Leukemia
Chapter 1: The Diagnosis
"I'm looking for Detective Bonasera," the woman tells the receptionist for the crime lab.
"I'll page her for you," the receptionist says.
"Thank you."
The curly-haired detective shows up a few minutes later. "Can I help you?"
"Are you Detective Bonasera?" Stella nods. "I'm Jessica Mala. I was told you were the woman my son attacked last week."
"Why don't we go to my office?" Stella suggests, leading the way.
"I'd like to apologize for what my son did," the dark-haired woman begins, taking a seat across from Stella. "He's never shone any signs of violence before. I'm not sure why he came after you.
"Frankie loved art. I'm sure you knew that. He knew so much about all these famous works of art and was always sharing his knowledge. I've got all these little things, sculptures, he's made for me at home. He was good at it," the woman explains.
Stella chooses not to mention how creepy she thought the statue he made her looked.
"I can't believe he's gone. I mean, it's not your fault; you were just protecting yourself."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Stella says quietly. "Did you know about his… website?"
"Website?"
Stella instantly feels sorry for ruining the mother's good image of her son. "I… your son, Frankie… was, um. I'm not sure how to tell you this, but he was taping the two of us in bed together."
"Frankie would never do that," Mrs. Mala defends.
Stella is not in the mood to argue. "I think your son did a lot of things last week no one would expect him to."
"How'd you… what did he…" she points under her eye, indicating the cut on Stella cheek.
"He made me this statue, the name being my last name backwards. When I looked it up, I discovered… the website. In anger I got rid of a statue he made me. Frankie was upset with me and that, combined with me breaking up with him was too much, and he tied me up. I tried to… to convince him I loved him, but he… didn't believe me," Stella retells of that night for the millionth time.
A tear escapes the woman's eye. Stella offers her a box of tissues, causing the cuts on her fingers to be visible. "Did you get in a fight over a knife?"
She looks down at her fingers. "He… threatened me with one, but we never fought over it. I used my razorblade to get out of the bathtub. We did fight over my gun though."
"I don't want to know anymore of the story, and I don't think you need to keep telling it over again and again. I'm sorry for putting you through the terrible event again."
"I'm okay."
"I know I shouldn't blame you for all my problems. If Frankie wouldn't have done this, we wouldn't be in this situation. It's just easier because you were the one holding the gun. But you were only doing it for your own safety, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, Detective."
Stella's curiosity, of course, makes it presence known. "What's wrong? Besides… Frankie being dead."
"My other son, Nick, was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago. Frankie was his only chance for survival; no one else we know matches him blood type. By this time next year, he won't be alive."
Stella can't help the pang of guilt she feels: in killing Frankie, she had taken another innocent life. And there was only one thing she could think of to stop him from dying, and even then it might not work.
A/N: I think this idea came when I was watching some episode of CSI: Miami over the summer. It had something to do with Horatio's brother's daughter having some kind of disease and his other wife's son having to save her or whatever. And everyone always writes Frankie's brother as trying to get revenge on Stella. Anyway, I was so mad at Mac after Wednesday. I'm not sure whether I want to kill Mac or Peyton more. And then when Stella got all nasty with Lindsay. Am I the only one who thinks she has something against Lindsay, first in Open and Shut and now this? She's definitely got a temper. I'll post again Sunday or Monday. And I'm so happy I got my CSI Santa story done. Now I have to edit it and submit it.