Memory arrested
Detective Flack congratulated himself on another criminal in the bag as the suspect was loaded into the squad car. He was heaving for breath, undoing his top button and loosening his tie. He leaned back against the nearest squad car, raising a hand in greeting to Danny and Mac as they approached him. They had been busting a drug den when one ran, Flack had been chasing him for best part of three miles, on foot, before the squad cars located them.
"Good collar Don" Mac said
"Thanks" was all he could manage, stretching his leg muscles as cramp set in.
"Still got it for an old guy" Danny teased, Flack couldn't answer but gave him a look that promised retribution when he could.
"Detective Flack?" He turned towards the woman holding out a bottle of water "Thought you could use this"
"Thanks" he said drinking some. He knew fine well that the increase in his heart rate was nothing to do with the workout he'd just had, and more to do with her smile. But he wouldn't and couldn't not after... He halted his thoughts, not another cop, even if she wasn't his partner it was too close.
"The other guy's still at large" she told him, her eyes skimming his chest as he caught his breath.
Damn it, he thought, why the hell can't I be attracted to normal women, with normal jobs?
"We got guys hunting him down" she finished, breaking into his thoughts.
"Thanks Anna" he said smiling at her despite himself, feeling her lock onto his eyes, they'd done that before and it'd nearly, almost, tempted him to kiss her, but no, he wasn't going to do that to either of them. Even though he was pretty sure she wouldn't push him away.
He pushed himself away from the squad car, himself, Anna, Danny and Mac stood in an awkward square, just as the shots rang out.
In horror Don Flack watched his team mates drop to the floor, but not before catching sight of blood splatters forming across Anna's face. No!No!No! His mind screamed, not again, No! His body hit the floor and he realised Anna was covering him. He tried to reach out to her but he couldn't, he didn't know what was happening, but he thought he was through with all this, that he could cope under fire again. His last thought as he lost consciousness was that he would do it again, for Anna as he had before, this guy would die at his hands.
Don Flack coughed a few times and swiped at whatever was being held over his face, he tried to open his eyes but they appeared glued shut. He was confused and panicked, he had no memory of what had happened but had an overwhelming urge to get up, check everyone was Ok, Jess? No who? Anna? He struggled against hands holding him down.
"Lie still Detective Flack" a voice told him firmly "We need to check you out"
What the hell? Why did he need checking out, he couldn't lose another one, someone he cared about even if he didn't love her, he cared, the potential was there, if he'd let it, and it'd happened again. Why weren't they working on Anna? He got flashes of Jess in the ER, on the floor of the diner, of Anna with her face covered in blood before he felt something cold in his arm and he faded out again.
"Don?" he heard Mac's voice, it jerked him awake and automatically he turned to look to the voice.
"Mac?" his voice was croaky but his mind cleared quickly, the events rushed back to him "What happened?"
"The one who got away" Mac began "Took potshots at us, bullet grazed your head, you're lucky"
Don thought a moment piecing things together "Anna, Danny? Are you OK?"
"We're all fine, your guys took him out before he got closer" Mac told him "It was just you and other than ruining your haircut, there's no damage at all"
Flack sighed more memories coming back as the door opened and Anna came in.
"Hey, you're awake" she smiled.
"Give us a minute?" he asked Mac, Mac nodded and left placing a hand on Anna's shoulder, he feared that Don was about to do something he would regret and break the tenuous connection that he had with Anna, but he couldn't blame Don, he'd been there and he knew how hard it was to let someone in when you'd lost your world before. To open yourself to a broken heart again, in the worst way.
"You OK?" he asked urgently "I remember, you had blood on your...face"
"It was yours" she said quietly "Spray from your wound, I'm fine"
She looked concerned as his eyes filled with tears "Sorry" he mumbled.
"Hey, no problem, bleed on me when you like" she smiled "How do you feel?"
"My head hurts like a bitch" he said "But guess I'm OK"
She shifted her gun holster, moving it away from her hip, wincing.
"Thought you were OK?" he accused.
"I am" she replied, she knew she needed to tread carefully here "When I fell onto you, your er, gun banged my hip, just a bruise"
He smiled slightly if he wasn't quite so woozy he'd have thought of a suitable witty remark, but he couldn't, he just laid there grinning like an idiot.
"Guess Danny's right though" she said coyly.
"What's he said now?" he asked defensively.
"That you'll do anything, including getting shot to get a woman to fall for you" she laughed.
"Tell Danny" he said, hauling himself into a sitting position "I'm gonna kick his smart ass for him"
…...
