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Chapter Twelve
Luis stood outside Sheridan's hospital room and took a deep breath. It had been almost a week since he'd seen her
and he was nervous. He had just returned from the seminar in Boston, and he hadn't even been home first. He was
going to call Sheridan's bluff.
He pulled the door open and stepped inside. Sheridan glanced up from her book and stared at him in surprise. "Sheridan,
I know you don't want me here, but I've been away and I've had a lot of time to think." He moved closer to
the bed and saw that she was about to say something. "Please don't... let me finish?"
Sheridan nodded and didn't say anything. "I don't think you really meant what you said... I think you were
scared and afraid that I would stick with you out of some misplaced honor or something. But that's not what it
is Sheridan... I love you. I don't care if you can't walk... all I care about is being with you. Please Sheridan,
tell me you didn't mean what you said the other day?"
Sheridan looked into his damp, pleading eyes and her heart pounded. Theresa had been right... Luis did love her.
She saw no pity and no hesitation on his face. "I didn't mean it Luis... I'm so sorry..." She was crying
now and he came to her, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking her into his arms. "It's alright Angel...
I understand why you said them... I really do." He stroked her hair and whispered in her ear. "I'm so
sorry... I do love you Luis... I love you so much!" Sheridan sobbed.
"Ok Angel... calm down. Listen, I love you no matter what. We will get through this. If the paralysis is permanent
we will deal with it together. You'll never be alone again Sheridan, I promise you."
"Oh Luis... I shouldn't have doubted you... I thought you would stay with me because you thought it was the
right thing to do." "It is the right thing to do... for me. I don't want to live without you Sheridan.
Not another day." He leaned over and kissed her gently.
Sheridan moaned and leaned into the kiss and it deepened as she felt his tongue brush against hers. It was heaven.
She'd never thought she would taste his kiss again. They broke the kiss and rested their foreheads together as
they looked into each other's eyes. "Not another day..." Luis whispered. "Not another minute..."
Sheridan replied.
"Luis... I have something to show you." She moved away from him and uncovered her legs. As he watched
in amazement she concentrated and wiggled her feet just a little. "I'm not going to be paralyzed... I'm going
to walk again!"
Luis wrapped his arms around her and laughed happily. "Oh Sheridan, that's wonderful. I know you can do it...
you're too stubborn not to." He grinned happily as she swatted him softly and rolled her eyes.
Luis shifted in the bed, moving up to sit beside her and she snuggled under his arm, smiling widely. They were
still like that when Theresa walked in. "Luis! you're back!" She flew over and gave him a hug. "And
you're here! I'm so glad you two worked it out. See Sheridan... I told you!"
Sheridan grinned at the girl. "Yes, yes you did Theresa." She turned to Luis. "Theresa has been
helping with my therapy. She's been wonderful." Luis smiled. "Yeah, I guess I got lucky when they were
handing out sisters." A knock on the door interrupted them and Sam came into the room. "I hate to disturb
you, but I have some news to discuss with you Sheridan." He looked at Theresa and Luis, obviously expecting
them to leave.
"It's alright Chief Bennett... they can stay. I don't mind." Sheridan wanted Luis with her and she had
nothing to hide from Theresa. Sam nodded and began to speak. "We did a trace on Hank's cell phone. It turns
out he wasn't working for the drug cartel after all."
Luis and Sheridan frowned. "Who was he working for then? He said he was getting $500,000 to kill Sheridan."
Luis was confused.
Sam took a deep breath. He hated what he had to say because of the way it would hurt Sheridan. "The calls
he made and received over the last couple days were all from one phone. We traced it to Alistair."
Sheridan's mouth fell open a little as she struggled for words. "Father..." she whispered quietly. She
couldn't believe it. She knew he'd tried to get rid of her when she was a child, but to actually PAY somebody to
kill her... "Are you sure...?" She whispered shakily. Luis tightened his arm around her. Sam nodded.
"I'm sure. We got a search warrant and found all the proof we need. Actually he broke down and confessed this
morning."
Sheridan didn't say anything, just sat there in Luis' arms while tears streamed down her face. Knowing in the back
of your mind that your father didn't care was different from being confronted with concrete proof and she wasn't
sure how to process the information.
Just when she thought she had a chance to be happy fate threw her another curve and she was blind-sided again.
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