Silent No More-Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"Nora, you can't just ignore this," John said. "There's a warrant out for your arrest. Do you know the kind of hoops I had to jump through to get you on this case...please...please work with me here. Let me take you to the hospital."

"Why don't you let me do that Agent Mcbain, " Bo said, as he came out of the office?

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she said, as she turned back to John.

"I think you have to," John stated. "You two need to deal with your shit if we're going to be working on a case together. Lives are at stake here Nora."

"What do you mean," she started to ask but John cut her off?

"We can talk about this tomorrow...right now, you need to set the record straight with the Chicago Police. And I think right now your ex husband is better equipped at helping you then I am."

"But John..."

"Go with him Nora...Please..."

"Relax Nora...It's a 20 minute drive," Bo said.

"A lot can happen in 20 minutes," she said, as she gave him the evil glare and followed him outside. John couldn't help but shake his head when he watched them walk away. He knew how much Bo had hurt her but he also understood that right now, it was more important for them to settle their differences so they could at least stand to be in the same room together. How else were they going to be able to catch a crazed killer?

John took out the newspaper and studied the profile of the man they had dubbed the "Black Rose Killer." He didn't know how to tell his partner that everything that had happened before was not isolated events...The killer was leaving a calling card...and it was signed with her blood.

++++

"Bo, this really isn't necessary," she said, as he opened the door for her. "I can drive myself."

"Except you won't...and we both know it. Now get in."

She would have protested but she knew it would do no good so she simply climbed into the passenger side of his truck. When he turned on the ignition, she looked at him painfully.

"I don't need a babysitter Bo. I am perfectly capable taking care of myself. "

"I never said you weren't...but every now and then, it's okay for you to not be this person who doesn't ever fall apart. It's okay to ask for help."

"I don't need anything from you...the last time I thought I did, you broke me."

"How...How did I hurt you that much when you were the one who stepped out on us...you were the one who walked away?"

"I wanted you to fight for me damn it...I wanted you to make me feel like I was worth something...How can you not understand what you walking away did to me? You didn't even try to forgive me...you let the world think that Sam was right...Is that honestly how you think of me Bo...Did I mean that little to you that you could just flip a switch and go from loving me to hating me in less than a second? How did you do it...I want to know...how did you manage to turn your feelings off that quickly? Why wasn't I good enough for you?"

"Is that what you think...do you honestly think I stopped loving you...I could never stop loving you Nora..."

"That bull shit...Every time I picked up the paper, I see some article about you and one of your many sorted affairs...women you almost married...either I meant nothing to you or you're just a man whore...either way, you aren't the man I thought you were..."

"I don't know what I can possibly say to that...you're not even willing to listen to reason right now..."

"Bo, you left me...you didn't show up in court when Sam took my child...and you didn't try to find me...what was I supposed to think?"

"I didn't know you wanted me to follow you..."

"A woman always wants a man to follow her...she wants to know he cares..."

"You are impossible, you know that..."

"Then you should be glad you divorced me..."

He let out a frustrated grunt before he pulled the car to a stop in the hospital parking lot.

"Are you ever going to talk about the elephant in the room Nora...You're the strongest person I know...but you align yourself with an abuser who almost killed you...why would you stay in a situation like that...why?"

"Maybe I'm just not the person you think I am anymore...maybe I just don't care."

She opened the car door and he did the same...they didn't say a word as they walked to the ER.

Something had happened to her...something that turned her heart as cold as stone...he needed to find out what that was...he was afraid that if he didn't, she would become another casualty of the abuse...he just couldn't stand to watch his ex wife suffer this way...he couldn't stand to watch her drown in a self inflicted pool of guilt.

"I'm going to help you Nora...whether you like it or not," he thought to himself ,as they stepped inside. He prayed it wasn't too late for her to be healed.