From: Forever Knight TV show stories [FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu] on behalf
of K. C. Smith [tigrlady2u@JUNO.COM]
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2001 11:58 PM
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU
Subject: When Darkness Falls Part 1/?

 The usual disclaimers apply. I don't own them, just wish I did.
Permission granted to archive on Mel's fanfic site, Anita's fanfic site
and the Nick/Natpack site. Anyone else, just ask.

  When Darkness Falls
  By KC Smith

   Nick hung up the phone on his desk and frowned slightly. He had called
to ask Natalie over for a video night, but she had, once again, politely
refused.
 "Yoo-hoo... Knight?" Schanke's voice interrupted his thoughts.
 Nick looked up at his partner. "Yeah, um, sorry, Schank. You were
saying?"
 "I was saying that I've finished my report and we are finally finished
with the Witherspoon case." Schanke told him, frowning. "What's eating
you, anyway?"
 Nick sighed. "It's Nat. This is the third time in two weeks that she's
turned down a night of videos at the loft. She used to come over all of
the time, before..." He trailed off.
 "Before Cynthia was killed?" Schanke asked.
 Nick nodded. "Yeah."
 Schanke sighed. "Nick, she's been attacked by a serial killer, and lost
her goddaughter, and her brother, in less than eighteen months.  Not to
mention the scare that everyone got when we thought the world was coming
to an end. Give her some time. Or, better yet, go over to her place and
pamper her a bit. Lord knows, she deserves it."
 Nick smiled at his partner. "Thanks, Schank, that's a great idea. You've
really helped."
 He picked up the papers on his desk and handed them to Schanke. "Here's
my paperwork on the Witherspoon case. Could ya?"
 Schanke grinned at Nick. "No problemo. That's what partners are for."
 Nick put his jacket on. "Thanks." He said, before heading out of the
precinct. He had a few stops to make, before heading over to Natalie's
for the day.

   Natalie grabbed the small plastic cup on her desk and washed down the
two tablets she'd just placed in her mouth with the minty pink liquid.
Sighing, she rinsed the cup out in the sink.
 "Why don't you go home and rest?" Grace's voice came from the doorway.
 Nat shook her head. "I'm too busy; I've got too much to do."
 Grace walked over and laid a gentle hand on her friend's arm. "You know,
hiding away in here isn't going to make it any easier. Why don't you see
a counselor? They can help."
 Nat placed her own hand on her friend's. "I appreciate your concern, but
I'm fine. Really."
 Grace sighed and shook her head. "Sure you are. That's why, for the last
week, you've had daily Excedrin(tm) breaks with Pepto Bismol(tm) chasers. Come
on, Natalie! For once, realize that you don't have to be the strong one
and place yourself first."
 Natalie took a deep breath and then sighed. Grace was right and she knew
it. "I'll think about it. I promise."
 "At least go home? Your shift ended two hours ago." Grace pleaded.
 Natalie nodded. "Okay, okay. You win; I'll call it a night."
 Grace smiled. "Good girl. I'll call you, later." She picked up a folder
and quietly walked out the door.
 Natalie gathered her things and sighed. Nick had called earlier, to
invite her to the loft for a video date. She had politely refused his
invitation and she still felt terrible about it. None of this was Nick's
fault. She just couldn't stand being so close to him, when she wanted him
so much and knew she couldn't have him.
 "When will you finally see how much you mean to me?" Nat whispered,
before finally heading for home.
 Natalie set her things on the table by the front door and locked up,
before heading towards the kitchen. She picked Sydney up and gave him a
few affectionate scratches behind the ears, before setting him back on
the floor and filling his food and water dishes.
 She headed down the hallway to her bedroom and quickly shed her work
clothes, placing them in the proper hampers. Starting the shower, she
stepped in and closed the glass door to the shower.
 As the warm water cascaded down her body, Natalie sighed, relaxing for a
few minutes. The warm spray felt wonderful on her overworked, overtired
body.
 She noticed that the bottom of the shower was filling up, and silently
cursed.
 "Just great, the drain's plugged up again." She muttered.
 Reaching for the faucet, she tried to turn off the water, only to find
that it wouldn't budge. Frowning, Natalie tried to open the shower door.
A sudden sense of panic swept over her, as she realized that it, too, was
stuck tight.
 The water in the shower was now up to her knees and Natalie was
alternately pushing as hard as she could against the glass door, and
trying to shut off the faucet.
 As the water level reached her waist, Natalie tried to calm down. There
had to be another way out of here. Taking a few deep breaths, she began
searching for another way out of the shower. But as the water level
reached her shoulders, she realized that her search was futile. The
shower door was jammed tight and it went all the way to the ceiling.
 Natalie thought how ironic it was that the floor-to-ceiling shower was
one of the things she had most liked about this apartment when she had
chosen it.
 When the water reached her chin, Natalie began to panic in earnest.
Banging her fists against the shower door, she began screaming for help,
hoping against hope that someone would hear her and come to investigate,
before it was too late.

   Nick entered Natalie's building, whistling softly. He'd stopped and
picked up some scented candles and bath oils, as well as a few other
items he'd need to fully pamper Natalie. He climbed the steps to the
second floor and knocked on Nat's door.
 He had called Natalie's office before heading over, to see if Nat had
left yet. Grace had told him that she'd left over an hour before.
 Frowning when she didn't answer, he used his enhanced hearing to listen,
thinking that perhaps she'd already fallen asleep.
 Instead, he heard the sound of running water and muffled screams.
 Hurrying, he unlocked her door with the keys she'd given him and raced
down the hallway to her bedroom. Bursting through the bathroom door, he
saw Nat's limp form, floating in the now full shower stall.
 Grabbing the handle on the door, he pulled on it until the glass
shattered, and water flooded the bathroom and out into the bedroom. He
caught Nat in his arms and gently laid her on the soaking wet bathroom
floor.
 "Come on, Nat. Stay with me." Nick said, as he began mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation. "Nat, please!" He begged, as he heard her heart stop.
 "Hello?" A voice came down the hallway.
 "In here!" Nick called, recognizing the voice of Nat's neighbor, Mrs.
McMurtry.
 He started CPR and only glanced up briefly, as the middle-aged woman
entered the bathroom and gasped. "Call the paramedics!"
 Mrs. McMurtry hurried into Nat's room and picked up the phone, dialing
for help, while Nick continued CPR on Natalie.
 After what seemed like an eternity, Natalie began coughing up mouthfuls
of water.
 Nick turned her on her side and waited for her coughing to stop. When he
was certain she was once again breathing on her own, and that her heart
rate was steadily increasing, he grabbed the large bath towel from the
towel rack and wrapped it around her.
 Mrs. McMurtry stood in the doorway. "Is she all right?" She asked, tears
running down her cheeks. "What happened?"
 Nick looked up. "For now, she's okay, I think. As to what happened, I
have no idea, but I fully intend to find out. Could you bring me a
blanket? I don't want her going into shock."
 Mrs. McMurtry nodded and left, returning a few moments later with a
blanket. She watched as Nick carefully wrapped Natalie in it, just as she
heard the sirens outside. "I'll go and get the medics." She told Nick.
 Nick nodded briefly. "Thank you."
 In less than ten minutes, the paramedics had Natalie loaded on a
stretcher and were headed towards St. Joseph's Hospital.

End Part One
KC Smith
tigrlady2u@juno.com

 When Darkness Falls
  By KC Smith

  While the medics had been working on Natalie, Nick had called the
station and informed Captain Cohen of what had happened. She told Nick to
go ahead and meet her at the hospital and she would send a team over to
investigate.
 Just as the first uniformed officer's were arriving, Nick was heading
down to his car. He introduced the officer's to Mrs. McMurtry, telling
them how she had helped, before leaving.
 Arriving at the hospital, Nick hurried into the emergency room and to
the nurse at the front desk. Flashing his badge, he asked her, "Where can
I find Natalie Lambert?"
 The nurse looked up from her computer briefly, and then looked back at
the screen and punched a few keys. "Exam room 3."
 Nick thanked her and then hurried back. When he reached exam room 3, he
closed his eyes and took a deep breath before entering.
 The doctor in charge looked up from his examination and raised an
eyebrow. "Can I help you?" He asked.
 Nick flashed his badge. "Nick Knight. How is she?"
 "Well, from the looks of things, I'd say she'll be all right in a few
days. She's in serious, but stable, condition. We started an IV,
administered a drug to help dry the fluid in her lungs and gave her a
hefty dose of antibiotics to prevent infection. Her breathing was a bit
labored, so we also put her on oxygen. I'm waiting on her x-rays and
blood results." He watched as Nick visibly relaxed. "You related to her?"
 Nick sighed and relaxed, as he realized that Nat was in very capable
hands. At the doctor's question, he shook his head. "No, we're just very
good friends."
 The doctor gave him a skeptical look, before turning his attention back
to Natalie and nodding to the nurses that they could leave. "You can
stay, but if she wakes up, call someone immediately. And don't let her
talk, just yet. By the way, I'm Dr. Olsen."
 He made a few more notations on Nat's chart, before walking over and
patting Nick on the back. "She'll be fine." He said, before leaving.
 Nick watched the elderly doctor leave and then went over and sat beside
Natalie. Taking her hand, he noticed the bruising on it and tenderly
kissed it. He sat silently watching her steady breathing, until a knock
on the door startled him.
 Looking up, he saw Captain Amanda Cohen and Don Schanke standing just
outside. He stood and walked over to where they were.
 "How is she?" Cohen asked, glancing at the still, pale form on the bed.
 Nick quickly filled them in on what the doctor had told him. "Any idea
how this happened?" He asked them.
 "I've got a team over, investigating now. Natalie's neighbor, Mrs.
McMurtry, has taken Natalie's cat home with her. She said she will care
for it, until Natalie is ready to return home." Cohen told him.
 Nick nodded and sighed in relief. "Natalie will be relieved to know that
Sydney's being cared for. Thank you."
 "Schanke and I are heading over to Natalie's, now. I'll call you, as
soon as I know anything. Are you going to stay the day?"
 "Yes; as long as they'll let me, anyway. I don't want Nat to wake up,
alone." Nick told them.
 Cohen and Schanke nodded their agreement and then said goodbye.
 As soon as they were gone, Nick returned to Natalie's side. The
examining room was devoid of windows, so for now, Nick relaxed a bit.
Taking Natalie's hand, he closed his eyes and tried to rest.

   The ringing of his cell phone startled him and Nick quickly answered
it. "Yeah, Knight here."
 "Nick? You are not going to like this, buddy. Nat's shower was
sabotaged." Schanke told him.
 Nick swore under his breath. "Someone was trying to kill her? But, why?"
 "Beats me, pardner, but we'd better find out who, before they find out
she's alive and try again." Schanke told him. "Captain's ordered a round
the clock guard on Natalie, until we get some answers."
 Nick was relieved to hear that. "I'm going to be here, until she wakes
up. Let me know if you find anything else out, please."
 "Will do. And Nick? Be careful. This Looney is still on the loose."
Schanke said, before disconnecting.
 Nick hung up his phone and frowned. As if Natalie hadn't been through
enough recently.
 Sighing, he leaned over Natalie and brushed her hair from her forehead,
kissing her gently. "Don't worry, Nat. I won't let anyone hurt you, ever
again." He promised.
 A nurse entered a few minutes later, to check Natalie's vitals. She
smiled at Nick, as she introduced herself as Lynae. "Everything looks
good." She told Nick, once she'd finished. "We'll be moving her to a
room, once she wakes up."
 "Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Nick asked, concerned.
 "Her body has been through a terrible shock. When a person is dying, the
body begins to shut down. Sometimes it just takes awhile for it to
realize that everything is okay." Lynae told him. "If you'd like to go
get something to eat, I can page you if she wakes up."
 Nick shook his head. "I'm fine, thank you. Besides, I don't want her to
wake up, alone."
 Lynae smiled and nodded. "I'll be back later, then."
 Nick lifted Nat's hand again and kissed it softly. He could tell,
without the machines, that her heart rate was strong and steady and her
breathing regular. He had heard her muffled cries, just before he'd found
her unconscious in the shower, so he knew that she'd not been without
oxygen for more than a few minutes. Sighing, he moved the chair a bit
closer to the bed and leaned back, never releasing his hold on Natalie's
hand. He once again closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off.

   Nick heard a movement and immediately snapped his eyes open. His
internal clock told him that it was nearing sunset, as he gazed at the
man leaning over Natalie. To his relief, it was only Dr. Olsen.
 "Good, you're awake." Dr. Olsen commented, as he glanced at Nick.
 Nick stood and stretched the kinks from his muscles. "How is she?"
 "That's what I wanted to speak to you about." Dr. Olsen told him. "I'm
concerned that she hasn't woken up, yet. She should have regained
consciousness, within a few hours of the incident. I'm going to send her
down for a CT scan and a few other tests, to see if we can figure out
what's going on. After that, I'm going to have her moved to a room."
 "Can you have her placed in a private room?" Nick asked.
 "I'm afraid her insurance doesn't cover a private room." Dr. Olsen told
him.
 "Don't worry about the cost, I'll take care of it." Nick told him. At
Dr. Olsen's raised eyebrow, Nick explained. "Someone tried to kill her...
it will be much easier to protect her, if she's in a private room."
 Dr. Olsen's eyes widened and then he nodded. "All right, then. I'll see
to it."
 Nick thanked him, before asking if he could accompany Natalie during her
tests. "I don't want to take any chances that someone might hurt her."
 "I'll let the orderlies know that you are to stay with her. You can't
actually be in the testing room with her, but you can stand nearby and
watch." He made a few notations on Nat's chart, then checked his watch.
"Is someone coming to relieve you, soon?"
 Nick shook his head. "No. I won't leave until after she wakes up."
 Dr. Olsen laid a hand on Nick's shoulder. "That could be some time,
yet."
 Nick nodded. "Then I'll wait. I don't want her to wake up to an
unfamiliar face."
 Dr. Olsen smiled at him in understanding and then quietly left the room.

End Part Two
KC Smith
tigrlady2u@juno.com

 When Darkness Falls
  By KC Smith

   Nick stood behind the glass window and watched as Natalie underwent
her CT scan. He hated feeling so helpless, but knew that there wasn't
much that he could do for her.
 The technician finished the test and motioned to the orderly that he was
finished, as he walked over to where Natalie lay.
 Lifting her carefully from the exam table, they placed her back on the
gurney and secured her into position, before the orderly nodded to Nick
that he was ready to go.
 "What else did Dr. Olsen order?" Nick asked the orderly, as he walked
beside Natalie.
 "Just the CT scan and the MRI. They've got a room ready for her, so
we'll take her on up." The orderly, Jacob, told Nick.
 Nick nodded in relief. Though the tests had gone rather quickly, he was
anxious to have Nat settled in a room.
 Shortly after Jacob had left, a nurse entered the room and introduced
herself as Lizzy.  "I'll be the night nurse on duty." She told Nick. "Can
I get you something to eat or drink?"
 Nick shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm going to wait for Dr. Olsen and
then I'm going to go home for a short time to shower, change and eat." He
handed her a paper. "This is my cell phone number. If anything should
change while I'm gone, will you please contact me?"
 Lizzy smiled and tucked the number in her pocket. "I'll make sure to."
 "A uniformed officer will be arriving soon. Would you make sure he or
she is comfortable outside the door?" Nick asked.
 "Of course. I have to go and check on my other patients, but I'll stop
by in a bit." Lizzy told him, before heading out of the room.
 Nick sat down in the recliner beside the bed and sighed. Dr. Olsen had
promised to stop by before nine o'clock, with Natalie's test results. It
was 8:15 now. He hadn't heard anymore from Schanke or Cohen, so he picked
up the bedside phone and dialed the number for the precinct. After
speaking to the front desk Sergeant, he was patched through to Cohen's
office.
 "Knight. I was going to call the hospital, as soon as I heard from
Schanke." Cohen told him, as soon as she answered the phone. "He's
interviewing the building manager at Natalie's apartment complex."
 "Have you found anything?" Nick asked, hopefully.
 "The neighbor, Mrs. McMurtry, saw a man outside Dr. Lambert's apartment,
shortly after she left for work. He told her he was there to fix the
plumbing in the bathroom. Since he had a key, which he claimed to have
gotten from the superintendent, and he was wearing a uniform and carrying
a toolbox, Mrs. McMurtry warned him that Natalie had a cat and then went
into her own apartment.
 "When Schanke asked the super about it, he said that he never even spoke
to anyone about a plumbing problem in Dr. Lambert's apartment. In fact,
the policy at the complex is that he checks out the problem first, before
calling in anyone else. And that has to be cleared by both the management
and the owner. He said that he knew there was a drain problem, but
insists that he fixed it last month." Cohen told him.
 Nick frowned at this. "So why is Schanke interviewing the manager?"
 "Well, the superintendent said that he saw the man enter the building.
When he asked him about where he was going, the man told him that he had
to fix the drain in Natalie's apartment. The super asked him who had
authorized it, and the man produced a work order with the manager's name
on it. He said that the manager had given him a key to get in, since
Natalie wanted it taken care of while she was at work."
 Nick could hear the phone on Cohen's desk beep.
 "Hold on, just a moment, please." Cohen said.
 The line was silent for a moment, before Cohen came back on. "Knight,
that was Schanke. He and some uniform's just found the apartment manager.
He's dead, Nick."
 Nick swore. "Is there an uniform on the way, yet? I should get over
there."
 "Actually, Nick, I think you're too close to this; you're off the case."

 Nick was about to protest, when a movement in the doorway caught his
attention. Seeing Dr. Olsen entering the room, he sighed and agreed.
"Captain, Natalie's doctor just came in. I'll call you, later and check
in."
 "I'll let you know, if we find anything else. Keep me posted." Cohen
told him, before saying goodbye and disconnecting.
 Nick hung up the phone and stood. Reaching out, he shook Dr. Olsen's
hand. "Dr. Olsen. Have you found anything new?"
 Dr. Olsen crinkled his brow, as he read Natalie's test results. "I'm
afraid not, son. We've run every test available and everything has come
back normal. I can't find a physical reason for her to still be
unconscious. It's almost as if she simply doesn't want to wake up."
 Nick frowned at this. As he recalled the recent events in Natalie's
life, however, he realized that what the doctor was suggesting was
entirely possible. "She has been through quite a bit in the last year and
a half." He murmured.
 Dr. Olsen gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
 "She was nearly killed by a dating service killer and her brother died
>from a gunshot wound, just over eighteen months ago. She worked a lot of
extra hours, after the asteroid scare and just six weeks ago, her
goddaughter was raped and murdered." Nick explained. 'Not to mention the
disaster on Valentine's Day at the Azure. Fortunately, she doesn't
remember that.' Nick thought.
 Dr. Olsen looked solemnly at Natalie and then back to Nick. "Topped off
with the trauma she suffered this morning. It sounds as if she just can't
take anymore."
 "How do we snap her out of it?" Nick asked.
 "I'm not entirely sure. She may come out of it on her own... but then
again, she may not. I'm going to call in a psychiatric specialist and see
what they have to say." Dr. Olsen told him. "In the meantime, talk to
her. Tell her how you feel about her; how much you miss her. Reassure
her, as much as you can."
 Nick listened carefully, nodding at what the doctor told him. "As soon
as an uniformed officer arrives, I'm going to head home for a short time.
I need to shower, change and eat something. I'll be back, as soon as
possible."
 Dr. Olsen nodded in approval. "Good. It won't do for you to wear
yourself down. I'll have them bring a cot in, so that you can stay round
the clock, if you'd like. We received word from Dr. Lambert's office that
you are named on her paperwork as next of kin."
 Nick looked surprised by this. Although he had long since named Nat as
his next of kin in case of an emergency, he was unaware that she had
chosen him. "I'd appreciate that." He said, acknowledging the doctor's
offer.
 Dr. Olsen gave him a brief smile. "I'd better get going. My wife gets
really upset when I work such late hours."
 Nick nodded and walked the doctor to the door. "Thanks for everything,
Doctor."
 "My pleasure, son." Dr. Olsen told him, as he turned to leave.
 Nick saw an uniformed officer heading in his direction and was relieved
to realize that he recognized him. "Sergeant Johnson." He said, shaking
the man's hand.
 "Hello, Detective Knight. Captain Cohen gave me strict orders that no
one is allowed to enter Dr. Lambert's room without proper
identification." He told Nick.
 Nick nodded. "Until we have some idea of who we are looking for, we have
to be extremely careful."
 "I understand." Johnson told him.
 "I'm going to run home to clean up and get something to eat. I'll return
in a couple of hours." Nick told him.
 Johnson nodded, just as Lizzy came up. "Detective Knight? I take it that
this is the uniformed officer that will be staying here until you get
back?"
 Nick introduced Lizzy to Sergeant Johnson. Once he was sure that
everything was being handled outside, he went into Natalie's room and
lightly brushed her hair from her forehead. Kissing her gently on the
lips, he then leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I love you. I'll be
back, soon."
 Standing, he turned and hurried out of the hospital. The less time he
spent away from Natalie's side, the better.

   Nick had just finished his third bottle of blood, after having had his
shower and changing into clean clothes, when the lift motor engaged.
Frowning, he listened with all of his senses on alert, and relaxed as he
recognized Schanke's heartbeat.
 Waiting beside the lift door, he nodded to his partner as he stepped off
of the lift. "Anything?"
 "Gee, partner, I'm glad to see you, too." Schanke said, before sitting
in a dining room chair.
 "Sorry, Schank. It's been a rough day." Nick said, sitting across from
him.
 Schanke nodded in agreement, before continuing. "We found that the drain
in Natalie's shower had been blocked from the inside. She wouldn't have
been able to tell that anything was wrong, even if she'd have checked.
The faucet was rigged so that after it reached a certain point, nothing
would budge it. The super had to turn off the water in Natalie's
apartment, just so we could get in there. Our perp had also rigged it so
that once the door was shut tight, it wouldn't open at all from the
inside, and only with a triggering mechanism, on the outside."
 Nick's jaw had clenched, as he listened to Schanke. Whoever had done
this had wanted to be sure that Natalie would die. "Any fingerprints, or
other clues?"
 "Not a one." Nick told him. "When we got to the Manager's apartment,
there was no answer. We heard a dog barking, and one of the neighbors
said that it had been barking most of the night and all day. We took a
chance and, sure enough, the door was unlocked. We found the Manager in
the kitchen with his throat slit. The killer used one of the Manager's
kitchen knives."
 "Still no fingerprints?" Nick asked.
 "Nothing. We don't have any clues to go on here, except the name of the
plumbing company from the manifest that the superintendent saw and a
description from the super and the neighbor." Schanke told him. "But
according to the owner of the plumbing company, they never received an
order for the job and there isn't anyone that fits the description of the
perp working there."
 "Did you get a copy of their previous employees? See if someone on that
list has a connection with Nat?" Nick asked.
 "I've got Bernice on it. She's gonna call me, the minute she's
finished."
 Nick nodded. "Well, keep me posted. I want to get back to the hospital,
in case Nat wakes up."
 "Any idea why she hasn't woken up already?" Schanke asked, as they
headed into the lift.
 "No. Dr. Olsen thinks that this might have just been one shock too many
for her. He's going to have a psychiatrist do an evaluation." Nick told
him.
 As soon as the lift stopped, Nick opened the door and they exited. "I'll
call you, if anything changes."
 "Ditto." Schanke said, as he stepped out into the night.
 Nick climbed into the Caddy and pulled out, waving one last time as
Schanke pulled away, before heading in the direction of the hospital.

End Part Three
KC Smith
tigrlady2u@juno.com

When Darkness Falls
 By KC Smith

   Nick sighed and stared out the window at the lightening horizon,
before closing the blinds and drapes for the day. It had been over
twenty-four hours now, since he'd found Natalie drowning in her shower,
and she still had not woken up.
 The psychiatrist that Dr. Olsen had sent over had spoken at some length
with Nick about the recent events in Natalie's life.  She had also
questioned him extensively on his relationship with her and had
thoroughly checked over all of Nat's test results.
 She had finally agreed with Dr. Olsen's conclusions and had told Nick
that they just needed to wait it out.
 He turned when he heard Dr. Olsen enter the room and greeted him.
 "Hello, Detective." Dr. Olsen said, as he picked up Natalie's chart. "I
was hoping to wait until Natalie woke up, to have a gynecological exam
done, but since she hasn't woken up yet, I went ahead and ordered one. An
orderly will be coming to take her down, soon. You may accompany her, if
you wish."
 Nick nodded. "Yes, I'd like to. We still have no idea who tried to kill
her, so I want to keep her in my sight."
 "I don't know if the doctor performing the exam will let you be in the
room, but I'm sure you can at least wait outside." Dr. Olsen told him. He
did a quick check of Natalie's lungs and heart, took her blood pressure
and temperature and made a few notations on her chart.
 "So far, everything looks good. Her lungs sound clear, but I'm still
going to continue the antibiotics for a few days. Since she seems to
breathe okay without the oxygen, I'm going to go ahead and keep her off
of it. I did make a notation in her chart, however, that if she should
have any difficulty breathing, she needs to be placed back on it,
immediately." He told Nick. "I'll be back, later this afternoon."
 Nick shook his hand. "Thank you, Doctor."
 Dr. Olsen nodded to him, before leaving the room.

   Nick sat outside the exam room, listening with his enhanced hearing.
He had checked to be sure the room was secure, before waiting outside.
Only the doctor and a nurse were in the room, so he leaned against the
wall, waiting for them to finish with Nat.
 He had listened as the doctor and nurse chatted about the weather and
about the nurse's child's preschool.
 "I'm ready to do the vaginal exam, Jamie. Could you step over here,
please?" Nick heard the doctor say.
 He heard soft footsteps and some more moving around, before he heard the
doctor speak again. "Could you move the light a little closer... what the
hell?... hand me a swab and I'll get a culture..."
 Nick frowned slightly, listening more intently. Something was up.
 "See if you can find out who her regular gynecologist is and get him or
her on the phone, please."
 "Of course, Doctor." Jamie's voice said. "This is Jamie down in
gynecology. Dr. Matley would like to know who Dr. Lambert's regular
gynecologist is?  Um, LT343215... Lambert, Natalie R.  Yes, that's right.
Dr. Karen Winslow? Okay, thank you."
 Nick listened, as Jamie got Dr. Winslow on the phone and handed it to
Dr. Matley.
 "Dr. Winslow, this is Dr. Matley down at St. Joseph's Hospital. I have a
patient in here, Natalie Lambert, that was brought in yesterday as a
near-drowning victim. Dr. Olsen, who is in charge of her case, ordered a
gynecological exam and I found something I was hoping you could shed some
light on. It appears that Dr. Lambert has recently given birth... she did?
I see. Could you fax that over to us, please? Yes, I'd appreciate it."
 Nick looked suddenly shocked, as he listened to this end of the
conversation. He heard the Doctor approaching and quickly gathered his
composure.
 "Detective Knight?" Dr. Matley asked, as he came out of the room.
 Nick turned and looked at him. "Yes?"
 "I'm going to have Dr. Lambert taken back upstairs. Dr. Olsen will be in
to speak with you, shortly."
 Nick nodded, frustrated that he couldn't demand an answer to his
questions, without explaining how he'd heard them.
 As soon as the orderly arrived, they headed back up to Nat's room.

End Part Four
KC Smith
tigrlady2u@juno.com

When Darkness Falls
 By KC Smith

   Dr. Olsen entered, carrying a stack of papers. He looked at Nick and
nodded to him, before motioning to the chair. "Please, have a seat."
 Nick nodded and sat down. "What is it?"
 "First of all, let me assure you that Natalie is fine. We do have to
await some test results, but I doubt that there will be any problems. Dr.
Matley did come across something that concerned him; something that may
be a contributing factor in her current condition." Dr. Olsen told him.
 "Go on." Nick said.
 "Dr. Matley found indications that Natalie recently gave birth. When he
spoke to her regular gynecologist about it, he found out that Natalie
miscarried about three weeks ago. Dr. Winslow, Natalie's regular
gynecologist, faxed over the report on it, which I have here."
 Nick glanced at the papers that he indicated and nodded. A sudden knot
had formed in his gut, making speech nearly impossible.
 "As I said, three weeks ago, Natalie miscarried. Dr. Winslow said that
she was nearing her thirteenth week, which means that she conceived
sometime around Valentine's Day." He stopped and looked up. The look on
Nick's face answered his question before he could ask.
 Walking over to where Nick was, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You
were the father, weren't you?"
 Nick fought back the tears threatening to fall, as he nodded.
 "She never told you, did she?" Dr. Olsen continued.
 Nick shook his head. "Why? Why wouldn't she tell me?" He asked in a
hoarse whisper.
 "I'm afraid I can't answer that, son. I am curious as to why you said
that you were only good friends." Dr. Olsen said.
 "We were... we were only together the one time. I still love her, but
things got complicated, so we backed off." Nick told him, not wanting to
reveal too much.
 Dr. Olsen nodded. "Well, whatever happened between the two of you, I'm
guessing that she didn't know how to bring up the pregnancy."
 He handed the report to Nick, before moving towards the door. "I don't
usually let anyone else read patient's reports, but I think in this case
I'll make an exception."
 Nick looked at Dr. Olsen. "Thank you, Doctor."
 Dr. Olsen nodded and silently left the room.

End Part Five
KC Smith
tigrlady2u@juno.com

When Darkness Falls
 By KC Smith

   Nick read over the report that Dr. Olsen had given him and then put
his face in his hands and cried for the loss of his and Nat's child.
 Needing to know exactly what had happened, Nick kicked off his shoes and
laid down beside Natalie. Being careful of the IV and the oxygen monitor
on her left hand, he pulled her close and then lifted her right wrist to
his mouth.
 Sinking his fangs into the soft skin, he took a few quick mouthfuls and
then released her, licking the wounds until they'd healed.
 He was hit with an onslaught of images and searched through her memories
for the most recent ones...
   She was running in terror, sure that her pursuer was only a few feet
behind her. Glancing back briefly, she tripped on something and fell
forward, a sharp pain registering just before everything went black.
 Suddenly, strong arms were holding her and she came to with a start. The
terror she'd felt moments before returning in full force, only to be
quelled by the soft reassurances of Nick's voice and touch.
 "Nat? It's Nick..."
 "Nick?" She asked, suddenly pulling away and looking around for Roger.
 "It's me; it's Nick. You're safe."
 Holding on for dear life, she hugged him to her and let the tears fall.
After several moments, she whispered, "I thought he was going to kill me...
like the others..."
 "You're safe, Nat. I'm here."
   Later, in the precinct, Nick took her hand and pulled her closer. "Do
you have any idea how worried I was about you?"
 Nat looked into his eyes, so full of love and concern. Rubbing his arm
with the back of her hand, she answered, "Yeah, I think I do."
 She was certain he was going to kiss her, but the pain and fear were
still too fresh in her mind, so she turned her head slightly, allowing
his kiss to fall on her forehead. Wrapping her arms around him, she
allowed him to embrace her.
 "I don't know what I would have done, if I'd lost you." Nick whispered.

   "Do you want me to go home with you?" Nat asked Sara.
 "No, that's all right. I need to spend some time alone with Amy." Sara
said, giving Nick and Natalie a halfhearted smile.
 "What are you going to tell her?"
 "That Richard's death was what God wanted. I only hope she can accept
that."
 Nat glanced at Nick. "Don't worry. I think, sometimes, that children
accept death better than we do."
 Sara stood. "Thank you, both, for everything. I really do appreciate
it."
 "No problem, Sara. Let us know if there's anything else we can do for
you. Anything at all." Nick told her, as he opened the lift door for her.
 "I will." Sara said, just before Nick released the door.
 Nat turned away. "Nick... I'm so sorry. All of this was my fault. I
shouldn't have ever said those terrible things to you..."
 Nick pulled her into his arms. "Nat, it's all right."
 "No. No, it isn't all right. I abused our friendship. You don't owe me
anything... I'm so sorry..." She hugged him tightly, before pulling away to
look into his eyes. "I don't blame you, for any of this, and I don't want
you to blame yourself, either. Promise me?"
 "Nat, I..." Nick began.
 "Promise me." Nat insisted. "This isn't your fault."
 Nick caressed her face with his palm, his eyes shining. "Promise." He
leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, then pulled her closer
and kissed her forehead.

End Part Six A
KC Smith
tigrlady2u@juno.com

TBC