A.N. Whooo left y'all with a cliffie last chapter. How cruel of me~
She'd known about his records, had gone over them quickly and so had understood his heart condition. She hadn't thought it was that bad. She had to go through his records again, after processing the tests he'd requested, to double check, paling when she came to the same conclusion. He was in trouble. If Hardy didn't slow it down, he could easily give himself a heart attack. She called him up and said his results were in. "You know, I'm the last person I would have thought that you would ask to run those tests. I'm the doctor who could easily pull you off the task force, and yet you essentially show me your heart condition. Why?" She asks him as he walks in. Her voice was hard, pained almost. He frowned in confusion, unsure as to why she was this upset. Certainly being his medical practitioner, she was allowed to be upset, more so as his friend of sorts… but this felt more as though she cared even further, something that Hardy didn't want to consider for the time being.
"Because I feel as though I can trust you. I know you know I need to be on this case." She look a deep breath and looked up into his eyes, the emotions swirling in her ocean blues concerning him.
"There's no way that I can fail to advise you to quit your job and find something easier on you; but since I know you won't, and since I understand you better than you think, I won't tell your boss either." She murmured before rocking back in her chair with a sigh. Hardy closed his eyes, relieved, before opening them again. She had passed the test.
"So how bad is it?" He murmured his eyes serious. Faye opened her eyes to look at him, pain evident.
"Very bad." She whispered. "Why do you have to do this?"
"Penance." He muttered, causing her to frown.
"Your penance is attempting to kill yourself?"
"No, its to deal with these idiot people, and the sand and the open skies. I bloody hate it all, you're the only friendly face in this God-forsaken town and it drives me mad." Her eyes saddened as rage flared in his before she sat on her desk, facing him.
"You keep this up, Alec, and you'll die." Her murmuring his first name effected him more than he cared to admit.
"Bah you doctors and saying that I'm going die." It was a good natured joke, she knew, but still… she bowed her head.
"We just worry about you, me especially." She murmured.
"Now don't worry about me, Marcy. Worry about yourself." He murmured, gripping her shoulder comfortingly. She held his hand tightly, unsure as to why she needed him so close so badly.
She hadn't intended to stay up so late, but his health records, along with her own obsessive need to help those who were in pain, had demanded she search high and low for ways to help him. She was just coming into the door of the Traders when she heard Hardy arguing with a woman.
"You turned me over, you'll never get anything out of me as long as I'm breathing." She opened the door to the woman's retort but her eyes were fixed on Hardy's furious face.
"No you let that family down; I sat with them after the trial. They still don't have any closure and I'll not let you do that to another family." Faye stepped in right about then as Becca appeared to be out for the night.
"I believe that's enough you two." Faye's voice was icier than she'd intended, startling Hardy into looking at her. Her eyes, usually so warm and laughing, were as cold and wet as the ice and locked onto the reporter in front of him.
"I suggest we all get some sleep, as it will likely be a long day tomorrow for all of us." The woman leered at Faye a moment, intrigued when she held her ground. Seeing no end to the fight, Hardy was the first one to leave, sighing and climbing the stairs. Faye followed him, guarding him from the reporter.
"I appreciate you stepping in, but watch your back around her." Hardy murmured as they moved up the stairs and out of earshot. "She'll stab you in the back to climb higher in the journalism world."
The conference at the school would be hard on Hardy, she knew, and so she went to it herself, remaining silent as accusations disguised as questions were thrown at him. She wanted to help, but there was nothing she could do and she knew it. So she remained sat silently, watching him.
She followed him on the way out afterwards, not missing the man badgering him. Only once Hardy was rid of him did she jog up.
"Having trouble with the local's detective?" She asked him, drawing his frustrations towards her.
"The bloody idiot thinks he received a message from Danny from beyond the dead. Now he thinks that since he got a lucky guess in that he's right and that I should heed every other of his psychic warnings." He snarled his eyes fiery. She reached out without thinking and gripped his arm comfortingly. The look he gave her was a tired yet grateful one, the fire diminished slightly by her cool touch.
"You've still got Miller for logic." She murmured to him, making him shake his head.
"She's too emotionally involved. She hasn't got a head for this but I haven't got anyone else."
"You've got me." Faye hummed before turning to see her coming towards them, talking to Susan. "Speak of the devil." Hardy turned to watch his partner speak to the other woman, Marcy's off-the-cuff remark ringing in his ears. He had her did he? She had proven herself useful on more than one occasion… but to involve her in such a large case? He wasn't sure if she could handle that much information about the boy she'd cared for.
Hardy and Faye listened to Miller argue with Susan before Miller headed towards the car. Faye nodded at Hardy.
"I'll see you later." He nodded in return before grumbling at Miller even as the small town paper people made a beeline for the two. Faye escaped quickly, intent on trying to help Hardy.
She was back at the hotel early, hoping to catch Hardy having remembered he hadn't filled up his prescription in awhile. A fresh set of pills for him in hand, she waited awhile before setting up to research. She was just getting into it when she heard the thumping of stumbling. She was up in a heartbeat and going for her door, watching as Hardy slipped into his room, his frame sagging and swaying. Something was wrong, she could feel it. She rushed over and slid into his room, listened to him rattle around and knew he was looking for his pills. Grateful she had his refill in her pocket she moved to find him – only to catch him as he fell in the bathroom.
"Alec!" She gasped, managing to keep him from hitting his head. "Alec, oh God Alec, please wake up." She whimpered, sliding to the floor with him, caressing his cheek in an attempt to rouse him. When he didn't move she looked around before moaning and looking down at him. If he went to a hospital he'd be taken off the case. But she wasn't sure if she could handle his case… she gnawed on her lip before lifting him up with a grunt. She'd have to do her best.
She managed to get him into his bed and stripped him down to his boxers, socks and undershirt before sliding him under the covers. A quick trip to her clinic yielded an IV and the fluids she needed, along with anything else she may need to care for him with. Her clininc wasn't meant for surgical processes as she wasn't a surgeon, but she had enough there she would be able to keep someone alive until help arrived. There was a knock on the door, one that Faye was forced to answer.
"Doctor Marcy? What are you doing in Detective Hardy's room?" It was Becca, concerned it seemed. Faye decided to go with a partial truth.
"DI Hardy fell and bumped his head it seems. I heard the bang so I'm just here making sure he's fine, which he is, just some minor bruising and a headache once he wakes up." Becca nodded her thanks.
"Yeah the tenant downstairs was complaining. Thanks Doctor Marcy." Nodding in return, Faye closed the door and returned to Hardy's bedside to settle in for a long night of watching him.
When he woke, he was disoriented at first. The last thing he could remember was the bathroom and the faintness- he heard soft footfalls and looked over to see an exhausted looking Doctor Marcy holding a cup of tea and staring at him, her lips thin with displeasure.
"Good to see you awake." She muttered crisply, moving over to his bedside and setting the tea down. Hardy winced at the tone.
"What happened?" He rumbled, already working the IV from his arm.
"You fainted. I heard you coming up and followed you in. Caught you and tried to wake you up. When that failed I looked after you overnight since I didn't want any other doctors possibly finding your condition and taking you off the team." Her tone was unimpressed and grim as she took over for him, saving him the trouble. "Why didn't you tell me you needed a refill?" She whispered suddenly, pain evident, even though she refused to meet his eyes.
"I completely forgot. I've got a few things on my hands right now, so my medication was the last thing on my mind." He watched her carefully, startled when she stood suddenly, still not meeting his gaze.
"I'd tell you to stay in bed and rest, but I know you won't so I'll just beg you to take it easy. Please." She made the mistake of looking at him, hurt and anger evident before she walked away quickly, though not before he caught sight of the tears. His chest constricted and he looked away, only to spot his refill on the desk. He felt his gut clench in response. She was there for him, cared for him, even though he was nothing but a pain to her. There weren't too many people in his life like that, and he figured it was time he stopped taking her for granted.
She didn't show up for church, was too busy with research, nor did she show for the reenactment. Truth is Hardy didn't see Faye for a couple days, and he wasn't sure if this concerned him or not. She managed to avoid him in the hallways, and wouldn't answer the door when he knocked. It seemed he'd truly upset and hurt her this time, and decided to give her, her space. There was only so much worry a woman could deal with after all.
She wasn't avoiding him in all actuality. She was researching methods to assist in the cure of Alec's heart condition – or to at least help him deal with his stress load. She did keep up with the news though, her heart breaking for him and Jack. The truth was she had been spending her nights asleep at her desk, papers spilled out in front of her, folders piling atop her desk.
Much to her frustration, however, she found nothing remotely helpful for Hardy's condition, though she knew the media wasn't helping. After Jack's suicide, things became worse for Hardy and Faye worried for him. The stress of dealing with the townspeople on top of this sudden slam to his ego wouldn't be beneficial to his health, and she knew it.
"Worst cop in England my ass." She whispered to the paper before tossing it onto her desk. She'd performed the autopsy of Jack herself, much to her further regret, but she felt as though she needed to be the one to do it. The issue was, it made it that much harder to go to the funeral.
The service was nothing more than an overdressed accusation thrown at Hardy and she knew it, yet she could only grit her teeth as the Vicar glared down at the solemn detective. She hadn't sat next to him as she hadn't wanted to bother him, but now she'd wished she had, if only return the blaming gaze back to the Vicar. If his God was so fucking powerful, why didn't He stop Jack Himself? Hardy was only human, she wanted to scream, lay the fuck off!
The memorial service was slightly less tense, and an opportune moment for Hardy to investigate. After his confrontation with Paul, however, his energy was sapped for the moment, and his world started to fade. Strong arms and a familiar scent surrounded him and caught him however, a familiar tone lightly teasing him. Hardy had never been so grateful to hear Doctor Marcy's voice.
"There's a foot there, Detective." She managed to tease him as she hefted him up and into a chair, causing those around him to chuckle. She crouched in front of him when everyone else looked away. "You okay?" She murmured, her eyes searching, her hands bracing him.
"Yeah, fine." He was looking down and away, lying, but he wouldn't admit it. Faye's eyes saddened before she discreetly passed him the pills she'd packed just in case. He took them and the cup she passed him, gratefully.
"Thank you." He rasped, closing his eyes. He heard her dress rustle, then her hand in his hair, smoothing it. He sighed contentedly as she straitened the locks, causing her to freeze.
"Sorry." She murmured, pulling away. He shook his head, looking back up at her, still dazed it seemed.
"I enjoyed it." He confessed. Her answering smile was warm before she raised her hand to straiten his hair once again, his eyes closing in pleasure. He missed Miller's raised eyebrows as a result. Faye, however didn't. She'd talk with the woman later.
The rest of the service went well and before Faye went back to the hotel, she stopped Miller to talk to her.
"I was hoping I could ask you a favor." Faye asked, causing the woman to raise her eyebrows.
"That was a bit abrupt." Faye looked over Millers shoulder, watching Hardy speak to someone, making sure he didn't see her.
"I know, but I haven't got a lot of time. If something happens to DI Hardy, anything at all, would you please give me a ring?" She murmured, looking Miller in the eye. The woman smiled and nodded, winking conspiritorily.
"I'll do that. And don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She murmured in a hushed tone before moving away, smiling. Secret? Faye wondered, baffled. What secret?
Faye had only been in the Trader for a bit, pacing in her room. Something didn't feel right. Alec kept rising in her mind, nagging her to go see him. But what if he didn't want to see her? What if he got upset at her for visiting him at work? She hissed under her breath, frustrated.
It wasn't as if he never visited her at work, so why couldn't she visit him? There was nothing saying the local family doctor couldn't go see if the local DI needed anything. Her mind made up, she grabbed her coat and hurried out.
It was dark when she left, and it appeared the police station was empty, though unlocked and the lights were still on. She wandered inside, cautious and curious. She's only been in the building twice before, and she hadn't gotten a grand tour. The harsh breathing she heard, though, distracted her from the ideas of exploring.
"Hardy?" She called, concern lacing her voice. Sobbing was her reply and she scurried over to him when she managed to locate him in front of a large board. He was sobbing into his hands, his head hanging and his body curled to make himself as small as possible. She was in front of him an instant, then in his lap, her arms around him in the next. He froze a moment before recognizing her and leaning into her, allowing her to cradle his sobbing form tightly to her chest. She felt him cling to her, felt his tears soak her blouse and his legs come up to push her closer still to him. She only held him tighter still.
"I feel so alone." He rasped into her, moaning quietly when she attempted to sooth him by running her fingers through his hair once again.
"You're not alone." She murmured in response. "You've got me." She looked down, into his agonized eyes. "I know we haven't known each other long, or very well, but you've still got me in your corner, no matter what." She whispered. His response was to stare at her before leaning into her, sobbing once more.
"Come on, let's get you back to the Traders." She murmured to him once he'd calmed a little, hefting him up when he didn't respond. She managed to get him out to her car, and locked the building up with his keys for him.
The trip to the Trader was short and silent except for his harsh breathing as he attempted to pull himself together, her free hand wound tight in his own two. The hallway was mercifully free of Becca or any other patrons as Faye helped Alec up the stairs, the man now stony silent, his head bowed.
She had planned on simply parting ways with him once she got him to his door, but the shadowy eyes had her reconsidering her plan. Mind made up she reached in front of them and opened his door, stepping inside with him, and closing the door behind her.