The Right to Love - Part 11
Title: The Right to Love
Spoilers: Takes place after ep 101 (8x09) after Pepa and Silvia have become engaged. This is a sequel to my previous PepSi fanfic, In Love’s Defense. My fic follows LHDP up to ep 101 but departs from the show at that point - ep 104 never has and never will exist in this version of Pepa and Silvia’s world.
Rating: R for language.
Pairing: Pepa/Silvia
Summary: As Pepa and Silvia deal with the aftermath of their encounter with El Gordo, a new case comes forward that challenges their rights as well as their lives.
A/N/Disclaimer: The characters of LHDP aren’t mine. Sorry for that last cliffhanger! I might have a few more in mind! [evil chuckle] Again, I’ve got little to no knowledge of the medical/technical terminology - some may be adjusted to suit the story, so my apologies for any outstanding errors! :}
[ Part 1] [ Part 2] [ Part 3] [ Part 4] [ Part 5] [ Part 6] [ Part 7] [ Part 8] [ Part 9] [ Part 10]
Pepa walked purposely down the hall towards the lab, her boots clomping solidly on the concrete. Her nose was buried in the folder that contained the Duarte file, which had only gotten thicker with the addition of Silvia and Dr. Gonzalez’s research.
“Dammit!” The agent complained out loud. “Where the hell have I heard that name Kaliba before?”
She halted in mid-step and shuffled the papers in the file, her eyes examining another page, to no effect. It was maddening, having this name constantly pecking at the edge of her conscious mind, like an itch she couldn’t scratch. Instinctually, Pepa knew it was another piece of the case - a crucial one, in fact. The task was like having a thousand disjointed puzzle pieces where none of them fit correctly.
“Silvia, we’ve been waiting for you for fifteen minutes.” The brunette said as she entered the lab, still preoccupied with the file. “Is your phone working? I’ve been calling you for -”
Papers scattered and floated down to the floor like discarded leaves, as Pepa glanced up and let the folder drop from her nerveless fingers.
“Dios!” A guttural cry ripped from Pepa’s throat as she rushed to Silvia’s still body, which lay crumpled on its side.
“Cariño, I’m right here.” The brunette’s voice was wavering as she carefully rolled her partner over on her back, settling the red head in her lap.
Pepa’s quickly assessed Silvia’s condition, taking in a dark bruise, colored an ugly shade of purple, which covered most of her left cheek where she’d impacted the floor. Her breathing was shallow and rapid as her chest hitched in small pants as she struggled for air.
Even as she cradled the precious body against her own, Pepa’s free hand was moving of its own accord, locating and seizing the cordless phone receiver Silvia had knocked to the floor. She dialed 112 for emergency services, only to be greeted by the cruel monotone of a busy signal.
“Joder!” Swearing in equal parts terror and disbelief, the agent punched in the extension for the commissioner’s office. She didn’t wait for the familiar gravely tone before she yelled into the phone.
“Papa, we need you in the lab! Silvia’s collapsed, we need help!”
“…Pe…” Silvia’s dark eyes were unfocused, her eyelids fluttering erratically as she fought to regain conscious.
“Hey, princesa.” Pepa dropped the phone to fully focus on her partner. She swallowed back tears, angry with herself for letting them show. I can’t break down - not now, when she needs me!
“…can’t…breathe…”
“I know. Hold on.” Gritting her teeth, Pepa bodily lifted up the inspector, carrying her to the examination table. Her eyes frantically darted around, locating the inspector’s red medical bag across the room. She ran to grab it, her fingers just closing around the nylon handle, when Don Lorenzo and Dr. Gonzalez burst into the room.
“Qué pasa?” Don Lorenzo’s face went ashen as he saw his daughter prone on the table.
“Here Pepa, I’ll take over.” The physician took the bag from Pepa’s hands, his gentle demeanor instantly transforming as he went into a crisis control mode, which was second nature for him.
Within seconds, Dr. Gonzalez had donned a pair of latex gloves, and had placed an oxygen mask over Silvia’s face. He tossed pairs of gloves to Pepa and Don Lorenzo, while still keeping a watchful eye on his patient, taking her pulse.
“I’ve called the emergency number, and I can’t get through.” The commissioner slammed his cell phone shut in frustration.
“Same here.” Pepa said, snapping on her gloves. “All the accidents with the storm must be jamming the lines.”
Dr. Gonzalez punched a speed dial number on his cell phone, cradling it against his bearded cheek while fitting a stethoscope around his neck. “I’m calling the direct line to the trauma center at my hospital. They’re the closest, anyway. They’ll send an ambulance right away.”
“Gracias a Dios!” Pepa exhaled. She gently took Silvia’s pale hand in her own, while tremblingly stroking the red waves. “Hola, mi amor. Still here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Silvia slowly blinked in acknowledgement as Pepa’s anxious expression that floated above her field of vision. She felt panic that had seized her insides alleviate, both at her lover’s presence, and the minute amount of oxygen began to seep into her lungs.
The physician put his phone away and hovered over his patient. “Silvia, were you working with anything? Any liquid, gas, or organic compounds?”
The forensic scientist managed to shake her head negatively, squeezing Pepa’s fingertips for emphasis.
“No.” Pepa confirmed. “She hasn’t had any samples here in over a week.”
“What about food or liquids? Anything unusual in the last 24 hours?”
“No, nada.” Pepa answered as Silvia gave another headshake. “We’ve eaten the same foods, even drank from the same cup.”
The brunette reflected on their playful banter over coffee a mere hour ago. Starkly contrasted to the gravity of the current situation, it felt like light years away. She felt her heart drop as the possibility assaulted her. “You’re saying someone deliberately poisoned Silvia? That it could be the same thing that killed Duarte?”
“I’m trying to find that out, Pepa. Give me a minute.” Dr. Gonzalez’s voice remained calm and steady, as he shined a penlight into the inspector’s deep brown orbs. He frowned, not liking what he saw.
“What other symptoms do you have?” The physician gently palpated Silvia’s chest, moving down to her abdomen.
“Dizziness…muscle weakness…” Silvia winced as the doctor’s hands moved up to her stomach. “…nausea.”
“Vale. Here.” Gonzalez handed Pepa a pair of trauma sheers, while he reached for an elastic strap and a syringe. “Get her clothes off and seal them in plastic bags. I’m going to take some blood and monitor her until the ambulance arrives.”
The agent gradually lifted her partner’s shoulders up, managing to get the lab coat off and handing it off to Don Lorenzo who stored it as Gonzalez requested. As Pepa began to cut away at Silvia’s top, her ears picked up a mummer of protest.
“What is it, cariño?” The tall woman paused as her heart beat double time. “Are you in pain?”
“No.” The inspector attempted to smile, despite the mask and her body’s discomfort. “That’s one of my favorite shirts.”
Pepa smiled back, a bittersweet expression, as tears once again pricked at her eyelids. “I’ll buy you another one.” She cleared her throat, which had grown husky with emotion. “We’ll go on a shopping spree. Anything you want.”
The scissors finished cutting away the cotton purple v-neck top, as Pepa parted the cloth to reveal a familiar plum colored silk bra.
“And that’s my favorite bra.” The agent said softly, a single tear winding its way down her cheek as she recalled that day in the garage where she’d “frisked” her partner.
“Sí. You owe me.” The redhead nodded, despite the frightening wheezing she could feel in her lungs.
She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate instead on the tenderness in Pepa’s movements as she divested her of the rest of her clothing and tucked a blanket around her. She knew she was in capable, caring hands as she felt a blood pressure cuff, leads attached to her skin for the EKG, and the tiny pinpoints of pain that signified a needle inserted into her vein. But the curse of being a doctor was knowing all the minute details of how bad things could get before, or if, she got better. It was because of this fact that Silvia was more worried about Pepa than herself.
“Vale, Silvia.” Dr. Gonzalez’s reassuring voice cut through her hazy thoughts as her eyes fluttered open. “I’m going to analyze one blood sample here, and keep the other for the hospital lab. I hope you don’t mind if I borrow your equipment.” He held up a pair of vials filled with the dark crimson liquid.
“It’s all yours.” She attempted to smile again, but it faded as her eyes flicked to the EKG monitor, skimming over her own vitals. “It doesn’t look that great, does it?”
“Don’t you dare say that!” Pepa’s gloved fingers stroked a pale cheek, unable to keep the stark, cold fear out of her voice. “Don’t even think that.”
“Pepa’s right.” Don Lorenzo said, laying a reassuring hand on her leg. “We’re not going down that road.”
“And my vote makes it three to one.” Dr. Gonzalez smiled, as he prepped Silvia’s arm with an alcohol swab for another injection.
“Wait, what are you giving her?” Pepa nervously eyed the second syringe, her protective defenses in hyper active mode.
“It’s just a steroid. It’s going to open up her lungs and help her breathe easier.”
Pepa felt another squeeze to her fingertips, weaker this time.
“It’s okay.” Silvia sighed as she felt the pinch of the needle. “I’m tired.”
“Rest, princesa.” The agent whispered as she saw her eyes flicker shut again. She observed her beloved fiancé for a few timeless moments, silently praying to any god she could think of, to let Silvia come through this crisis unscathed.
“Pepa.” Dr. Gonzalez cleared his throat, motioning over to where he’d crossed to the centrifuge. Reluctantly, she let go of Silvia’s hand and joined the physician at the adjacent counter.
“The good news is that if whatever poisoned Silvia was airborne, at the rate its affecting her, the entire precinct would have collapsed by now. That’s not the case. Hopefully it’s nothing she ingested, but since you both ate and drank the same thing, that’s a more distant possibility.”
“But?” Pepa asked, knowing one was coming.
“If it’s transmitted through touch, then we have to worry about you as well.” The doctor crossed his arms, looking at Pepa with grave seriousness. “Pepa, did you have skin to skin contact with her when you found her?”
The agent frowned deeply, replaying those first frantic seconds of finding Silvia in her mind. “No, just her clothing.”
“Are you sure? Pepa, you have to let me know if you’re feeling symptomatic the second you do, vale?”
“Dr. Gonzalez, I don’t give a flying fuck about myself!” The agent angrily gestured to her fiancé. “Just help Silvia!”
“All right Pepa, all right.” The ER doctor raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, knowing he’d hit a nerve. “Honestly, I think you might have shown symptoms by now if you’d been hit. But you keep me informed. Or if you don’t and I see you getting sick, I’ll quarantine you within a second. And you won’t be able be at Silvia’s side, regardless.”
“Deal.” Pepa sighed raggedly, as she looked over to Silvia, motionless on the table. “Lo siento. I’m just going crazy!”
“I know.” The doctor’s attention was diverted by the printer blinking to life and depositing a page in the printer tray. He grasped the paper and read it carefully. The blue eyes met Pepa’s worried countenance, biting the inside of his cheek in an effort not to let his own emotions show.
“Silvia’s preliminary blood work does show signs of poisoning, but I can’t tell what exactly it is.”
“What the hell does that mean?” The agent hissed as she ripped the page from his hand, staring relentlessly at the columns of numbers and graph on the page, as if she could decipher the meaning by sheer will.
“It looks similar to the Duarte case, but as in most cases of poisonings, I need to know exactly what was administered so I can treat it. It can be extremely dangerous to hazard a guess of what’s afflicting her, even an educated one. If Silvia was poisoned with the compound that killed Duarte, we need an exact description for an exact antidote.”
“Just like with Aitor and Lucas.” Pepa crumpled the paper in frustration. “What can we do, right now that can help her?”
“Keep giving her oxygen, monitor her vitals, an IV for any lost nutrients.” Dr. Gonzalez explained. “Mostly, keep her calm. We can do further testing at the hospital, but it’ll most likely be the same situation until we get an answer.”
Dr. Gonzalez’s cell phone rang, which he answered brusquely.
“Qué?” For the first time, his face showed signs of worry, which made Pepa’s stomach literally ache with worry. “How long? Un momento.”
He covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “The storm’s gotten so bad, all the routes to the precinct are being diverted or are flooded out, even for emergency vehicles. The ambulance can’t get through for at least another half hour.”
“Dr. Gonzalez.” Don Lorenzo stepped to his side, holding his hand out for the phone. “Let me handle this. I’ll have my men take a patrol out to find the ambulance, wherever they’ve had to detour, and clear the way. We might buy a few extra minutes.”
“Gracias.” The physician handed the phone over. “Tell them to call you every five minutes with updates. Pepa and I will take care of Silvia.”
The commissioner gave a few quick orders and hung up the phone, before Pepa impulsively pulled him into a desperate hug. She couldn’t remember a time when she was more grateful for his steady presence, this man who used to hate the sight of her. They parted as he thumbed away a tear on her cheek.
“Don’t worry, hija. You’ll both be fine.” His eyes traveled to the plate glass window that looked out from the lab into the hallway. “We’ll all make sure of that.”
Pepa followed his gaze and saw for the first time that almost every agent was at the window, watching in various stages of worry and trepidation. Paco was foremost amongst them, his large brown eyes shiny with tears, his handkerchief stuffed against his mouth. She gave her brother a tremulous smile, which was returned.
Don Lorenzo barreled out the lab door into the hallway, in full authoritative mode, giving orders in his usual gruff tone.
“Mariano, Nelson! Take two more units and escort the ambulance in, now! They’ve been rerouted.” He quickly rattled off the location and contact information.
The large man made his best attempt at snapping to and saluting his superior officer. “Vale. Here, take a two-way.” He handed Don Lorenzo a radio. “We’ll update you on our progress.”
“Montoya, Rita. Go over that fucking Duarte file again and give me a god damn reason why this happened and a suspect. This was not an accident!” He roared.
“I’ll help.” Salgado ran up to the group, as smooth and precise as ever. “This is more than a homicide case, this is going after one of our own. Its treason and the CNI will pursue who’s responsible, with any and all means necessary.”
“Very well. The rest of you, lock down the precinct. Whoever did this is close. No one goes in or out without my authority. I’ll stay with Silvia until the ambulance gets here.”
“Yo también.” Paco said, his voice leaving no room for discussion. “I’m not leaving my sister when she needs me.”
“Vale.” Don Lorenzo patted his friend on the shoulder comfortingly. “Just stay here. I don’t want too many people crowding the lab.”
The commissioner took in Paco’s reluctant nod before reentering the lab. “How is she?” He asked Pepa, who was stroking Silvia’s forehead.
“About the same.” Pepa swallowed, her eyes never wavering from Silvia’s still face. She winced as Silvia’s grip on her hand abruptly tightened painfully, as a horrible, rattling wheeze squeezed from her throat.
“Dr. Gonzalez, qué pasa?” The agent cried, panicking as the EKG machine began to beep rapidly. Silvia was quickly becoming increasingly agitated, as her head moved from side to side, her whole body now fighting for air.
“The steroid’s not working fast enough! She’s not getting any oxygen.” The doctor removed the mask and grabbed a tube and a laryngoscope. After an endless moment of trying to insert the tube, he shook his head. “I can’t intubate her. Her trachea’s too swollen.”
“Silvia, try to calm down!” Pepa tearfully beseeched her fiancé, holding her down by the shoulders as she continued to struggle. “It’ll be okay, I swear.”
“Pepa, you have to hold her still.” Dr. Gonzalez ordered, reaching for another instrument. “The more Silvia moves, the more dangerous this is.”
“What is that? What the fuck are you doing?!” Pepa’s eyes widened as her arm shot out, restraining the physician’s wrist in an unyielding grip, stopping the scalpel a centimeter from Silvia’s throat.
“I have to perform an emergency tracheotomy, otherwise Silvia’s going to die in a matter of seconds!” Dr. Gonzalez’s azure eyes blazed with a mixture of determination and anger. “Comprendes?”
“Pepa, let him go!” Don Lorenzo grasped the agent by the shoulders and tried to pull her away, to no avail.
Silvia’s trembling fingers reached up, touching Pepa’s hand that held Dr. Gonzalez at bay. Pepa looked down, reading the message in the dark eyes that were growing dimmer by the second. It’s all right, mi amor. Trust him. I’ll be okay.
The brunette gasped, releasing the physician’s hand as if it burned her. “Vale. Do it.”
Dr. Gonzalez nodded as Pepa moved to firmly grasp Silvia’s head on both sides, holding her still. With his free hand, he marked the precise place where he had to make the incision, bringing down the scalpel in an inevitable motion.
Silvia’s head jerked as she heaved in a huge gulp of air, feeling her lungs expand, just as the scalpel bit into her flesh. She felt the oxygen mask being place over her nose and mouth again, hearing the hissing flow of the life giving substance, as her lungs fought to reestablish a normal rhythm.
“Dios!” Dr. Gonzales jerked the scalpel back as he saw Silvia’s chest move up and down, her wheezing slowly receding. “Its okay, the steroid is working.”
The inspector blinked, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind, as Pepa’s face swam into view. She took a shaky breath, trying her best to smile again.
“Hola.” She whispered, her throat feeling raw and bruised. “I’m still here.”
Pepa choked off a half laugh, half sob through her tears that now dripped down her high cheekbones. “Sí, you are, princesa.” Her gloved fingers held tightly onto Silvia’s hand, as she resisted the urge to kiss her.
“Don’t scare us like that again, Inspectora.” Dr. Gonzalez smiled as he swabbed the small red drop that blossomed on Silvia’s throat. “You’re going to give your poor fiancé a heart attack and then I’ll have to treat both of you.”
The physician eyed Silvia’s vitals and made minute adjustments to her oxygen intake and IV. “Vale, she’s not out of the woods by a long shot. She’s still got reduced lung capacity, weakness, and her blood pressure’s too low for my liking.” He murmured to the two apprehensive faces opposite him. “But right now, she’s breathing on her own, and I think I can keep her stable until we get to the hospital and figure out where to go from there.”
Pepa nodded in acknowledgement, her gaze fixed on Silvia, as her lover blinked sleepily. “Te quiero, Silvia.” She whispered, not caring that she had an audience. “You’re the other half of my soul, remember?”
“I remember.” Silvia’s hand twitched in Pepa’s comforting grasp. “Te quiero.”
“Shh. Don’t talk so much, pelirroja.” The brunette gently admonished her partner, as she smiled slightly. “Right now, I talk and you have to listen. So I get to win all the arguments, for once.”
Everyone’s attention was diverted by a cacophony of loud, angry voices just outside the door. Pepa recognized Paco’s infuriated tone, as he yelled at the top of his lungs in protest.
“What the hell are you doing? Get away from that door!”
“Get the fuck out of my way, fat man, before I have you arrested for interfering with an official order!”
The door burst open as Trujillo and Morales, appeared in the doorway, shoving past a red-faced Paco. Pepa swallowed, and turned to face the pair, spreading her arms out, instinctively shielding Silvia in a protective gesture.
“Trujillo, what the hell -”
“There’s no time for insults or games right now, Agent Miranda!” Trujillo held up a piece of paper, his face deadly grim and serious, devoid of his usual smirk. “I’m here with a warrant for your arrest!”