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“
Listen, is there anything else you were able to get out of Edwin?”

Joe frowned. “Not much else, I’m afraid. He’s going to do some checking, see if he can track this
guy, find out what he’s up to. He asked to be kept apprised of any other information that you get out of Abby, anything else she may remember. She may know something more of what this guy was really up to.” Joe crossed his legs before continuing. “As you know, we won’t be privy to whatever information he may have, but he will unofficially find out and let me know.”

“Thanks, Joe, but for now let’s just keep this between you and me. I need to decide the best way to handle this.”

Joe didn’t sit around and wait for Eric to dismiss him. He took his leave, carrying on with his duties. Eric remained in his chair long after Joe left. He was treading on shaky ground keeping Abby on board, but for some reason he couldn’t explain, he wanted to keep her close. He really didn’t want to over analyze it, because he didn’t get involved with women. He didn’t want to care for them, and protect them, and plan futures with them. Not him, a child who’d been abandoned in an alley when he was a kid by his own junkie of a mother. He’d never had a loving, honest relationship with any woman.

He swiped his weary eyes and glanced at his watch: 2200. No wonder he was tired. He stuffed the file Joe had left in his top drawer and eased to his feet, stuffing the keys in his pants pocket. He headed off to bed, making a mental note to speak with Abby first thing in the morning.

“Taylor, any trouble, anyone trying to sneak in?” the captain asked the guard posted outside sickbay.

“No, sir. The doc just returned. Just Carruthers inside with the patient,” the young sailor replied.

Eric pushed open the door, and the first thing he saw was an empty bed. The doc was rummaging through the cabinets.

“Where is she?” Eric asked.

“Bathroom.”
Larry gestured across the room just as the door swung open and a very pregnant Abby hobbled out with a crutch under one arm. Her hair was brushed, her face a colorful palette as the bruises healed. She was beautiful under all that in a simple sort of way.

She stopped and stared off to the side at a set of lockers, then frowned. Eric stepped closer to see what had put that frown on her face, and he spotted Gail Carruthers shoving a clipboard in a locker. Her cheeks were pink, and she turned her back on Abby.

When Eric glanced back at Abby, she was watching him with startled eyes, a heavenly blue that reached across the room and hit him in the gut. This time, she didn’t lower her eyes, but he could tell she was taking all her courage not to hide herself. Her hand was trembling as she tucked her long bed hair behind her ears and then tried to smooth it down a second time.

His heart was pounding hard in his chest as he stepped across the room to her. Then he heard the sharp clang of the door closing, and he glanced over, realizing Carruthers had left.

“How are you this morning? Did you sleep well?” he asked.

She was so tiny that the top of her head barely reached his shoulder, so she had to look way up at him, and that was when her crutch started to wobble. Eric slid his arm around her back at the same time as he pulled the crutch from her. He was nearly undone, feeling the swell of her belly and the baby inside her.

She nodded, and this time she did glance away, but he could feel how he was affecting her as he helped her back to bed. Her heart was pounding, and she was trembling underneath his touch. He wondered for a moment if she feared him, and that thought brought an ache inside of him. He didn’t want her to fear him.

“Abby, don’t be scared of me. I’d never hurt you.”

She stopped moving and slowly brought her head up, looking at him as her face flushed. “But I’m not scared of you. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Eric was stunned until her meaning finally sank in, and then she touched his arm and held on to his wrist as helped her onto the bed. That one simple touch was setting off all kinds of sparks, as if he
’d just been plugged into a socket. No woman had ever affected him as Abby did. He was sure there had to be something wrong with him, because he didn’t welcome this feeling at all. He pulled his arm away after she was settled in bed, and he nearly jumped from the footsteps behind him.

“So, how are you feeling this morning, Abby?” asked the doctor as he appeared beside the captain.

“I’m good.”

The doctor slid the blood pressure cuff around her arm. Eric stepped back and watched him pump it up. Abby didn’t look at Eric again. She watched
the doctor and what he was doing.

“Your blood pressure is still a little high. How did you sleep? Bad dreams, anything upset you?” He ripped off the cuff.

“I’m fine. I actually slept really good. When I woke up, I was confused, is all. I couldn’t remember where I was.”

The doctor draped the stethoscope around his neck.

“I didn’t dream, though, which is odd. I don’t ever remember sleeping that deeply.”

The doctor reached for her chart on the counter and scribbled something. “I actually gave you a mild sedative last night with the vitamins.”

Eric watched her face pale, and she placed a protective hand numbly over the baby, nestled securely inside her womb. She gazed down at her baby and said nothing, but Eric could feel all kinds of confusion and worry pulsing off her in waves and knew she wouldn’t say one word to the doctor of what was bothering her.

“Is it safe for her to be taking sleeping pills when she’s pregnant?” Eric asked.

“Yes, perfectly safe. It’s more important for the baby that Abby has a good night’s sleep. After yesterday and what she’s been through, she needs rest.

Abby tilted her head and looked up at Eric with softness, and something else passed else between them. She was grateful. She was reaching out to him as if he was her lifeline. Then she nodded.

Larry motioned for her to lie down. “I need to check the baby. Can you lie flat on your back?”

The hospital gown she wore slid up her slender, pale legs, and she slid to lie down. She blushed furiously and gripped the gown to try to pull it down. Eric reached for a
blanket and covered her legs, while Larry supported her arm and helped her lie flat. She struggled for breath, and Eric could see the discomfort in her face, in her eyes.

Larry pulled the blanket up then raised her gown, exposing her swollen belly. “I know it’s uncomfortable, Abby. I’ll be quick.” He pressed her belly with his fingers around the baby.
“Any tenderness?”

“No.”

“Have you felt the baby moving this morning?”

This time, she smiled, and it was subtle and easy, even with her swollen lip. “Yes. A little while ago, the baby stuck its foot in my back.”

Larry pulled down her gown and helped her sit up. “That’s good.” He grabbed a couple of pillows at the foot of the bed and set them behind her back. “A few more days in bed, Abby, then I’ll let you get up and move around a bit. Until then, you stay put and only get up to go the bathroom. Got it?”

“Yes, but do you think I could maybe have a shower and wash my hair?” she asked in such an unsure voice that Eric wondered whether she thought the doc would say no.

“She can have a shower, right, Doc?” Eric asked.

“Absolutely.
I’ll get Carruthers to help her.” He glanced behind him. “Well, she was here when I came in.”

“Please don’t bother her. I don’t need any help. I can shower myself. I just need to know how it turns on and—”

“Larry, don’t bother with Gail. I’ll have Petey get one of the other female crewmen in here to help her,” Eric interrupted. Abby seemed relieved and gave him another look that had him wondering if something had happened between her and Gail.

Eric grabbed the phone behind him, and when Petey answered, Eric asked him to arrange for a female crewmember to come down and help Abby shower and to get her whatever personal effects she needed.

“That would be fine, Captain,” came the reply.

“Are you done examining Abby, Doc?” Eric asked after he had closed the line.

The doctor stuffed supplies and his equipment back in the drawers. “Yes, that’s all for now. I’ll be back a little later to check on you,” he said to Abby. “If you’ll excuse me, Captain.” Larry left, pulling the door closed, leaving Eric alone with Abby.

Eric leaned against the counter beside the bed, crossing his arms and once again watching her, trying to figure out what it would take to break through that thick shell she had built up around herself. Under it all, he could see an innocence that a monster had done his best to destroy.
But it was still there. Even though she appeared so fragile, there was something about her that was rock solid. She had the strength to walk through hell and keep right on going.

He blinked when he realized he was staring at her and making her uncomfortable. “Sorry, Abby. Do you think you’re up to having a talk?”

“A talk about what, Captain?” She stumbled over her words and appeared wide eyed, almost afraid.

He grabbed a chair and pulled it over to face her. He sat so that he was at eye level with her. “I know you’ve been through hell, but we need to talk again about what happened.”

Her face tightened, and she seemed distressed. She blinked hard, as if fighting off tears. “You don’t believe me?” she whispered.

Eric wondered why she immediately jumped to that conclusion, but he also didn’t miss the distress in her voice, along with her deeply wounded spirit. He reached out and touched the back of her slender hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles until she relaxed. “Abby, I do believe you. I just need more details. Stop jumping to conclusions.”

Several minutes passed before either said a word. Then she slowly looked up at him, as if she was deciding whether she could trust him. “All right,” she said. “Where do you want me to start?”

“Abby, this time I’m going to walk you through it. Can you just go along with me?”

Before she could say anything else, a knock sounded at the door.

“Enter,” Eric said in his loud, commanding voice. He pulled away from her and stood up. The door opened briskly, admitting a young black female officer.

“Petty Officer Mary-Jo Johnson, as requested, sir.” The words were strong and confident as she saluted the captain.

Waving her hand down, the captain stood beside the bed, directing Mary-Jo’s attention to Abby. “Johnson, this is Abby. Did you receive instructions that you are to assist her to the shower?”

“Yes sir, Captain.” Not easing her stance, she stood with her arms at her sides while holding a bundle under her left arm.

“Abby, go have your shower. We’ll talk when you’re done.”

Mary-Jo set the bundle on the side counter. “Does she need help getting to the shower, sir?” Petty Officer Mary-Jo was somewhat cute, with a chubby round face, big dark eyes, and thick tight curls cropped short.

“She has a crutch, but you need to help her.” The captain gestured to the bag Mary-Jo set on the counter.

“Essentials, sir: soap, shampoo, clothes, everything she’ll need,” Mary-Jo replied while opening the bag for the captain to inspect.

“Looks like you’re in good hands, Abby.”

Mary-Jo smiled at Abby. “I had to guess your size, so if nothin’ fits, we’ll scrounge up somethin’ that will,” she said.

Eric watched Abby as she gazed with longing at the simple bag, then over at Mary-Jo, unable to hide her humble appreciation. “Thank you” was all she said to the petty officer.

Mary-Jo cleared her throat and motioned to the door of the bathroom with her hand. “Shall we?”

Eric grabbed the crutch and helped Abby up, positioning the crutch under her arm.

“Thanks again for your help,” Abby said again, first to Eric, then Mary-Jo.

“It’s no problem, really, ma’am,” Mary-Jo replied.

“Notify me when she’s done. Contact my ensign if you need anything.” Eric strode to the door and yanked it open.

“Yes, sir, Captain.”

He stopped and turned to the young petty officer who was now supporting Abby’s arm, helping her to the bathroom. She was kind, efficient—he liked her. As he closed the door behind him, he realized he was starting to soften, and he wondered if this was all because of Abby.

Abby was running a brush through her still damp hair, sitting on her bed, wearing a pair of tan dungarees and a large white t-shirt that hung loosely over her belly. On her feet, she wore a pair of black thongs. Eric studied her for a moment from the door, and her eyes became immediately alert to him. When she glanced over his shoulder to where Joe was standing, she sat a little straighter, her hand paused with the brush.

Eric let the door close behind them.
“How was the shower?”

Her blue eyes held an edge of nervousness, and she shyly
glanced Joe’s way again. “It was great. Thank you. I feel so much better.”

Eric stopped in front of her. “Abby, I’d like you to meet Lieutenant Commander Joe Reed. He’s my first officer, otherwise referred to as the XO. He’s the man who runs the ship. He knows everything that goes on everywhere.”