Sunburn, and sunstroke has kept me indoors and the result is writing fic hehe ;)
Chapter 36
Nikki had been snuggling with Harry for over an hour; her caresses and kisses had Harry completely mesmerised. She didn't want to break the physical contact with Harry; she was addicted. Nevertheless, Nikki realised that Leo must have been worried, she explained to Harry that they needed to contact Leo and that they had to decide what they were going to do about Hughes.
Harry changed his clothes, whilst Nikki sat and stared at the spot on the sofa that Hughes had been sat the previous night. She felt nauseous at the thought of him, at the thought of the driver too; she still couldn't comprehend what they had done to her, how they had made her feel. She was clueless, she didn't know how she was supposed to act, what she was supposed to feel; the only thing that she knew for certain was how she felt about Harry. She knew that if she was going to get through this dark period she had to focus her energy on that, but she was afraid, since every time she closed her eyes she saw them, saw herself and felt their violation.
"Nik? I'm ready, are you okay?" Harry took her hand and helped her to her feet.
"After everything I have told you over the past hour... and now I'm struggling, Harry it's not going to be easy is it?"
"No Niks... not at all." He placed a hand around her neck and rubbed it with his thumb to sooth her, he knew that she was referring to their assault on her, and the mental trauma she suffered.
"But it will get better though? Won't it?" She was talking about her memories and her nightmares.
"Yes, yes it will, my love. Now... first we need to get this to Leo." He held up the plastic bag containing his bloody shirt, then took Hughes' glass tumbler from the coffee table and placed that in the bag too.
Leo checked his watch for the fourth time, it had been thirty minutes since Nikki had called from Harry's mobile, saying that they were on their way back to work. He sat back down at his desk in the office and looked blankly at the computer screen in front of him; he hadn't felt quite this fraught with uneasiness since that Saturday morning, when the frantic phone call from Harry shook him from his hangover. However, that was 17 days ago and much had happened in that short space of time.
Leo was about to check his e-mail when he heard the outer door to the lab buzz and click. He looked through the glass from his office waiting to see who had entered; he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Nikki's unmistakable giggle. They walked past his office arm in arm, and Leo hurried to meet them.
He stepped from his office and grabbed Nikki into a protective hug. Harry smiled at the sight of their embrace and then, turned away, knowing he had some explaining to do. Leo looked at him,
"Harry... where the hell have you been. You've had us worried sick. What the hell were you thinking?" He let go of Nikki and she moved to stand with Harry,
"Leo! Just leave it-" She tried to defend his actions,
"Nikki, he can't just run off and go around punching people just-"
"Leo, leave him-"
"Leo, Nik, look it's okay, yes you're right Leo. And I'm sorry I had you both worried. I wasn't thinking straight. I saw red and I lost it, but it's going to be okay... there's another way." He held up the plastic bag,
"What other way?" Anger had left Leo and was replaced with curiosity.
"These, a glass from my flat, one that Hughes drank from and my shirt; I hit him pretty hard, it's got his blood splattered on the cuffs and arms." Harry removed both items from the bag and handed them to Leo.
"Excellent Harry. I'll get started. I knew you had a brain in there... somewhere." Leo winked and patted Harry on the arm, and Harry knew that things were fine between them.
Harry turned to Nikki and she examined the small cut above his eyebrow; she kissed his wound and kissed his bandaged hand. Her smile was sunny; Harry felt as though he was the luckiest man on the planet. He kissed her cheek,
"I'm going to check on Leo, I'll be back in 5, and then we, should really call DCI Kempster. Okay Nik? Are you okay to wait here?" He squeezed her hand.
"Yes, I'll be in here, I'll check on some tox reports while I wait."
Nikki sat herself at Harry's desk and dialed the familiar number. She spoke with the toxicologist on the phone and was reassured with how easy she slipped back into 'patient' Dr Alexander, always chasing late tox reports. Her heart sank when it dawned on her that it would be at least another week or so until she was back in the cutting room where she belonged; laughing and joking with Harry and Leo.
Charlie, walked through the lab and Nikki was glad to see her, the atmosphere was welcoming and familiar, she wandered over to Charlie and tapped her on the shoulder,
"Hi" Nikki smiled
"Doctor Alex- Nikki... it's good to see you, you look much, well it's good to see you." Charlie grabbed her and hugged her like an old friend.
The door to the lab buzzed and clicked but the women presumed that it was either Harry or another colleague. Still, chatting and smiling Nikki turned to the person that had entered the room and sat themselves at Harry's desk,
"Hello Nicola, tut, tut, tut... what did I say about telling people?"
Nikki stopped. Her blood froze. Her mouth dried. She sensed panic was setting in and her brain wouldn't process the information that her eyes were sending her. She felt sick; she knew that she would vomit; instinctively her hand reached for the work surface and before she knew it her stomach contents were in a pool on the floor of the lab.
Nikki felt Charlie's hand rubbing her back, she knew she was talking but she couldn't make out the words that she was saying; she saw Hughes from the corner of her eye, and so she closed them. Her heart was beating in her throat and she heaved and wretched once more. She sensed Hughes stand and move towards where Charlie was trying to help her; she couldn't verbalise the fear that she felt, she simply cried out for Harry.
"Harry, get Harry, get Harry, I need Harry."
Unaware of the danger that Hughes posed, Charlie hurried to find Harry at Nikki's request. Nikki watched as Charlie exited through the double doors; tears streamed as she realised she was alone with Hughes, once more. She wouldn't left him hurt her, he couldn't; she would do anything to keep him away from her.
Hughes stood directly in front of her; he placed his arms either side of her, preventing her from escaping him. He moved his face towards hers to steel a kiss and she slapped him, heat seared through the palm of her hand but it was satisfying. She spat in his face; Hughes stepped back more from shock than pain and Nikki saw the rage rise within him, his face contorted and before his fist made contact with her body she pulled a rack of glass vials and threw them at his raised hands. The glass shattered across his fists and he yelled out in frustration; Nikki made as dash for the telephone on Harry's desk but before she reached the receiver Hughes grabbed her by her hair and tugged on it viciously making her cry out in pain.
Determined, Nikki took a step back aiming precisely on Hughes' foot, she stamped with her heel and when he doubled over in pain, she turned and kneed him as hard as she could between the legs; he crouched to the floor swearing and cursing obscenities, "bitch", "slut", "Whore"...
The words that he used called out to the memories that Nikki had concerning that night. They terrorised her, with each word she felt a slap, a punch, cramping and violation. She stood and watched Hughes scramble to his feet as the words tortured her again; she hated him, she hated what they'd done to her, she hated the way that they made her feel. Nikki Alexander was possessed by an insufferable agony, an uncontrollable rage, transfixed she reached for the nearest object and crashed it down onto Hughes, again and again; Nikki smashed the heavy object over him until she lost her grip, yet that didn't stop her from kicking... and kicking... and kicking until her legs ached and she was finally held back by someone who was shouting at her to "stop".
Through her tears she saw that it was Harry that had hold of her arms from behind. Hughes lay bloody and motionless on the floor, Leo and a security guard checked his pulse. Unable to remain steady on her feet, Nikki collapsed but was caught by Harry; he held her up and pulled her to his chest as she sobbed incoherently into him.
"He's okay. Harry take her into my office and call the police." Leo stood and motioned to the security guard to take Hughes out,
"Get him out of here will you... take him somewhere Doctor Alexander won't see him while we wait for the police to arrive."
Well? xx