I couldn't

As Nate takes charge of Carson and Misty, Carson’s face reflects his confusion. What was Nate doing?

He asks no questions though, simply feeling as though he no longer had any control over his own future. There was no point in fighting this. There was no point in running.

Pulling over, his confusion grows when Nate takes the cuffs off. He still says nothing, though, and moves to take off Misty’s as well.

As she puts her hand in his, he tightens his grip to let her know it was going to be okay.

Looking at Nate in the mirror, Carson’s eyes show a strange look of gratefulness mixed with some fear of seeing his sister again. He’d giving up seeing Dani again. He’d figured his one afternoon with her would be their last. But Nate was giving him one more chance.

Finally he nods. “Take the next right.”


Pulling up in front of Lockheart’s, Carson hesitates. He looks to Misty to gather up his strength, then gets out of the car. “You two better come with me,” he directs. “In case someone thinks I’m trying to get away.”

Moving to the front door, he knocks and waits.


Dani looks up at the knock and sees Lockheart go to answer the door. As it swings open, she’s hit with a wave of relief and joy. Her brother was back and alive – that could only mean one thing…he’d accomplished the job.

Running to the door, Dani bypasses Lockeart to throw her arms around Carson’s neck. “You came back…” A tear rolls down her cheek. “You really came back.”

Carson wraps his arms around his sister tightly, giving her a hug. “Yeah…I did.”

Dani withdraws, and seeing he and Misty aren’t alone, her face reddens slightly.

Carson follows her gaze. “Dani, this is our friend Nate. You owe him a thanks too, for helping us. He’s, um…he’s taking us back to Nevada now.”

Dani’s disappointment is evident. “You can’t stay, or…anything?”

Carson shakes his head. “We have to get back.”

“What will…what will happen to you?”

“I don’t know.” Carson forces a dry laugh. “Whatever I deserve, I guess.”

Dani’s eyes fill with tears again. “They won’t…put you in jail, will they?”

“I don’t know, Dani.” Carson reaches out to wipe her tears with his hand. “But I got to see you again and that’s all that counts, eh?”

Dani nods, trying to control her emotions. She’d just gotten her brother back, and was losing him again.

“Hey.” Carson gives her a crooked grin. “Quit worrying. They allow visitors, you know.”

Dani can’t help a little laugh, and she swats his arm. “I don’t want to visit you in jail. I want to just visit you.”

Carson is filled with a feeling he’s not all that familiar with. “Really? You’d want to come see me?”

“Well you’re my brother, aren’t you?”

“Even after all that happened? All the things I did?”

Dani puts a hand to the side of Carson’s face. “Blood is thicker than circumstances, Carson.”

Carson sighs before hugging Dani again. “I have to go.” Looking up, he sees Lockheart and gives a nod. “I’m sorry about all this. Thank you for your help.”


Reese paces his office, waiting for the phone to ring. He knew it wouldn’t be until late that night before heard anything more, but that knowledge didn’t help much. He’d gotten the call that said Misty and Carson had been arrested, and that Nate would be bringing them back. Another officer was already on his way with Misty’s car. Everyone would be brought down to the station for everything to be sorted out.

Brown had told him what Carson had explained to the officers about why he was there, and there had been a third arrest. Reese was confused about it all, and just couldn’t imagine how everything was connected or how to sort it all out.

Sighing, he flops down in his chair, again lifting up a prayer.


TJY is quiet for mid-week. A feeling of melancholy had seemed over the main floor. Everyone knew about Carson and Misty now…Nate was gone…Jason was still in the infirmary and miserable after Rick had told him the severity of his knee injury. Scott was gone. It was just an odd day…one where someone might be tempted to leave early and just go home to curl up on the couch, or just go to a loved one for a hug. Things were happening…things were changing. It was a little bit scary.


“Jason, you’ll pull through this.”

“Yeah, I always do, don’t I?” Jason’s tone is sarcastic, the frown on his face proving his displeasure. He’d refused pain killers for the second time today and his knee felt as though it were on fire.

Camryn sighs. “Come on…I don’t want to come visit a grouch, so you’re just going to have to quit it.”

“Thanks.”

Camryn shakes her head and smirks, moving closer to the bed, and leaning over Jason, putting her hands on the bed so she can look straight down at him. “You’re a difficult person, you know that?”

“Sometimes.” Jason wanted to stay mad…the problem with his knee, if as bad as Rick indicated, could put his future here at TJY in jeopardy. But for some reason, he just couldn’t continue filtering that madness toward Camryn.

Camryn grins and leans in to give his lips a kiss. “I gotta go to work. See you tonight?”

Jason looks at her slyly. “Thought you didn’t want to come see a grouch.”

“Then you better start behaving, huh?” Camryn gives him another kiss before straightening up. “See you later, Hotshot.”

Once she’s gone, Jason takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Being happy around Camryn came easy. But when alone, it was hard. He wasn’t really angry…just…frustrated. Would he really heal well enough to continue working here? The question was as frightening one.


The only sounds on the main floor are the clicking of keyboards and the occasional ring of the phone and quiet conversations.

Domino chews on her toy in Katie’s cubicle, having settled down after a couple hours of being here. She trots around the small area proudly with her prize, flopping down again in her bed that Katie had brought in for her. Suddenly though, her ears perk up and she goes to the cubicle opening and looks down one way, then the other. Giving a little sigh, she waits, listens. Then seems to think it’s okay to investigate whatever it was she’d heard. Trotting across the floor, she appears as she owns the place, ignoring anyone who walks by.

A few minutes later, someone approaches Katie’s cubicle quietly. Standing for a moment behind her, the sound of a backpack sliding from their shoulders to the floor breaks the silence.

A soft male voice comes…one that should not be there. One that was supposed to be miles away by now.

“I couldn’t do it Katie…I couldn’t get past the state line. I love you too much to leave.”