Nancy turned her cell phone off and drove directly to the river after leaving the hospital.

She walked now along the well-worn trail that was lined with the Miller's forest on one side and her beloved river on the other. She was walking faster than normal and didn't stop until she reached 'her spot'. It was a place where the river pooled over into a marshy area that was completely surrounded by trees on all sides and, since it was relatively sheltered from the wind, most of the trees still had the majority of their leaves. Most people didn't make it that far up the trail, preferring to go downstream towards the boathouse and harbour than to venture upstream to the woods. Nancy had come to this place with her father when she was very small and he would tell her stories of her mother. She now came to this place when she needed to think or escape or had a really difficult case that she couldn't work out. When she was absolutely sure she was alone sometimes she would talk out loud, as though she were talking to her mother.

Nancy had no words today but went to a hollow tree, pulled out a waterproof bag, produced a well-worn blanket and merely sat on a stone, wrapped in the blanket, staring out at the water.

She had a pit in her stomach that refused to go away but could not figure out the reason for it. She had been the one to suggest that Frank needed a break and they should leave. There was no logical reason to be upset that Frank had asked her to go. Sure it was slightly abrupt but the boy had a head trauma and was in pain. Anyone would want to be alone after a meeting with Bess and George.

Ugh. Her emotions had been all over the place the last couple days.

She wrapped herself a little tighter in the blanket that had been her mother's as a chilly November gust pushed past the blockade of trees and wrapped its icy fingers around her.

Deep breath, Nancy. She commanded herself. Clear your mind.

She spent a few moments meditating before her mind started to wander.

It wandered to her fingers and the memory of them being wrapped in a thick head of chestnut hair.

Stop, Nancy.

Clear your mind.

And it slipped to a memory of realizing his eyes had little flecks of gold in their chocolatey depths even as she searched for signs of a concussion or ruptured pupil or anything.

STOP, Nancy.

She opened her eyes in frustration. He had been nearly every waking thought for the last three months. Was she expecting it to just stop when he woke up?

BREATHE, Nancy.

The feeling of her hands in his. STOP. The flush in his cheeks when he saw her. GODDAMMIT.

This didn't feel normal.

Nancy audibly sighed. Wishing, not for the first time, that her mom was there with her.

There was a real question here that she needed to face at last. Was she in love with Frank, or was she just feeling guilty? Ned occupied the smallest corner of her mind which was consumed with thoughts of Frank. It should be the other way around. She closed her eyes and indulged herself for a moment with that memory of how Frank's face had flushed as he saw her through the cloud of Bess and George. Could that mean that he….?

Wait.

Bess.

George.

"SHIT" was heard by nothing but the wind as she stuffed her blanket in the waterproof bag, bag back in the tree and started jogging back to her car, thankful she was wearing her running shoes.