Episode 1.17

Pinõn Hallow Memorial Hospital

The machines in the room were beeping as they kept track of Bethany McKay’s heart rate. She was still unconscious and the medical staff was still going over what test results they had gotten back from the lab. She was pale and very frail as she breathed very slowly.

Pool House

Chad took a swig of vodka from the bottle and made an “Ahh” sound. He then picked up his phone and frantically dialed Bethany’s cell phone for the tenth time in an hour. After getting sent directly to voice mail he said, “Bethy, baby. Please call me back. I need to speak with you desperately. I love you baby.” He said before ending the call.

Siobhan’s Apartment

“So, you have yet to tell me what brought you over here this evening.” Siobhan said as she and Becker sat on her floor eating dinner.

Becker smiled, and contemplated what to say. He really shouldn’t tell his best detective that he had, well had a crush on her since they met. “I just wanted to give you a good home cooked meal and I know you never cook, you just heat up.”

Siobhan nodded, knowing it was true, and realizing that their was something else behind all of this. Her mind was reeling with ideas, some even made her blush. “Well, thank you it was great. My brother keeps ditching out on me for his new girlfriend.”

“Isn’t he dating Maggie Williams, and wasn’t she just dating Conner McKay?”

Siobhan sat startled, “How did you know that?”

“I hear the gossip, its kind of hard to miss in this town. I even heard all about Maggie’s father showing up this morning and slamming the door in your brother’s face. That I’ll admit I over heard in the squad room today when he came by.”

“You’re worst then the old women down at the river side salon.” Siobhan said, trying not to start laughing.

Maggie’s Apartment

“Here Dad, this is the name of someone who should be a good coach for Cassie.” Maggie told her father Larry as she handed him a piece of paper.

He took it and studied it, “Ariel Baptista?”

Maggie nodded, “She was in a few pageants with me back when I was Cassie’s age. She went on to become Miss. Colorado a couple of years ago. Now she coaches contestants.”

Larry shook his head and put the paper in his pocket, “Thanks Maggie, though I would prefer to keep this in the family.”

“I know Daddy, but ya know sometimes we need to do stuff on our own. Right now is that time for me. I’m twenty three years old; I need to live my own life.” She said as she walked into the kitchen area and started taking out different items to make dinner. “That includes not slamming the door on my boyfriend.”

Larry sat down on a barstool by the counter, “Yeah, well I don’t like this Lane guy, I’d much rather see you with Conner.”

“Yeah well Daddy, you’re forgetting his wife is back in the picture. Anything and everything that happened between me and Conner is long over with.” She said before taking out a knife and chopping through a head of lettuce.

Pinõn Hallow Mall

Kevin and Conner were both down on the ground like rag dolls. Each exhausted and bruised, with blood drying on their faces by mouths and noses. Each breathing heavier then the other, “Lane, I swear if you don’t leave Maggie alone I’ll give you more then a bloody nose.”

“Get over it Conner, Maggie is with me now. She obviously didn’t want to be part of your harem you apparently want. You’ve already got Bethany.” Kevin said as he moved his jaw side to side.

“She’s only with you because she wants me and Bethany to work stuff out about Lysa.” Conner told his rival. “So how about you just go back to Nashville and stay the hell away from Maggie forever.”

Kevin shook his head, the anger boiling inside of him like a pot that had been on the stove far too long, “McKay, if I go back to Nashville, it’ll be with Maggie as my wife.” He said as he stood up slowly, trying to contain his balance.

“Maggie will never marry you Kevin, she loves me.” Conner said as his cell phone started to ring, after retrieving it from his front pocket he answered it, “Conner McKay.” His heart still racing, “Yes, Bethany McKay is my wife, what’s going on?” he asked, feeling the bitterness of having to admit he was married to her.

Pam’s Apartment

Pam sat on her couch, with her trusty laptop typing up the report for Adel. Her eyes were tired and her body still ached, she looked at the bottle of prescription pills and shook her head, “No, I’ll just deal with the pain.” She said to herself before she continued typing. It was a few moments later when someone knocked on her door.

She pushed the laptop aside and went to answer it, she was once again greeted by a bouquet of flowers. “Sam, who are these from?” she asked, secretly thankful she knew how to tell the twins apart.

“Well Pam, read the card.” He said as he came into the apartment and put them down on the table by the door.

Taking the card she read it to herself, and then looked at Sam.

“What’s wrong Pam?” He asked, not sure how to take the reaction she was having to the card.

Its from my secret admire again. You would think Kip would have stopped since we started dating.” She told her friend as she tapped the card in her hand.

Sam rolled his eyes, “Well perhaps Kip Davis, isn’t your secret admire after all.”

Pinõn Hallow Memorial Hospital

Conner rushed in through the doors of the emergency room and over to the desk. “Excuse me, I’m Conner McKay, I was called and told my wife Bethany was here.” He said to the nurse, as he could feel the bile from his stomach creeping up his throat.

“Just a moment sir, I’ll go get the doctor.” The older woman said before throwing the glass window shut and leaving Conner alone.

He frantically kneaded his hands together, and started pacing for what seemed like 30 minutes, but was really only two before the electronic door swung open and a young blond woman with glasses and a lab coat came out. “Mr. McKay? I’m Doctor Trista Silversky; I’m in charge of your wife’s case.”

Conner looked over and was struck by how young she appeared, “What’s wrong with Bethany?” he asked, as the worry about the mother of his daughter boiled up inside of him.

Trista nodded and looked down at the chart, “Mr. McKay, your wife appears to have a virus that has slowed down her blood stream. It appears to be a virus only available on the island of Yorkshire, off the coast of Greenland. Has she been abroad recently?”

“Yeah, she came back in July though; wouldn’t this have shown up sooner?” Conner asked.

“Not necessarily,” Trista began, “In most cases the immune system fights it off, however all the tests we’ve done on her so far have shown that her body is stressed out and slightly malnutrition. We’re still waiting the results of a pregnancy test as well. Though I should warn you sir, if she is pregnant, a miscarriage is about 70% expected.”

Conner listened to this woman doctor, soaking up all the information she was providing, “Can I speak with Bethany?” he asked.

“At this time she is still unconscious. She apparently passed out in the Java Jet this afternoon and was brought via ambulance shortly after. You can of course go in and see her though.” Trista informed him.

“Thank you Dr. Silversky.”

Maggie’s Apartment

Larry looked at his oldest daughter, wondering how in the world she could be even thinking of letting Conner out of her life.

Maggie knew her father was staring and after what seemed an eternity she looked at him directly and said, “Daddy, Conner is a MARRIED man. I’m involved with Kevin now, I adore him. He makes me smile, he makes me laugh Daddy. Be happy about that.”

“Fine! I’ll try but I won’t like it.” Larry told her as he crumpled up Ariel Baptista’s phone number in his hand. “But let me tell you something if this Kevin Lane guy hurts you, I’ll hurt him!”

Maggie was about to say something to her father when someone knocked on the door. “I’ll deal with you later Daddy.” She said before leaving her dinner perpetrations and going to the door. She opened it to find Kevin, who had of course cleaned up from his fight with Conner. “Hi Kevin.”

“Hi Cowgirl.” He said as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek, but then stopped when he saw her father glaring at them from the corner. “Is it safe?” he asked.

“Yeah it is, Daddy will be behaving this evening. Come on in.”

Kevin entered and then smiled at Larry, “Good evening Mr. Williams, I know you don’t like me sir. I don’t blame you either. I mean if some guy showed up at my sister’s apartment early in the morning I’d want to kill him. But with my luck he’d be a cop who always has their gun on them.”

“So Lane, what song’s do you write for Country Music? I bet you never wrote anything as popular as My Sunset Girl.” Larry said, sure he had just proven that his daughter’s new boyfriend would never amount to anything.

“Hey Daddy!” Called out Cassie as she came into the apartment, “I was just looking through that CD you had in the car, you know with that song you won’t stop playing and um, well look at who wrote it.” She said, not realizing Kevin was in the room as she showed her father the booklet.

Larry searched the paper for the name and then stopped when he saw it, “Kevin Lane?!” he asked as he looked up at Kevin.

“Yeah, I wrote My Sunset Girl.” He said as he nodded and then looked over at Maggie, for some sign that things were getting better.

Larry looked at the booklet again, “Yeah well doesn’t change a thing.”

“Daddy!” Both girls said at once as they looked at their father.

“What?” Larry asked as he picked up a carrot stick, “It changes nothing.”

Kevin sighed realizing he would probably never have Larry William’s approval concerning his relationship with Maggie.

Bethany’s Room

Conner sat in a chair next to a sleeping Bethany; he couldn’t get what the doctor said out of his head. Bethany pregnant? Well if she was, he was definitely not the baby’s father. But then who was? Oh well, it really wasn’t an issue now was it. Well at least he hoped it wasn’t.

The door opened and a nurse walked in, “Mr. McKay, these are your wife’s belongings.” He said handing Conner the envelope.

“Thank you.” Conner said and watched the young man walk out. He then opened the envelope and saw the cell phone. “I wonder if she has any missed calls.” He said to himself out loud.

The Pool House

Chad picked up his phone again and redialed Bethany’s number. It went directly to voicemail again, “Bethy, baby. Please call me. I love you!” he said and then hung up his phone.

Maggie’s Apartment

Larry and Cassie had gone, and that left Maggie and Kevin all alone. “Well that was interesting.” Kevin said to her as they sat on the couch finishing their Arbor Mist they had had with dinner.

“My Dad will get over it. He’s friends with Conner and well he keeps forgetting that Conner is married.” Maggie said with sadness in her eyes, “But that’s the past, this is the future.” She said as she took hold of Kevin’s hand.

He smiled, “I’m glad you think that. Maggie, I love you, I know we just met a few weeks ago but I know I love you. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He put his wine glass down and then reached into one of the pockets on his pants and pulled out a hunter green velvet box. He took a deep unsteady breath, “Maggie Williams, will you marry me?”

Maggie looked at him as he opened the box which revealed a gold ring with a small oval diamond. She was in shock, she hadn’t been expecting this, but she had an answer, which ever word yes or no was about to flow from her lips and she didn’t think about it, she just answered, “yes Kevin, yes I’ll marry you.”