"Is he going to be all right?" Dinah asked the EMT as they pushed the injured man into the back of the ambulance.  

"He at least has a fighting chance, thanks to you," he replied giving her a smile before climbing in behind the gurney. The door swung shut and the ambulance sped off, leaving Dinah and Liza standing behind watching it go. A policeman approached and spoke briefly to them, getting a statement for his report before leaving them as well.  

"Do you think I should go to the hospital too?" Dinah asked, turning to Liza. Liza shook her head, relieved the sirens had quit flashing and that the neighbors were returning to their homes.

"They can't tell you anything anyway, Dinah. Just wait for Galen to come home and we'll have him call and check on him, okay?"  

Dinah nodded absently, her mind still focused on the face of the man she had helped only moments before. He had lain in her arms, bleeding and not breathing, dead for all intents and purposes. But she had brought him back. She had breathed life into a man and made his eyes flutter open. For a single moment, when his eyes opened and met hers, she knew what it was that made her parents love medicine.  

But it wasn't just that, she thought, following Liza back towards the house. When she saw his eyes, she felt something. A connection to a stranger. She wondered if her mother knew what that felt like and made a mental note to ask about it later. Her eyes fell on a stray object near the sidewalk. She bent to pick it up, realizing with a start that it was the man's wallet. It must have flown clear when he was thrown, she thought staring at it.  

"Hey Liza, I think I'll go home. It's been a rough night," she said at the door, tucking the wallet inside her pocket before Liza could see it.  

"Are you sure? Galen won't be too much longer," Liza replied at the door. Dinah nodded, smiling wearily.

"Yeah. I'll ask Mom to call when I get home. It's cool."

"All right, but be careful driving home," Liza warned.

"After that? Of course I will!" Dinah replied with a casual wave. She waited until she was in her car with the door closed before throwing it on the seat next to her. She wanted desperately to look inside it, though she had no idea why. It could wait though. Starting her car, she pulled out of the drive and turned her car towards the opposite side of town to the hospital. Her father was likely still there as was Galen. One of them was bound to tell her how her patient was. And if she was lucky, a police officer would be there as well. She would give him the wallet...after she saw who it was she had saved.


Scene 2:

Maura pulled the blanket up to her chin, waiting as Jude finished in the bathroom. This would be the end of a full week staying with him in the condo. She saw the disapproving look Kevin gave her and the smirk of a smutty mind from Jillie, but there was no where she would rather be than with Jude during his trouble. Nothing had happened of course, Jude was simply not in the mood for exploring their relationship. He had told her as much their first night there. But after a week, Maura was more than ready to take their relationship further.

Jude smiled at her when he came into the room, throwing his robe across the chair in the corner. He wore nothing but the bottoms of some flannel pajamas, leaving his chest exposed. She tried not to stare, but it had been an awfully long time since she had last... Stop it, she told herself. He doesn't need that right now. And you most certainly do not want to force the issue with a man who is an emotional wreck!

"You look tired," she said instead.  

"I expect, I look like a man who hasn't slept in a month," he replied, pulling back the blankets on his side. He paused, catching sight of what she wore. Couldn't blame a girl for trying. "What are you wearing?"

"What?" She sat up in bed, exposing the upper half of the nightgown she had chosen to wear. It was closer to a slip than a gown. It was a gold satiny material with a flower print on it. She had thought at the time of purchase that she could get away with saying it was a frivolous purchase for herself if he wasn't ready.

"Is it new?" He asked, sliding in beside her. She smiled innocently, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Maybe." He touched the material lightly with his fingertips, sending a brief shiver over her. "Do you think I'm hoping for too much?"

"Tonight? Maybe...I'm still not in the right frame of mind. I want it to be special and right, Maura. Not just something we do because it's the next step. I know you feel the same way," he added giving her a searching look. "But if you don't, then maybe I was wrong about you."

"You're not wrong about me!" She exclaimed. "I want that too. But Jude, you can't keep hanging onto this mess you're family is in. At some point, you have to move on."

"Are you telling me to forget everything that's happened?" Jude asked pulling away.

"No...don't forget it, but deal with it Jude. You've been hiding out since it happened. You might as well face up to it. Gwen is your mother. You don't have to like it, but you should accept it. This hermit life you've developed isn't healthy." She was trying to be kind but she could see her words stinging him as she said them.  

"How would you know? You have the perfect family. Nothing bad ever happens to the Conlans. You have no idea what I'm going through." He swung his legs back over the side of the bed and sat up, keeping his back to her. "You don't know what it's like to wake up one day and realize that who you thought you were never existed."

"You're right, I don't know how that feels. But I can see how Gwen feels!" Maura exclaimed, throwing the covers off herself and reaching for her robe. "She did what she thought was best and this is how she gets treated for not telling. I'm not surprised she kept it to herself!" Maura knew exactly what Gwen Mason had gone through. She had agonized over the same decision herself. They had made the same choice too. She regretted her decision every day. Likely, Gwen had felt the same way.  

"Are you defending her?" Jude asked, incredulous. Maura swung around, tying the robe around her waist, giving him a glare.

"Yes, I am! You've spent so long beating yourself up over what she did that you haven't even taken a moment to think about why she kept her secret for so long. Maybe your grandfather was a major prick! Maybe your father was an asshole! You don't know. You didn't even give her the chance to explain. You just made her feel small and insignificant!" She was railing at him. Railing at him over the way she had felt years ago when it had been her in the same situation. "If you'd stop feeling sorry for yourself for a minute, maybe you'd realize there are two sides to every story, Jude."

"I thought you were on my side..."

"There are no sides to this Jude. No one wins," Maura replied gathering her clothes.  

"Where are you going?" He asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. She stopped, giving him a sad look.  

"I'm going home. I'm sorry..."

"No, Maura, I'm sorry, don't go." He was up off the bed and by her side , pulling her into an embrace, before she could protest. "Just stay, talk to me more. I don't want to be alone."

Maura sighed, returning the embrace briefly. "Jude...I... Look, I think maybe you need to be alone for the night. And I have to get up early tomorrow anyway. Come over for breakfast and we'll talk some more all right?" She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Good night." She left him then, without looking back. Some things, she knew, had to be faced on your own.


Scene 3:

"Where are you?" Rick asked, irritated beyond imagination that Phoebe had disappeared at a time like this. He'd had some good information about the state of ME and she needed to check it out, pronto.

"I'm in New York with Dane. What's the matter?" Phoebe replied.  

"Christ, Phoebe! Something is about to go down at ME and I need you here! What in the hell are you doing in New York...with Dane of all people? He hasn't convinced you to go on some wild weekend with him has he?"  

"No!" He could hear her annoyance over the phone line. "Well, that's not what this trip is about anyway."

"Then what are you doing there?" Rick asked again, determined to get a straight answer.

"Are you sitting down?" He was, in fact, standing by his terrace doors.  

"Yes. Get on with it."

"Dane knew the little girl in the picture," Phoebe said without pause. In his surprise, Rick nearly dropped his phone. All of this mystery and Dane knew the kid? Some things were just too coincidental for words.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Her name is Tristen Ford. Her parents are...are you ready? Her parents are Bruce and Katrina Ford."

"Katrina Ford? The actress?"

"One in the same. Dane apparently knows Bruce pretty well. He saw the picture and knew who she was immediately. So that's why I'm here," she added.

"How does Maura know Katrina Ford?" He wondered aloud.  

"I don't know. That's why we came to New York. We're having dinner with them in fifteen minutes. I'll see what I can find out."

"Okay. Look, tell Dane he'd better be back before tomorrow evening. From what I heard today, there's a meeting of the board at ME tomorrow. He'll want to be here for that, okay?"

"I'll make sure to tell him," Phoebe said before hanging up.  

How did Maura know a famous actress? More importantly, why did she have a picture of the woman's little girl? He trusted that Phoebe would find something out, but he had the feeling that only Maura knew the whole truth. If that was the case, then he would just have to pay her a visit. He couldn't tonight. Jillie was on her way over. But first thing in the morning, he would drop by Connie's and pay her a friendly visit.


Scene 4:

"I hope you're satisfied!" Gwen pushed past Stephen into his home without invitation. Stephen rolled his eyes and closed the door behind her.

"It's wonderful to see you too, Gwen, please come in," he muttered, following her to the living room, where she spun on him, shooting daggers at him with her eyes. "What is the matter, Gwen?" He asked, blinking innocently.

"Don't be coy, Stephen. About when did you decide to stab me in the back?" Gwen shot at him.

"About the same time you decided to stab me," he replied.  

"You lost, Stephen. You can just forget about that technology division, now." Stephen shrugged and sat on his couch, lounging casually.  

"That's too bad, but I never really wanted it anyway. Hallie was what I was after."

"You can forget about her too!"

"That's actually, very sage advice, Gwen. But it isn't so easy, I've discovered. For now though, I can forget about her. At least until she's finished making a fool of herself with Luke Conlan." He stretched out and smiled. "I'm giving it about a year."

"That's longer than you'll be in town. Because come tomorrow, Stephen, you won't have a job. I'm calling a board meeting to have you and Luke both dismissed," Gwen announced. Stephen laughed aloud, unnerving Gwen. "Stop laughing!" She demanded, stamping her foot.

"Gwen, you're too funny. Do you think I care if I don't have a job? Let me tell you something. You of all people shouldn't be calling board meetings right now. Especially not when Jude is on the board and liable to do something you don't like."

"Don't be ridiculous! Jude would never do anything to ..."

"Don't underestimate him, Gwen," Stephen warned. "He's hurt and he wants to strike back."

"You don't know any such thing!" Gwen spat at him. "Jude is a Mason. He won't sell his family out."

"Why not? Hallie would in a heartbeat," he pointed out. "All I'm saying is think twice about that meeting. You can fire me for all I care, though I'd like to see you get that by Jamie. But don't set yourself up for a fall in front of the stockholders. It won't be pretty." 

Gwen gave him a narrow glare, her face white with fury. "I can do whatever I damn well please! It's my company!"

"Last I heard, there were several owners. You, Jamie, Dane, Jude, Hallie...a few others that aren't family. I don't believe it is your company, Gwen." He stood, stretching a bit as he did so. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do." Gwen swept by him and if looks could in fact kill, he would have been dead on the spot. "Thanks for stopping by Gwen. Give my best to your family."

She didn't bother to look back, but slammed the door rattling the windows. The Mason women slammed things a lot, he thought to himself with a small satisfied chuckle of amusement. So, Gwen thought she could get him fired? Well, he didn't care about that after all anyway. Jamie wouldn't allow it. But he was curious to see how this whole thing played out after all. Hallie was always a wiz at creating havoc. And this, even though he had played a great hand in it, was Hallie at her best. He wouldn't miss that meeting for the world.

On the next Episode of Secret Horizons...

Episode 76