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When Charlie had managed to regain her composure without once more melting into puddles, the nurse wheeled her to the hospital back entrance where a car was waiting for them. The press and fans had expected her to leave by the front entrance, so no one saw her as she left the hospital.

Since the windows of the waiting car were darkly tinted, Charlie wasn't aware of the driver or person in the passenger side, until she and Vera had climbed into the back seat.

"Here are your crutches," said the nurse, placing them on the floor next to Charlie's feet.

As Charlie sat back in her seat, she saw a familiar face in the rear view mirror. It was Bill. Then she noticed that Kevin was behind the wheel.

"Charlie," related Bill, "Adam wants to know if you'll come and talk to him. Otherwise, this car will take you straight to your destination. I told him that you'd need your rest first, but I guess he couldn't wait to see you."

"Is he here in Butte?" asked Charlie.

"Adam flew in as soon as you were reported found," answered Bill, in the affirmative.

"I'll come," she replied with a heavy heart.

The car pulled away from the hospital and made its way down a series of streets until they arrived at a small, inconspicuous house.

"The media was all over the hotels," explained Bill, as he helped Vera out of the car. "We're renting this for a few days, while Adam recovers."

Bill winced, for he had said more than he had intended to.

"Adam told me not to tell you," he explained. "He didn't want to worry you."

"What happened?" pressed Charlie, as Kevin helped her onto her crutches.

"Adam's on medication to help him sleep," Bill explained. "He's having so many stress headaches, that I put aspirin capsules into the same bottle as his sleeping meds. The medication is red, and the aspirin is brown."

"But, he's colorblind," warned Charlie.

"So I learned," muttered Bill. "He had to be rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped. I completely blame myself for the accident. It's been like this, ever since you left. The tour is becoming harder and harder to do. The only reason Adam is still pressing forward, is because so many people are depending on him."

Charlie hobbled up the cement sidewalk while Kevin walked beside her to the door. Bill turned the handle, and the door swung open. The house was darker inside than it was outside, so it took a moment for Charlie's eyes to adjust to the low light.

The living room and kitchen were on the opposite ends of one large open room, with no dividers or doors separating the two spaces. An open doorway in the living room led to a hall with four bedrooms and one bathroom. Half open suitcases and miscellaneous personal effects of what was left of Wallace Shipley's entourage, were scattered all over the house. At the table, which was positioned between the kitchen and the living room, sat Gary, working away on his laptop computer.

As Charlie walked inside, she noticed a figure come out of the shadows to meet her.

"Charlie-girl!" cried Adam, embracing her so hard, that he almost knocked her off her crutches.

For a moment, the young woman was lost in his arms, and didn't remember that she had called off their engagement. Then he let her go, and awkwardly took a few steps back.

"Thank God you're back!" he exclaimed.

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