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Not wanting to dwell on the thought further, she turned them in another direction. The sight of her family home with blazing flames soaring from the rooftop came back to haunt her. She closed her eyes to the vision but could not blot out the image. Every memory, every moment of her childhood went up in the inferno and all she could do was sit back and watch it happen. She felt powerless as she felt the last semblance of her being, disappear. It hardly seemed fair, time had taken her father, now, mercilessly, it took her home.
Going down to the ward where some of the girls occupied rooms, she wasn't surprised to find no one sleeping. Tension and post-terror were high in the air. When she entered, everyone began talking at once. She discovered some of the girls, including Darcy, had contacted their parents and were going home. It was amazing what a good taste of near-death could do to the psychological way of thinking. For this only, could she see any good coming out of this whole disastrous mess.
For the remaining girls, Laura put to rest any fears about where they were to live henceforth. She laid any plans aside in regards to herself until she was sure all the girls were taken care of. She doubted she would have trouble finding a bed in one of the many homeless shelters in the city.
The clock hanging from the hospital wall told her it was near four in the morning, but sleep seemed far from coming. After she left the girls' ward, she walked along the corridors, her feet bringing her to a large window overlooking the glitzy lights of the city beyond. Glittering lights that represented a home, a place of safe haven for the individuals who occupied them.
Down the hall, turbulence had unexpectedly erupted drawing her from her reflections. Her eyes narrowed to get a better view but unfortunately the corridor snaked to the right and disappeared slightly from view. What she could see of the nurse's station was only a handful of troubled nurse's as they skidded about as if looking for something.
“What the hell do you mean you don't know where she is? Is she or is she not staying at this hospital?” A booming voice bellowed down the corridor bringing Laura's feet to a complete halt.
She could hardly believe her ears, but an overwhelming emotion had her gasping for breath and continuing down the corridor, this time at a faster pace.
“She is staying here, sir. It just seems we have misplaced her.”
“Misplaced her!” He grew angrier. “How the devil—?”
Dexter broke off when his eyes caught sight of a little figure coming around the bend. Her skin was deathly white, her eyes wide and bloodshot. But it was the ghastly looking gauge taped across her forehead with red soaked blood stains that had his insides twisting painfully.
She spoke first. “You came.”
He knew he should be composing his expression right about now, to display the anger he planned because she had woken him in the middle of the night, driven from one hospital to another searching frantically for her; but it was nowhere to be found. On their own accord, his feet began moving toward her and as if an open invitation she responded. A small cry escaped her mouth before she flung herself into his arms. He felt her touch, felt her trembling and an urgency unfamiliar to him, had him responding. His arms came around and pulled her tightly against his chest reassuring himself she was okay and no longer in any danger.
Laura at last allowed herself to cry fervently enjoying the unexpected yet rare comfort of Dexter's embrace. It seemed uncouth that there, in his arms; she found safety and sanctuary. Something she believed, only moments before could only be found in a home. All at once, everything seemed to come into perspective and the reality of her feelings were acknowledged. Feelings that existed the moment she turned in her seat that Christmas Eve and stared at him across the room. The same feelings that urged her to pick up the phone and call him tonight.
However, they were feelings she knew could never be returned and, with a weary heart, she pulled herself from his arms and wiped at the last trace of tears. Dexter pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her, which she uttered a thank you. He didn't respond, simply took her by the arm and propelled her away from the watching eyes of the nurses.
“Where's your room?” He was back to his old self again, cold and domineering.
She led the way to the room she occupied solitarily, thinking she was most likely the biggest foolhardy woman on the face of the earth. If Dexter knew her true feelings, he would certainly agree.
“Gather your clothes and any other personal items you may have, and I'll meet you out in the visitor's lounge in ten minutes.”
She stopped him as he turned to leave. “What?”
“Gather your belongings, you're going back to my place tonight.” He sounded slightly irritated.
“What—I mean—I can't do that.”
“Why not? Isn't that why you called me?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“I can’t abandon my girls. I need to wait for the parents who are coming for them and transport the remainder to Saint Anne’s homeless shelter.”
He stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the hallway's fluorescent lights. She whole-heartedly waited for him to find some excuse to be on his way. Tending to the needs of those girls would not be on his agenda. She sat on the edge of the hospital bed, feeling ghastly and almost wished she could forgo her duties as well and leave with him. So greatly the despair in her heart over the night’s events, all she wanted was to be comforted. But she quickly brushed the selfish thought aside. They had all been through something traumatic and Laura would not put her needs before theirs. She would stay as long as needed at the hospital, until the last girl found proper accommodations.
He stood silently for so long in the door frame, Laura was certain he was internally chastising her decisions once again. Probably even chiding himself for coming out in the middle of the night on a false alarm. Laura felt horrible. She wasn’t even sure why she called him. She had needed comforting. Desperately. And for whatever reason, Dexter was the person she intuitively sought out.
“I have room in my back seat for three.”
Her chin snapped up. “What?”
He sighed. “Don’t make a big deal out of it. Just collect the girls who need to be transported to the shelter. I’ll meet you down in the lobby in fifteen minutes.”
Then he was gone before she had a chance to respond. Not that she was sure she had a response. This was so outside of his character. Not that Laura was complaining. She swiftly scurried off the bed and rushed to the ward where the girls needing to be transported waited. She wanted nothing more than to go with him, but a disturbing thought had her wondering if she was asking for more trouble than she already had.
