Title: Brushing her hair *and yes, I suck with titles*
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lie To Me characters, but all this story is mine, except for the very first line.
Spoilers: for episode 1.13, Blinded.
Summary: Set while Gillian and Cal are still in hospital. She needs help...
I'm nearly ashamed to publish it, because I foresee a lot of mistakes. My written English isn't good at all, I'm afraid. But I hope that someone will read and review this, 'cause when I rewatched 1.13, I just felt that there should be one more scene... Well, anyway, it's my first fanfic in English, so, please, review it even if you hated it. xD
Brushing her hair
"Forget it" Cal hangs up and immediately turns to the right to look at Foster, to read her reaction to his conversation.
"What was that all about?" her question makes it unnecessary, though. She still has no idea of what is on his mind. And now it definitely is for the better. It isn't really the time for her to worry about his plan, she has enough reasons for not having a good sleep anyway.
"Just another crappy idea driving its way through Ria's mind. Forget it, luv" Thoroughly controlling his face, he slowly sits down on the bed. "I couldn't have found your doctor. What did he say? Can you go home or do they want you to stay here for a while?"
"Well, actually he said that I'm free to go as soon as I can sign the papers but..."
"But you obviously can't. I got it." he looks down to her injured arm, and his face shows fury. Just for the several seconds but it was there. Lightman carefully composes himself before speaking again.
"I'll work it out. Signature is not the only way to express your wish."
Right now Cal should be very accurate not to throw himself at the first person he is to talk to – at the ER doctor.
"Does anything bother you?" he still isn't sure that taking her from the hospital is the best idea. After all, she might have a concussion, and... he doesn't want to admit it even to himself but maybe it is safer for her to stay here. Until they catch that copycat guy.
"Ya, the thought that that bastard is somewhere out there torturing his victim while we, and especially you, are stuck in here." she shifts her posture slightly, careful not to disturb her hand.
"That's not what I meant but I've got it" man harshly stands up and softly rubs her left shoulder. "I guess you would need some help, darling... Do you wanna me to call a nurse? Here's your stuff, by the way" He pulls several bags with clothes from under her bed and quickly opens them.
"No. I'll try to manage." her voice is quiet but it's kind of obvious she is dissatisfied even with the thought that she might need help.
"Just cope with your blouse and trousers, luv." he desperately wants to add that it would be pleasure for him to help her with those two too but he keeps his mouth shut. The talk about the Line is definitely not what they need here and now.
"I'll be right back to help you with the rest" with these words he storms out of the room, concern filling his eyes.
"OK" her words are barely a whisper; she is trying not to let herself cry once again. One time is more than enough for today.
Gill undoes her hospital gown and unlocks the sling pretty fast. It is easy to do in spite of having only left hand working properly. The problems – the bra and the shirt and the trousers – all lay ahead but her thoughts are preoccupied not with these small challenges. And not with the case they are working at either. She thinks about coming home. Home is meant to be the best place in the world. She knows it but she can't help not wanting to go there. She doesn't know what she is going to find there, and it's scary. She doesn't know whether her husband is there, and if he is, whether he's under some drug or not. To tell the truth, there's one thing she knows for sure, and that's exactly the type of thing she would prefer not to know. There's going to be a scandal. A pretty big one. About her not calling him, about her not loving him, about her bloody job and her egoistic partner who always stick his nose into their business...
She has to help herself with the right arm a bit. This is painful but not painful enough to distract her from her trail of thoughts. There aren't much things and people in this world who really can be quite a distraction for her, and one of them has just walked into the room.
"Are you alright, darling?" the question's a simple one but Gillian immediately starts worrying whether he's noticed something on her face that, to her mind, he rather hasn't.
"Ya, I'm fine." there's some kind of pleading in her voice, the one only he can hear. "Have you spoken with the doctor?"
"Yes, I have, luv. We can go. And yes, he's still alive after my visit." a small, shy smile on her face is precisely what he is hoping for.
"And, you know, he said he hadn't seen a woman as beautiful as you for a long time... But I told him that he didn't have a chance on this one. He was disappointed, you know." Chatting, he finds her shoes under the bed, puts them in front of her and takes her bag from the table near the wall.
"Ya, and my bruises become me so much!" speaking ironically, she puts the shoes on and says "thank you" with her lips.
"They just don't deface you the slightest bit. Let's put your sling back." Standing very close to Gill's back, he kind of embraces her in order to put her hand tenderly in the cloth. Foster winces slightly and holds him out a fastener.
There is one more ask in her mind, and she's not sure if she should say it out loud.
"My phone was... smashed when... I fell, can you, please, give me yours? I wanna call a taxi."
"Why on the earth do you need it, luv? I'll take you home."
"No, you should be in the office, talking with Jenkins," she protests.
"No, I should be with you. The end of the conversation," he knows she's going to insist but he's not going to let her do this.
"And why aren't you wearing your earrings? Wanna me help you with them?" he just doesn't know what to do or to say to make her feel a bit more relaxed. "Or... maybe you wanna me to do your hair?"
"Forget about the earrings. They're not that vital," she doesn't say anything about hair 'cause she is not sure whether it's alright to ask him to do it... but these two doesn't really need words to communicate.
"Find a comb" Cal holds her bag while she is searching for it. He takes a brush from her, stands behind her and gets stunned. Stunned by the floral aroma her hair has. By its color, its smoothness... He suddenly understands that he is not moving. Being more gentle than he has ever been in his life, he puts a comb down to her head and starts brushing. His movements are slow and tender, with his left hand he tries to put her hairs together but some of them are too short and just won't go in the tale.
Gillian feels his hands on her head, and suddenly all her troubles fade away. He is barely touching her, like if he thinks she is fragile, but his every brush somehow brings relief. At first she recalls her childhood memories, her father being sober and doing her hair, then she looks back at the time when her marriage was a blessing for her – Alec always liked playing with her hair. She doesn't want to think about problems she has to face too soon, she doesn't want to think at all. She just wishes it to go on.
"Do you have some kind of..." he even doesn't have to finish the sentence, she is already handing him a hairpin. He reaches for it but she releases it a bit too fast for him to catch it. It falls on the floor, and he squats to get it. At that moment he catches her look. Her eyes are filled with tears. He opens his mouth to ask what's wrong but she rings the rounds.
"Thank you," she can't say more. At least not now. But he'll understand, she knows. Because she felt... he enjoyed brushing her hair.