(First Class)

By Trynia Merin and Jade

07/15/01

Disclaimer: KISS, Gene Simmons, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin are real persons, and the portrayal here is purely fictitious, with no harm intended to the individuals. Calen McGregor and associated characters of Luck of the Irish are property of Jade, © The Black Rose collection. Terri Mason is property of Trynia Merin, © Trynia's Journies. Please do not use without permission from either author.

Chapter 8

That next day, Terri wandered into the hospital again at Gene's side. Gene carried fresh flowers in his hand, and Terri had a potted African violet with her. "I think she'll love to have something she can take home with her when she leaves this place, instead of flowers that are going to die and wilt," she told Gene.

"Hmm, never thought of it that way before," Gene said thoughtfully as he stroked his goatee. Both rather tired, they rode on the elevator together. Gene wasn't able to sleep very well, and had spent most of the night simply laying there looking up at the ceiling as he hugged Terri close to him. He had never let go of her hand or lost contact with her since then.

"Gene, are you gonna be okay?" she asked him directly.

"I'm more worried about Calen… and Steve…" Gene sighed.

"Well we haven't heard any phone calls from Sherri, so in this case no news is good news… at least I hope…" Terri said reassuringly, more so then she really felt.

Gene took a deep breath before they entered the ICU. "Well, let's do it," he sighed.

"Yes let's," Terri assured him. Gene put his arm around her waist, and they walked in together. A forest of beeping monitors sat before the nurse at her station like a control set from Star Trek. She turned to look at them and nodded the way to Calen's room.

"Any news?" Terri whispered to her.

"She's still unconscious, but stable," the nurse whispered back.

They strode into the room that was Calen's, to an endearing if not sad sight. Calen lay still as before, this time rolled onto her side. The back brace was clearly visible, for she had her face toward the wall where the window was, the hard plastic shell of the back brace gleaming under the light of the morning sun creeping in. Monitors cast their own lights on her. Pale blond hair spilled over the pillow, and they both started as something beside her bed moved with a moan.

It was a person, laying on a hospital futon. A very large person who had a hospital blanket wrapped around him, his bald shaven head cushioned on a pillow haphazardly. Gene and Terri exchanged a look, and moved over to him. Gene leaned over, handing the flowers to Terri as he nudged Steve lightly.

"He's been there the whole night," spoke a voice that made them turn their heads. "He won't leave."

"Oh man," Gene sighed, noticing his unshaven face.

"Why don't we wait outside Gene," Terri asked. "He needs sleep if he's been here all night…"

"All right," Gene nodded, and let Terri lead him out of the room as the nurse adjusted Calen's blankets. Efficiently she moved over the various stations to get Calen's vital stats.

"Gene, Terri?" came a voice that made them jump.

"Steve?" Gene asked, glancing over his shoulder. He moved over to the other man's side quickly.

"Man, was I asleep," he joked sadly, rubbing his eyes. "Damn it's morning already…"

He struggled to sit up, pushing the pillows out of the way as Gene extended a hand. Gene helped him the rest of the way, steadying him with his own sturdy body. He tugged backward to pull Steve up out of the comfortable futon's embrace. Terri stifled a giggle as Gene staggered a bit against the younger man's weight.

"You've been here all night?" Gene asked him.

"Yeah. Just wanted to make sure nothing happened, in case… in case…" Steve said, but his voice trailed off as he looked up at Calen's unconscious form. Terri saw them both exchange a worried look, and chose the right moment to move over to them again.

"No change, huh?" Gene asked him.

"No," Steve grumbled, rubbing his face.

"Why don't you come with us and get some coffee?" Gene suggested. "You look like you could use it…"

"Just bring me something back, I'll stay here with her…"

"Steve, you need to give yourself a break…" Gene began.

"I just wanna stay with her," Steve repeated. "You go on with out me okay?"

"Gene, let him stay. What harm will it do?" Terri asked Gene, tugging his arm.

"Later man," Gene said, gripping his hand as they left. The nurse had gone by then, and Gene and Terri wandered out into the lounge area. Leaving Terri, Gene wandered off in search of coffee and other things breakfast oriented. She peered down at the magazine she had tucked into her bag, and pulled it out to read. Around her the other people waited, some sacked out on couches with their coats wrapped around them while others peered at the television set high into the corner of the room.

Terri vanished in the magazine amidst carbohydrate enzymes and novel compounds. She heard the chatter of the morning news in the background, trying to fight the haze on her brain. As soon as they had both wakened, they felt the need to rush off to the hospital in case the worst had happened. They hadn't even stopped to make coffee or eat any breakfast, which worried Terri. The last thing that she would have expected from Gene was to deny himself food, and she had sneaked a banana in the car to snack on they had rushed out so quickly. Whenever she would forget food any morning he was always pestering her to eat something.

Something really was wrong, and she knew it in her gut. That nagging thought of what Calen meant to him went to her again. She had never gotten a clear answer, and was afraid to ask him outright. For he had so many things on his mind already this was one more thing he didn't need.

Damn it though. Her feelings mattered to him, didn't they? And he had taught her long ago to make her feelings known. She still remembered how jealousy had reared its ugly head in that green room eight months ago, and the look of distress on his painted face when he asked her what was really wrong. At that moment she was ready to walk away from it all, and accept that her worst fear was true. However, the moment passed and she realized he did care about her feelings. An egotistical jerk suddenly reverted to a caring and compassionate man. Right before her eyes that lascivious look had melted into sheer concern that he might lose her then and there.

Imagine her shock when it didn't happen, and from that moment on she realized there was a chance this could work. Even with the nightmares and the constant pressures of girls and women trying to get into his pants, it had survived and flourished. When Gene wasn't in the spotlight he was able to relax and be himself, but when the cameras were up and on, it was the other side. There were many facets to the man he was, and she was just as complicated as he. There was never any end of surprises with them.

"I got you some coffee, sweetheart," he said, and she nearly jumped out of her skin then and there. "And since we didn't eat a proper breakfast, I sent someone out for donuts…"

"You didn't have to," she shook her head as he handed her the Dunkin Donuts bag and a cup of coffee steaming hot in a Styrofoam cup. His hip pressed to hers as he lowered himself to sit next to her, his arm draping around her shoulder.

"Yes I did," he nudged her. "So, what are you reading?"

"Just Science," she said with a sigh as she put the magazine down. She pulled off the plastic lid of her cup, savoring the blast of java that wafted into her nose. Gratefully she took a sip and realized he had fixed it just the way she loved it. Reaching into the bag she extracted a chocolate donut loaded with icing. A while back she would only care to eat plain glazed or cake, but her sweet tooth had won out in recent times.

"This is so fattening," she shook her head. "But so damned good."

"We'll work it off later if you like," Gene winked at her. He sank his teeth into a jelly donut dusted in powdered sugar, the jelly seeping around his lips. Terri almost choked on her coffee laughing so hard.

"Can't you leave the damned Demon act on the concert stage?" she joked, coughing. Gene had to thump her on the back to get her to stop.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked.

"I'm fine… man it feels good to laugh!"

"Eric could make anyone laugh, even me when I was in a pissy mood," Gene told her.

"I can imagine… but you have powdered sugar all over your face," she teased, brushing at his cheek with her hand.

"You're worse then my mother sometimes," Gene groaned. Just then they heard a shout, and nearly jumped out of their chairs.

"Nurse! Nurse, come quick!" Steve shouted, leaning his head out of the doorway. A look of sheer surprise and panic filled his rugged face.

"Oh shit," Gene got out.

"What the hell?" Terri stammered, feeling Gene grip her hands tightly.

"It's Calen… you gotta come!" he shouted frantically. Gene and Terri tossed down their donuts and coffee, running hand in hand together toward where Steve hollered.

The nurses glanced up, and rushed toward the room at the same time. They blocked Terri and Gene from coming in.

"What…"

"Please Ms. Mason, Mr. Simmons, you have to wait outside," the nurse told them firmly yet gently.

"But…" Gene got out. Terri moved before him, stopping him in his tracks. She pushed him back forcefully.

"Gene, let them do what they have to…"

"It can't be!" Gene got out as he heard the flurry of activity inside. Voices shouted and the clatter of instruments filled his ears. He felt his strength ebbing as Terri caught him round the waist and walked him back to the waiting area.

"Gene, sit down," she urged him.

"I don't want to sit down damn it!" he snapped at her.

"Sit down or I'll sit on you," she snapped.

"I don't want her to die, God Damn it!" Gene shouted. Everyone's gaze flickered round to him and he shut his mouth quickly.

"Gene, please… just sit down… they're doing what they can…" Terri urged him. "Please… this isn't helping her, or me!"

Gene glanced down at her, his eyes wild with anger and panic. He saw those same emotions mirrored in her own. Even in the eyes of those that shared the waiting room with him, their fingers held to their lips for silence. He put a hand to his face, shutting out the sight with his hand. All strength left him again and it was all Terri could do to guide him to sit down at her side.

"Shit," he muttered, shaking his head, as his hand pressed more firmly into his face. "Not Calen… not her…"

"Gene, I can't…" Terri tried to think of something to say, but felt her words abandon her. She leaned her head on his shoulder, wrapping him close in her arms.

Everything seemed to stop at that moment, then start again at the sound of Steve's frantic voice, "Gene, Terri! Come here quick!"

Terri lifted her head, still hugging Gene tightly to her. His head lay on her chest, seeking comfort from her like a child from its mother. He glanced up past Terri's shoulder to see Steve waving his arms like a madman.

"She's alive!" he cried, rushing over to them. He shook them both, elation on his face.

"What?"

"She's alive!" he cried again. "She's waking up!"

"What the hell are we waiting here for?" Gene asked, standing up in one smooth movement. He pulled Terri to her feet and they followed an anxious Steve to Calen's room.

Unfortunately they were stopped at the door by a nurse in her blue scrubs, "Please, you have to wait outside. We're examining her now…"

"But…" Steve got out.

"It's for her own good… she may be awake but we need to check the extent of her injuries…"

"All right," Gene nodded, and took Steve by the arm, tugging him back lightly. "We'll be right here… waiting…"

"She's lucky to be alive considering how badly she was hurt," the nurse told them.

"My Calen's a fighter," Steve agreed. At these words Gene and Terri exchanged a knowing glance.

**************************************************************

Those next few minutes seemed an eternity, but they had become used to waiting, Terri reflected. In reality it was only fifteen minutes when the doctors came out of her room, each in their scrubs or labcoats. A woman surgeon who had worked on Calen sat down opposite them, her smile tired but triumphant.

"How is she?" Steve asked.

"She's through the first battle, but it's not going to be easy," the doctor admitted. "She might go into unconsciousness again, but I think the worst is over, at least today…"

"What do you mean at least today?" Gene asked, voice quiet.

"Mr. Simmons, I mean that Calen may have woken up, but she still has a long tough road ahead. Intensive physical therapy will be needed, and a whole host of other trials. She'll need all the support of her family and friends to get through what lies ahead. It's not going to be pretty…"

"Accidents aren't," Steve nodded.

"You can see her now, for a few minutes… she's on oxygen now, but she can talk to you… but be brief… she's going to need all the rest she can muster," the doctor said.

Steve threw a concerned look to Gene, who nodded. Gently he squeezed Terri's hand, and nodded in the direction of the room. Together the trio strode up the hallway to her small chamber. Within as before the beeping monitors greeted them, but this time there was a thankful difference. There was Calen, lying awake, the view of her face blocked partially by the nurses' aid leaning over her. All they saw were her eyes, which twinkled at the sight of them entering.

"Hey," Steve said, moving over to her. He stopped when the aid held up her hand.

"Hang on I'm just changing her dressing, and removing the ventilator tube," the aide said. She moved out of the way, and the trio caught sight of her face. A few bandages were peeled back and the aid was cutting new fresh ones. Steve drew in his breath and looked away for a moment, as Gene fixed his gaze concernedly on Calen's eyes. Terri stared at a point past Calen's hair, her eyes trying to focus right on Calen's eyes instead of the injuries revealed. Her whole cheek was a mass of purple swelling, a few stitches lacing together a jagged line that marred the graceful curve from ear to chin.

Steve felt the Doctor take his arm, and gently urge him out into the hall. He glanced anxiously back at Gene and Terri, who raised an eyebrow over her black framed glasses.

"Hey Angel. Remember us?" Gene asked softly, moving over to her bedside. Still he had Terri's hand in his.

"Hi Calen…" Terri said slowly. She gently smoothed Calen's hair away from the pillow, not sure of how to show her affection for this woman who had become a friend and confidant in her new life.

Calen saw Terri standing near Gene, and raised her hand that wasn't swathed in a cast gently, the IV line trailing from it. Her two fingers wiggled a hello. Gene took her hand in his, kissing it.

"Gene, Terri?" she whispered.

"Is that your final answer?" Gene smiled as he squeezed her hand gently.

"Very funny," Calen whispered. Gene pressed another kiss to her hand, and Terri reached out to stroke her cast lightly.

"She can't speak for long…" the Doctor said, coming in to join them. Steve also rejoined them, trying to wipe a shaken look off his face at first sight of Calen without her bandages. "Baby," he said to her. "I'm glad your back with us… you had me on the ropes…"

Calen's hazel eyes glistened at sight of him as she mouthed his name. He hated the sight of that oxygen tube up her nose like some alien mustache. Leaning over he kissed her forehead lightly.

"I'm sorry but she must rest now. I'll send the nurse to let you know when she's ready to have more contact," the doctor promised.

"I'll be back later when you wake up, baby," Steve whispered in her good ear. Calen nodded weakly, and nestled her head on the pillow again.

"Can I talk to you two alone," He asked, running a hand over his shaved head.

"Sure," Gene said. "What's wrong?"

"C'mon… doc, you come too into the hall…"

Behind them Steve closed the door, and turned to the doctor. "Tell them what you told me, doc. It's important they know…"

"Know what?" Terri asked.

"What's going on here?" Gene asked, his antennae up at the expressions shared between Steve and the doctor.

"Mr. Simmons, Ms. Mason, I was just telling Mr. Austin here about the extensive bruising on one side of her face just doesn’t make sense."

"Why? She could have landed on her face," Gene said. "But obviously you don't think so…"

"Most of her injuries are in her back, Mr. Simmons," the Doctor explained. "I don't want to cause panic, but I have a suspicion about this…"

"Suspicion. You think it was more then just a fall, right?" Terri asked. "I saw how bad the bruises were. It was like she was hit in the face hard…"

"Punched. Her injuries are consistent with someone who has been beaten repeatedly in the left side of the face with a fist, picked up, and thrown down the stairs rather then fallen…"

"Shit," Gene muttered.

"It seems to me, Mr. Simmons, Ms. Mason, that she was assaulted. It wouldn't be likely that she would fall down a flight of stairs and have bruises on only one cheek. If she had fallen with head trauma, she would have bruises on either side, especially if she had rolled down…"

"I see," Terri said, feeling her skin crawl with goosebumps. A sick feeling squirmed in her stomach suddenly. "So… you think someone threw her down the stairs…"

"Yes. I want to call the police about this. But I needed to inform you, seeing that you are very close friends of Calen. I think they need to investigate this…"

"Can't Calen tell us what happened when she wakes up?" Gene asked.

"Yes, but it will take much time before we can even be sure the extent of trauma to her brain. There might be damage we are not even aware of yet… and that might cause temporary memory loss… I think it's prudent to open an investigation now…"

"Before the trail runs cold," Gene answered, his voice unflappably calm, but mingled with a hint of Demon in it. Terri's blood ran cold, and she felt extremely faint. At that moment she wished she were a million miles away from this whole situation.

"Oh god," Terri whispered, gripping to Gene's coat as if needing some literal grasp on reality. His arms went around her as she leaned heavily on him this time.

"You see why I'm worried about this, more then before," Steve told them when the Doctor left on his rounds. "Someone did this to her, and I wanna find out who…"

"Why… would anyone want to hurt her?" Terri asked, shaking as she hugged herself. She wandered away from Gene, distancing herself from the hospital room as she approached the lounge. "She hasn't harmed anyone!"

"There are a lot of sick tickets out there," Steve shook his head. "Somehow she might have gotten the wrong people's attention…"

Gene's gaze met Steve's, and Terri saw the rage afire between the two men. Muscles tensed and nostrils flared as if readying themselves for a fight. A jolt of fear struck Terri at the look in Gene's dark eyes, which she had seen only a few times before. Certainly she had seen him angry, but only seldom did his eyes hold this depth of outrage. The last time she had seen that look was when she had the problems with Derek from road security, threatening to blackmail her with compromising pictures of herself with Paul Stanley. Literally Gene looked ready to kill the kid, or tear him apart with his bare hands. After they had caught him in that little trailer, Gene had advanced on the roadie with murder in his eyes. He didn't have to strike a blow, the kid was so terrified…

"This is not happening, I refuse to believe it," Terri shook her head. She started to walk away.

"Terri…" Gene said, moving after her. "Come back, where are you going?"

"I refuse to believe this is happening," she muttered, shivering. "This is too unreal!"

"Sweetheart…" Gene's voice receded as he chased her out of the waiting room. Steve left them leave, preoccupied with his own thoughts. His own blood ran cold when he thought through possible scenarios. He couldn't stop the images floating through his brain after the doctor had spoken.

"Someone will pay for this," he gritted.
 
 

Chapter 9

"This is becoming a habit," Terri told Gene the next day as they sat in the waiting room with a box of a dozen Dunkin Donuts this time.

"I'm just doing my part to keep them in business…" Gene quipped, biting into a Boston crème filled confection. It was chocolate dipped, and festooned with multicolored candy sprinkles of all things. Each donut in the box was an equally tempting, high calorie treat. One thing they shared in common was their sweet tooth.

Terri extracted a chocolate covered cruller, and shook the powdered sugar from a neighboring powdered donut from it. "Yeah, as in they're nuts not to take your dough?"

"You've been around Ace too much," Gene groaned at her pun. Terri sipped a bit of coffee to wash down her mouthful of donut, and almost burst out chuckling. A shower of sprinkles landed on Gene's leather clad knee.

"What?" he asked, giving her a slow burning look that made her skin tingle, still holding what remained of the donut in his one hand while resting his chin on the other.

"I was just thinking that donut reminded me of all the damned confetti you guys must go through on the World tour during RRAN…"

"Doll, only you would think of a non-sequiter like that," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"The sprinkles are the same color scheme," she joked.

"Hmm," Gene hummed, fingering his goatee thoughtfully.

"I swear if you say you're gonna come up with some damn new whacked out KISS merchandizing tie in like KISS donuts I'm gonna kill you!"

"Who me?" he asked. He knew exactly what she was talking about, and had to admit that wasn't one of his best ideas lately.

"And they say legends never die," Terri shook her head. "Good Grief Gene…"

He opened his mouth to spit out some witty come back when Steve wandered past them with a tentative, "Good morning Terri, Gene…"

"Steve, want a donut?" Gene asked, indicating the box.

"I guess I could spare one," he said, and pulled out the plainest one he could find.

"C'mon Steve, be adventurous," Terri teased him.

"Some of us have to watch our weight you know… even though right now I don't even want to think about having to go back…"

"Then don't. Did you see her yet this morning?"

"She wasn't up yet… but I went back to her home for some things she might like…" Steve said.

He wandered over to the nurse's station again, and peered into Calen's room. The door was open. Minutes later he waved to Gene and Terri. Again they found themselves in the small room, but it was a much more cheerful place with the most recent additions. Including the huge bouquets of flowers. Even a handmade quilt draped over her bed, its patchwork design cheerful as the flowers themselves. Terri remembered it covering a guest bed in Calen's home the last time she and Gene visited. By her own hands her grandmother had sewn the star design in rainbow hues of blue to red when Calen was just a little girl. The bed's occupant leaned upright as best she could, considering the back brace, with the bed inclined upwards. Both rails were up, and the television blared the Today show from a high corner in the private room.

"Good morning baby," Steve smiled, entering first. Her hazel eyes fixed on him, much clearer then the previous day. Still they held weariness compounded with the effect of the pain medication Calen must continue to take.

"Steve, love, I'm glad you're here," she said, as Terri stood on the other side of the bed and rested her hand near Calen's arm.

Steve pressed a kiss to her forehead, carefully avoiding the bruised cheek. Bandages again swathed where the cut must be, but the purple discoloration was very prominent.

"How are you feeling?" Terri asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

"Tired, dopey, and my face is swollen," Calen said. Gene noticed the hurt look in her hazel eyes when she saw the expression on Steve's face. It was a mirror that revealed something deep that she wouldn't spill. Gene bit his lip and decided not to say anything more about her injuries for now.

"But even you should know what 'pachyderm' means… Gene, especially since your little crack yesterday," said Calen as she glared at him.

"Well, that sounds like the Calen I know," Terri said with a slow smile. "You do remember us, right, if you remember Gene's joke from yesterday. You're giving him competition for memory here?"

"Of course I do… I just don't get why all these silly people are asking me these dumb questions… it's a real pain! Of course I know Bush is president…"

"Against some people's better wishes," Terri laughed.

"Damn," Gene muttered. "That's one hell of a shiner, little girl."

Wincing, Terri stepped on Gene's toe. But Calen blinked up at Gene with a slow smile, "Nice to see you too, you old pain in the ass."

"So, are you stronger, faster, and better then before?" Gene asked, indicating her hand in the cast.

"I would have to be bionic to get out of this bed now. I don’t want to move a muscle," she muttered, blinking. There was a haze over the hazel eyes that must be from the pain medication, and Terri remembered the look well. It was the same as her mother had so many times.

"Well I guess you'll have all the time in the world to rewrite that script Terri," Calen whispered, with a slow smile at Terri.

"That's not important now. You are. And I'm glad that you're at least awake to know we're here. Gene still can't leave his Demon act onstage… why just this morning he sucked the guts out of a jelly donut…"

"I was hungry," Gene pretended to gripe. "Besides, I couldn't decide which person to sample first… but I might just start with you..."

Terri drew in a breath as Gene grabbed her and leaned over her neck, baring his teeth. Playfully he nibbled on her sensitive skin, making her giggle in his embrace. "Knock it off or it's Olive Garden for lunch, with the extra heavy garlic bread!"

"Am I supposed to crumble to dust because of that?" he laughed, kissing her neck softly as he hugged her from behind. "You see what I have to put up with, Calen? You've been a bad influence on her, and I had her trained so well!"

"You wish, Mr. Simmons!"

Their banter brought a welcome slow smile to Calen's lips again, and seemed to lighten the strange awkwardness. At least she was in there, the friend they knew in that broken body. But something in her eyes, not the haze of the drugs, seemed very different. Gene wondered what would happen next when the full reality of what had happen hit home.

"Calen, do you remember anything that happened when you fell down the stairs?" Steve asked her.

"Um, no, it's all pretty hazy," she answered quickly.

"I was just thinking, since no one was there, that you might be able to fill me in on how you fell…"

"Steve, it's pretty obvious. I fell, and blacked out. Next thing is I wake up in the hospital. People fall down stairs all the time…"

"But Calen, isn't it possible that if you maybe think back a little, you could remember more?"

"What for?" she asked, eyebrows lowered. Steve glanced at Gene and Terri for help now he had put his foot into his mouth verbally.

"Uh, well the doctors might be better able to treat your injuries if they had more to go on," Terri volunteered.

"They've already asked me the same questions, and I told them all I could remember for now. When I try to remember any more, it just is a haze…"

"A haze?" Gene asked, eyes widening. "Why?"

"Must be the meds…" Calen shrugged.

"Uh huh," Gene muttered, with a very suspicious look in his dark eyes that Terri noticed immediately. "I suppose so."

"Why is this such a big deal?" Calen asked them all, suspicion on her face. "I fell and had a nasty accident. It's not like people have never fallen by accident…"

"Calen, I'm just worried that…"

"Look, I don't want to think about that now. It gives me a headache, okay, sweetie? So could we please not mention it right now…"

"Okay," Steve held up a hand. "You win…"

"For now," Gene added under his breath, but Terri looked at him, annoyed.

"Gene, what is this…"

"Shh," he urged her, lips close to her ear. "We'll talk about it outside."
 
 

Chapter 10

A week passed, and they had gotten nowhere with Calen's case. She stuck by her story of falling down the stairs, and if she had any wisp of a further revelation she refused to spill the details. Gene suspected she was holding something back, but knew better then to press the matter. After all, she had to get well, and that meant months of intensive physical therapy.

Gene chugged down yet another cup of coffee, black, and tried to keep from getting antsy. So far Calen had not responded well to the physical therapy, choosing to sleep rather then submit to the rigors. He was facing the fact that she might not want to get better. How could that be so?

"Gene," Terri said, nudging him out of his brown study. He surfaced from the myriad pondering and stroked a hand on her thigh lightly.

"Yeah sweetheart?" he asked.

"I know they're releasing Calen today, but I was just thinking of something…"

"What would that be?' he asked, pushing a bit of hair out of her face that had slipped from her glasses.

"Well, Steve eventually has to get back to the WWF… and that means it will take him away from Calen…"

"Good point, Terri," Gene said. "I was actually thinking about that before. She's gonna need help. Someone to take care of her when Steve and her mother aren't around. Her mom can't stay with her much longer. It would be best if there was someone to stay with her at her place full time…"

"By that look in your eyes you already know who, don't you Gene?" she said. "That someone is you, right?"

"Actually I was thinking us. You and me together," Gene clarified.

"Us?" she asked. "But what about your job and obligations…"

"Yeah. She's your friend too. I thought we could stay at her place for the next few weeks… she has enough room… unless you'd rather not…"

"Well I don't want to seem unsympathetic, but what about your production of the movie, and the other things that can be done?"

"Well the band's done its tour, and I can have Paul handle the band promo business for a while. And as for the production stuff I can bring a laptop and cell phone in for anything online… and you can do any scriptwriting there too. She's got a computer you can use… or you can bring your own to her place…"

"Of course," Terri nodded. "How silly of me. She is lucky to have a good friend like you to care about her. Wouldn't it be easier if you just stayed there yourself…"

"She needs both of us Terri," Gene reiterated, taking her hand. "Sometimes she might need a female shoulder to cry on… and I'm not exactly up to that part of this…"

"Are you sure it wouldn't make things more… complicated?" Terri asked levelly. She was glad to be included in this caretaking, but on the other side she worried about how much support Gene was going to give Calen. Her comment had sparked his concern, as she had intended.

"Well to tell the truth I'll need you as much as Calen will," Gene admitted, embarrassment flushing his face.

"Moral support…" Terri supplied.

"That's something I know I can rely on you for, right?"

"Of course," Terri said, her fears alleviated for now. What was she afraid of, since he was insisting she be there with him? "But are you going to be able to take care of her and still produce?"

"The movie's on hold, so that's a no-brainer. They'll just have to postpone production. And Paul said he would take over producing Sweet Crude's album. I just called him and he said he'd be glad to take most of my duties…"

A few months ago, Gene and Paul had started their own record production label, as a post KISS project. It was their way of helping to pass the torch on to new hot labels that could rock the music world. Simstarr records they called it. So far it had helped pull Paul out of his funk with his recent divorce with Pam, and had spurred Gene into a new arena that he had been dying to try since the eighties. Except now they had full control with their own label now.

"That's good. But what about all those merchandizing franchises you've been on lately? Especially those KISS kasket things you've been pushing on daytime TV? Honestly I don't know what you and Paul were thinking when…"

"That's the furthest thing from my mind right now," Gene admitted. "I have no intention of using one anytime soon unless it's for the asshole which put Calen in this hospital to begin with…"

"You'd actually think of wasting a valuable piece of your own merchandise on a low life like that?" Terri joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Actually it wouldn't be a waste. Especially if I stood from fifty feet up and dropped one on that son of a bitch's head…." Gene said, with a wicked grin.

"You are evil incarnate sometimes," she laughed. "But wouldn't a safe be more effective? It always works better that way in cartoons…"

"Hmm… or a piano…"

"Why not just chain him to an amplifier at a KISS tribute band concert and have Ace give him a guitar solo up close and personal, with the amps cranked to eleven…" Terri guffawed.

"I could leave him to the tender mercies of the Trekkers," Gene laughed, holding his sides. They couldn't stop laughing, and it felt so good to be laughing at something, even if it was wishing harm on someone else. Even though it was well justified.

"Pleasant thoughts Gene, but we have to catch him first…" Terri reminded him, wiping a mirthful tear from behind her glasses. They swigged the last of their coffee simultaneously before tossing their cups in the trash bin to one side. Morbid jokes aside, Terri knew Gene was deadly serious about getting to the bottom of this mystery, and wouldn't rest till Calen's assailant was captured and behind bars for his or her crime.

Steve and Sheri came out of Calen's room, and joined them in the waiting area. "Well, they're gonna discharge her today," Sheri told them, clapping her hands together.

"I just called the limo to take her home. Beverly's getting her stuff together. Wanna ride with us?" Steve asked them.

"We'll follow you," Gene said with a smile.

"Okay, let's get her and go," Sheri said. Steve walked off down the hall, and they heard the doctors giving last minute instructions.

Calen seemed very quiet when Steve pushed her out on a wheelchair, flanked by Sheri and Beverly with her things. Gene and Terri followed close behind, with security bracketing the group from fore and aft. In a unit they moved out from the elevator into the hospital lobby. Already people had gathered with signs, and bevy of reporters snapped pictures in a forest of flashes. Terri kept close at Gene's side, playing the trick of hiding just next to him on one side of his imposing height. To the others she smiled and blew a kiss to other paparazzi.

Calen's hazel eyes perked up, and she beamed for the cameras. She twisted in her wheelchair, whispered to Beverly. Eagerly she waved to the fans that clamored and screamed for her attention. A smile she kept on as she was wheeled away toward the door.

"I'm all right! I'm gonna beat this thing, and I'm gonna film that movie…" she told one reporter who happened to get close enough to tape her words.

Security shoved the pushing fans, both of the Practice and Trek aside from the hospital entrance. Already the limo pulled up, and Steve reached the front door. He gently picked Calen up in his arms and boosted her into the limo seat. Beverly kept the reporters sated with a quick statement, "She's going home now to rest. No further comments…"

Gene grabbed Terri's hand in his, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She had faced crowds before with him many times, during the KISS tour and beyond, but this was one of the larger media blitzes. "I had no idea she was so damn famous," she whispered to Gene.

"She's starred in a lot of TV and movies," Gene shouted back to Terri. "I bet these poor devils were camped out here for the past week waiting to hear some word of what was going on…"

"There's Steve!" Terri said, tugging Gene's. Quickly Gene pushed Terri before him and moved back into the hospital. They bundled inside, and relaxed as the bustling crowd was banished outside. It seemed so commonplace now to ride around this way that Terri seldom questioned it now. Except seeing all those fans with their signs and their looks of desperate anxiety made her realize how famous Calen actually was. Her fan-base was different then Gene's, but so many people screamed her name…

They made their way to the rear entrance undisturbed, where Gene had left his Mercedes in the hospital garage. Soon they were on their way to Calen's home, Gene driving pensively. Scenery flickered by out the opposite window. Reaching over Gene flipped on the radio to hear what the news had to say. Sure enough their exodus of moments before was there for all of them to see in the news concentrate on the local rock station. Overhead palm trees and Spanish American architecture rushed by on the busy boulevard.

"She doesn't always use a limo," Gene told Terri. "Usually she'd insist on driving herself anywhere…"

"Interesting. Considering most of you famous types love the limos and chauffeured cars," Terri nudged him playfully.

"Well Calen's very independent. She hates having people around telling her where she should go and how she should travel. It gave Beverly a fit when she insisted on driving to the Oscars in her own sportscar!"

Terri smiled at the thought of Calen wearing an evening gown, tucked behind the wheel of a car with her date. She'd seen the footage, and admired Calen's tasteful unique gown amidst the horrendous numbers the other celebrities sported. How could something so expensive be in such bad taste, Terri muttered. She had her own style of dressing up, and didn't sell out for anyone.

"Why do I get the feeling Calen's not going to take this well?" Terri asked him. "I mean she's probably hating everyone falling over themselves to wait on her hand and foot…"

"That's why you and I have got to get her on her feet again, and doing as much for herself as she can," Gene nodded. "We've got to, for her own good…"