In The Blink Of An Eye

by: Courtney

Chapter 6

The sky was falling

Heaven was calling

When danger crashes

Rose from the ashes

~ 10,000 Maniacs, Love Among the Ruins

"Ready to go?" Doug asks, as he is finishing off the last of his morning coffee.

"Not really," Carol replies. They are just half an hour from the first shift either of them has worked in three weeks.

"It'll be fine," he assures her.

"What do I say when they ask where I've been?"

"Just tell them . . . tell them you needed some time off, some time to think. They don't need to know every little detail of your life." He comes around the table to where she's sitting and kneels down to brush a lock of hair from her eyes.

"Yeah, tell them that," she says with a smirk. Doug knows it's more than just the gossip worrying her. That's the least of it. Last night really got her thinking about the fact that this guy could be someone she knows. It scares her to think about that.

"Hey, you know I won't let him hurt you again. You do know that, right?" he asks softly as his hand caresses her cheek.

She nods slowly and brings her hand up to lay on top of his. "I love you," she says. "You make me feel . . . safe."

"You'll always be safe," he assures her. Carol looks in his eyes and smiles softly. She misses him. She misses lying in bed with him after they made love. She misses his touch, his feel. It's hard though. She wants to attain those things again but she's not sure how. As much as she wants them she is also terrified of them.

It's as if Doug can see her thoughts waging a silent war within her. He decides to break this spell for the moment. "Come on, the vultures are waiting," he says and takes her hand to guide her from the chair and to the door.

"Well, well, do we know you two?" Mark asks as Doug and Carol approach the nurses station. Several other members of the staff gather round for a chorus of hellos.

"Long time no see," Doug says with a grin to his best friend.

"Tell me about it," Mark says. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

Doug glances at Carol who nods, then he kisses her cheek and goes off to follow Mark. "Where are we going?" Doug asks.

"Our usual spot," Mark says.

"It's a little cold for the roof, don't you think?" Doug asks.

"No, never too cold," Mark says.

"Well, I can handle it if you can," Doug says.

They walk out onto the roof of the hospital and a chilly breeze causes both men to shiver. They both brave the weather though and walk to the edge to look out over the city below. The early morning traffic is just beginning to die down and the lull of a dreaded Monday has begun to set in.

"So, what are we here to talk about?" Doug asks.

"What do you think?" Mark asks.

"I've told you I can't discuss it."

"I know. I just want to be sure everything is really alright. I mean, you and Carol are away from work, friends, family, your whole lives, for like three weeks. I'm sorry but that's just a little concerning."

"I know, I know. Look, Mark, I want to tell you. It's just . . . you're going to have to trust me when I say it'll be okay."

Mark looks at him and finally nods. "Okay, I'll trust you. But, if things get to be more than you can handle you know who to come to first, right?"

"Always," Doug smiles.

"So, any word on the investigation yet?" Doug asks. He and Mark are sitting in the lounge going over charts. Mark has been telling him the latest word in the rape cases. Doug doesn't let on why he's interested, he just tries to discretely gather as much information as possible.

"Well, Sonya says . . ." Mark begins.

"Wait, Sonya? And who may I ask is Sonya?"

"Oh, the detective who's working the case, Sonya Fleming. Anyway, Sonya says . . ."

"Since when do you know 'Detective Sonya' so well?" Doug asks, interrupting again.

Mark gives him a look that says he does not want to get into this facet of the conversation but Doug doesn't back off. "She's been here a lot. We started talking a few weeks ago and, well, we have a lot in common. We went for drinks once or twice and talked. No big deal, so get your mind out of the gutter Ross."

"My mind is *always* in the gutter," Doug laughs.

"Yeah, don't I know that," Mark chuckles. "Okay, do you want to know what Sonya said or don't you?"

"Yes, please. Any wisdom from the lovely Sonya would be much appreciated."

Mark rolls his eyes and continues. "Well, it seems that he's left finger prints at a few of the scenes. And they have plenty of samples of blood, hair, semen . . . I think they are pretty close to catching him."

"Yeah, I hope so," Doug says.

"Me too, I can't stand to see another victim being wheeled in here. I feel so bad for them. It must be awful, being so out of control as to what happens to your own body."

Doug doesn't respond to this. Mark notices how quiet he is but he doesn't comment.

Finally, Doug decides to break the tense silence that has fallen between them. "So, tell me something Mark. Do you really have so much in common with Officer Sonya or are you just turned on by the heavy artillery?" He tries very hard to keep a straight face but when Mark punches him in the arm he can hold it in no longer and bursts into laughter.

"How are you doing today?" Doug says quietly as he comes up behind Carol at the nurse's station.

"I've been better but it's not too bad. How about you? Mark pumping you for information yet?"

"Since about two seconds after we walked in this morning," Doug confirms.

"Well, I'm sorry to make you lie to him," she says.

"No, I didn't lie. I just told him the truth, that I couldn't talk about it. There's nothing wrong with that. I completely respect your wishes when it comes to this." He leans in and kisses her cheek.

"Thank you," she whispers.

"Carol, we could use a hand in trauma one. Gunshot victim's on his way in," Mark calls over to the nurse's station. Carol sets aside her paperwork and goes to trauma one to help prepare for the incoming patient. Doug follows close behind. Mark, Chunny, and Anna join them. Within minutes the victim is wheeled in. The paramedics bringing him in are Greg Powell and his partner Gina Madison.

"Give us the bullet," Mark says. Gina begins telling the doctors and nurses about the case. Carol sees Greg smile at her and smiles back from across the room. He's always been nice enough to her, why should she be rude? Besides, he had no way of knowing about Doug when all of that happened between them. It was just a mistake. Carol goes back to the patient and begins taking an active part in the trauma, completely forgetting Greg's presence.

"Give me a 32 French," Anna calls. Carol turns to retrieve it and finds herself face to face with Greg.

"Excuse mm . . ." she stops and her breath catches in her throat. Those eyes . . . his eyes. She'll never forget them.

"Sorry Carol," Greg says, moving out of the way. "You okay?" he asks, looking worried.

"Carol! What's going on? We have a life to save here!" Anna yells over her shoulder as Carol remains dumbstruck and motionless. "Carol!!" she calls again.

Carol turns, looks at the trauma before her, then looks back at Greg and runs from the room. "Carol?" Doug calls. "Wait, what's . . ." he starts to call after her but she's already gone. He looks at Greg who gives him a confused look. "Carter!" Doug calls into the hallway.

Carter peeks around the corner, "Yeah?"

"Get in here and take over for me." Carter does as Doug asks and Doug runs off in the direction Carol took. He looks to Randi, who points to the lounge. He turns and enters the lounge. Carol is on the couch in tears. "Carol? Sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened in there?" Doug asks as he sits down beside her and puts his arm around her.

"I . . . he . . ." she can't find her voice through the tears.

"He who? What is it?" Doug is more confused than ever.

"Those eyes, I saw him. It was him," she says.

"Who? Carol what are you talking about? Talk to me."

Carol looks up at him through her tears. "His eyes. Remember me telling you about the guy's eyes?"

"You mean the guy who . . ." he sits there in shock for a second. "Carol, are you saying the man that raped you is in this hospital?"

She nods slowly and begins crying again.

"Who? Who is it? The gunshot victim?" Doug asks.

"No . . . it's . . . it's . . ."

"It's okay baby, you can tell me," he says, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Greg, Greg Powell," she says.

"What? Powell? You're sure?" he says in disbelief.

"Positive. I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life," Carol tells him.

With that, Doug is off the couch in one movement. Before Carol can even attempt to stop him, he's out the door. She goes after him but it is way past too late. He storms back into the trauma room. The gunshot victim is dead but Doug doesn't even notice. Greg and Gina are picking up their gear to leave. Doug comes up behind him and grabs his jacket to spin him around then punches him as hard as he can in the jaw. Greg falls to the floor.

"What the . . .?" he stammers. He doesn't even have time to wonder before Doug drags him to his feet and hits him again. He's out of control and Greg can't possibly match the strength of Doug's blows at this moment.

"Doug, what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Mark yells, trying to pull Doug off of him. Carter joins in to help but it's no use.

"You two stay out of this," Doug says, shoving them away. "And you, you sick bastard, I'm not even close to through with you," he says to Greg and lays another hard punch to his jaw, knocking it out of line and probably breaking it.

Doug continues hitting Greg. Mark and Carter continue to try and pull him off. Carol is screaming in the background. Everyone else is watching, completely stunned. This goes on for a few seconds that seem like hours until Malik and Peter come running down the hall to help and finally, along with Mark and Carter, are able to pull Doug away. All the while he is screaming at them and cursing them, trying to break free. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" he yells at Greg. "You don't deserve to live. I know it was you. You're going to pay for this!" Greg holds his jaw and watches as they pull Doug away.

The four men literally drag Doug into the lounge and close the door behind them. "What in the hell did you think you were doing out there?" Mark screams. "Beating up one of our paramedics in the ER? Doug, what could possibly have been going through your mind?"

He lets out a deep breath. He's sitting on the couch between Benton and Carter with Malik and Mark directly in front of him. He's still so angry that he's trembling.

"I'm waiting for an explanation," Mark says loudly.

"That no good son of a bitch is the one who . . ." he begins and then stops. Carol walks in. She's still crying. Doug turns away.

"The one who what, Doug?" Mark demands.

Carol walks over to Doug and kneels down in front of him. She takes both of his hands in hers and lays her head on his lap and cries. Doug closes his eyes as if trying to drive away some awful, wrenching pain that goes straight to his soul. The others look at the couple, not sure what to make of all this.

"What is going on? What happened?" Mark demands again, getting more frustrated.

"I think we should leave them alone for a while," Peter says, getting up. Carter rises as well. Along with Malik, they walk to the door. Looking back, they see Mark is still standing there. "Mark?" Peter calls.

He doesn't respond, only continues to stare at Doug and Carol in shock and anger. Carter walks over and pulls his arm. "Let's go," he demands. Mark finally follows and Doug and Carol are left alone.

"I would tell you I'm sorry," Doug says softly, "but I'm not. He deserved it. I wish they'd let me kill him."

"No, Doug, don't say that," she pleads.

"Why not? After what he did to you? He deserves all of that and more. Carol, he . . ." Doug stops, choking up.

Carol raises her head, "I just want this to be over," she whispers.

"I know, I know you do. It's just . . . Carol, how can it be over until he pays for this? We have to make him pay."

"He will, he'll pay," she says. "But not like this. This isn't the way to do it."

"I'm sorry if I caused you anymore pain. But I'm still not sorry for hitting him. I'd do it again in a second," he says.

Tears well up in her eyes again and she lays her head back in his lap. He gently strokes her hair and back and closes his eyes once again to the pain.

"Doug?" Mark peeks his head back into the lounge. "I need to talk to you when you have a minute, okay?"

Doug is sitting on the couch holding Carol in his arms. He nods at Mark. "I'll be right back, okay sweetheart? Just lie down here and try to rest. I'll be back soon," he promises. He lifts Carol gently and lays her back on the couch. He kisses her cheek, then gets up to follow Mark from the room. They close the door quietly behind them.

"Doug," Mark says quietly, "what's going on?"

Doug glances around. Every set of eyes is on him. "Let's talk in here," he says, indicating the empty exam room to the left of the lounge. They walk over and disappear inside, closing the door behind them.

"Now, what's this all about? Is Carol okay?" Mark asks, his anger mostly replaced by worry now.

"No, Mark, she's not," Doug says as he begins to pace the floor and wring his hands together. "She's . . . she's not okay at all."

"You're scaring me here," Mark says. "What's going on?"

"Mark, you have to swear this goes no further than this room," he says.

"Alright," Mark says.

"A few months ago . . . Carol . . . I came over to her house and found her. She'd been beaten up and . . . Mark, she was raped."

Mark's face registers shock and he doesn't say anything at first. Finally, he asks, "Why didn't you tell me? She needs to get some help . . ."

"She's got me," Doug says.

"Well, I'm sure that . . ." he begins then he stops suddenly. "Wait, Doug, are you trying to tell me that the reason you beat up Greg Powell . . . *he's* the one that raped Carol?"

"It looks that way," Doug says, trying to control his anger.

"God, Powell . . . how can you be so sure it was him?"

"Carol said so, that's all the proof I need," Doug says matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's fine but you almost killed the guy. Don't you think you should wait until there's a little evidence before . . ."

"Mark!" Doug cuts him off. "He *raped* her! He beat the hell out of her. He damn near killed her for God's sake! When Carol looks at me and tells me that the monster she saw that night in her house, on top of her, is Greg Powell, I'm inclined to believe it." His face is bright red with anger now.

"I . . . I'm sorry. I just don't want . . ." Suddenly their conversation is interrupted by Carol's screams. Doug is out the door in a flash and runs to the lounge.

"Doug! No, Doug!" Carol is screaming.

He runs in to see Greg Powell standing near Carol. His jaw is already swelling from his encounter with Doug earlier. Carol is backed up into the corner of the couch, cringing, a look of terror on her face. "What in the hell are you doing in here?" Doug demands loudly.

"I just wanted to be sure she was alright," he says innocently.

"Right, like you care. You sure didn't care before now. When you hit her so hard both of her eyes swelled shut, you sure didn't care how she felt then," Doug yells.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about," Greg says.

Doug starts towards Greg, ready to punch him again. Mark sees this and immediately grabs him. "No, this is not solving anything. Look, Greg, can I talk to you outside please?"

"Uh . . ." he looks back at Carol who is shaking uncontrollably, and then at Doug who is staring at him with the most penetrating glare and looks just about ready to pounce again. "Okay, sure," Greg finally says and turns to follow Mark. At the door, he looks back once more at Carol then he leaves.

As the door shuts, Carol collapses in tears. Doug rushes over to her and wraps her in his arms. "Oh my God, baby, I'm so sorry," he says. "I had no idea no one was watching him. They didn't know, Carol. It's my fault. I'm so sorry."

Carol can't speak. She's struggling even to breathe. She clings to Doug, more terrified than he has even seen her. She cries to the point of hyperventilating. Doug continues to hold her, not sure what else to do.

About 20 minutes later, Mark comes back in. "How is she?" he asks quietly.

Carol's head is resting on Doug's chest and he has his head on to of hers. He looks up. "She's not good," he says. "Not good at all."

"Um," Mark says, "I'm really sorry to hear that. Well, he's gone. The police just got here. They took him in for questioning."

"I guess this means everyone knows about all this them?" Doug asks.

"No, I didn't think it was anyone's business. I explained things to Sonya and she and her partner were going to take Powell outside before they told him what all this was about. He seems like he's going to fight this tooth and nail though. I don't think it can be kept quiet much longer."

Doug strokes Carol's hair and kisses the top of her head. She's like a scared child curled up in his arms. "She doesn't deserve this, Mark," he says quietly. "She's never done anything to deserve this."

"No, you're right, she hasn't. But how many people deserve something like this? Sometimes evil doesn't play fair." Doug nods sadly and hugs Carol tighter against him. "Can I get either of you anything? Does she need something to calm her down you think?"

"Yeah, maybe that would be a good idea. She needs some sleep. Can you prescribe a few sleeping pills? I'll take her home and see if I can calm her down."

"Okay, sure. I'll be right back," Mark says.

"Doug?" Carol says after Mark is gone.

"Yeah honey?" he asks in a soft voice. He looks down at her and brushes a few strands of hair from her face.

"What's going to happen?"

"I'm taking you home and I'm going to take care of you. Everything will be fine. The police took Powell. You won't have to worry about him again."

"I'll have to see him again," she says through fresh tears. "They'll want me to go to court."

"Yeah, you're probably right, but you won't be alone. I'll be right by your side. Every step of the way." He kisses her forehead and she nods and lays her head back on his chest.

Mark comes back in with a pill bottle in hand. "There's two in here. Give her one as soon as you get her home and if she wakes up later and you think she needs the other one you can let her take it," he instructs.

"Thanks Mark," Doug says. "Okay, sweetie, are you ready to go home?" he asks Carol. She nods. He turns back to Mark. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Pull my car around front?" he asks. Mark nods and Doug tosses him the keys.

"How are you going to get her outside? Is she okay to walk?"

Doug looks down at her. She's pretty out of it. He shrugs at Mark. "Carol, honey, can you make it outside?" She looks up at him as if trying to decide what he's asked her. "Come on," he says softly and starts to stand up. He gently sets her on the ground and she stands weakly at his side, clinging to him. He nods to Mark.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

It takes only a few moments before Mark reappears. "It's out in the ambulance bay," he tells Doug.

"Thanks," Doug says. He starts for the door with Carol, using both of his arms to support her. She wobbles on her feet as they go. He looks at her and she looks as though she could crumble to the floor at any moment. "Come here," he says softly. He bends down a little and lifts her off the ground and into his arms. "Mark, will you get the door?" he asks.

Mark nods and grabs the door. He holds it open as Doug walks out carrying Carol in his arms. Everyone turns to stare but Doug ignores them. "Get back to work," Mark says to everyone. They all turn away but a few still steal a glance towards the ambulance bay, wondering what is going on. It has been quite an afternoon in Cook County's ER.

Mark walks outside and opens the side door to Doug's Jeep. Doug lays Carol gently in the front seat and fastens her in. He closes the door, then turns to Mark. "Thank you, for everything."

"Hey, no problem. I'm just so sorry . . ." Mark says sadly.

"Yeah, yeah, me too," Doug says.

"Is she going to be okay?" Mark asks, glancing back in at Carol.

"I sure hope so, buddy . . . I sure hope so," he replies.

Mark nods and pats Doug on the back. "Call me if you need anything," he says. Doug nods and goes around to the other side of the Jeep. Mark watches sadly as they drive away.

Doug decides to go to his apartment. Carol seems more comfortable there lately. He carries her inside. Boarding the elevator, he sees his neighbor, Ms. Banks. "Is your friend okay?" the old woman asks.

Doug smiles weakly at her, "Yeah, she'll be fine Ms. Banks, she just had a rough day," he explains.

"Well, you take care of her," she tells him as they reach his floor.

"I will, don't worry about that," he says. He presses his lips to Carol's forehead as they get off the elevator. Ms. Banks smiles at them as the doors close. "Don't you worry," Doug whispers.

Doug isn't tired but he knows Carol needs sleep and she won't get any unless he is there. He decides to put her on the couch. He sits at one end and she lays her head in his lap. He strokes her hair and rubs her back until she finally falls asleep. Looking down at her, Doug feels tears spring to his eyes. Why is this happening to her? It's not fair.

He leans down and kisses her cheek. As he watches her sleep, a tear slips down his cheek. He brushes it away and swallows, trying to rid himself of the enormous lump in his throat. He gently scoops Carol up in his arms and holds her to him. She stirs but does not wake, just nuzzles closer to him. He buries his head in her hair and breathes in deeply. After a moment, his tears return and he cannot hold them back. He allows them to fall into her soft, black curls as he cradles her in his arms.

Darkness has already fallen as Carol opens her eyes. She is in the bed with Doug, but she can't remember how she got there. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying. The red display on the bedside clock announces the time in a bright, cherry glow: 1:52am. She raises her head from Doug's chest and looks at him. He's asleep, snoring lightly with one arm draped across Carol and the other wrapped snugly around her back.

She smiles slightly; he's been so good to her through all of this. Every time she's broken down and been able to do nothing but cry herself to sleep she's woken up in Doug's arms. He never leaves her; he never gets frustrated with her sudden mood swings and unpredictable emotions. He doesn't even let his own frustration show at the fact they haven't been together in over a month. This is not the same Doug Ross she once knew. The fact that he's been by her side almost every second since the rape and that he even went so far as to have Mark start scheduling him at the same time as her proves to her that he is a very different man. When she first met him, she'd have never in a million years believed he would give up so much, even sex, to stand by her when she needed him.

Carol lays her head back on Doug's bare chest for another moment. Beneath her she feels the slight rise and fall that his rhythmic breathing provides. She squeezes her eyes shut and languishes in the comfort and security only being near him can afford her. Nothing else makes her feel this safe. And she's never felt as loved as she does in his arms. She plants a soft kiss on his chest, then slips carefully out of his arms, making sure not to wake him.

She moves silently across the room and into the hallway. She enters the bathroom and shuts the door behind her. The mirror provides her with a stark image of herself and she moves in for a closer look. Her cheeks are tear-stained and swollen. She splashes cold water on her face to relieve some of the puffiness. Grabbing a towel, she wipes away the water and looks again to the mirror that holds back nothing, showing her every flaw and weakness by her mere expression.

'Powell,' she thinks. 'How could I have been so stupid? How did I not know that it was him?' She'd actually kissed him before but was unable to connect the kind, easygoing paramedic to the violent, brutal monster who held her down and forced his way inside her body. She shudders at the thought. It scares her to know that evil could wear sure a convincing disguise. She never would have suspected . . .

Watching her reflection, she pulls off her nightshirt. She stares at herself in the mirror in only her underwear. She presses her hand flatly to her stomach. At least she wasn't pregnant. Doug had been right. God was watching her in at least this way. The sight of herself in just this attire reminds her again of the night Doug had found her in her own bathroom, bleeding and beaten, helpless and terrified. Tears fill her eyes as she recalls it. Will this never go away? Will she be able to pick up the pieces of her life and think about that day without breaking down in tears? It doesn't feel like it.

Carol tries her best to gather herself together. She turns on the shower and gets inside. The water is hot and steam rises from her skin. She closes her eyes and lets herself be enveloped by the warmth around her, attempting to lose herself in it. It's no use though; her thoughts won't stop long enough for her to leave the present. She hugs her arms around herself and trembles as she tries to hold back the onslaught of tears that threaten her. Suddenly, her emotions overtake her and she begins to sob. She slips further down in the shower until she is finally sitting on the tile with her arms cradling her knees. She has every reason to cry and no reason at all, all at once.

Carol shudders with the waves of sorrow that run rampant through her. Just then, a hand on her shoulder makes her jump. She turns, ready to scream. She stops just short as she sees Doug standing before her. "What is it, honey?" he asks softly through sleep heavy eyes. He kneels down before her to touch her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Nothing . . . everything . . . I don't know . . ." she stammers.

Doug looks at her and his eyes are losing the shadows of sleep and gaining new ones, shadows that reflect the sorrow he harbors at the sight of her so lost and the anger that he has at the world for doing this to her. Ignoring the hot water and the fact that he is still wearing sweatpants, Doug steps into the shower and sits down to hold Carol in his arms. He doesn't say anything and Carol is glad.

"I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going crazy," she says.

"Crazy? What makes you say that?" Doug asks as he expertly slices a bagel and pops it in the waiting toaster.

"Oh, you trying to tell me you haven't noticed?" Carol counters.

"Noticed? Noticed what? That you're upset? Yeah, I've noticed. And I've also noticed how incredibly strong you are after being the victim of a violent crime, maybe one of the worst crimes . . . I've noticed you encountering the man that did this to you and standing up to tell the world. That's brave, Carol," he says as if all of this were so obvious. Her emotional instability only seems natural to him in the wake of all she's endured.

"Maybe . . ." Carol says in an unconvinced voice. It's been two weeks since they locked Greg Powell up for what he did to her. It was him, no doubt about it. The blood and semen samples were a perfect match.

"Maybe nothing," Doug says as he sits beside her at the table and hands her a cup of coffee. "You did it, you were strong and you made this happen," he tells her.

Carol looks at him then stares back at her coffee. It's only been a week since she had to go down and stand before the line up of men at the police station to point out her attacker. Detective Grayson had been there and so had Detective Fleming. Doug had been there, too. He'd been standing right beside her holding her hand when she told the police she had no doubt that Greg Powell was the man who raped her. She had never been so scared. Even though she knew he couldn't see her she still felt his eyes bore down on her. It sends a chill up her spine even as she thinks back on it.

"Mark says Sonya is confident Greg will spend the rest of his life behind bars," Doug says.

"Well, if Sonya said it then it must be true," Carol says with a grin. Doug grins back. Mark has become pretty doe-eyed when it comes to this detective. Doug can't remember the last time that he saw a grown man with this much of a schoolboy crush.

"Does Sonya like him?" Carol asks, thankful for the change in subject.

"I don't know. Maybe I should slip a note in her locker and ask her to check the box if she does," Doug kids. Carol laughs. "In all seriousness though, I hope she does. It's nice to see Mark happy. And Sonya seems nice."

"Yeah, it'd be nice if he found someone. He deserves to be happy," Carol agrees.

"You deserve the same thing," Doug tells her.

"I'm already happy," Carol grins slightly at him. He hopes so.

"When's the hearing?"

"Next week," Doug tells Mark as they walk down the hall.

"So soon? Wow," Mark replies.

"Yeah, well, his lawyers aren't taking it to trial. There's too much evidence against him I guess. They know they'd lose."

"Is Carol going?"

"I think so. I think she should. She needs to get some closure, you know?"

"Yeah, that's true. She needs to put this behind her . . . if she can."

"Well, I'm hoping she will," Doug says.

"So, what day is it again?"