Beth could feel the tears welling as she made her way up to the flat in pitch darkness. She didn't know if the sting in her eyes came from sadness or from her own exhaustion, and she didn't care. She unlocked the door with one shaky hand and pushed it open as quietly as possible so as not to wake Cosima. The house was dark but for the hall lamp, which cast a dim orange glow across the foyer. Beth shut the door behind her and kicked off her muddy police boots, nudged them towards the pile of shoes which occupied one corner. She dropped her bag onto the floor.
She wiped silent tears from under each eye and took an unsteady breath before entering the bedroom. Cosima lay, curled across the bed, forehead resting on a book with her reading light still on. The miniature light illuminated her face, so Beth could see her crooked glasses and barely parted lips.
Beth sucked in another breath and reached for the book. She hoped she wouldn't wake Cosima, but as she maneuvered the book this way and that, Cosima's eyes fluttered open. Beth took a step back and turned away, praying that Cosima wouldn't be able to read her face in the shadows.
"Beth?" Cosima said groggily. She shifted and reached to straighten her glasses, but instead hit herself in the nose. "Hey, what time is it?"
"Uh," Beth cleared her throat, "like, 2:30, I think."
Cosima flipped the light switch next to the bed and Beth quickly turned her back, suddenly much more exposed as the overhead light came on. Cosima blinked and rubbed her eyes.
"Beth, you're covered in blood!"
"Oh-" Beth said, busying herself at the dresser, "Yeah. Car chase."
"Babe, what the hell happened?" Cosima demanded, sitting up.
"Nothing happened. It's fine. I'm going to shower."
Cosima stood, legs wobbly with sleep, and approached Beth cautiously.
"Beth, please..."
Beth could feel Cosima behind her. She held her breath, determined to keep it together. But at the weight of Cosima's hand on her shoulder, she couldn't hold in the sob any longer. It came out loud and choked and brutal; she turned to fall against Cosima.
"Whoa-" Cosima stumbled under the weight, "Hun- yeah, okay. I got you."she wrapped her arms around Beth's waist and held her tightly, kissed her neck and cheek and felt Beth's tears wet against her shoulder.
"I've got you," she hummed again, swaying them back and forth and rubbing Beth's back with one hand.
Beth made a small, deep sound into Cosima's skin, and Cosima held her even closer.
"Car chase," Beth finally murmured, through her tears, "Art and I didn't get 'im. Crashed. Wasn't bad. Glass everywhere, though."
Cosima pulled back and Beth slumped against the dresser.
"Your face," said Cosima, "You're all cut up. Oh, Beth." She felt tears threatening in her own eyes as she looked at the jagged scratch on Beth's face, her ripped shirt, the dried blood splattering her uniform. "Is that all your blood?"
"No. I don't know. There was shooting." Cosima gasped and reached frantically for Beth again. "No, not me. I didn't get shot." Beth pushed away her worried advances. "I swear, okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, okay," Cosima said. She squeezed Beth's hand and led her over to sit on the bed. "How did you get home?"
"Walked. Made sure Art was okay and then just... took off." She twisted her hands in her lap. "Another car caught the guy." She scratched roughly at the back of her hand.
Cosima placed get own hand over Beth's, gently stilling them. "I'm glad you're okay," she said, and kissed Beth's bruised cheek softly. "Will you let me help you get cleaned up?"
Beth turned away, but after a moment, she nodded.
"Mkay," Cosima said, "You're gonna be just fine, alright?"
Beth nodded again and they made their way to the bathroom. Cosima dabbed at the scratch on her cheek, thanked the heavens it wasn't deep. She pulled several tiny pieces of glass out of Beth's hands with a pair of tweezers, humming soothingly all the while and apologizing every time Beth winced or cried out. She helped Beth undress and then followed suit. In the shower, she meticulously scrubbed dried blood from Beth's hands, shampooed the sweat out of her hair. She kissed away the trails left by Beth's tears, and then gently wiped the dirt from her face.
The warm water beat against Beth's skin, rinsing off the sticky fear and adrenaline. The steam pressed her eyes shut, and she let Cosima wash away the sirens and flashing lights, the gunshots and pained cries, the jerk off the car as it crashed, and the shattering glass. When she was finished, she switched off the water and dried them both with a towel, but at this point, Beth was so far lost in near-unconsciousness that she didn't really notice.
Finally, both dressed in old t-shirts and sweatpants, Cosima lowered Beth onto the bed and climbed in beside her. She draped an arm across Beth's waist and kissed her sleepily on the shoulder.
"Beth," she whispered, "You're the bravest person I know."
Beth, already dreaming, did not respond. But Cosima spoke one more time.
"I love you."