David sat by Rose’s side as she slept. His mind replayed the conversation he had with the doctor only a few minutes before. Rose wasn’t as injured as what they had initially expected. David knew Rose had to take mandatory time off. Plus desk duty, once she returned, was not something she was going to be happy with. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAFBCaTffLdJ
“You have gone home right?” 294Please respect copyright.PENANAmXPMEWfKXb
David looked up at Rose with sleep still in her eyes. “Adam had to practically drag me out of here.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAylUyrTwIUU
Rose coughed and groaned. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAqF49g9pARU
“Do you want me to call the doctor?” David said as he stood up and grasped Rose’s hand. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAsFaJocMjhp
“I’m alright. Can you get me some water or even better a hot drink? My throat is killing me.” 294Please respect copyright.PENANAfIoIcDbadH
“Yeah. Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself I can…” 294Please respect copyright.PENANAnqUPrmh7gD
“I’ll be okay.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAPpCEEwjvtA
“Be back in a minute.” David smiled at Rose then shut the door behind him. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAhZ0xJKe7E2
****294Please respect copyright.PENANAityhrD92Oo
Rose briefly closed her eyes when David left the room. One side of her stomach began to hurt so she shifted her body in the bed, but it only seemed to make the pain stronger. She was so grateful that as her doctor told her earlier “If you had arrived here any later you wouldn’t be alive. And the bullet missed any major arteries.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAZDeEhK7Qol
A few minutes later Rose’s door creaked open. “Sorry, it took me so long. I went down to the cafeteria to get you something, but I didn’t like their selection. So I drove to the cafe down the street. Here’s your crème brûlée latte and I figured you were hungry so I got you some chocolate chip cookies.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAhN95gdCttV
“How did you know they’re my favorite?”294Please respect copyright.PENANArK9V6ICKZ0
****294Please respect copyright.PENANAKzj6LORmDC
“Rose, remember that time the squad went for desserts and you upset they didn’t chocolate chip flavor?”294Please respect copyright.PENANA93DGwLfuwU
“Wasn’t that like four years ago? You have a good memory.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAfIiRbuBqNF
David smiled and took a sip of his dark roasted coffee. He bounced his foot lightly off the floor.294Please respect copyright.PENANACaog8skiMu
“David, you alright?"294Please respect copyright.PENANAJgygLS5qra
David glanced away from Rose unsure of it he should say what’s on his mind and in his heart. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAaGdXhpd1sg
“You don’t have to say anything.”294Please respect copyright.PENANA0QmhxUrugt
David smiled as he saw the compassion in Rose’s eyes and said “No I need to say this before I change my mind. I love you. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to say that. I remember the way Norman had treated you. But this isn’t about him or the time back then. It’s about us right now. I love the way you're dedicated to your job and help those who need an advocate. You are so selfless when you’re there for me and for others when at the same time you need someone there for you.” 294Please respect copyright.PENANA8sceCvqd7o
David smiled as Rose wiped a few tears from her face and she said “David I, I don’t even know what to say.” 294Please respect copyright.PENANAlETgWZ0vtU
“If you don’t love me back that’s okay.” 294Please respect copyright.PENANArAOq7F8VwJ
“No, no it’s not that.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAWF55MAyuUj
David watched as Rose tried to hold her composure. In a quivering voice, she continued “I do love you, David, so much. There are nights where the memories come flooding back and I reach for my phone to call you, but I would hate to wake you up. Knowing you would come by my house no matter the time or the weather to comfort me.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAjmNvq2cix4
David let the silence linger as no more words needed to be spoken. A knock at the door spoiled the moment. A nurse briefly stood in the room and said “Sorry to disturb you. There’s a Captain Arie Weston here to see you.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAEz6RCe3k8N
“You can let her in,” David said turning away from Rose.294Please respect copyright.PENANA86w3fymyAN
“Sure’ the nurse said leaving the door slightly open as she left the room.294Please respect copyright.PENANAbnnPjuWizZ
“I wonder what she wants,” Rose said. 294Please respect copyright.PENANA5RoWZXOIfQ
David could see Rose struggling to sit up, so he helped her.294Please respect copyright.PENANANALplEoU3N
“Rose how are you?” Captain Arie Weston said as she walked into the room.294Please respect copyright.PENANA8o55AOGfso
“Sore but holding on. What brings you here?”294Please respect copyright.PENANA5U3mnAPRAs
“I tried to get here as quick as I can. With you and David out-”294Please respect copyright.PENANAuf7NOD67fQ
“Captain I can go back to work,” David said with a shake of his head.294Please respect copyright.PENANAryZkmuhDOP
“Someone should be there to help with Rose’s recovery.”294Please respect copyright.PENANARsaUb0SFD5
“Captain…” Rose said running a hand through her hair and she continued “I’ll be fine. I need a week tops.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAhRkZLKhzTI
“You almost died and you were shot. You’re taking three weeks off, plus a week of desk duty.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAUpbDWBsx2U
“But I-” 294Please respect copyright.PENANAA7qY4Us5Ba
“Rose she does have a point. None of us want to lose you.” David said holding Rose’s hand. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAtrqMANjJ6V
“David. Take care of her and don’t let things interfere with your jobs."294Please respect copyright.PENANAOCSs9DhX2A
“Okay Captain,” Rose said with a smile. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAamGUBOY7E5
“Anything new with Greg?” David said.294Please respect copyright.PENANA4cY3ktNrIs
“I have good and bad news.” Captain said as she sat beside the couple and continued “First off we do have him in custody.” And the judge has given him no bond. Since he injured you Rose and we’re still dealing with the case with Odilia’s death.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAlVbLeyAHkr
“And the bad news?” David questioned with a frown.294Please respect copyright.PENANAYolxzG2fxS
“He’s not talking. Adam and Jake interrogated him for an hour and the only thing he admitted to was killing Odilia.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAi8mSmcCLyf
“So he didn’t mention Sarah?”294Please respect copyright.PENANAmpcnfM6vBn
“Nope. We do have the key found in the search and we’re looking for where it could go to. I have other detectives going through his home again to see-” Captain’s phone chimed as she picked it up. David glanced at Rose who wore a worried expression. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAp2sELCKaB2
“You okay?” David said with a whisper.294Please respect copyright.PENANAiTbrAodij0
“Just hoping they can charge Greg with something. His lawyer could try to get him a plea deal. He did stalk Sarah…”294Please respect copyright.PENANANvEkgnsLk1
“Technically…he had possession of the photos.”294Please respect copyright.PENANA53YDXOqlEM
“What about the paintings?” 294Please respect copyright.PENANAY6WzZxMFKW
“Those are creepy, the jury could see it as circumstantial. He could just have this weird infatuation with my sister.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAIGNxLVSTDA
“I don’t know what to do.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAMf4QHAsLaW
“Guys?” Captain said putting her phone into her pocket. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAoLW0jjUGMj
“Yes,” Rose said intrigued.294Please respect copyright.PENANAWnlDWq6Ycy
“We found more stuff. More photos. There was a little hidden room in the apartment.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAlNyx0x2HFY
“Any of Sarah?” David questioned. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAkSELxJLMw9
“Not sure. The lab is getting things tested. There were drugs and all kinds of items.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAcqiKaKB384
“Anything we can look through here? I know I’ll be off of work for a while, but my mind’s still sharp” Rose said. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAk4hIwdSceG
“I’ll get a laptop from the station. They dropped a copy of some footage that was found on a USB flash drive.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAzUcL8c4gLq
“Isn’t there a team for that?” David questioned. He didn’t really want Rose getting hurt or more stressed.294Please respect copyright.PENANA63PBGPOFbp
“Cyber Crimes already has a copy. But I think it’s something you should see. I’ll be back in an hour or so,”294Please respect copyright.PENANABDLirbIdx8
“See you later then,” Rose said. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAWJ4Kn9LqcT
“David can I talk to you out in the hallway for a minute.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAMFoUni6LOw
“Sure. Rose, did you need anything while I’m gone?”294Please respect copyright.PENANA0culvftsMf
“If you could go by my place and get me something comfortable to wear.”294Please respect copyright.PENANA5QiKti3N9M
“Okay,” David said with a smile and walked out of the room following behind the 294Please respect copyright.PENANA14g2LCABOT
Captain.294Please respect copyright.PENANAbIociURNbZ
“David. What’s on that USB is terrible. I had the team text me a few clips.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAyTgiwxqXlq
“Rose needs you to be there for her the best you can.”294Please respect copyright.PENANAPHYcvqIO5K
“I will.” David nodded as the Captain left to get the laptop. He stood there anxiously and thought about what could be on the video and how it would affect Rose. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAgsHTwzR9Z3
****294Please respect copyright.PENANAOt0OtiI5qA
Rose slowly opened the laptop and logged into the computer. She had long discarded her hospital gown. She exchanged it for a cozy pair of gray sweatpants and a mustard long sleeve shirt. Rolling up her sleeves she turned to David and said “Are you ready?”294Please respect copyright.PENANA6H0QUFbNht
“Yeah…” Rose deeply sighed and opened the video and pressed play. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAo9Hs2UVAo4
At first, all that was heard was a shuffle as if someone was setting up the camera. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAKxJVjW5SbR
“You ready?” A voice on the camera said muffled. 294Please respect copyright.PENANAt7Z0NrCXuD
“Please don’t…” Rose’s eyes went wide as she recognized who was on the video. It was her.294Please respect copyright.PENANAtA1xmy12cn