"What choice do we have, Carl? It's already fucked up," Parker said and began to walk back to the entrance to the building. Her mind raced at the thought of being caught in this mess and going to prison. She knew she could put the blame on Sheppard, but she needed to make sure Larabee could not testify to what he saw. In order for her to clear up this mess, Chris Larabee would have to die. The rest of it could be taken care of as easily as slipping Sheppard and Dugan the drugs she'd bought to use on Chris Larabee in the first place.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

Daniel Coburn knew he needed to get some help and glanced around the area. He spotted Katrina Morgan and several other nurses checking patient whereabouts as he hurried out the main door. He made his way along the walkway toward the gate leading to the outer grounds and saw the relief on Ezra's face when he neared the gate.

"Dr. Coburn, this is against regulations," the guard said.

"I know and I'll take full responsibility for it. Now open the gate and make sure no one leaves or enters until the police arrive," Coburn warned, relieved when the gate opened and Standish joined him.

"Where's Parker?" Standish asked.

"I haven't seen her since I left her with Chris," Coburn answered and hurried toward the main building. "There are several patients still unaccounted for."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Ezra, this section of the facility is set up for dangerous inmates," Coburn answered.

"Do we know who we're looking for?"

"Dugan is one of them. He's a mean sonofabitch who likes to hurt anyone who can't defend themselves. Chris had a couple of run ins with him."

"Anyone else we should be concerned about?" Standish asked worriedly.

"Brian Schneider and no one has seen Carl Sheppard since before the alarm. He was supposed to meet with the board of directors, but that was canceled when the alarm sounded."

"Could he have left before it happened?"

"No, he would have had to sign out," Coburn answered as they reached the main door and he entered using his coded key card.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

Brian could hear people near the place where he was hiding and kept his arms wrapped around the semi-conscious man. Deep down he knew he should let someone know where he was, but he had to protect Chris, had to defend the man who'd stood up for him when others shied away. He heard a soft gasp from the man who was his champion and wished he had something to wipe the blood from around his mouth and head.

Dugan had done a job on his friend, but he'd returned the favor and now Dugan was unable to hurt anyone else for a while. Brian tilted his head to the side when he heard someone call his name, but he remained silent in an effort to protect his injured friend. Brian used his hand to brush aside the sticky blond hair from Chris' forehead and spoke softly when the man began to tremble in his arms.

"It's okay, Chris. I won't let him hurt you any more. You called me Bear and I like that and I'll protect you from people who want to hurt you," Schneider vowed as footsteps drew closer and he rocked gently back and forth while keeping his touch light.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

Daniel Coburn and Ezra Standish helped in the search for the missing patients and Chris Larabee, but so far they hadn't found any of them. The police had arrived and were being given access to the secure area with orders that they leave the care of the patients to the staff.

There was still no sign of Carl Sheppard or Samantha Parker, but they hadn't finished searching every room in the secure area. Coburn moved to the main desk and spoke to Katrina Morgan, leaving Ezra standing near the entrance to the common area.

Ezra felt the nauseating guilt return, but fought against it as he concentrated on what was happening around him. He spotted a familiar figure enter the area from the opposite door and hurried toward her. He didn't want to cause a scene and put the staff at risk and forced a smile to his face as he called out to her.

"Dr. Parker, could I have a word with you?"

"Mr. Standish isn't it?"

"Yes, Doctor, it is good to see you again," Standish said as the alarms were finally silenced.

"I'm sorry, but I have to help settle the patients and make sure they don't panic," Parker explained.

"Sam, have you seen Joseph Dugan or Brian Schneider?" Coburn asked.

"No, I haven't. I left Chris with Brian near the roses," Parker told her.

"How long ago?" Standish asked.

"About half an hour ago," Parker said and hoped Sheppard took her advice and left the enclosure before the police arrived to help search for the missing patients. She knew Dugan would be discovered at any time and hoped Sheppard was right about Schneider messing him up.

"Would you mind showing me where you left them?"

"I'm..."

"Please, Doctor, I'm sure Dr. Coburn wouldn't mind taking care of your patients for a few minutes," Standish said, relieved when several police officers entered through the main doors and strode toward them.

"I have to go," Parker tried, but found her arm caught in Standish's strong grip.

"I don't think so," Standish said as two officers stopped in front of them.

"Dr. Parker, we have a warrant for your arrest," Steven Proust said and took out a set of handcuffs.

"What's this all about?" Parker snapped.

"We know Kent didn't kill those patients, Sam," Coburn answered. "These people trusted you...I trusted you."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Daniel," Parker said as the officer cuffed her arms behind her back.

"Where's Chris, Dr. Parker?" Standish asked and saw the true depth of her coldness in her eyes as she spoke.

"Dead...the bastard deserves what Dugan did to him!" Parker snarled as the officers pulled her away from the desk.

"Brian was outside when Chris arrived. Maybe we should take a look out there," Coburn suggested.

"Hey, Doc!" an orderly called from the other end of the hallway. "We found Dugan unconscious out by the supply shed."

"Did you move him?" Coburn asked.

"No, Sir, we know better than that," the man said.

"Is someone out there with him now?"

"Yes, Dr. Miller was at the picnic area and he's looking after Dugan. He sent me in to get a gurney."

"You go ahead, Dr. Coburn, just show me where Brian should have been," Standish said.

"I can't let you go out there alone, Ezra, but the supply shed is close to where I last saw Brian so you might as well come along with me," Coburn told him and grabbed an end of the gurney as the orderly pushed past him.

Ezra followed behind and grabbed his cell as it vibrated against his chest. "Standish."

*"Ezra, it's Vin, we're right outside, but we're not making much headway in getting in to the secure section. Did you find Chris?"*

"Not yet, but the police have taken Parker into custody and Vin..."

*"What?"*

"She said Chris was dead."

*"Do you believe her?"*

"Not for a minute," Standish answered. "Look, I'm going outside to search for Brian...Coburn said Chris wanted to see him. I'll contact you if I find either of them."

*"All right...we'll come find you a soon as we're allowed in."*

Ezra placed the phone back inside his pocket and hurried after the doctor, catching him just as they stepped through the door leading toward the supply shed. He glanced around, but saw no sign of Chris Larabee or Brian Schneider.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

Brian knew he had to keep his friend safe from the people who could hurt him, but something had changed in Chris. The man he held was trembling uncontrollably, as if cold, but the sun was still high in the sky and it wasn't that cool in the shade. He frowned as he tried to make sense of what had happened and knew he had to find someone who would help his friend. He tried to ease away, but it seemed Chris had other ideas and clung to his arm.

"Brian, are you out here? We're worried about you, Brian, and we need to make sure you're safe."

He knew that voice, it was one he trusted and his heart beat faster as he lifted Chris into his arms and carried him out of their hiding place. He spotted the woman not far from his hiding place and called to her softly.

"I'm here."

"Brian, thank God," Katrina Morgan called and quickly assessed the situation. She knew better than to startle him, although the way he held Chris Larabee's body was like a man protecting his family.

"Chris is hurt...he needs help, but the bad people are watching. Will you help me hide him?"

"Brian, do you trust me..."

"Chris!"

"Ezra, stay back!" the nurse ordered when she saw the change in Brian Schneider.

"Don't let him hurt Chris."

"I won't, Brian. Ezra is Chris' friend..."

"No...he put...he put him in here and let Dr. Kent hurt him."

"No, Brian, that's not what happened and I promise no one will hurt you or Chris," Katrina vowed. "Ezra, go tell Dr. Miller we need him and ask Daniel to bring another gurney, but tell him to keep everyone else back for now."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Brian and I are going to make sure Chris is all right until Daniel arrives. Brian knows I won't hurt either of them...right, Brian?"

"You're always nice...never hurt...always feel better," Brian said and allowed the nurse to walk closer.

"What happened to Chris, Brian?" the nurse asked softly.

"I saw Dugan kicking him and he wasn't moving and he needed my help...Chris helped me and I want to help him. He's hurt and he started shaking like he was cold, but the sun is hot and he shouldn't be cold like that."

"I know, Brian, and Dr. Miller will help him."

"Will I be locked in my room because I hurt Dugan?" Brian asked, eyes downcast as if ashamed that he had hurt someone.

"No, Brian, I don't think so. You did what was right and you may have saved Chris' life."

"Katrina, is everything all right?" Daniel Coburn asked softly.

"I think so, Daniel, did Ezra find you?"

"Yes, and Dr. Miller will be right over with a gurney. Brian, are you all right?"

"I'm okay, Dr. Coburn, but Chris...Chris is hurt...Dugan was kicking him and I had to make him stop."

"You did the right thing, Brian," Coburn said as Miller and Standish pushed a gurney toward them. "Brian, we need to help Chris so would you put him on the bed so we can take him inside and Dr. Miller can see what's wrong with him?"

"Okay," Brian said and reluctantly placed the unconscious blond on the bed as the nurse took his arm.

"Daniel, I'm going to take Brian inside so he can get cleaned up. I'll make sure he's okay."

"Okay, Katrina," Coburn said and smiled at the large man standing beside the woman he loved. "You did good, Brian, now we'll make sure Chris is all right."

Ezra watched as Brian Schneider glanced at Chris Larabee before allowing Katrina Morgan to guide him toward the building. He turned his attention to the man on the gurney and silently cursed the fact that he had agreed to speak with Shady Acres board of directors instead of going inside with the blond.

"We need to get him inside so I can get a better look at him," Miller said and began maneuvering the gurney toward the buildings.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

Chris slowly became aware that the warmth was gone and that he was lying flat on his back on a moving object. He fought to open his eyes and felt nausea churn through his gut. He felt someone help him turn on his side and wretched several times before lying back on the pillow and looking around.

"Welcome back," Standish said and placed his hand on Larabee's shoulder.

"Did I go...go somewhere?" Larabee asked, frowning when he realized Standish was not the only one with him.

"Pretty damn close, but..."

"Hell, Ezra!" Larabee said and tried to sit up.

"Stay still, Chris!" Coburn warned and tried to keep Larabee from coming off the gurney.

"Ez, where are they?" Larabee asked pointedly glaring at Coburn.

"Who?" Standish asked, once the gurney was pushed inside the building.

"Parker and Sheppard...they're behind the murders," Larabee said and dropped back on the gurney as pain lanced through his body and mind.

"Parker's in custody...I'll let the police know about Sheppard," Standish said and stayed back as Miller and Coburn pushed the gurney into the examination room.

"Ezra, where's Chris?"

Standish turned to find Buck, Vin, and Nathan hurrying toward him and knew it was Wilmington who'd voiced the question. "He's in with Dr. Miller and Dr. Coburn."

"What happened?" Tanner asked.

"I don't know the full story, but it appears that Chris had a run in with some guy named Dugan."

"I know the bastard. Chris never took ta him," Tanner observed.

"Where's Dugan?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know, but I need to let the police know they should detain Carl Sheppard. Chris says he's involved in the murders," Standish explained.

"I saw him a few minutes ago. He was trying to leave, but the police are not letting anyone out until they verify that all the patients are present and accounted for," Wilmington explained.

"I'll go make sure the police keep him for questioning," Jackson said and hurried toward the door he'd just came through where an officer stood guard.

"How bad, Ezra?" Tanner asked softly.

"I don't know, Vin, but he's covered in bruises," Standish answered and moved back when a nurse brushed past and entered the examination room. He felt the weight of the world settle on his shoulders once more as the guilt threatened to renew itself.

"Ezra, don't go there," Wilmington said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Standish said.

"This isn't your fault...none of it is so wipe the guilt off your face and let's make sure the guilty parties go to jail," the rogue told him and leaned back against the wall to wait for news on his friend.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

Chris knew there was no point in arguing with the doctors who seemed hell bent on checking him over from head to foot. The trip from Shady Acres to Saint Vincents was a blur, but he was awake now and wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in his own bed. Simmons and Midland had their own ideas that did not bode well for him.

"Now, Chris, we all know how much you love hospitals..."

"Yeah right," Larabee griped and glared at Simmons whose arms were folded across his chest.

"Okay, maybe love is a little strong, but I'm beginning to think the hospital would do well to put in a revolving door and save ourselves the time and trouble."

"You know, Simmons, you're a barrel of laughs today..."

"Actually, it's night," Midland said. "You've been only marginally conscious over the last six hours and I'm not signing any discharge papers until you can keep your eyes open for more than an hour..."

"I've been awake more than an hour, Doc," Larabee protested.

"She means keeping them open and actually being aware of your surroundings," Simmons said. "Your room should be ready for you by now and I'm sure the nurses on the third floor have been warned of your arrival."

"Give us a couple of days to make sure there's nothing we missed, Chris, you'll be glad you're in here when you realize just how much damage Dugan inflicted on you," Midland explained.

"I think I already know, Doc," the blond said and reluctantly lay back against the pillows with a heavy sigh.

"I'll have the nurse bring you something for pain before they take you upstairs," Midland told him and patted his shoulder. "If you feel up to it I'll tell Vin, Buck, and Ezra your room number and they can visit you for a few minutes, but then I want you resting."

"It's a hospital, Doc, I never rest in here," Larabee groused.

"Oh, I don't know about that...you've certainly been out of it today," Simmons said before following Midland out of the room.

Chris closed his eyes and felt the aches and pains running rampant through his body. He remembered Midland and Simmons telling him the full extent of his injuries, but right now it felt like one massive wound that had festered to encompass both mind and body. He felt someone at his IV and opened his eyes just as the nurse injected the medication into the juncture closest to his hand.

"That should help, Chris," the woman said and turned to find the orderly who would take Larabee to his room.

"Thanks, Donna," Larabee said. He felt the bed moving and closed his eyes, opening them again when he was asked to shift onto the other bed. He felt the nurse taking his vitals before she left the room, but soon heard soft footsteps approaching his bed and opened his eyes to find three worried men watching him closely.

"Chris, you look..."

"Don't say it, Buck," Larabee interrupted tiredly.

"I was just going to..."

"I know what you were going to say and right now five miles of bad road doesn't cut it," Larabee said with a hint of a smile as he looked toward Ezra Standish. "Did they get Parker and Sheppard?"

"Indeed they did. Both miscreants are residing in jail until further notice," the conman answered.

"Good, I'd ask you for details, but you'd just have to repeat them when I'm more coherent," Larabee told them. "Look, go home and get some rest. I'll be looking for a ride home in the morning."

"Only if the doc signs the discharge papers," Wilmington warned.

Chris gave the man a half-hearted smile and raised both eyebrows before turning slightly on his side and wincing as the move tugged on batter ribs before closing his eyes and listening as the others left the room. With Parker and Sheppard behind bars, he felt as if he could sleep for a week.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

Chris relaxed in the chair that seemed to have molded to his body and waited for the others to take their places around the conference table. His team were seated in their usual spots, but Orin Travis and Daniel Coburn were also present. Three months had passed since they'd agreed to take the case at Shady Acres, and things were finally settling into a routine for both the staff and patients. There were several files open on the desk in front of each man and they'd taken the time to read through them before Travis and Coburn arrived.

"Chris, Daniel asked to sit in on this meeting and I didn't think you boys would mind," Travis said.

"Not at all, Orin," Larabee said and waited for Coburn to speak

"Gentlemen, on behalf of the staff, patients, and board of directors of Shady Acres I'd like to express our thanks for what you've done. The families of those patients who were murdered are being compensated and although we cannot hope to make up for their deaths at least they now have some closure. I am sorry that Chris and Ezra were injured..."

"No need to apologize for something beyond your control," Larabee interrupted. "It's par for the course in our line of work...right Ez?"

"Affirmative," Standish readily agreed. It was hard, but he'd finally managed to put the guilt behind him and now that both of them were back to work it was easier to see the good in what they'd done.

"Be that as it may, we at shady Acres are in your debt," Coburn said. "I brought someone with me and if it's all right I'd like to have him brought in."

"Who is it?" Larabee asked and smiled as the big man entered through the main door. He owed Brian Schneider his life and was glad to see him outside Shady Acres. He stood up and shook the man's hand gratefully. "It's good to see you, Brian. How are things going?"

"Much better now that I no longer take the medications. Some things are still messed up, but I remember most of it. My sister thought she should have been put in charge of everything and was angry when our father's will named me as executor. Dr. Coburn and my lawyer told me she bribed a doctor and a lawyer and forged the documents claiming I was out of control and had killed three people. I would never hurt anyone...unless they were hurting someone else."

"Like Dugan was hurting Chris," Coburn explained.

"I saw him kicking Chris and I had to stop him and I didn't know who I could trust. I didn't know you were Chris' friend, Ezra...I thought you were his brother and put him in there. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Brian...you saved my life and I owe you."

"You gave me back my life, Chris, and you befriended me when everyone else wanted nothing to do with me. I will never forget that," Brian told him.

"I'm glad you got your life back, Bear," Larabee said with a grin.

"I like that too," Brian said of the nickname. "I have a meeting with my lawyer this afternoon, but I wanted to stop by and see you. I hope you'll let me buy all of you dinner."

"Sounds good, Brian, but I'll buy the champagne," the blond said.

"I too, must leave, but I'll let you all know what happens with the other patients we are reviewing," Coburn said before leaving Orin Travis with the team who'd worked damned hard to find out what had happened to the patients at Shady Acres.

Chris sat back and listened while the others discussed the new case that had come up that morning, but his mind was not quite on their conversations. He was thinking about Samantha Parker and Carl Sheppard and the evidence JD had uncovered which included a drug dealer named Marcus Turner who had also been arrested. All three had been denied bail and would stay in jail until their trial date. Parker and Sheppard had turned on each other and Chris knew there wouldn't be much of a trial once the date arrived. There was no doubt in his mind that all three were facing long prison sentences and that was something he was grateful for.

"Chris, I'll call you later and let you know when Mary and Billy are in town. Keep me up- to-date on pending cases," Travis said before leaving Larabee and his team alone.

"All right, Boys, tell me about the Leary case and where we are and exactly what we're dealing with," Larabee said and settled down to the latest case Orin had asked them to look in to.

The End!