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. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAkPwZwCGVMH
“You have gone home right?” 302Please respect copyright.PENANAXucw2HMaEw
David looked up at Rose with sleep still in her eyes. “Adam had to practically drag me out of here.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAw2ZOfM64Sj
Rose coughed and groaned. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAc3oIoFS45k
“Do you want me to call the doctor?” David said as he stood up and grasped Rose’s hand. 302Please respect copyright.PENANA6KTlaIErnU
“I’m alright. Can you get me some water or even better a hot drink? My throat is killing me.” 302Please respect copyright.PENANAmjhTgIiEZu
“Yeah. Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself I can…” 302Please respect copyright.PENANAlzWQteg6cq
“I’ll be okay.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAmc8LKrpNzX
“Be back in a minute.” David smiled at Rose then shut the door behind him. 302Please respect copyright.PENANA2A101P3sVW
****302Please respect copyright.PENANAp0u4zoyY47
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.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAh2B5Plid1m
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.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAqkjT78WhVs
“How did you know they’re my favorite?”302Please respect copyright.PENANAyUrnKyQMbO
****302Please respect copyright.PENANAzIX1dSYbCU
“Rose, remember that time the squad went for desserts and you upset they didn’t chocolate chip flavor?”302Please respect copyright.PENANAQsGmauziFi
“Wasn’t that like four years ago? You have a good memory.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAjcfXCJV7WV
David smiled and took a sip of his dark roasted coffee. He bounced his foot lightly off the floor.302Please respect copyright.PENANAAEaAvnYCFz
“David, you alright?"302Please respect copyright.PENANAg8PuGCtTE5
David glanced away from Rose unsure of it he should say what’s on his mind and in his heart. 302Please respect copyright.PENANApRT5DSC7N0
“You don’t have to say anything.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAHcbSGWF1AE
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.” 302Please respect copyright.PENANAxGUFiTtPgJ
David smiled as Rose wiped a few tears from her face and she said “David I, I don’t even know what to say.” 302Please respect copyright.PENANApUx7xYGoDv
“If you don’t love me back that’s okay.” 302Please respect copyright.PENANAgkx6qH8PgE
“No, no it’s not that.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAKy16i1bFbq
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.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAFGCl7Soe2u
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.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAjxHdfIrxW2
“You can let her in,” David said turning away from Rose.302Please respect copyright.PENANAnHEy1D4zqP
“Sure’ the nurse said leaving the door slightly open as she left the room.302Please respect copyright.PENANAQhgEhXwIyL
“I wonder what she wants,” Rose said. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAOSz2OROTf9
David could see Rose struggling to sit up, so he helped her.302Please respect copyright.PENANAWF3FqRuGVb
“Rose how are you?” Captain Arie Weston said as she walked into the room.302Please respect copyright.PENANARH3hSIoaPJ
“Sore but holding on. What brings you here?”302Please respect copyright.PENANA8pH6y5zzTj
“I tried to get here as quick as I can. With you and David out-”302Please respect copyright.PENANAPsimo3mDDS
“Captain I can go back to work,” David said with a shake of his head.302Please respect copyright.PENANAL1ZU3nBvEw
“Someone should be there to help with Rose’s recovery.”302Please respect copyright.PENANA1bMKMlql5K
“Captain…” Rose said running a hand through her hair and she continued “I’ll be fine. I need a week tops.”302Please respect copyright.PENANA3xByFuNZpo
“You almost died and you were shot. You’re taking three weeks off, plus a week of desk duty.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAMtzHqybQ3x
“But I-” 302Please respect copyright.PENANApdwK3pkADe
“Rose she does have a point. None of us want to lose you.” David said holding Rose’s hand. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAum3gSO27s1
“David. Take care of her and don’t let things interfere with your jobs."302Please respect copyright.PENANAPFm7DcveQp
“Okay Captain,” Rose said with a smile. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAvgPTaN7iOk
“Anything new with Greg?” David said.302Please respect copyright.PENANAsOT54E66Iu
“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.”302Please respect copyright.PENANA85Fi3B7oL8
“And the bad news?” David questioned with a frown.302Please respect copyright.PENANAfhtHFqR6a8
“He’s not talking. Adam and Jake interrogated him for an hour and the only thing he admitted to was killing Odilia.”302Please respect copyright.PENANANY8FEvM7LE
“So he didn’t mention Sarah?”302Please respect copyright.PENANAPqlvPvGz0J
“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. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAxZYmGWzj9q
“You okay?” David said with a whisper.302Please respect copyright.PENANAAn9TLHarYA
“Just hoping they can charge Greg with something. His lawyer could try to get him a plea deal. He did stalk Sarah…”302Please respect copyright.PENANAJPHUkCyf5u
“Technically…he had possession of the photos.”302Please respect copyright.PENANALFCvQe3Mpb
“What about the paintings?” 302Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZE3Gw1I5v
“Those are creepy, the jury could see it as circumstantial. He could just have this weird infatuation with my sister.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAAezs6FUFtQ
“I don’t know what to do.”302Please respect copyright.PENANA9tkFTGiDF2
“Guys?” Captain said putting her phone into her pocket. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAVzXi8tSLb7
“Yes,” Rose said intrigued.302Please respect copyright.PENANAy23eLY05kT
“We found more stuff. More photos. There was a little hidden room in the apartment.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAQGlVtzx8Qn
“Any of Sarah?” David questioned. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAZaMqOxvSRf
“Not sure. The lab is getting things tested. There were drugs and all kinds of items.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAQp20dZtLDk
“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. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAP0k4j2SHLx
“I’ll get a laptop from the station. They dropped a copy of some footage that was found on a USB flash drive.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAsDBjcwinSe
“Isn’t there a team for that?” David questioned. He didn’t really want Rose getting hurt or more stressed.302Please respect copyright.PENANAKyebCfUpA8
“Cyber Crimes already has a copy. But I think it’s something you should see. I’ll be back in an hour or so,”302Please respect copyright.PENANAIoo6x3Axpf
“See you later then,” Rose said. 302Please respect copyright.PENANATLVehuX0Xg
“David can I talk to you out in the hallway for a minute.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAV7ARgjzCZf
“Sure. Rose, did you need anything while I’m gone?”302Please respect copyright.PENANAIJJbFQmAkK
“If you could go by my place and get me something comfortable to wear.”302Please respect copyright.PENANACXw21IrYFV
“Okay,” David said with a smile and walked out of the room following behind the 302Please respect copyright.PENANAQEuHv2FNhx
Captain.302Please respect copyright.PENANASMZNJ5GJIl
“David. What’s on that USB is terrible. I had the team text me a few clips.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAxUXhvsjnZZ
“Rose needs you to be there for her the best you can.”302Please respect copyright.PENANAjAkfb1X1Xr
“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. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAuK4EZdwPgp
****302Please respect copyright.PENANAQT39yMMtDF
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?”302Please respect copyright.PENANApfCoKwAY0u
“Yeah…” Rose deeply sighed and opened the video and pressed play. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAfCOFqqhQn6
At first, all that was heard was a shuffle as if someone was setting up the camera. 302Please respect copyright.PENANAkcWbeH1kM1
“You ready?” A voice on the camera said muffled. 302Please respect copyright.PENANA775uht8dgW
“Please don’t…” Rose’s eyes went wide as she recognized who was on the video. It was her.302Please respect copyright.PENANAxyDK91JqKV