Disclaimers - See Part 1 for disclaimers.

Chapter Eleven

Lee stole a sideways glance at her friend as they walked briskly from the parking lot to the emergency room. Marika had been silent on the way over, and Lee, involved in her thoughts, hadn't pressed her companion. Now however, she wondered if it was wise to allow Marika to brood so fixedly.

The lawyer had clearly been deeply shaken by the events of the morning. Lee knew that Marika had dealt with the occasional client angered by the failure of a refugee claim, but the worst physical violence she'd encountered previously had been having a book thrown at her, which she had easily dodged. Lee couldn't get the picture of the assailant's acid-seared flesh out of her mind, and she was sure that the same image would haunt her friend for a long time to come.

Lee was certain too, that Marika had been profoundly affected by her young assistant's heroism. She'd caught the lawyer staring at her hands, where minute traces of Rhi's blood still lingered. The security expert hadn't been surprised by Rhiannon's actions. From what she'd observed, starting with the time the diminutive woman had faced down the King brothers in an alley, Rhi didn't lack for courage.

Shuddering as she considered what could have happened if the young woman hadn't intervened when she did, Lee led Marika through the automatic door and into the ER waiting room. It was a sparse group at this time of day, but even had it been crowded, Lee knew it would have been no problem to pick out the priest she had spoken to on the phone earlier.

A tall, thin, man in dark clerical garb sat on the far side of the room, his head down and obviously deep in thought. As Lee studied him, he absently pushed his glasses up his nose and ran a hand over his thinning blonde hair. She noticed that his white collar was slightly askew, and instinctively found that disarming.

"C'mon, 'Rika. I think I see Rhiannon's priest." Lee cupped the lawyer's elbow and gently steered her silent friend across the room. When they came within a few feet of the man, he glanced up. The large woman was struck by the compassionate, intelligent eyes watching them approach. He stood and waited for them to speak.

"Are you Father Ross?" Lee asked, extending a hand.

He took it, shaking it firmly. "David, please. And you're Ms. Glenn?"

She nodded. "Lee. And this is Marika Havers, Rhiannon's boss." The lawyer and the priest shook hands, and the three of them sat down. "Have you heard anything yet?" Lee asked anxiously.

"I asked at the triage desk, and they're working on her right now. I left word that we would be here and to notify us when we could see her." David's words were calm and measured, but Lee could see the concern in his pale eyes. "Can you tell me what happened, please?"

Lee quickly filled the priest in on the morning's events. He sat quietly, absorbing her words, and then asked, "The man who attacked her—he was brought in here too?"

"I think so," Lee answered, not really caring one way or another.

"Oh, my God!" Marika's exclamation caught the other two by surprise, and they stared at her. "The aunt!" Seeing a lack of comprehension on her companions' faces, she explained quickly. "If al-Rashid got the information on his sister from their aunt, he probably forced it from her. She may be injured at her home right now. I have to talk to the police!"

The lawyer hurried to the payphone on the far side of the lobby, and Lee watched her momentarily before returning her attention to the priest. Strangers thrown together in a crisis, they regarded each other with discreet curiosity. Finally Lee broke the silence that had fallen between them.

"So you're Rhiannon's priest, eh?"

That elicited a genuine laugh. "No, I wouldn't say I'm her priest. She did attend St. Barnabas many years ago, but it was long before I arrived."

"Huh. So you're her...what? Employer...friend of the family?"

He smiled, and Lee was struck by the humanity that emanated from the homely priest. Gently, he said, "I hope that I'm her friend. I'm working on it anyway."

Lee grinned ruefully. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Our Lady Mouse can be pretty prickly at times."

"Yes, it's rather like taking tea with a porcupine. You're never sure if you're going to have a perfectly lovely encounter or end up with a hand full of quills because you reached for the scones at the wrong time."

The two chuckled together at the image. "She's worth the effort though," Lee asserted firmly, even more convinced of that after what Rhi had done that day.
"That she is," David agreed.

Marika returned to them then, and Lee looked up at her inquisitively.

"I contacted the police and gave them the information. I told them the office could give them the aunt's address. They're going to send someone over to check things out."

"Good," Lee approved. She patted the chair beside her and Marika took it wearily. "Hey, how are you doing? You okay?"

The lawyer nodded. "Just worried." Biting her lip, she asked, "Do you think she'll be okay, Lee?"

Lee considered that seriously for long moments. "I think so, 'Rika. Just before they took the other guy out, the paramedic said she was stabilized. She's going to be out of action for a while though, I'd suspect."

The priest shook his head. "She's not going to like that. Somehow I can't see her turning to her aunt for help. Stubborn little thing will try to do it all by herself."

Both women stared at him curiously. He sighed and explained. "She lives with her aunt, who was her legal guardian while she was growing up, but Rhi despises the woman. I doubt that she'll even tell her, let alone allow the woman to help her."

"There's no way she'll be able to manage alone, at least for the first few days." Lee frowned at the thought, but then brightened. "I know! I can take her home and put her in the guest room until she's better."

"Are you sure she'll agree?" David asked quizzically. "She's pretty independent."

Lee sat upright and enthused, "It's perfect. We have lots of room, and my partner is a nurse. She works days at a clinic, but she could monitor Rhiannon at night. If necessary, I can take a few days off work while she gets settled in."

The priest nodded thoughtfully. "It could work if we present it the right way."

"No."

The word was quiet but adamant, and Lee gaped at her friend.

"Whadday mean 'no'? 'Rika, it's perfect. She can stay with us until she's ready to go home again. Dana won't mind."

"I mean," the words were carefully enunciated, "that she'll come home with me."

Lee stared at the lawyer in shock. "You?! You're going to look after her?"

Marika nodded resolutely, but said nothing more.

Her voice laced with astonishment, Lee protested, "That doesn't make any sense. We've got the room. Dana can keep an eye on her wound. You've only got one bedroom, for crying out loud!" Her objections halted as the priest laid a calming hand on her arm.

When Lee turned to him questioningly, he shook his head slightly, then gestured subtly at the lawyer, who was staring at the floor. Lee regarded her friend, noting the way the slender hands were locked together so tightly that the knuckles were white. When Marika raised her head, determined gray eyes signaled the woman's resolve.

"She can have my bedroom. I'll take the pull-out in the den. I can rearrange my schedule as far as appointments go, and work from home for a few days."

Amazed that Marika would even offer, Lee capitulated. "Okay. I'll see if Dana will stop by in the evenings to look her over."

Marika smiled gratefully, then a doctor approaching them drew her attention.

The priest stood, and the doctor smiled as he drew near.

"Father David, we just can't keep you away from our fair facility, can we?"

"Not when you have one of my flock in here, Gilles. How is she doing?"

The doctor motioned the priest to sit, and took the seat next to him. David turned to the women.

"Lee, Marika, this is Dr. Gilles Mathieu. Gilles, these are Rhiannon's friends, Lee and Marika."

They exchanged nods, and the tired looking medic began his explanation.

"Your friend actually got lucky. The blade that her attacker used appeared to have been as sharp as a scalpel, so rather than ripping through flesh and muscle, it sliced it cleanly. I put in fifty stitches, subcutaneous and surface, and I expect it will heal up just fine. She'll have a scar of course, but she could check with the plastic surgeons later if she wants some work done on that. Some physiotherapy might be needed, depending on her degree of mobility once it's healed."

"So she's going to be okay?" Lee asked anxiously, wanting explicit confirmation.

Dr. Mathieu nodded. "She should be fine. It'll hurt like hell for a few days, but I've written her a scrip for painkillers. She was in shock and had suffered some blood loss when she arrived, but we're treating her for that and will keep her in at least overnight."

"When she comes home," Marika asked intently, "how should her wound be treated?"

"Well, it has to be kept clean of course, and applying an antibiotic ointment like Polysporin twice a day for the first week is a good idea. Keep a close eye on it to make sure there's no potential infection. I used dissolving stitches, so while she should see her family doctor for follow-up, she won't need the stitches removed." He looked questioningly at the three, who'd been hanging on his words. When they all nodded understandingly, he smiled and stood up.

"You can see her anytime now, though she might be somewhat groggy. Father David, a pleasure as always. Drop by sometime when you're not on duty and we'll grab a coffee." The two men shook hands, and the doctor strode off.

Lee heaved a relieved sigh. "Well, that sounds a lot better than I'd feared." She could see the relief on her companions' faces and knew they felt the same. "So...let's go see how our Lady Mouse is doing."

*****************************************************

Rhi tried very hard to concentrate. Whatever they'd given her had cut the fire in her shoulder to a dull throb, but it was hard to focus and she needed to make plans. Rolled on her left side, with a pillow supporting her back, she tried an experimental wiggle of her right shoulder, only to gasp as the pain shot through her. Okay, bad idea. Breathing shallowly, she waited for the agony to subside, and welcomed the abatement of aching spasms.

She'd been told that she would be staying at least overnight, and she didn't mind. It would delay her return to the Victoria Park house and the scrutiny of her aunt's eagle eye. Grimly, she stared at the pile of bloody clothes the ER personnel had cut off her. Wonder if they'll loan me some scrubs to leave in?

Rhiannon tried to think of an alternative plan, but all that would come to her dazed mind, was the thought of riding the bus home in the hospital gown she had on. She couldn't suppress a chuckle at the thought.

"Hey, what's all the jocularity about in here? Didn't you know there's no laughing allowed?"

Looking up, Rhi saw Lee's head poke through the curtains surrounding her cubicle and she smiled a welcome.

Lee reported over her shoulder, "She's decent," and then slid through the curtains, followed by David and Marika.

Blinking in surprise, Rhi stared at the trio. Lee dropped into the chair beside her and patted her hand affectionately.

"Lady Mouse, what am I going to do with you? I thought I was the one who's supposed to slay the dragons?"

The young woman grinned weakly. "You were late. I had to throw myself into the breach, but believe me, next time the dragons are all yours."

Lee chuckled and Rhi raised her eyes to the priest.

"Hey, Ichabod. What are you doing here?"

David was watching her with worried eyes. "Lee called me, and I came to see what kind of trouble you'd gotten yourself into this time."

"Aw, Ichabod. When do I ever get in trouble?"

Lee snorted. "The very first time I met you, you were facing down a pair of oversized thugs. I think your middle name is trouble."

Rhi giggled. "Well, that's better than Phyllis."

That drew a genuine laugh from her boss, and Rhiannon's eyes drifted to the woman who'd been standing quietly behind Lee and David. "Are you okay, Ms. Havers?"

The lawyer nodded. "Thanks to you, I am, Rhi."

The young woman regarded her gravely. "I'm glad I was there at the right time." Dark blue eyes locked with gray ones in an unspoken communication, before David broke in.

"They told us they're going to keep you here overnight."

"Yeah, I know. Look, could you do me a favour?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

"Some clothes," Rhi said wryly. "I don't think I'll ever wear those again." She indicated the pile of bloody clothing with a moue of disgust. "The keys to my place are in my gym bag, back at the office."

"I brought your bag with me," Lee offered. "I left it out in the car, but I can go get it."

The young woman brightened. "Then you won't need to go, Ichabod. I'll just wear my gym clothes home tomorrow. Thanks, Lee. I appreciate you bringing it."

Rhi saw her three visitors exchange glances and frowned. "What?"

David drew a deep breath. "We think it would be best if you didn't go home for a few days."

Confused, Rhi pointed out, "They said they're going to release me tomorrow, so I have to go home."

"No you don't," Lee assured her. "Marika has volunteered to have you stay with her until you're healed a little."

"Whoa! I can't impose like that," Rhi protested vehemently. "I'll just go home."

"It's not an imposition. I really would like you to stay with me." The lawyer's voice was quiet but insistent.

"No, I can't...I can look after myself, really." Rhi glanced agitatedly at each of the trio, trying to convince them.

David shook his head. "You won't even be able to dress yourself for a few days. Rhiannon, you either let Marika help you, or I'm going to have to tell your aunt and let her assist you."

She stared at him in horror. Rhi could see the sadness in his pale eyes, but she could also see the intransigence as she implored, "Promise me! Promise me, David. Swear you won't let her know about this!"

"I'll make that promise, but only if you agree to let us help you."

"Damn it, that's blackmail!"

Lee squeezed her hand. "I know you hate this, Lady Mouse, but you're going to need help for a little while. Just accept that, and let us help you."

Rhi shook her head, but she knew she'd lost the battle. She'd do anything to avoid giving her aunt an excuse to reenter her life, even stay with a near stranger for a few days. Sighing, she let her head roll back on her pillows and closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she found her visitors watching her closely. "All right, but only until I can do things for myself." Which won't take long! "What time is it?"

Lee looked at her watch. "One thirty."

"Good, that means Hettie has gone with the hens to Tuesday bingo. Ichabod, can you go right over and grab me enough clothes for a few days? You can use the gym bag."

David nodded. "Sure, no problem, but won't your aunt report you missing if you don't leave some kind of word"

She groaned, but had to agree with his point. "Give me a piece of paper and I'll write you a note. Pin it up on the corkboard by the kitchen phone. She'll see it there."

The priest went off to scrounge paper and pen, and Rhi looked up at Marika. "Are you sure you can put up with a house-guest for a couple of days?"

The lawyer favoured her with a genuine smile. "I'm sure we can manage, as long as you don't have anything against cats. My cat has a bit of an attitude."

"That's an understatement!" Lee grunted amiably. Turning to Rhi, she added, "'Rika's cat thinks he owns the place, and she only gets to stay there at his pleasure."

Marika chuckled. "Uh huh. I live to serve."

"Well, I'll try to be much less demanding," Rhi assured her, suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion.

David returned then, a pad of paper and pen in hand. Rhiannon took it awkwardly, trying to minimize the movement in her shoulder. "Wish I were left-handed," she muttered as she wrote, 'Staying with friends. Back in a few days. R'

She let the pen drop, and David slid the pad out from under her hand.

"I'll be back as quickly as possible," he told her, tearing off the page and folding it neatly.

"I'll come with you," Lee said. "I've got her bag in the car anyway."

When Lee and David left, Marika slid quietly into the vacated chair. There was an awkward silence between the two women, until Rhi broke it.

"I'm surprised."

"About?"

"I guess...well, if anyone wanted to take me in..." Rhi's voice trailed off in confusion. She didn't want to insult this woman who was kindly offering her hospitality, but it was the last thing she'd expected from her boss.

The lawyer nodded in understanding and confirmed, "Lee wanted to take you home with her." She hesitated, before lowering her head and adding in a low voice, "I know you'd probably have preferred that. I'm sorry."

"Why?"

Confused, Marika asked, "Why am I sorry?"

"No. Why would you take me in? You really don't owe me, you know."

Marika considered that for a moment. "Well, I disagree with that. I think I owe you a great deal, and for more than just today. I'd like the chance to make it up to you, but if you'd really rather, I know Lee will take you in a heartbeat."

Rhi was fighting a losing battle with fatigue and the pain medication. Her eyes drifted shut and she mumbled, "No, that's okay." Hazily, she realized that she really didn't mind the prospect of staying with her boss for a couple of days.
"Sorry, can't keep my eyes open."

A soft chuckle met her muttered apology. "That's okay. Must be good drugs, eh?"

"Good..." Losing the battle with shock, pain and exhaustion, Rhi let herself go, but as she fell asleep, she could have sworn she felt a feather light caress on her face.

*****************************************************

"She lives here?" Lee eyed the dilapidated house with distaste.

David put the old Volvo in park, and turned the engine off. "Yes. She's been living here with her aunt for the last decade."

They left the car, and Lee trailed behind the priest up the walk. "What a dump," she muttered under her breath. She was slightly embarrassed when she saw David shake his head reproachfully, and decided to keep further observations to herself.

When they reached the door, David held his hand out for the keys. Lee quickly rummaged in the bag and came up with them. Entering the house, she found the interior as unprepossessing as the exterior. The odour of fried foods lingered in the warm, thick air. A subtle ambience of decay permeated the hallway as Lee noted the peeling wallpaper, threadbare carpet, and naked light bulb dangling from the ceiling.

Lady Mouse lives here? Lee was taken aback at her friend's home. She didn't know much about Rhiannon, but it was hard to picture the determined, courageous, independent young woman emerging from such surroundings.

Rousing herself from her reverie, she realized that David had walked down the hall to the kitchen, and hastened to follow him. She found him pinning Rhiannon's note to the corkboard beside the phone, next to dozens of other notes. Casting a critical eye around this room too, she took in the slovenly table top, trails of crumbs on the cracked linoleum floor, and dirty dishes piled in the sink.

"C'mon," David said, "her room's upstairs."

Dutifully, she followed the priest back down the hall and up the narrow staircase. He paused at the top and looked both ways down the hall. With a little shrug, he turned right and began opening doors.

"Bathroom. Her aunt's bedroom. Must be the one at the back of the house." David turned back the other way and within moments stood before a door with a sturdy padlock on it.

"I think we found it," he said dryly, fingering the lock.

Lee chuckled. Though unexpected, the padlock fit her Lady Mouse perfectly. David fumbled with the keys, fitting one to the lock and turning it smoothly.

"She must keep it oiled," he mumbled as he pushed the door open and they entered.

The afternoon sunlight filtered around the drawn blinds in the narrow windows, illuminating Rhiannon's room. Instantly relieved that unkempt housekeeping was not a feature of this neat, tidy room, Lee gave a small whistle as she took in the set-up.

"She's got a whole apartment in one room, kitchen, bedroom and sitting room." Lee turned to see David examining bits of paper pinned to the walls. Her eyebrows shot up as she realized that every spare bit of space was covered by drawings. Moving up beside the priest, she stared at the pictures.

"Wow, these are really good! Look at the detail in there. You can almost feel that dragon ready to spring off the wall." She drew a finger lightly over the paper, as if reassuring herself it was one-dimensional.

"Look," David said, gesturing to several different pictures. "These two...they're in a lot of the pictures."

Lee peered closer and nodded. "Yeah, they are. Who do you suppose they are?"

The priest looked at her, sadness in his compassionate eyes. "At a guess, I'd say her parents, but I don't know for sure."

Considering that, Lee had to agree. The woman in the picture did look a lot like Rhiannon. Softly, she said, "Our little friend sure has a lot of talent."

"Yes, she does," David agreed, then turned to face the room. "Well, we should probably get her things and get going. I don't want to be here when Hettie gets home."

Lee nodded and headed for the battered dresser. "Is her aunt really such a gorgon? The way Rhiannon reacted, it was like her aunt was the devil incarnate."

That got a chuckle from the priest. "No, I wouldn't say that she's evil. She simply...grates...on people, especially Rhiannon."

Unzipping the bag, Lee began to select some casual clothes and pajamas, and folded them carefully into the bag. "That include you, David? Does she grate on you too?"

A heavy sigh sounded from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the priest shuffling through a stack of books on the table.

David avoided meeting her eyes, as he mumbled, "Looks like these are due back at the library this weekend. I'll take them in for her."

Chuckling, Lee opened another drawer to find some underwear. "Appears to me you're ducking the question, Father." She shook her head at the shabby condition of her young friend's unmentionables, but chose a few things and added them to the bag. Her hand brushed against something and she pulled it out curiously.

It was a bankbook, obviously older and well used. Looking over at the priest, who was ostensibly absorbed in the library books, she couldn't resist a swift look inside. Jesus! She's got almost ten thousand dollars in there! What the hell is she doing living in a dump like this?

Startled, and somewhat shamed at the invasion of privacy, Lee tucked the book back into the corner of the drawer. None of my business. Still, her curiosity was aroused, and she pondered the small mystery.

"Got everything she needs?" David had ambled back across the room, books tucked under his arm.

Lee frowned at the open bag, and then decisively zipped it closed. "I think I have enough. I don't know where her toothbrush and stuff is, but I'll have Marika pick some things up for her."

Standing, she grinned at the priest. "C'mon padre, let's get you out of the gorgon's lair."

He shook his head in mild exasperation, but she could see the twinkle in his pale eyes. As they left the room, and he locked the padlock, she asked, "So how come Rhi calls you Ichabod?"

"You can't see the resemblance?" David asked drolly.

Lee stared at him, then started to laugh. She was still chuckling as they exited the house and locked it behind them. She tossed the stuffed gym bag into the back seat and slid into the passenger's seat as David started the car.

As they pulled away, the priest said, "I'm glad you were along. I don't think I'd have felt very comfortable going through Rhiannon's...things."

Lee flushed, wondering for an instant if he'd seen her examine the bankbook, but then she realized what he meant. Jokingly she asked, "Not into ladies lingerie, Father?"

Deadpan, he answered, "I find they just don't make them in my size."

Lee lost it then, letting the fear and anxiety of the day wash away in gales of laughter. When she finally stopped, wiping the tears from her eyes, she found David had a small, wicked grin lingering on his thin lips.

Impulsively, she asked, "David, why did you stop me in the hospital? Doesn't it make more sense to you to have Rhiannon stay with Dana and me?" She'd wondered if it was because he didn't want Rhi associating with a pair of lesbians, but that didn't feel right. He struck her as open, warm and completely non-judgmental. Besides, if that had been the case, he'd hardly have favoured Rhi staying with Marika, though it was possible he didn't know the lawyer was gay too.

Turning serious, the priest considered her question, choosing his words carefully. "It was more instinct than anything else, Lee. I think...I feel, that those two need each other right now. They went through the same trauma, and I believe they can help to heal each other." He shrugged and gave her a little apologetic grin. "I didn't mean to interfere. I know Rhi thinks the world of you and your partner. I just...sometimes I get this overwhelming feeling, and I've learned to go with it."

Lee pondered his words. She wasn't as convinced, knowing her old friend as well as she did. While sure that Marika would be kind to her young houseguest, she still couldn't picture the lawyer in a care-giving role, unlike her partner who was a born nurse. Hmm, he might have a good point though. 'Rika sure was determined about this.

Dismissing her lingering reservations, Lee decided she and Dana would just have to make a point to be frequent visitors to Marika's condo the next few days.

Continued in Chapter 12