Entering Mercy Hospital's Emergency
room area, Daniel paused by the desk to ask the harried young
nurse where he and Abigail might find Laura Holt. The woman juggled
the telephone and a clipboard before pointing down a corridor.
"That way. Room Six."
Not sure where 'Room Six' might be, Daniel grasped her hand tighter.
"We'll find Harry," he told her. "He's certain
to know where she is." They rounded a corner to find themselves
in a waiting area with only one occupant. Harry was sitting, his
head in his hands. "Harry?" Daniel asked.
He looked up. "Daniel. Abigail."
"Where is she?" Abigail asked, too worried about her
daughter to notice the haunted look in those blue eyes.
But Daniel saw it as Harry answered, nodding toward the examining
room across the hall. "She's in there. The doctor was just
here. She's still unconscious, but he thinks she'll be fine. They're
going to admit her for observation, I think." He rose from
the chair to pace across the room, running a shaking hand through
his hair.
Daniel lifted Abigail's hand to his lips. "Why don't you
go on in and sit with her? That way she'll see a familiar face
when she wakes. I want to talk to Harry about what happened."
Abigail nodded and moved from the waiting area. Once she was gone,
Daniel turned back to Harry. He was wearing what he usually called
his 'work clothes': dark slacks, dark turtle neck sweater. "Would
you care to tell me about it, Harry?"
Harry turned to look at him and started to speak, pausing as a
nurse walked past the room. "Not here," he said.
Daniel followed him out to the glass wall that overlooked the
parking area. "Well?"
"I decided to make a go for the Rajah's Star -"
"You - Really, Harry-"
"I know. It was a foolish mistake. I just never thought Laura
would -" he paused. Wake up and find me gone. "Follow
me. I didn't think-"
"That's right. You didn't think, Harry. Don't you
think that I could have pulled any number of jobs during my visits
here? But I didn't. And do you want to know why?" Daniel
didn't wait for the younger man to answer. "Because if I'd
been caught- and that possibility always exists, Harry, remember
that. No matter how good you might think you are, you could
be caught. And if I had been, Laura and Abigail would have become
involved, jeopardizing Laura's entire future."
Harry closed his eyes. "I wanted to do one last job, Daniel.
And then I was going to follow your lead- hang it up, try to settle
here, close to Laura-" He didn't see the way Daniel paled
at those words. "The money I would have gotten from that
job - "
Daniel forced himself to remain calm as he listened to those words.
"How did she get hurt?"
**********
Abigail touched Laura's hand, wincing at the darkening bruise
on her forehead. The monitors showed that she was breathing normally,
normal pulse rate - "Laura?" Abigail said softly. "Laura,
dear, it's Mother. Wake up."
Laura's fingers clenched around hers. "Mother?" she
asked confused. "Where- Where am I?"
"The hospital, dear." Abigail smiled with relief. "Harry
brought you here. What happened, Laura?"
"Harry." Laura's eyes opened wider, and she looked around
the small room. "Harry? Where's Harry, Mother?"
"He's talking to Daniel," her mother explained.
"I have to see him. Tell him- tell him it's not his fault."
**********
Daniel listened to Harry's narrative and shook his head. "Good
Lord, Harry. You're lucky she wasn't more seriously injured -
if not killed."
"I know that, Daniel. I've thought about nothing else since
it happened. I can't stay, Daniel. Laura's going to be all right-
my staying can only hurt her, keep her from doing all the things
she wants to do."
"So you're just going to run away - "
"I'm not running. I just think it's the best thing for Laura.
I'm not good enough for her, Daniel. I don't think I ever will
be -"
Daniel put a hand on his arm. "Harry, my boy-"
"It's true, Daniel, and we both know it. Tell her I'm sorry,
and that I'll not cause her any more trouble-"
"You're not going to at least tell her goodbye?"
"I think it's best that I just leave. I'll be touch."
He gave Daniel a hug, then turned a walked down the corridor to
the exit, waving once.
Daniel stood there, trying to decide what to do as Abigail's hand
fell on his arm. "Daniel. There you are. I've been looking
for you and Harry." She looked around. "Where is he?"
Daniel nodded to the street outside, where Harry was getting into
a cab. "He's leaving, I'm afraid."
"Leaving? But- Laura's awake and wants to see him."
She looked up at him. "Daniel, Laura told me some of what
happened - she says it wasn't Harry's fault."
"He doesn't see it that way," he said, placing a hand
over hers, his eyes still on the street below.
Abigail looked up at him. "Would it help if you went after
him?" she asked.
"I can try, but -I'm afraid he can be devilishly stubborn
when he makes up his mind."
She managed a smile. "Sounds like someone else I know. Go
stop him, Daniel. If not for Laura's sake- for yours."
Daniel sighed, pulling her close for a moment. "Tell Laura
I'll be back as soon as I can."
**********
Daniel found himself stuck in early morning traffic as he tried
to get to the hotel. Knocking on the door to Harry's room, he
became frustrated when there was no response. A maid passed, and
Daniel said, "Excuse me, could you tell me if you've seen
the young man who was staying in this room?"
"Oh, he checked out a little while ago," the woman said.
"I was going to clean the room in a minute-" she called
after him as Daniel turned back down the hall to the elevators.
**********
By the time Daniel returned to the hospital, Laura had been ensconced
into a private room. Placing his coat on the chair that Abigail
vacated upon his arrival, he moved forward to give the girl a
light kiss. "How are you feeling?"
"My head still hurts- and I feel like I fell two stories
into a pile of garbage, but other than that, I'm fine," she
assured him. Her eyes moved to the door. "Where's Harry,
Daniel?"
He sat gently on the edge of the bed, holding her hand in his.
"He's gone, my dear."
"Gone? Where?"
"I wish I knew. He feels responsible for your accident- and
I must say that I tend to agree with him-"
"It wasn't his fault, Daniel. I was the one who followed
him."
"And if you hadn't, and he'd gotten caught? What then? No,
Harry made a mistake. And it nearly cost you more than a bump
on the head."
"You have to find him, Daniel."
"I tried, dear. I really did. But when Harry doesn't want
to be found - " Laura closed her eyes, trying to keep the
tears back, but it was an effort doomed to failure, and Daniel
drew her gently into his arms, holding her as she wept, meeting
Abigail's concerned gaze. The next time he saw Harry, Daniel promised
himself, he was going to have to have a long talk with the young
man.
The End of Steele Curious2