Author's notes: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed my first chapter, and for all the follows and favs. It always nerve wracking to start a new story, and to have it welcomed as been lovely encouragement. I hope you enjoy this second chapter. The updates will be further apart than normal as I write this story during my lunch breaks and the chapters are longer than my usual. Feel free to let me know what you think, your opinions are always welcome.
Lisbon's eyes pop open, then she quickly squeezes them shut against the blinding light. For a moment she's disorientated and then realisation comes that she'd fallen asleep, she's feels hot and sweaty. Opening her eyes with caution this time, she discovers that the shade has gone, the tree is now basking in direct sunlight. She looks at her watch, wondering exactly how long she's been asleep. It's been an hour. Jane should be back, and she scrunches her forehead, wondering what could have delayed him. She knows that, despite, his cheeriness when he left, it was the last thing he wanted to do. She reaches into her pocket for her phone to call him, but it's empty. She remembers she put it on the kitchen counter earlier, it must still be there. She pulls herself out of the chair, with still over two months to go, she's convinced a crane will have a hard time shifting her before the baby's born. She makes her way back into the cabin, sweat trickling down her face and her back by the time she opens the door. She stops a moment and luxuriates in the coolness of the shaded house. She makes her way to the kitchen and the phone is laying just where she remembers putting it down. When she picks it up there are two missed calls, one from Cho and then from Wiley. She thinks to herself that there must be something going on at work, she chides herself for leaving it there. Then she feels it's vibration in her hand and Wiley's name pops up once more. She slides her finger across the screen to answer.
"Hi Wiley, what's up?"
"The crashers have been at it again."
"Where was it this time?"
"Union bank. Downtown."
Lisbon feels a shudder of dread run through her, she remembers her husband's errands that morning, and, one of them was at that same bank.
"Jane was going to that bank this morning."
"Cho's wants you to call him, he's on the scene."
Teresa working herself up to a panic. Jane was at the bank and he's late home, and he hasn't called, there must be something wrong
"Is Jane all right Wiley?"
"Yes, there was a fatality but it wasn't Jane. Call Cho he can tell you more."
"Okay thanks."
Teresa hangs up on Wiley and grabs her keys and leather Jacket, it doesn't come close to fitting across her bump, but old habits die hard. She finds Cho's number as she half walks and half runs to her car. He picks up on the third ring. She can hear her husband's voice in the background, although she can't tell what he's saying. She doesn't wait for Cho to say hello'
"Cho what's going on, is Jane okay?"
"There's been another crasher."
"Yes, yes, Wiley said, at the Union Bank downtown."
Teresa starts the engine, Cho hears it down the phone.
"Good, you're on your way. Jane was near the door and glass rained down on him, he's cut up a bit, nothing life threatening, but he needs to go to the hospital, which, of course, he's refusing to do."
"Wiley said there was a fatality?"
"Yes, a woman. That's the problem Lisbon, she had kids."
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
She hangs up the phone and throws it down on the seat next to her, and hits the gas hard.
When Cho arrived at the scene, Jane was still sat on the floor by the dead woman, keeping her son company, who was clinging to his Mother's hand. The responding officers had tried to get them both to move, but left them alone when Jane explained he was a federal officer and showed them his ID card, he just knew it would come in handy one day. When Jane saw Cho he turned to the boy.
"It's time to leave now, David, people need to look after your mom. She can't lay here all day. They have to take her away."
The young man wiped tears away from his eyes and shook his head and held his Mother's hand tighter. Jane directed David's attention to Cho, who's now standing by the body.
"This is Agent Cho, he's a friend of mine, He will take good care of her. I promise. I know it's hard, I know you want to stay, but you can't."
Cho crouched down so he's level with the boy.
"What's your Mother's name?"
The boy looked at him, slightly confused.
"Mom."
Jane admired Cho's ability to keep a straight face.
"What does your Daddy call her?"
"Lucy."
Cho turned slightly and pointed to some paramedics that were hovering behind him.
"I would like you to go with these to ladies so they can check you're all right. Will you do that for me?"
The boy turned to Jane and Cho adds:
"Mr. Jane will go with you, they need to look at him too."
The boy nodded.
"Something's happened to his face."
Cho nodded in agreement.
"Yes it has. Will you go with him?"
Cho looked towards Jane, who getting the message, stood on his feet, David, after a moment's hesitation, let go of his Mother's hand and Jane gently led him away. They walked with the paramedics to the waiting ambulance. He lifted David up and sat him at the back of the ambulance, his legs dangling over the edge. One of the paramedics places a blanket around him. The paramedic, who's looking after Jane, instructs him to get inside and lay on a gurney. Jane just lifts his body and sits next to David, a blanket is placed on his shoulders also.
"I promised I would stay with him, until his Dad arrives."
The paramedic looked at the boy, his eyes were staring into space, Jane wondered what he was seeing, She nodded at Jane.
"Where do you hurt?"
"My hands and my face mainly."
Hurt was putting it mildly. He face felt like it was on fire and every time he spoke, or moved a muscle, fresh pain assaulted him.
The paramedic took Jane's hands in her own, there were little scratches everywhere, with drops of blood escaping. She then moved to Jane's face, and stared at his left cheek
"Mmm I see bits of glass embedded in your skin, in your hands and your face, we need to take you to the hospital, I can't take it out here."
Jane shook his head carefully
"Not yet, not until his Father has arrived. I promised I would stay with him."
Cho arrived just as he's protesting.
"Get yourself to the hospital Jane."
Jane looked at him determinedly, Cho shook his head and turned away. As he did so his phone rang and he answered it as Jane calls out after him.
"I'll be fine Cho."
The paramedic looked to her colleague, who declared her verdict on the boy.
"Physically he seems fine, but he's in shock. It's probably best he stays with him until his father arrives. We don't want him anymore upset"
The paramedic looked back at Jane sternly.
"As soon as the father is here, we leave for the hospital."
Jane tipped a make-believe hat and forced a smile.
"As soon as."
When the paramedic finished putting large dressings on Jane's hands to protect them until they're at the hospital, David tentatively reaches over to the hand nearest him and wraps his own around Jane's little finger and his ring finger. Jane looked over to him and recognised that the boy's finding it difficult to hold himself together. He moved himself closer to him and wrapped his arm around David's shoulders. David leant in to him and Jane felt a shudder run through his young body. He pulled him in tighter and the boy buried his head in his chest. Jane could tell from the continuing shudders that he's crying and ran his hand up and down his back, trying to offer some comfort, where, he knew, there's none that can be given. His Mother's gone and nothing's going to bring her back. He looked up and then down at David, making sure he's still has his face buried, they're bringing his Mother out. Jane watched, with a mixture of sadness and anger as they put the body bag in to the corona's vehicle. He couldn't help picturing the young woman, her blonde hair cut into a simple bob, her ready smile, despite the stress she was under, her soft kind voice, the way she looked at her children. Her daughter won't ever remember her, David's could dwindle in time. He glanced down at him, maybe there's something he can do about that.
The doors slammed shut and the corona and his assistant climbed in to the front and they carried her away. Jane made a silent pledge to the young mother and her children that he will find who did this. They're not getting away with it.
The boy's cries turned to intermittent sobbing and eventually he pulled away from Jane and wiped at his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. Jane reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and handed it to the boy.
"This works better."
David looked between the handkerchief and Jane, Jane gave an encouraging nod and the boy took it from his hand, wiped it across his face and blows his nose. When he holds it out for Jane to take back, Jane shakes his head.
"You keep it, I have lots, and it may come in useful."
David nodded his thanks and shoved it into his pants pocket. He searched the scene, it's a confusion of crime tape, distressed witnesses, crowds and lots of police officers, and then turned back to Jane. His face filled of disappointment and tears still close to the surface.
"Where's my dad?"
"I'm sure he'll be here very soon."
"Where's Madison?"
It takes a moment for Jane to realise who David is talking about.
"Oh, your sister?"
David nodded. It's Jane's turn to look around. He's certain he saw her being carried off towards some cars down the street on the left, by a police officer. He caught a glimpse of her head in a car three cars away from them. Jane pointed her out to him and he relaxed, just a little.
The boy sunk in to silence, watching his legs as he swung them back and forth. Jane noticed him sneak looks towards his sister. A car screeched to a stop and the boys head whipped up and looked towards it. It's only Jane's quick reactions that stopped the boy from hurtling himself off the edge of the ambulance. A paramedic near at hand, helped Jane keep a hold of him. Jane surmised the arriving vehicle was his Dad.
Lisbon's trying to talk herself down from the verge of panic. She recalls her phone call with Cho, reciting his words.
"Jane's cut up a bit, but nothing life threatening.'
Cho wouldn't lie to her, if it was serious he would tell her, but she is six months pregnant. He may have been softening the blow, afraid she'd go into labour, or to stop her driving like a mad man to the scene.
The second reason hasn't come to fruition as she leans hard on the horn as a car is slow getting out of her way. She swerves around it as soon as there's space. The speedometer is up to eighty. She tries again.
"He's alright, Cho sounded fine, well, a little worried, but that was because of the kids, not because of Jane, everyone hates kids involved and Cho's just the same. And besides, Jane couldn't refuse to go to the hospital if he was badly injured."
Finally she's found something to hold on to. Why hadn't that occurred to her before? He must be fine, he must. He has to be. She pulls off the highway, taking the city centre exit. She takes deep breaths, finding it hard now to push down her anxiety. Finally she's there. A car is just pulling out and she grabs its vacated spot. She spies the ambulance immediately and sees Jane ducking inside. Relief rushes through her, almost parallelising her,to see him on two feet, but as the doors to the ambulance shut with a thud, she comes to her senses and climbs out the car and makes her way as quickly as possible towards the ambulance, shouting at it to wait.
