Beauty & The Beast (Book 1)

92. Rattled

Thomas Chandler was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit and attached to tubes and monitors and an induced coma.
They withdrew blood from Cat, as his daughter, in case he might need surgery.

"That should do it," the doctor says, putting a bandaid on Cat's arm. "We don't anticipate your father needing surgery at this point but if there are any complications, it's just best to have a blood relative donate."

"Thanks," Cat swallows. She was still in shock. First her mother got shot in front of her and now her father got hit by a car. Cat gets up and walks to his bedside. Cat looks at the machines helping him breathe and hugs herself.

"I saw doctor Pal out in the hallway, she says dad's doing great," Heather says behind her, walking up to Cat's side. Cat gives her a small nod and smile, that vanishes as soon as she looks at her father again.

"He doesn't look so great to me."

"He's gonna be fine Cat," Heather nods fast, sniffling and trying to smile. Cat sighs and hugs her sister. "Just a few broken ribs and some internal bruising but he's gonna be fine."

Cat shakes her head. "Another foot or two into that crosswalk with that car gunning for him, he never would have made it."

"Gunning for him? Cat, it was an accident."

Cat sets her jaw. "I'm not so sure." Her father was waiting to cross, and then he just magically appeared in front of the car? Cat walks around Heather to get her leather jacket off the back of the chair she's been in for over two hours. "Car came out of nowhere, breezed right through that light," Cat picks up her father's destroyed tablet.

"Does everything have to be a conspiracy with you? Can't we just sit here and wait with him?" Cat turns to Heather who is staring at her sister. "Being a detective does not mean that you should try and find criminals everywhere you look Cat," Cat pulls on her jacket as Heather speaks, "Can you please for once...just...be a daughter? Alright? Be a sister...and just wait with us."

Cat looks at her father in the hospital bed and then at Heather, her mind already made up and Heather can see it too. "I have to do this Heather," Cat says and then kisses Heather on the cheek before she walks out of the room.

Cat rushes out of the hospital, across the street where she parked earlier, carrying the tablet in a plastic bag. When she gets to her car, Vincent steps out from behind the wall around the corner and looks around before he walks closer and gets into the passenger side.

"How is he?" he asks as soon as he is inside, looking at Cat.

"He's okay, I guess." Cat sighs. "You really didn't need to come." Even if I am grateful you did...

"I know, but I wanted to."

"No, I mean, maybe you shouldn't have," she looks at him seriously. "I think Muirfield did this. That car veered right at my dad."

"Why would they go after him?"

"I'm not sure," Cat shakes her head. "But he said that he had something he needed to show me and he seemed rattled. I've got a security detail on him and I'm gonna bring his stuff to our IT guys...see if they can get it fired up again."

Vincent looks at her worriedly. "Okay, well, I guess if your mom worked for them, maybe they kept tabs on your dad but...hopefully it's nothing okay? Let me help you, I will go back to the scene and I will see if I can pick anything up, it's - "

Cat shakes her head. "There's not much you can do," she sniffles and blinks her eyes.

Vincent starss at her and then it registers with him what she must mean. The damn pills... "Anymore," he grits, pursing his lips at his own stupidity and staring out the window.

"I didn't mean - "

"No, it's okay." He looks at her. "I guess it's just a bit of a readjustment for the both of us huh?"

Cat knew he wanted to help her. Help her dad. But he couldn't do it the way they were both used to. For all intents and purposes, he would be in the way of the investigation if he tries.

"I will just lay low," he nods at her and then takes her shaking hand on the console between them for a second.
Cat closes her eyes at the comfort and then Vincent lets go so he can get out of the car.

*

Vincent's phone rings the moment he starts walking away from Catherine's car, basically forcing himself to do it.
"Yeah? What is it?" Only JT, Catherine and Tess had this number. It wouldn't be Tess and he just left Catherine so, it could only be JT.

"Little twist, and not a good one...I'm at Gabe's loft."

Vincent chuckles. "Since when did you start playing cloak and dagger with Gabe?"

"Sorry but protecting you is my job...
More than ever now that you're Spidey sense is on mute."

"Yeah alright," Vincent sighs, not wanting to hear how 'useful' he is now. "Thanks JT."

"No biggy." JT is silent a moment and Vincent thinks he hears typing. "But Tyler seemed like she's hiding something and she was...They don't just want a pint of blood... they want to harvest your Lymphatic system...
Spleen, thymus, bone marrow - "

Vincent scoffs. "So Gabe lied?" Why am I not surprised?

"They're gonna kill you."