Ethan thanked the doctor, established that it was alright to return to her side and made his way back to the room where his responsibility lay, literally.

Since no one had reported her missing and now he finds out she has no idea who she is or who could come and claim her it fell to Ethan to take charge of her well being.

Of course there was the small matter of the debt he owed her, Ethan thought wryly.

Halting at the door Ethan found a more pleasant sight than when he first laid eyes on her. A nurse's aide had her sitting up sideways in bed gingerly washing her hair in a portable basin, the battered and bruised woman unaware of his entry.

The aide seeing him halt in the doorway raised her eyebrows in silent query but Ethan signaled for her to continue indicating he would be back, his raised 10 fingers receiving an answering nod.

The 10 became 30 after he had touched base with his office and home, promised a bedtime story to his daughter and arranged to keep his dinner warm, so that by the time he had returned to the hospital room his angel, he thought so anyway, was laying peacefully, this time sound asleep.

For the first time in 28 hours Ethan felt he could leave her side and return to the outside world secure in the knowledge that she was now truly sleeping. In the morning he planned she would wake to find him waiting and once again he would introduce himself and say thanks to his rescuer. This time to someone who could hear him.




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