Chapter 4: Assistance Required

"Excuse me, but my friend also caught up in the explosion, Dale Smith, is he okay?" Andrea Dunbar questioned the nurse that had come to check on her. She needed to know if she could somehow talk to him. She refused to let Gabriel get away with this.

"Yes," replied the nurse. "I was just with him myself. He's very groggy. Like you he has many stitched up cuts and a few bruises but he'll be fine. You were both so lucky considering what happened."

"Yes, I guess so," mumbled Andrea, wondering if any of her other colleagues were more injured than her, or worse if any had been killed. "What ward is he in please?"

"Oh he's just in the next one along," smiled the nurse. "But you really don't have to worry about him. Are you two close?"

"Sort of. We were together for a time. Just good friends now. What time is it?"

"Almost nine o'clock now," replied the nurse. "Are you feeling okay? Anything else you need before I go?"

"No. Thank you," Andrea answered.

Once Andrea's cough had subsided she couldn't help but think about Neil. She wondered what was happening now; how he was dealing with the truth about her true profession becoming public knowledge. She hadn't intended to hurt him earlier; she knew she only had the energy to say so much and she needed to see Smithy. She hadn't meant anything personal by it but of course Neil didn't know the truth. Her coughing had prevented them from having a real conversation so she didn't even know why he had come t see her. Let alone had she had the opportunity to explain much to him. She just wished he would trust her but for now their relationship, if it had any future, would have to wait. She had bigger things to sort first.

Once all the lights had been dimmed in the ward and it was much quieter, Andrea knew that it had to be now that she attempted to see Smithy. Gritting her teeth to stop her groaning in pain she slowly detached the drips attached to her arms and began to slide out of bed. She hadn't realised just quite how battered and bruised she was until now. She'd been told by the doctor that she had a couple of broken ribs and had some of her larger injuries stitched up, but she hadn't imagined how much more pain she would feel if she moved.

Trying her utmost not to cry out in pain she eased her way gradually off the bed trying to stand but her sprained ankle gave way and she ended up sprawled across the floor. Not being able to stay silent she then heard footsteps hurrying in her direction, followed by the sound of the curtain that surrounded her bed being pulled open.

"Jenny I need your help," shouted a young nurse who approached Andrea and tried to help her up. A few moments later the nurse that Andrea had spoken to earlier also appeared and helped lift her onto the bed.

"No," moaned Andrea. "I can't. I need to see Smithy. Dale Smith."

"Your friend that you mentioned earlier?" Asked nurse Jenny. "You're in no fit state to be wandering around and neither is he. When you feel a bit stronger you'll be able to see him."

"No, you're not listening!" Andrea snapped at the nurse. "God forbid I will keep attempting to get down there if you don't help me. It's very important."

"I can pass on a message if you'd like?"

"No! I have to talk to him. Please just take me down there. Just for a few minutes. I won't settle otherwise. I'll keep the whole ward awake all night."

After much more arguing, Andrea eventually got her way as she refused to back down. She could feel herself becoming exhausted but she wouldn't give up. She winced when she saw the state of Smithy as the nurse placed her beside his bed in a wheelchair.

"Just five minutes," Jenny said before departing.

Sergeant Smith was fast asleep, completely unaware of Andrea's appearance at his bedside. She felt bad for waking him but she had to speak to him. She couldn't keep everything to herself. He needed to know that she had got the evidence they could use against Gabriel, only now it may have been lost again in the fire. They'd have to work together to get it back.

"Smithy," Andrea whispered, leaning over and gently shaking his arm. "Smithy, wake up. I've got to talk to you."

Dale Smith opened his eyes. They hesitantly came into focus. "Andrea?"

"Smithy, I haven't got long. I just needed to tell you that I had it. I had the evidence just before that explosion hit. We've got him. We've got Gabriel. He admitted to killing Kerry and..."

"Stop," he muttered cutting Andrea off mid-sentence. "I don't want to be involved any more Andrea. I'm glad you got out the fire okay but I can't do it. We can't talk. You're a journalist. I can't be involved."

"Smithy, please. You know I was on to something. He admitted it. Don't you want to get justice for Kerry?"

"Of course I do!" He said before hesitating. "But I can't be involved in this. I can't work with you. How can I trust anything you say?"

"I'm still the same person. Yes I may have written a few stories but was anything I discovered not true? I know how to get him. I just need your help because I lost the evidence in the fire..."

"What's to say you'll get it back? Look Andrea, I'm too tired to think straight. I can't be caught up in this. You're going to be under investigation. You broke the law."

At that moment nurse Jenny returned. Seeing little hope to get through to Smithy, Andrea let Jenny take her back to her own bed. She prayed that she might get through to Smithy once he was feeling stronger. She couldn't believe he could just let all the work they'd done to bring down Gabriel go to waste.

Upon waking up the next morning she was subject to questioning from the Murder Investigation Team about what she had seen and experienced in the explosion. Thankfully her undercover role seemed to be taking a back seat in the line of priorities the police were dealing with, although the officers from MIT certainly made a few snide comments regarding whether she was telling the truth. Andrea couldn't blame them. No one seemed to trust her now and she guessed if the roles were reversed she'd find it difficult to trust someone who in effect had lived a double life. Not that she'd intended for it to go as far as it did. She didn't expect to begin to love the job that she originally set out to undermine. She didn't expect to see how dedicated most of her colleagues were to their roles. And most importantly she had never intended to fall in love with a police officer, let alone a high ranking officer who was married.

Lying to MIT wasn't something Andrea wanted to do but she didn't want them sniffing around Gabriel when she was so close to exposing the truth herself. Not that leaving her to die would be a crime on its own but she didn't want to have to tell them why he had left her there. Preferably he could play the unsung hero role as she heard it was he who had rescued Smithy, though she hoped he may come to regret it. She wondered if that may be why Smithy wasn't as intent on finding out the truth about Gabriel as he had been before.

Unsurprisingly to Andrea, not long after MIT left, Gabriel came meandering in to see her.

"Andrea," nodded Gabriel in greeting. "How are you?"

"Fine, no thanks to you."

"I couldn't stay and let myself get stuck in the fire," he stated impassively. "At least you got out okay. I would have felt terrible if anything had happened."

"Oh, sure," she smirked in response. "Now Gabriel we know you're not really here because you're feeling guilty so you can stop the nice act. You just want me not to say anything about Kerry."

"I do feel bad for leaving you Andrea, I panicked. I did try to help you at first. Let me move on and start a fresh. I won't make mistakes again."

"Do you think I'm an idiot Gabriel? Or should I say, David Kent?"

"Do not mention that name!" Gabriel threatened, leaning over Andrea's bedside. "No one needs to find out about that. You've already put a dent in the police's reputation, do you want to do more damage? If I hear any rumours about you digging into my past, I will kill you. After all, I've done it before."

"So much for making a new start," Andrea scoffed. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see what I do."

"Ah PC Kent, this wasn't where I expected to find you when you wandered off," a voice belonging to Inspector Gold rang out across the hospital ward. Glaring at Andrea coldly she continued, "Spit spot! We've got a busy day ahead."

Gabriel turned and gave Andrea one last menacing look before following the Inspector out.