At your door
Chapter 24
No matter how many times Lindsay worked and reworked the figures, the result was the same. She had been calculating tides, wind speed, swells and allowing for every variable she could think of. But the same places kept coming up, places that had been searched, and re searched and then of course, searched again by Don. Sheldon and Danny accompanying him.
Mac sat wearily next to Lindsay, taking in her tired and pale face.
"Where's Lucy?" he asked "I know Danny went out with Don at first light, and you were here when I got back here"
"She's with Danny's parents" Lindsay rubbed at her eyes "I got up with Danny and came straight in"
"You didn't have to" Mac replied "I was here most of the night, and I have done what you have too, I got the same places"
"Search and rescue will have already worked them out" she pushed the mouse mat away in disgust "She's gone isn't she?"
Mac sat thoughtfully for a moment "I think so" he said sadly "It's been too long"
"Nearly 24 hours" Lindsay looked at her watch needlessly.
Mac's cell rang, the name on the speed dial was caught by both of them. Lindsay swallowed hard.
"Sid" Mac said quietly.
"On my way" he looked at Lindsay as he cut the call.
"It is her?" Lindsay asked shakily.
"Sid doesn't know, though the description fits" Mac replied "He's just had a call saying the search teams found a body and he wants...he wants me to go down there. Don will have heard and he'll probably be on his way"
"I'm coming" Lindsay stood, waving away Mac's protestations "She was my friend Mac and Danny is with Don, we can't let him do this alone"
Mac merely nodded, catching sight of Jo as she came out of the elevator. With a heavy heart he approached her. His austere veneer was sorely tested as he saw Jo attempt to hide her reaction.
"Is she not coming?" Lindsay asked as Jo headed further into the lab.
"Yes, she'll follow us down" Mac called the elevator "She's going to get Adam"
"Adam" Lindsay gave a half smile "Why do we all forget him?"
"I was trying to spare him" Mac replied "But Jo's right, he needs to be in the loop as much as the rest of the team"
…...
Sid Hammerback had waited for Mac's arrival before he approached the table. The body was encased in a body bag, the form beneath totally still. Sid sighed as the elevator doors slid open and Mac stepped out with Lindsay.
"I've done this too many times" he greeted them.
"We all have Sid" Lindsay put a hand on his arm.
"We need to know Sid" Mac added "Before Don gets here"
"I know" Sid pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingertips "Just a minute"
Mac understood his hesitation. Once the bag was unzipped, that was it, there was no more hope, no more wild theories as to why Kate hadn't been found. There would just be pain and grief, and a husband and children to support.
Sid took a deep breath and started to unzip the bag, he only dared to look when he got the zip to the chest area. He made an involuntary noise, gripping the side of the table with enough force to make his knuckles turn white.
Unable to stand it Mac ripped at the side of the bag, a woman's face greeted him, peaceful in death. But it wasn't Kate's.
"My God!" Lindsay put her hand across her mouth, turning away in relief, movement caught her eye as she saw Danny trying to stop Don from storming in to autopsy. Sheldon also trying to reason with him, they may as well have been trying to stop a hurricane for all the effect they were having.
Meeting them at the door Lindsay held a hand out to Don.
"It's not her!" she said urgently "It's not Kate!"
Sighs of relief came from Sheldon and Danny, echoed by Jo and Adam who had come off the elevator unseen behind them. Don merely stood and looked at Lindsay.
"I need to see for myself" he said "Sid? Mac?"
"Come on" Sid beckoned him forward "I know you do"
"I knew she wasn't dead" he told the corpse gently.
…...
"You don't have to nursemaid me" Don said sourly.
"I want to be here" Danny said calmly "I want to know too"
"I know" Don stood pacing to the window of the conference room "And I'm grateful"
"Don't mention it" Danny said.
"It's been 36 hours Danny" Don sighed after long minutes "They might never find her now"
"Don I'm so sorry" what else could he say?
He looked away from the figure at the window, the lab continued to work around them although it was coming to the end of the day. Adam remained at the station in the AV lab, Jo and Lindsay were at their desks and Mac presumably at his. Sheldon had stayed in autopsy with Sid, sensing Sid needed someone with him, someone to talk to, and someone to support and be supported by when and if Kate's body did come in.
He didn't notice Don turn around at first, but when he did he did notice the determined face, the slightly furrowed brow.
"Can I ask you a favour?" Don said.
"Anythin' buddy" Danny nodded.
"Will you" Don swallowed "Will you come back home with me? I have to tell the kids and although Sam is there, you and DJ are close... Could you..." he faltered not being able to bring himself to finish the sentence.
"Of course" Danny stood beside his friend, ready to give whatever help and support he needed right now.
…...
Jo followed Lindsay's line of sight, she was watching Don and Danny. Since they had returned from autopsy Danny had sat with Don in the conference room. Don didn't want to go home and the commander of the search and rescue had banned him from the search areas.
The precinct was too busy, the noise and disruption something Don usually thrived on but not today. Here was the best place for him to wait.
Danny approached Lindsay as Don waited in the hallway, staring through the glass wall at the bank of lights on some machine who's name he could pronounce, let alone work.
"I'm, ah, gonna head back with him" Danny said to Lindsay and Jo quietly "He's gonna tell the kids"
"You want me to come?" Lindsay offered.
"No babe" Danny kissed her cheek "Go stay at my folks with Lucy. I don't know how long I'll be"
"Oh those poor children" Jo said sadly "And oh God, what the hell will he do?"
"He'll get through somehow" Danny told her "He's a fighter"
"Danny?" Lindsay stopped him "I didn't want to say in front of Don, but, Georgie has come round and the hospital released Stella, they've both asked about seeing him..."
"No" Danny decided "Not tonight"
Both women nodded in agreement as he left.