them. Fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, she pulled a thread loose to unravel it. There was a long gap of silence. But eventually her shoulders sagged with resignation and she continued, "Yes. I told you I was stupid. I was walking on the tracks. He -- Nicholas risked his life to save mine. He was hurt too, didn't you see that? He could have been killed, but he saved me."
"But he's your husband--"
"Yes. My husband. He called my name and pushed me out of the way."
Couldn't she see the story was too fantastic and delivered too haltingly to have been made up? It was only part of the truth and not the most important part.
"Trissa, why were you on the tracks?"
"I told you. I was walking. And thinking."
"Were you running away, Trissa?"
She could not answer.
After long moments filled with only the sound of Patty's strained breathing. the woman asked again. "Were you running away from your husband?"
"No."
"If you don't want to go home with him, I can find someplace for you. Or perhaps your parents?"
Trissa flinched, clasped her hands and pressed them to her lips, shaking her head. "No, not my parents. Where -- what do you mean by someplace?"
"A shelter. A place for women who want to be safe and have nowhere to go," she said. "No one but us would know the location."
Trissa's voice came out soft and filled with uncertainty. She tried the words to convince herself, "I -- I can go home with Nicholas. He said I could. Yes, he was looking for me, wasn't he? I will go home with him." Her hands clenched into hard fists. "They can't make me go anywhere I don't want to go, can they?"
Georgia rose and stepped toward her, patting her white-knuckled hands. "No one wants to make you do anything. But are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm very sure."
"Please, let me talk to Mr. Brewer before you decide. Dr. Edmonds is concerned for your safety."
For the first time, Trissa eyes focused steadily on the social worker. "Nicholas saved my life, Mrs. Pulasky. He saved me. How can I not be safe with a man who would have given his life for mine?"
"I understand what you're saying. You've had a traumatic experience. It's only natural that you look to this man as your savior. But I can't understand what led up to this... this accident. I can't understand why you would be out in the dark, in the cold, on the railroad tracks, alone."
"I can't explain. It would hurt people I care -- used to care about, and I can't do that. But believe me, Nicholas was not to blame. Nicholas had nothing to do with it."
"I believe you, Trissa. I'll talk to Dr. Edmonds. He will probably release you as early as tomorrow, maybe."
"Do you think it could be today? I'm worried about the expense."
"Don't worry about that. That's one thing I can take care of. And if there's anything else, if you just need somebody to talk to, here's my card. It has my extension here at the hospital. and if I'm not here for some reason, someone will answer and take a message. I'm never more than ten minutes away from getting my messages."
A knock at the door interrupted them. "Flowers."
"Come in," Georgia called, and a tall, bespectacled volunteer entered with a vase of pink roses and daisies.
"For Trissa?" the volunteer said. "Sorry, these are a little late."
"That's me," answered Trissa, hopping to her feet as the vase was delivered into her outstretched hands. "There's no card."
"No, he didn't leave one. He seemed in a hurry."
"It can't be Nicholas." Trissa said. "He already brought flowers."
"Maybe they're from your parents?" Mrs. Pulasky said.
The vase slipped from Trissa's suddenly trembling hands and crashed to the floor, splattering water and shards of glass. "My father?"
"Don't move, Trissa, you'll cut yourself!" Georgia cautioned, reaching for her elbows to hold her in place. Slivers of pink glass surrounded Trissa's bare toes. "Quick, see if there are some slippers in that suitcase over there," she instructed the volunteer, who jumped to the task.
"I have to get out of here. My father -- my father knows." Trissa's words came in quick, panicked gulps.
"What is going on here?" bellowed a voice from the doorway. In three quick strides, Dr. Edmonds was upon them. He whisked Trissa from her feet and deposited her on the bed. "Well, don't just stand there. Get that mess cleaned up," he yelled at