Fate's Cruel Hand

A contented, but exhausted sigh breaks the silence in the room as she stretches and rolls over onto her side, her arm reaching over to Jeremy. The cool sheets send goosebumps up her arm, alarmed she looks over to see his side of the bed empty and it doesn't even look slept in. Where is he?

Descending the stairs she can't hear any movement and she starts to fear the worst, given Jeremy's past history. She enters the living room and feels her heart travelling back down from her throat and into her chest, relieved that Jeremy is asleep on the sofa. Kelly decides not to wake him and make's a start on breakfast, making him bacon and eggs would definitely put a smile on his face. But she knows she needs to ask him why he abandoned her for the sofa. Why he went all moody after his mishap in the bedroom. She could already guess it was male pride, knowing that men took it very personally when it came to their anatomy.
Kelly goes back upstairs to shower and wonders how she will bring up the subject of what happened last night with Jeremy.

The hot water feels amazing as it pounds down onto her neck and upper-back, the highest spray on the shower-head. It feels good to just relax, to let her worries and stresses temporarily flow down the plughole and she wishes they could stay there where they belong. So far she hasn't heard anything from the inquest panel and the longer she is kept in the dark the more she is worrying about it.

A light knock on the door grabs her attention. The steam seems lessened as Jeremy stands in front of the mirror.

"Is that you, Jeremy?"

A pause.

"Yeah. Susan called and said I've to let you know that the inquest's reached their decision or something. You've to meet her at two" he says in a quiet voice.

Kelly turns off the shower and wraps herself in a towel, water dripping down her shoulders from her hair.
She feels sick at the thought of what decision has been made.
He is about to turn away when Kelly bites the proverbial bullet.

"Jeremy, we need to talk about last night."

He turns back to her.

"There's nothing to talk about it"

"Yes there is. You are upset about what happened. It's nothing to be ashamed of." She replies,soothing."This kind of thing happens to men all the time"

"It's never happened before" he replies sadly.

Jeremy has barely looked at her since last night and Kelly can understand why he feels so embarrassed and maybe let down, but she doesn't blame him.

"I'm sorry" he mumbles and looks up at her. "You better get ready or you will be late"

*****

Uneasy, she walks into the same room she had been interrogated last time she was here. She briefly looks at the four panel members and feels her stomach churn, their expressions giving nothing away. It's at that moment she wishes she could read people's minds. She would be able to relax if she knew whether their decision is good news or bad news and she would also be able to help Jeremy.

"Dr Hunter, thank you for coming at such short notice"

Kelly nods in acknowledgement. She tries to casually wipe her sweaty palms on her trousers.

"We have reached our decision. It has taken some time to go through the documents provided by your office and I'm pleased to say that you could not have prevented Carl Benton's suicide. You may return to your duties as normal."