This scene takes place right after the shooting at the abandoned warehouse during the first movie
Gunnar / Silver
„Silver, I got a call for you here."
„This is not a good time", Silver answered casually without even looking up from the picture she was working on. „I am very busy here."
Michael frowned.
„Man´s insisting on talking to you. Says it´s urgent."
She sighed.
„Alright!"
She put the spray gun aside.
„I´m coming!"
„I do hope this is urgent!" she mumbled with another look at her work.
„Yeah", she only said, accepting the phone from Michael with a thankful nod.
„Silver, this is Barney."
Silver turned away from her boss, not keen on letting him see her facial expression darken.
„What can I do for you ?" she asked, chosing the words as neutral as possible.
„It´s about Gunnar."
Silver suppressed a sigh. As if things had ever been about someone else. She knew that Barney wouldn´t call her without a good reason. To her relief, she knew as well that, if things would have been dead serious, he wouldn´t have called but would have come to see her.
„What´s wrong ?" she asked, lowering her voice.
„He got shot."
The line fell silent for a moment. After the words had finally found their way into her brain, she reached for the chair behind the small desk. She had suddenly to sit down.
„He´s alive", he hurried to add. „But, well..."
She had always feared something like that to happen. Sure, she had kwown the risks, and still...they were daredevils, the whole goddamn bunch, but they had always been damn lucky so far.
„How bad is it ?" she asked when she had found her words again.
„The bullet went clean through."
Silver exhaled sharply.
„Clean through where ?" she asked. „Where the hell are you ? This happened on a job ?"
Her questions left Barney surprised. He decided to answer only the question that seemed the most important to answer to him by now.
„We´re in town", he answered, surprised that she was obviously not aware of that.
There was another pause. Then Silver cleared her throat.
„I´ll get back to you in a second", she said, hanging up abruptly.
She hurried out of the backdoor, the connection to Barney already established, though this time from her cell to his.
„Look", she said, realizing that Barney obviously lacked some crucial information. „I kicked him out some weeks ago. I´ve seen him only one time since. I thought he might have...mentioned it. Things have been rather...tense for a while."
Barney exchanged a frustrated look with Yang on the passenger´s seat. Now it became obvious to him why Gunnar´s drug use had become worse recently.
„No, he didn´t", he said. So things had not only been tense around Gunnar regarding the team. „Look, I am in a hurry. I called Pete Johnson at the hospital."
She swallowed hard.
„Go ahead", she only said then.
„Tool promised to get him there somehow. I just wanted you to know."
„Will there be more trouble ?" she asked, clearly wanting to know if she had to expect uninvited visitors.
Barney frowned.
„No."
She sighed.
„Well, that´s a start", she said. „You´re leaving town ?"
There was another pause.
„Yeah."
She couldn´t else but think that Barney sounded remarkably tense as well by the guy´s usual standards.
„Is it a lot to ask you to go there and take care of him ?" he inquired.
Silver bit her lip.
She was still damn angry. But it was like things always were - even the most heated dispute seemed suddenly irrelevant if things were about life and death.
„Actually, it is", she said, sounding angry but worried at the same time to the man on the other end. „But wait, he got shot on the way to a job then ?"
„Something like that. Look, I made a bad mistake and I´ll make things right if I can, but I got to take care of something else first. I promise, I´ll explain when I am back."
„Won´t he be able to ?"
Barney sighed.
„I think he´ll be. I got to get abroad as soon as possible. I´ll get in touch as soon as I am back. You got my word."
She took a deep breath.
„Alright. Thanks for callin´."
„Take care", he said.
She grimaced at the expression from one of the guys of all people.
„You too", she said before the connection broke.
It left Silver wondering what was that damn important that Barney left a wounded brother behind in a situation like this.
She returned to her boss and colleagues, feeling slightly dazed.
„Got to go", she said, passing Michael. „Sarah, could you take care of my equipment ?"
The girl nodded.
„Sure."
„Wait a second!" Michael interrupted. „What do you mean, you got to go ?"
„It´s an emergency."
„Wait!" Michael said, following her. „What kind of emergency ?"
Silver threw her cigarettes and cell phone into her purse and searched at the same time for her keys.
„Please, Mike! Can we talk later on ?"
„Is this about him again ?"
Silver would have preferred not to tell them, but Michael´s unexpected objection left her without a choice.
„When the hell will you get rid of that freak ?" he asked.
„Watch your tongue", she retorted sharply.
„Didn´t you call him a freak just two days ago ?" Michael reminded her.
„Do I call your wife a bitch only ´cause you´re calling her one ?" she asked without thinking, feeling her worry changing into anger. „And now stop harassing me, he got shot."
„Shot ?" Michael echoed.
„Like in shot dead ?" Sarah chimed in.
The unexpected comment made both Silver and Michael turn towards their young assistant. Sarah was a good soul and highly creative, but still not the brightest cookie.
„Yeah, like in shot dead, but without the dead", Silver answered stoically.
„I´m sorry", she said, turning to Michael again. „I call you as soon as I know more."
He nodded.
„It´s alright."
„And I really hoped she would finally find herself a somewhat less crazy asshole to live with", he mumbled, watching her getting into her car.
Tool got up from his seat when Silver arrived at the waiting area of the hospital.
„How is he ?" she asked, skipping all pleasantries. Tool didn´t take offence, given the situation.
„Well, they´re treating him, but the darling over there is somewhat new to business. She wouldn´t tell me any more."
Silver glanced at the middle-aged nurse at the reception and frowned. The team had gotten patched up at this place for years. A profitable contract between them and the head of the hospital and the guys made that possible without questions and, at least usually, with answers to people who brought another one of them here, no matter if related to him or her or not.
„Actually, she doesn´t look like exactly that new to business. Let´s see what she´s going to do for me!"
Silver already hated the nurse the moment the older woman laid eyes on her for the first time. She didn´t like being mustered that disparagingly.
„See, I don´t care for your instructions! I wanna know how he is - and I wanna see him now!"
„Well, as I already told you..."
„Good Lord!"
Silver fumbled her ID out of her purse and rather banged it down to the counter in front of her.
The nurse took her time to study it. In fact, it took her so long that Silver started to doubt if she could actually read.
Then the nurse readjusted her glasses to eye Silver up thoroughly for the second time.
„And you´re Mister Jensen´s... daughter ?" she asked.
Tool right next to Silver feared the worst by now. He took a step forward to interfere if necessary.
Now the former table dancer looked the nurse up and down, then gave her a cold stare out of piercingly grey eyes that would have made anyone else freeze to death right away.
Silver bent a little forward as if she wanted to speak confidentially to the woman behind the counter. The nurse did the same, rather as an automatic reaction to Silver´s doings.
„He is my husband !" Silver said, emphasizing every word as if she was talking to a dimwit. „And before you even start to think about it, I don´t give a shit if you think of him as my sugar daddy or my pimp or of me as a slut, so spare me your snide glances - I won´t tell you what I am thinking about you in return."
The nurse coloured slightly and Tool wondered if this was really the right way to get answers from her.
Silver took a step away from the counter.
„I strongly suggest that you get me a doctor here to talk to me now if you don´t want me to stir this place up!" she stated in a dangerously quiet tone.
„If you don´t calm down, Ma´am, I´ll have to call for the security", the older female told her indignantly.
„Go ahead", Silver gave back, unimpressed. „As you obviously already deduced, I´ve been in bed with one half of the people they employ for this job here, and gave the other half most likely at least one tattoo - they will understand. Now, if you´d please ?"
„Alright", the nurse gave finally in. „I´ll see what I can do."
„I kill her."
Tool did his best to suppress a grin.
„I really don´t think that´s necessary."
„I strongly disagree", Silver retorted, staring down at the forms the nurse had handed her to fill out.
This time, he couldn´t else but chuckle at the polite retort.
„What a bitch!" she mumbled. „What did she do before ? Killing old people entrusted to her care for their money ?"
Most of the people working around here had screwed things up somewhere along their former career.
She frustratedly waved the clipboard with the forms the nurse had given her.
„What the hell is all that shit anyway ?! Since when do I have to fill out forms here ?!"
„Let me have a look", he suggested, taking the paperwork out of her hand. Silver had some kind of dyslexia issue going on. He knew that the stress made that problem only worse.
She had already asked Tool about the reasons for the mess Gunnar had gotten himself into again, but had to face the fact that if he knew more than he had already told her - which had been more or less the same what she had already known from Barney - he wouldn´t tell her. Now her impatience and worry had fully come down to the nurse.
„May I ask you what happened for a change ?" Tool threw in to distract her.
„He was damn stoned again. We had an argument. I kicked him out."
„That´s all ?"
Silver sat back and took a deep breath.
„He sat the kitchen on fire !"
Tool grimaced.
„Accidentally ?"
„On purpose!" Silver spat. „To ´prove a point` !"
„Oops", Tool commented, raising his eyebrows.
„Yeah, oops."
Silver shook her head, the rage inside her boiling up again.
„There comes Emanuel. We should get some answers now", Tool said, watching the doctor enter the waiting area.
When Silver was finally allowed to see Gunnar, she entered the room quietly. His eyes were closed, his breathing regular. She sent a short prayer up to heaven that he was still breathing at all.
She circled the bed. He opened his eyes the moment she covered his hand with hers.
Relief showed on his face when he recognized her.
„Hey", he said hoarsely.
„Hey", she answered quietly, sitting carefully down on the edge of the bed.
„Glad you came", he said.
„As if I wouldn´t have", she answered somewhat lamely.
The next day while she was visiting, he watched her folding his clothes.
She threw him only a short sideglance when she realized that he observed her. In dark jeans and a fitting shirt and sandals, the mass of black hair in a tight pony-tail and without any make-up, she looked almost ordinary. Only the flames tattoo around her wrist looked somewhat suspicous in this picture.
„Stop staring", she demanded lazily without even looking at him.
„You know, like this, you look almost...decent."
Now she turned her head and gave him a dark stare, the gray piercing eyes narrowed.
„Now you look like you´re going to slap me right in the face", he stated.
She considered his words for a moment, then tilted her head.
„I´ve a good mind to do that", she admitted with a shrug.
„You´re still that angry because of our little quarrel ?" he inquired carefully.
„No !" she answered. „I am that angry ´cause this is what happens every fuckin´ time! I kick your ass for something and the next second I look you´re up shit creek again! How very convenient!"
„I wouldn´t have shot myself just to lure you here, you know."
She shifted her weight and put one hand to her hip, his shirt still in the other hand.
„Gunnar, I believe as much that you´re the innocent victim here as people usually believe me the innocent girl!"
„And how boring would that be", he mused thoughtfully.
„You´re gonna tell me what happened ?" she asked, making another attempt to fold the shirt.
He frowned. She had never asked what had happened before, at least as long as she believed that it had happened on a job.
He watched her for a little while. He loved every inch of that woman. Things had never been all pink and cosy, rather bittersweet and fiery. In one way or another, they were like fire and water and both aware of it. Still, for him, it had always been perfect. Life was not all pink and cosy either, so he had never expected a woman or a relationship would be.
„I made a mistake", he finally said.
He could virtually watch her trying to decide if to rebuke him or to listen to him. After a moment, she sat down on the edge of the bed and signalled him silently that she would listen.
He had no idea how to explain to her what had happened at that abandoned warehouse.
„Funny", she said eventually when he didn´t go on. „That´s exactly what Barney said when he called me."
„Barney called you ?" he asked, surprised.
„Who else should have called me ?" she asked, slightly confused.
He shrugged, then grimaced. The movement had caused stinging pain despite the painkillers.
„I was wondering...", Silver said.
„´bout what ?" he inquired.
„About him leaving you behind all on your own."
She noticed the short twitch around his mouth. His expression darkened.
„As I said. I made a mistake. And he didn´t leave just like that."
He laid back and averted his gaze. Suddenly, he looked badly cut up.
She frowned.
„What kind of mistake does it take to make him leave you there ?"
She watched him briefly, then frowned again.
„What the hell did you do ?" she asked.
When Silver answered the door the next day, she faced Barney.
„Hey", he said.
„Hey", she answered, stepping aside and gesturing to him to get in.
„How´s he doing ?" Barney asked, unsure how to start this conversation.
Silver eyed him up openly. The bruises, the cuts, the traces the fatigue had left on his face.
„Regarding the wound, good."
Barney nodded, obviously relieved.
„Regarding the drugs wearing off - damn bad!"
Barney frowned.
Suddenly, Silver´s patience snapped.
„You shoot my man, leave me alone with an addicted maniac convinced that he´s dying and then you come here just like that, asking how he´s doing ?!" she exploded. „You really got some nerve!"
Barney had no idea what to answer her. Things felt still rather unreal to him.
She had been busy searching her purse for a cigarette and had finally found one.
„He really tried to kill you ?" she asked, a little calmer.
Barney nodded.
„And Yang."
„Good Lord", she said. „Let´s get outside, I need a cigarette now. And I need to hear your side of the story."
„We can´t work like that. It´s one thing with the drinking..."
„Sorry", she said. „I still can´t believe you shot him."
Barney silently watched her pacing up and down. Silver was the very opposite of Gunnar in many respects. Long dark hair framed the finely chiselled features. She was not small, but slender, still not without curves wherever needed at a woman, and he wondered if she weighed only half as much as his Swedish teammate. Without the nose and tongue piercings and the tattoo around her wrist, she would have looked quite innocent, the amazing tattoo along her spine hidden for now under her clothes and hair. But when she opened her mouth, the game was lost. Where Gunnar could be unnervingly tightlipped sometimes, she had the gift of the gab - and was most likely the one to call the shots in their relationship.
Right now, the piercing grey eyes demanded an answer of some kind.
„I had no choice", he answered gravely.
She waved a small hand.
„I heard you. Still workin´ on believin´ it."
She sighed.
„So he´s become a burden, huh ?" she asked then.
„Rather unpredictable lately."
Silver laughed, taking another pull on her cigarette, staring into nowhere.
„You don´t tell!"
Barney frowned.
„Look, this is as unpleasant for me as for you. I have to talk to him. And I thought it wise to talk to you first."
She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.
„What are you going to do ?" she asked.
Barney shrugged. He and the guys had talked about this. It had actually not even taken them very long to come to a decision. Crazy or not, he was one of them, and he was in trouble.
„If he stops using, he´s back."
„You would take him back after he tried to kill you and Yang ?"
„He´s out of his mind."
Silver chortled again.
„That´s not new."
Forcing her anger and worries back for a moment, she realized that Barney looked as miserable as she felt by now.
„I let him down. Whatever I can do to get him back on track - I´ll do! And I am sure, if there´y anything one of the others can do..."
„Jeez", Silver said with a hint of displeasure in her voice. „You guys usually try so hard to make everyone believe that you don´t care about each other."
„What about you ?" Barney asked.
Her facial expression changed.
„Same here", she said. „If he stops using, he´s back."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
„Damn, Barney, you know what´s it´s like with me and him! I mean, I wanted the whole damn package and I never regretted it! He went through a lot of shit with me some years ago as well and I don´t want to let him down. But the drug thing...it makes things just impossible. On the other hand, I don´t want to imagine what it will be like if he really tries to get clean. To be honest, I don´t know if I´ll be able to see that through. I don´t even have any idea where to start or what it takes and I am damn afraid!"
„Of him ?"
She shook her head, a weak smile on her face.
„No. You know that he would never raise a hand against me. But thinking about it, that probably doesn´t apply anymore - I mean, regarding him trying to kill you. But I rather fear of what it will take to get him...well, back on track, as you said. He´s not the guy to accept any kind of control!"
Silver stopped pacing and locked eyes with Barney.
„I was wondering why he was that devastated when I last met him two weeks ago. Now I know. Without the gang, he´s nothing", she stated.
Barney locked eyes with her.
„It´s the same without you", Barney muttered.
„They say they are going to let me out of here tomorrow."
They exchanged a short glance.
Then he reached out for her hand.
„You´re not wearing your ring."
Letting go of her hand, he brushed a strand of dark hair out of her face. It made a chain become visible around her neck. He put one fingertip under it to pull the rest of it out from under the shirt. To his surprise, the chain held two rings, one considerably bigger than the other.
„How did that go ?" he asked.
„You were obviously carrying yours around in the pocket of your jeans", she answered with a wry look. „I just found it a safer place the day they took you here."
„´s there any chance you´re going to take me home ?" he asked and let go of the chain just to follow it along with one fingertip on her skin.
She didn´t evade his touch, but shook her head. She loved him, still and badly, and back when things had started, he had been there for her, had backed her up stoically and unflappable. She wondered if she would ever be able to muster half his patience.
„No", she said.
He sat back, obviously surprised. Her suspicions had been right. He had been damn sure that she would agree. Right now, he looked devastated.
„Thought, maybe,..."
„If I take you home with me", she interrupted him. „Everything will be just like before. Knowing that I´ll welcome you back, no matter what you do or not, why should you even try to change something ?"
She could watch different emotions wash over his face, but he kept silent.
„Gunnar, I need you to take a decision."
„I can´t just decide this!" he argued hoarsely.
„I know. But I need you to decide if you´re going to try and get clean now or not. If you´ll try, I´ll be with you. I am not going to let you down. But I need you to decide for a way to go now. Tell me tomorrow. I´ll come and take you to your place."
„It´s not really the place for a prolongued stay", he muttered.
„We´ll find you something", she said emphatically.
She reached for the chain around her neck and opened it. She closed the clip again, then grabbed his hand and put the chain with the two rings into his palm.
„What you´re doing ?"
„It may help you think", she said.
Gunnar was not the man to show emotions openly, but she knew him good enough to know how that this was hard to swallow for him. Still, she didn´t see another way.
„I am not going to take you home just like this, just like the guys won´t welcome you back just like this."
„Some inches lower and I would have died."
She smiled.
„Don´t you see how damn lucky you are ?" she asked quietly. „Not many people get a second chance like that."
She squeezed his hand, then got up.
„Now use your damn genius brain to what it´s made for and think about it. See ya tomorrow."
She had almost reached the door when he spoke up.
„Wait."
She turned.
„What about a little encouragement ?" he asked.
Silver hesitated, then sighed and returned to him for a kiss. It turned out difficult for her even to end the kiss and she wondered if she would ever be able to really break up with him even if he´d fail to get away from the drugs.
„What if I try and fail?" he asked promptly in a hushed tone.
„All in good time, okay ? I got to go now."
He nodded.
She got up and headed for the door.
With the door closed behind her, she granted herself a moment to take a deep breath. She closed her eyes. It took all her self-control to suppress the rising tears.
„Just take the right decision", she mumbled to herself.