Blackout
by: raileht
Summary: It was over. The fight in her was almost completely out and she was nearing total exhaustion. She was about to die.
Disclaimer: The ones you don't know are mine, the ones you do aren't.
Rating: T, to be safe
Spoilers/Timeline: post-finale but I've omitted some facts and scenes to better fit the story and you'll figure out which ones I hadn't included along the way. But if you have questions, just ask.
I've decided that Peter Florrick should still be in jail and dear Mr. Eli Gold—I love Alan Cumming—is still working his butt off trying to get him out. Safe to say, Alicia's time will be a little split just like in the early episodes. But she's already kicked Cary's butt in exchange for helping Peter through the Eli deal…get it? I just moved things around.
Warning: Bad words and a lot of violence right from the start. Will be a somewhat dark story so people will be in pain—physical and emotional. Maybe not for the faint hearted.
Warning#2: I've moved for the pacing to be faster here so you might notice scenes jumping. If I give you guys a play by play, we're going to take a while to finish AND that would leave me with a LOT more ways to screw up. Medicine is so not my field, sorry to say, but I will try to make it as accurate and believable as possible.
Chapter Title taken from:
The Beatles, Some Other Guy
-o0oo0oo0o-
Chapter Two: Some Other Guy
"Who the hell are you?
Will whirled around, ready to fight when he saw a man dressed in a blue jumpsuit, a badge with the logo of Barrington Lake on his chest and a name on top that said, 'Mario.' He held the phone close to his ear as he stared at the man and heard the operator ask if anything was wrong or if he was in danger. When he wasn't able to answer, she instructed that he stay on the line so she could trace the call.
"I'm not asking again, who the hell are you?"
Will's first thought was that this might be the attacker and readied himself for a possible fight, but he saw no sign of injury or blood on the man and decided he hadn't been the one to meet the knife on the floor. And though he loathed doing so, Will turned away from Diane, standing up slowly with his hands as well as his phone raised in front of him in a non-threatening, non-defensive position.
"My name is Will Gardner, this woman," Will said, motioning behind him. "Is my colleague, Diane Lockhart. …something's happened…she's been hurt and I need to wait for the ambulance, they're on their way—"
"What did you do?" Mario accused suddenly, eyes wide as he took in the crumpled body of the woman behind the counter. The horror was clear in his eyes and Will could figure out exactly what the man was beginning to think.
"No! It's not what you think—"
"I'm calling the cops!"
"Yes, go ahead, please!" Will said, ignoring the man as he took out his radio. He turned to focus his attention on Diane, but the loud voice behind him made him stop.
"Stay away from her!" the man in a jumpsuit yelled. "I don't know what happened, buddy, but you're in trouble. Miss Lockhart called and…just stay away from her. Don't make a move."
"You don't understand," Will said, exasperated now. "I work with her, I'm her colleague. I just came here to talk to her and found her like this!"
"How can I be sure?" Mario asked, obviously torn between letting Will tend to Diane and making him stand stationary in his place. "You-you didn't do this?"
"Same way I know you didn't," Will replied. "You have no blood on you and the same goes with me, but that knife there—" he pointed with one hand while the other stayed in position. "Tells me someone got cut pretty deep and I've checked her, she wasn't stabbed."
"O-okay," the man said, sounding almost convinced now. "I-I didn't see anyone. She called but didn't finish and then there was a noise and the line just got cut…"
"It doesn't matter right now," Will cut in. "I just…I need to make sure she's okay until the ambulance gets here. Please."
"Okay. Okay."
Will nodded then turned back to Diane, kneeling down gingerly to place his hand on her cheek again as he took in how she was curled on her side, the blood trickling from the wound near her temple, the bruises that were slowly revealing themselves and the other signs of possible injury.
He had seen his fair share of crime scene photos, of assaults, of bodies and all sorts of gory realities, but he'd never encountered something so personal. He knew the victim, spoke to her less than an hour before, talked to her and even argued with her. It made his stomach turn and made bile rise to his throat.
"Diane," he said gently, as to not jostle her awake though he was pretty sure it was impossible. "It's Will…wake up, come on."
Remembering the knife once again, he hesitantly began to assess her body to make sure the knife really had not been used on her. Gentle hands traveled over her body slowly to see if there were any source of blood that was hiding but Will was relieved to find nothing. This left him free to worry more about the large wound on her head. Blood had begun to drip onto the floors in a dark red puddle, soaking the locks of hair that lay limply hanging in moist clumps.
"I need some towels!" he ordered to the blubbering man by the entrance of the kitchen. "But watch out for the knife. It's evidence!"
Mario looked around and found one near the refrigerator and grabbed it. He hurried to Will's side, maintaining his distance and gave him the towel, "She called…a few minutes ago, but didn't say what she needed…we thought it was a false alarm but decided to check anyway."
"Yeah," Will grunted as he folded the towel and placed it onto the head wound. "Did anything sound weird? Like, someone else making sounds…?"
"No, one minute she was telling us who she was then she said something like…" Mario paused, "I think Justice and I'm new so I didn't get it at first then Manny said she had a dog named Justice…weird name for a dog."
Will nodded as he pulled the towel away, cursing as he saw the wound that the blood had been covering, "Damn…"
"That's…deep," Mario said quietly as he hovered nearby.
"Tell me you aren't going to faint at the sight of blood," he honestly wouldn't react if the man passed out when he needed to focus on Diane.
"No," the man replied. "I just…she's a nice lady. I met her once."
Will nodded, replacing the towel onto the wound again, dabbing away at the blood slowly, "Yeah, she is…" he held the towel to the wound, trying hard to remember the basic CPR lessons Diane had insisted the entire firm take at least once. "I need to roll her."
"What?"
"I need her on her back so her airway won't be blocked," Will explained, "Help me."
Gently, both of them rolled Diane onto her back with Will supporting her head firmly and Mario stepped back, watching on as Will leaned down, placing his cheek next to her nose and mouth. He felt her warm breath reach his cheek, "She's breathing. Good."
"What now?"
"I need you to wait for the ambulance," Will replied. "Where's your friend Manny?"
"At the main office, near the entrance," Mario replied.
"Tell him to wait for the ambulance at the entrance and help them on the way in," Will instructed. "I don't want them wasting time trying to find us."
"Okay," Mario nodded then left, his radio already in hand.
Will turned to Diane, his hand once more pressing the towel to her wound as he tried to gently rouse her again, shaking her slightly. "Diane. Wake up, it's Will…come on…wake up."
He shook her again, only to get the same result. His frustration tempted him to just grab her and shake her until she woke, but he knew that would be wrong on so many different and harmful levels. He sighed and said her name once more, telling her again to wake up.
She never did.
-o0o-
The loud ringing of her cell phone was enough to pull Kalinda Sharma from her deep sleep and almost automatically as if she'd been waiting by the phone, her hand shot out to her bedside table, grabbing the noisy thing quickly and pressed it to her ear, "Yeah?"
"It's Will. I need you at Diane's," was the less than polite answer. The frantic undertone to her boss's voice was enough to fully rouse the Indian woman. Calls like this were common, but it was never to go to her other boss's house, especially not the one at the lake.
"What's going on?" she asked, wondering what the two partners of the firm could be doing at one o'clock in the morning.
"Someone attacked Diane," Will responded. "We're waiting for the ambulance and its bad, Kalinda. I need you here right now. I don't know, find out what you can…do what you can. I need to go with-with the ambulance."
Kalinda was already slipping into a pair of jeans and her coat, boots waiting by the door. Diane Lockhart had been attacked. Immediately, Kalinda already had a suspect in mind, "How is she?"
"Unconscious and she hasn't been awake since I found her," Will explained, the frazzled tone to his normally controlled voice was clear. "I don't know. I just need you here right now."
"I'm on my way," Kalinda said just as she slipped out of the door, bag and keys in hand, her long coat trailing in her wake.
She slipped her phone into her pocket and was in her car in less than a minute, starting the engine and immediately turning on her police scanner. In less than ten seconds, she was tearing down the deserted roads, headed to Barrington Lake.
Kalinda kept her ears out on the scanner, despite the thoughts running through her mind already, her mental checklist filling itself once again, starting from inquiries to who to talk to and who might be on the scene. Sure enough, reports were already being sent to units closest to the lake about a disturbance and a possible break in, which only compelled her to press on to the gas pedal.
It was impossible but she would try to beat the police to the scene. She was still forming the plan in her head, knowing the conflict this case would bring out which would only make the police even more reluctant to share anything. The victim was one of their own, someone Kalinda had ties with, whether personal or professional, it didn't matter, but she didn't care. She was doing her job and that was it.
Diane Lockhart was her boss, but Kalinda wasn't going to take this case to heart. She was a professional and objectivity was not a problem. She could take her emotions out easy, that is if she had any. The woman was pleasant, a good boss and made an excellent role model, but apart from a few personal things and small chats, Kalinda knew little of the woman. They could be friends, but they were more acquaintances in reality.
In her mind, Kalinda was willing to believe that she would not be affected enough to lose focus on the case over 'emotional ties' because, from what she could imagine, she didn't have much. Of course, she felt bad that something had happened to Diane, but she wasn't really going lose her mind over it. She could still work through the case without her judgment being clouded.
She thought back on that day when she had convinced the legacy-ridden woman. Diane had looked torn between taking the right to defend herself and sticking to what she'd been taught to believe and accept growing up. Kalinda thought it foolish, sacrificing one's safety for beliefs, but she later wondered how difficult it must have been to have lived such a structured life.
In the thick of things, was Diane ever really given the choice to be what she wanted or had her life already been mapped out before she could even decide for herself?
The woman was weighed heavily down by her family's legacy and Kalinda wondered had she not been born from one of the oldest Democratic families in Chicago, would she still have the same beliefs? Would she be so against guns? She'd never know and she wasn't one to dwell, but still, Kalinda wondered how different things could have been if Diane had been given the chance to be whatever she chose to be without her family's past hanging over her.
Who knows?
Shaking her head, Kalinda chastised herself for veering off track while making her check list. She pressed her sleek black leather boot on the gas once more and Kalinda found herself shaking her head and muttering, "Should've kept the gun."
Maybe things would have turned out differently tonight.
-o0o-
The ride to the hospital had been a blur for Will though, being a lawyer, he paid rapt attention to what the paramedics were doing while he held on to Diane's hand. Her fingers had been cold, but Will wasn't sure if they really were or his hands were just warmer than hers. At that moment, he wasn't sure of anything.
"Pulse is eighty-nine, BP one-hundred and thirty-four over eighty…possible head trauma," he heard someone declare as they began pushing the gurney through the Emergency Room, running close behind them. It was fairly late, and though it was Chicago, there were only a few people in that night. "Pulse ox…"
Will followed as far as he could until a nurse managed to block his path, telling him that he wasn't allowed inside. She mentioned some forms and when she asked Will if he was family, he merely nodded, knowing that if he confessed he wasn't, there was no way he was ever going to know about Diane's condition.
God only knew where Diane's family was at the moment, Will honestly couldn't remember since he only ever remembered seeing a few of them for the holidays. The last thing Will could remember hearing about her brother was that he was somewhere in Greece. He would have to contact someone, most likely Diane's assistant Annie, about reaching him.
Pulling out his phone, Will began to dial for Annie, when his phone began to ring, "Anything?"
"I got here after the police, but I managed to find out a few things, " Kalinda replied. "There were no signs of forced entry, but the alarm system was jammed and they found a bloody knife, some blood on the stairs, the kitchen and in on the back door of the house, some overturned furniture. Nothing much, but the forensics team already started on the house."
"We left Justice—"
"Animal control has him, but if they can patch him up, he can come home, but…"
"I know," Will nodded. "We'll do something about that later, but any possible suspects?"
"None yet, but…"
"What?"
"Has Diane told you anything in the last few weeks?"
"Like what?"
"Anything," Kalinda replied. "Suspects getting out? Former convicts?"
"What? No," Will said with a frown, "Why? Did she mention anything to you?"
"Hold on, I have to talk to Tobin," Kalinda said instead of answering. "I'll keep you posted."
The investigator hung up, leaving Will staring at his phone with a frown. Diane had not mentioned anything to him, but Will wondered if it was possible if she might have said anything to Kalinda. He'd have to find out, but at the moment, a call to Annie was still in order.
"Annie? It's Will, I know it's late," he said into the phone as a woman's sleepy voice answered. "But I need you to get Diane's spare bag of clothes at the office. I know she keeps a bag there for emergencies, we need it and if you have on file her medical history, we need those too. We're at Mercy Grace right now…yes, something happened, I just…Annie…Annie…An—Calm down. We need those now, please…thank you…okay. Of course…let me know if you're here. I'm in the waiting room of the ER. Thank you."
Realizing he was standing in the middle of practically empty ER, Will grabbed the clipboard the nurse had left for him on the counter and headed towards the set of plastic seats in the waiting area. Sighing deeply, Will sat down, leaning his head back against the wall as he closed his eyes. With the adrenaline rush he'd been riding on through the whole ordeal beginning to wane, he was suddenly feeling quite drained.
He balanced the clipboard on his lap, while he ran his hands through his hair, blinking repeatedly to keep his eyes focused. It was only then where he noticed he was still wearing today's suit that consisted of his usual white button down, a dark blue tie and a sport jacket. Feeling constricted, Will loosened his tie clumsily, pulling it from his neck then popping the top button of his shirt before grabbing the clipboard again.
Will began rubbing his temple as he made sure to answer only the ones he truly knew. There would be no room for guesswork in medical records, especially since it wasn't his. He would have to consult and maybe leave the rest with Annie. She'd been with Diane long enough, it would only make sense she'd know more about her boss's medical history.
Glancing at the clock on the wall on the wall above the nurse's station, Will breathed in deeply as his body deflated once again. Only a few hours more until sunrise, but he knew it didn't matter. It was always in moments like this when time stopped mattering because the seconds would feel like minutes, the minutes like hours and the hours like endless days. It was inescapable and tedious and Will wanted nothing more than to bend time forward. The impossible, it seems, was what people always wanted and Will Gardner was no different.
He tugged on his tie impatiently again.
It was going to be a long night.
-o0o-
Annie Clawson hurried through the doors of the Mercy Grace Hospital, her boss' Louis Vuitton bag hanging on one shoulder that contained a set of clothes and a folder with her medical history. After receiving the call from Will Gardner, she had stumbled right out of bed, pulled a sweater and jeans on, her coat and rushed on to the firm. She didn't have all the facts yet, but she was sure it had to be serious. Her boss tended to avoid hospitals unless she absolutely had to go. This was, after all, the same woman who came into work with a fever of one hundred and two.
She'd been with the firm for last two years and though at the beginning Annie had had her reservations, she had learned to truly appreciate working for Diane Lockhart. The woman was focused, driven and made a habit of pushing for excellent results. And in the last two years, Annie had learned more than she had ever hoped to working as an assistant. Diane was a great boss who treated her underlings with discipline, fairness and, most importantly, respect. Most, if not all, of the time she made Annie want to be like her.
The first time she had come through the doors of Stern, Lockhart and Gardner, Annie had already heard the whispers about the sole female partner of the firm. Diane Lockhart was known for her unmatched talents in the courtroom, but among the assistants, she was also known for having high standards and for being a perfectionist.
Two years back, the then-post grad and completely nerve-wrecked Annie had stepped into the elevator leading up to the Executive floor of the building where the top floors housed the offices of the partners, the movers and shakers, and the hard-hitters of the firm. The elevator was already occupied then by a woman wearing a red dress and a pair of designer shades, fingers tapping her at cell phone and an expensive handbag hanging on one arm.
"I'm here already, Jen," Annie was saying into her phone. Jenny had been the one to suggest she try the job at the firm. "I know. I know. I gotta go. I'll lose you in the elevator. I'll tell you how it goes…and no, it probably won't be a nightmare…just nightmarish." She hung up, sighing and pressing the button for the top floor, failing to notice it was already on.
"Heading to the firm upstairs?" a woman had asked casually as she stood from behind Annie.
"Mhm," Annie said, flashing the woman an uneasy smile. "I have an interview."
"You're a lawyer?"
"No," Annie replied. "One of the partners lost an assistant and my friend recommended me."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I was just talking to her on the phone," Annie nodded. "I just got out of college and realized I don't know what to do with my degree…sorry, that's too much information. I think I'm just kind of nervous."
"How come?" the woman didn't seem bothered to be chatting with a stranger which made sense because she had been the one to initiate it.
"Well…" Annie sighed. "The partner that needs the new assistant…well, some friends told me about her. She's quite intimidating…" she glanced at the woman behind her.
"She?" the woman had asked, a perfectly shaped eyebrow rising up.
"Lockhart," Annie supplied, "Diane Lockhart. She's one of the partners."
"And she needs a new assistant why?"
"I'm not sure," Annie shrugged. "There were rumors she just up and quit…I heard Miss Lockhart could be…demanding."
"Really?" the woman smiled a little. "Regular boss bitch?"
"I honestly don't know," Annie sighed. "I've never met her and my friend says it's not all true, but I'm nervous anyway. Maybe she's just a tough boss."
"I'm sure you'll do fine."
"Here's hoping," Annie said then. "Someone even said her standards could be nightmarish so I'm not holding my hopes up."
"Mhm…She's the only female partner?"
"Yes," Annie nodded. "I think it's pretty cool."
"Yes…cool. A girl in the boys club. I can imagine that could be…interesting."
Annie smiled, "Yeah. Which is one of the biggest reasons why I took this chance at the job…she must be something." The bell dinged signaling that they'd reached the Executive floor, "Oh, you're headed here too?"
"Mhm," the woman smiled then, just as the doors opened, she stepped off without another word. Annie took her time getting off, wondering who the woman had been then shrugged her off, deciding she must have been a client of the firm. She looked like she could afford the services of the place anyway.
Besides, she had her first meeting with her possible future boss. She had to collect herself and focus if she wanted to make a good impression. Then again, did she really? Annie wasn't even sure if she could hack working for someone so concentrated on work.
Heading towards the desk, Annie had asked for the directions towards the partners' offices. She'd lost track of where the other woman had gone and had already pushed her to the back of her mind. She entered the office she'd been directed to and as she stepped into the small lobby of the opposing offices of Lockhart and Gardner, a brunette met her at the doors with a smile.
"You must be Annie," she smiled. "I'm Kate, Will Gardner's assistant. Miss Lockhart just came in, but you can wait inside her office. She just stepped in to talk to Mr. Gardner," she motioned to the office on the right. "She'll be right with you."
Annie smiled uneasily, "Wish me luck."
She stepped into the immaculate office on the left and immediately Annie knew Diane Lockhart was a woman with style. The understated yet tasteful style of the office was hard to miss and—
Annie froze.
On the table behind the desk was a picture of a woman with Hilary Clinton and, to Annie's horror, she looked almost like the woman in the elevator. Almost…?
Oh my…god.
Swallowing hard, Annie stared at the photograph, wondering if maybe it wasn't the same woman. Maybe they just happened to have a great likeness since, after all, Annie hadn't seen the woman's entire face with the sunglasses. The woman on the picture almost looked too formal, maybe almost stoic standing next to the former First Lady of the United States. She had the same hair color, same facial structure, but Annie couldn't (didn't want to be) sure.
She stared, examining the photo from her position almost across the room and just as she decided to leave and try her luck at another job, she heard the doors behind her open. She felt the swoosh of air behind her and she literally felt a tingle go up her spine.
Annie jump, turning immediately and found herself face to face with the woman she'd just met and blabbed too. Oh, god. What did she say to her? Suddenly she was experiencing some sort of sudden selective memory amnesia. What did she say to her? God, she could not remember. What did she say? Annie waited, not sure what to expect, but as the woman began taking off her sunglasses she could have sworn her heart stopped beating.
"Hi," she smiled as she crossed the room, long elegant legs peeking out of the chic and very flattering red dress and Annie could have sworn she hadn't been that tall in the elevator. She held out a hand, her long well manicured nails matching her dress perfectly.
"I'm Diane Lockhart," she smiled wider, baring her teeth and Annie felt like she was the wounded tiny weak gazelle of the pack about to be ravaged by a predator. "Annie, right?"
She could barely nod.
"Please, sit," she motioned to the seat Annie didn't even know she'd risen from. "My previous assistant quit the other day. She decided to marry her much too eager fiancé in Italy. It's lovely there this time of year."
"Uh…" Annie managed to croak out as the woman took her seat behind the desk, placing her cell phone the table and cradling her chin in one hand.
She smiled wider at Annie, "Something tells me we have a lot to talk about."
Annie was forever thankful she managed to stop the urge to faint right then.
Stepping into the waiting room of the ER, Annie immediately spotted Will Gardner slumped on a plastic seat, his sport coat draped messily over his folded arms, legs stretched out in front of him, eyes closed and a clipboard on his chest. Glancing at the nurse's desk, she made her way to the sleeping man, quietly placing Diane's bag on the coffee table in front of the seats.
"Mr. Gardner?" she said quietly, shaking the man gently. "Sir?"
She shook him again and, out of nowhere, he suddenly jumped, his body propelling forward, eyes wide and taking a loud deep breath that sounded like a gasp. He looked disoriented for a moment, looking around hurriedly before his eyes fell on her. She felt guilty startling him like that, seeing just how exhausted he looked.
"Annie!" he sighed, pushing his body up and glancing at the clock on the wall. "You're here."
"I brought her bag and her medical history," she said, motioning to the bag and pulling out a maroon folder. "It's her medical history, updated and including her last physical."
"Good, good," Will said, rubbing the back of his neck as he flipped open the folder. The medical history was thorough and, as Annie mentioned, on the last page was Diane's last physical, the one that was mandatory to all SLG employees every year. "Who has her power of attorney?"
"That would be her brother," Annie answered dutifully.
"Dan?"
"Er, yes, sir," Annie replied, looking confused. "Does she have other siblings, Mr. Gardner?"
"Uh, no," Will said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I'm just…tired, that's all."
"But I think you should know you're also listed as the alternate, in any event that Mr. Lockhart can't make it," she added.
"Of course," he ran his hand through his hair, "By the way, I know you need your sleep—"
"No, it's okay," Annie interrupted. "I'm awake now and I won't be able to go back to bed…and I want to take care of things, make sure no balls get dropped while Miss Lockhart's…uh, going through her recovery."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate that," Will nodded. "And so do I," he paused, "Anyway, I—we need to contact Dan, let him know what happened. He'll want to know and being her power of attorney, I think its best we get him here. Do you have any way to contact him?"
Annie thought for a moment, "If he's not in her contact list, maybe I can check through her files at the office. Normally she doesn't discuss her brother, but I think under these circumstances…maybe she wouldn't mind?"
Will agreed, "She'll have to understand, but at the moment—"
His eyes caught the clock once more and by Will's calculation, he was surprised to find out he'd been out for at least half an hour. He hadn't even been aware he'd dozed and now he wondered if he may have missed something. Didn't anyone try to wake him? How long has it been since they'd rushed Diane in? What the hell was happening? Will immediately pushed himself up, despite his protesting body and raised his hand as Annie began to ask questions. With enough energy, he managed to walk properly towards the nurses' station.
"Excuse me," he said gruffly. "A Diane Lockhart was brought in about two hours ago…?"
"She's still in surgery," the nurse replied politely. "But I can't release information unless you're a family member. I'm sorry."
"I'm—we're family," he said simply. "I filled out the forms and her assistant is here with her medical files, history and such." He waved Annie over, motioning for the folders.
"Okay, Mr…"
"Gardner," he supplied as Annie handed him a folder which he submitted to the nurse.
The nurse smiled, opening the file, "William Gardner…you're listed as Miss Lockhart's emergency contact. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Will nodded. "Now, please. Is there any way to know her condition?"
"As said, she's still in surgery and they will determine whether her injuries caused severe damage," she tapped away on her computer again. "She has a broken wrist, some bruising, but at the moment they're focusing on determining whether she sustained severe head trauma or whether there's internal bleeding. If you'll wait, I'm sure the doctor will be in to update you on her status as soon as possible."
Will nodded, "Okay. That would be…good. Thank you."
"Anything?" Annie asked as they returned to their previous seats.
"Nothing yet," Will muttered. "She's still in surgery."
Annie nodded, "Sir, if you don't mind me asking…what happened?"
"I'm not sure yet," Will admitted, closing his eyes as the scene replayed involuntarily in his mind. "I came by her house at the lake and found her in the kitchen, unconscious and there was blood, some signs of disturbance…someone attacked her."
"Do they have a suspect?" Annie looked mortified. Someone had attacked her boss? But who? It was almost too surreal.
Diane was one of the most well known lawyers in the Chicago and was also one of the most visible figures of the firm. It was expected she would have enemies, but there had never been any signs that she was in any actual danger, that someone would actually try to physically harm her. Annie would know if there was a threat, wouldn't she? Practically everything that went to Diane went through to her first.
If there had been a warning, she would have known.
"None yet, but Kalinda's on it," Will replied, leaning back in his seat again and casting his eyes heavenward. "She'll let me know if she finds—"
He stopped as his phone began to ring, "Talk to me."
"A member of the forensic are on their way there," Kalinda answered. "They're going to gather evidence from Diane, but from what I hear, she's still in surgery."
"Yeah. We haven't heard anything yet."
"They'll probably pick up the things Diane came in with," Kalinda said. "Her clothes, jewelry and everything else that might have retained something of the attacker's…I'm not sure about your clothes if they'll admit it into evidence but you know they just might."
"All right," Will said, "I'll talk to them. Did you find anything else?"
"Nothing so far," Kalinda replied. "The fact that I work for the victim—" Will couldn't help but flinch at the word, realizing how much it didn't fit Diane—"the police are more hesitant in sharing things."
"But you got someone on the inside, right?"
"Yes," she said in a low voice. "So far it looks like a home invasion, but they're looking into things, canvassing the neighborhood and such. Barrington Lake is a pretty secure community. This doesn't usually happen here."
"This is gonna be big, isn't it?"
"Yes, most likely," Kalinda paused, "How bad was she?"
"She was unconscious when I found her," he summarized. "She sustained a head injury and they're trying to see if it's caused some internal damage. A broken wrist, a few bruises. I'm not sure of the rest."
"Were you able to wake her up, even for a bit?"
"No," Will sighed, a habit he seemed to be developing in just one night. "I tried, but I couldn't…" He rolled his head to the side, "It's insane. I keep thinking that if I'd just—"
"Don't do that," Kalinda said and he could imagine the look on her face. "It won't help you or Diane. What's done is done. The best thing we can do is figure out who is responsible and how to stop it from happening again."
"You're right," he nodded. "I'm just exhausted."
"Have you slept?"
"For half an hour," he confessed. "In the most comfortable chair I've ever had the misfortune to encounter…I came straight from the firm when I went to see Diane."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why were you coming to see Diane?" she asked. She was sure their relationship was professional, the two remaining partners, but one could never be sure. Coming to someone's house past midnight was never always so innocent.
"I needed to talk to her."
"At past midnight?"
"Yes," Will nodded, wondering how exactly he'd come under his employee's interrogation. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm trying to get a picture of what happened tonight," she replied, calmly. "I need to know everything, the whole truth."
"We spent most of the night talking about her new case," Will answered. "We said some things, she left and I thought I'd go to her and settle things before it got complicated."
"The police will want to talk to you," Kalinda told him after a short moment. "They're wondering about what you were doing here so late. They've even inquired if you have a relationship outside the office. I thought it best to stay out of it so I didn't say anything."
"I'll handle it," Will said. "Just…get me something. I want to know what happened and who would do this."
"Alright."
"Kalinda?"
"You were asking about possible suspects," it was his turn to ask questions. "Has Diane said anything? To you?"
"You'll have to talk to her about that."
"I would," he answered. "But unconscious people don't always make the best conversations."
"It's not my position to say anything she told me in confidence," Kalinda answered, as always unaffected by his sarcasm. "And you can't convince me otherwise."
"Kalinda—"
"I have to go," she cut in. "The forensic team just stepped out with their evidence. You take care of your end and I'll do the same with mine. I'll keep you posted."
"Kal—" he tried again, but she'd already hung up. What had Diane said to her? And if it was possibly related to what might have happened tonight, why hadn't Diane said anything to him? Surely, if Diane felt she was in danger she would confide in him. Wouldn't she?
His mind flashed to the last few weeks, tense weeks around the firm.
'So it's the wild west, isn't it? Without Stern, you have one vote, I have one vote. And now it's every man for himself?"
What had he said? That had been another tense week and they'd dealt with Colin Sweeney then. Diane had opposed, as he expected she would. What did he say? He'd been annoyed with her then, how she was interfering when he was doing his best to make more money for the firm. She'd spent most of her day harassing gun manufacturers because of her opposition against guns. It had been a waste of billable time, money and resources.
He'd been tired of her bleeding heart feministic causes and he let it show just as she let her displeasure be known at having a wife-murderer in their client list.
"Looks like it."
He'd seen the acceptance in her eyes, the understanding even when he had expected her to be defiant and angry, "We're headed into a bad time."
Will remained impassive, unaffected because he was a good lawyer, a brilliant liar and full of shit. He was good at showing bravado whether false or not. He was a rock.
His mind skipped to another memory and this time, the raised voices—mostly his—began to echo his head. The scene was a close preview of what had occurred between him and Diane only hours ago. They'd been doing that type of scene for a while now.
"Did it even occur to you to tell me?"
"No, it didn't. I was under the mistaken impression that it was my life!"
"It's your life when it doesn't impact our clients!"
"It didn't impact our clients!"
Did Diane mistake that to mean he'd only care if their cases were on the line? He'd been angry, furious even, for what had happened, but it didn't mean he'd stopped caring. She had slept with a witness whose credibility was easily shattered by that damning fact alone, he had a right to be angry, but that was professional. The personal stayed outside of the office and that was an entirely different matter.
Diane knew that, didn't she?
"If you had just told me—if you'd just given me a SIGN!"
They'd been behaving indifferently towards each other. Some nights, during the better workdays, it ended with a smile, some with drinks and even some chats. But the nights where she left without a word, came in the same way the next morning, the bad days, far outnumbered the better days. They'd been fighting constantly, the pressures of keeping the doors open—a common goal from their two seemingly different sides—and they were both truly capable of taking it out on each other.
Who else were they supposed to take it out on?
He was quick to cut and so was she. They knew each other so well, they could make each other laugh endlessly, but that ability was akin to a double edged sword. While they could induce small shots of happiness and laughter in each other's lives, they also knew just where to cut, to hit to injure and incapacitate each other emotionally. They knew which side to hit in order to cause the most amount of pain, knew exactly what would make the other falter and ultimately bleed.
In the heat of the moment, they tended to forget the consequences so they lashed out the best way they could. They hurt each other. What else was there to do?
"Mr. Gardner?"
Annie's soft voice pulled him away from his thoughts and Will looked up. He saw a doctor coming out, wearing mint green scrubs and pulling his surgical hat off. A nurse followed close behind and immediately, he made his way to Will and Annie.
The look on the doctor's face was unreadable and Will felt cold hands grip his spine. He'd never been much of an optimist, not in instances like this anyway.
"Will Gardner?"
"Yes," Will stood up.
"I'm Dr. Nolan," the older graying man said with a slight nod. "I was the surgeon on duty when Miss Lockhart was brought in. I understand you were the one who found her?"
"Yes," Will answered. "She was unconscious. How is she?"
"She's doing well," the doctor said with a slight smile and Will felt relief wash over him instantly. "We had to operate to remove a bleed that was beginning to form internally and Dr. Montgomery took care of her broken wrist and she will be coming in to put a more permanent cast on it later and we've taken care of her various other injuries."
"What other injuries?"
"Sprained ankle, a few bruised ribs," the doctor enumerated. "Facial damage were minimal, just a cut on her cheek and bruising extending to her neck. They'll fade in time. The only major problem we encountered was her head injury. I understand she was attacked…"
Will nodded.
"I consider her to be very lucky," Dr. Nolan said. "Sadly, I've seen things like this before and believe me when I say things could have turned out a lot worse. Now, we're not sure about the damages the injury might bring after she wakes up, but we've taken care of the bleed. We're going to have to ask her to stay at least a day or two just to make sure there won't be any nasty surprises along the way. I'd prefer to observe her here since I've been informed she lives out at Barrington Lake."
"I'll talk to her," he would and she would argue, but there would be no discussion. She had a house in the city but Will wasn't about to risk her health by letting her out too early. This was one argument Will was not going to let her win.
"It's a good thing you were able to find her quickly, Mr. Gardner," the doctor commented. "When we checked her, the internal bleeding was only at the early stages. We were able to stop it quite easily and that helped minimized any possible effects it might have caused."
"That's…good to know."
"It is. Physically, I expect her to make full recovery," Dr. Nolan said. "Miss Lockhart is a fighter. If all else proves to be clear then I can assure you that she'll be able to get through this with as little physical reminders as possible."
Will nodded, slowly. "Emotionally?"
"Sad to say, an altogether different matter," the doctor said, looking genuinely apologetic. "The few patients who went through the same trauma managed to get some assistance, someone who helped them deal with the ordeal."
"Like a therapist?" That would really go over well with Diane. Yes, he could imagine it clearly. She would love that. He might as well ask her to quit her career and be a Vegas showgirl.
"Something like that," the doctor nodded. "It helps as long as it's somewhat welcomed and not forced. I can recommend a few names later if you'd like. Now, we'll be transferring Miss Lockhart as soon as her room is ready. If you'll just wait a little longer, you'll be able to see her soon. Mind you, she's still sleeping and she'll need her rest so patience is in order."
"Of course."
"Oh, and you might want to call someone named Matthew," the doctor said, as if he'd just remembered before turning away and heading back into the operating room.
"What?"
"Before we could administer anesthesia, Miss Lockhart managed to come around for a few seconds," Dr. Nolan informed. "Called for someone named Matthew…seemed rather anxious to see him before we put her under."
"She doesn't…" Will began to say then shook his head, "We'll take care of it."
"Of course."
"Thank you, Dr. Nolan."
Will turned to Annie, who had managed to stay quiet through the whole thing. Her brows were furrowed this time not just out of worry buy it was him who managed to ask what they were both thinking.
"Who's Matthew?"
-o0o-
With more important matters at hand like finding Daniel Archer Lockhart III, Annie and Will mutually decided that whoever this Matthew person was, they'd just have to ask Diane about it later, or better yet, wait for her to ask for him again. From their point of view, Diane had asked for him in what they deduced was a state of confusion. For all they knew it was just some random person she had important business with. The best course, they decided, was to wait it out and move on. They had to prioritize.
So Annie did just that.
"Hi, this is Annie and I work with Diane Lockhart. I was wondering if there's a Daniel Lockhart there? I'm calling about his sister and it's imperative that I reach him…" Annie trailed off as yet another side of the call claimed not to know where her boss' brother was. She suppressed a sigh, "Oh, okay. But if you could just let him know I called? Tell him he can reach me in this number. Yes, thank you."
She hung up, letting out a breath as her third call failed once again. Without her boss' phone and the list containing all her contacts, Annie was flying blind in finding her brother. In her own phone alone, Daniel had at least five different numbers from all over the world. Her latest call had been to Paris at a woman's home. She claimed having not seen Daniel for six months now.
"Not easy tracking him down, huh?" Will commented from his seat, head cradled back by his interlaced fingers behind his head. His tie was long gone, stuffed into the pocket of Diane's bag and his sport coat was draped neatly over the seat beside him.
"I'd say no," Annie replied. "I've made calls to Paris, Greece and Italy. All three women, all of them claiming to not having seen him for at least three months now…"
Will chuckled the suggested, "Maybe it's time to try across the Atlantic?"
"He's never called from here before," she pointed out. "There was a time he was somewhere in Asia, but that was a year ago."
"You have no contact with him here?"
"Not me," Annie shrugged. "He comes by for Christmas, I think, but he doesn't stay more than a couple of days. Just drops by with a gift for Miss Lockhart then leaves. Have they always been like that?"
"For as long as I've known Diane, yes," Will nodded. "I didn't even know she had a brother until two years after I became a senior partner."
"Are they in the middle of some family feud or something?" Annie had always been curious but never found the nerve to ask. This was her chance.
"No, at least it didn't look like it when I saw them together," he shrugged. "Diane wants Dan here, but for some reason he can't stay or doesn't want to. He's a wanderer, travels a lot."
"Does he have a job or anything?"
"He was a lawyer like Diane once upon a time, but stopped after two years of practice. Packed up and moved away and by the time he was thirty, he was skipping all over the globe," he explained. "Their father, Daniel Archer Lockhart II, left a pretty hefty trust fund for each of them and, from what I gather Dan's got some sort of business in New York that pretty much runs itself or maybe his staff. I think he writes too, under a nom de plume."
"Man of many talents?" Annie smiled. Sounded like a Lockhart trait.
"You could say that," Will said with a slight wave of his hand and checked his watch, "Shouldn't they be done transferring her by now?"
"I'll check," Annie volunteered then walked off, leaving Will to wonder about Diane's brother. Where exactly was Dan? He usually stayed in Europe, seemingly comfortable putting the Atlantic between him and Diane, but with the numbers Annie had, how could he not be in at least one of them? Was it possible Dan was in America now? God knew Will knew little to nothing when it came to the elusive male Lockhart.
"They were about to move her, but the forensic team arrived," Annie informed and handed him a cup of coffee. "Its hospital slop, but I think for now it'll have to do."
"I look that bad, huh?"
Annie smiled, "Yeah."
"Where are they right now?" he asked. He needed to be there, the lawyer side of him contested.
"In an exam room," Annie pointed. "They're just taking evidence, the basic ones since there, uhm," she shifted uncomfortably in one foot to another, "wasn't any…signs of sexual assault."
Will nodded then stood up, "I'll be right back. Thanks, Annie and if you could just keep trying to reach Daniel again? I think he'd want to know about this."
If it had been his sibling, he'd want to be informed too. In fact, he'd beat hell and high waters to get there as fast as possible.
"I'll try, if I don't get anything, I'll have to go to the office and check there," she sighed.
"Sure," he nodded then walked off. "Let me know."
Cup in hand, Will made his way to the exam room Annie pointed. Dr. Nolan stood just outside, arms crossed over his chest. "Dr. Nolan?"
The doctor turned, startled. "Mr. Gardner."
"I heard the forensic team just got here."
"Oh, yes," the doctor said, shaking his head slightly. "We were just about to transfer her, but they arrived just in time. They're good at that."
"Slow night," Will commented as he sipped his coffee then noted he should thank Annie for knowing how he liked his coffee. It was hospital coffee, but it was okay. He was sure he's drank worst before.
"Yes, leaves me time to follow up on Miss Lockhart," the old doctor nodded.
Will nodded, "So, what's going on in there?"
"My team managed to deduce that she had some evidence on her, mainly some DNA under her fingernails—hers are long, after all and she used them to defend herself, most likely. The forensic team is inside, collecting them right now. From what I've been informed of, she might have drawn blood with her nails."
Will flinched, stopping himself too late. "That's all they're taking?"
"Her personal effects are being taken in as well, as I'm sure they'll inform you when they speak with you," the doctor nodded. "Her power of attorney is under her brother's name?"
"Yes, Daniel."
"Where is he?"
"We're trying to reach him," Will admitted. "He…hasn't been home for a while now. I'm the alternate…in any event he doesn't make it here."
"You'll be in charge in making decisions while Mr. Lockhart is out?"
"Most probably yes," Will nodded.
"We only had time for an X-ray in the beginning," the doctor explained. "I wanted to get her on the table as soon as possible to stop any further damage, but I think it would be advisable if she undergoes an MRI or a CT scan to make sure nothing else is going on. Will you consent to that in any event she doesn't wake up soon enough?"
Will thought for a moment, "This is a safer approach?"
"I'd say yes," the doctor nodded. "She had quite a, uh, fall. It wouldn't hurt to take precautions."
Will nodded, "Then we can do it. I just want to make sure she's fine."
"Very well," the doctor nodded. "Looks like my new favorite patient will be well looked after."
Will managed a small humorless smile as he drank his coffee.
-o0o-
"I thought my orders were clear."
"She fought me," he muttered, groaning slightly as he clutched his arm. "What was I supposed to do, let her hit me?"
"Yes."
"I'm not that fucked up," he muttered to himself. "Listen, I need a doctor. The bitch cut me pretty deep. She fucking stabbed me!"
"As well as you deserved," was the reply, clearly lacking in sympathy. "You go to a doctor now, they're going to put you back where you came from. You might as well go to the police and confess. They'll be nicer."
"It hurts, damn it…"
"Suck it up."
"Like that'll help," he growled. "Look, I didn't have a choice. She had a knife!"
"Your instructions were clear."
"Jesus H. Christ," he moaned, "I'm bleeding."
"I can see that."
"Aren't you going to help?"
"This is a pretty expensive suit."
"Fuck you."
"You clearly did not follow my specific instructions," the words were spoken softly, almost in whispers. "Now I'm afraid our contract has been…violated."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he growled, too preoccupied to pay attention to what was happening around him. "I'm still getting my money."
"I don't think you understood what I just said."
"You're right. I didn't."
"Then let me make this clearer…"
He looked up just in time to see a leather clad hand pull out a gun with a silencer attached in place and immediately, he scrambled back against the door of the driver's seat. "What the fuck do you think—"
"I'd say it was a pleasure…"
"What? NO! Come on, man! We can talk about this!"
What should have been a loud explosion was muffled by the suppressor, the light flash in the darkened vehicle flashing like a newly lit match and a second later, it was over.
"…but that would be a lie."
Heavily sprayed brain matter spattered against the sealed windows, trickles of blood slowly making their way down the cool glass surface. Eyes wide open in frozen fear were slowly closed by the same gloved hands that pulled the trigger. The neat hole, a little off center of the man's forehead, could easily be spotted, making no room for doubt that what was once a man was now a corpse.
Stepping into the cool night air, the second occupant easily slipped out of the passenger's seat, tossing the gun carelessly inside before stalking off into the night. A few hundred yards away, another car started and the dimmed lights came to life. The car began a slow crawl as it made its way to the walking lone figure.
"Home," was all he said as he slipped into the vehicle.
The car drove off, leaving behind a battered blue Chevy and a body in its wake.
-o0oo0oo0o-
Oh! Looky, I gave Diane a brother. There's more, just wait for it.
For those who were irked about the Kalinda POV, I'd like to inform you that I'm still developing her character so, yes, whatever personal feelings she might/might not have for Diane will still be developed in the coming chapters. Trust me, if I didn't write it, I'd react too.
And I seriously tried to keep this short-obviously failed big time-and it may not have been as exciting as chapter one, I promise the story will pick up. I've still got something waiting for Will. And a bunch of new characters to introduce into the fold…
And McVeigh too. I kinda liked him…they were cute together. Yes, I used 'cute' on Diane Lockhart and Kurt McVeigh. Sue me. *laughs like an idiot*
Again, I love reviews. Hint, hint…
Note:
To Ellie978
I was trying to find if you have an actual account here so I could at least reply to you, but couldn't find one. I wanted to thank you for reviewing my stories. So kind of you to take the time to do so. I'll be writing more Diane stories, don't worry, and I'm so glad you liked my exploration of Will and Diane's relationships. I hope you'll keep reading as I intend to keep writing! Thank you again, you've all been wonderful.
To everyone who reviewed
If I neglected to reply to anyone who submitted a signed review, please let me know. I'd feel terrible if I missed anyone! If it happened to you, please believe me that it was unintended. I'd like to thank you all for reviewing. I love reviews and feedback so thank you so much. I'm very glad there are people who actually like my work.
To those who read my story
Thank you. More to come, I promise! I'm sorry the update was so late. Will truly try to update sooner next time. Still trying to get used to fanfic writing.
