Wren tapped his knee with a finger, barely hearing the nurses last instructions to Fiona as she changed the bandage on Fiona's head wound. He glanced at the clock hanging on the room's white walls, concern gnawing at him. Leah should be back by now.

"All done with that," The nurse, Susan, said as she straightened from her bent position. One small hand went to rest on the small of her back while her other rested on the large swelling of her belly. Dots of perspiration lined her forehead from the exertion.

"Thank you for everything," Fiona said as she raised a hand to rest on the young mothers. "I hope your delivery is perfect."

"Thank you. So far everything is looking wonderful. Well, if you will just wait here, I will find a wheelchair and we will take you to the exit."

"Oh, well, I have a friend who is here too, but she hasn't come back yet. Could we wait a few minutes?"

Nurse Susan giggled. "It's not often I hear people asking to stay longer!"

Wren stood to his feet, a small grin on his face. "Fiona is a strange one."

Fiona scoffed at his teasing tone, and the nurse smiled. Wren stretched before moving to the door. "I think I'll go check on her. I'm sure there will be a kind woman willing to see if she's okay."

"Oh, I can come with you," Susan said, "If you will give me just a moment to - " Her words were drowned as a piercing wail of a siren split the little room in a deafening sound.

On instinct, Wren covered his ears and noticed Fiona's pinched expression as she reached to touch her head near her wound. "What in the world is that?" He yelled.

Susan appeared nervous. "I think it's the lock down system, but I'm not sure. I need you two to stay here until I can find out what's going on. Please don't leave this room." She was already moving to the door, but Wren didn't hesitate to rush forward.

"I have someone out there to protect and you have someone inside you to protect." Wren explained when he stepped in front of her. "Please, will you stay with Fiona while I check on my ward?"

"Your ward?"

"A girl I'm in charge of. I need to see she's safe. Will you stay with Fiona?"

The nurse looked about to argue but suddenly raised a hand to her belly as if the baby inside had jumped. "Yes, of course I will stay with her. But, do be careful. This alarm only goes off if we are under a direct threat. You really should stay here. It's against policy for you to leave."

Looking at Fiona over the nurses head, their eyes met. He could see his answer in her gaze. "Screw your policy. My job is keeping my ward safe. Be sure to lock the door behind me."

Satisfied when she nodded in understanding, he slipped into the hallway, dodging as a doctor came rushing by. Wren didn't give him a second to order him back into room. He dashed down the hall, not stopping at the occasional voice.

Taking the last corner to the women's restroom, he slowed as another man came dashing out of the bathroom door. Head bent low and arm raised to block view of his face, Wren couldn't make out his features, but with the man's quickened pace, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. His eyes traveled back to the almost shut door and his breathing stopped. Leah, her face as pale as a ghost, was falling to the tiled bathroom floor. The door sealed shut blocking his view.

He bolted forward, every step slowing with time. His heart beat sounded in his ears like drums. It seemed like an eternity before he was pushing the women's bathroom door open and weakness claimed his limbs as he took in his ward's still frame sprawled on the tile. A guttural moan escaped his lips as a tiny trial of blood slid down her neck and dropped to the floor.

"Leah!" He had intended to scream her name but it came as a mere whisper as he fell to his knees beside her. Panic seized him but he forced a deep breath to calm himself. Then, he saw the steady rise and fall of her chest and relief pushed instant tears to his eyes. Reaching to cup her cheek, he tried to wake her. She didn't respond. When his fingers found her pulse on her wrist, he closed his eyes in relief. Thank you, Jesus!

Moving her hair off her shoulders, he leaned closer to inspect where the blood originated, all his breath coming out in a loud whoosh as he saw it was only from a small cut. He frowned, leaning to look so closely, he could smell the stench of her blood. Anger mingled with his fear, but he forced both aside as he rushed to the door and called the first nurse he saw.

"Do you know what happened?" The nurse ran fingers over her neck, only glancing at Wren for a moment. He frowned at the wound on her neck.

""I don't know everything but I think she was held at knife point. I saw a man running out right before I got here," Wren said grimly. The male nurse jerked his head up, surprised.

"Why do you think that?"

Wren pointed to the cut tarnishing her slender neck "Because of the angle and clean way her skin is separated. Also, the cut is directly above her Carotid Artery. Thank God the cut didn't reach or she would be dead by now. I think whoever did this intended to threaten but was planning on killing her if need be."

Nodding, the nurse leaned to look closer, before frowning at Wren. "That is quite an observation for a normal person." Suspicion reflected in his eyes and Wren stiffened.

"I didn't do this. I would never harm this girl." Wren hesitated. "I just know a thing or two about blades."

"I see. Did you recognize the man who left the bathroom?"

"No. He was covering his face."

"And this young woman?" He was back to checking her carefully, " Is she important? "

Swallowing hard, Wren gazed at his ward as emotion filled him. "She's important to me. "

The tenderness consuming him was not missed by Leah's caregiver. He leaned back to look at Wren. "I don't think she is harmed, but I will admit her and have her checked again. Also, I don't think this woman was targeted, rather she was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Wren's gaze sharpened. "Do you think it's connected to the lock down?"

"Maybe."

"What is the lock down for?"

The nurse hesitated, then sighed. "A patient was discharged today, but he was discovered dead in a cleaning closet."

Raising his eyebrows, Wren said nothing. There was obviously more to it.

"He was stabbed. According to the police - by a professional."

"It has to be the same man." Now that Wren knew Leah was alright, his anger resurfaced. "And, if it was the same person, he's still in this building. If not on this floor."

For the first time the nurse appeared nervous and cast a quick glance at the shut door. "Perhaps we should stay in here for a little while. It might be the safest for your girlfriend."

Wren trialed a gentle hand down Leah's arm until he captured her hand in his own. He squeezed it, hoping she might be able to sense him even in her state. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to her clammy forehead.

"I love you, Leah Kingsley," He whispered. Then, he climbed to his feet, his jade orbs hardening. "Don't you dare deny her care because you're afraid. I'll do my part and you do yours."

The nurse blinked and had the grace to look embarrassed. "You're right. I'm sorry. But, you need to stay -"

But Wren Adams was already gone.

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

The anger he had suppressed moments before, spiked to such intensity the white hospital walls went in and out of focus. Images of Leah's skin, split ever so slightly, bombarded his mind and he stopped his movements, sucking in a ragged breath. How dare someone harm her. Touch her.

I've got to calm down.

If the assailant was a professional knife wielder, then this was no laughing matter. He knew there was no graceful end to a knife scrape, for either party.

Help me, Father. This man needs to be stopped. What do I do?

His ire shrinking to a manageable level, he tried to place himself in the shoes of the assassin, forcing his mind to enter the realm of murder and hiding.

He considered the variables around him. The hospital was put on lock down before the attacker had even left the ladies restroom, so Wren doubted he had made it out of the building. The hallways were clear; unless the attacker wanted to stand out, cover would be his number one priority. The sudden worry the killer might be in a room with other civilians piled onto his other suspicions, but he shook his head, disagreeing with himself. Locking himself in a room and waiting out the lock down would be a poor choice as the police would most likely search every area, possibly even bringing in canines.

"I wouldn't look for cover," Wren murmured, " I would make my cover." A sickening feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he began to jog the empty hall. Sirens were faint outside the building, relieving him. It wouldn't be long before the police reached this floor. .

He continued to jog down the hallways. Voices were audible from some of the side rooms, some sounding panicked while others laughed and talked, not taking the situation seriously. He ignored those rooms, only looking inside dark ones. His wanderings led him to a dead end and he growled in frustration. He doubted the attacker had made it to another floor, but where was he? He could only hope the wrong person didn't find him first.

The voices and radios of the police reached him and he started to move towards them. Now that they were here, he would step back and let them handle things. But, maybe his information would help them, he reasoned.

Suddenly, a door slid open from a room not ten yards away. Every muscle in Wren's body tensed as a man dressed in a surgeons garb emerged. He didn't look back at Wren; He walked with confidence. Wren forced himself to relax. He continued his trek behind the doctor, disappointed and relieved he hadn't found the man who had harmed his ward.

Probably for the best, he thought. He picked up his pace anxious to be at Leah's side, but narrowed his brows when the surgeon did the same. Wren pushed himself to move faster; the man in front increased his steps. Wren's frown deepened. Something wasn't right. Then, realization hit him. The man hadn't checked his surroundings at all upon leaving his room. A normal person would have been on alert, watching. Especially a surgeon who most likely knew the truth to the situation they were in.

Wren's adrenaline surged, but he decided to test the suspect. "Excuse me, Doctor! I need help."

The doctor increased his stride. "I can't. I'm trying to get to a patient." He never once looked back validating Wren's suspicion. It was as though the man was purposely keeping his face from view.

Wren upped his stride to a jog, intending to come along side the man, but to his surprise, the surgeon stopped. Wren did the same, his shoes skidding on the tile. He didn't want to scare anyone, but he was almost certain this man was not who he claimed.

The next few seconds happened fast as the surgeon raised an arm to cover his face and whirled to Wren. Honed instincts caused Wren to tilt his head the slightest, missing a spinning knife by a mere centimeter. The sharp metal struck the wall with a slap, sticking steadfast.

Wren had his answer. His feet were moving, chasing the fake doctor before his mind had processed all that had just taken place.

"He's here!" Wren bellowed. He pumped his legs as fast as they would go, and begged them to go faster. Sliding across the slick floor as he followed the assailant around a sharp corner, he crashed into a wall. Sharp pain stabbed at his shoulder, but he ignored it, pushing off the wall and propelling himself forward. Desperation struck as he realized he was losing ground on his target, not gaining. They neared a stairway exit. Wren cried out again, trying to alert the nearby police officers, when out of one of the adjoining hallways, one such person dove into view, grabbing the assailant around the ankles and dragging him to the hard floor.

Pushing himself, Wren was desperate to reach them before a knife was drawn. He doubted the officer would stand a chance with the skill the assailant had shown throwing one moments before. But before any of those scenarios could happen, three more officers ran from the same hallway, and joined the scuffle.

Wren slowed in relief as the man was subdued and his face shoved into the hard floor. Handcuffs were wrestled on the man's wrists and curses emitted from the captive's mouth.

Wren froze. That voice... How did he know it? He inched forward but an officer stopped him with arms opened wide as if to barricade him from getting closer.

"You shouldn't be in the hallways. The hospital is on lock down." He stared at Wren sternly. Wren stifled his argument as he tried to glimpse the attacker's face. Determined to not let Wren closer, the officer blocked Wren again. "Return to your room, now!"

Nodding, Wren turned to head back the way he had come. Yet, he couldn't slow his brain. Why did that voice seem so familiar? With regret, he wished he had clarified that it was him who had found the culprit and alerted them to the attacker's whereabouts. Maybe then, they would have at least allowed him a glance at the fraudulent surgeon.... He shook himself to the present. The killer was caught and that was all that mattered.

"Thank you, Jesus!" Then, breaking into a jog once again, he rushed to find Leah.

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

As if awaking from a troubled night's sleep, Leah's awareness of her surroundings crept back. She fluttered her eyelids open. At first, white ceiling and dim lights were all she recognized, but a sound to her left drew her gaze.

"Fiona?" She whispered.

"Leah!" Eyes brightening, Fiona sat straighter in her chair. "Thank goodness, you're awake."

Nodding, Leah raised a hand to touch a painful area on her neck, connecting to a bandage rather than her skin. Horrifying memories flooded back and her hand trembled with fear. Fiona reached out to smooth her hair from her face.

"It's okay, Leah. You're safe."

Fiona's soothing tone tempered her fear and she breathed deep as her panic faded. It was over and she had survived.

"Why am I here?"

"You were found passed out on the bathroom floor. Except for the cut on your neck, they said you were unharmed. You passed out from shock."

Trying to register what her friend was saying, Leah nodded. She wiggled her toes and fingers. Yes, everything seemed to be working. Slowly, she sat up. Except for minor light - headedness, she did feel fine.

"What happened?" Fiona took her hand in a gentle caress.

Leah's mind churned. She chose her words carefully. "Nothing. He told me to be quiet, so I did. I guess that's why I'm alive."

Fiona's eye closed and a tear slid down her cheek. "I'm so thankful you are. So very thankful. The police are wanting to talk to you. Do you feel up to it?"

Her heart leapt with nervousness, but she did her best to hide it. "Y - yes. There's not much to tell, so that is fine."

"Okay."

Leah smiled small but her thoughts were churning. That's all anyone will know, anyway.