The thing about cops is that they're always in danger. Intellectually, this is an easy concept to grab, but the reality is much harder. The first time she got a call from the hospital, she panicked, barely heard a word the nurse was saying beyond "Gail Peck" and "hospital" before she was out the door. Getting directions to Gail's room was easy, and she knew right away that since it wasn't in the ER that her friend was safe. That didn't stop her heart from pounding until she saw Gail with her own eyes, and then it was pounding for an entirely different reason. It took a while for things to go back to normal, for her to stop worrying about Gail at work, even though the injury had been minor.
When she heard about the psycho out to get division 15, she panicked again. She knew that Gail was on shift, she knew that she was in danger. She ran out the door again, and hastily grabbed a folder for cover as she went to the station. Seeing Gail with her own eyes did the trick again, calmed her fears. The kiss helped too, of course. She had no idea what was going on with Gail, she was such a closed book. But it didn't matter, Gail was safe, and Gail had kissed her.
The second time she got a call from the hospital, she knew the routine: panic. She'd been following the news carefully, listening for any clue about her friend. And the other officers too, but mostly Gail. There hadn't been anything. But a phone call from the hospital set her off again. Intellectually, she knew that Gail had to be okay, after all, she'd been the one to call Holly this time, not a nurse. But it didn't stop the pounding in her chest. She slowed down a little as she entered the waiting room, but didn't stop moving until she was next to Gail, looking her over for any injuries.
Her examination didn't get far before she felt herself pulled into a hug. Huh, this isn't how she normally communicates. She'd heard the line often enough from the blonde.
"I'm so glad you're here." Holly couldn't stop the half-smile that spread on her face. Gail, usually so closed off with her emotions, was happy to see her.
After the introductions, another oddity from Gail since she usually liked to keep Holly separate, the two settled down to wait. Their chairs were farther back than the others'. Holly used her time to check the other woman over, but didn't find anything wrong except for sadness and fatigue. She tried to get comfortable in the chair, she knew it was going to be a long wait. Gail didn't look like she was in the mood to talk, so she just sat quietly. She nearly jumped when she felt the other woman's hand reaching out towards hers, tentatively. She grabbed hold, trying to give out a lifeline, an anchor, anything that Gail needed.
Hours passed as they waited, and Holly noticed that Gail was getting more and more tired, and fighting harder to keep her eyes open. She knew, though, that if she mentioned this to her friend she'd get brushed off, so she just rubbed her thumb on the back of her hand, trying to soothe her. Eventually, Gail's head dropped to her shoulder, and she sighed as she felt a little of the tension leave the blonde's body. The urge to wrap her arms around the smaller woman was almost impossible to resist, all she wanted was to care for this distraught person, but she knew that if she did, Gail would likely tense up again and sit up. Rather than invoke that, she simply sat still, holding onto Gail's hand in an attempt to show how much she cared. When the notice came that nothing would change that night, and they were all to go home, Gail didn't move. So Holly didn't move either.
They watched as everyone filtered slowly out of the room, leaving only themselves and Andy. Holly waited. She could feel every breath that Gail took, every sigh she emitted.
"We should go. . ." her voice trailed off.
"If you want to." Answered Holly, not wanting to push.
"Will you take me back to your place?" she asked, without looking at Holly. "I don't want to be alone."
"Of course, don't worry." Holly relished the fact that Gail never let go of her hand until they were getting into the car.
The second they walked through the door, Gail was headed towards the couch. The effort it had taken to leave the hospital was almost too much, she was exhausted.
"Do you want anything to drink? Or eat? You must be exhausted." Holly didn't wait for an answer, she went straight to the kitchen, bustling about for something to give her friend that might help make things okay. She settled on tea. Tea was helpful in any situation.
Gail hadn't moved by the time she came back into the living room, she sat on the couch, staring blankly at the bookshelf in front of her.
"Gail? I made you some tea." She spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the other woman. She was sitting on the couch, but barely touching it. Her back was as straight as it could be, and her eyes were unfocused. When she heard Holly's voice she reacted automatically, reaching out to grab the mug of tea. It wasn't until Holly sat beside her, and reached out to place a hand on the small of her back that she moved, caving, melting almost into her friends arms.
If any tears fell, they were silent, but Holly could feel the need that Gail had. The need to be held. So she obliged, taking the mug out of Gail's hand and putting it on the table. She wrapped her arms around the other woman and settled into the couch.
When she noticed that they'd been sitting still for a long time, she thought that Gail might have fallen asleep, it was understandable. But when she moved slightly to get up, thinking about where she had stashed her extra blankets, the arms around her waist grabbed her tighter.
"Please don't leave." The words were almost a whisper.
"I won't." she said as she settled back into the couch. She didn't move again until she was sure that Gail was asleep.
Once she'd placed a blanket on top of her friend, she headed to bed. It wasn't long before she heard her door creaking open, and the soft sound of feet crossing the room to her. Holly opened her eyes as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Can I stay with you?" Gail's eyes were shining in the darkness. She was afraid that Holly would tell her no.
"Of course." She lifted up the blankets enough for Gail to slide in. She sighed as she felt the smaller woman curling into her. She wrapped an arm around her, grounding her, keeping her safe.