Thank you so much my lovely peoples and faithful readers-
The group boarded the helicopter as quickly as possible and relaxed back into the surprisingly comfortable seats as it lifted off of the ground. The loud hum of the engine was somewhat soothing to the battered agents who wanted to do anything but talk. They knew that they would have to do it sometime, but they just couldn't right now. A few moments later, Loretta began to stir.
"Chris and Merri, I'm going to try and clean you up a bit. Okay?" Loretta said in a calm voice, kneeling down in front of the two agents and opening her kit of tools she had brought along for 'just in case'. "I don't want you to get an infection. Is it alright if I do that?" Loretta figured that she better ask the two traumatized agents before she touched them at all. She didn't want any of them having a full on panic attack up in the air.
"Go ahead Miss Loretta." LaSalle stated in a high, hoarse voice as Brody shook her head. Loretta smiled warmly at the two agents as she began to dig out her supplies.
"Sebastian, come here and clean up Chris." Loretta said, sternly looking at the forensic scientist who was all different shades of green. Usually things like this never bothered him, but these people weren't just evidence or bodies on tables, these were his friends.
A clean, fresh blanket was strewn across the agents laps so they're we're at least able to keep some of their dignity. Brody's shirt was raised up just enough to examine the handiwork covered by a blood-soaked bandage. Her formerly tan side was now a dark shade of purple and blues.
"Oh dear." Loretta mumbled quietly to herself as she peeled of the damp tape and placed in in a disposable bag beside her. The nauseating smell of fresh blood filled the small room and Brody tried not to think about the horrific memories that this certain smell forced into her mind once again.
Meredith gritted her teeth as the older medical examiner dabbed some alcohol on her wound and patted it dry. She then took out a sharp tool to cut a piece of gauze, Brody watched as the metal tool started to cut through the white bandage so easily, causing the female agent to panic. She knew Loretta wouldn't hurt her but she just about lost her damn mind along with her best friend and partner. The small compartment started spinning, the air getting thicker and harder to inhale, the only thing keeping her grounded was the calloused hand on her shoulder, of course it was LaSalle's. Who else would have known what had happened the last few days? Who else would of known that a little trigger like that could throw her over the edge?
"It's alright, Merri." LaSalle whispered, the sound barely audible to anyone else in the room. A low whimpering noise escaped her throat. This was just too much to handle right now. Brody leaned forword, her chest heaving and trying to get in as much air as possible. The older woman shot a worried glance to Pride. Patton watched in horror from his wheelchair that was strapped in the corner.
"Merri?" Pride asked urgently, trying to draw her from her state of pure panic. He's never seen her so helpless and afraid before.
"I can't." She whispered in a strangled voice. Her breathing became even more erratic as she buried her face in LaSalle's shoulder. The rest of the team watched in shock as the male agent placed gentle kisses to the agent's hairline as he whispered comforting words into her ear. His good arm wrapped around her back and he held her as close as he possibly could.
"Make it stop." She pleaded to him desperately.
"Deep breaths, Brody. Deep breaths." LaSalle soothed. The female agent squeezed her watery eyes shut as LaSalle leaned back to look at her face. "Ya don't have ta be scared anymore." LaSalle stated softly. A few moments after the worst of her panic attack was over, she was facing Loretta again.
"I'm sorry." She whispered in a hoarse voice to no one in particular. She looked sheepishly across at Pride. The female agent hung her head, she felt that she should try to stay stronger for all of them; she knows that she is letting them down. Why can't she keep it together like LaSalle? He went through the same as her and he's still the one, after almost a week, who's still being strong.
"That's perfectly alright Merri." Loretta smiled. "We don't have to do this right now. I'll put them away." Loretta grabbed a white towel from the small box, she removed various bandages but tucked away the frightening metal instruments.
Borin glanced at Pride, all color had drained from his face. His eyes were fixed on his two junior agents who were sitting across from him.
A small sigh was heard from where the broken female agent was sitting. Brody hurriedly covered her wound with her shaking hand.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it. I...I'll clean it up later. I promise." Brody stammered, getting more and more upset as her blood dripped from her side to the seat.
"Hey...hey. It's okay." Borin said, jumping up from her seat and kneeling innfront of Brody.
"I want to go home." Brody stated, her eyes sad and filled with emotion.
"I know." Borin said softly, not quite sure how to comfort the female who scarcely needed comforting before.
"Yeah." Brody said, staring off into space as she struggled to keep sitting upright.
"You two thirsty." Borin asked as if she was talking to children.
LaSalle nodded, his lips looking painfully dry. Borin took out her half drank bottle of water and gave it to him. He took it and gratefully took a few sips before offering it to Brody. She refused, her bloody hands neatly folded in front of her. Then it happened, everything that had occurred in the last few days came crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. She had hurt her partner...her partner! The warm body next to her felt so wrong. Her mind screaming that she didn't deserve him, at least he had tried to make Jonathan stop hurting her. What did she do when their captor had been hurting LaSalle? Nothing.
They had noticed right away. The change in her posture, the dramatic increase of her breathing, the way she winced when she looked over at him. Guilt filled eyes pleading for all of this to be a dream. Meredith Brody deserved the countless sleepless nights and pain filled days that were yet to come. He didn't.
Suddenly, she pulled away from him. The startled federal agent gazed into her uncertain, frightened eyes with a confused stare.
"You're alright Brody." Borin stated in a low, calm voice, startling the agent who was staring deeply into her partner's eyes.
"No I'm not!" She shrieked. "Stop trying to say that everything will be okay when we all know it won't. This was my fault. If i would have been stronger, I could have stopped it...but I wasn't. I wasn't. " she finished, an unfamiliar rage making her voice low and shaky.
LaSalle reached out for her hand as she looked over at him. Hesitantly, she pulled it away, her eyes cloudy with more unshed tears.
"I can't do this to you." She stated. "You deserve better"
"What do ya mean? I don't understand. Brody talk ta me." LaSalle felt his chest clench, what the hell was going on with her? Well, he knew...obviously, but it wasn't her fault.
"When...when we get home. I'm transfering."
"What? No, you can't do that." Sebastian's shocked voice filled thier tiny room. "She cant do that, right?" He whispered to Loretta.
"Brody, I know how yer feeling. But...we're family, yer a part of it now and family doesn't give up on eachother." Lasalle's voice cracked, his speech slurred into a continuous line. He felt like he was falling backwards, hardly able to recognize the alarmed voices around him.
"Lasalle? LaSalle?!" Brody screamed as she felt her whole world collapsing. She couldn't lose him, not now.
Well that took long enough, as you can tell, I'm not quite done with the angst yet. Oh well, thanks for reading! Please review.