Caught Red handed

This is one of two prequels of 'Hello,World'. Originally,along with the other one,it was going to be a future chapter of my book,but in a flash of inspiration,I realised they could be be prequels! They were both written nearly two years ago. And I think I may have made Sally (And maybe Gina for that matter) a little OOC in this,but I'll let you decide. I personally prefer the second prequel. Thanks to all who reviewed 'Hello,World',I love you all,you know who you are!

"Beth, where's Sally?" Stone asked Beth as they exited the briefing room. "Forgot when the briefing was or something?"

"No, she definitely is here, sarge. She told me she felt sick." Beth told him. "Something about a headache, or something like that. She'll be back soon. Though, if you ask me, she really did look genuinely ill."

"Yes, but I wasn't asking you about that. If you see her, tell her she's paired with me." Stone answered sternly.

"Yes, sarge." Beth nodded. "Though there is one more thing."

"What?"

"She seemed fairly angry or upset about something. I was going to ask her about it, but I decided to leave it after she told me she felt sick."

"Alright, thanks, Beth." Stone broke off the conversation to resume his search for Sally.

Shakily, Sally locked herself in a toilet cubical. Quickly, she got a box out of her pocket. Then she suddenly stopped.

Come on Sally, come on…you want to know the truth, don't you? But seeing the worst outcome coming true was what Sally feared the most. She took a deep breath, before finally taking a stick shaped instrument out of the box.

Come on Sal, knowing the truth, good or bad, is better than not knowing at all.

Sergeant Stone had been looking for Sally for ten minutes, but he still hadn't found her yet. But it was too late anyhow. Inspector Gold had just spotted him.

"Callum? What are you still doing here?" she snapped at him, "The van leaves in five minutes and you aren't even out the back yet!"

"Well, ma'am…"

"Don't start giving me excuses. Get out to the van!" As Stone turned to leave, she noticed something missing. "Where's your partner?"

"Sal – PC Armstrong – well…" Stone began.

"Yes. Where is she?"

"I'm looking for her."

Gina gave Stone a very stern look, then he suddenly corrected himself. "PC Green told me that Sally felt sick, and I'm looking for her. That's what I meant, ma'am."

"Sick, huh?" Gina shook her head. "Go find PC Green, Callum. Tell her you are now paired with her, and just you let me handle Sally. I think I know where to find her. Hurry along."

Stone looked like he was going to argue back, but he thought better of it. He nodded. "Ma'am." He then disappeared off to go find Beth, while Gina walked off – in the opposite direction.

Sally splashed water on her face. She looked a mess and felt a mess. Her sickness was beginning to make her feel dizzy and she couldn't think straight anymore. She stared blankly at her own face in the mirror, her hair dripping water into the sink below. Suddenly, there was a click, and she raised her head in alarm. Fear went through her as she stared at the face of the newcomer. Inspector Gold.

"Feeling any better, Sally?" she asked her kindly – almost too kindly. In any other state, Sally would have picked up on this, and realised where she was heading. Instead though, she gave Gina a blank look.

"Your sickness?" Gina prompted. Sally's mind suddenly clicked.

"Oh, right." she mumbled. "Yes, ma'am, feeling a bit better now, just a little dizzy, that's all…" She broke off when she noticed the inspector wasn't looking at her anymore, but at something else. When Sally followed her gaze, she realised what she was staring at.

The box. Sally wore a horrified expression.

"That yours?" Gina nodded at the box, noticing Sally's expression. She didn't wait for an answer. "My office…now." The last sentence was in a far lower tone that shook Sally up. "And bring it with you."

Sally entered the inspector's office quickly, with the inspector herself hot on her heels. Shaking, she waited for the inspector to come into the office after her – which didn't take that long. There was an almighty slam as Gina shut the door in obvious fury.

"PC Armstrong! I don't where to start with you!" Gina shouted.

Even though it wasn't Sally's first time at being told off from the inspector, she still shook with absolute dread.

"And you thought you could get out of an important briefing by lying?"

"Ma'am….I wasn't lying when I told Beth I felt…" Sally begun shakily.

But the inspector mercilessly and massively cut in, "Oh, don't give me excuses, PC Armstrong! In fact, don't say anything else! You just listen! You knew exactly when that briefing was, and from where I'm standing, it looks like you didn't intend at all to attend that briefing. You didn't want to get lumbered with high visibility patrol, is that it?"

"No…." Sally shook her head and slumped shakily into a chair.

"You shall stand when I speak to you." Gina whispered harshly.

Sally didn't rise. She simply hung her head and closed her eyes in pain. "Ma'am…."

But Gina continued. "Like it or not, sometimes police work can be to do with community support work. Sometimes police work is all about that, and like it or not, someone has to enforce the law…."

Sally clenched her fists. "Ma'am…would you please…just…LISTEN!" Sally slammed her hand with the box in it onto the inspector's desk. When she let her hand drop back down again, she left the box behind. Gina stared at Sally in surprise.

"I'm…sorry…" Sally began to shake again. She opened her eyes and raised her head, staring straight at Gina. "I can't…I just can't…" She cast her eyes away, opening the box on the desk and taking out a plastic stick. Gina stepped closer and gently took it from Sally, who offered no resistance.

Gina's eyes widened as she examined it closer. "It's positive?" she questioned Sally in a calmer tone.

Sally nodded in response. She trembled violently. "Y…yes…"

Then the inspector asked her a question that she hoped no-one would dare ask her. "Who's the father?"

Slowly, Sally raised her head so her gaze met that of Gina's. There was a long pause. Even time seemed stop and wait as she delivered her answer.

"The father…it's Stone. Sergeant Callum Stone..."