RJ glances at the wound, then at him. "Yeah...lovely, isn't it?"

Todd takes a few steps forward, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Y'okay?"

RJ puts his nose in the air, laying on his best, phony-sounding 'rich snob' voice

"Well...don't think I'll be making the tennis match at the country club..."

Despite everything, Todd grins at that...he rubs his nose to keep from cracking up.

RJ grins too, cracking up for him. "...eh, I'm fine. What about Tea, man? Where is she?"

Todd sighs, gesturing outside. "She, uh...they took her in for examination...y'know, female stuff, checking on the twins."

RJ nods. There's a silence as the resident finishes up, cleaning and bandaging the newly stitched gash.

"There you go, Mr. Gannon."

"Great, thanks...ow," RJ grimaces tries to move his arm. The resident gives him a look as he washes his hands.

"Don't be goin' disco on that arm there, man...don't want all my hard work to start popping out."

RJ nods as he slides off the table. The resident hands RJ his jacket, then opens the door for him.

"Just head up to the nurses' station, I'll get your paperwork ready."

"Thanks," RJ says, as they all walk out into the hall. The resident takes off ahead of them, as RJ and Todd meander down the hall after him..quietly, not speaking.

RJ starts to head over to the nurses' station...when Todd suddenly reaches out, grabbing his other arm. RJ looks back at him, a little surprised. They look at each other for a moment...then Todd starts struggling with the words.

"Uh, listen, I...I just wanted to...I mean, I..."

He stops, his tongue tying itself up...he shuts his eyes for a second, sighing...then opens his eyes again.

"I just...I wanted to say...sorry...for all this."

RJ grins at him...then speaks quietly. "Forget it, man. We got her back, and she's alright. That's all that matters."

Todd nods, his eyes full of the gratitude he cannot express in words. RJ grins wider, then heads over to the nurses' desk, leaving Todd standing in the middle of the hall, shifting around, nervously.

Just then, Bo comes out of one of the exam rooms. Todd looks over as several policemen follow, leading Dean down the hall in cuffs, his head bandaged up. From the nurses' desk, RJ looks over too...he sees Dean, and after a second, his eyes widen in recognition, despite Dean's haircut and dye job.

Dean and Todd spot each other immediately and lock eyes. Todd examines his face, which he can see clearly now, for the first time...steely, light eyes which stand out all the more against his peroxide-blonde hair. His gaze matches Todd's own in steadiness...neither of them blink. Todd's eyes narrow...something about his face looks familiar...

Bo steps up the pace and approaches Todd, with a pissed-off, disapproving look...but Todd keeps his eyes on Dean until he's passed by. Then he calmly looks back at Bo, who shakes his head at him. Todd rolls his eyes. Bo opens his mouth, motioning as if he's going to speak...but he's so frustrated, nothing comes out.

RJ walks over to them, eyes wide with shock. "Is that who I think it is?"

Bo's eyes dart over to RJ. "Well, if you're thinking it's Dean Shelton, yeah."

Todd's mouth falls open as he makes the connection. He whirls around to look at Dean again, but the officers have already taken him outside.

He turns back to Bo. "That...THAT was the guy who took my kid??!!"

Bo runs a hand through his hair, sighing...he nods. Todd steps up to him, growling.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Bo growls back. "Because I didn't even KNOW until a few hours ago. His prints came back from the lab AFTER you and Gannon decided to go off on your little half-cocked rescue mission."

Todd steps back and laughs, humorlessly...and looks at RJ, who folds his arms, staring daggers at Bo...who just looks back at the both of them, furious.

"Oh, don't gimme that 'we're badasses, we know what we're doing' look...this isn't some kinda stupid action movie. The BOTH of you coulda gotten killed...oh! Yeah, and what about Tea, huh?? What about the danger you put HER in?? I mean, are you guys just completely BRAIN-DEAD, or what??!!"

All activity and conversation in the hallway stops...everyone's eyes are on the three of them. RJ watches Todd as he and Bo stare each other down for a second...then Todd steps back up to him, his calm, quiet voice a sharp contrast to Bo's yelling.

"I was just doing what the guy told me. Don't take it personally."

Bo snarls, still furious. "Don't push me, Manning. I am THIS close to throwing BOTH your asses in lockup for interfering in police business!"

Todd looks at him for a moment...then shakes his head.

"Whatever...too tired to deal with you right now," he mutters, walking away from him.

The tension breaks...and slowly, everyone goes back to what they were doing. RJ glances at Bo, then follows Todd over to the waiting lounge...leaving Bo standing there fuming.

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

Tea lies on a table in one of the exam rooms, nervously looking down toward the doctor who's about to examine her. She watches as he snaps a pair of latex gloves on. A nurse standing next to him does the same, then straightens out the instruments lying on a little tray.

The doctor smiles at her kindly. "Okay, Mrs. Manning...I need you to scooch down to the edge of the table here."

Tea tries to steady her breathing, but can feel herself getting panicky again. She swallows...then slowly, starts sliding down toward him. The nurse pulls out the stirrups, and reaches for one of Tea's legs...

Tea feels her leg being grabbed and tenses, gasping loudly. The doctor and nurse jump back, startled. They watch her for a moment, as Tea pulls back, sitting up...she backs away from them, trembling. The doctor and nurse exchange glances, both of them recognizing something. The doctor whispers to the nurse, who nods, then goes to the cabinet across the room. The doctor steps forward, lowering his voice.

"It's okay, Mrs. Manning. We're not gonna hurt you. We just need to make sure that everything's alright, so...we need to take a look at you. Can we do that?"

Tea looks at him...he can see the fear in her eyes. The doctor sighs, tipping his head slightly.

"I know you're scared...but I need your help here. I have to make sure you and your babies are okay. Will you help me do that?"

Tea shuts her eyes, trying to pull herself together. He's a doctor, Tea...he's just trying to help...get a grip.

She takes a deep, labored breath...and nods. He smiles back at her, gently.

"Okay. Now come on back down."

Tea lies back down, and slides down to the edge of the table...the doctor makes sure he keeps eye contact with her.

"There you go...good. Okay...now we're gonna put your legs up, okay?"

She nods...he takes her foot and places it in the stirrup. The nurse comes back over, laying a rape kit on the tray...then gently takes Tea's other foot and does the same. The doctor pushes her gown up, sits down on the stool...

...and stops. He sighs heavily, at what he sees...smears of dirt between her legs and around her pubic area. He looks over at the nurse, whose face softens with concern. She nods at the doctor...then, without a word, she walks around and sits down on the edge of the table next to Tea.

Tea looks up at her...the nurse smiles...then reaches out and takes Tea's hand in hers.

"Try to relax now...and you just squeeze my hand if you need to, okay?"

Tea sniffles...and nods. She shuts her eyes and concentrates on slowing her breathing down. The nurse rubs Tea's hand delicately, trying to soothe her as the doctor finishes the exam.

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

Todd and RJ sit in the lounge, waiting for news. The doctor comes out of the exam room and looks around. He spots them and walks over, recognizing them from when they all came in earlier. He clears his throat...Todd and RJ look up at him, then jump up.

"Is Commissioner Buchanan still here?"

They shake their heads. The doctor nods...then runs a hand through his hair.

"Uh...okay. Well, I just finished the initial exam on your wife---"

Todd cuts him off. "She alright? Can I see her?"

He holds up a finger. "I really think you should hear what I have to say first."

Todd's brow creases...both his and RJ's faces darken with concern. The doctor takes a deep breath, and lowers his voice.

"Well, first, let me just say that, physically, she appears to be okay. I didn't see any signs of external injuries, and her reflexes are good. Now, do you have a number where I can reach her obstetrician?"

"Oh, uh...yeah," Todd replies, as he digs out his wallet. He pulls out a business card and hands it to the doctor, who looks at it.

"Great. As far as I can tell, everything looks fine. But I'd like to do an ultrasound...and if her o.b. concurs, an amnio as well, just to make absolutely sure. Now, uh...I DID come across something when I went to do the pelvic exam."

He pauses, trying to find the right way to say what he needs to say. Todd and RJ gather closer around him, listening intently.

"There were several smears of dirt, around the inner thigh and pubic area..."

Both Todd's and RJ's mouths gape slightly at that. The doctor takes another deep breath.

"...which would indicate that, at some point during all of this, um...she was probably sexually assaulted."

RJ gapes wider...then looks over at Todd, whose face has turned ghostly white. He struggles with the only word on his tongue...

"Wh-what?" he whispers.

"I found no evidence of penetration or intercourse...but she was...absolutely terrified when I first tried to examine her. Now I've seen a LOT of rape victims in my time here. I know what the signs are...and your wife is DEFINITELY showing them. I'm quite certain that she was assaulted."

Todd feels his legs wobbling...he falls back down on the couch. The doctor sighs.

"I'll make sure this is all noted in my report to the police. Now, uh...I have to make arrangements for her tests, so."

RJ nods. The doctor starts to walk away...then turns back. "Mr. Manning."

Todd looks up at him, slowly, from behind his hands.

"Your wife's in exam two...but we're probably going to have to admit her, at least for tonight. I think you should stay with her."

Todd blinks at that...still too shocked to nod or do anything else. He buries his face in his hands again. The doctor lingers on him for a second, then walks away. RJ rubs his face, taking it all in...then turns to Todd. He throws his hands up, at a loss.

"I, uh...I don't EVEN know what to say to THAT."

He sits down next to Todd...looking at him for a moment, then down at the floor. There's a long silence. Then finally, Todd's hands drop...he looks over at RJ, his face covered with a scary mixture of anger and pain. His voice comes out soft, but cold...

"I'm gonna kill him, Gannon. That sonofabitch won't LIVE to see a trial."

Before RJ can respond, Todd gets up and walks off toward exam room two. RJ looks after him...then sighs as he sinks into the couch, exhausted.

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

An hour or so later, Roseanne stands in the tiny foyer of her apartment building in Manhattan, keeping an eye out for the cab she called. A couple of overnight bags sit on the floor by her feet. She paces around for a moment...when the sound of a car horn makes her look up. She runs to the door, and sees the cab waiting. She lets out a relieved breath, grabs her bags and sprints out the door.

The gum-smacking cab driver nods as he opens the back door for her. She tosses her bags inside and jumps in after them. The cab driver gets back in and pulls away from the curb, merging into the busy traffic.

"So where to, miss?"

"Penn Station...I gotta train to catch, so if you could hurry it up..." Roseanne answers, glancing out the window.

"Gotcha."

Roseanne stares out the window, chewing her lip. She turns and looks out the back window occasionally, then settles into the seat. She shuts her eyes, praying silently for an easy escape. The steady vibration of the car causes her to relax...she slouches down and dozes off for a bit.

After about ten or fifteen minutes, the cab pulls up outside Penn Station...

...where a huge crowd of onlookers has gathered, around the waiting NYPD cruisers. The cab driver throws it in park and hits the power locks...then takes out his badge and gun. He turns around and crosses his arms at the wrists...aiming with one hand, and holding the badge out with the other.

"Penn Station, miss."

Roseanne opens her eyes, rubbing them as she sits up. She blinks...then opens her eyes wide, when she sees the gun aimed at her. Her mouth drops open in shock. The cop grins at her, smacking his gum loudly.

" 'Fraid you won't be gettin' on that train. A certain police commish from Llanview wants a word witchya."

Knock, knock, knock...

Roseanne turns her head, slowly...

...and sees Bo, looking at her through the window. He flashes her a phony smile, and waves.