Kelly hoped there was a simple explanation but not knowing meant that his mind was swirling with possibilities. He had been looking forward to spending at least fifteen minutes cuddled in bed with his wife; the limited time between his shift ending and her day beginning.
Instead he had arrived to find her car missing and just to be sure he'd made his way upstairs to check the bedrooms. Pausing for a moment in the doorway of his daughters' room he admired the new colour on the walls and arrangement of furniture. It was much more functional, but definitely missing the two most important things.
"Do you think she got called in early?" Chase asked from further along the hall, he seemed just as worried.
"Maybe. She didn't call me…" The older man answered with a shrug. "Go get some sleep, I'll figure it out" He assured softly, Chase had talked about going back to sleep the whole drive home and there was no point in both of them worrying.
"Okay. Just wake me up when the girls are here."
"Mhmm" Kelly nodded before pulling his phone out of his pocket. Usually he would consider quarter past six too early to make phone calls but since he knew she wasn't home asleep he didn't hesitate. The ringing tone buzzed once and then twice as he made his way to the stairs, he didn't want to disturb Chase. The fourth iteration was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, accompanied shortly after by the ringtone of the phone he was trying to call.
A grin spread across Kelly's face at the sight of his wife, fading rapidly once he got a good look at her. The dark circles under her eyes indicated exhaustion but there was something more in them, pain or despair he identified uncertainly as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
The façade Erin had been hiding behind since the incident with Clark crumbled instantly. She dropped the bag and jacket she was carrying and walked straight into her husband's arms, hiding her face in his smoky-smelling shirt as she wrapped her one working arm around him, the other squashed between them. Finally she felt safe to let it out.
Kelly knew something was very wrong, but didn't have the chance to ask what before a warm moist feeling seeped through his shirt. She was crying, silent but for the unsteady breaths she was gasping in. His chest ached and he struggled to swallow the growing lump in his throat. He didn't care what had caused it nearly as much as what he could do to take away her pain. "Shhh, I've got you" He whispered croakily, trying to comfort her as best he could.
For a few moments he just held her close and let her cry, but she was leaning more and more heavily on him and it was hardly a comfortable position. He certainly hadn't anticipated her response. His first attempt to lift her failed, a sharp intake of breath followed by her pulling away and gripping his wrist was enough to communicate that his movements had caused pain.
Even with watery eyes she could make out his furrowed brow, Kelly concerned and angry that his wife was not only upset but also injured. Erin cradling her left arm across her body. Holding her gaze he scooped her up as gently as he could, watching for any sign of discomfort. She made it clear that he wasn't hurting her, nuzzling her face against his chest, no longer crying but still hungry for the security he gave.
Kelly hadn't considered what he was going to do once he was holding her, hesitating momentarily as he considered his options. Unable to decide between carrying her to the living room or bedroom he ended up staying essentially where they were. Sitting on the stairs, feet a few treads below his backside there was plenty of space for her on his lap. "You alright?" He questioned softly, eager not to hurt her in any way.
"Mmm, I'm sorry" Erin replied in a hoarse whisper.
"Don't be" He urged, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Er, babe, is this blood?" He questioned almost as soon as he noticed it. Her right hand, resting against his chest, was stained red. The creases of her knuckles and around her fingernails caked with a dark red substance that he could only identify as blood.
"Not mine" She answered quickly, knowing he was worried. She wanted to tell him everything, at the same time she also wanted to shut those memories away and pretend none of it had ever happened.
"Is everyone okay?" He asked hesitantly, desperate to know where the blood had come from but feeling bad for pushing.
Erin shook her head. "That's from a CI, he'll be fine. The rest is Hayden's" She explained, making the mistake of closing her eyes in an attempt to hide from reality. Vivid images of her injured colleague thrashing about in the back of the ambulance replayed in her mind. She could almost feel his hot blood dribbling between her fingers again.
"Er?" Kelly demanded, feeling her entire body stiffen suddenly. Just as quickly as it had begun it was over, her eyes opening wide as she let out a shaky breath. He recognised it instantly, a flashback to whatever traumatic event had led her to more or less collapse in his arms. Now he just wanted to know what had happened so he could avoid saying something that would trigger an unpleasant memory.
Kissing her forehead he let his fingers stroke up and down her back rhythmically, keeping her present and helping her to relax. It worked well, a yawn spreading across her face after only a few moments. "You need a shower and some sleep" He remarked softly. While he wasn't in any hurry to move he knew they couldn't stay there forever.
"I have to go get the girls!" Erin announced abruptly, suddenly pulling away from his grasp as she tried to stand up. She hadn't forgotten them, they had been at the back of her mind since she had dropped them off, but her plan had been to shower and then go get them.
"They'll still be asleep. I'll go once you're settled" Kelly reasoned calmly, helping her to her feet only so that he could take her hand and led her upstairs.
Kelly had just planned on getting the shower started but when he turned back and noticed his wife struggling to undress he had to stay and help. If he couldn't know what had happened he could at least see where and how badly injured she was.
Erin had stepped out of her pants, only wobbling a little, but getting the long sleeved shirt off without making the pain in her shoulder flare was the real challenge. After thinking about it for a few seconds she came up with a plan, all she had to do was get her right arm out then she could pull the shirt up over her head and down her left arm without having to move it too much.
Using her teeth to hold the cuff of the right sleeve she began to pull. Her elbow caught the fabric though, causing it to stretch instead of come away as she had expected. She released the cuff and was about to try again when Kelly stepped in, taking the cuff in one hand and using the other to stop her elbow catching, guiding her arm out of the sleeve.
"Careful" Erin requested, gesturing to show him what she wanted before allowing him to take over, bunching up the fabric and pulling it up over her head.
Kelly couldn't help but cringe when he saw her shoulder, there was no bruising but it certainly didn't look right. Instead of smooth and rounded there were two distinct lumps, her collar bone protruding about an inch above the outline of the top of her humerus. He had seen, and experienced, dislocated shoulders before and while it didn't look like the bone was completely out of the socket it still had to be painful.
Erin couldn't help but shudder, standing still and half naked, her husband's intense gaze contributing. The involuntary movement was enough to snap him out of his thoughts, eyes darting from her injured shoulder to her face. Of course she was getting cold, but tank top she was wearing had to go before she could climb into the steamy shower and warm up.
"Scissors?" Kelly suggested, not seeing any way to get the garment off without moving her injured shoulder.
"Just pull it down" She replied, sliding the strap off her right shoulder. With the built in bra band it was a tight squeeze but worked well enough.
Kelly didn't realise why the dark fabric was stiff and crunchy until the dark, dried blood on her stomach came into view. That must be what she had mentioned earlier, Hayden's. It was a lot more blood than on her hands and he couldn't wait until it was erased from her skin.
Opening the shower door he steadied his wife with a hand at her waist, the fact that he was getting splashed didn't even cross his mind. He didn't want to leave her. Making a split second decision Kelly let his hand leave her body for just long enough to remove his own clothing. Stepping into the shower behind her small form he gently positioned her directly under the stream of water.
Once the water had raised her body temperature enough that she seemed comfortable he reached for the soap, lathering it in his hands before lovingly massaging it into her skin. It didn't take long for all evidence of the terrible day she'd had to wash down the drain. He inspected every inch of her body to ensure he hadn't missed anything, a slight bruise on her hip all he found.
"I'll be okay" Erin murmured as she turned to face her husband, concern etched into his featured. Resting her head against his damp chest stopped him from fussing.
Kelly recognised the gravity of her statement. She had admitted that she wasn't presently okay, something her body had told him long before she had put it into words. Holding her a little tighter he hoped it wouldn't be long before she was okay again. Until then he couldn't help but worry.
Erin was almost completely relaxed, safe in his strong arms with his steady heartbeat in her ear and delightfully warm water trickling down her back. Finally she could close her eyes and just breathe. Inhaling and exhaling deeply as she embraced the new-found quiet in her mind.
Neither wanted to move, but both knew they had to. Kelly knew their supply of hot water was finite while Erin was practically asleep on her feet. The loss of contact when he shifted to turn off the shower was enough to rouse her, missing him already as he retrieved a towel and wrapped it around her.
Erin made a weak attempt at drying herself, too exhausted to care and too impatient to wait for assistance. Without the water keeping her warm all she wanted was to curl up under the covers, the sheets would absorb any droplets she missed.
Kelly watched as his wife dropped the towel and headed straight for the bed, bypassing clothes completely as she climbed straight in. With his own towel low around his hips he followed, arranging the pillows so there was no pressure on her injured shoulder before kissing her forehead.
"–with me" Erin requested barely audibly, leaving Kelly to wonder if she was asking him to lay with or stay with her. She was sound asleep before he decided.
Kelly wanted to stay, to watch over her and ensure she slept well, but he knew he had to go collect their daughters. After lightly kissing her forehead he backed away and dressed silently before leaving the room. From the car he called the local medical center and made an appointment for his wife, eager for a doctor to look at her shoulder.
The distraction of being on the phone might have explained why he ended up parked in front of the wrong house. Or maybe it was the underlying anger that his wife had arrived home distressed and injured after only one shift. Either way he decided he may as well get out of the car and knock on the door.
When polite knocking didn't elicit a response Kelly took to thumping on the wooden door impatiently. It took a few moments but eventually the door cracked open, first just enough to see who it was, then upon recognition the rest of the way.
"What the hell happened?" Kelly demanded, not particularly bothered by the fact Hank appeared to have been woken by his knocking.
"Hmm?" Hank asked, using all the patience he had after next to no sleep to respond to the clearly agitated visitor.
"Why did my wife come home crying, covered in blood and injured?"
"Is she okay?" Hank questioned, scrubbing a hand over his face as he tried to remember the last time he had seen her. He didn't think she had been injured then.
"I don't know" Kelly answered, while he knew she was safe for the time being he had no idea what the long-term impact was going to be, mentally or physically. "I've booked her a doctor's appointment at eleven" He added, that was when they would find out about her shoulder.
"I didn't know she was hurt" The older man confessed, shaking his head. It had been such a chaotic day he really couldn't be sure. With IA breathing down his neck and the giant mess of leaked CI identities he hadn't checked in with his team the way he usually would have.
"Seriously? She can barely move her arm" Kelly argued in disbelief, he had been able to see straight away that Erin wasn't alright. "You're supposed to look out for her!"
"I had no idea Clark wasn't in the cage" Hank defended, thinking back on the stomach-sinking moment he'd heard gunshots at the district.
"Who's Clark? What did he do to Erin? And Hayden?" He pressed, eager to understand the extent of what had happened to his wife.
"Clark's a real piece of work. He busted out of the cage with a saws-all blade and beat Hayden nearly to death. Erin interrupted him, shot Clark and saved Powell. She probably hurt herself trying to get him to safety" He thought aloud.
"This happened at the district?"
"Yeah, we got down there as quick as we could when we heard the gunshots. Erin just seemed shaken up, I didn't realise she was hurt" Hank tried to justify. It was possible that that wasn't even when she had been injured, he just didn't know; but he should have.
"Her shoulder is just about dislocated" Kelly remarked, still finding it hard to believe Hank hadn't noticed.
"And she's not seeing a doctor until eleven?" Hank returned disapprovingly, really just wanting the younger man to experience some of what he felt.
"She's sleeping, she's exhausted. She won't be working today" Kelly maintained, hoping his wife wouldn't protest.
"I'll pass that on. I've been suspended."
"For how long?" He asked. As frustrated he had been when he first knocked on the door he knew that Hank did a lot to protect Erin and provide the flexibility their young family needed.
"Until they finish their investigation" Hank answered, confident he would be reinstated. It was just a matter of time. "If Erin needs some time off she should call Antonio."
"Okay" Kelly accepted. "Sorry, I've just never seen her like that" He apologised at last, feeling like he shouldn't have gotten out of the car, or even driven there in the first place.
"Let me know how she goes at the doctor. I'll try to check in with her later" Hank replied.
"Alright."
"Thank you" The older man added, "for taking care of her."
Kelly nodded, what else would he do. "Sorry to wake you" He contributed finally, making his way down the steps and back to his car. He felt foolish for letting anger get the better of him. If he had gone straight to collect the girls he would already be back home with his wife.