Chapter three

Come on Alex, you can do it. Open your eyes! I was too scared to open them and see where I was; whether I had made it back or not. I took a deep breath, it was a shaky one, and opened my eyes. Everything was white. But I still couldn't tell where I was. It didn't take long for me to find out though because I was suddenly surrounded by people, doctors, nurses and my friends. I looked for the face that would bring me the most happiness, but I couldn't find it. He wasn't here. Well what did you expect Alex? He is trying not to get arrested for shooting you!

"Alex? How do you feel?" I turned my head and looked at the man who must have been my doctor. He was looking at me expectantly, so was everyone else.

"I'm ok, a little weak." I tried to smile but don't think I really achieved my goal. "How are you all?" I looked round at Shaz, Chris and Ray.

"Don't be stupid Ma'am, just concentrate on yourself for now. Get yourself better." Ray sounded different; upset, angry? But then he would be. His Gov and idol was being blamed of shooting someone.

"Your quite right DS Carling, you should just rest and concentrate on gaining full strength for now Alex. We'll leave you now to catch up; I'd suppose you'd have a lot to talk about." Oh boy was he right. I wanted to know everything that had happened from the moment I was shot.

"So… tell me everything. Don't spare any details." They just looked at me nervously. "Please. I need to know if I'm going to help you." I looked at them pleadingly. And I won.

It was Chris who answered my plea. "Well, we all heard the gun shot, so we ran to where it came from. We found you on the ground and the Gov just standing there holding the gun. He wasn't moving; he was in shock I think." Of course he'd be in shock; he had shot me after all. "Well anyway we all stood there for about a minute; we didn't know what to do but then Shaz just knelt down right beside you and started to give you CPR, you'd already passed out by now so we were getting really worried. Shaz got your heart going again, amazing woman. Then the Gov kind of snapped out of it and knelt down too, practically knocked Shaz out of the way." I looked at them in shock.

"Why? What did he do?" I needed to know what he did, that he cared.

"Just started to talk to you. He kept telling you to wake up. He held you until the ambulance came.

Then he followed them to the hospital and waited to see if you were ok. He would have stayed longer but then the police came for him." Shaz was looking at me with sympathy. "He kept telling us he didn't mean to do it, but I didn't know what to think. Especially what with him threatening you and all." She looked down as if ashamed. I knew it would have looked suspicious to them; they weren't there. "Ma'am? Can we ask you something and can you tell us the honest truth?" I nodded, my voice had gone. "Did he shoot you on purpose?" I just gasped.

"No! Of course not! It was an accident! He meant to shoot Jenette but she dived and ran. He's innocent and I'm going to make sure everyone knows it." And I would. I wouldn't stop until Gene Hunt's name was clear.

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It was later in the day and everyone had gone back to work, except Shaz. She was just sitting with me, holding my hand. I could see she was worried about me and didn't want to leave. We hadn't brought the subject of Gene up again, it was too painful. But I wanted him here; I had to talk to him.

"Shaz, I know that you will probably think this a bad idea but…" Yes of course she would. I didn't even get to finish my sentence before she butted in.

"If you're gonna ask what I think you're gonna ask then no way!" I wasn't going to take that as an answer.

"Shaz please! I need him here, I need to talk to him and then to the police to clear his name! Please. Just ring him and let him know I'm awake at least, then it's up to him if he comes or not." I hoped he would come, I mean he did have some grovelling to do.

"We already rang him and told him. He would've killed us if he found out we hadn't." She must have seen my face drop. "You don't know how hard it was to convince him not to come. But if he got caught in here he'd be arrested, so you'll just have to wait and talk to him when you're allowed to." She could be so firm when she wanted to be. I wanted to argue with her, but I was too tired.

"Fine. But I'm only backing down because I'm too weak to argue! I will bring this up again." And I would. "Do you mind if I get some sleep? I'm really tired."

"Course not Ma'am. Have to get back to work anyway. We got a new DCI, he's a bit strict; thinks he's all that."

"Oh I know." Didn't mean to say that. Oh well, I have just woken up from a coma.

"What?" She looked confused. "Oh never mind. We all hate him anyway; I don't care if he's good looking." Good old Shaz. She gave me a kiss on the cheek, said her goodbye and left. I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. I'm back. I'm actually back. But my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone's footsteps. They were getting closer and louder. I opened my eyes and caught my breath.

"Bolly." It was him. He'd come. He was looking at me, seeing whether or not I'd scream and call for the nurse. Of course I wouldn't.

"You came." That's all I could I could say. I didn't know what to say. So much had been said before I was shot. So much to apologise for. But I was so happy to see him.

"Well…I had to didn't I?" He looked awkward, like he didn't know what to say or where to start. "How are you?" That was it? He'd bloody shot me and that was all he could say?

"Great! How do you think I feel? I was shot in the stomach and in a coma for Christ's sake!" I didn't mean to get so annoyed but I couldn't help it. I mean he hadn't even tried to apologise yet. He looked scared at my sudden outburst. He just looked at the floor. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to get so worked up. There's no point when we have so much to talk about." He looked up at that.

"Yeah we do. I mean…about the shooting and then maybe what happened before." He was looking me in the eye while he was talking. "I probably should start." Yeah you should. "Well first I just wanna say that I'm…well I'm…I'm sorry. For shooting you obviously but also for the stuff I said to you before. In my office." I just looked at him. I was trying to take it all in.

"Alex?" He had moved closer to the bed. He was waiting for my reply. "Come on Bolls. Give me a reaction." He was pleading with me. I laughed. God knows why. "Suppose that will do." I laughed again, but I had to be serious.

"Gene. I know you didn't mean to shoot me, even if you did threaten to, I knew you never would." I gave him a smile. He looked relieved. "You didn't believe that I would think you shot me, did you?"

The look on his face gave me my answer. "You did." I felt hurt. Hurt that he would question my judgement.

"Well we had just had the biggest row ever so I thought you hated me." I didn't want to remember that row. Or the other one. The one where I'd told him the truth about the future and he had just thought I'd messed him around. We'd both worn our hearts on our sleeves, which made it worse. We'd both admitted there was a connection between us, not however what that connection was.

"I could never hate you Gene Hunt. No matter what you did." I wanted to cry. I looked at him and he to had watery eyes. I took a deep breath. "I'd trust you with my life."

"And I could never hate you Alex Drake. You may be an annoying cow but you're my DI and one of the only people I can trust. I doubted you when I heard the tape, but I shouldn't of. I know it was all set up, the tape, Jenette, the blag and I know you told me the truth. As for the other thing, the future, well…some things are starting to make sense if it was true. But you can understand why I'd doubt you, who would believe that story?" He shook his head. "But I should of. I'm trying Alex; I'm trying to understand it." He was now sitting on the edge of my bed, his hand so close to mine. I wanted him to hold it; hold me and never let go.

"Thank you Gene." I let a tear roll down my cheek. He saw it.

"Come on Bolls, don't cry." His other hand brushed my tears away. I closed my eyes and he didn't drop his hand. When I opened them he was looking me straight in the eyes, and he was so close. I could breathe in his scent of tobacco and whiskey. I could look at his face properly. His mouth. I looked back to his eyes and saw he was doing the same. "Alex…I…"

"What?" We were whispering now, but I didn't know why. How had this turned into something so intimate? My question was left unanswered though. We were slowly moving closer to one another until there was hardly any space between us. "Gene."

"Alex." This was it. It was happening now. I knew I wanted it; I wanted him. I closed my eyes. We were breathing in the same small amount of air and I knew it would happen any minute now. But it didn't.

"Well." My eyes flew open and our heads snapped back. We turned to look at the man standing at the end of the bed. I knew who he was, and so did Gene. DCI James Thomas. "This is very interesting."

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