Looking For Answers (closed)

[BeachBum25]

Watching Tori eat, he knew that she was on edge and was worried about what it was that he wanted to talk about. He had seen Rachel whisper something to Tori, and assumed that she was giving Tori a heads-up about what the conversation was going to be about.

After she got more coffee and came back and sat down with him, Declan wasn't sure that Tori really did know what he wanted to talk about. Either that, or she was doing a tremendous job of hiding that she knew the topic that was about to be discussed.

Looking at her caused Declan to take a deep breath. He was worried about how she was going to take this, but he was more worried about her health. "Tor, we need to talk about your health. I am not talking about managing it with pills when you have an episode like yesterday. I am talking about long-term management.... getting the issue addressed before it gets to the point where it is too late."

Yes, he was beating around the bush a little bit. He didn't want to throw Rachel under the bus and let Tori know that Rachel had shared with him that Tori needed a heart transplant. He was hoping that Tori would bring that up. He was staring into her eyes, and Tori was staring right back. She was as stubborn as he was and she was not giving anything up, yet.

"Tori, there has to be something more that can be done than just waiting for one of your episodes to occur and taking you green pills. What happens if you can't get to the pills and there isn't anyone around to help you with it. The doctors need to come up with a better course of action than just that." He was still trying to protect Rachel. He hoped Tori would trust him enough to share the real story.

 

[zydrate]

Tori didn't answer right away. She sat there and drank her coffee, thinking of how to approach this with him. Yes, she was trying to figure how to explain this to Declan, not because she thought he was dumb, but more to the point of a way so he didn't do anything rash. But as Tori concluded with herself, there was no easy way.

"To be honest, D, this is why I didn't want to tell you anything because you would worry about it more than I would... hell, I'm even a little pissed that you're putting more effort into my health than I am."

He had mentioned her episodes and she just shrugged, "I'll just make it a habit to make sure I have some meds on me at all times."

Pushing the coffee to the side, Tori let her head fall back and she groaned. Taking a deep breath, she held up a hand at Declan, "Look, D, the only thing that could save me from here is a transplant.. oh, and being higher on the list. And trust me, I could be number one on the list and you know what will still stop me? The cost, Declan. The fucking cost. My insurance will pay a part of it but I have to come up with $750K and trust me, I don't have that laying around... do you?"

"I didn't think so..." Standing up, Tori shook her head and left the kitchen. She needed to cool down. This was all sprung upon her and she was fuming from it all. Tori went to the room and closed the door careful not to slam it, even though she had wanted to. Yeah, she was mad but the more she thought about it, she couldn't think of a specific reason she was mad. She wasn't mad at Rachel, who was probably only trying to help.

Tori sat on the bed and then lay back... staring at the ceiling.

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan did not want to push the issue with Tori. Well, he did, but he knew that it would not be worth the aggravation right now. Also, he did not want to upset Tori and risk her having another episode that would force him to take her to the Emergency Room.

She really was full of attitude this morning, and when talking about the cost of the heart transplant, she showed even more attitude. "No Tor, I don't have $750K lying around, but that doesn't mean that we can't look at ways to...." He stopped. He knew it wasn't worth it.

Watching her walk to the bedroom, Declan got up and went outside. He called Flannery. He wanted to know what he or McShea could do. if anything, about Tori's situation. "I am not asking for the money. I just want to know if there is any way to get the cost down or if there is someone who doesn't pad their bill to a ridiculous amount."

He knew he was just grasping at straws, but he needed to do it. Declan needed to find a way for Tori to get the surgery. Maybe after he took over Saltwater he would be able to get the money, but he had no idea when that would be or how long it would take him once he did take over.

After hanging up with Flannery, Declan decided to go for a walk. It would turn out to be a very bad decision.

 

[zydrate]

Tori hadn't realized she fell asleep when she heard knocking on the door. Then she heard her name called and she forced herself to wake up fully. She sat up, "Yes?"

The door opened and Rachel was standing there, almost in a timid stance, "Hey, is something wrong?" Tori asked as she grabbed her phone to see the time and saw she was only asleep for a bit over an hour.

"Nothing...well--I," Rachel walked in and sat at the end of the bed, "I'm sorry... I told Declan about your condition."

Tori sighed as she realized Rachel was about to cry as her bottom lip started to tremble. "Hey... don't worry about it OK? I'm not mad about it but I did want to tell him in time... at least when other things had settled down somewhat."

She could see Rachel still wasn't satisfied so Tori rubbed Rachel's arm, "Look, it's going to be OK, alright? Things will work out." Tori then realized she was giving the same speech her mother had given her when she was assuring Tori of the same thing when she was younger. But things didn't work out for her mother.

It was going to be OK, she had to believe it.

"Why don't you go make some popcorn and we'll watch a movie? How's that sound?"

Rachel's eyes lit up at that thought and she said she would. "I'm sure when Declan has returned from his walk, he'll want to join."

Tori nodded and got up and headed to the living room as Rachel went to the kitchen. She owed Declan an apology, big time. She knew she should not have gone off on him like that but she was just surprised he sprung it upon her about what he knew about her condition.

 

[BeachBum25]

As he walked down the street, all Declan could think about was how he could help Tori. The nonsense with Rachel and the Moores had led to a whole lot more; most of which he probably wouldn't know about if Rachel hadn't involved herself where she had no right being.

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, his mind was just racing over trying to find a solution to Tori's dilemma. When he realized how far he had walked, Declan decided to cross the street and walk back to the house on the other side. He looked both ways before entering the crosswalk. Something made him turn to his right...

Declan opened his eyes as he was being loaded into the ambulance. A police officer started asking questions. An EMT was asking different questions. Declan couldn't process any of them.

The next thing Declan remembered was looking up into bright lights as multiple people looked down at him. One woman was barking orders to the others around him. Another woman told him to relax as she connected him to some kind of machine. A police officer tried to move next to him, but was bluntly reprimanded by the first woman who told him to back off and wait until he was stable.

A third woman, who was connecting him to an IV, smiled down at him. "What's your name, sweetie?" Looking up at her, he didn't know how to answer. All he could say was, "What happened? Where am I? Why am I here?" The woman patted his arm. "Just relax. We will answer your questions in a little bit. Just let us get you hooked up and checked out."

 

[zydrate]

He was gone for too long... Tori thought as she looked at her burner phone and none of her texts to Declan were answered. Was he that upset about this morning? No, he wasn't the silent time about their fights. That was more Tori's department...

"Did you see him leave the house, Rach?" Tori asked, trying to keep her tone light as she didn't want to worry her... she had been through too much as it was.

Rachel shrugged, "I wasn't in here but I heard the door close this morning." She looked up from her book and then at the clock on the wall, "He's been gone for a while, hasn't he? I mean, his car is still here..."

Not taking any chances, Tori walked to the bedroom and changed into some jeans before putting on her shoes, "Listen, I'm going to go out and see if I can find him," she said as she got her gun from the closet where she had it tucked safely away... just in case, and hid it on her person, "I want you to lock the front door after me and don't answer it unless it's myself or Declan. Now, if he gets back before I do, you have my number. If someone does come up, text me but again, don't answer it, OK?"

Rachel nodded, "Of course... Tor... be careful, OK?"

"It's going to be fine, remember, don't answer for anyone except us. Lock the door!" Tori said as she stepped out onto the porch and stopped for a moment before looking around. There was only one direction Declan could have gone as the other way was forest. So, it was time to go out and look for him... she kept her calm as she tried not to think about why he wasn't answering his phone... she hoped it had nothing to do with the business of the Moores or whatever else was happening in the city.

 

[BeachBum25]

"We are going to take you to get some x-rays sweetie. Tell me something. What is your name? You need to work with me here a little so we can assess your condition." Declan looked up at the woman. He told her his name. "Now you have my name, but you have to give me some info, too. "What happened? How did I get here?"

The woman told Declan that he was brought in by ambulance and that he had been hit by a car. "How am I? I can't feel my legs right now?" The woman told him they were going to check everything out. She told him the the Rescue crew had given him some morphine for pain and that may have something to do with him not having any feeling in his legs.

Declan relaxed a little. He was trying to remember what happened. He remembered going for a walk and deciding to cross the street and turn around. He remembered suddenly hearing a car, but that was it.

He was wheeled off to x-ray. They told him that they were going to do full body x-rays and that he was going to have a CT scan done also. Declan was stressed, but then he became even more stressed when he thought about Tori and Rachel. "Hey, wait... I need to contact my girlfriend and my sister. They have no idea...."

He was told they would give him a chance to contact them later. "We need to get these tests done Declan. We have to make sure everything is okay. Then you can call them." He calmed down a little... not thinking that it was going to be a couple of hours before he would get that chance.

 

[zydrate]

As much as she didn't want to do it, Tori knew she had to find out what was going on. She had to call Flannery. She barely knew the man but he would at least know what Declan had told him, if anything...

Ten minutes later, Tori wasn't any closer to knowing where Declan had gone. Flannery said that he didn't know and the last time he spoke to him was earlier that morning. Of course, he didn't way what was discussed and Tori wasn't interested in that anyway. She just wanted to know where Declan had gone.

Could the Moores have found him? No... if anything, they weren't that smart... then again, she wouldn't put it pass them. But no, she knew D would have fought tooth and nail to avoid being taken by them.

Finding herself in the city, she hadn't realized how far she had walked. Tori found herself in front of the small local police station. Would he be there? No...

Maybe?

There was only one way to find out. Tori headed inside.

****
Leaving the station, Tori tried to be as vague as she could, giving the cop she had spoken to, hypothetical situations. She had asked if they brought anyone in that day.. she used the clueless aptitude to find out if they had arrested anyone. Of course, they hadn't. So she asked where one would go if they were hurt? He had said if anything, had someone need any medical, the town was equipped with a small doctor's office and a dentist. Any thing, such as an urgent care, would be in the next town over.

OK, so maybe that was it. Maybe the state police? She had wanted to ask more but she also didn't want to rouse any suspicion about a missing man...

She needed to wait. But Tori had felt guilty about everything. What if he just got tired of her and her attitude? So he just walked off? No, there was no way he would do that. That wasn't a Declan thing he would do. He wouldn't leave Rachel like that also.

"Damnit Deek... where the hell are you?"

***

Back at the house, Rachel nearly attacked Tori when she got back, asking her if she heard anything. Tori couldn't lie to her and told her she looked. Right now, she would wait a little bit more and if nothing, she would go out again.

Tori sat at the kitchen table, her phone in front of her. She had no choice but to wait. "I'll give him another hour." She said to Rachel, "He'll call, OK? He's fine. He just needs time to cool off."

"He wouldn't be away if you would just be truthful with him!!" Rachel said to Tori.

That of course, took Tori by surprise, "Excuse me?"

"You just had to tell him about your heart when it had happened Tori, I--" Rachel shook her head and wiped away tears from eyes as she got up and ran to her room.

"Goddamnit." Tori said, trying to keep calm. She had done her best to hide her chest pains from Rachel all evening. She just had to relax. There was no way she could deal with Rachel right now. The poor girl was just scared. After all she had been through these past few days, it was no wonder.

 

[BeachBum25]

Once the x-rays were complete, Declan prepared himself for the CT scan that they said he needed to have done. What he wasn't prepared for was the long wait until they would get it done. Laying on the gurney in the hallway was not good for how anxious he was feeling. Adding to the anxiety was that there was nobody around to tell him how much longer it would be.

When a nurse walked past him, he called to her. She turned and looked at Declan, but when he asked how long it was going to be, she simply said, "I don't know" and walked away from him. Now Declan was beyond anxious and moving toward pissed off. He was okay with having the tests done, but he needed to contact Tori. "Somebody better get me some fucking answers and real fucking soon," he shouted; loudly enough that it got the attention of several nurses and doctors. The nurse who had been talking to Declan in the ER, came up to him and apologized. "We are sorry Declan, we had to move someone in front of you for the scan. They are in much worse shape than you are. It seems that their car was forced off the road and they were severely beaten. We are trying to save his life, but it doesn't look good."

Declan's mind was racing. Stuff like that did not happen around here. That was why he bought the house out here to get him and Tori and even Rachel away from all of that. He called after the nurse as she started to walk away. "Can I at least get my phone so I can make a call. There are people who have no idea where I am." The nurse agreed to let him make the call, but only for a minute. She returned with his cell phone. "I have to stay here with you. You are not supposed to have it so I could get into trouble. Please make it fast."

Nodding at the nurse, Declan took his phone and called Tori. When she answered and started firing questions at him, he told her to stop and listen. "Tor, listen babe. I was hit by a car. No, no, I am fine. They are just doing some tests. Yes, relax. Don't come here, yet. You won't be able to see me. I will call you when it is a good time for you to come. Yes, please relax Tori. I don't want the stress causing you problems. Please babe. I am fine. Okay. I will talk to you soon. I love you Tor."

After disconnecting the call, Declan handed the phone back to the nurse and thanked her. Just then the doctor walked by and told the nurse that the other patient had not survived. The nurse started to walk away and Declan called to her. "Excuse me, the person who was beaten, was his name Moore?" The nurse looked at him. "How did you know that?" Declan shook his head. "I don't know, I just had this weird feeling."

 

[zydrate]

When she had hung up with Declan, Tori let out a sigh of relief. Her head was pounding from all this. On top of that, Rachel had locked herself in her room once more. Getting up from the kitchen table, Tori went to Rachel's room and gently knocked on the door, "Hey Rach.. Declan called--he's..." she had wanted to say more but didn't want to stress the poor girl out anymore than she was, "He is going to call back later when he has more time to talk."

Nothing, but after a minute, Rachel unlocked her door and opened, Tori could immediately tell she had been crying. With a sniffle, Rachel gave Tori a hug, "I'm so very sorry for what I said Tor... none of it was true, I was just frustrated."

Tori nodded and gave her a hug back, "Don't worry about it, OK? I know things haven't been the greatest. I know you're going through a lot but I promise, things will settle down soon, OK?"

The girl nodded, "So, D called finally. Is he OK? Does he know he's going to get it for just disappearing like that and making us worry?"

"He's fully aware, trust me. Listen, he's supposed to call me back when he can. So, let's wait for that, OK? I'm not too hungry but let's try to eat something and relax a little. He might not call back soon but when he does, we'll go from there."

 

[BeachBum25]

Once Declan was finally finished with all of the tests, he was moved back to the ER where he waited for the doctor to come in and give him the results. He was starting to get some feeling in his legs. They were tingling, but at least it was something compared to the nothing that he could feel when he first awoke in the ER.

When the doctor came in and shared that there was some bruising in his hips, his back and his legs that was causing the temporary paralysis, Declan was somewhat relieved. The doctor then shared that he had several broken ribs. They would tape up the ribs and he would be fine in a few weeks. "We will be able to get you out of here when you have feeling throughout your extremities. For now, just relax."

Declan told him that he wanted to make a call. The doctor said that it was fine and had the nurse find his belongings and give him his phone. When the doctor wasn't looking, Declan winked at her; another way of thanking her for getting his phone earlier.

"Hey Tor, I will be able to leave here soon. Do you think you could come over and pick me up. If they give you a hard time, just tell them you are my sister, and they will let you back to see me baby."

 

[zydrate]

It was late when Tori got the call from D to come get him. She quickly woke up and told him she'd be there as soon as she could. Rachel had gone to bed a while ago and instead of waking her up, Tori left her a note to stay there and that she'd be back with Declan before she woke up.

The drive was just under an hour, only because of some random roadwork cautions that were left up and advised drivers to slow down. Tori saw a cop car just off to the side of the road, doing it's best to hide. Slowing down and not wanting to get a ticket tonight, Tori drove through the work zone carefully. She relied on her phone's GPS to guide her to the hospital.

Once she got there, she quickly parked the car and made her way inside the small hospital. She took a few deep breaths and smiled as she approached the front desk. Tori let the woman know she was there to pick up her 'brother' and gave her Declan's name. It felt weird to say that but it needed to be done so no questions could be asked.

A nurse took Tori back, asking her questions about Declan and that several of the nurses wondered if he was single. Even though he was difficult at times, some of the nurses found him cute. With a forced smile, Tori told them no, she didn't think he was single.

"But, he's not engaged."

"No... can I just see him please? This isn't a dating game as he was just injured earlier." Tori told her firmly. She was tired... felt guilty seeing as how she knew this was all her fault.

Another deep breath, the nurse pointed her to the curtain at the end of the room, "He's in there, itching to go." Tori nodded and went to the curtain and pulled it back slightly, "Hey... ready to go?" She asked as she stepped fully into the small space.

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan sat in the room in a hospital gown. "Damn it. I should have told Tori to bring me some clothes to put on." When Declan had been brought into the hospital, they had cut his clothes off him so that they could do their assessment. At the time, they did not know exactly what his injuries were, so, they did not want to move him around too much before taking x-rays. Now it looked like he was going to leave in the hospital gown.

He waited anxiously for Tori. When he heard her voice outside the small room, he stood up. He grabbed his side in pain. He had several broken ribs and a badly bruised hip, but other than that, he had come out of the incident relatively unscathed. The doctors, and a police officer shared that he must have noticed the car coming at the last minute and jumped since his legs came out uninjured except for some bruising.

"Ready to go? Hell yes, I am ready to go. I hope you don't mind being seen walking out with me in this hospital gown. They cut my clothes off and I forgot to tell you to bring me some clothes to put on." He laughed a little. "I guess I will just put on a little show for the ladies as I leave. Give them something to remember me by."

Once in the car, Declan turned to Tori. "Thanks for coming to get me babe. I couldn't get out of there quick enough." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "I know you are going to ask me about what happened. Honestly, I don't really know. Obviously, I was hit by a car. I don't know how it happened. I remember looking both ways before I crossed the street, and then I suddenly heard a car engine.... that is the last of it that I can remember."

 

[zydrate]

There wasn't much said as Tori drove them back to Declan's place. What was there to say? She would at least give him the decency to dress. But this entire day had been exhausting and she was just glad to get it over with.

They held hands as Tori drove them home. It took several calls of his name to get his attention when she had asked him if he wanted anything to eat from somewhere before they got home. He declined and said he just wanted to get home.

It was late when Tori pulled up to the drive and placed the car in park. She got out first and opened the back, grabbing the blanket from the trunk. She came around to Declan's side and gave it to him, "Sorry, I just realized I had this back there." She told him and held it to him.

After they got into the house, Tori locked the door behind them and headed to Rachel's door to check on her. The note was still there so that meant she hadn't gotten up while Tori was gone. That was good. She didn't have to explain anything to her and would let Declan handle that in the morning.

About 15 minutes later, Tori was laying in bed and waiting for Declan to join her. She didn't want to do anything but be in his arms. She was still feeling guilty about what happened to him. If she hadn't been upset, then he wouldn't have gone out and ended up getting hurt. Damnit. They were both like firecrackers... ready to go off... usually it was good to have when applying to those against them but to each other... it was a lot.

Another reason they had broken up before... Tori was tired and she knew Declan had to be exhausted also. The hospital did tend to make one feel the weight of it all when one got to their own environment. At least that's how it was for Tori when she had to do some stays there. Feeling the bed move, she realized she must have closed her eyes as she felt Declan come up behind her and wrap his arms around her, holding her close. She sighed and leaned against him carefully, "You're going to probably be hurting a lot more soon... if you're already not." She turned and rested her head on his shoulder, "I'm sorry you were hurt today D... I mean, if you wanted to get back at me for getting upset earlier in the morning, you could have just said something." Tori tried to lighten the mood a little. There were probably some things to discuss still but now wasn't the time.

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan almost had to laugh at the situation as he walked out of the hospital in the gown. He reached behind him to hold the gown closed in the back as he walked out to the car, which Tori had pulled up to the Main Entrance. Once he was inside, he leaned over and gave Tori a kiss before taking her hand in his.

The ride home was relatively quiet except for Tori asking him if he wanted to stop for something to eat. "No babe. I just want to get home and get a shower and put on some real clothes. Thanks, though."

He laughed again when Tori came around from the trunk and wrapped the blanket around him. "Perfect timing Tor. I wouldn't want Rachel to see my bare ass as I walked through the house." He seriously doubted that Rachel would be there to greet him. He figured she would be in bed and avoiding any interaction tonight. Talking with Rachel would wait until the morning.

Once in the bedroom, he took Tori in his arms and held her close. Looking down into her eyes, he kissed the tip of her nose. "I am sorry Tori. I am sorry for what I put you through. I know you don't need any stress babe, and I am sure that you were stressed when you didn't know where I was." They stood there in the embrace for a few moments. Declan just enjoying being close to Tori again.

"I am going to get a quick shower. Why don't you get ready for bed and I will join you shortly." They kissed and held each other tightly before Declan made his way to the bathroom, tossed the hospital gown into the trash can and stepped into the shower. It felt good to have the water beating down over him. He closed his eyes as the water cascaded over him. He thought he heard Tori in and out of the bathroom a couple times as she got ready for bed.

Once he finished the shower, he toweled off and moved quietly into the bedroom. He looked toward the bed, and it appeared to him that Tori had fallen asleep. That was a good thing. She deserved the rest. He was sure that she had been through a tough stretch wondering and worrying about him. He moved toward the bed and slipped in behind her.

"I am sorry Tor. I didn't mean to wake you. I was trying to be quiet, but, of course you know that isn't one of my strong suits." He enjoyed having her head on his shoulder as they laid there together. "I am going to be fine. Yes, I will be sore, I am sure, but I will have to deal with it." He kissed her cheek. "Right.... talking with you earlier in the morning would have done wonders for both of us. We would have ended up yelling at each other and we would not be laying here together like we are now. Actually, I think that what happened showed growth on both our parts. We both went in separate directions to avoid an argument. I think we were both just trying to cool off until we could talk again. How was I supposed to know that while crossing a street thinking of you I wouldn't see a speeding car coming at me?"

Declan rolled onto his side, draping his other arm over Tori. "Go to sleep Tor. You have had a stressful day. I am here with you and I am not going anywhere. We can finish our "discussion" tomorrow."

 

[zydrate]

Even though it was early in the morning, Tori found herself awake all of a sudden. She looked over at Declan and saw he was still asleep. She smiled faintly and got up careful and slowly out of bed as not to wake him. She grabbed a pair of jeans as she walked into the bathroom and got dressed in there. After that, she walked quietly out of the bedroom and grabbed her bag from the couch. No one was up yet and that was a good thing... it would make all this easier.

She found a piece of paper and wrote a note on it, a sudden pit in her stomach making the ache of what she was doing, worse. On the note, she told them that she was going back to the city for the time being. It was for the best. Perhaps when things settled down between the Moores, she and D could talk more about the future. But right now, she had to fix her business and couldn't do that from where she was.

Leaving the note where Declan would find it, hopefully before Rachel, Tori left.

*** 2 days later ***

Standing in front of the burned office build where her PI business was renting out an office, she noticed only her office was burned. She had called the investigator and asked him to meet her so she could get an assessment about the fire and find out what was found and how it was started.

"Why is my office the only one that looks like it was destroyed?"

"Because it was. The fire was primarily set in your office and from there, things got out of control. Thank goodness for a passerby calling it in."

"Do you have the name of the passerby?"

"Why? You going to find then and harass them for questions that we already asked?"

"Yes Phil, I'm going do exactly that. Geez, I'm just curious."

With a heavy sigh, the Marshal looked at his notes, "Grady Moore."

Of course... "You're fucking kidding me?" Leave it to the Moores brood to give their actual name. Some weren't the brightest, that was for sure.

***

Tori stopped as she looked up at the entrance of the Saltwater. It was the middle of the day and she had called to see if she could talk to Devin Moore. He was not the most reasonable but he was next in line to take over the family business once his father handed it down to him. He seemed a bit too willing to talk to Tori and asked her down the Saltwater where they could 'talk'.

She knocked on the door of the club and waited. She heard the unlocking of the door and it opened, a big man, more stocky than built, told her to come in.

"Devin will see you in a few."

"He should have been ready. I don't have much time." She said, not wanting them to feel like they were in control. She wasn't going to play their game. But of course, she had no choice but to wait.

 

[BeachBum25]

When Declan woke up and rolled over, he was surprised to see that Tori was not in bed with him. Not thinking too much of it, Declan took his time getting out of bed. Once he was dressed, he walked out into the main part of the house. Looking around, he couldn't find Tori. Rachel was nowhere to be found either. Declan started to worry.

Finding the note, Declan read it. Then, he read it again. "What the fuck Tor?," he said under his breath. Just when he thought things would settle down between the two of them, Tori was off on her own. It really pissed him off that she wouldn't let him help her. It was as if she needed to prove something. Who was she trying to prove something to? Was it him? He certainly hoped not, because Declan really believed in her. Was it herself? Declan had no idea. Was there someone else that she was trying to prove herself to? He was at a loss for words.

Picking up his phone, Declan called Flannery. He told him what had happened, and what was going on. Flannery told him to stay out of town. "I will stay here. Physically, I am not in any shape to deal with anything now, but you need to have someone look after Tori for me. I know she will go to her office first and try to figure things out, but we all know who is behind the fire, and Tori will go there next. Keep an eye on her and make sure that whatever you do to the Moore's, she doesn't get harmed in any way."

After hanging up with Moore, Declan looked over and saw Rachel standing there staring at him with a questioning look on her face. "Where did Tori go, D? What is she doing now? Is she in trouble?"

"She said she needed to take care of her business Rach. She got up early and snuck out... left me a note. Not real sure what she is up to. That is why I had to make a call and have someone look out for her. I wish she would trust me. Things were in the works that would have set us up real good for the future. I was going to get control of Saltwater after the Moores were taken care of. Now, this could fuck it all up."

He tried to hide his anger, but it was hard to do. Tori didn't trust him enough to have a conversation with him about anything... not her business... not her health.... not them. Maybe there really wasn't anything between them.

 

[zydrate]

She waited.

Tori was surprised that Declan hadn't made any attempts to call her. He was either extremely pissed with her or... he was tired of her trying to do things herself that he'd just relented.

She wanted to believe he was pissed but she had a feeling it was the latter...

Well, she had wanted to see if there was a way she could speed up the process and light a fire under somoene's ass to see if she could get her business back.. at least assess the damages. She had been loss in her thoughts when the guy who told her to wait there came back out from the back... alone.

Damnit.

"Devin is busy. He said come back tonight and he'll talk to you then."

As she had started to protest, the man grabbed her by the arm and 'showed' her back to the entrance. Just as they reached it, another man showed up and grabbed her other arm before turning his attention to the other man, "I got it from here man..." The first guy didn't argue and just let it happen. Tori was tired of being 'man-handled' but when she tried to yank her arm away, the other guy just muttered under his breath, "Keep your ass in line or else. Just continue to walk and listen, I work with Flannigan and he was able to tell me about you." He walked her to her car, "You don't come here again. We're handling things ok? You are so close to ruining everything we've worked for so far. Go back to your apartment, pack some things and Flannigan will send someone else to escort you back out of town."

He opened her car door and practically shoved her in, "Go back to Declan, Tori. We've got things taken care of here."

They had things taken care of? All she wanted to do was get things in order for her business, but, now it looked like even that would have to wait. Even she knew not to get in the middle of things between what ever Flannigan had planned and the Moores. Yeah, she made a stupid move by coming here but she was desperate. She needed her business up and running again.

***
It was close to midnight when she finally pulled back up to the house out of the city. The lights were still on so she knew someone was up. Tori did as she was told, she packed up a few of her things and someone was there to escort her out of town... well, 8 someones really... all men working for Flannigan, 2 men in each of the 4 cars... it was a little bit of overkill but she knew better than to argue or fight it.

Now... she'd have to apologize to Declan.. that was, if he'd let her.

 

[BeachBum25]

Answering his phone, Declan listened. "Okay," was all he said and then hung up. As mad as he was at Tori prior to the phone call, he was even more pissed off after receiving the call. "What the fuck is she doing? Why would she go meet with the Moore's?" He obviously said it out loud, because Rachel looked over at him as they sat in the living room watching television.

"Tori is just doing some things that don't make sense and only put her in danger. It isn't bad enough that she isn't taking care of her health, but now she is trying to meet up with the Moore's, and I have no idea what she is hoping to get out of it." Rachel shook her head and went back to watching the television. He had no idea what she had on, and frankly he didn't care.

After dinner, Declan cleaned up. Not long after, Rachel said she was going to her room. Declan gave her a kiss. "Rach, I hope things don't change between you and Tori. I know how good friends you are. I am not sure how things are going to go between Tori and me, though. She won't talk to me. She obviously doesn't trust me, and I can't be in a relationship with someone who doesn't trust me."

Rachel gave Declan a look. "Maybe she just wants to do something on her own without you getting in the way or trying to help her with your macho attitude." Declan smiled at her. "well, at least I know whose side you are on, but I have to tell you Rach... we already talked that out, and I agreed that I would not get involved in anything to do with her business unless she asked me to. All she has to do is let me know what she is doing."

Turning and walking away, Rachel left Declan alone. Knowing that Tori was going to be escorted out of town, Declan sat on the sofa and waited for her to get back. He almost thought that he was waiting for her to get "home" but Declan wasn't so sure that Tori would ever consider this home.

When she walked through the door, Declan tried with all of his might to not yell or even say anything to Tori about what she had done. He didn't say anything about how she was in danger of ruining a good thing that could help her with her health issues. In fact, he said nothing at all. He remained calm... on the exterior at least. He wanted to see what Tori would say. He had a feeling she was going to be pissed at him for having her removed from Saltwater and escorted out of town. If that happened, he wasn't sure that he could remain calm.

 

[zydrate]

The tension. If the tension was water, she would surely be drowning. Seeing Declan waiting for her, she tossed her bag down at the door and shrugged off her jacket. She could of course just go to bed, but she had a feeling he wouldn't want her in his bed. At the very least, she owed him an apology. Yeah, she had a lot of time to think about it on the drive back.

She saw he was trying to remain calm and Tori knew the wrong tone and/or word could set him off and then they'd both be yelling and tempers would flair. Instead, she moved pass him and sat on the couch, not saying anything for the longest time. Who would crack first? No, she didn't want to play any more games about this. They had talked about being more honest with each other... so why wasn't she doing so? Why hadn't she told him what she was going to do? To have him have his friends intercept her, something had to be going on.

Tori cleared her throat and ignored the tightness in her chest. She knew it was from being stressed and also, being tired. She needed rest so why didn't she just take it?

"I'm sorry D." She began, "I know I should have talked with you about it.. and I understand you're upset and if this breaks us up--" she stopped. She hadn't meant to say that because it was something she also thought about on the way back. Shrugging, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it as she waited for him to speak. She wouldn't blame him if he just walked away.

 

[BeachBum25]

Watching as Tori came into the house, Declan remained quiet. He wanted to maintain his composure, so, he was going to sit quietly until he felt the time was right for him to speak. He didn't know what Tori had been up to, but he knew that she had tried to go rogue and a simple conversation with him could have prevented all of the anxiety that existed between them at the moment.

When Tori apologized; saying she should have talked to him first, Declan took a deep breath. However, when she added the part about if it breaks them up, Declan exhaled loudly. Despite becoming more upset, he kept his composure. He watched her as she shrugged her shoulders; a gesture that Declan took to mean that she wasn't concerned if they broke up. He just nodded his head.

After several minutes of silence, Declan stood up. He started to head for his bedroom, but then he stopped. "I have tried Tori. We agreed that we would work together. We agreed to be more open to each other. Then I find out you were still hiding your heart issue from me. After that, you sneak off without taking a couple of minutes to talk to me about what you wanted to do. Then, not only do you run off, but you go to Saltwater to talk with the Moores."

He took a deep breath... held it in and then let it out slowly. So far, he had been talking calmly... not yelling. He wanted to keep it that way. "Tori, I had things worked out. I had a plan where I would be able to get the money you need for your heart surgery. I had it set up so that I could be on my own, and not working for McShea. I would have been allied with him, but not working for him. We could have been set up so well. You would have had the money to rebuild your business and make it grow, but you didn't trust me. You thought I would try to talk you out of it."

Feeling close to losing it, Declan turned and went into his bedroom; closing the door behind him. He had no idea of whether Tori would follow him, or not, but, at the moment, he wasn't sure if he cared.

 

[zydrate]

He had things planned? He never told her. What sort of things did he have planned?

It was just like him to not tell her. He was basically blaming her .. for what? She was trying to get her business back, that was it. This whole turf war wasn't her business.

But again, without a turf, she wouldn't have any business. She should have listened to her mother and gone into something sustainable for work... like some clerk or a waitress. But no, she had to have different dreams... fuck her, right?

"Tor?" came a soft voice from the hallway, "are you OK?"

No... she wasn't. If she could, she wished she could change things... she wish she could have been a better girlfriend to Declan. He deserved better. But of course, she couldn't tell Rachel any of this. Tori just nodded and forced a smile, "I'm fine Rach... go to bed, OK? It's late." To her surprise, Rachel didn't say anything else and a few seconds later, Tori heard the door close.

Her phone dinged. With a tired move, Tori looked at the notification she had gotten. An email.

Despite being exhausted, she opened her email app, she read it and sighed. It had started out as "We are pleased to tell you that you have been approved for financial assistance with your upcoming surgery..." it went on to give her a date to go into their doctor of choice to see him regarding a physical. It was for set for 2 days... well, one day from today now, since it was after midnight. The only problem, it was in New York... at fucking 8am... the next morning. It was only a 4 hour drive to NYC but she was tired.

Well, she guessed it was a good thing Declan was done with her, she figured... He wouldn't care that she needed to leave the next night... probably for good.

***a few hours later***
That familiar ping in her chest caused Tori to wake up, gasping for air.

Not now.

This time, she had her purse with her after she had jotted down some things about the upcoming appointment but had fallen asleep on the couch. She dug around in her bag and found the small bottle that held her pills. She did her best to stay calm as she opened the bottle and took out 2 pills and quickly tossed them into her mouth. She did her best to swallow the pills before she laid back on the couch and waited. That was all she could do was wait for them to help her...

 

[BeachBum25]

Laying in bed, fully clothed with his hands behind his head, Declan stared at the ceiling. He was not surprised that Tori didn't follow him into the bedroom. Actually, it was probably a good thing, because he knew that she would try to spin it that it was his fault. She would say if he had a plan he should have shared it with her. That would have set him off, because he had wanted to surprise her with the plan, but he would have revealed it to her before that if she shared that she was going to go running off to meet with the Moores.

He had no idea what he was going to do with her. He really cared for her. No, he loved Tori, but she always wanted to do things on her own. She was constantly trying to prove herself. "What the fuck Tor." He said it out loud, but not loud enough for Tori or Rachel to hear.

After a while, he must have dozed off, because he woke up suddenly. He jumped out of bed quickly. He had an awful feeling in his gut. Something was wrong. He grabbed his gun and slowly opened the door. He saw Tori laying back on the couch. He looked around and didn't see anyone else, or anything out of the ordinary. What was it that spooked him like that?

Moving over toward Tori, Declan saw her pill bottle laying on top of her bag. The lid was not on it and several of the pills were spilled out. Sitting next to Tori, he tried to wake her to make sure she was alright. Then, Declan saw a piece of paper with notes about an appointment. It was a hospital in NYC, and it was....... tomorrow.

"Tori, come on babe.... wake up. Are you okay?" Tori stirred a little, but didn't respond to him. In that moment, he made a decision. They were going to NYC... NOW. Going to the local hospital would only cause Tori to miss her appointment in New York. She took her pills, so Declan figured she would be okay for right now, but she needed the surgery, and for that he needed to get her to the hospital where her appointment was.

"Rachel... get dressed and get out here... right NOW." When she came out all pissy, Declan stared at her. "Don't start with me, just gather up Tori's things. Make sure you get her phone and the note she has there and her purse. We are going to New York." Rachel could tell from the tone of Declan's voice that she should just do as she was told.

Once in the car, Declan made a couple of phone calls to let Flannery and McShea know what he was up to, and to let them know where he would be if they needed him. Four hours to new York was the normal travel time, Declan planned on cutting that down considerably. Yes, he drove fast, but he was careful, also. No need to crash and kill them all while trying to make sure Tori was okay. Rachel sat in the back with Tori; monitoring her as best she could. "Just make sure she is still breathing Rach. Let me know if anything changes with her."

Pulling up to the Emergency Room entrance, Declan jumped out and lifted Tori out of the back seat of the SUV. "Bring all of her stuff Rach." Carrying Tori inside, Declan started barking orders to doctors, nurses, and anyone else that looked like they could help. Security approached him, but he gave the man a look that said, "stay the fuck out of my way."

He found a doctor, and made sure the doctor focused on him. He went through what he knew about Tori's condition. "She has an appointment here tomorrow morning. I want you to make sure she makes that appointment."

 

[zydrate]

She had little snippets of being a vehicle... sometimes her dreams felt so real...

The next thing, Tori groaned and tried fight away the fog clouding her brain as she woke up. The first thing that assaulted her ears was the beeping of a monitor... a heart monitor. She sighed and opened her eyes.

The monitor sped up a bit as she realized where she was. A hospital. But it wasn't a solo room, but one that was curtained off. She sat up but immediately felt someone prevent her from getting up further. She heard Declan's soothing words and she let him gently push her back onto the bed. She placed an arm over her eyes, "Where am I?"

She heard him tell her in the hospital ER... in New York.

New York?!

Tori sat up again, this time pushing his hands away, "What?! Why am I here? When did I get here?"

She listened to him explain that he and Rachel had brought her down when he found her in the living room with her bottle of pills beside her. Tori only nodded as she remembered. The pain and getting to her meds just in time. "Wait! I'm in New York?!" she was about to continue about why but she figured it out... he must have seen her notes about getting here for her appointment. Tori lay back down and groaned, "Damnit D... you didn't have to do this." there was no conviction in her tone, but she was truly grateful he did. She would have had a hell of a time getting here by herself after that little episode.

Just as she was about to say more, a doctor entered. He introduced himself as Dr. Watson, cardiologist--on call. He sat down and Tori knew she was in for a longer delay as he probably wanted her history. This was what Tori didn't want Declan to hear. It wasn't that he wouldn't understand it, she didn't want him to worry anymore. But perhaps this was for the best.

The doctor asked the basic questions about her history. Tori answered everything and then gave him the number to her doctor back home. He said they would contact him and it would be less than 2 hours and they should know more afterward.

Tori told him about the appointment she had later that day and she didn't want to miss it. He understood and assured her that she would make it, he just wasn't comfortable releasing her just yet. But again, he told her she would make it for her appointment.

When he left, Tori looked at Declan, "So... you can leave if you want." She saw him start to protest, "No, not leave me here.... well, kind of," She smiled and leaned back on the bed, "I mean, go get some rest, get something to eat. I promise not to go anywhere until you get back. I'll be OK. Your heard him, it's still going to be a while."

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan heard a guy say something out of the blue. He turned around and saw some unwanted stranger entering the area where Tori was resting. "What the fuck are you doing here asshole. Take your slimeball self away before I hurt you.... real fucking bad."

Turning back to Tori, he could see that she was upset by what she heard and saw. Declan laid a hand on her shoulder. "It is okay Tor. Don't let some scumbag like that bother you. You have enough to deal with right now. Just relax. You are going to be fine."

Continuing to stand next to Tori, Declan removed his hand from her shoulder and smiled down at her; trying to get her to relax. Declan was going to put everything aside in an effort to help Tori through her health issues. Things between them could be worked out, he hoped, but only if she got better, and having to pop pills to keep herself going was not sustainable. This had to be addressed and it had to be addressed now.

"Tori, I know I took a chance bringing you all the way down here, but when I saw your notes about your appointment, I knew that you would not get here if I took you to the local hospital. Yes, I took a risk, but I thought it was the best thing for you. Rachel sat with you and monitored your breathing... well, the best she could anyway.... and I would have detoured to a closer hospital if things changed."

He paused for a minute; taking her hand. "Your appointment is in the medical building that is attached to this hospital. You won't miss the appointment, I guarantee it. I don't care if I have to pick you up and carry you to the appointment, or if I have to go pick up the doctor and bring him down here to you, you will make the appointment, and start your way onto a full recovery."

He gave her a little smile to let her know he was only kidding about picking up the doctor and bringing him down to her. Of course, Tori knew he wasn't joking, but he tried to make her think he was. He would do anything for Tori. "Listen Tor, they would only let one of us back here with you. They think we are your brother and sister. I am going to let Rachel come back here with you for a little while. She is freaking out a little worrying about you. It will be good for her to see you awake. I think it will also be good for you to not have me here with you. I know I bring you stress."

After leaning down and kissing Tori on the forehead, Declan headed out to the waiting room. On the way, he saw the cardiologist who had visited with Tori. Declan stopped. "Doc, there is no way that she can miss that appointment.... absolutely no way. If you are not finished with what you need to do, it will have to wait until after the appointment." The doctor looked at Declan with contempt. It was as if he was saying "who are you to tell me how to do my job." Declan could read the look. It was one of the things he was very good at. "I don't give a fuck about you, how long you have been doing you job, or anything else about you for that matter... just make sure she gets to that appointment. If you don't, I will get her there.... trust me."

Declan walked away from the cardiologist and out into the waiting room where Rachel was sitting all curled up in a chair. "GO back and sit with Tori. She is awake. She is doing fine right now and she will be able to get to her appointment. That should help her with her condition."

When Rachel went back to see Tori, Declan made a phone call. He was surprised when McShea answered on the first ring. "Hey Mr. McShea, I know I have been a bit of a pain lately..." McShea stopped him. He let Declan know that the plan was in motion. It was just a matter of time before Declan was running Saltwater... or whatever he wanted to change the name to. Declan made sure that McShea knew he was in NYC. McShea told him that was good, and that he would make arrangements for a place for him to stay while he was there. "I will tell you when to come back."