Upon his knock, Captain Raydor looked up from the book she had been reading. Her eyes widened a little when she saw him and she closed the book without marking the page. It seemed uncharacteristic to do so for someone as meticulous as Sharon Raydor and for a moment he considered pointing it out. She was nervous, he could tell from the way she tried to sit up a little straighter, which was not an easy feat considering the swell of her belly and the way the adjustable head section of her hospital bed was angled. She looked much better than two days ago, but still pale and he could tell from the way she held her head that she was still in pain.
"Chief Taylor," she said cautiously. "How nice of you to come by."
"I thought you could use some company," he replied, placing his gift - a container of grapes - on her bedside table. He had considered buying flowers for her, but it had seemed inappropriate given their professional relationship. "How are you feeling?"
She grimaced a little and he wasn't sure whether it had been meant as a smile. "My whole body is aching. I have bruises all over from when I fell." It wasn't like her to be so open about her physical discomfort and he wasn't sure how to deal with that. He looked at both of her hands that were resting on her stomach whose outline was very visible under the covers and the blanket she was wrapped in. Maybe all the personal items surrounding her were what made her seem so much better than when he had been sitting with her on that fateful first day when she'd been dressed in a hospital gown and had looked so lost in the cold, impersonal room. Now she was wearing pajamas and there were flowers everywhere.
"I hope your baby is doing fine?" he inquired carefully, concerned but also mindful not to sound as if he was prying. It was strange that he somehow felt responsible for her after having been the one to find her in the underground garage. How painful those minutes had been when he'd checked her pulse regularly while he had been waiting for the ambulance. From the looks of her, she might as well have been dead and he had found himself thinking about how terrible that would have been.
"She is fine, thank you, Sir." Raydor smiled faintly. He knew that she didn't really like him and often disagreed with his choices, so he understood why she was being so reserved. And then lately their relationship had been nothing if not strained, he had to admit.
"A girl then," he said. "You and Lieutenant Flynn must be very happy."
She flinched a little when he mentioned him and he couldn't help picturing the ever sarcastic lieutenant waiting by her bedside, eyes red-rimmed and his posture defeated.
"I am sure there is a reason for your visit," Raydor pointed out in those soft tones of her that perfectly glossed over the fact that she was being very blunt. Besides that, she spoke more slowly than usual, as if talking in itself exhausted her.
"Yes, there is," he said, amused for some reason. "Lieutenant Flynn and the rest of the team seem very protective of you. Especially Lieutenant Provenza seems worried that any news from work might negatively impact your recovery."
She smiled a little more brightly and winced, her hand coming up and stopping just short of the stitches on the left side of her face. They were close to her hairline, he observed, so she would be able to hide a possible scar under her hair. Somehow he was sure that this was something that would be important to her.
"But I know that you don't appreciate being coddled, so I thought I'd bring you up to speed on what is being done about Detective Sterling." She tensed when he mentioned his name and he felt a little guilty. Just because she was not as badly harmed as it had looked at first, she wasn't any less traumatized by what had happened. He watched her draw her hands closer together as if shielding her belly unconsciously. The child she was carrying meant a lot of inconveniences for the department and it couldn't be easy for the Captain herself, but he was incredibly relieved that the detective's vicious attack hadn't harmed it. Taylor had a soft spot for children himself and the Captain's was no different.
"Lieutenant Provenza and DDA Hobbs wanted to spare you a trial, so they offered him a deal."
"A deal? Lieutenant Provenza?" She smiled carefully. "That sounds interesting."
"Doesn't it," he grinned at her, relieved that she had recovered so quickly. "He is going away for violent assault. Ten years."
She nodded slowly, letting the news sink in. "Thank you, Sir. I appreciate the information," she finally said. "You are right. I have been kept out of the loop and I was beginning to wonder."
"I'm glad I could help. I have also spoken to Chief Pope about your status."
Now she tensed even more. Taylor knew how important her job and position were to her. She hadn't chosen the rocky path of Internal Affairs out of the goodness of her heart, but to be able to make a career for herself even though she was raising two children on her own. Giving up what she had achieved was not what she'd ever had in mind, he was sure.
"About that," she said. "I have spoken to my friend Gavin Baker who specializes in this sort of thing and he-"
He raised a hand to stop her. "Before you say anything else, Captain, hear me out." She pressed her lips together, the look in her eyes vigilant. She was injured and traumatized, but that didn't mean that she wasn't determined not to let him walk all over her.
"Lieutenant Flynn filled me in on the specifics of your relationship." He could tell that his way of phrasing it was upsetting to her and it amused him a little. If he had to backtrack from his earlier statement, he might as well have a little fun with it. "He told me how it went about and I understand that you haven't been together for a very long time. This puts your failure to report it in a different light, of course. Chief Pope agrees with me that we can let it slide this once. You have always been an exemplary officer and we find that this is an exceptional situation that is unlikely to occur again." She opened her mouth to say something, but he wasn't ready: "However, we will have to reconsider if we detect any sign of favoritism in your division."
He didn't really think that they would and she knew that as well, he was sure.
"Just so you know, Sir, I won't be able to return to work until after the baby is born. After what happened-" - her voice sounded a little thin when she mentioned it -"My doctors found it best to put me on bed rest until I give birth."
"I guess it doesn't really make a difference now. You'd been planning on taking your leave soon, anyway," he said.
"Thank you, Sir." She gave him another one of those clipped smiles and he was beginning to suspect that it was all she could manage without being in pain from the bruises on her face and neck. They were already beginning to fade, but it would take a while until they would be gone completely. He understood how Captain Raydor could be upsetting to people, especially if she bore down on them with her rulebook, but it was beyond him how anyone could assault a pregnant woman like that. He was beginning to think that Detective Sterling had gotten away easy with only ten years.
"Can I ask you something, Chief?" He nodded his agreement. "How did you find out about Lieutenant Flynn and me?"
There was something indiscernible in the depth of her deep green eyes and he didn't like what it suggested. However, he disliked the answer he would have to give her even more.
"Your husband, Captain. We both know that he is not a terrific human being, but you understand that I couldn't ignore it once I found out about it."
"Of course," she said. "I understand."
He knew that she really didn't appreciate private question of this nature, but he couldn't resists: "Are you any closer to being divorced?" He gestured towards her middle. "I mean, I guess you would like rid of him before this little one arrives."
She smirked and it looked genuine. "You have no idea. We couldn't find an amicable solution, so we are due in court next week. I am not sure whether I'll be able to make the court date myself, but my lawyer will be there, surely."
She leaned back into her pillows and closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. He could tell that she was tired and it figured; her concussion was serious and she was recovering only slowly.
"I'll leave you to it then, Captain," he said almost gently. "Get well soon."
"Thank you, Chief. For taking the time," she replied with a genuine smile. "I appreciate your lenience on my part."
He grinned. "Just you keep your lieutenant in check. I got quite an earful from him."
She grimaced. "Oh, I know how he can be."
"I'm sure you do, Captain."
Waking up, if only from a small nap, was still a feat for Sharon. Maybe she owed it to her concussion, but she was always slightly confused when she opened her eyes and it took her a while to make sense of her surroundings. She would usually be woken by a nurse, a friendly visitor or her daughter's happy kicks, so her haze had never been a problem so far. This time, however, it was an angry pounding on the door that startled her and she jumped, her eyes flying open. For a terrible moment she was scared that she was back in the underground parking lot and her arms came around her belly to protect her daughter. Then she saw the natural light coming in through the window and the flowers that took up every available space. She found her favorite blanket wrapped around her shoulders and her baby stretching lazily inside her.
"So now you're playing dirty, too? Aren't you, Sharon?"
She blinked against the familiar voice, still drowsy, and reached for her glasses. Only when she had put them on, Jack's face came into focus where he was standing at the end of her bed, his face red and his eyebrows drawn together in anger. His hands were clasped around the edge of the bed and for a moment she was sure that he would shake it to make her uncomfortable.
"What?" she murmured and her voice didn't seem to obey her. "What are you talking about?" The headache that had been plaguing her for days was back and she felt as if she was going to be sick with the sudden onslaught of pain.
"How sneaky of you to plant poor little Chris as your mole!" he shouted, his rage almost tangible. However bad their marriage had been, he had never even once raised a hand against her and she wouldn't have been afraid if she hadn't just been assaulted. She still didn't sleep well and had to bite back tears of panic whenever she woke up in the dark.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" She was slurring a little with the headache that was just as bad as one of her more terrible migraines. All she wanted to do was sleep, not listen to his tirades whose meaning she could not fathom.
"Of course, you're not!" he said sarcastically. "Look, Sharon. It might look better for you at the moment, but I am going to find a way to take away everything you have, do you hear me? I didn't want to make a war out of this, but you have gone too far now. You and your Gavin! You two were always against me!"
Sharon could feel the now familiar sense of panic rise inside her. She wasn't afraid of Jack as such, but the uncertainty bothered her and, most of all, she felt vulnerable and helpless with her aching body, pregnant belly and terrible headache.
"Jack..." she murmured, bringing one hand up to her forehead. She was dizzy. He was still at the foot of the bed and yet he felt too close for comfort.
"For God's sake, have you no shame?" She recognized Gavin's voice instantly and a wave of relief swept over her. "Get out of here or I'll call security." Her face buried in her hands, she only heard shuffling, which could mean either that Gavin was manhandling Jack or the other way around, but she couldn't bring herself to care. The door closed and she jumped violently when she felt a hand on her shoulder and another one prying her hand away from her eyes.
"Hey, hey," Gavin cooed. "It's just me."
He wrapped both of her hands up in one of his and sat on the side of the bed to gently smooth away strands of her hair from her cheeks that were wet with tears she didn't remember crying. She took deep breaths, already somewhat ashamed of her behavior. What was happening to her? She was usually so calm and collected. Why did she succumb to panic attacks like that all of a sudden?
Gavin gently placed his hand on her belly. "There. Leah's upset, too. Hey, you must know that Leah goes a lot better with Flynn than with Raydor, right?"
Sharon looked down thoughtfully at where he was caressing her belly tenderly, but she just couldn't relax.
"Gavin." He withdrew his hand and looked at her immediately when she addressed him in that stern tone of hers. "What did Jack mean? What did you do?"
A/N: Uh, not so many chapters left. I am already sad! Thank you so much for your comments and support. They mean a lot and make me very happy! :-)