Home Invasion 5/9
Title: Home Invasion (5/9)
Author: tay_21
Fandom: Primeval
Pairings: Connor/Abby
Rating: Pg-13
Genre: Angst, violence, romance... eventually
Warning/Advertisements: violence
Word Count: 16,256 (total)
Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters belong to Impossible Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Initially written for deinonychus_1's birthday, I hit a wall and couldn't finish until recently. FINALLY, I finished and I'm only about two to three years late at this time. Thanks to evenstar_estel, fredbassett, prehistoriccat, and sunspecops all of which helped to beta this monstrosity in part or in whole over the course of it's inception. I hope you enjoy it.
Summary: Webster's Online Dictionary: Home Invasion - Noun 1. home invasion - burglary of a dwelling while the residents are at home...There's been a series of armed robberies in and around the estate where Connor and Abby now live with their two children. Everyone in the area is on edge, Connor and Abby included. Many of the robberies have ended badly for the families involved.
(I know it's late, but...) HAPPY BIRTHDAY deinonychus_1!!!!!!!
Home Invasion (1/9)
Home Invasion (2/9)
Home Invasion (3/9)
Home Invasion (4/9)
PART V
Abby woke with a start. She didn’t know how long she had been dosing, but the light in the room had changed. It wasn’t quite as bright as it had been and her body felt sore and stiff from sleeping in such an odd position. She stretched as a nurse came in to check Connor’s vitals.
“‘ello, love, did you sleep well? The doctor came in a while back and found you ‘ere. ‘e said it was best for you if we left you alone as much as possible. ‘owever, Mr Temple is due for another CAT scan that simply can’t wait any longer.”
Abby nodded. “Can I wait here for him to come back? Oh and what time is it?”
“Yes, you can wait ‘ere, it’s about five in the evening.”
“Five, really? Oh, I need to check on my kids.”
“Will you be back tonight, deary?”
“Yeah, they’re just downstairs and a family friend is watching them.”
“In the waiting room are they?”
“No, the children’s ward. Both my children where shot in the same robbery as me and my husband. My son also has severe asthma.”
“Oh dear me, that’s ‘orrible. I ‘eard about that armed robbery on the news. I didn’t know that was you and ‘im? Poor things. I’ll try to ‘ave ‘im back as quick as a flash for you then. ‘e’ll be OK. Poor lad just needs to ‘eal that’s all. ‘is vitals are really strong you know. Good ‘eart on this one.” The kind old nurse patted Connor’s non-injured leg gently.
Abby groaned as she straightened up in her wheel chair and stretched again. She leaned forward and kissed Connor lightly on the cheek. “Be back in a bit, OK? I’ll miss you.”
Abby turned back to the nurse. “Would you mind getting someone that can help get me to my kids’ rooms and back, please?”
“Certainly, deary. I’ll just be one sec’.”
She left the room and pretty true to her word returned shortly with a hospital volunteer who wheeled Abby down to her children’s room.
Abby couldn’t help smiling at the sight that greeted her upon being wheeled into the doorway. Becker was sat at the foot of Sarah’s bed. He was in the process of telling her a very animated story. Both children were listening with rapt attention. She was relieved to see Lester sitting at the foot of Nick’s bed and chiming in with his own details. Becker was a great storyteller. He did all the voices and everything. Abby recognized the basic tenets of the events surrounding the British Museum anomaly. There were a few changes however. The British Museum had, of coarse, become a castle, the Pristichampsus had become a dragon intent on hunting down the fair maiden, who’s name was Sarah. Sarah would eventually out wit the vile dragon through cunning and quick thinking. The warriors Sir Becker, Sir Connor, and Sir Nick the Younger always aided her. All was done in the service of King Lester for the benefit of the entire kingdom. Abby swore Lester’s eyes sparkled a little too much when Becker referred to ‘King’ Lester in the story. It made her smile even bigger. Though it also made her miss Sarah. That was a loss that had hit them all hard, Becker most of all.
“Ah, Abby, you’re awake. So nice to see you’ve had a little rest,” Lester commented in his ever increasingly dry tones. “How’s Connor getting on this evening?”
That man never missed anything, Abby thought.
“He’s much the same, still…” Abby glanced at Nick whose smile had faded a little and he was no longer listening to Becker, all his attention was focused on his mum and what she was saying about his dad. “Still sleeping. They’ve taken him for another CAT scan to make sure things are progressing the way they want it too.”
Abby motioned for Lester to join her outside. She turned the wheel chair around and headed back into the hallway after casting Becker an apologetic look.
Lester followed her out into the hall.
“I went by to see you earlier, but you were sound asleep, so I left you and gave Becker a bit of relief with the kids.”
“Thank you. It means so much to me that you’re here.”
“You and Connor are like family, you know that. Ever since you were missing, and Philip Burton bought his way in. Anyway, you take all the time you need, I’ll make sure things are covered at the ARC. You and your family need to make sure that you heal properly. In fact, I don’t want you back at work for at least three weeks, maybe longer. You can manage that can’t you, Mrs. Temple?” He quirked an eyebrow at her. Abby smirked sheepishly, in the last several years, much of Connor had rubbed off on her and she now had a tendency to act a little rashly when it came to protecting her own.
“Yes, sir. I promise I’ll be smart about it. Family first and all that.”
“I understand your little family is about to be one bigger? Might I offer my congratulations? Again, please keep things like this in mind when you are making decisions. If you two weren’t already off field duty, I’d pull you off it myself. I had no idea you even wanted more children.”
“Neither did we. It wasn’t planned, it just kind of happened. I didn’t even find out until yesterday. And yes, congratulations would be much appreciated. Thank you.”
Lester reached over and gave her one-armed hug. “Just make sure that you all come back safely. Tend to Connor and see the children when you can. We’ll make sure someone is here to look out for them. They’ll be fine.” With that he wheeled Abby back into the room, calling, “Don’t forget to report to the king. Reports to the king are the most important part of the story. It makes sure things are handled correctly.”
“Oh, of course. The warriors would never forget to give all of their findings to the king,” Becker replied, judiciously hiding his own smirk behind a grave face.
Abby smiled and wheeled in between the beds of her children. Sarah was getting sleepy, but she had to ask her mother a question.
“Mummy, where’s Daddy. Why hasn’t he been to see us like you have?”
“Daddy’s very tired. He’s sleeping, and he’s probably going to be sleeping for a very long time. Those men that hurt you hurt him too, but he’ll be OK. He just can’t come to see you right now. Now I think its time for you two to get some rest. Uncle Becker and Uncle Lester have worn you both out and I don’t want you to get sick here in hospital. Now lay back, both of you. Uncle Becker can finish his story later.”
“Your mother’s right. We’re at a nice stopping point anyway.”
“Sing for us Mummy?” Nick asked quietly. He had been very subdued since she had told him that his dad was still sleeping.
“Absolutely, so long as you promise to shut your eyes and not talk.” Both Nick and Sarah complied and Abby’s beautiful voice filled the room.
“Running up the stairs with mum and a teddy-bear, it’s nine o’clock brush your teeth and say your prayers. Close your eyes and count the sheep jumping over the moon, and I’ll close mine and then I’ll dream of you. ‘Cause I do love you, tomorrow we’ll go to the park, and visit at the zoo, but ‘til the night is through, I’ll dream of you.”
It was one of their favorite lullabies that she sang to them. Even Abby found it calming. She couldn’t remember where she had learned it, but it was a beautiful song. She loved to sing it and her kids loved to hear it. She had rocked them to sleep since infants whilst singing that song.
As she sang both of the children quietly dropped off to sleep. She kissed both of them on their foreheads and then bade Lester and Becker good night as well. She thanked them and then was wheeled out of the room by another volunteer.
Connor was back in his room by the time she got there. While she was waiting on the results of his CAT scan, she told him about the kids’ day with Becker and Lester. She told him how supportive Lester had been, and then she just sat there staring at his beautiful, yet battered face. She loved him so much. He was still beautiful, even like this.
Dr. Petros found her a little while later. He had the results of the CAT scan. Overall, Connor was healing well, but there was still some swelling on his brain that they were concerned about. There was no sign of infection with any of his numerous wounds, so that was a plus. Dr. Petros said that they would just keep an eye on him until the swelling started to really go down. Connor would remain in his medically induced coma until then, at the very earliest.
Abby nodded her understanding to the doctor; she didn’t trust herself to speak. When he asked if she had any more questions before he left she simply shook her head. What was there to say? They were already doing all they could. The news of the violent break in and the family that had all been injured was making the rounds at the hospital. Most of them were incredibly sympathetic to Abby. Who wouldn’t be though? The story was harrowing and heartbreaking. Abby knew they would do just about anything to make sure Connor pulled through.
Abby nodded again and managed to get out a thank you before Dr. Petros left the room. Abby rolled over to Connor’s bedside. If there weren’t so many wires everywhere she would have considered crawling into the bed with him. There was a small couch over in the corner of the room away from all the machines. She turned the chair around and rolled over to it. Stiffly she climbed out of the chair and transferred herself on one leg to the couch. She was asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes. Yes, it was still early by normal standards, but the last few days had been completely exhausting.