This story takes place a couple of years after the end of Season 4. Darcy and Julia are married and poor William was downgraded to Constable and posted to Station 1.
Julia looked at the clock, 7pm on a cold winter Saturday night and here she was working late again at the morgue. No sense going home anyway. Darcy had informed her this morning that he would be off to his club for dinner. His club for dinner... Darcy had been spending a lot of time at his club in the past year, or so he said. Julia's father had insisted Darcy join his club the moment he had moved to Toronto. The two men spent a lot of time there. At least her father did. About a year ago, Julia had said something about him and Darcy being at the club one night. Her father had coughed and looked away embarrassingly. Julia had chosen not to press, but it had not taken her long to figure out that Darcy was not spending as many nights at his club as he liked to pretend. What he was really doing, she did not know. Not that she could really blame him anyway. She had been far from being a loving wife. In her more honest moments, she admitted to herself that marrying Darcy had been some kind of insurance she had wanted for herself against William.
Through the window Julia heard the crisp wintry sounds of blade against ice. Of course it was Saturday night. Hockey night at Station Four. Ever since the weather had turned colder, the boys at Station Four had made a hockey rink in the courtyard and held games every Saturday nights. They mostly played other station houses. Julia had not been familiar with the game. It was not very popular in her social set. However, with the growing distance between her and Darcy, Julia had been spending a lot of Saturday nights at the morgue and had gotten in the habit of looking at the games being played outside. The morgue window gave her an excellent view. She had become a secret fan. Constable Crabtree played as she would have expected with more brawn than finesse. She had even seen William play a few times. One night, she had noticed a defenseman from station house One who had pretty well taken over the game, stopping the opposing team's offence and quarterbacking his team's offence. He played with intelligence and quiet efficiency. It only took her a few short moments to realize it was William. From that night on, she unconsciously seem to always be working late on Saturday nights. She had even caught herself asking the Station House 4 constables which station house they would be playing this week. The third week in a row she asked the same question she had caught a smirk between Higgins and George. It was then that she had realized that she might be a bit too obvious and had quit asking.
Tonight she would exercise some self-control and not waste her time watching the game, looking for William. Julia went back to her work. She had been working for quite a while when she heard the morgue's door open. She looked up.
"Inspector Brackenried, what are you doing here on a Saturday night" asked Julia as she saw the Inspector.
"Hiding from my In-Laws. My wife's two sisters are visiting and I must admit that the evenings are getting to be quite long at my house". said Brackenried. He looked at her in an inquisitive manner as though he as silently asking her what she was doing here on a Saturday night. Her, a young married woman.
"Watching my lads play hockey seemed like a more enjoyable evening then listening to three women gossip all evening long" continued the Inspector.
"And you thought you could take advantage of the morgue's window to give you a nice warm place to watch the game" continued Julia.
Brackenried looked at her in surprise and it suddenly dawned on Julia that she had just given herself away. She tried a more business like tone.
"Was there anything you needed Inspector?' asked Julia.
"Yes as a matter of fact. I am afraid, the lads' game got a bit out of hand tonight and a nasty fight broke out. Most of the boys are fine, but McLarren and a player from the other team got into a particular vicious fight and both have some deep cuts that I think require stitches. I saw your light on and thought maybe I could impose..?." Brackenried ended his sentence in a question.
"Of course, I would be happy to help out. I was done here anyway." she said as she closed down her notebook. Julia quickly filled her medical bag with a few supplies and grabbed her coat. She thought about what the Inspector had said. McLarren was a newer constable who had joined Station 4 a few months ago. Julia did not like him. The young man was very attractive and he knew it. She was sure the few times he had "accidentally" bumped into her had not been accidental at all. He had even made a few suggestive remarks that Julia had ignored.
Julia and the Inspector walked into the lunchroom.
"You had better start with this one." said Brackenried as he pointed to the Station 4 constable. "He is in much worse shape that he other one." continued the Inspector.
Julia concentrated on McLarren first without bothering to look at the other player. The young constable was in bad shape. His face was bruised all over. His nose was broken and he had a deep cut above his eyes. He reeked of alcohol. Julia started working. She cleaned the wound, and got her supplies out to start stitching it close. The young constable kept fidgeting and complaining about how much it hurt. Julia patiently tried to work but the young constable kept muttering under his breath and moving around. Finally Julia said: "Could you please stay still Constable".
McLarren muttered something which Julia did not get. Brackenried did however and responded angrily:
"Shut up you bloody idiot. You're to blame for the shape you're in and on top of that you…." Brakenried looked at Julia and did not finish his sentence..
Julia finished her work and looked at the Inspector: "Well I am done with him Inspector."
Brakenried took one look at him and said: "Well I will take him home and leave you to deal with the other one. While he needs a bit of stitching up, he at least is not drunk. You should be able to handle him with no problem".
Brackenried helped McLarren up and both men walked out the Station House leaving Julia alone with the other hockey player. Julia finally had the time to look at the other injured player sitting quietly in the corner. He had taken his hockey jersey off and was only wearing his undershirt. She stopped still for a moment when she realized who it was. She looked around, intending to call Brackenried back only to hear the door close shut behind him leaving her and William alone in the Station house. She took in a deep breath, composed herself and walked over .
"Good evening Doctor". said William, immediately setting a formal tone.
"Good evening to you also Constable. Is this cut on your head your only injury?" asked Julia trying to avoid direct eye contact.
"Yes it is Doctor." responded Murdoch.
Julia had to get close to him to be able to inspect his injury. She stood right beside him. His scalp was cut open about an inch and had quit bleeding. His hair was full of blood. Julia silently started to clean his wound and then put in a few stitches. William stayed silent and immobile during the whole process. Julia said nothing, but could feel the tension mounting between them. The silence became so heavy that Julia had to say something, anything...
"I don't see much of you these days William" said Julia.
"Constables from Station House One don't have much reasons to visit the morgue", said William.
"Yes. yes of course. I'm sorry." She continued looking everywhere but at him. Even now two years after the fact, she continued to blame herself for what had happened to William. Had she not convinced him to attend the costume party, he would never have been involved in that murder and would still be a detective. She tried small talk again.
"What possessed you to fight tonight William? I have never known you to fight at hockey before". She had said too much. William might be a constable, but his brain was the same. He did not need to hear any more to realize that Julia had seen him play before. He also could not help himself from asking her.
"You have watched other games before?" said William. "I did not realize you liked hockey. Do you attend Darcy's games then?"
"Darcy does not play, but he does work long hours at the hospital and on such nights, I too work late and have on a few occasions noticed the games being played in the Station's courtyard. The morgue's window does give me a good view." Julia said.
"Much warmer than watching from the sideline I would imagine" said William with a smile. Julia forgot herself and smiled back. For a few short precious moments, they simply looked at each other. Julia was the first one to look away busying herself with her work.
"Well I am finished here Constable. These stitches should stay in for about 10 days. Do please come over to the morgue when it is time and I will take them out. I do hope this will teach you a lesson about fighting. Why on earth did you fight, you never did say?"
William gave a vague answer: "McLaren was being disrespectful"
Julia tried to bring the tension down by laughing nervously: "What did he say. Laughed at your hockey uniform? I cannot say I blame him. Who on earth designed it anyway?
"It was not about the uniform." Muttered William.
"What was that William. I could not hear": asked Julia
"My Inspector's wife designed these and he paid for them. So I am afraid, I am obligated to like them". William said with a half smile.
"Even though this is a nasty head wound, I do not think you have suffered any serious head injury. Nevertheless, should you experience heavy headaches or feel unusually lethargic, do please get in touch with me"
William looked at her and smiled: "Thank you Doctor".
"You are quite welcomed Constable": answered Julia as she left the Station House's lunchroom.
For a few moments William just sat there and said nothing. Finally after a few moments he breathed deeply in, gathered his things and also left.
