." She pulled the lawman into a strong embrace. "You take care of Martha for me, all right?" she whispered in his ear.

"You know I will, sweetheart." He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "You just call if you need us, and we'll be back here in a flash."

"I promise." Lex leaned over and kissed them both. "Now go on, before you both collapse on me." She watched with a fond smile as the couple left the room. There go the best parents anyone could ever ask for. I've certainly been lucky to have them.

The tall figure stepped quietly into the empty corridor. After looking both directions, it stealthily made its way to the intensive care unit.

The nurse seated behind the counter looked up from her paperwork and smiled. "You're a little early, aren't you? Shift change isn't for another forty-five minutes."

"Umm…yeah. But I couldn't sleep, so I thought that I'd just take a look around."

The young nurse nodded. "I know the feeling. We've got one new patient and her family left a little while ago. It was really close for a while, but it looks like she's going to pull through just fine." She looked down at a chart. "I expect the doctor will take her off the respirator first thing in the morning."

Lex almost collapsed in relief. "That's great. I'll just go in and check on her, if you don't mind." Her entire body was screaming to race into the room, regulations be-damned.

"Go on. I'll cover for you." The nurse nodded at the uniformed police officer that was standing by the entry door to the unit. After the tall woman closed the door behind her, the nurse picked up the phone and dialed an extension. "Dr. Barnes? This is Nurse Hamilton in ICU. I did what you asked. The dark-haired woman is in there now."

"Thank you, Shelley. Don't let anyone disturb her, all right? I think that she's the best medicine for our patient right now." Dr. Barnes smiled and hung up the phone.

Lex peered through the glass wall before reaching the door. Room two-thirty one… but it's too dark to see anything. She pushed the door open slowly and stepped in, allowing it to close quietly behind her. Blue eyes tracked to the bed on the other side of the room. It was tucked in the corner and was surrounded by several different machines. Oh, god…Amanda…

Amanda's small body was lying deathly still on the bed with several tubes running between her and the machines. The only sounds in the room were the thump and hiss of the respirator and the quiet beep of the heart monitor. Her upper body was slightly elevated and her hair was in disarray and matted to her head.

"My poor love," Lex murmured quietly as she stood next to the bed. She pulled a nearby chair close and sat down, her eyes never leaving the frail form on the bed. She reached over with a trembling hand and gently grasped the small fingers. "Oh, sweetheart…what I have done to you?" None of this would have happened if you weren't with me. How will I ever be able to look into those beautiful green eyes again? WILL I ever be able to look into them? Her other hand began to lightly brush the blonde hair from Amanda's face. "I love you so much…please don't leave me." She let her hand fall to the unconscious woman's shoulder and clasp it gently. Her dark head fell to the bed and she cried herself to sleep, never releasing the hold she had on her lover.

A soft pat on her shoulder caused Lex to bolt upright. "What?" She looked around in fear, only to be faced with the knowing smile of Dr. Barnes.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Walters, but we're going to have to ask you to leave." He saw the panicked look on her face. "We need to move Miss Cauble out of ICU and into a private room. Although I do admit that you look right at home in those scrubs." He smiled at the way the rancher was dressed. The aqua-colored garments flattered the dark-haired woman and fit her form as if they were made for her. She could easily pass as a nurse or doctor, the way they fit.

"What time is it?" Lex asked, as she looked around, disoriented. How could I fall asleep when I was supposed to be watching her?

The doctor checked his watch. "About ten minutes after seven. It seems that Miss Cauble responded well to the medication during the night." Not to mention the specialized care she received from her friend. I'm glad Ms. Walters could take a hint.

Lex glanced over at the still form on the bed. "Is she going to be all right?" She couldn't see any visible change in her friend since she sat down next to her last night. She still looks the same to me.

"Barring any complications, yes. She should even regain consciousness before too long." Dr. Barnes patted the tall woman on the shoulder gently. "Why don't you go get changed? We'll have her placed in a private room within another hour or so. Nurse Hamilton is pulling a double shift, so she'll be glad to let you know which room we put her in."

"Thank you, Dr. Barnes…for everything." Lex shook his hand and stepped back. She started for the door and then turned back to look at the young woman lying on the bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes, love," she murmured softly, tears filling her eyes as she left the room.

Jeannie walked into the coffee shop where Charlie and Martha were having breakfast. The sheriff had a serious look on his face and the housekeeper was looking down at a half-eaten plate of food. The young woman stepped up to the table and smiled. "Good morning. I hope you two slept a little better than we did last night."

Martha looked up and brightened. "Good morning, honey. Why don't you sit down with us?"

"Thanks. Everyone else should be downstairs soon, and then we can all go see Amanda. I called the hospital earlier, and she's been moved to a private room." Jeannie sat down and looked up with appreciation as a waitress came over and poured her a cup of coffee. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry to hear you didn't sleep well…were you worried about your sister?" Martha asked sympathetically. She was worried about Lex. The rancher never came back to the hotel during the night, and never called. I hope she's okay. It's not like my Lexie to stay gone so long without a call.

The younger woman shook her head. "Not exactly. Well, I mean…I was worried about Amanda, but the most upsetting thing was having to call my parents and let them know what had happened. They didn't take it very well, I'm afraid."

Charlie looked at Jeannie. "You talked to your folks last night?"

"Yes," Jeannie nodded with a grim smile. "Dad complained that I took too long to call, and Mother complained because I called so late in the evening and woke her up." She rolled her eyes.

"Are they on their way here to see Amanda?" the sheriff asked. After the information that he had received this morning, Charlie really wanted a chance to talk to Michael Cauble. Especially after all the things that Amanda had told me about him and Lex. He only listened with half an ear to the conversation around him, thinking back to the earlier phone call.

When the phone rang at six am, Charlie had thought the worst. He quickly reached over to grab the phone before it could wake Martha. "Hello?"

"Sheriff Bristol? This is Robert Campbell. I'm sorry to bother you, but we found out late last night where Matt Sterling had been holed up."

"Last night? Why wasn't I notified then?" Charlie whispered, somewhat upset. He sat up and turned on the light to find his glasses and a notepad.

Martha sat up sleepily. "What is it, honey? Is it Lexie?"

He turned to his fiancee' and covered the mouthpiece on the phone. "No…it's Robert Campbell. He has some new information on the case for me."

"Oh…good." Martha nodded and then grasped his arm gently. "Do you want some privacy for the call?" She knew that most of the information that Charlie was given was confidential, and she didn't want to put him in an awkward position.

"No…it's all right, sweetheart." Charlie smiled at his intended. "You might as well get used to it, I suppose." He leaned over and gave Martha a tender kiss. "Go ahead, Robert."

The young prosecutor sighed heavily. "I know that you're out of town on a family emergency, but it may be somehow related. After we found the residence," he paused with a chuckle, "It's more of a rundown duplex…not a condo as the suspect had previously stated."

Charlie laughed. "Sounds about right. But how does finding where Sterling stayed relate to what's going on here?" He scribbled down a few notes while he waited for the younger man's answer.

"We were also able to obtain the phone records for the time he spent at the residence. It seems that Mr. Sterling received quite a few calls from a nearby hotel, as well as a couple from a Los Angeles exchange."

"Los Angeles? Were they all from the same number?" The sheriff turned slightly so that he could exchange glances with Martha.

Robert shuffled some papers then sighed again. "Yeah…all the same number. It's listed as a private office line for a large corporation. We're checking into it now to trace it back to an individual. But I thought that I'd let you know, since one of your earlier suspects in the attempted murder was in California."

"Thanks. But I'm really hoping that it all turns out to be just a big coincidence." Charlie wrote a little more then closed his notepad. "I really do appreciate you keeping me up to date, Robert. We'll be going up to the hospital shortly, and I'll call you from there if I find any new developments."

"Sounds good to me." Robert agreed. "I hope everything turns out okay for your family. Let me know if there's anything that I can do for you, okay?" the prosecutor offered.

Charlie looked over at Martha and smiled. My family…I think I like the sound of that. "Thank you, my friend. We're going to go find Lex this morning and try to get her to take a nap. I'm sure she spent the entire night up worrying. Let me know if you get anymore information."

The prosecutor exhaled heavily. "Sure will. Talk to you later, Charlie." He hung up the phone before the sheriff could say another word.

He looked back up at Amanda's sister. The young woman looked as if she had a bad taste in her mouth.

Jeannie shook her head. "I asked them if they'd be flying in to see Mandy. Father completely refused because he didn't want to run into Lex. Mother said that as long as my sister was involved with 'that woman,' she wouldn't feel comfortable here either." She looked over at Martha sadly. "I'm sorry, Martha. I hope you realize that not everyone in my family feels the same as my parents do."

Martha patted the younger woman's arm sympathetically. "You have nothing to apologize for, honey. I'm just sorry to hear that your parents feel that way." She shook her head. "I can't believe that they'd leave their own daughter in the hospital hundred of miles away without trying to see her. Maybe they'll feel differently about it this morning."

"I doubt it. They were pretty upset when Mandy chose Lex over them," Jeannie explained.

"Just how upset were they?" Charlie asked. "Were they angry at Amanda, or at the situation?"

The young woman looked at the sheriff with a confused frown. "Well, they haven't disowned her or anything, so I suppose it's more the situation than anything else. Why?"

The sheriff smiled. "Just thinking out loud, that's all." He looked over Jeannie's shoulder to the door of the restaurant. "Looks like everyone's up, now." Charlie waved at the three people standing inside the doorway.

Jacob returned the wave and escorted his wife and Frank to the table. "Good morning, everyone." He held the chair for Anna Leigh and then sat down next to her.

"Good morning to you, too." Martha smiled warmly at the newcomers. "Would you like some breakfast? Charlie and I were just about to go over and check on Lexie. She never came to her room last night."

"You mean to tell me that Lex spent all night in that damn waiting room?" Frank asked incredulously. He sat down next to Jeannie and put an arm around her shoulders.

The housekeeper chuckled. "No, not in the waiting room…she sneaked into Amanda's room and stayed with her all night, I'll bet."

Anna Leigh laughed in delight. "That explains why Dr. Barnes told us exactly where Mandy's room was. I was wondering why he told us about a supply room."

"Me too," Jacob agreed. "I'm really glad that Lex was there with Mandy during the night. That's probably why she improved so quickly."

Everyone at the table nodded in agreement. Charlie stood up and helped Martha to her feet. "I'm sorry to leave such fine company, but I really want to go check on Lex. I'm afraid she's asleep in a corner somewhere."

Martha laughed. "Knowing our Lexie, she's probably curled up somewhere near Amanda."

She stared into the mirror and grimaced. I look like hell…no wonder Dr. Barnes chased me out of Amanda's room. Lex bent down and splashed more cold water on her face. "Martha is gonna kick my butt for sure," she mumbled as she looked into the mirror again. At least my hair still looks halfway decent. I've got to remember to thank her for braiding it. She rubbed her eyes then looked down at her watch, which had been a birthday gift from her lover.

Lex had been awakened by light kisses across her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Amanda's beautiful face smiling down on her. "'Morning," Lex mumbled with a smile.

"Happy birthday, love," Amanda offered with a knowing smirk. She leaned down and kissed the dark-haired woman tenderly.

"Umm…" Lex licked her lips as they broke apart. "Thanks. But how did…?" she paused. "Martha told, didn't she?"

Amanda nodded. "She sure did. But don't be angry with her, okay? It just came up in a conversation recently." Yeah…a conversation that started, 'Hey, Martha…when's Lex's birthday? I know it's sometime in November, but I don't know the exact day.' She smiled inwardly. "You should have been in the military, honey…having your birthday land on Veteran's Day and everything."

The rancher rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah…I'm sure I'd have been a great soldier. I take orders so well." She tickled the younger woman. "At least it's easy for me to remember… 11-11-71…guess it's my lucky number."

"At least you weren't born right after New Year's… my mother has always whined about missing out on all the hoopla surrounding a New Year's baby…" the younger woman sighed. "Only a couple of hours late, but to her it was such a big deal," she laughed. "Dad complained because I wasn't born in December…he had to wait another whole year to claim me as a deduction."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sweetheart." Lex struggled up to a sitting position. "I normally don't celebrate my birthday, but Martha usually makes me a cake and gives me a little something. I go along with her to make her happy." She saw a sad look cross her friend's face. "What's wrong?"

The blonde passed gentle fingertips across Lex's face. "Martha told me about your birthdays before." Amanda ran her hand through the thick dark hair. "I'm really sorry that there was never much to them before. But now I plan to make certain that all of your birthdays from now on are special."

Lex smiled tenderly as she captured the small hand in her hair. She brought it to her lips and held it there, waiting until Amanda's eyes were completely focused with hers. "As long as I have you with me every day will be special, my love."

"You're sweet," Amanda whispered. "I love you so much, Lex." She opened her hand as the rancher began to kiss the palm. "Mmm…"

"I love you, Amanda. You're the best birthday present that I could ever ask for." Lex's eyes opened wide when Amanda reached under a pillow and pulled out a fist-sized box. It was wrapped with brightly colored paper and matching ribbon. "You didn't have to do that, sweetheart."

Amanda smiled happily. "I know that you don't like a big fuss, so I just got you a little something for now, and then a little bit more for tonight." She handed the package to the still-dazed woman. "Go on, open it."

Lex grinned as she looked at the package in her hand. "It looks almost too pretty to tear into," she murmured. She slowly peeled the ribbon away and set it aside carefully.

"C'mon, honey…just open it," Amanda urged impatiently. She watched as her friend enjoyed the wrapped package like a small child on Christmas morning. It's probably the first gift that anyone besides Martha has given her in a long time.

When the last of the paper finally fell away, Lex was left holding a blue box with the word Seiko etched in silver across the top. With shaky hands she opened the box to reveal a beautiful silver and gold watch. "Oh, Amanda…" She pulled the watch from the package and held it up. "It's stunning."

Amanda released the breath that she had been holding in anticipation. "You really like it?" she asked.

"It's incredible." Lex started to put it on then noticed the back of the watch. Engraved? She turned the watch slightly until the morning light from the windows reflected off its back. I will always protect and cherish your heart - Love, Your Amanda. Lex glanced up with tears in her eyes. "That's beautiful…" She slipped the watch onto her left wrist and secured the clasp. "Perfect fit." Lex sat the empty box down and framed the younger woman's face with her hands. "Thank you, sweetheart. I will cherish it as I do you…forever."

Amanda leaned forward to meet Lex halfway. "You're very welcome," she whispered just before their lips touched. "Just wait until you get your other present tonight."

Lex sighed and pulled her sleeve back down. That had to be just about the best birthday that I've ever had. She took another quick look in the mirror then turned and left the ladies room.

"Ms. Walters!" Nurse Hamilton waved to her from down the hall. She waited patiently until Lex walked up to the nurse's station. "Good morning."

"Good morning, ma'am." Lex smiled at the older woman. "You've certainly put in a full day, haven't you?" She thought about the deception that she had played on the nurse last night. "I'm sorry about what I did last night. I really hope that I didn't get you into any trouble."

The nurse waved the apology off. "Don't worry about it, honey. Dr. Barnes had warned me that you would be showing up and told me to make sure you got in okay." She laughed at the surprised look on the tall woman's face. "It's okay. You weren't wearing any identification, so, normally, I wouldn't have let you in."

"I kinda wondered why it was so easy to get through," Lex grinned. "Well, anyway…I really appreciate everything that you've done for Amanda. She's very important to me." That's an understatement…she's the most important thing in my life. She IS my life.

"That's what we're here for, dear. Would you like to see her now?" The nurse patted Lex on the arm. "C'mon…she should be awake any time now." She grasped the rancher's forearm and led her to a nearby room.

Lex paused at the door, suddenly unsure. She was afraid of what she might find on the other side of the door. "It's okay for me to go in?"

The smiling nurse nodded. "Of course, honey. The doctor left a few minutes ago, and her family hasn't made it in yet." She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "It's about an hour before visitors are allowed, but I won't tell if you won't."

"Okay…thank you." Lex smiled at the smaller woman. "If anyone calls for me, will you…?"

"Sure. Now go on. She's probably awake already, and wondering where you are." Nurse Hamilton gently pushed the tall woman through the door.

After last nights shock, Lex was relieved to see that all of the machines were gone from Amanda's bedside. The only thing left was the intravenous drip that stood discreetly by the headboard. She stepped quietly over to the bed and looked down at her resting friend. "Hi, beautiful," Lex whispered. She reached down and brushed Amanda's bangs away from her eyes. "You sure gave us a scare, you know." The rancher looked around for a chair. Not seeing one she decided to just stand by the bed. Her back was still aching from carrying the smaller woman down the stairs last night but she was not about to leave Amanda's side. While one hand continued to comb through the blonde hair, her other grasped the small hand unencumbered by tubes. "I would give anything to see those beautiful green eyes again."

Almost as if she heard Lex, Amanda's eyelids fluttered open. She blinked several times and finally was able to focus on the tall woman's face. Her mouth opened, but only a strangled gasp came out. She reached for her throat in a panic.

"Sshhh…it's okay, baby." Lex released her hold on Amanda's hand and poured her a glass of water from a nearby pitcher. "Here…take a sip or two. They had you hooked up to a respirator during the night. That's why your throat is so sore." She helped the younger woman take a few small sips of water. "How's that?"

"Better," Amanda whispered with a grimace. "Still hurts, though." She looked up at her lover. "What happened? The last thing I can remember is going to bed after dinner."

Lex thought back to the frightening moment when she woke up with the feverish woman by her side. God…I don't think I can go through that again. Her eyes teared up and she found it hard to breathe. "Well…I woke up and you had a really high fever." Lex didn't realize that she'd sat down on the edge of the bed until she felt small fingers tangle with hers.

"Lex?" Amanda's voice was still raspy, but she was very concerned for her friend. The rancher's eyes had filled with tears and they didn't seem to be focused on anything.

"I couldn't get you to wake up…you got so sick, so fast…" Lex continued quietly. "We got you here, and they put you in Intensive Care." She choked back a sob. "Then they wouldn't tell me anything…I'm not family, they said."

"Honey…" Amanda could see that Lex was on the verge of a breakdown. "It's okay," she coughed slightly, then allowed her lover to help her with the cup of water again. "Thanks."

The rancher put the cup away automatically. She kept running her fingers through Amanda's hair as if to reassure her self that the younger woman was okay. Her other hand continued to hold Amanda's tightly. "The police even questioned me. They said that you had been poisoned, and thought that I might have had something to do with it." Lex ignored the tears now trailing freely down her cheeks. "I did, you know."

Amanda shook her head. "No, you didn't. Don't say that." She could feel Lex's anguish and it tore at her heart.

"It's true…a kid slipped it into our drinks at the mall. He was probably trying to get to me." Lex sniffled and blinked to try and clear her vision. "It's all my fault…I killed her."

"Who, love?" The conversation was tiring Amanda quickly, but she fought the sleep that pulled at her. She needs me…I don't think I've ever seen Lex so…lost.

Lex looked down at their linked hands. "That old woman at the mall…I gave her my drink, and now she's dead." Her breathing quickened as she fought her emotions. "And I almost killed you."

Amanda pulled Lex forward until the older woman was cradled against her chest. "Shhh…. You did no such thing. Whoever put that stuff in our drinks did that, not you." She felt Lex tremble and then begin to sob. "It's okay, honey…everything is going to be okay." She looked up over the rancher when she heard the door open. Amanda raised one hand from Lex's back and waved at her grandmother, who nodded and stepped back through the door closing it quietly behind her.

"I almost lost you…" Lex murmured. She had both arms wrapped tightly around Amanda as she continued to cry. "Oh, god…"

"Shhh…" Amanda continued to rub her lover's back comfortingly. "I'm fine, really. It's all going to be okay, Lex…" She looked at the tubes that ran down to her left hand. Guess it was pretty close. Poor Lex. But why would someone try to poison…? Oh, no! That means that someone else besides Ronnie's brother is after Lex!

Anna Leigh looked at the people gathered in the hallway with her. "Why don't we all go get a cup of coffee in the cafeteria? Lexington is with Mandy right now." She saw knowing smiles all around. "From what I could see, Mandy looked just fine."

"That's great news!" Charlie exclaimed. "I'll even buy the coffee." He took Martha's hand in his and began to lead her down the hallway.

Jacob looked at his wife, then at Jeannie and Frank. "We should give them a few minutes alone anyway, don't you think?" He reached for Anna Leigh's hand and began to follow the sheriff.

Charlie had only taken a few steps when his pager went off. He looked down at the display and turned grim. "Let me just make a quick phone call, and I'll meet you all there." He leaned over and kissed the top of Martha's head. "I won't be but a minute, sweetheart."

"C'mon, Martha…you can tell us some embarrassing stories about Lex while we wait." Jeannie took the older woman by the arm and began to lead her down the corridor.

The sheriff watched his friends leave as he made his way to the row of payphones nearby. He smiled as he picked up a receiver and dropped his coins into the phone. After he dialed, he waited impatiently while the phone on the other end of the line rang.

"Campbell here."

"Hello, Robert…I called just as soon as I received your page." Charlie pulled out his notepad.

The young man on the other end of the phone sighed in relief. "That was fast. Thanks for calling back so soon."

The sheriff clicked his pen and opened to a clean sheet of paper. "No problem. What's up?"

"I'm afraid you're not going to like it." Robert could be heard shuffling papers in the background. "We traced those phone calls that were made to Sterling."

"Great! Where did they come from?"

"We traced one number back to a local hotel where a man fitting the description of Mark Garrett had rented a room for the past two weeks. He paid cash, so we really have no solid proof that it was him." The prosecutor sighed heavily. "But it at least gives us a connection."

Charlie wrote for a moment, then stopped. "A connection? What sort of connection? We already knew that Garrett posted bond for Matt Sterling."

Robert paused for a moment. "We have a connection between Garrett and the person whom I believe is behind this whole mess. Seems his boss was calling from an office in his home."

"Really? Then we have a positive ID on the employer?" The sheriff continued to write furiously. "Do we have a name?"

The prosecutor paused a beat before answering. "The phone number was traced to a private office in the home of Michael Sean Cauble."

Continued in Part 10.