Chapter 9

Gene had spent the ride in the air ambulance in perfect silence. In fact, he was fairly sure that Simon had said more than he had and Simon was in an extremely deep comatose state. Gene had spent the whole journey staring at him while the paramedics did their best to keep him stable and alive. There wasn't much of him to look at that resembled the Simon he knew. His head looked deformed, swollen and battered. Gene flinched as he remembered his journey skipping through time in another world, witnessing the deaths and the accidents of those who he knew so well. He remembered seeing Simon with the dent in his head from the server.

"Poor bugger," he mumbled under his breath, "at least yer have a manly reason for having a hole in the head this time."

That was the only thing Gene said on the entire journey.

As they arrived at the hospital there was a flurry of activity around them as someone informed them that theatre was being prepared.

"You've got five minutes," one of the paramedics told Gene with a hand on his shoulder.

Gene didn't quite follow.

"What do you mean I've got five minutes?" he demanded, "giving me a lethal injection or something?"

"With your son," the paramedic explained before they left Gene with a certain amount of privacy.

Gene hated to admit that it took several moment before he even realised they were talking about Simon. He felt fairly guilty for that. But he'd only known for such a short time, it still felt unreal to think about it.

"'Son'," he scoffed slightly, shaking his head, "pain the bloody backside, more like." He glanced at Simon, what he could see of him. He didn't like this, not at all. This was one of those situations that made him want to run for the hills.

He bowed his head slightly so that he didn't have to look at Simon as he said;

"Funny. I always thought it would be easier to talk to you when you can't answer back. But this is even harder, knowing you can't respond with a 'this reminds me of that episode of The X Files when…'." He pulled a face like someone who'd found a job sucking lemons for a living. "You know, I've got me perfect opportunity right here, haven't I? Could say anything I bloody well want to you and you've got no right of reply. Could be fairly useful," he hesitated and shuddered, "especially now I've taught you how to punch properly." He flinched, "not that you haven't caught me right on one or two occasions already."

He drew in a very deep breath feeling unsteady suddenly. He supposed the shock of the blast was only just starting to sink in.

"Lost me station, Shoebury," he mumbled, "it's fallen down around me ankles. Bolly's god knows where. Got metal Mickey of all people off on a mission. Am I going to lose me best friend too?" he cursed himself for saying such a thing. "Sound like I'm in the school ruddy playground playing conkers," he mumbled. He shook his head. "Hate to say this… but I'm used to having you around, Simon." He closed his eyes. "Not just to send off for lattes or when I need someone to take the piss out of. Good having a bit of company. No offence to Bols, but sometimes you need a bit of male bonding time. And yer not like a proper poof," he added, not sure whether he had just created the biggest backhanded compliment ever or not, "s'pose you made me change me views a bit. Though we could do with weaning you off of QPR and onto a proper football club."

He sank back down again, his eyes darting around to make sure he wasn't going to be overheard before he said,

"This what it was like for you, was it? When I had me fun adventures off in two thousand and bollocks? I was the one with the hole in me head. What did you say to me then?" he gave a shrug, wishing he'd heard whatever it was Simon had said to him. "Wake up and bloody tell me so I can say it to you, alright?" but Simon just laid there. What had Gene expected? His condition was critical, and as a mob of medical experts came rushing towards them Gene was reminded just how delicate his situation was. He turned to Simon, facing the damage head on for the first time. It made him swallow back nausea, the state of the man. How was he going to survive this?

Was he going to survive this?

"You'll be OK, Son ," he mumbled gruffly and stepped back to let the doctors and the surgeons take over. Simon's life was in their hands. All Gene could do now was to pray they could hand it back to him.

~xXx~

Kim drew back against the wall around the corner, out of the view of the young brunette she hadn't seen in almost a decade. She became aware of how heavily her heart was pounding. It almost hurt. As she leaned against the cold, rough bricks she pressed her hand to her chest, feeling it beat. God, it was going crazy. She knew there was more than one reason behind it; a mix of seeing her first love again when she'd never thought it possible coupled with the shock of it and then the fear of being seen by her – altogether it had left her feeling highly emotional and her heart was illustrating the point perfectly.

"Fuck," she whispered as she tried to catch her breath. She closed her eyes as she leaned backwards. So many memories came back to her; the night they met at the club, the way they danced the night away, the buzz she got deep inside every time that she saw Shaz's beautiful, warm smile, the way she felt the first time they kissed, the night she slipped her back to the sofa only to get sprung the following morning and then that night, the most wonderful night – the L word had passed between them.

"Shit –" she shook her head as she thought back to it. It was so long ago now and so much water had passed under the bridge since then. Kim knew that for Shaz it had been a far shorter time. She also knew that Shaz had been told she was dead. She couldn't let her see her, there was no way.

She felt sure her heartbeat was getting stronger. It thumped away so hard in her chest that she could hear it in her ears as she breathed in and out, leaning against the wall. It didn't sound like the usual thumping of a pulse that she might hear in her head now and then, it was louder. It sounded more like listening to a baby's heartbeat on a Doppler, so loud and vibrant.

She reached up and let her other hand join the first against her chest as it pounded and thumped and she found her head spinning. All of a sudden she felt dizzier and weaker, as though something was overwhelming her. There was a sudden intense pain that struck her in her chest and stole a pained gasp from her lips. She sank down to the ground, the rough wall scratching her back on the way, and sat on the floor, her knees pressed against her chest as she gasped for breath and listened to the loud heartbeat in her ears as it grew to a crescendo, so loud that she almost couldn't take it, and it felt for all the world as though her whole body might just burn up in an instant. She heard a sudden flat tone in her head, so loud that her ears were actually hurting, and then a steady beep until a hand on her shoulder pulled her out of the horrible haze she'd fallen into and as though waking from a nightmare her eyes opened wide and everything was normal once again, except for the racing of her pulse.

She glanced up in shock and found a concerned Jake standing there,

"Ma'am?" he frowned, "are you alright?"

Kim gulped for air, trying to soothe her anxiety. She wasn't sure what had happened or how she had ended up on the floor. In fact, she remembered very little of the last few moments at all. Slowly, shakily she climbed to her feet and dusted herself down.

"Sorry," she mumbled quietly.

"Are you OK?" Jake asked again, "you look… maybe it's the shock… I should check you over…"

"I'm fine," Kim took a step back. Why the hell was the scruffy guy with his shirt open going to check her over? "you're… the first aider?"

Jake nodded.

"Yes."

Kim bit her lip. The last first aider she'd known injured people to practice on and applied tourniquets 'for fun'. She shook her head a little.

"As long as you're better than the last first aider we had –" she caught herself and flinched –"they had." She shook her head. This was just making her feel worse. "Look… DS Dawson?" Jake nodded, "did you get the statement from the driver?"

Jake nodded.

"I did," he said, handing Kim a sheet of paper. She scanned it as he explained in person, "male, described as middle-aged, dark hair, wore glasses, medium build, tall from what the driver could tell. Whacked him with something metal. "

Kim flinched at the description. It was all too familiar.

"Keats," she whispered, a horrible mix of anger and fear raging inside of her. "Listen, Dawson, I have to get moving. I know who it was and where he is now. I need to get after him before it's too late."

"Too late?" Jake repeated, "for what?" he paused, "for whom?"

Kim hesitated. She didn't dare say too much in case she was wrong.

"It.. it doesn't matter, but I'll need your help," she said.

Jake glanced around.

"I… I don't want to be disrespectful," he began, "but I need to stay with Marci. I can't leave her on her own. She's the one who –"

Kim nodded as he trailed off.

"Lost someone," she sighed, "Right."

Jake nodded.

"Eddie," he said and Kim froze. That name was as familiar as hell.

"Eddie," she whispered. She turned to Jake with wide eyes, "Eddie Ashworth? The stapler guy?

"You knew him?"

Kim closed her eyes for a moment. She had been the first one whose clothes Eddie had attempted to 'wish away'. She'd also been the one to take him in hand and try to calm him down, help him to accept that the world was not a dream and he had a reason for being there. All of a sudden that felt like training. She felt a hasty sense of sadness.

"Yeah, I knew him," she said quietly. Fuck, Eddie. He'd been one of the 'floaters'. Had he died in the real world? Had he made it home? Or was he at the pub? She drew in her breath. "OK, Dawson, that's fine, you should stay here. What I need is a radio, and for you to stay on the other end of it." She hesitated, feeling her stomach flip over as she added, "and… the woman you pointed out to me…"

"Shaz?" asked Jake "I mean, WPC Granger…" he shook his head, "sorry, that should be police sergeant Granger."

Kim blinked.

"Oh?" she said innocently.

Jake nodded.

"She just got a promotion tonight. Before the blasts."

Kim nodded slowly. It felt like she'd arrived in the middle of a big shift. That didn't surprise her. She knew the world experienced them now and then.

"Don't mention me," she said.

Jake looked understandably confused.

"Wh-why not?" he frowned.

Kim wasn't sure herself. How the hell was she going to cover for this one?"

"This is a very delicate operation," she said quietly, "there are lives in danger and the fewer people who know what's happening the better. This is extremely serious, DS Dawson," she stared at him, "do you understand?"

Jake nodded anxously.

"Perfectly."

"Good," Kim swallowed, trying to keep her hands in her pockets so he couldn't see them shaking, "I need a radio. I'll be in touch when I need help. I might need back up, or I might need an ambulance." She paused, "one with real paramedics this time. I'm not sure. But I'll be in touch when I need them. They'll be called to Fenchurch West. Alright?"

"What?" Jake frowned.

"Don't ask, just do it!" Kim barked, watching Jake reeling a little from her tone.

"Fine, alright," he backed away, his hands in the air as though surrendering.

Kim watched him racing away in pursuit of a radio, then closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. This was it. Confirmation. Keats had them in his clutches.

"Not for long," she whispered, just trying to believe that.

It felt like her life had been leading to this moment. This was her purpose. It always had been, but now her leap had delivered her right to the moment. She wasn't about to let them down.

Just hold on. I'm coming, Rob. I'm coming, Ma'am.

Showdown.

~xXx~

A/N: There are only about 4 or 5 chapters left of this fic now (plus an epilogue) :( I think this has been my favourite to write, and I'm going to be very sad to see the end of it. When I post the epilogue I'm going to be making an important announcement. Thank you to everyone who is reading and enjoying this story, and a heads up that the next chapter will be very dark.