COUNTERPOINT
An original romantic serial

From Alina Adams the author of "When a Man Loves a Woman" (DELL 4/00), "Annie's Wild Ride" (AVON 8/98), "Inside Figure Skating" (METROBOOKS 11/00 & 9/99), "Thieves at Heart" (AVON 12/95) and "The Fictitious Marquis" (AVON 6/95)

Available weekly by e-mail from http://www.AlinaAdams.com

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CHAPTER 51

      "Oh." Nicole said, instinctively backing away. "No."
      "Yes."
      "I don't know how -- "
      "Talk you... talk you through it..."
      "I'll hurt you."
      He actually managed a weak smile. "Too late for that...."
      And here was the truly frightening part. He did talk her through it.
      Nicole had no memory of how he did it. Because, as soon as Gabriel started issuing instructions, her brain turned off. At least the terrified part of it did. She became incapable of thinking. Only listening. It was almost as if Gabriel's voice possessed her body, making it move in ways Nicole would have never dreamed herself capable.
      She felt herself returning to the supply closet and getting the equipment, the tubes and needles and such, that he asked for. She felt herself setting them up as per his instructions, hooking the bag to the tube, the tube to the needle, attaching the drip mechanism and adjusting it accordingly.
      It was only when Gabriel's voice directed Nicole to bring the needle to the back of his right hand and locate a vein she could insert it in that Nicole blanched.
      "I can't."
      "You can."
      And so she did.
      It took her three tries, the first one going wrong because Nicole kept her eyes closed, the second one going wrong because she used too much strength and actually jabbed the sharp point straight through Gabriel's vein to the other side, prompting a blue bruise to spread across his flesh like spilled ink. But, on the third try, feeling like she would die if she failed again, Nicole got the needle into the right blood vessel even as Gabriel twitched in agony and she heard him crack a tooth from the effort of biting down.
      He caught his breath, and told her how to adjust the IV's drip. Then, once he was satisfied it worked properly, Gabriel used the last of his strength to instruct Nicole in how to apply direct pressure to his back and bandage his still bleeding wounds.
      The bloody gauze stuck to Nicole's hands, drenching her clothes crimson. Her wrists throbbed from the effort of pressing down hard enough to stop the bleeding and never letting up, not even for a moment. But, just like with everything else Gabriel had her do that night, Nicole did it.
      She bandaged him up, and, at Gabriel's direction, unhooked the IV from his wrist.
      "Now what?"
      Nicole felt like she'd been asking "Now what?" all night, but, it made sense, seeing as how she had long ago lost the ability to think or act for herself.
      "Now," Gabriel said, almost cheerfully, Nicole thought. "We go home."
     
      Victoria reassured Douglas, "Gabriel will come around. I mean, what choice does he have? The truth is the truth, right?"
      "Not in our house," Robin mumbled.
      Douglas raised an eyebrow. Robin looked away. And Victoria, for the umpteenth time since making their collective acquaintance, felt like she needed a course in Cooper-as-a-second language.
      She said, "Gabriel's wanted a family his whole life. He won't turn his back on finally having one, I know him."
      Almost wistfully, Douglas said, "I wish I could say the same thing."
      "What happened to him wasn't your fault. Gabriel isn't stupid. He understands that. You can still have your son back."
      "Right," Robin offered, "No more having to make due with the poor substitute."
      "Stop it," Victoria snapped, her voice sympathetic, but firm. "I know you don't mean what you're saying, Douglas knows you don't mean what you're saying, and even you know you don't mean what you're saying, so what's the point?"
      "Is that true?" Robin challenged his father. "Do you think I don't mean what I say."
      Very slowly, deliberately, Douglas forced the words out of his mouth, one by one, like he was spitting smoke rings. "I think, Robin, I think that you -- Gabriel isn't just my son. He's your mother's son, too. And if there's one thing I know for a fact, for an indisputable fact, it's that you loved your mother very much. And that's why I think seeing Gabriel, seeing how much he looks like her, some part of you, some small part, has got to be happy to see it."
      It wasn't an answer to Victoria's question. It wasn't even an answer to any question that Victoria could remember being asked all evening. And yet, from the look on Robin's face, from the way the fight seem to drain out of him, to be replaced by a softness Victoria had previously only glimpsed aimed in her own direction, it was obvious that Douglas' words were in fact the answer to a question Robin so badly wanted to know, he'd even been afraid to ask.
      He said, "I did love her. I didn't think you -- "
      "I never doubted it. Ever." Douglas' eyes locked with Robin's and he reiterated, "Ever."
      "He does look like her, doesn't he?"
      "It's the eyes," Douglas said. "The same color, the same shape, the same, I don't know, gentleness."
      Robin turned his head to look at Victoria. "An amazing woman," he said.
      "I'm sure she was." Victoria agreed. "I would have liked to meet your mother."
      "No," Robin smiled, half in sadness, half in pleasure. "I meant you, love."
      "Me?" Again with the Cooper-as-a-second language. Victoria had foolishly believed she was following their conversation rather well. Obviously, she'd been mistaken.
      "You." Robin turned to his father. "Wouldn't you say so, Douglas?"
      The older man nodded his head vigorously. "My dear, diffusing a conversation between my son and me, I had previously thought that was a feat to be mastered only by the Gods."
      "I -- I didn't really do anything. You were the one who said the right thing, I just -- "
      "Told me to shut up," Robin offered pleasantly.
      "Well, someone had to do it. You were acting like a spoiled brat."
      "Exactly," Robin said.
      Douglas took Victoria's hand in his, but he looked at Robin. "This is a very special young woman, son, take good care of her."
      "I intend to."
      And then, his and Victoria's eyes locked, and they were both thinking a single word. Nicole.