Still he held back his grief ....feeling a kind of inappropriateness.....
She was alive .....should he be feeling like crying ?..or was it the relief that was making the tears come and then retreat?
a voice at the waiting room door way disturbed his thoughts"Nick?...can I come in ..can I talk to you?"
Nick lifted his head ....searching out the eyes belonging to his visitor
"I know this may be a bad time..but......"
Nick recognised him as the man at the doorway earlier "Are you Simon?"
"What? .........oh yes...... yes I am..."
Simon was completely taken in by Nicks pleasant tone... his sheer nerve getting the better of him..
He reached out his hand offering Nick a polite handshake..
Nick stood up and moved to the trash can calmly dropping his cup into it
Without really looking at Simon he asked "You really think I'm gonna shake your hand?"
Simon continued to brave it out "Well I assumed you might wanna talk to me ....after all I helped them find her!"
Nick faced his tormentor and swung his hand to grab Simons in a firm grasp
Simon foolishly accepted this gesture until he felt the pain searing up his fingers and arm
as Nick’s strong grasp turned into a crushing grip...
Simon clamped his other hand over Nicks to try free himself......the pain was incredible and his knees began to buckle
Nicks face remained unchanged .....no anger... no fear... nothing...
He spat out another less cilvilised question "Is the is the hand you used to break her arm..........IS IT?"
Simons face crunched in agony "I .....I......don't know.......what you're talking about...!"
Nick squeezed harder "Maybe my question wasn't clear enough....."
Simon could feel the crunch of bone as Nick tightened his grip
He repeated the question through clenched teeth
Simon yelped and called for help.....
Nick whipped Simons arm up behind his back and hoisted him to his feet...pushing him towards the wall
Simon was winded as his chest hit the wall knocking a picture from it's hook ...the glass shattering at his feet.
He could feel Nick’s hot breath on his face....he could feel the hate.
"Don't bother to admit it...I already know..."
Simon oozed fear from every pore....
He'd never before had to face the consequences of his indiscretions.
He'd never been challenged by another man as dangerous as Nick appeared to be
His discomfort forced a confession of sorts from him
"I didn't mean to hurt her .....I didn't mean to break her arm..it was an accident!"
Nick felt a momentary rush of blood to his head..and Simon felt his grip loosen
Nick hadn't expected Simon to blurt out his guilt like that...but he recovered almost as fast and pushed Simons arm further up his back
Simon cried out again for help .....
Nick could hear footsteps racing up the corridor....he snarled his last warning into Simons ear ..
"If I find out you have done anything else to her.......anything!! ....."
He let Simon go suddenly and he slumped to the floor ..
By the time the owners of the footsteps rounded the corner Nick was at the far side of the room.
AJ looked at him and knew instantly.....but said nothing....
Simon waved an angry finger at him accusingly but no one took any notice...the room was full of Nick’s 'people' and Simon soon realised he was on a losing streak
He limped away from the crowd as no one seemed willing to help him ...and there was very little chance any of them would be his witness or bear out his claim of Nick’s aggression.
AJ took Nick aside as soon as Simon left the room.. "Are you crazy ??.........if the investigating team find out.."
"They won't.......besides do you really think I am just gonna let him act as if nothing happened....
he actually wanted me to thank him for helping find her!! ...can you believe the nerve of the guy?"
"Nick calm down the guy is a compulsive liar what do you expect?"
Nick wrested his arms from AJ grasp..brushing down his jacket agitatedly..
"How come you know so much about him?....and how the hell did he know who I was anyhow?...
Is he following me?....and what is he doing here?....roaming around the hospital?"
"Nick....?" AJ failed to stem the flood of aggrieved questions from Nick.
"I want some answers damn it...how can they just let him be free...especially here"
"Nick ...Cora knows who can and cannot see Heather...." he tugged at Nick’s sleeve playfully "You've seen Cora....you really think anyone is gonna argue with her..I know I wouldn't!!"
Nick grinned ......he couldn't help it
He half laughed.... "You're right...she has already laid down the law once to me..I obeyed
without even thinking"
AJ pulled Nick into a hug...."Now don't you have a bedside you should be sitting at?"
Nick took a deep breath...
"Go be with your girl and leave the tricky questions to me and the guys...I'll talk to the investigator...what was his name again?"
"Mike Connery"
"Ok Nick ..me and the guys will talk to Mike ...you go be where you need to be"
Nick rubbed his face with both hands and strode from the waiting room
Coras smile greeted him as he re-entered Heathers bay...
"Did she wake at all"
"No honey she slept through...if she wakes when you're not here I'd call you...I promise"
Nick leaned over and kissed Heather softly
She sighed ...and murmured his name.