Fic: Through The Heart 2/?
Okay, here's a little more. I have no idea how to link to the first part, though, can anybody help me out? Thanks!
ETA: Problem solved thanks to helpful comments! You guys are the best!
Title: Through The Heart
Author: Demeter
Fandom: WMC (well, what else)
Pairing: L/C
Archiving: Not yet, please. It'll be fine once it's betad and complete.
Summary: A Sunday morning @ Papa Joe's ends tragically, and Kiss-Me-Not is closer than they all think.
Warning: Violence, but it's not a death story. I don't think I could ever do that in this fandom after what we've gone through in 'Third Degree'.
Chapter 1
6
I made the mistake to talk to Tom briefly, who then all but bodily forced me to stay and have my hand bandaged. I snarled at him, but he wasn't impressed. "I know you want to go, but bleedling all over her is not going to help your friend. On the contrary."
I opened my mouth to say something only to be interrupted by Claire, "He's right, Linds. Cindy is in good care now. Let them look at your hand, and then I'll drive you."
She wasn't wearing the bloody blouse any longer; Jill had gotten a clean shirt from her car to give it to her, which was a relief. I glared at her. "I can drive."
I was walking a fine line and I knew it. What I really wanted to say was, thank you for being close to her when I couldn't. I wanted to turn back the time so we could go back and decide have our breakfast elsewhere. Celebrating good news with friends.
Taking a look around, I took in all the destruction while the paramedic told me to hold still.
Rosie had still been alive when she had been loaded into the ambulance, but it didn't take a doctor to tell it was touch and go. Several people had been shot, but no one fatally. Yet.
A parting gift, Granger had said. He'd wanted for people to die, making it personal.
He'd almost killed Cindy.
And somewhere in the city, Kiss-Me-Not would read or hear about the news, waiting for the final stand-off.
Somehow, all that was too much on a Sunday that was supposed to be a day off.
I fished for the keys in my jeans pocket and gave them to Claire. "Not a word."
She shrugged. "I'm not sayin' anything...let's go see your girl now."
Bless her for always knowing the right words to say.
***
7
"Your friend was very lucky," the doctor said, and I sank into the chair, leaning forward for an instant. Jill laid a hand on the small of my back, and the warmth of the touch made the lightheadedness go away, chasing away the chill that had gripped my body, when... I couldn't really remember when.
"The bullet went through and through, missed all of the vital organs." I tuned out the Dr. Vermont's explanation after that, my thoughts drifting. I knew him; he was a friend of Luke's actually, so he obviously saw nothing wrong with giving us the information and very likely violating hospital procedure. We couldn't expect to always be so lucky. Cindy and I really needed to make arrangements. As soon as she was home.
"When can I see her?"
He smiled warmly. "Let's give us some time to get her settled in her room; I'll have someone notify you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
True to his word, he sent a nurse later to give us the room number. "You can't stay long," she obviously felt the necessity to tell us. "Ms. Thomas needs her rest now."
Claire shot me a warning glance, and I shook my head. I wouldn't take the risk to be banned from the room, no way.
Once inside, I pulled myself up a chair, reaching for her hand. I stood up again, nervous all of a sudden. Cindy, being quiet like this, *silenced*, freaked me out beyond reason. She wasn't always talking, mind you. She did talk a lot, no denying that, but the past few nights, lying in my arms, I'd seen her calm, in a way I suspected not many people got to see her. Ever.
This was a whole lot different. I realized my hand was shaking again, when I reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face. She looked so young. I wanted to lean down and kiss her and make her wake just from that.
There was something nagging at the back of my mind, but I couldn't reach it... Instead I forcibly directed my thoughts back to happier moments, like last night when we decided that today was supposed to be the day to come out literally and tell Jill and Claire.
"I wasn't sure you'd want that," she had said, her face lighting up with happy surprise.
"Why wouldn't I? I mean, I'm very okay with keeping you all to myself." I'd run my hand down her side, resting it on her hip, making her shiver. "But hey, they are our friends. And they're observant, intelligent women. Chances are, they already know."
She'd leaned close, and we kissed. "You're not worried what everybody will think? You're in a much more conservative work environment than I am. You were married. With everyone else but Jill and Claire, we better be careful."
Taking her hand now, I brushed my lips across the knuckles. "I don't care what anyone thinks," I told her, even though she couldn't hear me, my voice cracking on the last word.
Jill silently put her arm around my shoulders --
-- and then the ring of my cell phone interrupted the silence.
***
"Jacobi, you know where I am, don't you think this could have waited?"
"I don't think so," he said dryly.
"I'm in the hospital, and a nurse is going to chase me out of Cindy's room any minute. So what is this about?"
His voice softened some, when he asked, "She's going to be okay, right?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes, she is. Now spill it already."
"We're going through this place right now," he explained. "People have left things behind, some who were injured, some who just freaked and ran. Guess what the guy in the booth across from you gals was reading?"
"I guess you're going to tell me." I was slightly irritated already, and of course my partner knew.
He sighed. "You're not going to like this. What he left behind was a book of Grimm's fairy tales. The guy was reading Sleeping Beauty a few feet away from you."
I swore loudly enough to make Claire jump. "Okay, you meet me here. I'm going to get a doctor and go with them through everyone admitted after the shooting."
***
8
Cindy woke in an unfamiliar room, confused and in pain. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, though, and when she finally managed to open her eyes and turn her head a fraction, she saw the man standing by the bed.
His arm was bandaged, and he smiled at her.
That moment, she longed for Lindsay to be here so hard it was almost a physical pain in addition to the other. Did she know him?
"You might not remember me," he said. "I was at Papa Joe's today. You got shot. Well, obviously, I was, too."
Frankly, Cindy didn't remember much about today, except they were going to tell Jill and Claire... She wanted to ask about Lindsay, even though it wasn't likely that this guy knew, and the fear kept building in her mind.
The man took a step closer. "You probably think it's weird, but I felt like I had to check on you. Like, we've both been in this dangerous situation. Kindred spirits, somehow."
Probably she should cut him some slack, as he seemed to be as shaken by the day's events as anyone. Needing to make a connction.
For Cindy, however, there was only one person she wanted to be connected with, and that person wasn't there. She thought of maybe asking him to get a doctor, but her voice wouldn't work enough for that, and all that came out was a pained moan.
"I saw how it happened," he explained. "The bullet richoted - you were supposed to be safe under that table. But I guess no one's ever completely safe, are we? Nice to meet you, Cindy Thomas."
He stroked her cheek, then stepped back and waved before he left the room.
***
9
The nurse didn't quite understand the urgency. It was infuriating.
"You know," she said, shuffling her papers, "I need to check; there were several doctors involved in treating victims of the shooting. Quite a few people got injured."
"I know. I was there."
She didn't comment on that, but then had the information ready for me pretty quickly. "Dr. Mason came in last today; we called him to assist on the less severe cases. I can try and page them for you."
"Yes, please."
Jacobi arrived soon after that, Agent Ashe in tow. I was rolling my eyes at Jill, who hid a grin behind her hand. I'd been very okay with not having him around all the time.
The only male person surgery had been performed on was fifteen years old, definitely not our perp. Damn, why hadn't I even noticed the man who had sat across from us? And then later, when I pushed him out of the line of fire, my focus had been on Granger.
I didn't think he'd been injured badly, so my best bet was probably Dr. Mason who had spent his supposedly free afternoon stitching gunshot wounds. If we were really lucky, he'd kept that patient overnight...
The nurse came running after me as I hurried to Mason's office. "I can't reach him," she said.. "He should be in his office by now, I really don't understand--"
I had a bad feeling about this. "Where could he be?"
"The last patient should be long gone. I can't imagine what he would still be doing in the treatment room..."
"Miss, please go back to your desk now, okay?"
I entered with my weapon drawn, pushing aside each curtain. Most cubicles were empty, as the frantic activity from earlier had toned down to the normal business of a hospital. In one of them, a doctor stared at me in disbelief while the patient grumbled, "No fucking rest even in this place." I showed them my badge, putting my finger to my lips.
I had reached the last cubicle, the one where Dr. Mason had been supposed to be working last. My heart was hammering as I drew the curtain aside.
I lowered my weapon, feeling like the ground was giving way under my feet, the cold creeping up my body. I had found Dr. Mason - his scrubs and the bed he was lying on drenched in blood. The last patient had slit his throat.
Cindy was still here.
Then I was running; whatever needed to be done now, I couldn't do anything before I hadn't assured myself that she was okay.
***
Title: Through The Heart
Author: Demeter
Fandom: WMC (well, what else)
Pairing: L/C
Archiving: Not yet, please. It'll be fine once it's betad and complete.
Summary: A Sunday morning @ Papa Joe's ends tragically, and Kiss-Me-Not is closer than they all think.
Warning: Violence, but it's not a death story. I don't think I could ever do that in this fandom after what we've gone through in 'Third Degree'.
Chapter 1
6
I made the mistake to talk to Tom briefly, who then all but bodily forced me to stay and have my hand bandaged. I snarled at him, but he wasn't impressed. "I know you want to go, but bleedling all over her is not going to help your friend. On the contrary."
I opened my mouth to say something only to be interrupted by Claire, "He's right, Linds. Cindy is in good care now. Let them look at your hand, and then I'll drive you."
She wasn't wearing the bloody blouse any longer; Jill had gotten a clean shirt from her car to give it to her, which was a relief. I glared at her. "I can drive."
I was walking a fine line and I knew it. What I really wanted to say was, thank you for being close to her when I couldn't. I wanted to turn back the time so we could go back and decide have our breakfast elsewhere. Celebrating good news with friends.
Taking a look around, I took in all the destruction while the paramedic told me to hold still.
Rosie had still been alive when she had been loaded into the ambulance, but it didn't take a doctor to tell it was touch and go. Several people had been shot, but no one fatally. Yet.
A parting gift, Granger had said. He'd wanted for people to die, making it personal.
He'd almost killed Cindy.
And somewhere in the city, Kiss-Me-Not would read or hear about the news, waiting for the final stand-off.
Somehow, all that was too much on a Sunday that was supposed to be a day off.
I fished for the keys in my jeans pocket and gave them to Claire. "Not a word."
She shrugged. "I'm not sayin' anything...let's go see your girl now."
Bless her for always knowing the right words to say.
***
7
"Your friend was very lucky," the doctor said, and I sank into the chair, leaning forward for an instant. Jill laid a hand on the small of my back, and the warmth of the touch made the lightheadedness go away, chasing away the chill that had gripped my body, when... I couldn't really remember when.
"The bullet went through and through, missed all of the vital organs." I tuned out the Dr. Vermont's explanation after that, my thoughts drifting. I knew him; he was a friend of Luke's actually, so he obviously saw nothing wrong with giving us the information and very likely violating hospital procedure. We couldn't expect to always be so lucky. Cindy and I really needed to make arrangements. As soon as she was home.
"When can I see her?"
He smiled warmly. "Let's give us some time to get her settled in her room; I'll have someone notify you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
True to his word, he sent a nurse later to give us the room number. "You can't stay long," she obviously felt the necessity to tell us. "Ms. Thomas needs her rest now."
Claire shot me a warning glance, and I shook my head. I wouldn't take the risk to be banned from the room, no way.
Once inside, I pulled myself up a chair, reaching for her hand. I stood up again, nervous all of a sudden. Cindy, being quiet like this, *silenced*, freaked me out beyond reason. She wasn't always talking, mind you. She did talk a lot, no denying that, but the past few nights, lying in my arms, I'd seen her calm, in a way I suspected not many people got to see her. Ever.
This was a whole lot different. I realized my hand was shaking again, when I reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face. She looked so young. I wanted to lean down and kiss her and make her wake just from that.
There was something nagging at the back of my mind, but I couldn't reach it... Instead I forcibly directed my thoughts back to happier moments, like last night when we decided that today was supposed to be the day to come out literally and tell Jill and Claire.
"I wasn't sure you'd want that," she had said, her face lighting up with happy surprise.
"Why wouldn't I? I mean, I'm very okay with keeping you all to myself." I'd run my hand down her side, resting it on her hip, making her shiver. "But hey, they are our friends. And they're observant, intelligent women. Chances are, they already know."
She'd leaned close, and we kissed. "You're not worried what everybody will think? You're in a much more conservative work environment than I am. You were married. With everyone else but Jill and Claire, we better be careful."
Taking her hand now, I brushed my lips across the knuckles. "I don't care what anyone thinks," I told her, even though she couldn't hear me, my voice cracking on the last word.
Jill silently put her arm around my shoulders --
-- and then the ring of my cell phone interrupted the silence.
***
"Jacobi, you know where I am, don't you think this could have waited?"
"I don't think so," he said dryly.
"I'm in the hospital, and a nurse is going to chase me out of Cindy's room any minute. So what is this about?"
His voice softened some, when he asked, "She's going to be okay, right?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes, she is. Now spill it already."
"We're going through this place right now," he explained. "People have left things behind, some who were injured, some who just freaked and ran. Guess what the guy in the booth across from you gals was reading?"
"I guess you're going to tell me." I was slightly irritated already, and of course my partner knew.
He sighed. "You're not going to like this. What he left behind was a book of Grimm's fairy tales. The guy was reading Sleeping Beauty a few feet away from you."
I swore loudly enough to make Claire jump. "Okay, you meet me here. I'm going to get a doctor and go with them through everyone admitted after the shooting."
***
8
Cindy woke in an unfamiliar room, confused and in pain. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, though, and when she finally managed to open her eyes and turn her head a fraction, she saw the man standing by the bed.
His arm was bandaged, and he smiled at her.
That moment, she longed for Lindsay to be here so hard it was almost a physical pain in addition to the other. Did she know him?
"You might not remember me," he said. "I was at Papa Joe's today. You got shot. Well, obviously, I was, too."
Frankly, Cindy didn't remember much about today, except they were going to tell Jill and Claire... She wanted to ask about Lindsay, even though it wasn't likely that this guy knew, and the fear kept building in her mind.
The man took a step closer. "You probably think it's weird, but I felt like I had to check on you. Like, we've both been in this dangerous situation. Kindred spirits, somehow."
Probably she should cut him some slack, as he seemed to be as shaken by the day's events as anyone. Needing to make a connction.
For Cindy, however, there was only one person she wanted to be connected with, and that person wasn't there. She thought of maybe asking him to get a doctor, but her voice wouldn't work enough for that, and all that came out was a pained moan.
"I saw how it happened," he explained. "The bullet richoted - you were supposed to be safe under that table. But I guess no one's ever completely safe, are we? Nice to meet you, Cindy Thomas."
He stroked her cheek, then stepped back and waved before he left the room.
***
9
The nurse didn't quite understand the urgency. It was infuriating.
"You know," she said, shuffling her papers, "I need to check; there were several doctors involved in treating victims of the shooting. Quite a few people got injured."
"I know. I was there."
She didn't comment on that, but then had the information ready for me pretty quickly. "Dr. Mason came in last today; we called him to assist on the less severe cases. I can try and page them for you."
"Yes, please."
Jacobi arrived soon after that, Agent Ashe in tow. I was rolling my eyes at Jill, who hid a grin behind her hand. I'd been very okay with not having him around all the time.
The only male person surgery had been performed on was fifteen years old, definitely not our perp. Damn, why hadn't I even noticed the man who had sat across from us? And then later, when I pushed him out of the line of fire, my focus had been on Granger.
I didn't think he'd been injured badly, so my best bet was probably Dr. Mason who had spent his supposedly free afternoon stitching gunshot wounds. If we were really lucky, he'd kept that patient overnight...
The nurse came running after me as I hurried to Mason's office. "I can't reach him," she said.. "He should be in his office by now, I really don't understand--"
I had a bad feeling about this. "Where could he be?"
"The last patient should be long gone. I can't imagine what he would still be doing in the treatment room..."
"Miss, please go back to your desk now, okay?"
I entered with my weapon drawn, pushing aside each curtain. Most cubicles were empty, as the frantic activity from earlier had toned down to the normal business of a hospital. In one of them, a doctor stared at me in disbelief while the patient grumbled, "No fucking rest even in this place." I showed them my badge, putting my finger to my lips.
I had reached the last cubicle, the one where Dr. Mason had been supposed to be working last. My heart was hammering as I drew the curtain aside.
I lowered my weapon, feeling like the ground was giving way under my feet, the cold creeping up my body. I had found Dr. Mason - his scrubs and the bed he was lying on drenched in blood. The last patient had slit his throat.
Cindy was still here.
Then I was running; whatever needed to be done now, I couldn't do anything before I hadn't assured myself that she was okay.
***