"Bolly!"

What the…

"Bols!"

No…

"Bols."

I sat up to take a closer look at the screen. I couldn't be here. Anywhere but here.

"Listen, I dunno if you can hear me, Bols. The nurses are gonna be back in a minute, I need you to wake up. If I gave you a slap, would that help?"

But I've just seen Molly…that's not possible! I reached out to touch the screen. It blacked out for a moment, but then, sure enough, Gene's face, staring at me. The unconscious me. The 1982 me.

"They think that I shot you. I mean I did shoot you, but they think that I shot you…They're after me Bollykecks. Look, I am on the ruddy lam 'ere."

Please no…

"I need you to wake up, come on. Snap out of that coma…Bolly…"

I'm in a coma in '82? No, no, no, no! I'm not.

"Bolly! Bolly! Bolly!!"

I ripped the drip out of my arm. I couldn't be here. I had to leave. I had to be with Molly.

"Bols! Bolly!"

Gene kept barking at me, in that low growl of his. But this wasn't possible. Please, it wasn't possible…

"BOLLY!"

"Help me!" I screamed, getting out of the bed and running. I didn't know where I was running but it had to be somewhere…somewhere away from '82. Maybe if I ran fast enough…I might just get home?

"Bolly! Bolly!"

I pushed my way through the double door, seeing two male nurses carrying machinery- but Gene's face was there too.

"Bols! Bolly! Bolly!"

***

I opened my eyes, cautiously. From the carpet-patterned curtains I could tell there was no hope. It was 1982. Maybe if I blinked hard enough, it wouldn't be? Blinking was no use; tears just seeped from my clamped shut eyelids.

"Ma'am?" A comforting, familiar voice came from my right. Shaz. Now I knew it was '82. There was no point in pretending any longer. The tears fell harder and I began to sob.

"Oh Ma'am. Are you in pain? Shall I call a doctor?" Shaz worriedly asked me. I couldn't respond, and soon enough, there were two doctors, poking and prodding me, taking blood and checking my heart rate.

When I finally managed to stop the tears, I took a proper look at Shaz. Her face was paler than normal; she looked tired, worried, and upset.

"Shaz…" I began. I wanted to know where Gene was. Had my coma vision been real?

"Shush, Ma'am…the doctors say you need to conserve your energy. It was quite a nasty wound."

"Shaz…"

"Ma'am-,"

"Shaz!" When Shaz was finally quiet, I asked her the questions spinning round in my head. I started with the easiest. "How long have I been…here?" I pointed at the bed, weakly. Shaz seemed to understand.

"About five days, Ma'am. The doctors said you were lucky to be alive, they weren't sure you'd wake up at all. The acting DCI gave me a few of days off to stay with you."

Only two words in her whole speech had registered with me.

"Acting DCI?" I asked, shocked to the core.

Shaz looked awkward.

"Shaz, whatever it is…where's Gene?"

"Ma'am…I don't know how much you remember…the Guv'…" She tailed off.

"Shaz- what happened?!" My voice rose, but I couldn't calm down. Why couldn't she give me a straight answer?

Shaz sighed. "'E shot you, Ma'am. Soon after he just ran. The police wanted to question 'im about it, what wiv 'im saying 'e would kill you if you got in the way an' all. Then when you turn up shot, and the Guv's holdin' the gun…he ran, Ma'am. So we've got us a new Guv'."

"But it wasn't his fault, Shaz!" I protested. Gene couldn't leave. My lifeline- he was my only chance of getting home. For some reason, he's important, the only constant- that's what Summers said wasn't it?

"Well, Ma'am, you'll 'ave to tell that to the DCI now, it's out of our 'ands. 'E did leave a note, though."

"A note, what note? To whom- can I see it?"

Shaz reached into her bag, and pulled out a slightly crumpled envelope.

"'E gave it to Ray, Ma'am, but I knew Ray would open it, so I took it. It's no one's business but yours and the Guv's. We've 'ad to hide it from the new DCI though- so you didn't get it from us, right?" Shaz smiled weakly. "I know he cares about you, Ma'am. I didn't think he'd do this on purpose. But it was just so…coincidental."

Shaz looked at me, my tired face, and my shaking hands.

"You need your rest, Ma'am. I'll be back to see you later. Ray and Chris want to come to, is that all right?"

I nodded, my hands trembling as I felt the seal on the envelope Shaz had just passed me.

"Bye, Ma'am." Shaz whispered as she walked out of the room. I'd have responded but I wanted to read Gene's note. I needed him here, and the note was the only bit of him I had.

"Alex,

Are you stupid?! I told you to keep away from Operation Rose! Chris even told me he warned you off! Now thanks to you everyone thinks I did it on purpose-,"

Charmer as always, I thought, rolling my eyes at how easily Gene could pass on the blame.

"- but I need you to know, I didn't do it on purpose. I could never do that to you, Bols. You need to wake up, and let me apologise. Oh, hang on, if you're reading this you have woken up…"

I snorted, and used a particular favourite of Ray's vocabulary- twonk.

"But Bolly, don't give up on me. I know I've gone, and when I get back things won't ever be the same, but don't forget me. The Gene Genie can solve any problem of his own, but not when it involves other people.

I'm at the one place they'd never think of looking for a guilty man – the victim's flat. See, I'm getting good at your psychiatry-,"

How many times, it's bloody psychology!

"…yes, Drake, I know it's psychology, I just thought you could use the smile. When you're awake, tell Shaz, Ray and Chris where I am. If you want to see me that is.

I'll be back.

Gene."

Holding his letter to my chest, I cried. Although I hated him for the bullet that had taunted me and brought me so close to my little girl- I needed him here. The person I felt safe with. But I'd have to wait for hours until the others got here. But I could wait hours. I'd learnt to deal with waiting. But all I could do now was hope Gene would keep his word.

A/N Thanks for reading please subscribe and review! I really hope I'm managing to keep characters in character, but please let me know if you think I'm not!