The Blink of an Eye
A/N: This is my first "official" story for Robbie and Laura. I hope this will not disappoint the fandom because these two lovely people deserve great stories and fantastic fans! Special thanks to CrazyMaryT for reading over the story for me and guiding me along the way when I needed encouragement and direction! She's the best!
Robbie Lewis had been checking his watch constantly since he'd first arrived at the station. When Hathaway had noticed and questioned him on it, he merely said he had somewhere important to be and he didn't want to be late. The younger man smiled, knowing that "somewhere" was Dr. Laura Hobson's home and it was "important" because they were embarking on a more personal relationship. Hathaway grinned, thinking of how much he was going to enjoy teasing Lewis for the remainder of the day. It was too good of an opportunity to let it slip through his fingers.
By lunchtime, Hathaway had been told to "leave it be" or he'd be doing mounds and mounds of paperwork for the foreseeable future. It was said with a grin, so James didn't take it to heart. Instead, he offered to buy sandwiches for the two of them down at the local pub. "After all, you don't want to eat a heavy lunch and then disappoint your date by not enjoying the food she's prepared for you. That would be rude," he teased.
"Get stuffed," Lewis teased, "and I'll take a packet of crisps with that sandwich, since you're buying."
They were halfway through their lunch, when Hathaway's phone rang. He was a bit puzzled when he saw the name of the caller, but he wasted no time in answer it.
"Yes, yes, he's here, too." There was a long pause as Hathaway listened intently to their boss, Jean Innocent, on the other end of the line. "Right, I see. Yes, m'am. Right away. No, no I'll tell him and we'll be right there. Thank you." James ended the call and sat for a long second or two, gathering his thoughts and trying to find a way to tell Robbie what Innocent had said.
"I need the keys to the car, please." He extended his hand and waited for Robbie to offer them up to him.
"Why on earth would I give you the keys to me car?" Lewis took a drink and shook his head, smirking almost.
"Because when I tell you what I've just heard, you'll want to drive like a maniac to the scene and I cannot allow that. I will drive, since I know where we're going. But, sir, you're wasting valuable … very valuable … time."
Lewis could see something was terribly wrong and he was starting to grow agitated and annoyed. "Tell me! What's wrong? What is it?"
"Keys, first, sir. Trust me."
Robbie was on his feet and heading towards the car as he fished in his pockets. As they reached the car doors, he tossed the keys to Hathaway and stood beside the passenger door, waiting for it to be unlocked.
With the keys securely in his hand and knowing Lewis was more or less agreeing to his terms, Hathaway unlocked the car. "It's Dr. Hobson … Laura … sir, she's been in an accident."
Robbie suddenly felt sick to his stomach, weak in the knees, and panicked all in the span of a second. "Is she all right? Where is she? Did they take her to hospital?"
"Get in and I'll explain on the way."
Robbie began to feel the panic take a firm hold of his heart. "Not again, God, please, not again," he murmured to himself.
"Sir?" When Robbie shook his head, he began to relay the information that Innocent had given him. "She was out doing some shopping, they think. It appears she was heading home, at least that's what they think based on the direction the car was heading before it was hit. A lorrie crossed the line and the driver noticed his mistake, but it was too late. He swerved but still hit her car on the driver's side." Hathaway stole a glance at Lewis, trying to judge how much more to tell him but knowing he had a right to know everything before reaching the scene.
"Well, go on!" Then he paused. "She's not … please tell me she's not … gone," he begged softly, fighting the lump in his throat and the tears in his eyes.
"No, sir, she's not. But she is still trapped in the car. When the lorrie hit, her car rolled down an embankment. It crushed the passenger's side of the vehicle, and the car is on its side, the driver's side. They can hear her moaning and she can somewhat answer their questions, but …"
"But what, man? Spit it out and can't this bloody car go any faster? Step on it!" Lewis was growing more and more agitated. He could understand now why Hathaway had insisted that he drive. Robbie knew that he would have been borderline reckless in getting to the scene … no, in getting to her side, to Laura.
"The embankment is steep and the car keeps slipping a little as they work to get her out. They're trying to be very careful or the car might roll further, into the river. If that happens, who knows what might happen." He stole a glance at Robbie, who was now as white as a sheet. Hathaway rolled down the window to let in some fresh air in an attempt to help him. "She'll be fine, sir. They're doing everything they can to get her out and every precaution is being taken to insure her safety."
"I'll be the judge of that me self, if you'll ever get us there!" he grumbled. "And why did Innocent call you and not me? I should have been notified. She should have phoned me first."
"With all due respect, sir, she was afraid of what you might do, given the circumstances, and I have to agree with her. Instead of one needless accident, we might be dealing with two."
Robbie nodded his head and waved his hands. "Fair enough, just hurry, please. Just … hurry."
Laura was still conscious in the car. She could hear the men talking to her, reassuring her, warning her when they were about to do something incredibly loud. She fought hard to stay awake, knowing it would be vital to her, and to anyone else who might be listening. She needed to stay as alert as possible, not only for her sake, but for theirs.
Her body ached all over, though once she calmed herself a little after the initial shock, she assessed the damage done to her by the way she was feeling. She didn't think anything was broken, though she had hit her head pretty hard on the window, which was now shattered. She felt a small amount of blood sliding down the side of her face, but it wasn't a steady stream which was a good sign that the wound was already clotting. The air bag had deployed and she was covered in a fine, white powder, and some of that had invaded her eyes, causing them to sting and giving her another reason for the tears streaming down her face, silently.
Somewhere above her, she could hear machinery, lots of people talking, some even shouting, though none of those voices belonged to the man she desperately wanted to see, to hear. Where was Robbie? Were he and James still hard at work, unknowing of her plight? What if something happened to her before Robbie arrived? No, she couldn't and wouldn't think like that. Surely, someone would have alerted him by now. Still, it couldn't hurt …
"Hello," she yelled as loudly as her body and voice would allow. "Please, can you hear me?"
"We can hear you, Dr. Hobson. We're working on a solution to get you out as quickly as possible. Don't panic and try not to move about in the car. It might shift, you see, and we don't want that."
"Yes, fine. I understand. Please, someone phone Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis. Tell him what's happened." She paused for a moment. "Please, just, tell him I'm all right, if you can."
"We phoned the station as soon as we realized it was you, Doctor. I think the Chief was going to inform him, herself. Told us not to phone him personally. Don't worry, though. We'll have you out soon."
Laura relaxed, as much as she could given the circumstances and her increasing discomfort. At least he was on the way, or at least knew of the accident. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the plans they'd made for the evening, the dinner she was going to cook, the contents of which were now scattered about the back seat of her mangled car, and the quiet evening they'd both hoped for after a long week. Now, all she could hope for would be to make it out of this car in one piece and to at least see his face soon afterwards.
Hathaway slowed the car to a stop, but Lewis was already jumping out as soon as they arrived at the scene. "Laura! Laura," he called out, searching frantically among the uniformed officers and rescue workers for any sign of her. He looked toward the ambulance but saw no one, other than the driver of the lorrie. He'd deal with that man later.
"Where is she?" he shouted at one of the officers on the scene. "Where's Laura … Doctor Hobson?"
"Still in the car, sir. We're waiting on some equipment to arrive so we can hoist the car up the embankment."
"Not with her in it, you're not! Has anyone been down there to see her, to check on her?"
"She's been talking to us, reassured us she was just fine, though a little scared."
"You daft man! Someone should have been down there with her this entire time." And with that, Robbie began running towards the edge, stopping only long enough to peer down at the mangled car. Fear clenched his heart as he thought of what might have been, what very well could have been. Without any consideration for the danger he might face, he eased down the embankment, calling her name as he went.
"Robbie? Robbie is that you?" Laura smiled softly, though the pain in her head was increasing from the pounding headache.
"Laura, yes, it's me. I'm going to get you out of here. I promise." He eased to the front of the car and looked though the cracked window. He could see her still strapped into her seat, still clutching the steering wheel, and looking as sick as he'd felt earlier. He had to get to her somehow, some way. Carefully, he walked around the car and knelt down on the ground beside the car, as close as he could get to her. "Laura, I'm here and you're going to be just fine. I won't let anything happen to you. Are you hurt … any broken bones or anything?"
"Robbie, you shouldn't be down here. They said it might roll again, into the river this time," she replied. "If it does, the car will crush you. Please, I don't want you hurt."
"You let me worry about that. But I need you to trust me, do exactly as I say. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, I will. But if this car starts to shift, promise me you'll move … you won't try to … just save yourself, Robbie."
"I'll save us both and then you can buy me dinner," he teased, watching to see if she would smile for him. When she did, he took a deep breath and nodded. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around his hand and arm. "You need to cover your face, Laura. Do you hear me? I want you to cover your face with your shirt, your hands, the air bag … whatever you can fine nearby. I'm going to break up the windshield." Giving her time to do that, he began to knock, gently at first and then with more force, on the glass until it finally gave one last, loud crunch before shattering, bits of glass peppering the front seats of the car. "Still, all right, love?"
She removed her hands from her face and looked out of the open windshield to see Robbie's face so close to hers. "Better, now that I can get a proper breath of air." She took a deeper breath when he reached inside and touched his fingertips to the side of her face. "Now what do we do?"
Lewis yelled back up the embankment. "Get the ambulance ready and get that driver out of the damn way. I don't want her seeing him. Hathaway, I need your help," he called up, despite the protests from the other officers, warning them both that it was too dangerous. "I need you to be ready to help me carry her up the hill." Without questioning the orders, the young Sergeant readied himself to spring into action.
"Robbie, shouldn't we wait? What if this goes horribly wrong and you and James end up hurt … or worse?"
He reached inside and once more touched her cheek with his fingertips. "And what if we waited and something happened to you? Do you think I would live with me self if that happened? I'd rather die trying to save you than to watch something happen to you. Please, Laura, do you trust me?"
She nodded as she turned her face into his hand. "Right, what do you need me to do?"
"Carefully as you can, I need you to unfasten your belt. Stay as still as you can afterwards, but try to put all of your weight towards the right side of the car. Lean in, sorta, towards the door. Then, I want you to gently ease the steering wheel down as low as it will go. Tilt it so that it's out of the way as much as possible."
She did exactly as he instructed, still unsure of what he had in mind. Meanwhile, the men with the crane arrived, ready to haul the car up the hill, presumably with her still inside. "Sounds like a lot of commotion on the road. Has there been an accident?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood just a bit.
"Very funny. Probably just some crazy woman driver, hell-bent on getting home to see her programs on the tele before the old man gets home and demands his dinner on the table." For the first time, they both shared a little laugh, though it was cut short as the car began to shift, slipping further down the hill and closer to the water. Laura gave a stifled sort of scream, causing everyone's hearts to race. "No more wasting time, for either of us. Now or never, Laura."
"Now or never," she repeated. He told her to gently stretch out of her hands towards him, through the windshield frame.
"Grasp my hands as tightly as you can. Hold on for dear life, love, and whatever happens don't let go. If the car shifts, start pushing towards me, scramble out if you have to. We're going to get you out of this car, and not waste a single moment. I won't let you go, Laura, not now … not ever." He gave her what he hoped would be a reassuring smile then reached out his hands to her. "Focus on me, nothing else, just me."
Within seconds of her movement in the car, it started to shift, started down the slippery slope. Laura gave a panicked scream as she felt it shifting beneath her but she did as Robbie told her. She focused on his face, staring into his eyes and moving as quickly as she could. She felt him give a hard pull, dragging her out of the window and onto the top of him as the car rolled away from her, loudly, and smashing into the river below. Realizing she was safe in his arms, she suddenly collapsed, unconscious, against his chest.
He breathed heavily for a moment, hugging her tightly to him, unwilling to move for anything or anyone, desperately trying to allay his own fears and catch his breath. He needed a second to calm himself and to reassure both of them that she was safe, despite her unconscious state. He placed a light kiss to the top of her head just as Hathaway approached, three other men following behind him. With tender care, a few moments later, everyone was safely back on the main road, the car below now flooded.
Robbie watched as the emergency personnel tended to Laura, checking her over carefully. His eyes never left her, making sure she was given the utmost care and waiting for them to put her in the ambulance. And then, suddenly, his attention was directed at the driver of the truck, the man who had nearly taken Laura away from him, and suddenly he was filled with rage. Walking briskly and with purpose, he closed the distance between them and shoved the man against the police car, yelling at him. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING? HUH? FIDDLING WITH YOUR RADIO? TALKING ON YOUR MOBILE? WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU NEARLY KILLED HER? YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING … SHE COULD HAVE …"
Hathaway ran to Lewis and pulled him back from the man. "Sir, sir this isn't helping. You don't want to waste your energy on him. Dr. Hobson needs you now. Come along. The officers will take him to get sorted at hospital then down to the station. I think she's just waking up, and she's asking for you." James forced Lewis to look at him. "She needs you now more than this bloke. Go, I'll take care of everything here. You go take care of her."
Robbie gave the man one last shove and promised to see that he got everything coming to him before he walked briskly back to Laura's side. He knelt down beside the stretcher and took her hand in his, bringing it to his cheek and looking into her eyes, happy to see her smiling up at him.
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he teased, causing her to laugh which turned into a cough. "Hey, now, take it easy."
"My prince came to rescue me," she teased a little, giving his hand a squeeze. "Does this mean I still have to cook for you tonight? If so, you might ought to know that the groceries are now submerged with the car in the river. Think the driver will stop by the market on the way to hospital?"
"I think you're much more important than a car, some groceries, and a stop at the market. How about we get you checked out and then worry about dinner, later?" He gave her a genuine smile and released her hand, but only to tuck the blanket a little more closely around her.
"Will you visit me later, in the hospital, if they keep me?" She tried to keep her tone light but she was afraid she wasn't succeeding. Realization at what might have happened was beginning to set in and it scared her. If Robbie hadn't arrived when he did, would the men standing on the road have even tried to rescue her? Would the crane have worked or sent her plummeting down into the river? Would she be alive now if he hadn't arrived when he did, if he hadn't risked his own life for hers?
A tear escaped her eye and fell down her cheek but it did not go unnoticed by Robbie Lewis. "No, I won't visit you later."
"Oh, umm, yes, I see. You're busy and probably were in the middle of something important earlier."
"You're right. I am busy, and I will be busy for the next few days. You see, I'm going to have me hands full taking care of you, Laura. I won't visit you later because I'm going to hospital with you. I'll ride with you in the ambulance, stay with you until you're released, then I'll take you home with me."
"Robbie, you don't have to …"
"You're right. I don't, but I'm going to and I'll hear no arguments. I've been due some vacation days and I can't think of a better way to use them than spending them with you." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Sir, m'am, we need to get her in the ambulance and be on our way." The two men standing there motioned that they needed to load her into the vehicle. "You're more than welcome to ride with us, sir, but you'll need to be in the front with us."
"Afraid not, boys. I'm riding in the back with her. She's under my protection, and I won't let her out of my sight." He gave them each a stern look that left no room for argument then he smiled down at Laura and gave her a wink. "What's the point of being D.I. Lewis if I can't use it to my advantage once in a while?"
"Right, you'll hear no argument from me. I rather like being under the protective and watchful eye of you, Robbie Lewis." She reached out for his hand before they lifted her into the back of the vehicle. "Thank you, Robbie."
"You don't need to thank me, Laura. I didn't do anything that these other … "
"Yes, yes you did. You rushed in to save me when others were standing there twiddling their thumbs and wondering what to do next. You saved me when others didn't even try."
Hours later, Laura was growing restless in her hospital bed. They'd taken her in for x-rays and other tests to make certain she had no internal injuries. That was the last she'd seen of Robbie and she was beginning to wonder if maybe he'd decided against seeing her before heading home. But, just as she was beginning to believe that was the case, he peeked around the corner of the door and grinned.
"Someone promised me dinner but she's rather laid up at the moment, so I thought I'd bring dinner to her," he said with a smile as he showed her the take away containers. "Chinese. I hope you're hungry."
She sat up a little straighter in bed and smoothed down her hair, giving him that sparkling smile that was reserved only for him. "Starving, though I can't offer much in the way of entertainment. No movies on demand and not much on tonight."
"I don't need entertaining, pet. A nice quiet dinner with you and a good sleep is going to be the trick tonight." He began unpacking their dinner as a nurse walked in to check on Laura. She gave him a most disapproving look, but was quickly put in her place. "If you're here to run me out, good luck with that. I'm staying the night, just in case she needs me, and from the look of it, she needs someone to feed her. The poor woman is starving."
"You'll hear no arguments from me," the nurse answered. "Just remember that she needs her rest or she'll be staying another night or two."
After a quiet dinner and some mindless conversation, Robbie put out the light and settled into the chair beside her bed. He reached out to take her hand in his, lacing their fingers together and bringing it to his lips. "Good night, and if you need anything, I'll be right here. I promise."
She gave his hand a squeeze in return. "Sleep well, Sir Robbie, my knight." She turned onto her side facing him, despite the pain it caused. She took one last, lingering look at him before closing her eyes and trying to sleep.
The following morning, they both woke to a noise inside the room. When their eyes opened and adjusted to the light, the first thing they saw was each other. Laura gave him a bright smile and noticed that they were still holding hands.
"Morning, Sir, Doctor Hobson," Hathaway announced as he offered her a small bouquet of flowers. "These are from the Chief and me. We were going to see if Inspector Lewis wanted to chip in a few pounds but he was nowhere to be found. Should have known he was avoiding our calls for a good reason," he said teasingly.
"Yes, well, you might have missed us if you'd been any later. We're waiting on her discharge papers and then we'll be off on holiday."
"HOLIDAY?" Both Laura and James chimed in at the same time, both giving Robbie confusing looks.
"Yes, holiday. I'm taking off a few days. Laura won't be able to go back to work for a few more, so why not?
"Right. Well, then, make sure to send me a postcard and bring me back something other than a shirt or a box of chocolates, please." James leaned forward and gave Laura a kiss on the cheek, wishing her well, then shaking hands with Robbie. "See you when you return."
By mid-day, Robbie was escorting Laura back to his house, after a brief stop at hers for a few things. He couldn't believe how lucky they had been the day before. He was in no hurry to let her out of his sight anytime soon, but he also knew she would never stand for him smothering her. As she packed, he sat in a chair in her bedroom and watched her intently. "I'll drop you off at my flat and get you settled, then I'll pop out for some groceries. Thought I might cook for us tonight, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all. I'd like to help you, if you'll let me."
He thought of refusing her offer of help, but he could see in her eyes that she needed something to do. "Or course. We'll cook together and then have a nice cuddle. Sound good to you, pet?"
She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly to her as she leaned into his embrace. "It sounds like a lovely evening, like the one we should have had yesterday." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling his scent and taking comfort in his arms. "I think I have everything packed, if you're ready."
"I'm ready to take you home, Laura. And then, over dinner, we can talk about this holiday. If you want to go somewhere, we'll go. If you want to stay here in Oxford, we'll do that too, but don't answer me just yet, please. Take time and think about it. Make sure of your answer."
On the way to his flat, they stopped at the grocer and bought a few things to get them through the next few days. Robbie didn't want to have to leave her again for anything so they made sure to get everything they thought they might need and then a few things more. Once home and the groceries put away, he insisted she settle on the couch while he took care of a few things.
A few minutes later, he joined her on the sofa. "I have run a bath for you. I thought you might enjoy a good soak with some wine and soft music while I get dinner started. When you're done, I've placed a clean tank shirt and some lounge pants on the bed, and I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen." He tilted her head back and slowly closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers gently, softly. When they finally broke apart, he guided her into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath as he leaned against the door before heading to the kitchen to prepare their dinner.
The pasta was nearly ready, the sauce was simmering nicely, and the bread was in the oven when Laura slipped up behind Robbie and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She rested her cheek against the middle of his back and sighed happily. "I know I keep saying this, but thank you."
He turned off the oven so the bread wouldn't burn and turned in her arms, enveloping her in his. "You don't owe me any thanks, love. I want to take care of you. I want to be the man who walks in your door when everyone else walks out." He lowered his face to hers and kissed he again, deeper this time, taking his time to truly express his feelings. When he pulled back, he dropped a kiss just below her ear. "Yesterday, I thought I'd lose you and it scared me, truly scared me."
"You were just shaken by your feelings about Val, by the accident, and how she was taken from you. I saw the look in your eyes when I came to, the way you were after the driver of the lorrie."
"That's where you're wrong, love. That had very little to do with Val and everything to do with you. Sure, thoughts of her ran through my mind, thoughts about the day she died, how it must have happened. But suddenly, that faded away and my only concern was for you. My feelings for you and what was happening to you were the most important thing to me! I wasn't afraid of losing her. She's gone and has been gone for years. I was terrified of losing you, not being able to hold you in my arms, not being able to kiss you, and tell you my deepest secrets and sharing my happiest moments. Laura, it's you that I love. It's you that I want with me, you that I want to share the rest of my life with. That's why I wanted us to talk about going away for a few days, or even just staying here with no interruptions."
Laura ducked her head and rested it against his chest, holding him tightly in her arms, thanking her lucky stars for this man in her life. "Let's enjoy this nice meal and a good cuddle. We can talk about whether or not to stay or go somewhere in the morning. Tonight, though, I don't want to do anything but have a nice meal with you, share a bottle of wine, and then sleep the night away in your arms, the safest place in the world."
Later that evening, Robbie turned down the bed sheets and slipped between them, opening his arms to Laura and inviting her to join him. She smiled and accepted his hand, snuggling deeply into his side and resting her head on his chest. He wrapped both arms around her and drew her closer, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "This, this is how we should have been last night, love."
She sighed softly and nodded her head, her fingertips toying with the collar of his pyjama shirt. "Yes, but I think we both learned a valuable lesson from what happened. No more taking things and each other for granted. When I was in the car, all I kept thinking about was seeing you, wondering where you were, what would happen to you if I didn't make it. I thought of our dinner and how it had all turned pear shaped in an instant. I was scared I wouldn't see you again."
He hugged her a little tighter. "I felt those same things. When I got there and nobody seemed to be helping you, I was so angry, so upset. I couldn't understand why none of them were with you, helping you, at least down there reassuring you. And then it hit me. They weren't there because they didn't love you. They weren't willing to risk everything for your safety and I was; I am. I want to be that man for you, Laura, whether you need me to be or not. You're strong and independent, but even the strongest of us, myself included, need someone. I want you to be my someone and I want to be yours."
"I have been yours for years, Robbie. You just needed to see me standing there, like I saw you standing there for me." She slipped her hand over his shoulder and up into his hair, drawing him down for a slow, passion filled kiss, letting the events of yesterday melt away, as if it was all a bad dream, while their thoughts turned to a holiday filled with warmth, sunshine, cuddles, and kisses, all of which were theirs for the taking.
The End