Author's Note:- Rated for sexual content in later chapters and adult themes. Episode based "Breaking Glass" S3 EPs 5/6. Not mine and never will be.
Additional Authors note:- Normally I don't publish at weekends but I realised just how horrible a place I'd left this at yesterday! Luckily the TV is full of rugby so I've managed to claim back a couple of hours I don't know how much this chapter will help but I'll try really hard to update again tomorrow!
Nothing but the best Chapter 37
"Get the fuck away from her!" Boyd shouted rushing through the door as Frankie followed and he heard Spence tell angrily behind him as well. Grabbing McKenzie by the back of his shirt he pulled him away from Grace reeling back as the other man swung for him fist flying only stopping when Spence grabbed him and twisted his arm up his back.
"Let fucking go of me you bastard she's mine she's always been mine."
"Get him out of here!" Boyd shouted getting down on his knees beside Grace as Frankie dashed to her side too. "Frankie do something she's not breathing!"
"Give me some space Boyd." Frankie replied as he stood and she took his place feeling the pulse point in Grace's neck her heart sinking. Moving her gently she tried not to focus on the blood pooling behind her friend's head as she began CPR. "Come on Grace don't do this breathe for me."
"She's gone I told you you've never have her. The last person to fuck her was me, the last face she saw was mine she..."
"Out you bastard." Spence shouted pushing McKenzie toward the door as the older man turned catching him unawares as he landed a punch on his stomach before disappearing into the darkness. "Shit!"
"Get Williams and Rodgers and get after him!" Boyd shouted as Mel stood in the corner of the room seemingly frozen to the spot watching Frankie.
"She's breathing where the hell are the paramedics? She needs oxygen or we're going to lose her again!"
"On their way, eta two minutes." Williams called before following Spence and his other colleague toward the sand dunes. Hearing sirens blaring Boyd kneeled down again beside Grace moving the torn robe so she was covered more completely. He could hear running footsteps, feel Frankie move him out of the way again but it was barely registering all he could focus on was Grace. The angry bruises on her face, the blood forming a halo around her head and the stark finger marks forming on her neck all told him she was far from out of the woods.
"What's her name?" One of the paramedics asked as Frankie once again took control.
"Grace Foley, she wasn't breathing when we got in I'd say she was gone for maybe three minutes before I got her back. She hit her head on the fireplace then she was strangled, she's already been physically and sexually assaulted, she's been missing since around 10 this morning."
"Any existing medical conditions?"
"No." Boyd answered as he watched one of the paramedics attach wires to Grace's chest while the other took notes. "We need to get her to hospital she's still bleeding."
"We will Mr..."
"DSI Boyd Met police, I'm her partner she's a home office psychologist just do what you have to and let's get her out of here. The man who did this has just ran he's dangerous and we've no idea what he'll do next."
"As soon as we're sure she's stable and we can get the bleeding under control we'll get going. Are you a doctor ma'am?" The paramedic working on Grace asked Frankie.
"I'm a forensic scientist I have basic medical knowledge do you want me to do something?"
"Can you keep the compress on Grace's head while we get a collar on her then we'll bandage her up and get her out of here."
"Boyd." Mel said quietly still not having moved as he turned and saw her crushed into the corner of the room all colour having drained from her face.
"Mel its ok, she's going to be ok look at me." He said quietly dragging himself away from Grace's side for a second moving toward his younger colleague. Getting closer he realised not only was she sheet white but she was shaking and unable to control the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Boyd look at her, god what must she have felt, how scared must she have been? Why couldn't we get here an hour earlier we might have stopped him, there's so much blood how can you know she's going to be ok."
"I know because she has to be ok. There's no way she's leaving me now." Boyd replied wrapping his arms around Mel for a second as he saw several crime scene techs arrive at the door. "Wait outside until Doctor Warton is ready for you."
"Mel what do you want to do?" Frankie asked approaching them. "They're ready to move her. I'll stay here to supervise the techs and wait for Spence to get back, Boyd I assume you're going with Grace do you want to..."
"No I'm staying one of us should be here with you and for when Spence gets back with McKenzie. I'll be fine I promise." Mel replied determined to pull herself together as the paramedics said they were ready to move and asked Boyd if he was going with them.
"Damn right I am. Look you two and Spence follow us. I'll try to keep in touch but we all know underground bunkers have more phone signal than this place. Just find McKenzie, get the locals to throw him in a cell and get to the hospital." Boyd replied trying to look reassuringly at Mel and Frankie as he followed the paramedics out and climbed into the back of the ambulance. Strapping in he reached for Grace's hand griping it tightly. He could hear nothing but the steady beeping of the machines around them as the paramedic continued to make notes,
"She's holding her own detective, we won't know much until we can get the head wound x-rayed but she's strong and she's fighting."
"Yeah that's her, she's quite something." Boyd agreed staring at Grace as the paramedic fell silent clearly used to having to be invisible around upset loved ones. "Gracie if you can hear me I'm sorry. I'm sorry he got to you, I'm sorry he was able to hurt you but you keep fighting and I swear I'll never leave your side again. I love you Gracie just hang in there."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"What's happening you said she'd be away at x-ray for about half an hour it's been almost an hour!" Boyd snapped as the A&E doctor who had been dealing with Grace approached.
"She's being moved to ICU that's what I was coming to tell you. If you give the staff a few minutes to get her settled they'll explain everything and let you stay with her. I've been told she's still potentially in danger I assume there'll be a police presence outside her room."
"Yes there will. We've been here two hours how come she's only being moved now?"
"We needed to stabilize her and do the sexual assault kit for your forensic team before we could send her to x-ray. We realise the sensitivity of this case and we have moved faster than normal I promise you that. Now if you go to the sixth floor staff there will direct you to her room and they'll be able to give you more information." The doctor replied with a tolerant smile before walking away as Boyd moved toward the lifts his stomach knotting.
He'd known she wasn't just going to wake up and walk out of there that night but the mention of the letters ICU had sent a wave of panic through him. Pacing back and forward in the small steal lift for the first time in years he silently made promises to any deity that happened to be listening. He promised to be a better person, to treat her as she deserved to be treated, to never let anyone hurt her again, to love her enough to make this all go away if she would just be ok.
"DSI Boyd I've been sent up from A&E for Doctor Grace Foley." He said quietly to the exhausted looking nurse behind the desk as she nodded.
"Room 7 the doctor is with her waiting to explain things to you. We had a call from the front desk about a uniformed security detail?"
"Just tell them to position themselves outside the room when they get up here. I want minimum access to the room. Each shift I want the identity of the nurses who will be dealing with her and any auxiliary staff can only be in the room if me or one of my colleagues are with them understood?"
"Yes sir." The nurse replied clearly slightly intimidated by Boyd's presence as he walked away reaching the door of Grace's room, opening it quietly and stepping inside.
"Detective?" The doctor asked as he looked up from the notes in his hand and for a second all Boyd could focus on was Grace. She was in the bed, completely still wires and tubes coming from every possible direction. She was so pale and vulnerable looking the injuries standing out now in stark relief now that she'd been cleaned up.
"Call me Peter, in this room I'm her partner first and a detective second. Talk to me what have you found out why hasn't she woken up?"
"She has swelling on her brain. The cut on her head is deep but we've stitched it and it should heal ok. We've seen no evidence of haemorrhaging and swelling leading to unconsciousness isn't unusual give the nature of her injuries. The oxygen deprivation is a complication but based on the paramedics notes your Doctor Warton dealt with that in a matter of minutes. Hopefully that will have prevented any permanent damage. Really at this stage we're looking at the brain having shut down to protect itself the next 48 hours are going to be crucial that's why we have her here so we can be under 24 hour observation."
"And other injuries?"
"Broken cheek bone, two fractured ribs and extensive bruising on her torso, thighs and wrists. There was evidence of sexual assault on the SARK kit but I read in the notes that you already know about that. This guy must have been a real bastard who does that to a woman? I don't know how you do your job I really don't. I hope you got him and he's never going to see the light of day again."
"He got away but we will get him. In the meantime maximum lock down on this room. He's still out there and he'll think nothing of turning up here if he finds out where she is. There'll be officers outside the door and I've left instructions with the nurse on the desk."
"Of course. I'll be her lead clinician I'm Martin Lawther if you need me at any time just ask one of the nurses to contact me I'll be in to check on her hourly anyway." The doctor replied with a sad smile as Boyd nodded waiting until he was alone in the room before pulling a seat up beside the bed and lifting her hand kissing her fingers gently. He had never felt so useless in his life as he looked from her to the machines monitoring everything from her breathing to any tiny changes in her blood pressure.
"I'm right here Gracie." He said quietly promising himself and her that he wouldn't move from her side until she opened her eyes again and spoke to him.