They stayed that way for quite some time. He was her strength. He was her savior. He held her closely, trying to absorb her pain and make it his. She gave up, released everything that had been stored inside her. They connected at a level where only two severely wounded souls could meet, and no one could ever break. They truly understood each other.

Bo drew his gun in the hallway, not sure of what he would find on the other side of the busted penthouse door. He moved his back against the wall, pointing his gun in the air. “Tea, you alright in there?” He yells. No response. “Tea?”

“Yeah,” Todd yells back.

The voice was unmistakable. “Manning? Is Tea in there with you? Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah. And yeah.” Todd responds, irritated, still holding Tea.

Bo returns his gun to its holster, stepping over the threshold into something he could never understand. Glass crunched beneath his feet, as he tried to avoid stepping into the blood. “Oh, god,” he says, surveying the scene. “What happened? Oh, my God,” Bo says, nearly tripping of Sykes’ body. Blood trickles from his body, the puddle growing by the minute. It didn’t have to come to this. I shouldn’t have tried to handle it myself. Damn, if only I had radioed someone else, someone closer. Shit!

“What does it look like, huh? While you clowns were doing whatever it is that you do, he came back to try and rape my wife.” His voice remained eerily calm, but his eyes conveyed his anger.

Bo says nothing to Todd. He radios for backup and the paramedics, staying clear of Todd. Todd was right; the Llanview PD failed her. They missed the signs that, looking back, obviously pointed to Sykes. He was right under their fucking noses, and they all missed it.

Reinforcements arrived, gathering evidence from the scene, taking pictures and roping off certain areas with yellow tape. Todd had not left Tea’s side, never let his body separate from her. She had not spoken, just closed her eyes and let the tears flow. Bo didn’t have the courage to talk to either of them, not then.

While the police did their work, the paramedics did theirs. Todd would not let them touch her; he gently lay her on the gurney. She didn’t fight him, didn’t have the energy. Todd held her hand the entire time, being her rock.

*****

Llanview Hospital
Later that Night

A sedated Tea rested comfortably in her private room. The machines attached to her body whirred. A small amount of light filtered through the blinds, illuminating the room. She looked so peaceful, so serene; he knew too well what was going on in the places that no one else could see. There she lay, the woman who had loved him when no one else could, or would, more vulnerable than he had ever seen. He felt so helpless, unable to do anything but love her.

He had a slight concussion, but refused to be admitted to the hospital. Todd held her hand, rubbing her palm with his fingers. He wanted to be there when she awoke.

The night had been hell on both of them. Guilt filled his conscience; I shouldn’t have left. It didn’t have to be this way. It’s my fault. It’s always my fault. Then anger; that fucking son of a bitch! Then sadness; how are we going to get through this? He longed to lash out at something, someone. Rid himself of the rage festering inside of him.

Nothing seemed real. It couldn’t be real that Tea was raped. It couldn’t be real the bastard had stalked her. It couldn’t be real that Tea had to shoot him. Here they were, in a dark hospital room; for once he was her support. And it killed him.

He kept having to remind himself that this wasn’t about Todd Manning, it was about his wife, his life. He forced his pain deeper inside. This was nothing new to him; he had always kept his pain hidden deep inside. What was new is seeing someone that he loved suffering. It was more painful than any beating that Peter Manning gave him, or any nightmare that plagued his restless sleep.

Running; leaving her again was not an option. She looked so peaceful, lying in bed, asleep. He remembered how he used to watch her sleeping; so beautiful, so calm. But that was not how she was feeling inside. It’s funny how outside appearances can cover the inner turmoil. That always fascinated him.

The night played in his mind like a tape…rewound, fast-forwarded and played at regular speed. The expression on her face confused, afraid, straddling the line of sanity. That line he often crossed, but her love always brought him back. Her eyes had never looked so hollow, so without life. So easily, she could have turned that gun on herself, exorcised her demons. She had that look about her, the same look that he saw in the mirror when he bothered to look, that said she didn’t care what happened to her. When she squeezed that trigger for the first time and every time thereafter, it was precious release. And with each tear that she shed, it was precious relief from the weeks of pent up pain. Completely vulnerable, it was his shoulder that was wet with her tears and his arms that held her close to his heart.

*****

A warm blue light surrounded her in her dreams, azure. Wrapped its radiance around her, gripped and pulled her toward reality. She relaxed in its safety. Exhaled.

It had been so long since she truly rested, without interruption and completely. No nightmares, just the gentle sound of her own breathing. No late night hauntings, just the gently haze of a dreamlike state.

She had fought sleep for weeks, afraid to let herself go to that place where the nightmares were in control. Even when she was brought to the hospital, she fought it. Even when the warm liquid traveled through her arm, she fought it. Soon, all of the energy was drained from her body, her eyes closed, her mind went blank, and she slept.

In her sleep, she was still able to sense another presence in the room. She wasn’t afraid, for it was the source of warmth that penetrated her dreams. It was a comfort. She didn’t fight it.

Tea began to moan in her sleep, gradually coming to. She felt something gripping her hand, something rubbing against her. She relished the sensation before opening her eyes. It took a minute for her vision to adjust to the semi-darkness. Slightly disoriented, she did not recognize her surroundings at first. The fuzziness soon became sharp and vivid.

When she was able to focus, she noticed his eyes first. Glossy, teary, sad. His head was bandaged with white gauze, his hand wrapped in a brown Ace bandage. Dry blood crusted on his torn shirt. He had been through war for her.

For several moments, they just looked at each other. It had been many, many months, since they had been together, so close physically. Too many months. The feelings that they shared didn’t die, if anything, they were now stronger.

Their eyes seemed to hold a conversation that their mouths would not allow. Are you okay, his eyes asked?

I am fine? What about you?

I’m a cat; I have nine lives. No little bump on the head is going to get me down.

“Thank you Todd,” says Tea, her voice barely above a whisper, biting the inside of her cheek. She was a ball of confusion, didn’t know whether to be angry, scared, relieved. All she wanted was to get out of the hospital, get out of Llanview, and get out of her contaminated skin. But there was no other place to go; her problems would follow her to the ends of the earth.

“I’m just glad you’re okay. I mean, you are okay, aren’t you?”

“I’m going to be okay, now,” she says with conviction. She meant it.

He realizes that he is still holding and caressing her hand, and tries to pull away.

“Don’t let go.”

Todd wasn’t sure if she meant to not let go of her hand, or not let go of her heart. So he held on to both.

“Todd, how did you know? How did you know to come to the penthouse?”

“He, uh, knocked me out before he went after you.” He debates with himself whether or not to tell her that he had been watching her. An unmistakable cloud crosses his face, an expression that she does not miss.

“What? Where were you?”

“I rented out the place across from you. Don’t be mad, I just wanted to protect you.” He pauses before continuing. “For all the good that did.”

Their roles are reversed; she becomes the comforter. “Todd, what happened tonight, it’s because of you that both of us survived. I am not upset that you protected me.”

“No?”

“No.”

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Hospitals always made him feel uncomfortable. It was like death filled the air in the halls; he could smell it. He could smell it in the penthouse too, but not here, not in this room. It was different in this room, more like a new beginning, rebirth.

She turns her body toward him, watching his every move. This moment, with him right next to her, was the safest; most relaxed she had felt since he left. It was not like the rape and the feelings associated with that sort of violation had ceased to exist; they just ceased to control her, ceased to define her. When the last bullet penetrated Sykes’ skin, she hit rock bottom. There was no place else to go, but up.

Looking at Todd, she realized that he had never reached that point, had never been allowed to heal. The anger inside just grew, until it overpowered every other emotion. When she studied his eyes, she understood what he would never allow himself to say; that he had reached the bottom when he left Llanview. The only difference was that he did not have anyone to lean on, nobody to help him. Instinctively, she squeezed his hand a little tighter. I know what you’re feeling.

He hoped that she would not be haunted for the rest of her life, like he was haunted. The nightmares, the aversion to human contact, the self-loathing, all of those things were to be expected, but she was so much stronger than he, maybe she would be able to emerge from the darkness. Maybe not.

“Tell me what you’re thinking Todd?”

Gotta be honest. “I’m just worried, you know? I don’t want you to have to deal with the shit that I deal with everyday. I know what you’re feeling and I just want to take it all away.”

Tea opens her mouth to speak, but is interrupted by the night shift nurse.

“Hello,” the nurse says, “I just need to check a couple of things.” She hurriedly checks Tea’s blood pressure, temperature and heart rate before turning her attention to Todd. “How are you doing?”

“Fine.”

“You should really try to get some rest. If you want, I can see about getting a cot brought in here for you.”

“No.”

“Well, if you change your mind, just let me know.” She glances at them one last time before exiting. She had heard all about the shooting, it was the talk of the hospital, felt sorry for them. She had been a Llanview resident for several years, had heard all of the Todd Manning stories, but seeing him with his wife she could not believe that all she heard was true. It couldn’t be.

It didn’t take long for Tea to fall back asleep. Her body was trying to make up for all of the sleep that it had been deprived in one day.

*****

Larry Wolek was looking at a patient’s chart, when Viki rushed up to him. Kevin had called her just as she prepared for bed, to inform her of what happened. She threw on the first thing she saw and went straight to the hospital.

“Larry, I came as soon as I heard. How is Tea?” He ushers Viki to a more private area, away from prying ears.

“She’s pretty much okay. When they brought her in, her blood pressure was slightly elevated, but that’s to be expected after all she’s been through. She is also dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion. We’re just going to keep her here overnight.”

Viki breathed a sigh of relief. “Where is she?”

Larry points to a room not far from where they are standing. “Thank you.”

It seemed as if she were moving in slow motion. Too many times had she walked down these same halls, visiting a friend or loved one. Too many times had she prayed for someone’s survival. Too many times God answered her prayers, just not with the answer that she wanted.

She froze when she saw Todd, rubbing his sleepy eyes with one hand, holding Tea’s hand with the other. He had obviously not slept and probably would not sleep for quite some time. At least they have each other. She quietly slips through the door and approaches the bed.

Todd knew she was there before she announced her presence. He had a heightened sense of awareness, could smell her scent. It stemmed from his years of abuse at the hands of Peter Manning, listening for his footstep, sniffing for his smell.

“I messed up again Viki.” Todd does not turn around, keeps his focus on Tea.

“No, sweetheart, no you didn’t. She is alive because of you.” She touches the back of his head; he winces. “What happened?”

“He hit me in the head…went after Tea…I broke down the door…we fought…Tea shot him…end of story.”

She touches the back of his head, where blood has started to leak through the bandage. “We need to get somebody to change this.”

“Viki, I’m fine. Man,” he shakes his head, “what are we going to do now? I mean, I have no idea what to say, what to do, if she even wants me around.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen…nobody does. All I can tell you is that this is going to be a very long, difficult road for her to travel. All you can do, is love her; be there for her when she needs you.”

“Yeah, but I still don’t know if she wants me in her life.”

“Look at your hands.” He looks at his hand, fingers locked with Tea’s. “She is holding on to you, and you to her. Trust me when I say that she will need you to heal with her, and I’m not just talking about what happened to her, I am talking about what happened to you.”

“Viki-“

“We both know the truth about your childhood…you don’t have to deny it anymore.”

“Why are you here anyway?” He asks, changing the subject.

“Typical Todd…change the subject when things become too personal.” She waits for a reaction, but he shows no emotion. “I am here because I wanted to make sure that you both were okay.”

“We’re fine…so you can leave now.”

“Since you asked so nicely, I will leave. Call me if you need anything, anything at all.” She kisses him on the top of his head, leaving him to continue his watch over Tea.

Tired, he yawns, kisses Tea’s hand, leans back in his chair and allows his body time to rest.