Foster was pacing the halls of med long after she had finished her supply restock. What was taking so long?
Natalie had seemed to sense it because at that moment she pushed open the door, closing it softly behind her before walking over to Foster. Natalie set her clipboard down on the counter and pulled on her fingers anxiously.
"Hey, Natalie. What's taking so long, is she ok? Does she have a concussion?" Emily tensed up.
Natalie cleared her throat and met Emily's eyes. "Um, she has a mild concussion, she should take it easy for a few days."
Emily was relieved at hearing that it was nothing serious, she nodded her head but the look in Natalie's eyes said that there was more.
"What is it?" Emily asked, glancing over at Sylvie's room.
Natalie looked around and pulled Emily off to a private corner to talk. She began to explain everything. The obvious signs of sexual assault, Sylvie breaking down, and finally Sylvie telling her about the rape.
"I've ordered a rape kit, but Sylvie is extremely distressed and has asked that you go back to the station and explain that she will need a few days off. She's really fragile right now and has asked that you don't tell anyone." Natalie explained.
Emily's eyes widened and was about to disagree, saying she should stay, but wanted to give her friend some space. She nodded patiently, trying to ignore the racing thoughts in her head. Who would do this to Sylvie? To the sweetest girl alive. The whole thing made her sick.
After Natalie had explained it all, she shot a quick glance to Sylvie's room and turned on the heel of her foot, disappearing behind the nurses' station.
Foster pulled up into the station and shut the ambo off. She had the whole ride back from Med to think and when she shut the door to the ambo she did so with aggression, catching the looks of a few stragglers on the apparatus floor.
She made her way through the halls, her mind racing a mile a minute. She ran straight past the common room and into the Chiefs office.
She knocked softly on the door, trying to ease her aggression before meeting with Boden. The chief tore away from his paperwork and pulled his head up at Foster, gesturing for her to come inside.
"Foster, come in. How's Brett?"
Emily swallowed hoarsely "Uh, she's caught up at med, Manning ordered her a few days of rest, mild concussion." Emily hated lying to the Chief and she started to feel tears welling up behind her eyes.
The chief nodded his head and answered gruffly, "Go notify the team, I'll let Kidd know that she's needed as a replacement."
Foster barely listened to the end of his sentence and turned to leave the room, willing the tears to go away.
She stationed herself in the common room doorway taking a deep breath before heading in. Everyone's heads immediately shot up, smiles lit up on their faces before they noticed the empty presence of a certain blonde paramedic.
"Where's Brett?" Cruz asked, his eyebrow wilted in confusion.
Emily looked down at her shoes to compose herself before meeting the eyes of the team. "Mild concussion, a few shifts off and she should be back."
Emily knew she was lying, it wouldn't be a few shifts.
A few faces looked up, concerned, but the majority of the team accepted the answer with nods and glances of affection and went back to whatever they were doing.
Casey stared off into the distance from the counter. He wasn't convinced. Something was going on with Brett, something more than just a concussion.
Sylvie sat up in the hospital bed, her face was stained with tears and she was shivering slightly, despite the warmth of the room.
Natalie was out in the hall, talking with Will. With consent from Sylvie she had notified Will and the two were now devising a plan to deal with the situation.
"Natalie, we need to get someone from Intelligence down here, we need to get this guy." Will had shot straight into the overprotective brother like charade and was suggesting getting his brother and his partners involved.
"Will she's terrified, she can barely stop shaking long enough to talk. I really don't think that getting the police involved right now will help her."
Will was about to speak again when an awful retching sound came from Sylvie's room.
The two doctors sprinted in to see Sylvie leaning over the side of the bed and vomiting into a small bucket. Will turned around to give her some privacy and Natalie ran over to her, holding her hair and rubbing circles on her back.
When she was finished she lay back on the bed, wincing and crying in pain as she clutched her bruised ribs. Natalie shot a look of concern at Will and turned back, looking over Sylvie.
She looked awful, her pale clammy skin highlighting her puffy red eyes. Her bruises were now transitioning into a dark yellow rimmed with blue and purple splotches.
Natalie and Will were both thinking the same thing, it was time to get someone from the team here, someone to look over her, someone to help her get home. Without further conversation, they knew just who to call. Captain Matt Casey.