A/N: As usual, none of the characters belong to me…I'm just borrowing them to entertain…yada yada yada. I had posted this earlier, but forgot my disclaimer so to avoid being contacted by any lawyers…I deleted it and…well you get the picture. Please don't forget to review after you enjoy!
I took one look around me and ran. I ran out of the scene, leaving my kit and everything behind me. The scent of blood, dying flesh, and sickness however refused to leave, lingering in my nostrils and etching a permanent memory into my brain, not that I needed another one.
No, I wasn't going to go there.
"Lindsay!" a voice called out behind me, "Lindsay! Lindsay wait!"
Ignoring the voice, I, Lindsay Monroe didn't stop. Running past the crime scene tape, past the NYPD officers standing guard, past the multitude of vehicles parked around the scene; I ran until my legs refused to carry me any further and my lungs threatened to burst; my muscles aching with fatigue and my lungs burning.
I found myself standing at the edge of a wooded area on the adjoining property; dropping to my knees, I promptly lost what little contents I had in my stomach. This pause however, allowed my pursuer to catch up.
"Lindsay, didn't you hear --" the voice said behind her, "Are you okay?"
I felt hands pull my hair back, away from my face, as another tide of overwhelming nausea overtook me. The images of all of the blood in the building flashed through my mind; how it was soaking into the wooden floorboards, dripping from the ceiling onto the floor with soft splashing sounds…I blinked my eyes as hard as I could and forced myself to think of things that were pleasant and comforting. Danny Messer's face floated to the forefront of my mind. Slowly the nausea subsided and I stood up, accepting the small towel that was handed to me.
"You okay?" It was the question that I was dreading. I hated how contrived it sounded when it was clearly obvious that the person in question was definitely not okay.
"Yes…No…I don't know." I fidgeted with my hands and concentrated on my breathing, trying to force the last bit of nausea away. I felt awkward about having the spotlight of concern focused on me, as being in the spotlight was uncomfortable to say the least.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Stella asked me, disquiet etched deeply into her face. I knew that she knew that it wasn't like me to run out on anything, let alone a crime scene.
"No." My reply came out much faster and much sharper than I truly had intended it to, "I'm sorry Stella. It's just that I…can't."
"It's ok. I understand." Stella put her arm around my shoulders, a gesture that I found extremely comforting. She began guiding us back to the crime scene, "Why don't you take the evidence that we've collected so far back to the lab? We've got plenty of people here."
"No Stella, it's ok. I'm alright." I protested, "Really, I can handle this."
I looked her in the eyes, trying to convey to her just how truly okay I was. I'm a horrible conveyer apparently. She looked straight back at me, giving me a look that would make a person, even Mac, bend to what she wanted. Finally she said softly,
"Lindsay, there's a ton of evidence here. It's going to take us days to process it as it is, and the longer we delay on getting started the longer it's going to take us to catch the twisted mind or minds that did this. We really need someone in the lab that has been out here and understands the severity of the case."
Damn it, I thought to myself, I hate it when she's right and goes about it in a logical manner.
"Fine," I replied, shrugging my shoulders, "I know when I'm defeated."
"Good." Stella tells me, smiling gently, "I'll get Danny to help you load it here and he'll go back to the lab with you to unload, then you two can start processing."
"Stella…" I called out to her, but she had already jogged ahead of me and was either out of earshot or was ignoring my newest gripe.
I don't need Messer's help, I can handle this, I hope.
I made my way back towards the crime scene to find Danny Messer leaning against the driver's side of the Envoy.
"Ready to go?" He asked, licking his lips and smiling.
If he only knew the visions that he caused to run through my head.
"I have to grab my kit and let Mac know what's going on." I tell him, starting to move back towards the building when he gently grabs my arm.
"I grabbed your kit, and Stella let Mac know what's going on and he's all for us heading back to the lab to get started on sifting through all this." He smiled at me again.
Great, just what I want – to be stuck in an enclosed space with Danny Messer, the man who makes my blood boil and causes carnal thoughts so primal I never thought possible – for two hours.
"Montana, you coming or not?"
Hearing Danny's voice calling out from the front seat of the Envoy jarred me from my reverie. I climbed into the passenger seat, and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Let's go."