For the second night in a row, Shaw approached a dimly-lit area out of security camera view. This one was an abandoned warehouse in a row of other identical buildings. As she approached, there was a tiny voice in her head that was asking why do you want to see Root so badly? but the only answer she allowed herself to give was I'm bored. It's something to do. And maybe I can get Root to tell me what the plan is, what the endgame is.
And I owe her a home visit, after last time. She should just be happy that I don't own a taser.
She circled the building and examined the doors, quickly. If Root was home, she didn't have much time before she realized Shaw was there. Every door was locked, but there was one that looked more secure than the others. She assumed that was Root's main entrance. I'll just… let myself in.
The door opened onto the warehouse's interior, but Root had obviously done some work on the place. There were packing crates stacked around the entire first floor, creating a maze of cover points. Shaw stopped for a moment to think. If this were mine… the only way to see where an intruder is located would be to be…
Up there.
Shaw's gaze found the loft area of the warehouse and a set of stairs leading up along the north wall. Although the building was dark, she stuck close to the ground and the packing crates. She wouldn't put it past Root to shoot her first and ask questions later; Shaw would have been disappointed if she hadn't.
As she climbed the stairs, a seed of doubt crept into her gleeful anticipation of sneaking up on Root. This isn't really the best use of my time, or Root's. And why am I risking cover like this?
She shook it off. I'm here now, might as well.
She had reached the top of the stairs now, and her eyesight had long since adjusted to the gloom. She could make out a bank of computer screens and blinking lights along the back wall of the loft, a large box that looked like a fridge, and not much else. She sighed with annoyance and started to move across the loft. It looked like Root wasn't home.
And then….
"Shaw?"
A figure stirred under the bank of computers. Shaw huffed. "How'd you know it was me?"
A desk light switched on and Shaw saw Root's silhouette stand slowly. "Well, you made it through my security, for one thing. And Jason told me to expect you," Root said sweetly.
"Your security sucks," Shaw shot back, irked that she had been expected.
"Oh, Sameen. Still unimpressed with anything you can't see," Root simpered. "But rest assured, if you were anyone else, you would have been… detained." At this, Shaw shot her a suspicious look, but Root abruptly started talking again.
"So, sneaking into my room in the middle of the night, what could you possibly want from me?" Root asked flirtatiously, but Shaw noticed that she hadn't moved from her spot near the computers. She usually at least attempted to invade Shaw's personal space. Something's up.
She casually made her way around the perimeter of the loft, examining the printouts that she could now see lining the walls. As she circled, she could see out of the corner of her eye that Root was holding her arm at a strange angle.
"What happened to your arm?" Shaw slung herself around to face Root head-on, original purpose forgotten as she realized that Root was breathing strangely.
"Just an… encounter with Decima agents," Root breathed. Shaw stepped closer and grabbed Root's arm. When she winced, Shaw pressed a hand to her side, causing Root to inhale sharply and tense her muscles. Shaw unceremoniously lifted Root's shirt, exposing a mass of bruising on her right side.
"If you wanted to feel me up, all you had to was…" Root ended sharply as Shaw prodded her side and found at least one broken rib. "…ask," she ended weakly. Shaw dropped Root's shirt and glared at her.
"What the hell have you been doing? And why haven't you gotten this patched?" She asked angrily.
"Just waiting for you, Sameen. You know I love it when you play doctor." Root managed a sly grin even as Shaw rolled her eyes.
"On the floor? Fucking Christ. Don't you have a bed?" Shaw grumbled as she supported Root's left side and began to lower her down onto the blankets she had been sleeping on when Shaw arrived. She was waiting for Root's reply, expecting at least some kind of lame excuse. When she received none, and looked at Root's face, she saw that Root's eyes were closed and her breathing had changed. She had passed out.
Great. Got here just in time to babysit.
