I want to thank my beta readers Nancy, and both Becky's. I want to thank Nancy for allowing me to bounce ideas off her from when I first had the idea to reading over the final draft. Comments, praise, flames, and virtual chocolate to DanaKnight@aol.com. This story is not related to any of my other ones. Each part should end with "to be continued". Challenges by Judith Freudenthal copyright 1996 Natalie, Nick and Schanke were at the scene of a murder. The victim had been found lying on the floor as if she had fallen during an attack. A pair of metal crutches with plastic half circles that hooked around the upper forearm lay near her body. The fact that someone could be that vicious to a disabled person unnerved them. The fact that the victim was handicapped made them uncomfortable, as it reminded them that they too could very easily become disabled. All it would take would be a bullet, car accident or a fall. Natalie was finishing making her notes while Nick and Schanke talked with the officer who had been first on the scene. Natalie stood and headed for the door, Nick and Schanke followed. "TOD I would estimate to be about 3 hours ago. Cause of death seems to be blunt trauma to the head. She was severely beaten. I'll know more after I get her back to the lab." By the end of the shift Natalie had finished the autopsy on the beating victim and had learned little more. The autopsy findings showed that the victim's skull had been fractured by a blunt object that may have been a baseball bat. Shards of her skull slicing into her brain, causing massive hemorrhaging, had killed her. A few days later Natalie was on her way home from work. She was remembering the night Nick had surprised her with Phantom of the Opera tickets. They were managing to spend much more time together lately, and they were both truly enjoying each other's company. She stepped lightly on the brake to slow herself and felt the pedal drop to the floor. She was going the legal speed limit and knew she would be unable to stop easily. She was grateful that it was so late at night that the road was nearly deserted. Suddenly the car skidded and she knew she had hit a small spot of oil or something slick on the road. She had no time to react before the driver's side of the car slammed into the cement base of a lightpost. were her last conscious thoughts as the airbag activated. An unconscious Natalie was rushed into the ER. She quickly regained consciousness and panicked when she felt that she was completely immobilized. The doctor part of her knew it was standard procedure, but it did little to reassure her. The doctor noticed she was conscious as well as her panic. "What is your name? I need you to remain as still and calm as possible." "Natalie Lambert. What's wrong with me? I'm an MD." "Dr. Lambert we don't know anything yet. You just arrived a moment ago. Do you hurt anywhere?" Natalie examined her body mentally. "Some minor aches throughout my body, but nothing serious." "Can you wiggle your fingers and toes?" Natalie moved her fingers and was stunned when she couldn't feel her toes. This scared her. The doctor poked various places along her feet and legs all the way up to her hips, asking her as he went if she could feel anything. She felt none of it. She was terrified. A few tears ran down her cheeks, a nurse wiped them away along with a little blood from various minor cuts and scratches. "I want films of her head, neck and spine." "Dr. Lambert can you tell me what day of the week it is?" "Tuesday." "Where do you work?" "The Coroner's Office." "Is there anyone we should notify?" "Detective Nick Knight, 96th precinct. Homicide Division." "Okay. Is he a relative?" "The closest thing I have to one. If he's not there contact Grace Balthazar at the Coroner's Office." "Okay." About thirty minutes later Nick rushed into the emergency room stopping at the nurses desk. Panic could clearly be seen in his eyes and concern showed on his face. "I'm looking for Natalie Lambert. I'm Det. Nick Knight" "She's being examined. Someone will be out to talk to you soon, Det. Knight" Nick headed for the waiting area where he saw Grace and Schanke. "Nick, any word?" Schanke asked concerned. "No." "I heard the call on the radio. I arrived at the same time the ambulance did. They had her completely immobilized. She looked like she was unconscious. I only got a glimpse of her," Schanke told Nick. About an hour later the doctor approached Natalie's friends. "I'm looking for Nick Knight." "I'm he," Nick said, his concern growing. "How is she?" "She should be fine, for the most part. She picked up a few bumps and bruises, several scratches. What concerns us right now is some damage to her spinal cord. At the moment she is unable to feel anything from her lower back down." "What exactly are you saying?" Nick asked wanting to be sure he understood. He hoped he'd heard wrong. "Right now she's paraplegic. We won't know more until we have run further tests." "Can we see her?" Grace asked. "Yes. She will be settled into her room shortly." "Does she know?" Nick asked. "Yes." The nurse told Nick, Schanke and Grace that Natalie was in room 1013 on the SCI floor. Nick, Grace and Schanke were upset by the type of patients they saw, especially the ones who were quadriplegic or respirator dependent. A few were completely bedridden. One patient was tied into her bed with metal wires going into her skull which were hooked to a metal halo. The halo was attached to a plaster vest covering the woman's upper body. That unnerved them more than most of the sights had. They feared what they would see when they entered Natalie's room. Natalie's three friends knocked on her door a minute or two later. "Come in." They entered. Natalie lay flat on her back immobilized by a cervical collar and small sandbags on either side of her head. They were relieved to see no fancy, complicated mechanisms attached to her. There was an iv attached to one arm, and she had a couple of minor scratches on her face. "Hi guys." "How are you doing?" Schanke asked. "I don't know. I don't think it has fully sunk in yet." "Nat, what happened?" "I was on my way home when I noticed my brakes didn't work. I pressed the brake pedal, but it went clear to the floor. I tried to prevent an accident. I must've hit something slick because, before I knew it, I wound up ramming into the lightpole. The next thing I remember is waking up in the ER. Don't mind the sandbags and necklace. They're just to keep me immobile so there's less pressure on my spinal cord. It'll help the swelling go down faster if I don't move," she told them in an attempt to reassure them that she was okay. "Thanks for the info," Nick said. "Sorry I can't tell you more." "Is there anything you need us to do right now?" Nick asked. Just then a nurse entered and threw them out. "I'll stop by later, Natalie," Grace said. The two guys nodded. The three visitors left, stunned. They had seen fear and uncertainty in Natalie's eyes, despite her attempt to reassure them and herself. When they reached the elevator Grace was the first to speak. "Do you think she'll be okay?" "Yes. She'll be fine once the swelling goes down," Nick said hoping he was right and that he had reassured the others. "Was anyone as uneasy as I was?" Schanke asked. Both Grace and Nick nodded. "It's always hard to see someone close to you lying in a hospital bed, unless its for something joyous like bringing a new life into the world," Grace said. "If it was her lower back that's hurt why do they have her head so immobile?" Schanke asked. "So that she won't move. The more movement the longer it takes for the swelling she mentioned to go down and the longer she'll be like that. It will also prevent her from accidentally injuring herself further. Once the swelling goes down she'll be able to move around," Grace said. "How long will that take?" Nick asked. "It depends on how much swelling there is. I would guess probably two weeks, maybe three. I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you for sure. I don't think they'll know either. They will keep monitoring her though," Grace said. "The best thing we can do for her is keep her company. Let her know we care about her, and will, no matter what." Later Nick returned to visit Natalie. He couldn't imagine her spending the rest of her life confined to a wheelchair. Being restricted in what she could do. For a moment or two he considered bringing her across so that she'd be healed, but knew that it would be a worse hell. He pushed all such thoughts out of his mind and knocked on the door. "Come in." "Hi. I thought you might like to see a friendly face," Nick said, a tiny bit uneasy. Seeing her lying there unmoving really bothered him. "I'd like that," Natalie said. She didn't like anyone seeing her so helpless, Nick especially. "You okay?" He asked, seeing the feelings she tried to hide. He could tell that she was afraid and unsure what would happen with her life and her career. "I'll be okay. It's just so strange." "Life has a way of being like that. Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, his tone telling her he would be glad to listen. "What is there to say? I could walk but now I can't? That my career may be over? That I may wind up a desk bound paper pusher?" She said with more anger in her voice than she had intended. Nick didn't know how to respond to that, so he changed the subject. "How long are they keeping you here?" "A while. In a couple of weeks I should be transferred to a rehab center where I'll learn how to deal with my paralysis and all the changes it will force into my life. Any leads on your cases?" "Only that your brake lines were cut. Do you have any idea why anyone would do that?" "No. Outside of LaCroix I don't know of any enemies. He wouldn't do it that way. Why would someone want to hurt me? Sure I've helped put people away, but no one's ever threatened me or tried to hurt me before." She held out her hand and he took it. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb knowing that his touch could comfort her. "I don't know. I will do my best to find out. And you're right, if LaCroix wanted to hurt you, he wouldn't resort to cutting your brakes." A startling thought occurred to Nick. "I know you will." "Are you planning on going back to work eventually?" "I'd like to. I don't think my clients will object," She said trying to lighten the mood. She saw the pain in his eyes as he tried to force a weak grin. Nick's phone rang. He reluctantly answered it. "Hi, Schank." Nick nodded as he listened to his partner. "I'll be there shortly." Nick hung up, sticking the phone back into his jacket. "I have to run. I'll stop by later. Is there anything I can bring you?" "My radio. I'm tired of examining the ceiling and listening to the conversations in the hallway." Before Natalie knew it Nick was back with her radio. "That was quick." "I knew you wanted it. Shall I turn it on?" Nick asked, seeing that the only place to set it down was out of her reach. "Please." Nick's cell phone rang, which he reluctantly answered. "Knight." He heard Schanke wondering where he was. "I'll be there soon." Nick kissed her on the forehead, turned on the radio and left. Out in the hallway his heart sank. It hurt every time he saw her active form lying there so still. He could see how much she hated it. to be continued.... If the parts you get don't end with "to be continued..." let me know and I'll shorten them before sending. Send comments to DanaKnight@aol.com. Challenges 2/17 by Judith Freudenthal During the early afternoon there was a knock on her door. "Come in." Schanke stuck his head in the door before entering. "I brought these for you," Schanke said nervously as he held a colorful bouquet of flowers. He didn't know why, but something about Natalie's injury made him uneasy. A moment later he realized what it was. It was that she was kept immobile by the doctors. It made him realize that it could just as easily have been himself, Nick, Jenny or Myra. "Thanks, Schank. Can I see them?" Schanke approached Natalie's bedside and noticed her reaching out for the flowers. He was unsure what to do or say. "It's okay." She held onto the flowers for a few minutes as she took in their scent and the beauty of the arrangement "How about putting them in some water for me. They're beautiful." She sensed his uneasiness but decided not to make it worse by mentioning it. "I just wanted to stop by and tell you that Myra sends her best wishes. We hope you're out of here soon." "Tell her thanks. I hope to be transferred to the rehab center in a couple of weeks. After a few weeks there I should be able to get on with my life. How are you doing?" "Okay. I just hate to see you here." "Thanks. I'm not crazy about being here either," she said lightly. "I've got to get back to work." "Thanks for dropping by." A short time later Grace stopped by. She too was a little uneasy seeing Natalie like that. She knew Natalie needed a friend to talk to so she pushed those feelings aside. "Natalie honey, how are you really doing?" Grace asked concerned. She saw the dried tear tracks on Natalie's cheeks which only made her more concerned. "I'm doing okay. A little scared. So much changed so quickly." "Do they know anymore?" "Not really. The spinal cord is one of the few parts of the body they know very little about. The tests show damage to the cord, but luckily it wasn't severed. All that can be done now is to wait for the swelling to go down. Then maybe they can tell how bad the damage is." "I'm so sorry." "Don't be. I won't let it control my life. There is no reason it has to." "You're right. Are you going to come back to work, sometime?" "I plan to. I don't see why I can't. Our clients won't object." Grace was pleased to see that Natalie's sense of humor had not been broken, that she still had her fighting spirit. "I hate this. I'm so sick and tired of just laying here. I've found every flaw in the ceiling and decided that it could use a new coat of paint, maybe a picture or two." "What kind of a picture?" "I don't know. Something that you wouldn't get tired of seeing. Something relaxing. Maybe some blue sky with a few clouds, some grass and a lake. Or maybe just the sky and clouds." Later in the day Grace returned to the hospital. She had a folder in one hand and a short ladder in the other. She knocked on Natalie's door, "She's not there. They took her down for some tests about 10 minutes ago," a passing nurse told her. "Thanks. Do you know how long she'll be gone?" "Probably another half hour or so." The nurse was curious about the ladder but decided not to inquire and continued on her way instead. Grace entered Natalie's room. She set up the ladder and balanced the folder on top of it. Grace spent the next 25 minutes attaching several pictures similar to those Natalie had described to the ceiling. She had found some really nice Mel Gibson pictures in a store and had bought them, knowing he was one of Nat's favorite actors. Once finished, she took her ladder and the empty folder back to her car. Natalie was wheeled back into her room and transferred to the bed. The orderlies were very careful to keep movement to a minimum. Natalie had been grateful for the momentary change of scenery, even if it was just a different ceiling. She could see some of what went on around her, but it was hard on her eyes to spend too long looking off to the side. Once she was again immobilized in her bed, she saw the new panorama on the ceiling and was pleasantly amazed. Grace entered and saw the large smile on her friend's face. "Hi, Natalie." "Grace! Did you do this!?" "I thought it might help brighten the room a bit." "Thank you! It's great. It should brighten my mood as well as the room." Later that evening Nick stopped by with a gift for Natalie. He didn't bother to wrap it for her, knowing it would be too dificult for her to unwrap it. "Nick, you shouldn't have. Thanks." He could see the joy in her eyes as she saw the portable stereo he held. "I thought you might be tired of listening to commercials." "I am. It was really sweet of you." He replaced the radio with the stereo. Out of the bag he pulled a handful of CD's. Some were hers and some were new. He handed them to her a couple at a time. She picked the ones she wanted, and he stuck them into the player, which held seven. Nick noticed the pictures. Natalie noticed the slight surprise on his face. "Grace did that while I was out earlier. Isn't she great?" "Yes, she is." Nick could see the positive effect the gesture had had on his best friend. It seemed to soothe her boredom and a little of the frustration. Once again Nick's phone rang. "Why is it that the only time this rings is when I'm here?" Nick muttered as he fished the phone out of his pocket. "What?" He said into the phone, a little crankily. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" Schanke asked. "Yes. Every time I visit Nat, you call. What did you want" "We have some interviews scheduled. If you'd rather stay with her, I can handle them alone. Say hi to her for me." Natalie could see the indecision on his face. "Go on." Nick saw that she was a little drowsy, "I'll be there shortly." Nick hung up and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. "Schanke says hi." He handed her the remote control for the stereo so she could operate it herself. He could see how helpless she was feeling and knew it would make her feel better to have some control over the things around her. "I'll see you later." Nick kissed her on the forehead. "Tell Schanke hi." "I will." Nick left and Natalie fell asleep listening to her music. Later that evening Grace found a good sized box of her favorite chocolates on her desk, a note on top of the box. She picked up the note, which read "Grace, Thank you. Nick." A smile crossed her face as she opened the box and sampled a couple of pieces. A few more days passed. Cohen called Nick and Schanke into her office. "Gentlemen, I'm getting screamed at by both the Commissioner and the mayor. They want to know why there has been so little progress. I know you're doing your best. Any progress on the murder? Or Natalie's accident?" "No. Who ever did the killing was extremely clever. It was as if it were one of us. Who else would know exactly how to cover their tracks? On Natalie's accident there're no new leads," Nick said frustrated by his lack of progress. "How is she doing?" "Pretty good, outside of major boredom. She doesn't seem to be too upset by it. Maybe it hasn't fully sunk in yet." It bothered him that she didn't seem to have much reaction to the fact that she was paraplegic. The next afternoon a friend of Natalie's from work stopped by. She knocked on Natalie's door, knowing exactly what Nat was going through. "Come in." Jennie entered. She was around Natalie's age with fiery red hair. She would have been described as 'cute'. "Hi. I thought I'd drop by to see how you were doing. I hope you don't mind." "No. I don't mind. Actually I'm grateful for the distraction." Seeing Jennie in her wheelchair scared Natalie, as she knew that would be her soon. She found her paralysis easier to deal with as long as she didn't think about the future. "I was where you are six years ago. This is the worst part. It gives you plenty of time to think. Too much time, I thought. After this comes the hard work. When you get transferred to the rehab center, you will be working long hours every day to learn how to take care of yourself so that you can once again be independent. It will be hard and frustrating but worth the effort." Jennie knew this was probably the first time since the accident that Natalie had seen someone in a wheelchair, and knew that it would bring up all the fears she had pushed aside. "What happened to youu?" "A drunk driver on a rainy night. He plowed into my car headfirst." "What happened to him?" "He walked away with a few broken bones. I wound up paraplegic. At least I don't have to worry about wearing out my shoes," Jennie said with a small grin. She was trying to lighten the mood. "Not to mention getting all the good parking spots," Natalie rejoined, doing her bit to lighten the mood. Jennie was glad to see that Natalie was beginning to accept her paralysis, unlike some other people she knew. It had nearly destroyed them. She was glad that Natalie was more resilient. Jennie noticed the ceiling decorations. "Nice choice." "Thanks. Grace did it while I was out for tests." "She's a sweetheart. I wish I had thought of it when I was flat on my back." "Nick brought me the stereo so I wouldn't be bored by all the commercials on the radio. Schanke brought me flowers. Everyone's been so great." "Sorry, I didn't bring you anything." "You brought me something, hope. If you can lead a normal life, I can too." Later that week Cohen paid Natalie a visit. She had meant to come earlier, but figured Natalie needed time to herself. Time to get used to it. She knew she had needed it. She too had been unnerved by the conditions of the patients she passed in the hallway. She had visited friends in similar places before and knew it never got easier. Cohen knocked on Natalie's door. "Come in." "Hi, Natalie. I'm sorry." Cohen still wasn't totally prepared for seeing Natalie lying there so still. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it for herself was something different, harder. "Thanks." "I just wanted to stop by and let you know that everyone's hoping for a speedy recovery. Everyone from both the precinct and Coroner's Office signed a rather large card for you." "Tell them all thanks." Natalie watched as Cohen took the huge card out of the envelope. The card must've been at least three feet tall and about two feet wide. Cohen gave Natalie a moment to read the card before she opened it so that Nat could see the signatures and printed message. Cohen was pleased to see the smile that lighted Nat's face. "We're doing our best to catch whoever did this to you. It's one of our top priorities." "Thanks, Amanda. I know you are doing your best. How's Nick doing?" "Okay from what I can see. He's concerned about you. He and Schanke are working hard to solve the case." "I'm doing okay." "Where should I leave your card? Which do you want to see, the front or the inside?" "Put it over there by the window, however it will stand up is fine. I should be able to see it there. Tell them thanks for the card. Who's idea was it?" "I'm not exactly sure. I think it might have been a joint effort. I know I overheard Nick and Schanke talking about getting you a card. Grace's name was mentioned as well." Nearly a week later Nick arrived to visit Natalie. She was still lying flat on her back, completely immobile. He watched as her legs were manipulated so that the muscles would stay healthy. He was careful to stay out of the way so no one spotted him and asked him to leave. He left before she saw him, knowing that she wouldn't want him to see her so vulnerable and helpless. He knew it was hard enough for her to let him see her lying there like that. He still had trouble believing this was all real, knowing that it was. Later that afternoon Natalie found herself once again undergoing an MRI so they could check on the swelling of her spinal cord. It was going down. She was relieved, knowing that it meant she would soon be freed from the immobilization. She couldn't wait for that moment. to be continued... I want to thank my beta readers for all their help. Each part should end with "to be continued...". Send all comments, praise, flames, and virtual chocolates to DanaKnight@aol.com. Challenges 3/17 by Judith Freudenthal Shortly after being left in bed once again immobilized she noticed that the pictures had been changed. She didn't know where Grace was getting them, but knew she had to do something to thank her friend. Grace and Nick had been bringing her new CD's to listen to every day or two. Between the music, the pictures, and their visits, being bedridden was becoming almost tolerable. She knew that it was almost as hard on them as it was on her, but was glad that they came and that she hadn't shut them out. She was also grateful for the magazines they brought her. She could only read a page or two before her arms tired of holding it outward and upward over her face. She also enjoyed Jennie's visits as she could talk with her about things only Jennie would know about or truly understand. Jennie answered all of Natalie's questions about living and working as a paraplegic. A few days later the MRI had showed the swelling was gone. The doctors decided that she needed to start moving around. She had been freed of the sandbags and cervical collar to her great relief. Natalie was taken down to the physical therapy room to undergo her first therapy session. She was pleased that they allowed her to wear her own clothes. She was wearing the leggings, long t-shirt and socks Nick had brought her the night before. Her hair was held back with a scrunchi. She was lying flat on her back on an exercise mat as the therapist worked her leg muscles. She hated it as it made her feel helpless, but knew it was important. Nick had come for a visit, learned where she was and headed down there. He arrived right after the therapist finished working with Natalie's leg muscles. He stayed out of sight and watched her struggle with her first lesson. He wanted to rush in and help her, but knew that she'd probably want to stake him on the spot or be so angry at him that she wouldn't speak to him or see him for days. He watched as she struggled to reseat herself in her wheelchair, seeing the enormous amount of energy and effort it took. He also saw the stubborn determination, frustration, and anger on her face as she worked to complete the task. What he witnessed made the fact that she was paraplegic sink in. He wondered how it would affect their relationship. Natalie knew then that this is what her life would be like from now on and it depressed and angered her, angering her as well. She knew that everything would be a struggle, but was determined not to let it get the best of her. Her mind once again shoved that information off to the side until she was ready to deal with it. Nick entered Natalie's room shortly after she was returned from therapy and saw a different kind of sadness in her eyes. "Nat, what's wrong?" "Nothing." "Nat." "How can you want to be with me? I'm not whole." "It doesn't matter to me." "I won't be able to do some of the things I used to do, we used to do." "Then we'll find new things or new ways to do the old things." "I can't walk." "So. I can't go out in the sun." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Don't you think that bothered me at first? That fact greatly frustrated me on numerous ocassions. It still does sometimes. I learned not to let it get in the way of my life." She gave him a questioning look. "Okay. I try not to let it get in the way..." She rewarded him with a small smile. "My sun problem hasn't affected how you've treated me." "It's different." "How?" "I've never known you any other way." "Okay." He didn't want to lose her. "Nat, it doesn't matter to me that you can't walk. That's not what I'm attracted to." At her look he tried again to tell her how he felt. "I won't say seeing you like this is easy, but I know as soon as they release you, you'll be rushing back to work, eager to get your hands into someone. Your warmth, spirit, and sense of humor is what attracts me to you." "But...." "No buts. Okay, so you will need a wheelchair to get around. Big deal. At least you will be able to be out anytime you need to. That makes you more whole than I am. It's me who should be asking you, how can you want to be with me, knowing what I am." "I like who you are. What you are doesn't matter. It never has." "Exactly." It hit her that they were both saying the same thing. "I guess I sounded pretty dumb, eh?" "Not at all. You're just scared and uncertain about a few things. I'd be terrified and a lot more uncertain if I were in your place." Nick had returned to the precinct to finish up some paperwork before returning for his nightly visit. He found he had trouble concentrating. He couldn't get Nat's struggles out of his mind. Her trying to push him away still bothered him a bit. He found himself wondering how independent she would be able to be, knowinghow very frustrated and angry she would be if she could not be as independent as she was used to being. He hoped she would not begin to shut him and her other friends out, especially now when she needed them most. That evening as Nick neared Natalie's room he heard signs of a struggle coming from within. He hurried to her room, entered without knocking and found someone trying to smother her. She was fighting back, her arms pounding away at her assailant and alternately trying to pull the pillow off her face. Nick pulled the man off her, flinging him into the wall. He hit it with a thud and slid, unconscious, to the floor. Nick rushed to Natalie's side. She was choking, gasping and trying to catch her breath. "Nat, are you okay?" She nodded. Her breathing settled down adding weight to her statement. He saw the fear, vulnerability, and uncertainty in her eyes. It frightened him. He also saw a great deal of vulnerability and more uncertainty than before in them. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her trembling form into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. Tears ran down her face, quickly turning into sobs that wracked her whole body. He just held her and gently stroked her hair. He wanted to rub her back, knowing how it had soothed her in the past, but was afraid he might hurt her. A nurse entered, took in the scene on the bed and the unconscious man on the floor, and started towards Natalie. "I want him held for the police. He tried to kill her. He might need medical attention. She seems to be okay." The nurse left and a few moments later a security guard returned along with an orderly, who was pushing a gurney. The criminal was hefted onto the gurney and removed from the room. "Nat, can..." "You can't hurt me by touching me, even my back." She had cut him off, sensing his questions. "I can move around as I want to." Nick repositioned both of them so that they would be more comfortable. Her grip had not eased. He gently rubbed her back, soothing her. Before long she was asleep in his arms. Her head rested on his shoulder as she leaned against him. He effortlessly set her down on the bed, careful not to wake her and headed for the blinds. He managed to sabotage them so they could not be opened or removed before he awoke. Once finished with that task he grabbed his phone from his pocket, stepped out into the hallway, carefully closing her door and called the precinct. "Schanke, just listen. Someone tried to kill Natalie about an hour ago. I'm still with her. She was pretty badly shaken up. I don't want to leave her alone." Nick gave a description of the attacker as he told Schanke what had happened. Then listened to Schanke's comments. "I want to stay with her, at least until she wakes up. I don't want her to be left alone." No sooner had Nick gotten off the phone then the nurse returned to tell him that the prisoner had overpowered the guard and escaped. Nick phoned in the information to Schanke. "Nick!" Natalie called out in panic. Immediately Nick was by her side. He sat on the edge of the bed. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as before. "I didn't mean for you to wake up and find me gone. I had to let Schanke know what happened." "I had a nightmare. It was awful. I dreamt that I couldn't walk." One look at Nick's face told her that part was real. Seeing her wheelchair over his shoulder added to the fact that everything was real and not a nightmare. Again her tears started. Nick scooped her up into his arms and settled her so that she was again leaning against his chest with her head on his shoulder. He gently rubbed her back soothing her. Before long the tears stopped and her slow, regular breathing told him she was sound asleep. He knew that reality had hit her. She was finally dealing with her paralysis. Nick found himself wondering. He knew he would do everything he could to protect her. It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't figure out why someone would want to hurt her. She didn't have a mean bone in her entire body. He awoke the next morning when he heard the door open. His eyes popped open looking to see if whoever was entering was friend or foe. He was relieved when it was only Schanke. Nick held his finger up to his lips to silence his partner. He didn't want to disturb Natalie. Schanke motioned that he would wait outside. He noticed how natural Nick and Natalie looked cuddled up together and wondered exactly what went on between them when they were not working. A few minutes later the nurse entered for her morning vital signs check on Natalie. She was surprised to find two people in the bed. She headed for the blinds to open them and found them broken. Natalie heard the blinds rattling and awoke. She was a little surprised, but definitely pleased to find herself in Nick's arms. "Morning," he softly said to Nat. "Morning," she said just as softly. "I'll have someone repair this immediately." "I would appreciate it if you didn't. I have a severe sun allergy." Nick noticed the nurse's curiosity. "She was pretty badly shaken up and wouldn't let go of me." "That's okay. I do hope I won't find you in her bed again tonight." "No guarantees." Nick was forced to wait outside while Natalie was examined. He used the time to brief Schanke. "How is she?" Schanke asked, concerned. He, too, couldn't figure out why someone wanted to kill one of the nicest people he knew. "She's still scared, but doing much better. Only people within our two departments knew she was injured and in the hospital. Even then, her injury isn't widely known. Because of that, I don't want her left alone. You and I will take turns. I'll cover her until after her therapy. Then I'll sack out here for a few hours. I'll take over again shortly after sunset. Okay?" "Sure." He couldn't argue with Nick, especially when Natalie's life was on the line. And the limited number of people who knew about her accident made it more than likely that her attacker was someone from one of their two departments. That thought greatly unnerved him. "How long can we keep this up? She's not going to like it." "She'll handle us doing it better than someone she doesn't know. We'll do this as long as we have to." "How's she handling everything else?" Schanke asked unsure how to phrase his concern. "She's doing remarkably well. The full impact of it hit her last night. She seems to be accepting her paralysis." "I don't think I would be able to accept such massive changes so well. Or so quickly. I would be mad as hell at the world and probably wallowing in self-pity," Schanke said. "I wouldn't handle it as well either," Nick replied. to be continued... Each part should end with to be continued... Send comments, flames and virtual chocolate to DanaKnight@aol.com. Challenges 4/17 by Judith Freudenthal A few days later Natalie was moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center. She was pleased as it meant she wouldn't be confined to bed and would be able to move around as she pleased. It also meant she could wear her own clothing all the time instead of those drafty hospital gowns. Nick or Schanke were still keeping watch over her. She hated for them to see her so vulnerable. A part of her hated for Nick or Schanke to see her struggling to regain her independence, yet she was comforted by their presence. Natalie's first day at the rehab center was full of more tests. Her therapists needed to know exactly how much damage had been done, how much muscle mass she had lost while lying in bed, and if there were any hidden problems for them to deal with. By the time the tests were finished Natalie felt as if every muscle in her body had been poked, prodded or tested in some way. She understood why Nick sometimes complained about feeling like a pincushion. She was almost too tired to see Grace when she stopped by. Her friends could tell how tired she was and did not stay long. It was evident she was pleased to have moved into this new phase of her treatment. Nick saw her attempting to relieve some soreness from her shoulders and began massaging them. He felt her relax under his gentle yet firm touch. The massage helped relieve her headache. Nick and Schanke were careful to stay out of the way. They stayed just outside any room she was in, peering in from time to time. This guaranteed that Natalie had some privacy. The next morning Natalie was assisted with dressing. It frustrated her that she couldn't do something as simple as get her pants and shoes on without help. After breakfast she met with a physical therapist to set her goals. They decided that they would work to keep her leg muscles in good shape and maybe in a few months would consider trying electrical stimulation. They also decided to start her on a weight program to increase her upper body strength so that her arms and shoulders would be able to handle the work her legs usually did. Next she met with the occupational therapist who would teach her skills such as dressing, maneuvering, and, eventually, driving. This therapist would help Natalie to once again become independent and warned her that it would not happen overnight. After lunch Natalie began her physical therapy. It lasted two hours a day, and would normally occupy her mornings shortly after breakfast. The therapists would work with her leg muscles first, and then she would complete her weight training. Natalie didn't mind Nick being in the room with her, most of the time. She found his presence comforting, even though she hated for him to see her struggle with everything. She could see in his eyes that it was almost as hard for him to watch as it was for her to struggle. Late the next afternoon Cohen knocked on Natalie's door. "Come in." Cohen entered and noticed that Natalie seemed to be doing much better than the last time she had visited. She was glad to see the medical examiner up and moving around again. Natalie was curious. She could tell that the Captain had something on her mind. "Natalie, I wanted to ask you if you would consider going undercover. Let me know if you feel it is too soon." "No, it's not too soon. But, Captain, I'm a forensic pathologist not a cop. Why me?" "The first two victims were from your department, and were disabled." "Two? Has there been another murder?" "No. The other one happened about six weeks ago. We did not connect it until recently." "I'm not sure I could pull something like that off." "I've watched you over the last year or two. I think you can do it. I wouldn't be asking otherwise. I don't need your answer right away. Think about it and get back to me tomorrow or the next day." "What would I have to do?" "All you have to do is go about your normal routine. You'll have complete but discreet backup." "In other words, I'll be bait. I'll think about it and get back to you." Natalie had often wondered what it would feel like to do what Nick and Schanke did for a living, or what it would be like to go undercover. Shortly after Cohen left, Natalie headed for the occupational therapy area wondering what she would be taught today. She had been glad that her first lesson yesterday had been how to dress herself. Being able to do that much for herself made her feel more in control of her life. She had a hunch that maneuvering was on today's agenda, and when she entered the room she discovered she was right. She saw an obstacle course in front of her. She was given a few instructions then was told to go through the course. It was not an easy course. Her frustration level rose rather quickly. She ran into things the first two times through the course. After each run she was given helpful suggestions which made each time through a little smoother. Two days later Cohen stopped by to see Natalie. She knocked on the door frame. The door was open. Natalie was reading a medical journal. Cohen had to smile at that, knowing it meant Natalie was recovering well. "Come in." Cohen entered and closed the door behind her. "Have you decided?" Cohen asked. "Yes. I will do it. Maybe I can help save someone's life. And I'd sure like to find out who has it in for me and why. I sure fit the developing pattern. When do we start?" "Whenever you're ready. Do you want me to tell Nick and Schanke?" "Not just yet. I'll tell Nick when I think the time is right. He can tell Schanke." Natalie knew she would have one *very* angry vampire to deal with when he found out what she was risking. She was most definitely *not* looking forward to that confrontation as it would probably be *quite* nasty. Grace stopped by every evening to see her before work. Nick, Schanke and Grace could see the positive changes in her as she slowly grew more confident. They often sat outside and talked or strolled as they talked. Grace could tell when Natalie's day had been particularly tough or frustrating as she tended to be a little cranky at first. When her friends saw her once again rubbing her temples they grew concerned. She explained that looking up at the world caused her headaches which would ease as she grew more used to her new angle on the world. During the day and up until around dinner time Natalie worked her butt off. If her leg muscles weren't being exercised then her upper body was being put through its weight routines. She enjoyed using the pool for water exercises. Somehow being in the water was very soothing. But she hated being loaded in and out of the water like cargo. When she wasn't doing physical therapy then she was busy with occupational therapy. She learned how to handle her wheelchair under just about any condition. It was very hard and frustrating work. The therapists and assistants got to see Natalie's temper when she had real trouble with something. They knew better than to take it personally and reassured Natalie that it was okay when she felt badly for blowing up at them. Natalie found herself resorting to her defense mechanism of joking to handle her feelings. Nick and Schanke also fell victim to her temper from time to time. Nick was more often the target as Natalie felt more comfortable with him. Nick encouraged her, sometimes pushing her to do more. Sometimes he purposely angered her knowing that her anger would make her work harder. He also massaged her back every night and had every night since she had begun rehab. He how much her upper body ached from all the new demands placed on it and tried to do whatever he could to ease those aches. to be continued... I want to thank my beta readers for all their help. Challenges 5/17 by Judith Freudenthal Around the middle of the third week Nick knocked on the door frame of Natalie's room and saw her dressed in a long t-shirt with her hair tied back. He noticed her new wheelchair had been delivered. It looked quite elegant with its sleek royal blue frame, black upholstery and no armrests, unlike the the one she'd been given at the hospital. Her new chair's back came almost midway up her back. "I'm heading for the pool. You're welcome to come along." She saw his smile and remembered the first time he had seen her in her swimsuit. His smile had eased most of her self-consciousness, leaving her feeling good about herself. Nick thought that she was beautiful in whatever she wore, even during her confinement in the hospital. He was glad for another opportunity to see her in her swim wear. He had always admired her nice form. It wasn't perfect, but whose was? He liked that she wasn't anorexically thin, yet she wasn't chubby either. "How did your day go?" "About the same. How about you?" "Nothing really exciting." Before long they reached the pool room. Natalie's therapist was waiting for her as well as two assistants, one of whom would help her into the pool. One of the assistants, a young man in his mid twenties with brown hair and green eyes brought a waterproof wheelchair and a life vest over to Natalie. He helped her transfer from her chair to the waterproof one. Natalie hated not being able to do such a simple thing on her own. She also hated having to wear the awkward life vest, especially when it interferred with her movements and reminded her of those boaters wore. Natalie also hated being wheeled down the ramp, into the pool until she floated out of the chair. She wanted to do more for herself and was frustrated that she either couldn't or wasn't allowed to. The therapist supervised Natalie's range of motion exercises. She didn't mind doing them, knowing how important it was to keep her muscles healthy and flexible if she wanted to have the slightest chance to walk again someday. She knew the water allowed a wider range of movement than was available on a mat or when she had been confined to bed. Also the water provided more resistance as well as being easier on her joints. Once her exercises were finished she was allowed some free time. Even though they had helped her adjust her swimming to accomodate her paralysis, she still wasn't allowed in the pool without the annoying vest. Nick watched her rather graceful movements as she completed lap after lap. She liked the way, outside of the vest, she didn't feel much different than she had before the accident. After a few laps she stopped and let the life vest support her while she caught her breath. She had one hand on the edge of the pool so she wouldn't float away. "Can you swim?" She asked Nick, curiously. "I never learned how," he said a little embarrassed. His expression brought a smile to her lips. It made her feel good that there was something she could do that he couldn't. She had caught her breath and swum a few more laps, all the while an idea was taking shape. When she reached the end of the pool where Nick was standing she stopped and looked up at him. "Would you like to learn to swim?" He thought about it for a moment, never really having considered it. "Yes. How..." "I could teach you. You're here anyway." "Okay. No one can know." "It's nothing to be embarrassed about." "I know. I just don't want anyone to know." "Okay. If anyone asks tell them you're escorting me here for therapy." "Sounds good. Can we start tomorrow?" "I don't see why not," Natalie said pleased that she was going to be teaching him something, and that he seemed eager to learn. "It's great exercise for the whole body. It's not as hard to do laps as I would've thought." "You looked quite graceful out there." Natalie was helped back into the waterproof chair and was soon pushed up the ramp. She stripped off the life vest and dried off with a towel. She placed a folded towel on the seat of her chair before the assistant helped her transfer back to her chair. The last thing she did before leaving was slip back into her long t-shirt. The next evening Nick met Natalie at the pool after her exercise routine. He changed in the bathroom, not wanting to walk the halls in his black swim trunks. He was a little embarrassed. He had never been out in public in so little clothing. She smiled at the embarrassment she read in his face and body language, finding it rather charming. The contrast between his black shorts and his naturally fair complexion, untouched by the sun, left him looking ghostly white. Natalie thought as a smile crept across her face. She had only seen parts of his upper body when she had done bullet removal or when she'd seen him in his pj's and robe. "What?" "Nothing," she said her smile now only a small grin. Nick figured out what she was looking at and didn't mind, actually he enjoyed her admiration. "John, can Nick have a vest?" "Sure," John said as he handed it to him. He knew what they had planned and thought that it would be good for her self-confidence. "Nat, do I have to?" Nick asked not wanting to wear the vest. "Yes." "Nat," Nick whined. "Just put it on. It will help you feel more at ease in the water." He reluctantly put it on, not wanting to anger or annoy her. Natalie noticed he had yet to join her in the pool. "Nick, it won't bite," she teased. Nick slowly walked into the pool. His shower was the most water he'd come in contact with in *quite* some time. Natalie playfully splashed him as he entered. "See, that wasn't so bad." "Now what?" "I want you to let your body relax totally. The vest will keep you from sinking like a rock." Natalie let her body fully relax and was floating on her back in no time. Nick watched her and was soon floating. He found it quite soothing. "I like floating. It's so peaceful, especially if you close your eyes and clear your mind of everything. It makes me feel like I'm defying gravity. I feel like nothing's changed. Keep your butt up or you'll sink." Nick didn't heed her advice and quickly found out she was right. He discovered that it took a bit of effort to keep his back arched and his butt at the right level so that he didn't sink, and wondered what would have happened if she hadn't insisted on his wearing the vest. "I thought I was going to learn how to swim?" "You will. This is important as well." Nick saw the confidence and pleasure this lesson gave Natalie. He knew she loved the fact that she was able to do something that he couldn't. She had him head into deeper water before showing him how to do the Australian crawl, or at least the upper body part. She watched as he tried it, correcting his form. She found it interesting that someone who could fly and had lived as long as he had, had problems learning to swim. she wondered. "I want you to move your legs like this," she said, showing him how to do it using her hands and arms in place of her legs. He had a little trouble keeping his kick smooth and at the right pace. He splashed her as much as a child does when learning how to kick their legs in a pool. "Keep your legs under the water's surface," she said as she wiped her eyes with her hands. The first splash had taken her by surprise, afterwards she repressed a grin at how much he reminded her of a little boy at times. Her advice helped slightly, but he still needed assistance. She motioned for him to follow her to the edge of the pool. "Hold onto the edge and float on your front for a moment, without your face going under. I'll move your legs for you to show you how." Nick did as instructed and enjoyed the feel of her hands as they guided his legs in the proper movements. "Got it?" "I think so." "Now all you have to do is learn how to breathe, then put all three things together." "Nat, I know how to breathe." "Then show me," she said with a wicked grin, knowing he would most likely get a mouthful as well as a noseful of water. He tried to copy what he had seen her do and wound up coughing and choking on inhaled water. Nat thought. "You okay?" He nodded. "What did I do wrong?" "Other than thinking you were a fish?" "Yes," he returned the tease. "You forgot to breathe out, not in, while submerged." "Thanks. I already knew that." Once again she led them into deeper water. "I want you to take a deep breath, then let it out underwater. You should be breathing out through your nose only, making a stream of bubbles as you do so." "Nat," he whined. "Do you want to learn this or not?" He nodded and reluctantly stuck his face in the water when he saw her glance turn mischievous. He felt totally ridiculous. She watched the bubbles and knew he was doing it correctly. When he ran out of air he came up and pretended to breathe heavily as if out of breath. "Very good. Watch what I do and copy it." Nick nodded. She showed him how to breathe while swimming. She watched as he did it, seeing him once again swallowing water and choking on his first attempt. "Good try." "Now I want you to combine the movements. Try it." She giggled as his first attempts left him looking like a drowning rat, not a swift, sure vampire. He again swallowed some water, but nowhere near as much. His response to her giggling was a gentle splash in her direction, strong enough to get her attention, but not strong enough to annoy or hurt her. "Try it again. Don't rush it. Let it flow naturally." He tried again and was much more graceful this time. "Much better. Now for some practice. Last one to the other end and back is a rotten egg," she said taking off. Nick let her win, but made it look like a very close race. He could have been to the other side and back before anyone blinked, but that would've been unfair. It would've hurt her feelings, and squashed her rising self confidence. "Very good. Tomorrow we will work on it some more and I'll teach you another sroke." The next evening she taught him the backstroke and enjoyed watching him struggle to keep from sinking when his butt sank and to coordinate the arm and leg movements. The next evening she let him try swimming without the life vest. He found it wasn't so simple, especially the backstroke as his rear end kept sinking, leaving him choking on swallowed water. "I see why you made me learn wearing the vest. Can I learn another one?" "Sure." She showed him what to do with his arms and described what to do with his legs. Nick tried it and was surprised that the only thing it did was barely keep his head from going under. He did notice the barely controlled giggles his moves elicited from her. "What?" "That move has been known to save a life now and then. I wonder how long you can tread water." She grinned mischievously and Nick knew she was up to something "How about learning another move?" . "Okay?" Nick was a little unnerved by her grin. She taught him the doggie paddle and dissolved into hysterical laughter as he very seriously applied himself to this new stroke. For that she was again splashed and this time she splashed him back. A short splash war broke out. to be continued... I want to thank my beta readers. Nancy, thank you for being there from the time I first bounced the idea off you until now. Each part should end with "to be continued...". Send comments, flames and virtual chocolates to DanaKnight@aol.com Challenges 6/17 by Judith Freudenthal By the middle of the next week Natalie was pleased when she had progressed enough to learn how to drive with hand controls. She had passed her vision test. She did quite well with the driving simulator too. Within two days she found herself behind the wheel of a real car. This one had dual controls so her instructor could take over if she made any dangerous mistakes. She was quite nervous but knew this was an important step in regaining her independence. Nick had become a fairly proficient swimmer. At the end of each day's practice they raced from one end of the pool to the other. Natalie won about half the time, only because she told Nick that she didn't want him to let her win. When Nick won it was because he was a little faster, but still within mortal limits. Six weeks after her admittance to the rehab center Natalie's release date arrived. She was released shortly after sunset. She had her bag packed by the time Nick came to pick her up. "You ready to go?" "You bet," Natalie said more than ready to leave. She wanted to sleep in her own bed again. "I want you to stay at my loft for a day or two." "I want to go home. I want to sleep in my own bed." "Humor me." "Arrgh. Okay. I have to call the office." "You're not thinking of going in tonight?" "Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow night. I have to get on with my life." "You've just been released." "Nick, I've worked my ass off to get released," she said with more of an edge than she meant to and instantly regretted it. She tried to relax and continued, hoping he would understand. "I need to go back to work. I need to get on with my life. The longer I take the harder it will get." "I know. I just don't want to see you rush into anything too soon." He knew she was right, but he didn't have to like it. "I know. And I appreciate it." She insisted on pushing herself to the car. Once there Nick opened the door and stepped back, knowing she would ask for help if she needed it. He wanted to help her but did not want to make her feel more helpless than she already did. He saw past her facade to the deep insecurities that lay there. Insecurities that had only been made worse by her impatience to succeed. She struggled to transfer herself from her wheelchair to the passenger seat of Nick's caddy, grateful for the large car, as she had more room to work. Once she had finished, Nick folded and stashed the lightweight wheelchair behind her seat. She enjoyed riding in his car with the top down. She suddenly realized that most of the times she had been in the car, the top had been up. "How about us taking a walk? It's a beautiful night," Natalie said. "If that's what you want." Nick and Natalie strolled through the park enjoying the night air. Neither of them had anywhere else to be that night so their walk was quite leisurely. Nick kept an eye on her to make sure she wasn't tiring herself out. She surprised him by "hopping" off the curbs without help. "Where'd you learn that?" "From another client at the rehab center." They stopped at an outdoor cafe, so she could have something to eat. She coaxed him into eating something, too. Later they arrived back at the loft. Nick checked the machine for any messages. There were none. He had checked it before picking her up. Natalie yawned and stretched out her arm and shoulder muscles. They still hurt at the end of each day, making her wonder if they would always feel like that. Would they ever get used to the extra work they were now forced to do? She was glad they didn't hurt as much as they had those first two weeks. She had sometimes felt so sore she didn't know if she could handle another day's therapy. Before she knew it, she felt his hands massaging her shoulders. It felt terrific as always. "You have great hands. Such talent." "Thanks. Would you like a back massage tonight?" He said as he worked out all the knots in her shoulders. He noticed that she had become more muscular across her shoulders during her rehab. "That would be great." "You look tired. You should get some sleep." "I'll take the couch." "No. You'll take the bed." "Nick. In case you haven't noticed...." She motioned towards the stairs. "I noticed. I want you to be comfortable." "The couch is plenty comfortable. Besides it is only for the one day." "Nat, I won't take no for an answer." "Okay, today only." She knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind. She also knew he was right, and hated it. She reluctantly let Nick carry her upstairs. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he slipped one hand under her legs and the other around her back. Once upstairs he set her down on the bed and fetched her chair, setting it at the foot of the bed. He handed her a spare pair of his pajamas and left her alone to change. About 10 minutes later he was told he could enter. "Lie down," Nick softly said. Nick watched as she maneuvered herself into position. He missed the graceful flow of her movements. When she was lying on her stomach, he sat on the edge of the bed. He started at her shoulders working over both her neck and her shoulders before moving down onto her upper back. His gentle touch was so soothing. He could feel her entire body relaxing. He worked his way down her back knowing that those muscles worked hard too. He was extra careful around the area where the injury had been. He knew her lower back needed even more gentle and tender massage. He realized that she had fallen asleep and very carefully slipped his hands under her, turning her over so that she'd rest more comfortably on her back. He tucked the covers around her, making sure she was settled before leaving. He planted a very light kiss on her forehead before turning out the light and leaving. The next evening Natalie awoke right after Nick did. When he saw her on the landing, he carried her down and sat her on the couch. He grabbed her chair and carried it down setting it next to her. She was wearing a blue blazer with matching slacks and a white silk blouse. Her low heeled shoes were black. "By your outfit I would say that you're going to work tonight." "Yes. I am. I do need a lift though." She wasn't ready to drive herself yet. She needed a few days to get used to being back in the outside world again. "Sure." The intercom sounded. "Who is it?" "Cohen." "Come on up." Nick buzzed her up. Natalie knew that a confrontation was coming. It would *not* be a pretty sight. She reseated herself into her wheelchair ready to stay out of Nick's reach, if necessary. The elevator door opened and Cohen entered. She looked around at the rather interesting, if spartan decor. "Welcome, Captain." "Thanks. Natalie, have you told him?" "No. He hasn't given me the chance." "Told me what?" Nick had a hunch he wouldn't like what he was about to hear. "The Captain came to me to see if I would go undercover." "Captain!" "She thought that since both murder victims had been employees of the Coroner's Office, and both were disabled, I might be able to draw the murderer's attention." Nick was stunned. "Natalie, how could you do that? Captain, how could you ask her to do that?" "Nick, I'm a big girl. I can make my own decisions." "Natalie. I can't let you put yourself out there as bait. You're not a cop." "I know. I have to do it. If some good can come out of this, then I can't say no. If I can save one life then it will almost be worth it. I won't lie and say that I'm not nervous about it. I am." "She wasn't sure she could do it. Because she's not a cop. But the killings did not happen at work. Her not being a cop gives us an advantage. Our killer may see her as an easier target because of that. And, unless the killer knows her as well as we do, she will seem an easy target." Nick knew they were both right. Natalie was the perfect target. She was female, a forensic pathologist, worked for the police department, and was disabled. Only those that knew her well knew the tough fighter inside. "Okay. What about when she's off shift?" "I thought that you could discretely keep an eye on her. She does need to be home." "I can handle that." "I need you to get back to work. You have paperwork piled up. You have to focus on the case. That's the only way she'll truly be safe." "I know." A thought occurred to Nick. "That's why you've been letting Schanke and me keep an eye on her, isn't it?" "Yes. At first it was because someone had tried to kill her twice in a short period of time. Then it was both because someone was after her and because she had agreed to help." Cohen left. Natalie sensed she that she had only seen the prologue to 'storm Nick.' Now that they were alone she would see the main fury of it. She wouldn't face him. He grabbed hold of her chair and spun her around to face him, anger dancing in his eyes. "Get your hands off me," She said firmly. "Natalie, when were you going to tell me you had agreed to be bait? When the killer came for you again?" "I wanted to tell you, but you didn't give me a chance." "You could have told me during the six weeks you were in the rehab center. You had plenty of time." "Okay. You're right. I couldn't tell you. I didn't want a scene like this. I could not have handled it. I was having enough trouble dealing with all the other changes in my life. Besides, I was a little busy at the rehab center, remember?" "I would've kept your secret. You could've told me that you were having trouble." "I know. I liked your attentiveness. I needed your company. I could see you were having trouble dealing with the changes as well. I didn't want to add my troubles to it. I was going to tell you about taking Cohen's offer, but things happened. There was never a good time." "What about the drive home? The walk?" "The walk was too pleasant to spoil. I would have told you before I went in to work." "How are you doing, really?" Nick asked quietly. He never could stay mad at her long. "For the most part, okay. I'm still getting used to it all. I still hate it, most of the time, but I know that I can't live that way. It hurts knowing everything I've lost, but I have to look forward, not back. I want to kill whoever did this to me. I'm a little nervous about going back to work, but also looking forward to it. How about you?" "I'm doing okay, most of the time. It still hurts to see you in that chair. I too want to kill whoever hurt you. I'm glad that you still have your fighting spirit and sense of humor." "I can handle anything but people feeling sorry for me." "You'll be fine." He kissed the top of her head for further reassurance. "Shall we go?" She asked a bit uncertainly. Nick escorted Natalie into her office. She told him that she could get there on her own, but didn't make too big of a fuss because she knew he was only looking out for her. Natalie entered her office and was surprised to see the "Welcome Back Natalie" banner taped across the blackboard. Grace, Schanke and Jennie were there as were a few of her other work friends. "Welcome back Natalie," Everyone said, joyfully. Natalie smiled. She was glad to be back at work and back among friends. Grace handed Natalie a gift wrapped box. A curious grin spread across Natalie's face as she unwrapped the gift. She was momentarily confused when she pulled a backpack out of the box. She noticed it matched the blue of her chair before the thought behind it sank in. "Thanks. This will come in handy." She slipped it in place. "Perfect match." "We hoped it would be." Natalie was assigned to light duty. She hated paperwork and found a mound of it on her desk. She knew she would be stuck on light duty until Terri figured out what her limitations were, and, until Natalie's autopsy table could be modified to accommodate her shorter height. She hoped neither task would take too long. to be continued... As I was chopping up the story into 4-5 page segments I realized that I had miscalculated the number of parts necessary. Challenges 7/20 by Judith Freudenthal Later in her shift Nick entered the morgue. He was surprised to see Natalie lost in thought. She was biting her lower lip, which meant that she was puzzling something out. "Natalie," Nick said as he waved his hand in front of her face. "Nick, how long have you been standing there?" Natalie asked, startled and a little confused. "Just a moment or two. Have the last test results come back yet on the Martinson case?" "No, not yet. Have you made any sense of the cases related to our departments? Or who cut my brake lines?" "Not really. The only clue is that two of the three victims were disabled. Why was the third one killed? Sorry, nothing new on your case." Grace entered with a folder in her hand. "The tox results from the latest victim." Natalie scanned the test results. "The third one fits the pattern. The victim had anticonvulsants in her bloodstream. Maybe she was epileptic or had seizures for some other reason." "Thanks, Nat." "I'll let you know when the Martinson results come back. How about a movie tomorrow after work? I'll even let you pick this one." She grinned. He loved her grin. "Sounds great." Nick noticed it seemed like she was getting her life back to normal. He knew that it was good for everyone involved. Natalie was dropped off at her apartment building by Nick, on his way home from work. She refused to let him escort her inside. She entered her apartment, headed for her bedroom and was surprised to see that some modifications had been made. The most noticeable ones were in the bathroom. Nothing that would get her in too much trouble with the landlord or building super. she thought. She was glad for one less set of problems to deal with. She headed for the kitchen to grab something to eat before collapsing into bed. She grew frustrated when she could not reach all her dishes and cursed. She noticed that Nick had left a few complete sets of dishes in a new dish holder that she would have no trouble accessing. She decided she didn't really feel like cooking and ordered Chinese food. Natalie went on with her usual routine, knowing that if she did anything out of the ordinary it might tip the killer off and then she'd never be safe. She had her daily therapy session to attend. She knew it was crucial to keep her muscles in shape because she hoped she might be able to walk again someday. Nick would drop her off at her apartment and then leave. He would sneak back, grateful for his vampiric abilities that let him fly back and sneak unnoticed into the apartment. He would also sneak out after dark so that he could pick her up for work. She knew that she should start taking her car to work and decided that she would start the next evening. She drove herself to work and took advantage of the handicapped parking. She knew that the wider spaces would make it easier for her to get in and out of her car and being closer to the door would be great when winter came around. That was the only advantage she had found so far. In fact, it did have another advantage. Once Terry saw that Natalie could drive she restored the M.E. to full duty. Natalie was thrilled to be back on full duty. She had begun to think she could not stand another day of paperwork. She missed the field. It was often gruesome, but it did offer her the chance to get outside for a while. They had been able to modify her autopsy table by building a ramp leading to an elevated platform which ran the entire length of the table. This way she was able to perform her duties as before. She remembered the first night she saw the modifications. She'd been unsure of how well it would work and was pleased that it worked very well, indeed. Nick stopped by the morgue to see if Natalie had the preliminary report for his latest case done before he went home for the day. "Nick, what if this killer is one of us?" "I have thought about that. I hope it's not." "So do I." "Can I walk you out to your car?" "If you can wait about five minutes." "Sure." Natalie finished her notes before grabbing her coat and purse. "Are we still on for the movie tonight?" Nat asked. "Sure. Do you want me to follow or ride with you?" "It doesn't matter." Nick followed Natalie's car. That way his wouldn't be left in the lot all day. They picked out a couple of movies and picked up dinner on the way back to Nick's loft. Nick got down a plate for her and glasses for both of them while she got her silverware and unpacked the food. She forced him to at least try the Chinese food. Natalie balanced her plate in her lap and still had the movies in her backpack. She headed for the couch. She parked herself, set her plate on the table and transferred herself to the couch as it offered a better view of the screen. Nick set their glasses down on the coffee table and waited a second as she dug the movies out of her backpack. Once they were settled they dined while watching the movie. After dinner she leaned back against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Around the middle of the second movie she was yawning and had fallen asleep in his arms as soon as the movie's end credits began to roll. She had fought off the drowsiness so she could watch the end of the movie, but had trouble keeping her eyes open. She felt Nick picking her up. "Don't even think about it," she sleepily mumbled to him. He set her back on the couch and went over to the closet where he kept the spare pillow and blanket. She was asleep by the time he returned. He covered her so that she wouldn't be chilly and headed upstairs to bed. The next evening she had to go out to a crime scene and prayed that someone else from the department was not the victim. She was glad of the indoor location, but hated the fact that someone else had died. It frustrated and annoyed her that she needed help up the porch steps. Nick had seen her arrive and helped her up the stairs following her directions. He grabbed hold of the back of her chair, tilted it toward him and pulled her up the stairs. She was silently relieved that the victim had been found in bed rather than on the floor and cursed herself for it. She maneuvered herself as close to the body as she could and began her examination of the corpse. Natalie could see nothing to tie this one to the disability cases. There were no prescription drugs anywhere in his apartment, no medic alert bracelet, or any equipment signifying that he had any sort of a disability. That morning they had to stop at a grocery store for some food. Natalie did not realize how much harder it would be. First off she could not push the standard cart and secondly many of the things she routinely bought were out of her reach. She was glad Nick was there, but was frustrated that she needed his help. He pushed the cart and retrieved stuff from the higher shelves. She had a lot to buy as it had been almost three months since she had last been home. She did not want to know what sort of science projects were growing in her fridge. She managed to fill up two carts, hating to see what this would do to her budget. When the bag boy was loading the grocery bags into the car she was glad for Nick's extra large trunk. Both were surprised to see most of his trunk filled with groceries. Once they arrived at her place, there arose the job of carrying in the groceries. The distance was the reason she usually only bought what she could carry in one trip. They loaded themselves up and made the first trip. Natalie stayed in the apartment and cleaned out the fridge, tossing most everything into a rather large heavy duty garbage bag she had taken from work, for just this purpose. Once her fridge had been cleaned out, she put the new stuff in. Nick continued to bring up bags until everything had been deposited on the floor around her. She couldn't reach the upper cupboards and had Nick help her clean those out and rearrange her kitchen so she could access everything easier. She put the stuff she rarely used in the upper cabinets and the stuff she needed frequently in the lower ones. Two weeks later there was another handicapped victim. This one worked for the police department. He had lost the lower part of his right leg in the line of duty. He was found in his living room, having lost a valiant struggle to defend himself. Nick could see Natalie's growing unease at the thought that she could become a victim at any time. It made him uneasy as well. He hated the idea of her being bait, but at least it let them spend time together. The fact that the latest victim worked for the police department and not the coroner's office threw a monkey wrench into their theory. The next evening Nick and Schanke were approached by Cohen. "Knight, Schanke, any leads? The Commissioner is asking me why there has been no arrest on this case yet. It looks bad that someone is killing members of our department and we haven't done anything about it." "I know, Captain. Whoever it is has covered their tracks thoroughly," Nick said, frustrated. He wanted the person who had hurt Natalie to pay. Natalie was sound asleep in her own bed, exhausted from her busy day, knowing Nick was there to guard her. Her sleep grew restless as she fought off an unseen attacker. She called out in her sleep as the nightmare continued. She awoke startled and breathing heavily. She saw her door open and was relieved when she heard Nick's familiar voice. "Nat?" "I'm okay. I just had a nightmare." "Nat, I overheard some of it. It did not seem like nothing. You were terrified." "I was. I'm okay now." "Your heart is racing. Talk to me." She hated the fact that he could almost always tell when she was scared or lying. She knew he would keep at it until she talked to him. He sat on the bed and took her hand in his. He gently stroked the back of her warm hand with his cool thumb. "It was the incident in the hospital. I never felt so helpless and vulnerable as I did at that moment. I hate that feeling." "I know," Nick said compassionately. He thought He saw her yawn. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?" "I think so." He started to leave and heard her voice. "Don't go yet. Stay until I fall asleep." "Okay." He sat down on the bed and gently stroked her hair. Before long his hearing told him she was sound asleep. He looked at her and admired her courage. That after all she had been through she was helping the police department. A momentary flash of anger reminded him that he had not yet caught the creep who had done this to her. It was not easy for him to see her in the wheelchair day after day. He was surprised at how well she was handling it, even with the knowledge that everything wasn't going as well as she liked everyone to believe. He knew she was keeping stuff to herself or telling them only to Jennie. He knew she and Jennie spent a lot of time together talking and was glad she had someone who could help her. The night was nearly over when Nick and Schanke received word of a homicide. They arrived at the suburban location shortly before Natalie did. The house was an average looking one story dwelling. The landscaping was colorful, well planned and well maintained. The only thing that separated this house from its neighbors, other than the dead body inside, was the ramp leading up to the front porch. Nick and Schanke entered the house in search of the dead body. They found the victim in the bedroom. Nick's face fell as he recognized her. He knew Natalie would be there shortly and kept an ear out for her. It looked as if the victim had been dressing for work. They were careful not to touch anything until forensics arrived. to be continued... Comments, flames, or virtual chocolate to DanaKnight@aol.com. Each part should end with "to be continued..." Challenges 8/20 by Judith Freudenthal Natalie arrived shortly, recognizing the house and praying that her suspicion was wrong. She was shown into the bedroom by a uniformed officer. Nick met Natalie at the door. The look on his face told her all she needed to know. She saw the victim. "Oh my god. Jennie. What happened?" Natalie asked shocked. She had hoped it was an intruder. Nick filled Natalie in on his few observations. "She was so sweet. Why would anyone want to kill her?" Nat asked growing more upset. "I don't know. Do you want someone else to handle this?" Nick asked concerned about her. "No. I can handle it." She pulled herself together. Natalie started her examination of the body noticing that the wheelchair had been turned over. She did a thorough examination of the body and the immediate area before heading across the room to Nick and Schanke. "TOD I would guess to be about 3-5 hours ago. She was killed by a blow to the back of the head. My guess would be a blunt object. I'll know more later." Natalie entered her office after changing into her scrubs. She pushed herself up the ramp to the elevated platform that ran the length of the autopy table and started on Jennie Allen. An hour later she had finished the autopsy and had not found anything out of the ordinary. Right before the end of the shift Natalie dropped off her preliminary report with Nick and Schanke. She couldn't stand to be in her office any longer that night. "She was beaten both before and after her death. The blow to the head killed her. She died at approximately 9pm. There was no sign of sexual assault." As soon as Natalie entered her apartment tears ran down her cheeks. Another friend had died. Before she knew it she heard Nick's voice. "Shhhh," He squatted down next to her and wrapped his arms around her, gently stroking her hair. "We had gotten to know each other so well over the last few months. Why her?" She looked at him, her pain evident in her eyes. "I want to kill the bastard," she said angrily. "I don't know, Nat. Some evils are beyond me, even after all these years," he said in his most soothing voice. He knew Jennie had been a great help to Natalie in overcoming many of her fears and doubts about her condition. They moved over to the couch where they talked until she felt asleep in his arms. He carried her into her room and tucked her in under the covers, being careful not to wake her. He knew she would be more comfortable there. He was curious what it felt like and sat down in her chair. He felt a little strange. He pushed himself into her room, finding the maneuvering to be a bit tricky. He parked the chair in her standard spot. He saw that her sleep was slightly restless and hoped she would not have any nightmares. They both had the next night off. She entered the living room and found him reading a book. "Hi," he said, seeing how little she had changed. She still wore the thick pink terrycloth robe over her nightclothes. "Hi. How are you tonight?" "Okay. How about you?" "Better. I need to hit the mall. I need some new suits. I also want to get something for Grace." "What's wrong?" He could see in her eyes that something was bothering her, other than Jennie's murder. "I don't know. I need to do something. I don't know what though." "Why don't we go to the mall and maybe the other thing will come to you. Is it an errand or appointment?" "No. I'll be ready to go in a little while." She hated that it took her longer to get ready. She looked through her closet and decided on her outfit - slacks, flats, t-shirt with a light sweater over it. She knew that the mall would probably be chilly again. She wanted to look halfway decent since she was going clothing shopping. Before long they arrived at the mall. She found it a bit strange viewed from her new perspective. She was glad she no longer had headaches from looking up at the world. "Where do you want to start?" "One department store then something to eat. And yes, you have to eat too." She smiled at his frown. He was pleased to see her smile. Natalie entered the ladies section of the nearest department store and began to examine the suits. She had some idea what she was looking for. She knew she would feel much more comfortable in pants, at least for now. She wasn't embarrassed about how her legs looked because they looked about the same as always. But the skirts' styles were so short that unless she spent her whole day with her legs crossed people would be able to see right up her skirt, worrying about that all day would be uncomfortable. And, wearing slacks she have to worry that her skirt might ride up during a transfer. She found that the racks were too close together, and some of the suits she wanted to look at were over her head. She couldn't get to other clothing because of the close quarters and grew frustrated. She didn't see anything that truly caught her attention. They both noticed that the saleswomen seemed to avoid her. "I've changed my mind. One more store then dinner." Natalie left the department store and headed for one of the smaller stores. She entered one of the stores she had shopped in before, remembering that the layout was more spacious. She could get to just about every rack and shelf. Still, some of it was over her head, but she didn't mind as much. Natalie looked around and found several suits she liked. She knew what size she wore but wanted to make sure the jacket and pants outfits would look good on her. She was shown to a dressing room. "Do you need any help?" The sales lady asked. "I'm okay. Thanks." "Let me know if you need a different size or anything." "Okay." Natalie said knowing from the lady's tone that she wasn't being patronized or treated differently than other customers. From the size, shape and layout of that particular dressing room she knew that some thought had been given to the possibility that it might be used by someone in a wheelchair. It was large enough for her to enter and turn around in. The clothing bar and door hanger were at an accessible level. When Natalie had the first outfit on, she liked the way it looked and went out to get Nick's opinion. He was waiting outside the room itself, but was still within the dressing room area. He looked her over and nodded his approval. After trying on several suits, Natalie changed back into her own clothes, gathered up the items she had chosenand headed out to the cash register. The counter was a little high for her so the sales lady came around and took the suits from her, not making a big deal out of it. Natalie was getting her credit card out when Nick handed his to the sales lady. "Nick." "Let me do this for you." She saw how much he wanted to do it and let him. she thought. The sales lady handed the suits to Nick. He noticed annoyance in Natalie's eyes. "At least I don't have to worry about wearing out my shoes," Natalie joked as they passed a shoe store. "Shall I take these to the car? Why don't you go on ahead. I'll meet you in the food court." "You'd better." He noticed the teasing behind the threat. Nick headed out to the car while she made her way towards the food court. She was in no rush and stopped to look in a window here and there, trying to find something for both Grace and Nick. She knew Nick could find her. She saw a dress she liked and wondered if it would look good on her. She decided to try it on later even though she had no place to wear it. She continued down the mall looking in the windows as she passed them. She went into a store seeing something she thought Nick would like. She was a little annoyed that one salesman wouldn't even look her way. She found herself hoping they worked on commission. A cute young man approached her. "Can I help you?" "Yes. I would like that sand sculpture there." Natalie pointed to the piece she wanted. It was one of those things full of sand and water where the picture changed when it was flipped over. She thought Nick would enjoy playing with it. "Can you wrap it so that prying eyes won't spoil the surprise?" "Sure, no problem." The salesman securely wrapped her sculpture. Once she finished paying for it, she headed out. Nick approached and saw her with what looked to be a large, possibly heavy, and definitely awkward sized package on her lap. "Would you like me to take your package to the car?" "If you don't mind. Thanks." Nick took the package and headed out to the car. As Natalie continued down the mall, a couple of guys were goofing off and didn't see her. "Watch it," she said as they nearly fell on top of her. "Why should we? We're not the traffic hazard." Natalie was tempted to tell them off but restrained herself and went around them. What she didn't see was Nick approaching. to be continued... Here's the first half of part nine. Thanks to everyone who pointed out that there was something missing. I tried to check every part before I send it out, but cyberspace can do strange stuff to mail. This part should end with my comments at the very bottom (after then ending of this part). Challenges part 8b/9a? He watched as she deftly handled the situation and kept some distance between them. He looked at a few of the windows. Something caught his eye. Coincidentally, it was the same dress that Natalie had noticed earlier. He ducked into the store and bought it for her, hoping she would like it. He quickly took the box out to the car so she wouldn't see it and spoil the surprise. He caught up with her as she was pondering what she wanted to eat. "What's wrong?" He saw the anger and frustration in her eyes. "Some jerks nearly fell on me. They actually accused me of being the problem. In the other stores the sales people looked right through me like I was invisible. I don't know which is more annoying." "I took a longer route to the car with your suits so that the sales lady who wouldn't help us in the department store saw how many suits we bought elsewhere. I could see she was angry that she had lost such a big sale," Nick said with a touch of humor. "Good for you. Serves her right," Natalie said with the same touch of humor in her voice. He saw some of the frustration and anger drain from her eyes as they talked. "So, what will you try tonight?" She teased. "I don't know." He looked around to see what his choices were. "Do you want something quick or do you want to go into a real restaurant?" Nick realized he had almost said 'sit down somewhere' and didn't know if that phrase would bother her. "Something quick. I want to hit a few more stores. I'm going to have a cheesesteak. What about you?" "I'll try that." They headed for the booth. "What will the two of you have?" The middle aged man asked Nick. "I'll have a cheesesteak, fries and coke," Natalie said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Make it two." Natalie had the money out before Nick had finished ordering. He let her pay for dinner and saw the frustration in her eyes when the counter was too high. He glanced at her and she nodded slightly. He took the money and handed it to the guy and returned her change to her. They waited for their food. A couple minutes later it was done. Nick watched as she loaded her cheesesteak up with pickles and copied her. He saw others filling little paper cups with ketchup and did likewise. They made their way to a table. Nick moved the extra chair so that Natalie could take its place. Natalie was quite hungry and wasted no time in devouring her sandwich. She tried not to laugh when he looked at the thing as if it would bite back. He took a hesitant bite and swallowed it. It was about the same as everything else he tried. He put the sandwich down and stuck to the fries. The first one was the hardest to get down, even covered in ketchup. She smiled watching him try to eat. He was pleased to see her smile, knowing things had not been easy for her. "I figured out what it was I wanted to do. It's probably a stupid idea." "What?" He said as he ate another fry. "Go dancing. I don't think I'll be any good but...." She became self conscious at the thought of being on the dance floor and wondered where the idea had come from. "Why not? If you still have energy left after we finish here we can go." "Sounds good." After eating they worked their way down the mall stopping in many of the stores. She found the perfect gift for Grace. The next store they hit was a video store. There were very few shelves that were above her head. They picked out a few movies for their next viewing session. Each picked out a movie that the other wasn't crazy about. Nick was glad they had seen all of the vampire movies available. An hour later the mall closed so they headed out. "Thank you for the suits. It's too bad they didn't have that dress I liked." "No problem. Maybe they'll get another one in," Nick said secretly hoping they didn't. "What kind of dancing are you in the mood for?" "I don't know. Maybe a mixture? I don't want to go to the Raven." "I wouldn't take you there. It's a little much unless you're in that mood." He knew that the stairs would bring out her frustration. And he didn't want her around that many vampires. "That is true. Do I look okay for dancing?" "You look fine." Nick was dressed in slacks, a black shirt and his leather jacket. Shortly they arrived at a club. It was one they had seen advertised on TV before her accident. She had wanted to go there one night. "You remembered." When they were just a few feet from the club, Natalie The rest of this part you already have. If there are any more problems, please let me know at DanaKnight@aol.com. Comments, flames, requests for missing parts or virtual chocolate to DanaKnight@aol.com. Each part should end with "to be continued..." Challenges 9/20 by Judith Freudenthal noticed the three stairs leading to the entrance. She had never paid much attention to such things, but now it might as well have been a hundred steps. She shrugged it off not wanting to spoil her evening. He could see that it bothered her but wasn't going to mention it. Nick held onto the top of her backrest, tipped her back and pulled her up the stairs. Nick paid the cover charge and they entered the club. "I want to watch for a few minutes," She said beginning to lose her nerve. "Are you sure?" Nick asked sensing her feelings. "Yeah." They found the only empty table. It happened to have only one chair. "It's a good thing I brought my own," Nat wisecracked. Nick grinned. A cocktail waitress came over to them and took their order. Before they knew it she had returned with their drinks. Nick paid her and she left. Natalie sipped her white wine hoping it would give her the courage to go out on the dance floor. Nick sipped his red wine. By the time Natalie had half-emptied her glass Nick stood and offered her his hand. She knew it was now or never and motioned for him to lead the way. She tried to stay in the shadows of the dance floor as she had no idea what she was doing, let alone why she was in the club. Nick leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Just copy what everyone else is doing. Or do whatever you feel like doing." Natalie closed her eyes for a moment and allowed the music to wash over her. When she opened them again she let the music guide her. Nick followed her lead. She was glad the music had just the right amount of beat to it, as she knew she was nowhere near ready to handle a slow song. Nick smiled, watching her relaxing and enjoying herself. The next song had more of a beat to it and Natalie surprised them both by really getting into the music. She did some moves Nick didn't know she knew, fancy moves, spins and wheelies. Natalie blushed when the song changed to a slow one and people applauded. Later Nick dropped Natalie off at her apartment, parked the car and snuck back. When he got inside he found a gift box on the coffee table. Curiosity got the better of him, and he went over to inspect it. Natalie came out of the bedroom and saw him looking over the present. "It's for you. A little thank you for everything you've done for me." "Nat, you didn't have to." "I know. Open it." Nick opened the present and was captivated by the gift. He saw the moving sand but didn't totally comprehend. "It's a sand sculpture thing. Whenever you flip it over, the design changes. If you tilt it, you can help shape the design." Nick played with it for several moments, a smile lighting up his face. He looked like a kid with a new toy. "It's neat. Thanks." The next evening, Grace entered Natalie's office shortly after the M.E. had arrived. "You look like you had a good evening," Grace said, cheerfully. "I did. After taking care of some chores, Nick and I went dancing." She grinned at the look of surprise on Grace's face. "It was my idea. I couldn't believe I went out there in front of everyone. Once I got over the initial fear of making a fool of myself I had fun. Nick did too, in spite of himself." Natalie grabbed her backpack and pulled Grace's gift from it. "This is for you. For all you did for me while I was in the hospital and the rehab center. Especially for the pictures." "You didn't have to. That's what friends are for. I couldn't stand to see you having nothing but the blank ceiling to look at. It would've driven me nuts." "It did drive me nuts. Until you fixed it." Grace opened her present. It was a figurine of a child playing doctor with her teddy bear as the patient. "It's lovely. I don't have this one." Grace was genuinely touched by the gift. "I'm glad. I knew you collected them. I was afraid you might." "Thank you." Natalie arrived home after a long tiring shift. She had been to two crime scenes and had done the autopsies plus a mountain of paperwork. Having to lug her chair in and out of the car was beginning to get on her nerves. It also made her grateful it was a lightweight one. She had picked up take out food on her way home, realizing that whoever had invented the drive through window was a genius. Now all she wanted to do was eat and climb into bed for a much deserved slumber. She had just entered her kitchen when the front door crashed open. She dialed Nick's number via speed dial. "Get here!" She said quietly and urgently. She was too tired to take on the intruder, but knew she would probably have to anyway. She heard footsteps approaching and looked around the kitchen for a weapon. She saw the butcher knife in its holder on the counter and made a beeline for it. The intruder was clad all in black, including the ski mask. He wore nothing that would distinguish him. He came towards her. She was prepared, or at least she hoped she was. to be continued... I want to thank my beta readers for all their help. Comments, flames, or virtual chocolate should be sent to DanaKnight@aol.com. Each part should end with "to be continued..." Challenges 10/20 by Judith Freudenthal She swung the knife out in front of her to keep him away. She knew he might take if from her, but only by grabbing the blade. Then he would be easy to spot, especially if he worked at either the precinct or coroner's office. He was too close for comfort when Nick burst through the almost closed door. The intruder swung a baseball bat at her, knocking the knife out of her hand. The force of it stung her wrist. His next swing was aimed at her head. She ducked as it sailed over her head, barely missing her. Nick saw the bat coming down for a crushing blow and was on top of the intruder in the blink of an eye. The bat broke and stabbed Nick. The intruder was able to knock Natalie over and take off before anyone could stop him. She pretended to be unconscious. When she thought he was gone, she opened her eyes, rubbed her arm where it had contacted the floor, and her wrist where the knife had been knocked from her grip, grateful she wasn't hurt badly. "Nick?" His lack of response scared her. "It's all my fault." She was only a few feet from him and debated the best way to get to him. She was glad he was unconscious so he wouldn't see her drag herself over to his side. She saw the piece of wood sticking out of his shoulder and knew she did not have the necessary leverage to remove it. She was relieved when she saw him beginning to stir. "Nick?" "Nat, you okay?" He said wincing. "Yeah, only my pride was hurt. I can't pull it out." "I can do that. I have to do it quickly. I hear others approaching." Nick yanked the stake out of his shoulder, gritting his teeth at the pain. "How's the shoulder?" "It's fine." "What if it is someone from one of our departments? They will expect you to be injured." "I know. What do you suggest?" Natalie knew speed was important. "Get me back into my chair." Nick knew that request had not been easy for her. He set her chair back up before gently scooping her up and setting her back in her seat. She made a minor adjustment before heading for her closet. She looked around. "Get me that box," she said pointing to a box just out of reach. Nick grabbed the box and held it for her while she rummaged through it. She pulled out the item she wanted before he stuck it back on the shelf. She motioned for him to have a seat on the couch while she grabbed her black medical bag and followed him to the couch. She maneuvered as close to him as she could get, again cursing her limitation. "Open your shirt. Did you get a look at the intruder?" "No. He is the same person who attacked you at the hospital." He quickly complied with her request. "How could you tell?" She asked quite surprised. She pushed his shirt off the shoulder where the stake had been and saw that the wound had nearly healed. "Every mortal has a distinctive heartbeat and a smell that is unique to them." She grabbed a gauze pad and taped it over the wound. "What do I smell like to you?" She asked curiously. "Apples and cinnamon. I think the cinnamon reflects your spunk and the apples your sweetness, or that's how I think of it." Before Natalie could ask any more questions Schanke and two other officers rushed into the room. They were surprised by how normal everything looked. Schanke motioned for the other officers to wait out in the hall before approaching his friends. "Is everyone okay?" Schanke asked concerned. "I'm fine," Natalie said. Schanke could tell that she was a little shaken up. "I'll be fine in a day or two." Nick gave Natalie a look when she tried to get his arm into the sling. Her glare told him he had better cooperate. "Natalie?" Schanke asked. "He's fine. The attacker tried to stab him but didn't do any serious damage. That's more for his comfort than anything. The skin was punctured but not deep enough to need hospital treatment. The less he moves it the quicker it will heal." "How long does he have to wear it?" "Two or three days." Nick now knew how she must feel when people talked about her rather than to her. It was a most annoying and frustrating feeling. "Can either of you describe the attacker?" "Not really. He was dressed in black, including the ski mask. It was all non-descript. He attacked right before Nick got here. He tried to use my head as a baseball. Luckily I know how to duck. Nick tackled him and that's when Nick got hurt. The attacker got up and knocked me over on his way out." She pretended to look for a bump on Nick's skull. "You'll live," she said, pleased when he played along and winced at one of the spots she touched. "Natalie heard him break in. I was on my way up. I saw the door partially open and entered. He tried to take her head off with a baseball bat and I tackled him. I must've hit my head because I was a little dazed for a moment. By the time my head cleared he was gone. I'm sure he thinks he seriously wounded me." "Natalie, what about you?" "I pretended that he knocked me out. Not that he noticed. He was beating a pretty swift retreat." "Schank, let him think my injury was worse." "Okay. I do have one question. Why has someone tried to kill Natalie twice before and again tonight?" Nick and Natalie exchanged glances. His said that it was up to her. "Whatever we tell you doesn't leave this room. Understand," Nick said in his most serious tone. The one that scared Schanke. "I understand." "Cohen came to me while I was in the rehab center and asked me if I would help you guys catch the killer by setting myself up as his next target. I fit the developing pattern perfectly. I agreed to help her. I was nervous and unsure if I could pull it off. I'm not a cop." "Nick, did you know about any of this?" "No. I didn't find out about it until Natalie was ready to go back to work. Cohen came by and thought Nat had told me. I was *not* happy to learn that we had been kept out of it." "Then you know how I'm feeling now," Schanke said annoyed. "Your reactions had to be real. It was the only way it would work. I'm sorry, Schanke." "Me too," Nick said. "Are you still bait?" "Yes." Natalie said. "Then that explains why you two are always together off shift. I had sensed something different lately." "Always together?" "Well, when I can't reach him at his loft and he's not at work....." Schanke said with a grin. "Do you think our perp will try again soon?" "I hope so. I'm tired of feeling like a deer during hunting season." "Nick, did you tell her that the Bronson case will be before the judge starting tomorrow?" "I forgot. Sorry." "When will they want me to testify?" Natalie asked. "I don't know. I'm sure you'll be notified." Nick saw doubt in Natalie's eyes and knew what she was thinking, would her wheelchair affect her credibility. He wanted to brighten everyone's spirits. He knew she was tired and probably wouldn't be able to sleep after the attack. "Why don't we go out somewhere and do something fun? My treat," Nick said cheerfully. "Why not. Any ideas?" Natalie asked trying her best to get into the mood. "I heard there was a carnival in town. Jenny's been pestering me to take her. We could go and check it out before I bring her." Natalie smiled at that idea. "Sounds good. I haven't been to one of those in ages. Let me change into something more casual first. Okay?" "No problem," Schanke said. Several minutes later Natalie came out dressed in jeans, a blue sweater and her sneakers. She stopped a moment to tie her shoe. She grabbed her lightweight jacket and they were off. Schanke climbed into the backseat of the Caddie, realizing he had never sat there before. Natalie was usually the one in back. Natalie occupied the passenger seat and Nick drove. Nick had stuck her chair in the trunk so it wouldn't be in Schanke's way. They talked about anything and everything that was not work related on the way to the carnival. Before long they entered the carnival grounds. Natalie stopped at a cotton candy vendor and got herself a stick of the sticky pink fluff. Nick looked at it puzzled. He watched her rip off a chunk and stick it into her mouth with a grin. He made the mistake of getting within range and found himself with a mouthful of the quickly melting, sticky stuff. She laughed at the strange expression on his face. It was part confusion and part surprise. Schanke also found himself laughing. "Partner, don't tell me you've never seen or tasted cotton candy before." "I haven't," Nick said trying to sound completely innocent. "Well?" Natalie inquired teasingly. "Interesting. What's in it?" "Nothing but spun sugar. It's the spinning process that makes it so fluffy." She pointed to the guy doing the spinning. Nick watched, fascinated. A short time later Natalie and Schanke were hungry and grabbed something to eat. Nick knew he should get something as well and ordered some fries. Nick and Schanke started to walk and eat. "Hey, Guys, wait up. Some of us can't do both at once," she said lightly. "Sorry," the guys said, feeling a little guilty "No problem." They found a nearby table and ate. Nick managed to eat without it being a major production. Natalie smiled one of her warmest smiles when she saw him finish half the container of fries. Schanke was confused. He figured her attitude probably had to do with Nick's food allergies. Before long they found the midway games. "Let's try some," Natalie said with childish delight. She knew they were most likely fixed, but didn't care. Nick knew they were rigged but couldn't resist treating them to as many games as they wanted to play. "I know they're rigged, but we can try anyway." The mischievous twinkle in her eyes worried him. to be continued... I want to thank my beta readers for all their help. Comments, etc should be sent to DanaKnight@aol.com. Again, each part should end with "to be continued..." In case I didn't mention it before, feel free to archive the story as long as my name is kept with it and you let me know where you're storing it. Challenges 11/20 by Judith Freudenthal Nick watched his two friends having a ball. They didn't win anything but they seemed to be having fun just trying. Before long they started to win a small prize here and there. Nick noticed that the effort seemed to be the most rewarding for them. "Come on, Nick." Natalie urged playfully. He gave in and tried his hand. He knew he could've won the big prize every time, but it wouldn't be fun to do it that way. Each time he won, he let Natalie pick the prize. She had offered to hold onto their winnings, and before she knew it her lap was full. She was glad to see Nick relaxing and having fun. "Got room for one more?" Schanke asked. "Jenny's going to be in heaven for a week." "Sure. Pile it on." Nick started giggling when he caught sight of her half buried under the cheap stuffed animals. Schanke couldn't help but giggle, too. Natalie looked down and joined her giggling friends. "Anyone up for the rides?" Schanke asked. "I don't know," Nick said a little uncertain. "Which ones did you have in mind, Schank?" Natalie asked, the mischievous glint was back in her eyes. "How about starting with the roller coaster?" Schanke challenged. Then wondered if she should do it. "You're on." "How about I take our haul out to the car and meet you in line." "Chicken," Natalie teased. "We'll see who screams first," he teased back. He grabbed the armful of animals, dropping one or two which were picked up and tucked back into his arms. The sight of an 800 year old vampire with his arms full of stuffed animals caused Natalie to lose it big time. She couldn't stop laughing at the sight. Schanke noticed that Nick did look pretty funny as he left under his festive load. Natalie and Schanke headed over to the roller coaster. "Natalie, are you sure you should be doing this?" "It's fine Schank. But thanks for worrying about me." Nick was back by the time they neared the front of the line. The ride operator saw that they were next. "I can only let her on if she sits in the middle." When it was their turn, Schanke walked over to the ride car and climbed in first. Nick put one hand under Natalie's knees and the other around her back and lifted her out of her chair. She wrapped her arms around his neck for stability. He carried her the few feet to the ride and set her down in the seat. Seeing that reminded Schanke of her disability more than seeing her in the chair did. He guessed he had begun to see her and the wheelchair as one piece, as normal. Schanke got in first, Nat was in the middle, even though she wanted to be on the outside, and Nick was on the outside. Once the cars were full and everyone was seated the ride started. Nick grinned when Schanke was the first to scream. Nat wasn't too far behind. She found herself glad to be in the center. She had never realized how much work her legs did to help keep her from falling over when riding these things. Nick stunned himself by being caught off guard and letting out a small scream himself. Once the ride was over, Nick scooped Nat up and deposited her in her chair. She made a few minor adjustments to her position. "Last one to the tilt a whirl is a rotten egg." The three adults took off like children. Nick was tempted to cheat but knew she'd be mad so he didn't. She barely won. "Do you think she deserves a speeding ticket?" Nick teasingly asked Schanke. "I don't know. She was going pretty fast," Schanke teased back as he patted his pockets. "Rats, I must've left that book at home." "Very funny. Keep it up and you may qualify for flat feet after all," The wicked grin on her face only emphasized the playfulness of her voice. "She wouldn't do that, would she?" The guys asked each other lightly. They got a look at the devious twinkle in her eyes and the grin. "Yep, she would." About two hours later they called it a night. Everyone was tired. They had been on all the rides, except the kiddie ones and tried all the booths. Natalie and Schanke had eaten their fill of junk food. When they got back to her apartment she picked out one of the stuffed animals for each of her companions. One that suited them. Schanke got a teddy bear and Nick got a unicorn. Schanke didn't understand that one, but Nick got it and even grinned. Natalie kept a stuffed dolphin for herself. They hauled the stuff from Nick's trunk to Schanke's. "I hope Jenny enjoys them," Natalie said. "She will. Thanks." Both men were glad Natalie had been able to relax and have fun for one evening, to be with friends and forget about everything. They knew she hadn't had much to laugh about for the last few months. The next night Nick entered Natalie's lab to pick up a file. "Good timing. I need a blood sample." Nick sat on the steel table and watched as Nat pushed herself up the ramp and onto the platform. He rolled up his sleeve and waited for her to stick him with the needle. Before long she had the sample. "I have something I want you to taste. I want to take another sample afterwards to see how your body processes it." Natalie headed for the counter where she had whipped up another one of her protein shakes. She hoped this one would be acceptable, having made massive changes in the recipe. He reluctantly took the glass and took a small swallow. After a moment's indecision he took another larger swallow. "I think you may be onto something here. New recipe?" "Yes. I came up with a completely new recipe." She motioned for him to continue, glad that she had finally found a recipe he liked, or at least tolerated. She drew another sample right after he finished and another one about 10 minutes later. "I feel like a pin cushion." "Just be glad I don't do this to you every night." About a week and a half later Natalie entered her apartment in a bad mood. One of the cops on loan to homicide, Davidson, had patronized her. It was she usually ignored or made them feel stupid for, but something about it this time had really gotten to her. Nick had distracted her before she could do anything she might regret later. Then back at her office someone had left the file she needed on top of the filing cabinet forcing her to page Grace. Nick entered and saw that her day had not improved since the near disaster at the precinct. "I didn't realize how hard being like this would be. Or how frustrating." "Your friends are all here for you. I know it hasn't been easy. You've done much better than I would have if I were mortal and in your situation. You've always been the stronger one." "It's amazing. People see the wheelchair and automatically think I'm invisible, helpless, or stupid. Even people I've worked with a time or two have reacted that way. Sometimes I just want to shout 'the only thing that's changed is I can't walk. I'm exactly the same otherwise.' Today I wanted to slug Davidson and say 'look stupid..." "I know. That's why I distracted you," Nick said cutting her off. "I know what you're like when your temper takes control. People often say things without thinking. They also don't realize how dumb some of their outdated ideas make them sound." "I have learned more about human nature from this than I expected." She waved her hand across her chair. "There are guys at the office and the precinct who used to watch me whenever I was around. Now they make a point of looking elsewhere. It used to make me uncomfortable, but now a part of me misses it. I know I'm not beautiful, but...." Nick saw her looking at the floor as she said the last sentence. He put his fingers under her chin, tilted her face up to his and cut off what she was saying. "Natalie, you are a beautiful woman. You're still as beautiful as ever. Your beauty comes from inside as well as outside." She blushed and tried to look back at the floor but he wouldn't let her. "Don't let a few jerks make you believe something that isn't true. Has the fact that you need your chair to get around made me, Schanke, Grace or any of your friends feel differently about you?" "No. I did learn one important thing. Who my true friends are. You're the one who makes me feel beautiful." She blushed again. "I'm only pointing out what I see. You have a special kind of beauty. One that comes from within as much as from without. It is your inner beauty that keeps me around." He leaned in and kissed her gently, yet thoroughly, to make his point absolutely clear. He liked seeing her blush. She was a deeper shade of red when their lips parted, and was smiling her warmest smile. The next evening Schanke and Nick had dropped by the Coroner's office to see if Natalie had finished a report they needed. They knew it was easier for them to come to her than for her to come to them. Natalie wasn't in her office when they entered. They had seen her car in the parking lot and knew she was in the building somewhere. Within moments Natalie entered, files and a chocolate bar on her lap. "I think you might be waiting for this," She said as she handed them the report. "Just got the results back." "Thanks," Nick said. "Nick, can you give me a lift home?" "Sorry, Schanke. I can't do it." Schanke knew that he would've asked Natalie to do it before the accident and decided that he couldn't hurt her feelings by not asking. "Natalie, how about you?" "Sure. When do you want to leave?" She could see that he was a little nervous. "Don't worry. I haven't hit anyone yet," she said lightly. "Whenever you're ready. Nick, we are done for the night, aren't we?" "Yes. Matter of fact I had better be leaving myself." Natalie tidied up her desk before grabbing her jacket. The three of them walked out together. Nick had parked at the other end of the parking lot. That had been the only available spot. He left the other two at Natalie's car and continued on, knowing she was in good hands. Schanke was again a little nervous. "Do you need any help?" "Thanks, but I can do it." Schanke decided to go ahead and get in the car. Natalie was soon in the driver's seat with her chair stowed behind the seat. She closed the door, fastened her seat belt and started the car. Schanke noticed the changes in her controls and was curious. "What?" Natalie asked knowing what he was most likely examining. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I have never seen a set up like that." "It's okay. I hadn't either." She explained to him how the controls helped her drive. "Pretty cool, eh?" "Yeah," Schanke said. "Was it hard to learn how?" "A little. It was a lot more comprehensive than when you're 16." They talked about different stuff on the way to Schanke's house. Before long Natalie pulled into his driveway and stopped. "Thanks, Natalie." "I told you I'd get you here safe and sound," she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes. Schanke smiled. "You did, didn't you. Sorry for doubting you." "No problem." Myra came out of the house and down to the car. "Hi, Natalie. How are you doing?" "I'm doing fine. How about you? How's Jenny?" "We're fine. Would you like to come in for some coffee or breakfast?" Natalie noticed that there were four steps leading to the front door. "Can I take a raincheck? I have a few errands I need to do before I run out of energy." "Sure. No problem. Thanks for bringing him home." "No problem." Don and Myra entered the house. He noticed the steps and knew why she had turned down the invitation. Natalie drove away. "Don, honey, she looks good. If I hadn't known or seen the hand controls I wouldn't have known. How is she doing?" "She's amazing. It's almost as if nothing ever happened. She's the same Natalie personality wise. I wouldn't be able to handle it so well." "I don't think I would be able to either," Myra said. to be continued... Since I won't be able to do the late afternoon send, I thought I'd send today's third part early. Comments to DanaKnight@aol.com. Challenges 12/20 by Judith Freudenthal The next night Nick and Schanke entered Natalie's office and saw her busy digging around inside her latest client. She looked up to place the heart on the scale and saw them. "Hi guys. What's wrong?" "Nothing. Cohen insists that both of us attend the policeman's ball this year. She wouldn't take any excuses." Schanke wondered if Natalie would want to go with Nick. "Natalie, you don't seem to get out much..." "We'll come back later for the reports," Nick said cutting Schanke off. "I'll go wait in the car." Schanke left Nick alone in the office. "Subtle, isn't he," Natalie said. "That never was his strength. Would you be interested in going to the ball with me?" Nick asked as nervous as a teenager asking his first date out. "Yes." Natalie was equally nervous. "I'll see you later." "I'll see you." Out in the car Schanke patiently waited until Nick was seated before asking "Did you ask her?" "Yes, I asked her." "Well?" "She said yes." "You don't think she'll have any problems do you?" Schanke asked, a little concerned. "She'll be fine. Besides we'll be there. Most of our coworkers don't seem to have a problem with it." Meanwhile back inside Natalie's office Grace came in, and noticed the smile on her friend's face. "What's got you in such a good mood?" "Schanke was sure to mention the ball, and that they had to attend. Then he left us alone." "So are you going?" "Yeah. I'm not making a mistake am I?" "No. Why? You said that you like going dancing." "I do. It's just that I'll know people there." Natalie let out a small grin. "So what. Let them see me having a good time." "That's the spirit." "Are you going?" Natalie asked. "Yes. Do you have your dress yet?" "No. I saw the perfect dress, but someone else beat me to it. Do you have a dress?" "No. I thought maybe we could go out tomorrow afternoon." "I can't tomorrow. I have my therapy and then I have some errands I keep putting off. How about the next day?" "Okay. How's the therapy going?" "I haven't noticed any changes. Mainly it's just maintenance work. Maybe that'll change someday." Natalie arrived home at the end of her shift and found a large gift wrapped box on her coffee table, with her name on the tag. She picked it up and opened it, curiosity getting the better of her. She found the dress she had liked inside. "I hope you like it." "I hate it when you sneak up on me. It's beautiful. Did you buy this that day at the mall?" "Yes. I was hoping for an occasion to give it to you. Try it on." Natalie took the box and entered her bedroom. Several minutes later she came out in the dress. The zipper down the back was undone. "Would you?" Natalie asked as she approached. "Gladly." Nick walked behind her and zipped her up. "It looks great on you." "Thanks," said as she gave him one of her warmest smiles. "Now I just have to hope it doesn't get caught. It doesn't look like it will. Does it really look okay?" "It looks great. You look beautiful." Natalie blushed slightly. It had been a while since she had heard that. Natalie and Grace had gone to the mall to shop for a dress for Grace. "Nat, you're lucky. You already have your dress and you didn't even have to worry about what to get." "Yeah. I am, aren't I? He's been so sweet. Do you have any idea what you're looking for?" "Someone like Nick." "In a dress, I meant," Natalie said returning Grace's jovial tone. Nat thought. "Something that will knock their eyes out. And something I can afford." They looked at the available dresses. Natalie grew frustrated when many of the department stores clumped the racks so close together, making it impossible for her to get through to the section she wanted to see. Grace could see her friend's rising frustration level and brought out the dresses she was considering. None of them seemed right. There were few nice ones in the larger sizes that Grace needed. "Do I get to see your dress before the big night?" "Sure. Drop by sometime." When they had exhausted the department stores and had not found anything Grace liked they stopped for lunch. After a quick bite they hit the smaller stores. Natalie liked those stores because she could get to all the merchandise and maneuver without a problem. Grace found several dresses she liked and asked Natalie for her opinion. Before long they had found the perfect dress for Grace. Then they moved on to shoes. "I guess what I have will have to do. I haven't found anything I like that's in my size. I suppose he picked out shoes too?" "No. I may wear a pair of black heels. I don't feel like trying on shoes. Besides I didn't see anything I was crazy about." "Is it..." Grace started then broke off a bit nervously. "What? Go ahead." "Is it harder to find shoes that fit. How do you know if they fit?" "It is harder to find ones that fit and to know if they fit. I kinda have to do it like a mom checking her kid's shoes. If it seems to fit then I have to believe that they'll be okay. At least I don't have to worry about wearing them out," Nat said lightly. "Grace, if you want to know something, don't be afraid to ask. I don't bite. I won't run you over," Nat said with a mischievous grin. "Thanks. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or seem nosy." "It bothers me more when my friends are afraid to ask things. I can usually tell when one of you want ask me something but is afraid. If I don't want to answer it I'll tell you so. Okay?" "Okay. Are you going to let Nick pick you up or are you going to drive?" "I think I'll let him pick me up." A week later there had been no further attempts on Natalie. Schanke and Nick had no further leads on who the killer was, why her brake lines had been cut, or who had tried to kill her in the hospital. They began to wonder if the killer was onto them. A few days later Nick knocked on Natalie's door. She was just about ready for the ball when she answered. She smiled when she saw him in his tux. "You look great," she said with a smile. "Thanks. You look stunning." Her hair hung loose about her shoulders. He liked it best that way. Her makeup was subtle, emphasizing her natural beauty. She had on a pair of simple gold hoop earrings, and black heels. "Need help with your zipper?" "Please." Natalie leaned forward a little to give him good access to the zipper. He zipped it, careful not to pinch her skin or catch her hair. The royal blue of her dress brought out the blue in her eyes. Nick pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to her. "I thought you might be a little nervous. Consider this a security blanket of sorts." She opened the box, a smile spreading across her fa