Dane(77)

       
         
       
        



"I don't understand. So nothing's going to happen to me?" I asked as my lawyer escorted me to his car in the parking lot of the jailhouse on Sunday morning. I was confused and the lack of sleep from two nights in a holding cell didn't help matters.

"The district attorney said there's not enough to go after you. All they have are the statements from the cops saying they found you on top of the guy with a pipe in your hand. But since none of his injuries were caused from the pipe, and he walked away with a broken nose and a minor concussion, their hands are tied. As of right now, the guy you decided to use as a punching bag has decided to not press charges, and the other men have suddenly forgotten what they saw," he explained as we made our way over to the impound lot to get my car. "You got lucky, though. The DA just happened to have been in this weekend dealing with a major case. Had he not been there, you would've been stuck inside even longer."

"So what does this mean for me?"

"It means keep your nose clean and don't talk to anyone but your legal team about this. No commenting on reports or answering questions."

"Is there a chance they could charge me with something later?"

"From what I've been told, this Todd guy refuses to cooperate with the prosecution. It also helps that you are a stand-up guy in the community and have no prior record. Todd, on the other hand, has a rap sheet a mile long. Someone upstairs is looking out for you. I don't know who, but you have an angel on your side."

I nodded and got out as soon as we pulled into the lot.

Once I got my car, I grabbed my phone from the cup holder where I'd left it and plugged it in. The screen lit up with missed calls and messages. I bypassed those and immediately called Eden, not bothering to read or listen to the ones she'd left.

She answered on the third ring, groggy and sounding as if I'd woken her up. "Where have you been?"

I sighed, every emotion known to man hitting me all at once. However, the most prominent one was irritation. It was clear Janette hadn't informed her where I was or what had gone on since I'd left her apartment. "I was just released from jail."

"Jail?" Her voice went up a few octaves, no longer weighted down with sleep. "Why? What happened?"

"I'll tell you all about it when I get there, but I have to go home and shower first. I stink. Will you be home?" I was relieved to hear her voice, although slightly frustrated that I had to wait to hold her in my arms. This weekend was supposed to be ours, and I'd wasted most of it in a holding cell.

"Yeah. I'll be here. Just tell me one thing. Is everything all right?" 

"Everything is fine. I promise." With that, I disconnected the call and proceeded to play the voicemails as I left the impound lot.

The first was from Marie. Apparently, Gabi wasn't willing to see her-and I didn't blame her now that I knew the truth. She couldn't do much and had suggested I head to the hospital to take care of things. The next one was from Dr. Greiner. He suggested I visit the hospital to discuss the next steps of Gabi's treatment. I didn't want to go, but I knew at some point, I'd have to. All I could think about was going home, taking a shower, changing my clothes, and then spending the rest of the day with Eden; however, it didn't seem as though I had much of an option.

On the way to the condo, I made a stop by the hospital, hoping to get everything squared away quickly. Although, I hadn't taken into account the early morning hour and that the person I needed to speak with wasn't in yet. I was told she'd be in shortly and to wait in the meantime. It wasn't what I wanted to do. I didn't want to be there in the first place, let alone hang around. But it beat having to make another trip back later in the day. I knew once I had Eden in my arms, I wouldn't be able to let her go in order to handle Gabi's medical issues.

So, I waited.

I was on my third cup of vending machine coffee when someone finally opened the waiting room door.

"Mr. Kauffmann?" A young nurse came in with an easy smile and gentle eyes. "Gabriella is awake. I told her you were here and she's asking for you."

I dropped my chin to keep her from seeing the disappointment in my eyes. It wasn't her fault. I knew that. There was no way she could've known the problems between Gabi and me and why I was so nervous to see her. Nonetheless, I became aggravated and didn't want to take it out on her. She was only doing her job.

"I can take you to see her if you'd like. The visit needs to be kept short. She's weak and needs her rest, but I'm sure she'd love to see a friendly face." Her voice was so soft and kind, which made it difficult to turn her invitation down.