Kel stalked down the hallway, his mind racing. He turned the corner, colliding with Joe Early. “Hey, Kel, slow down – we’ve got enough patients around here without becoming one ourselves,” Joe teased his friend, before noticing the anguished look in Kel’s eyes.

“Kel, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Is it Johnny?” Joe questioned with concern.

Kel rubbed a tired hand across his eyes, “No, Johnny is just fine, in fact he’s perfect apparently,” he continued somewhat sarcastically.

Joe’s eyebrows rose at the tone on his friend’s voice. Obviously something else was going on here but he was never one to pry into other people’s business.

Kel continued, “Joe, listen, can you do me a favor? Can you look after Johnny and cover for me for a few days? I really need to get away right now—I guess everything is just catching up with me,” as he smiled half-heartedly at his friend, knowing he was worrying him with his words and actions.

“Sure, no problem. But listen, if you need to talk I’m always here,” he said reaching over and squeezing his troubled friend’s shoulder. He smiled suddenly, “In fact, I have an idea that will work out good for both of us. You know my hunting cabin up in the mountains…well I’ve been meaning to get up there before the snow falls and get it tightened up and make sure everything is okay. Why don’t you head on up there? This way you can get away for a few days and it will also save me a trip,” he offered.

“Joe, that’s the best offer I’ve had in a long time,” Kel smiled, thinking some time alone right now was exactly what he needed.

“Okay then, it’s settled. I’ll go look in on Johnny and you go on ahead,” Joe said, walking down the hall, before turning back to look at his friend hurrying out of the hospital as if being chased. “Be careful, friend.” he whispered softly, with a worried look.

****

Kel jumped into his car and headed out. He knew he should stop by home first and get some supplies but, “Frankly,” he thought, “right now, all I want to do is get away from this town. I can always get something later if I need it.” He drove all night, barely noticing as snow started to fall, slowly winding his way up the mountain towards Joe’s cabin, all the while trying to sort out his feelings about Dixie and Johnny.

As he approached the side road leading to the cabin, he turned sharply almost missing the turn. As he did, the back of his car swung around, sliding. He tried to straighten the car out but it kept sliding, heading off into a ravine and crashing down, before coming to rest against a tree.

Kel’s head smashed into the windshield and the blackness claimed him.

****

Ten minutes passed and Kel moaned in pain as he regained consciousness. “Damn, here I am preaching to everyone about wearing seatbelts and what do I do,” he muttered as grabbed his aching head. He tried to open the driver’s door but it wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, he threw is body full force against the door and it popped open and he fell out, sprawling on the ground, impaling his thigh on a broken branch. He cried out in pain, rolling free of the offending branch, not knowing whether to grab his head which felt like it was going to explode or his thigh which was on fire. He fought to stay alert as he felt himself start to give in to the welcome relief of unconsciousness.

“This is just great, Doctor,” he said to himself sarcastically. “Here I am…stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no warm clothes, a wrecked car and injured. Sometimes I wonder what in the hell I think I’m doing, running off half-cocked like Joh…,” he stopped as he remembered another reason why he was in this mess.

“Well, it’s either stay here and get hypothermia, or walk to the cabin. I don’t think it was too far now,” he muttered as he stumbled to his feet, leaning against the car for support. Before heading out, he grabbed his black bag and applied a pressure bandage and wrapped his thigh. “That’ll have to do for now,” he mumbled shivering, although he was not sure whether it was from the cold or shock or both.

He walked for what seemed like hours but was actually 15 minutes until he came to the clearing where Joe’s cabin sat. He was shivering uncontrollably in his shirtsleeves and something did not seem quite right to him but he was too tired and in too much pain to figure it out. He started trudging slowly across the clearing when he heard the unmistakable click of a rifle.

Part IV - by Shari Edwards and Josephine Lim-Naylor

Kel stood still, shivering and in pain. He couldn’t believe what he heard. He was sure it was a hallucination or just his imagination working overtime.

“Are you for real?”

A bullet whisked past him, sounding like it missed his ear by an inch or less, answering his question. Instinctively, he ducked a bit and turned to look at where the voice had come from.

“Don’t move! Are you deaf? You wanna die?” the young man screamed at him.

Kel put his hands out and started walking toward the nervous gunman, “Now, hold on just a minute. Actually, I’m in the business of saving lives …”

“Shut the hell up! I don’t give a damn who or what you are. All I want to know is why you are here and I wanna know now!”

Kel took stock of the young man standing before him. From the looks of him, it appeared that this kid obviously wasn’t a killer. In fact, he appeared very nervous and was obviously unsure of what to do now as the gun shook in his hand. As Kel cautiously approached the young man, he took note of the fact that it appeared he might be high on something. Kel hesitated, he would have to move slower, knowing that if that was the case, the kid just might shoot if he got desperate enough or felt threatened.

“Look, son, if it’s cash you want, here, take these, it’s all I’ve got in my wallet right now. I’m cold and you’re cold and …..”

The young man had heard enough from this stranger. “Shut up…let me think,” he screamed. He put his hand up to his head. There was something this man had mentioned a few seconds earlier that was important, if only he could remember what it was. Still, the stranger was right, they were both shivering in the cold. And Kayla was waiting for him inside the cabin. She needed help, not money. If only he could remember what it was but his mind was in a drug induced haze. He motioned for Kel to move toward the cabin.

“Mister, don’t try anything and very slowly walk towards the cabin. Put your hands in the air, and keep them there!”

Kel heard, more than saw the man trip and in that instant, he lunged at him, sending both of them crashing clumsily onto the fast-accumulating snow. He gritted his teeth against the pain from his injuries which were screaming out for pain relievers. It took some effort for him not to succumb to unconsciousness and he fought the bile rising in his throat. He grabbed the gun and flung it away into the woods before rolling off of the young man. He was expecting a fight but there was no reaction from him. After a few moments, his teeth chattering from the cold, Kel realized that the young man was unconscious. Quickly, he checked the young man’s pulse and groaned, knowing what had to be done but definitely not looking forward to it.

The snow was falling quite hard now and Kel limped painfully, dragging the body of the man who had a few minutes earlier threatened to kill him. The task was extremely slow and by the time he had reached the front porch, he was exhausted and collapsed next to the young man, trying to catch his breath. It was freezing cold and it took sheer will to drag both his own and the other body into the cabin. Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked. Once inside, the warmth was stifling and comforting at the same time. Kel managed to drag both of them into the cabin and recalled closing the door, before losing the battle to remain conscious.

*****

He had no idea how long he was out. Noises that sounded like glass breaking and someone crying, penetrated the haze surrounding his brain. ‘What happened?’ He tried to remember as he fought the blackness. Thoughts of what he had witnessed between Gage and Dixie in Rampart came back vividly to his mind and his heart ached, remembering. Slowly, he woke up and glanced around.

He looked around the cabin and saw that it was mostly the way it had been when they, Joe Early and he, had last occupied it. There was a blazing fire going and the smell of coffee lingered in the air. The young man’s body was no longer next to him and Kel wryly noted that his wrists were now securely tied behind his back. His leg was just numb now and his head still ached considerably.

A few feet away, the same young man was yelling at a pretty younger female and she was sobbing as she tried to sweep up the broken glass from the floor. She was obviously pregnant and appeared close to delivering a baby. ‘She can’t be more than 15 years old,’ Kel thought with a worried frown. He was beginning to get worried. He realized the desperate situation he was in and that no one was likely to come looking for him.

“What are you staring at?”

Kel jumped, startled from his thoughts as it took him a moment to realize that they were both waiting for him to react.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. Is this really necessary? Judging from the looks of your girlfriend there, I might have to use these hands before long. Are you in your last trimester now?”

The young girl simply nodded.

“I take it this is your first baby?” Kel questioned.

“That’s none of your business! You shouldn’t have barged in like this. We were here first and we ain’t leavin…at least not until this snow lets up,” the young man shouted at him.

“My friend and colleague owns this cabin. You both are trespassing. But, under the present circumstances, I don’t think he would object. As I might’ve mentioned to you earlier, I’m in the business of ….”

“Man, you talk too much! Just shut up!

Kel simply shut his eyes and tried to make himself less uncomfortable. His leg was beginning to worry him a little and he now had a pounding headache. This was supposed to be a getaway for him. Instead, he had gotten himself injured and was now a captive.

Suddenly, the young girl gasped and panic was written all over her face. To Kel, it appeared likely that her time was near and, most likely, neither she nor the young guy would know what to do. Although obstetrics wasn’t his forte and he wasn’t in the habit of delivering babies, Kel knew that these youngsters had no choice and were lucky he was here. As long as it wasn’t a complicated birth, they should all come out of it okay, baby and all.

“Look, I think the baby’s ready to be born. Let me help you. I’m a doctor!”

*****

Hey, Doc, how’s that partner of mine doing? Ready to kick him out of here yet? Roy questioned as he handed his list of supplies to Dixie.

He looked over at Dixie when Dr. Early didn’t answer him and kept absent-mindedly stirring his coffee, frowning.

She just shrugged her shoulders, “You got me, he’s been like this all morning.” She answered Roy as she went about filling the supply list.

“Okay, you can stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Dr. Early laughed. “I’m sorry, Roy, I guess I’m just worried about Kel,” he added.

“What’s wrong with Dr. Brackett,” Roy asked with concern as Dixie dropped the replacement syringes and swung back around, worried.

“Settle down you two, I’m sure it’s nothing serious. I guess I’m just over-reacting a little.” Glad to have someone to talk to about it, he went on, “Kel was supposed to be back today and he missed the budget meeting and you know how he is about those things… I guess I’m just worried about him. When he left here the other night, he seemed pretty upset about something so I offered him my cabin up in the mountains to get away for a few days; but I’ve been trying to call him since then and I don’t get any answer up there and I heard they’ve had a record snowfall for this time of year.” He laughed, “I know what you’re going to say, “Kel’s a big boy and can take care of himself”, I keep telling myself that but I still have a nagging feeling that something isn’t right,” he finished with a worried frown.

“No, Joe, I don’t think you are over-reacting at all. I’ve had a strange feeling that something was wrong with Kel, too,” Dixie added.

“Well, tell you what,” Roy offered. “Since Johnny’s laid up here, I’ll ask to borrow his Land Rover day after tomorrow on my day off and we can take a ride up there. I’m sure he’s okay, probably just snowed in and the lines are probably down because of the storm, but if that’s the case, we can give him a ride back.”

For the first time in the last couple of days, Dr. Early relaxed and shook Roy’s hand, “Thanks, Roy, I’ll take you up on that offer. I’m sure there is nothing wrong but I’d feel better just knowing. I’ll get Mike to cover for me tomorrow.”

*****

Back at the cabin, Kel was thankful that it appeared the young girl had been in false labor yesterday. He was still tied up and shivering even though the cabin was overly warm. He knew that it was probably a sign that infection was setting into his leg and he needed to get it tended to as soon as possible but the young teens were in no mood to listen to him. The girl lay curled up on the bed, whimpering. The boy paced about the room like a caged animal.

“I told you to get rid of this brat, Kayla, when you had the chance,” he ranted and raved at the frightened young girl. “Why don’t cha just go ahead and get this over with, I’m tired of waitin’ on you to have that brat so we can get the hell outta here before they find us…and quit your crying…you’re driving me crazy,” he yelled.

Kayla choked back her sobs, “I’m sorry, Kenny. I’m trying, I really am,” she said pitifully.

“Well, try harder…we need to get a move on it,” he snapped.

Kel shook his head, “Kenny, Kayla can’t hurry nature up…when the baby is ready, it will come on its own time.”

“Shut up, mister” he turned, screaming and out of control as the overwhelming urge for more drugs ruled his body, as he advanced on Kel and smacked him across the face.

Kel’s head flung back against the wall and he once again fought the blackness. He moaned to himself, “when will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut,” he wondered.

Kenny turned on Kayla and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her roughly, “That’s it, I’ve had it…either you have this brat right now or I’m outta here, with or without you,” he yelled as he pushed her back.

Kayla sobbed hysterically, “Kenny, you don’t mean that, don’t leave me here,” she screamed clutching at him. He pushed her and she fell against the bed, clutching her stomach.

“Sorry it turned out this way, kid,” Kenny said without sympathy as he grabbed whatever he could pocket and possibly sell along the way before heading out the door.

Kayla lay on the floor sobbing. Kel turned his head toward her, “Kayla, you need to calm down, it’s not good for you or the baby.”

She turned on him, screaming, “What the hell do I care. I don’t give a damn about this brat now. I was only having it cause I thought Kenny would stay with me and now I’ve lost him.”

“Come on, now, you don’t mean that,” he tried to calm her down.

“Shut up, this is all your fault. If you hadn’t come in here and got Kenny all upset none of this woulda happened,” she screamed and started pounding on him with her fists, before suddenly doubling over in pain, as blood and water started running down her legs.

“Oh my God, Kenny, Kenny, help me. I’m gonna die,” she moaned as she fell to the floor in pain.

“Kayla, listen to me! Kayla, you need to listen to me,” Kel yelled to her. “Untie me so that I can help you, I’m a doctor. I can help you.,” as he repeated himself over and over again trying to penetrate the hysteria of the young girl.

Suddenly, the door swung open.