Chapter 2: Looking for Support
"I'm more than a bird
I'm more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be me"
"You don't have to tell them not if you're not ready to," Mac places a hand on hers.
"No, I need to. They have to suspect something is wrong; I know I've changed over the past three weeks. It'll be easier on me if they know," Stella takes a deep breath. "I can't keep hiding it."
"I'll go round them up," he offers, giving her time to prepare.
Ten minutes later, the six of them are crowded into Mac's office, all with cups of coffee to wake themselves up at the early hour. Danny, Lindsay, and Don sit on the couch, Sheldon leans against the wall by the door, and Mac stands beside Stella, who is shivering nervously about her coworkers' reactions in his chair.
"Is Stella the boss now?" Danny tries to lighten the mood in the room.
"Well, with Mac no longer in charge, at least we'll get to have a life," Flack replies, smirking.
Mac looks disapprovingly at them before turning his attention back to her. He leans down to her level. "They'll understand, Stella. Just tell them what you told me. Or I can tell them if you can't but still want them to know."
"What'd you do this time, Stella? He didn't fire you, did he?" Danny jokes.
"Cut it out, you two. This is serious," Lindsay hits the two guys beside her.
Stella looks around the room, observing all of their faces. "I… I have HIV. Possibly."
"What… How'd you… Who…?" Lindsay's mouth hangs open.
"And you told us not to be rude," Flack chuckles.
"Have you gone to get tested yet? I can give you names of good doctors," Sheldon offers.
"I went three weeks ago, right after I found out the vic was HIV positive. The first test was negative but I still have eight weeks before I know for sure."
"How… Stella, explain, please," Lindsay requests, still in shock.
"I was processing the Emery Gable crime scene a few weeks ago. When I picked up one of the pieces of bloodstained glass, it broke and cut my wrist. I took care of the wound, not knowing he had HIV until Sid told me after the autopsy. I checked with Adam to make sure no one else's blood was on the glass, and he confirmed my fear. I… I knew I needed to be tested so I went to a clinic. The nurse gave me medicines to… I don't know what since there isn't a cure yet."
"They keep you from getting worse," Hawkes inputs. "I'm not exactly sure whether they work or not since I was a surgeon and didn't deal with that much."
"Like I said, the first test was negative, but it doesn't mean much."
"Whatever the outcome, Stel, we'll be here for you," Don promises.
"Thank you all for you support," Stella tries to smile.
"Now that that's over with, we have work. Danny and Hawkes, you're with me. Lindsay and Flack, you're with Stella," Mac hands her the folder.
Everyone stands, still tired, to get ready to work. Lindsay comes over to her and whispers, "You've got some talking to do on the way there."
Mac and Stella are left alone while the others gather the equipment. "I thought that would've been harder for you. You did well."
"I just don't want them to pity me because I might have this disease that could kill me."
"You're not going to die, Stel. Well, eventually you are, but not because of this."
"What a way to cheer someone up."
"You know me; I'm a man of science, not social skills."
"All the more reason to let me do the talking."
Mac opens his arms to her for a hug. She accepts and without a second thought, kisses his cheek as a thanks. He immediately reddens.
Through the glass walls, Lindsay watches the couple in the office while waiting for Stella. That explains a lot.
A/N: What is Lindsay talking about? Guess you'll have to wait for next chapter. I just watched Providence. Syd dreamed about the "Newlywed Game", however it's spelled, and her hair was straight. I didn't like it because I'm so used to Melina's curls I guess. How in the world did they get her hair so straight anyway? My dog stepped on my toe and now it hurts again. I can't complain to my dance teacher tomorrow though because she won't be there; lucky her: she's in Disney. When we went to Orlando a couple years ago, I'll I remember is hating the heat. I would never in a million years live there. I hate the summer heat in Ohio. How can Horatio wear suits in that heat? Maybe I will have my parents leave me in Alaska this summer. No heat, no worms, no annoying brothers... what would be wrong with that? My dad teases me when I say I'm going to live in Alaska, and my mom says I probably won't find forensic work there where snow always covers the ground. Because, as I learned in Western Civ, people commit murders in the summer moreso than the winter. CSI should be reruns in the winter. The stupid document thing won't let me download/upload, I don't know the correct term, the last two chapters of the story on here so I can get them off the computer. I'm really not looking forward to school again. I need to go look in my planner and see how many days we have left. I think it's in the thirties. I'll update tomorrow. Please review.