"I love you, Jackie. Don't leave me again. Please. I need you."I'm not going anywhere, Penelope, but you have always had a strength you didn't realize... a strength to do more than cling to my skirt like you did when you were little. I could see it then, I can see it now. Stop doubting yourself. I love you.I listened at my son's door a moment. I heard nothing from inside, but I trusted that Jackie knew what she was telling me was true. I decided to call out, "Dex?" I paused just a second. "Can we. Joey was still being considered one of the criminal targets. Once he was well, I would fix that. Once he was well, I would fix everything. I would take him home. I would show him how dear he was. How precious he was. I would give him anything he wanted. I would give him the world.One of the doctors stopped to me. "Excuse me, you're with Joey Wheeler; does he have any other family or friends?" Many." I whispered."You may want to call them. If they can get here, soon, they may be able to see. Three times, shocking the breath from me, making me dizzy and disoriented. I heard the cuffs click around my wrists--metal cuffs! I pulled at them even as he pressed a cloth over my mouth and nose, his hand feeling so large against my face, my breath suddenly cut off, panic setting in as I tried to whip my head around, tried to free myself, my chest heaving, trying to scream out my safe word, screaming it out in my head even as I bent and writhed in his grip. "RED! RED! RED!".I hadn't. Especially when I said I was going to clean the place up but nowmy shoulder hurt from the fight. (Yeah a lie but so what)I had a DVD of the best knock out punches and I could see from how shewas turning her face away from the TV the earlier event was playingthrough her mind and realizing how punishing those guys could have beenon her.And then her next girl phrase, "Chopper you saved me back there. I'llclean up for you while you watch TV." Oh, when she finally had voicelessons I'd have to get.