"Because that won't do."

"So, how is seeing her here instead of at her office going to be any different?"

"The hospital will be safe."

"Her office isn't?"

"It's not her office I'm worried about."

"You don't feel safe with me?"

"Aye, I do," she whispered. "But you don't."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"Bulls.h.i.t, honey, that wasn't a nothing sort of comment. What are you trying to say?"

She sighed. I knew she was tired and still feeling the effects of the tranquilizer Helen had given her a couple of hours before. I hated to press her, but she was talking in circles just like she had when she was being held at the Justice Center. I could tell the wheels were in motion beneath her fiery mane, I just didn't know what it was that had them spinning so fiercely.

"Think about what I did to you last night," she finally said.

"We've already established that you didn't..."

"Aye, I know," she interrupted. "Miranda did it, not me. You say that, but you also know Miranda was inside me. Controlling me. And, this wasn't the first time."

"Yeah, and your point?"

"You're afraid she could do it again. So am I."

"I wouldn't say I'm afraid..."

"You are. I can feel it."

"Okay, so maybe a little, but that's my problem."

"No, it's our problem."

"You know, I'm working really hard on making it not happen again."

"I know you are, but until we're certain it won't, you would be safer without me around."

"Dammit, Felicity, that's a load of c.r.a.p and you know it."

"No, Rowan, it isn't, and you know it."

"Felicity..."

"No. Stop it. You know I'm right about this."

"So, what if you are? What am I supposed to do, honey? Come out here daily and play Parcheesi with you in the rec room?"

"You could," she said with a nod. Then, for the first time during the entire drive here, she looked over at me. "But, I'd much rather you do something more constructive with your time."

"And what's that?"

"Find her," she choked, her voice starting to crack as her eyes moistened with fresh tears. "Find Miranda and make her leave me alone."

"No, Maggie, just slow down for a minute and listen to me," I said into my cell phone, trying to stay calm while making my voice as stern as I could without losing control. "No one has been hurt. It's a psychiatric hospital."

Of course, I was lying about no one being hurt, but since it was only me, I doubt it would have mattered. Besides, that wasn't something she needed to know about anyway.

I had spent several minutes laying out the story in my head, selectively removing unnecessary details, before making the call to tell my wife's family we wouldn't be making it to the gala holiday dinner. I hadn't even been able to get half of it out yet, and we'd been on the phone for almost ten minutes.

I listened for a moment as she gibbered excitedly on the other end, asking a mouthful of questions while not bothering to stop long enough for me to answer even one. I had been slowly pacing along a six foot or so stretch of the waiting area during the call, just to work off the nervous energy, but now I was feeling tired all over again. I stopped mid-step and planted myself on a plastic chair, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees then I closed my eyes as I continued to listen.

When she finally stopped to take a breath I said, "Your daughter is not insane, Maggie, no one is saying that. Helen told me it looks like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

She immediately asked, "Who is Helen?"

"Her doctor," I replied. "Doctor Helen Storm. It just happens that she's also a good friend of ours, so I tend not to be overly formal."

I could hear Shamus in the background, cursing and making demands. He wasn't helping my mood at all, but at least it was Maggie doing the actual talking. She was a far cry from being a fan of mine herself, however, she always went out of her way to remain civil and try to tolerate the "d.a.m.ned and h.e.l.l bound son-in-law", which was more than I could say for her husband. In my book, whether she hated me or not, she still showed me a graceful courtesy and I appreciated it.

"What is her room number, Rowan?" she asked.

"One twenty-one," I replied. "But she's not in there yet."

"Why not?"

"Paperwork and the like," I said, shrugging out of reflex. "They're supposed to get her settled in pretty soon though. They gave me a list of what she's allowed to have, so once she's in the room for a bit I'm going to run home and pack some things for her because we came straight here from Helen's office."

"Why? Why is this happening so suddenly?"

"It's a long story, Maggie. All I can..."

My sentence was interrupted by a click, and the phone suddenly adopted a hollow tone that told me an extension had just been taken off hook. Confirming my suspicion, a fresh and much less pleasant voice joined the conversation.

"Aye, what have you done to her now?!" Shamus barked.

"I'm not going to argue with you today, Shamus," I replied.

"Shamus William O'Brien!" Maggie barked, then her voice grew slightly distant as she pulled away from the mouthpiece on the phone. I could still make out enough of the one-sided conversation to discern the fact that she was calling for Austin to go occupy his father.

A moment or two later, some muted voices and a few curses filled the earpiece but were finally silenced by a second click as the extension was hung up.

"I apologize for that, Rowan," Maggie said. "Please understand that he is concerned for Felicity."

"Yeah, Maggie," I replied, surprising myself at being able to remain unruffled. "I know he is. So am I."

She paused for a moment then said, "I'll get Shamus calmed down, and we'll be there a little later. Is there anything we can bring her, or anything else we can do?"

I dropped my forehead into my hand and sighed. I really wasn't relishing the thought of dealing with the family face to face given this new turn of events. However, I couldn't very well tell them not to visit their daughter. Something like that would definitely give my father-in-law a fresh load of ammunition.

"I can't think of anything," I said. "But I'm sure she'd love to see you."

"What about you?" she asked.

"No, Maggie, I'm fine. As I can be under the circ.u.mstances, anyway."

"Have you eaten?" she pressed.

"Not yet, but I'll grab something later."

"Nonsense," she replied. "I'll bring you a plate."

"You don't have to do that, Maggie."

"I know I don't have to, Rowan. I want to."

I wasn't going to argue. My mother-in-law was a fantastic cook, and now that it had been mentioned, I took notice that my stomach was actually grumbling.

"Thanks," I said. "I appreciate it."

"Do you think they will let me bring a plate for Felicity as well, then?"

"I can ask, but I doubt it will be a problem. I've seen a few visitors bringing stuff in."

"Good," she replied then asked again, "Now, you're certain there's nothing else we can do?"

I answered her in a tired voice. "I suppose that when you get here, you could convince your daughter that she doesn't have a sister."

Why I said it was anybody's guess. I suppose it was just an aberration born of fatigue, concern, the situation, and everything that I'd been told over the past few hours. Either way, the words tumbled out at a nonchalant cadence, and even after I'd spoken them, I didn't pay the comment any serious regard.

I sat for a moment and realized that Maggie had not responded at all.

"Maggie? Are you still there?"

"Why did you say that, Rowan?" she finally asked, a thin tremor in her voice.

"What?"

"Why does Felicity think she has a sister?" she pressed, her tone still off key.

"It has something to do with the DNA tests the police did," I replied, intrigued by the trepidation I was detecting. "The sample from the killer matched so closely with hers, the lab says she must have a sister."

The charged silence continued on the other end.

I finally asked, "What's wrong, Maggie? Is there something we should know? Does Felicity actually have a sister?"

"I'll be leaving Austin and Shamus here, then," she replied slowly, the vocal tremor still in full force. "I should be there in thirty minutes or so. We need to talk."

CHAPTER 30:.

"Fourteen days?" I asked, the tone of my voice betraying both my confusion and surprise.

"Yes, Rowan," Helen replied. "A seven to fourteen day observation is fairly standard. I would rather err on the side of caution, hence fourteen."

My mind had been churning ever since getting off the phone with Maggie, and I had once again been checking my watch far too often in antic.i.p.ation of her arrival. I actually welcomed the fistful of mundane paperwork as a distraction when Helen presented it-right up until I read this most recent paragraph.

I shook my head and raised an eyebrow as I looked back at her. "So you're telling me that if I sign this, my wife is stuck here for a minimum of two weeks with no way out?"

"No," she replied. "I am saying that you are admitting her for fourteen days of therapy and observation within the confines of the hospital."

"You see it's that word 'confine' that's giving me the problem." I stroked my finger beneath a paragraph on the sheaf of papers. "And, then there's this legalese about not being able to leave the hospital grounds? Not to mention...Wait a minute, what do you mean I'm admitting her?"

"It is simply a legal formality for her own safety."

"Break it down for me," I urged, placing the pen carefully on top of the pages and folding my hands. "Because now I'm definitely not sure I care for the way it sounds."

"It is very simple, Rowan," she explained. "By admitting Felicity in this fashion, she will be unable to sign herself out of the hospital. That can only be done by you, or by me."

"Me alone or you alone. It doesn't take both of us?"

"No. Either one of us can sign her out individually; although I would prefer you speak to me before doing something rash."

"Uh-huh. So, she can be signed out at any time?"

"Yes, Rowan, at any time."

"Like, if I want her out of here tomorrow, I can come get her and we're done. Finished. No ambulance with men in white coats chasing after us?"

"I would not recommend that you do so, but yes, that is how it works. If you or I sign her out, she is free to leave. Rowan, stop being paranoid, this is not a prison, you know that."

"Yeah, I heard that somewhere before."

I stared back at her for a moment, not saying another word. I knew that she, of all people, wouldn't lie to me about something like this, but I felt like I was perched on a very unstable precipice right now. I didn't want Felicity to do this to begin with, but there was no talking her out of it. And, now it was somehow becoming my personal responsibility. The thing that kept going through my mind was that I was standing here committing my wife to an asylum. Though I knew that to be a somewhat archaic take on the situation, I guess I needed all of the a.s.surances I could get.