Stepping Aside
"Ok, April. Here is your medication for the day. Separate from the others since we've included your pre-natal vitamins." A nurse smiled as she walked over to AJ who was sitting in one of the lounge rooms in the psych unit. She felt like a child being told what to do, but she knew cooperation was her quickest ticket out of here, and as far as she knew she was getting out later tonight, "What is that your making?" She asked AJ.
"Uh… it's supposed to be a house." AJ nodded, looking on at the house made out of sticks. Most of the people around her were just sitting staring into thin air, others were breaking the sticks, but she seemed to have built a mansion out of hers, "I can't get the door right." She admitted truthfully as the nurse sat down beside her at her table.
"Try turning it the other way." The nurse said, volunteering to help whilst AJ took her medication for the day, "That doesn't look too bad." She smiled as AJ nodded.
"Yeah." AJ agreed, "Thank you." She smiled pleasantly as the nurse nodded.
"It's the best one I've saw so far." The nurse smiled, "How is your head doing?" She asked.
"Itchy." AJ said, "I just want the stitches out already." She admitted truthfully.
"They'll be out soon." The nurse smiled, "How has the therapy been going?" She asked. Most of the staff were lovely, and AJ had a ton of respect for them and how patient they were with everyone. She had been moved to the psych unit immediately once she had been stitched up a few days ago after her accident. Because her accident was partly encouraged by her manic episode, her doctor referred her to the psych unit.
"Ok." AJ nodded to her, "I just really wanna go home now and be with my daughter and my boyfriend." She said. Seeing Nova yesterday just made her realise how much she longed to come home now.
"I didn't know you had a daughter." The nurse said as AJ nodded, "What age is she?"
"She's five." AJ nodded, "Her name is Nova Gabrielle." AJ smiled, "And she's just a shrunk down version of me." She laughed a little, "Which… I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, given where I am." She looked around and shook her head.
"I think it's a good thing." The nurse smiled, "And you're expecting another one." She said, "What are you hoping for?" She asked.
"A healthy baby." AJ nodded, "It really doesn't bother me what the gender is." She admitted as the nurse smiled.
"Ahh, that's what everyone says. We all know we have our preferences." The nurse said as AJ smiled.
"No, really. I'd be happy with either." AJ nodded, playing around with one of the sticks, "I think I might have to leave my job." She blurted out, her lip quivering as the nurse frowned.
"Why? Why would you think that?" The nurse shook her head.
"I can't… I can't be on my meds when I'm working." She said, "I don't see things as clearly as I do when I'm-"
"When your manic?" The nurse asked as AJ turned to her.
"It sounds crazy, I know." AJ said, "But it's the truth. When I'm on my meds it's like… everything is dulled down. I can't see any writing on the wall. And when I'm off them, things come to me, things stick out to me more clearly."
"Is that why you stopped taking them?" The nurse asked.
"Well I stopped taking them by accident and then I just… I enjoyed not taking them." AJ nodded truthfully, "The world felt a lot more fun and… wild, you know." AJ turned to her as the nurse nodded along, "I done my job better. I was having sex every night." She recalled, "Serves me right being pregnant." She shook her head as the nurse laughed.
"A lot of people, when they go off their meds, think the world is a better, more fun place to be in. It's just your illness." The nurse nodded, "I'm sure you are great at your job when you're on your meds, and I don't think you'll have to leave it." She assured her as AJ just shrugged.
"I don't know." AJ sighed and shrugged, picking up a stick and shifting it onto the house she had made.
"Think positive thoughts." The nurse smiled and squeezed her shoulder, "Your last therapy session is in an hour. Maybe we should get some paint on that house." She nodded as AJ smiled.
"Alright, this is the first and last time we go over a run through of what we know." Punk said, standing in front of the officers in the station, "Three killings. All female in their twenties. All pregnant. All with the exact same stab wounds." Punk said, noticing a rookie talking over him, "Hey, motherfucker, you got something to say?" Punk looked over at the rookie as Seth whistled, "Huh?" Punk tested.
"No." The rookie shook his head.
"Good, I'm glad." Punk said, "Back to it. All the bodies were dumped in open spaces begging to be found. Body number two and three were presumed killed at the same time, only body number three was dumped the next day. For what reason, I don't know yet." Punk said, standing in front of the main board in the station as he wrote things up, "If they were killed at the same time then maybe we're considering two killers here. It's a possibility." Punk said, "The tyre marks that lead to the third body relate to a bigger car or a pick-up truck, that's important." He told them, "And what's also important is it seems the girls are being taken away somewhere to be killed, and then dumped afterwards, so we're looking for a place too, it could be somewhere as simple as a house, or it could be a cottage in the woods, we don't know. This is how fucking little evidence we have on this." He threw the folder down as they all looked at him.
"So we're looking at there being two killers, a pick-up truck or large car involved, and a place where they kill their victims." Seth added.
"We've had nothing for a few days now." One of the officers said, "There's other crime going on out there that we can't just ignore." He said as Punk turned to him.
"You got a girlfriend? Or a sister?" Punk asked him as the man nodded, "How would you like it if she was pregnant and someone stabbed her three times and then dumped her somewhere?" Punk said as the officer looked across at him, "Well that's how those girl's families are feeling. And we find whoever is behind it. This case isn't closing without me looking in those scum bags eyes." Punk made himself clear, "Alright, get to work." He nodded to them, throwing the board pen down as Seth and Dean walked over to him.
"You certainly don't take it easy on them." Dean chuckled, "Probably talking about you behind your back." He looked around at the station splitting up.
"Oh, let them talk I couldn't care less. They're here to work." Punk said. He was a different type of commissioner than Walter. Walter, since he was older, had a lighter commissioners job where his job really only was to make sure everything was running smoothly, as well as appearing at out of town board meetings, but Punk was still playing his role of sergeant, as well as commissioner, and if people didn't like the way he worked, he really didn't care.
"We've really not picked up on anything in a few days, though." Seth nodded, "I mean, it's like things have just gone silent."
"That doesn't mean we just forget about the case." He said, "We still look at all possibilities, in every crack we can get in, that's where the answers are found." He said.
"Is AJ coming back to work any time soon?" Dean asked.
"No, she's home tonight and she's taking some time off. She's not getting involved with this case."
"She's never left a case unsolved before." Seth said.
"Yeah, well she's in a psych unit in hospital right now. I think she's better leaving it, don't you think?" Punk turned to him as Seth looked at Punk.
"Are you alright, man?" Seth asked wearily, "You still not sleeping?" He wondered as Dean looked at Punk.
"Ever since I found out Ape is pregnant I keep having nightmares about her… and this fucking case." Punk said, "I just want to find whoever the killer or killers are." Punk said, "Before I go out of my mind." He said as Dean and Seth watched him walk off back to his office.
"Where is Punk?" Rocky ran up to Dean and Seth out of breath a little as they turned to him.
"He went to his office. Why?" Dean said.
"Witness." Rocky smiled with triumph, "Older women said she saw the first girl get taken. She's seventy and she was scared to come forward." He said, "He's in his office?" Rocky asked as Dean and Seth nodded, watching Rocky run off down the station to go tell Punk the promising news.
"You know, my legs work fine." AJ smiled up at Punk who was trying to guide her into the apartment, even though she was fully balanced on her feet.
"Right, sorry." Punk shook his head.
"Don't be." AJ smiled to him. She couldn't describe how good it felt to be back home in her apartment, in her own home comfort.
"Mommy I made up the couch for you, here look." Nova presented the couch to AJ who walked round and saw the cushions and the blanket waiting.
"Oh, you're such a precious girl." AJ smiled, crouching down in front of Nova who smiled, "Are you gonna take care of me whilst I'm off work?" She asked her.
"Yeah." Nova nodded as Punk smiled watching whilst putting AJ's bag over on the kitchen table, "I wanna make you soup like you do for me but I don't know how to." She shrugged sadly, "But I can bring you glasses of water." She nodded as AJ smiled.
"That's all I need." AJ smiled, kissing her forehead, "Go get your pyjamas on and we can watch a movie." She said as Nova smiled, running off to her bedroom. AJ knew that her home rehab had to consist of spending lots of time with her gorgeous daughter, having a routine, having plenty of rest and sleep, staying on her medication and getting back into the sway of things.
"You hungry?" Punk asked her as AJ looked across at him. He looked completely exhausted. His eyes were hanging out of his head.
"Philip Jack Brooks, have you been sleeping?" She looked across at him.
"Yeah." Punk nodded defensively as AJ folded her arms, "A little." He corrected himself, "It's just been busy that's all." He said as AJ walked over to him. She was dressed in sweats and a baggy t-shirt from leaving the hospital, wanting to be as comfy as possible.
"You have to take care of yourself too, you know." AJ nodded to him, cupping his cheek softly, "What's going on with the case?"
"Well I spent a total of five hours in an interview room with a seventy-year-old woman who saw the first victim get taken into a pick-up truck, but she said the victim went willingly, and it was a woman driver." Punk said, "You were right. How'd you know it was a woman?" He asked as AJ's brain began to do overtime.
"I uh… I had a feeling." AJ nodded, "That was it, you spent five hours with her and that's all you got?" AJ asked.
"The woman was scared. I spent four of those five hours convincing her we wouldn't arrest her for coming forward late with evidence." Punk shook his head, "She then gave me a hug and I drove her home. Helped her in with her groceries." Punk said as AJ smiled.
"You're too kind." AJ smiled, flicking his chin softly, "So that's good, right? Pick-up truck is a definite yes, and it's a woman."
"But the victim went willingly." Punk said, "And this is coming from a seventy-year-old." Punk shook his head.
"Hey, she might be old but she's not gonna waste our time. If she said that's what she saw, then you gotta take that evidence and roll with it." AJ nodded. She already was itching to get back. Once hearing that piece of news, about a new shed of light on the case, she wanted to get straight back into it, but she knew it wasn't good for her.
"Something still isn't clicking for me." Punk shook his head, "Why would the victim get in willingly? Is that how all of the victims got into the truck?" Punk asked, "It's not joining up my dots." He shook his head with frustration.
"I'm sure you will… figure it out." AJ nodded with confidence as Punk looked down at her. He knew this was killing her to stand aside, but he was also very proud of her for her knowing what was best for her at this moment.
"I know you're desperate to be a part of this." Punk nodded, running his fingers through her hair as she smiled.
"I know what's good for me." AJ said, "And that is getting myself back on my feet, spending time with Nova and keeping baby safe and healthy." AJ nodded as Punk smiled. It was great to see her thinking positive.
"Ok!" Nova exclaimed as she ran out of her bedroom where Ace chased after her, "I'm ready to watch a movie." She ran and jumped on the couch with the dog as AJ and Punk smiled to her.
"Are you gonna watch a movie with us?" AJ turned to Punk with a hopeful smile as Punk nodded.
"Yeah, I'll set one up." Punk nodded, kissing AJ on the lips softly.
"Yuck." Nova complained as she turned away from them and sunk down on the couch, "Don't look, Ace." Nova placed her hands gently over the large dog's eyes as AJ and Punk chuckled to themselves after breaking apart. AJ was glad to be home with her family.
A/N: Let me know what you think!