Mariana spun around in the rolly chair at the nurse's station, chewing on the cap of her pen as she stared absentmindedly at the chart in her hands. They were at a lull before hell broke loose once it got later into the night and so she was taking his opportunity to sit down for a minute.
"Ramirez, someone for you!" Leslie announced. The brunette's head snapped up and a brilliant smile broke across her face as she set her pen and chart down. Eddie placed her lunchbox and a Starbucks on the counter and received a kiss in thanks.
"I didn't realize I forgot this until I got to work," she sighed and took a sip of the coffee. "Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it. I'd much rather drive out here than have you go hungry or have to eat the food from the cafeteria."
"Aw it's not that bad," she challenged.
"I ate it for a solid week when you and Buck were laid up here. It's bad."
She opened her mouth to respond when the phone rang for an incoming trauma. Travis jumped on the call and flashed her a "one". She sighed and tightened her ponytail before kissing Eddie once more.
"I'm sorry but duty calls. I'll be home at midnight," she promised.
"I am going to go pick Chris up from school and try to cook dinner," he vowed.
"So if I come home to find the stove covered in extinguishing powder, I shouldn't be surprised."
He sarcastically laughed at her comment, kissed her, sent her a quiet "I love you", and left the ER. Mariana took a long drink from her coffee and placed the lunchbox in the minifridge they had under the desk before she joined Travis and Leslie by the gowns.
"Have you told him yet?" Leslie asked her as she helped the younger woman into her gear.
"No, I figured I should talk to Valentina first," she sighed. "I sent it to the lawyer already. He didn't question how I got it, but he is certainly grateful and he already reamed out the defense lawyer for not telling him."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to get on the stand and tell them the truth."
/
"LAFD! Gordon?" Bobby asked as they approached the freezer. No response followed. "Ok, he's out. Probably hypothermic. Let's cut him out now."
Mariana passed Eddie the saw for the door hinge but it only lasted a few seconds before dying.
"Saws dead, needs another battery."
"And that was the last battery pack," Buck announced. "Too many car accidents in one day."
"I hate power outages," Mariana groaned. "Cap, we gotta get this guy out before it's too late."
"Couldn't we just break open this window?" Chimney offered.
"Even if we could get in that way, how do we get him out?" Hen refuted. "It's too small."
"The unit should have an electronic emergency door release and without power…" Bobby mused.
"Inside of that door is a frozen block of ice by now," Eddie added.
"Yeah, well, so is Gordon if we don't get him out," Buck shot back.
"Maybe it just needs a jump."
At Bobby's declaration, all five heads turned towards the latina who stared at them in surprise. She raised her hands up to show her innocence. "I think it's really rude of you guys to think that just because I have a troubled past and was considered an at-risk youth that you can assume I know how to jump an electrical port."
"Well do you?" Bobby asked.
"Oh, of course. Get me a Phillips, the defibrillator, and a drill."
She shrugged her turnout coat off and tossed it onto a box before yanking the door off of the box to get a better look at what she was working with. Bobby stood behind her, shining a flashlight over her shoulder so she could see what she was working with.
"Connect that wire with that one," he advised. She slowly turned, staring up at him through narrowed eyes.
"Are you gonna start backseat driving right now? I don't see you holding the flashlight when I'm working on the truck."
"Alright, alright. You're a little testy when it comes to work," he teased.
"I'm tattling on you to Athena," she grumbled as she twisted the final wire into place. "We're all set."
"Charging," Hen announced. "Clear!"
The box sparked but the door didn't move. Mariana frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the offending little machinery. The defibrillator charged once more before discharging and the door slowly opened.
Buck regarded his sister with an almost fearful look. "Remind me to call you if I ever need a jump."
/
"Please let this be the last MVC of the night," Mariana sighed as she yanked off her helmet. "I don't think we have anymore charged tools."
"Now that you said it, we're going to only be doing car crashes tonight," Hen complained as they wheeled the victim to the ambulance.
"All units, police and fire RA, clear channel two. Switch to TAC Channel 50," Maddie's voice came over the radio. "Officer on open mic in distress. Needs assistance. 727 L-30 at Studio Self Storage."
"Bobby, that's Athena's call number," Hen exclaimed.
"Take him to the hospital and everyone else, let's go," he barked out. Mariana bolted towards the driver's seat, throwing on her headset and setting the truck up to go so she could leave the second the last door was closed. Bobby took his usual seat next to her and she waited until she got the thumbs up from Buck to pull out of the parking lot and press on the gas.
"Cap, they're telling us to switch to Tac 50," Chimney said quietly.
Bobby shook his head and silence filled the cabin once more. The only sound any of them could hear was Athena's cries of pain as she fought desperately. Mariana watched the speedometer climb steadily to eighty and she flipped on the lights and sirens, activating the sensor that turned all upcoming lights green for her.
Her fingers clutched the steering wheel as her mind raced. Athena had been there for her for a decade now and she wasn't going to not put all of her effort into helping her. She wasn't some dumb nineteen year old behind the steering wheel of a camaro or handcuffed and sitting on a curb all thanks to Athena.
A gunshot echoed over the radio and Mariana flinched. It was like everything went still and yet the world exploded all at the same time. She steadied her breathing and focused on just getting there. She wouldn't lose another mom. She couldn't.
Mari eased the truck to a stop and engaged the break in seconds, hopping out and meeting Eddie and Buck next to the truck. Eddie handed her the med pack she kept in the back before grabbing a halligan.
Bobby led the charge into the building, ignoring the officer's protests as they surged forward and followed the path of police and flashlights. He paused in front of the piece of shit who attacked Athena, his hands curling tighter around the shaft of the axe he carried.
"Captain Nash, she's here," an officer called.
Mariana rushed forward, kneeling next to Athena. She grabbed her penlight out of her pocket and shined it in Athena's eyes to check for responsiveness.
"Athena, can you hear me?" she asked. "Mom, hey, can you hear me?"
The older woman stared at her with pain-filled eyes and Mariana gently touched her hand. "You'll be okay, mom. I promise."
"Mari, we've got this," Hen told her gently. The latina stepped back to give Chimney and Hen some space. She felt sick listening to them run through her injuries and the quiet noises of pain that escaped the normally stoic woman.
"I got...I got him," Athena croaked out.
"Suspect down?" the other detective asked.
"Alive. Wounded."
"Medic." The detective pointed to Mariana. "We need him stable."
"To be blunt sir, I will most likely kill that man if you let me anywhere near him," she snarled. Eddie stepped closer to his girlfriend, resting his hand on her shoulder both as a confirmation that he had her back and as a warning to her that the last thing she should be doing was threatening to kill someone in front of the police.
Mariana, Buck, and Eddie stayed back with the truck as they transported Athena to the hospital with the promise from Hen that she would call the second she had an update. The three youngest members of the team watched as the ambulance faded into the distance and Mariana wordlessly passed the keys to the truck over to Buck.
"Hey, she'll be okay," Buck reassured her.
"I know. If anyone can live through that, it's Athena," she murmured. "Doesn't make it easier seeing her like that."
/
Mariana thanked Hen and hung up the call, glancing over at Eddie. "Athena's out of surgery and fine. She's going to be banged up for a bit but nothing super long term. It's the mental stuff I'm worried about."
The unspoken implication of her words hung heavily in the air and he grimaced at the truth hidden behind her sentence. Mariana knew better than anyone what it was like to be attacked and beaten. He knew better than anyone that she still flinched if he entered a room without making some kind of noise to let her know. That she once had a full blown panic attack after breaking a glass in the kitchen. That the sound of a door shutting too hard made her practically shut down.
"If anyone can help Athena past that, it's you," he replied. "Athena's the strongest person I know other than you. She's got this."
Mariana offered him a wan, tired smile and she nodded. "I'll swing by the hospital tomorrow to see her. Right now I want to sleep for a whole day."
"I don't think Chris will let that happen."
Pepa didn't stay long once they entered the house. She just kissed them both on the cheek and waved goodbye after assuring them that Christopher behaved like an angel and went to bed on time. Eddie went to do his nightly check of the doors and windows to ensure they were locked and Mariana grabbed the mail from the table, scanning over the few bills and ads they had.
Los Angeles County Prison.
She tore open the letter and frowned at the sight of folded lined paper as if it had been torn from a notebook. Unfolding it, her heart dropped into her stomach at the letters on the page.
My dear niece,
I hope you keep this in confidence since I'm not supposed to be contacting you without my lawyer's knowledge. I just wanted to write to you to let you know how happy I am for this little family reunion we have coming up. It's a shame Luis won't be there. I heard he died a few years back. Tragic, he was always my favorite, of course.
My lawyer told me that Luis had a son. Diego, right? I hope to see him in court. I'm sure he's a spitting image of Luis.
My lawyer also told me about you. It's been a while since we've last seen each other and it's a shame I had to hear about your life from a stranger rather than my own family. He told me a lot of interesting things but I was happiest to know that you have your own little family now! Will Eddie and Christopher be at court? Once I'm out, I'd love to meet my nephew.
Can't wait to see you, Valentine, and Diego soon!
Uncle Daniel
"Hey, are you coming to bed?" Eddie whispered, poking his head around the corner of the wall. She tossed the letter down and sent him an easy-going smile.
"Yeah, let me just sort this so I don't forget in the morning and I'll meet you there."
He nodded and disappeared around the hall, heading for their bedroom. She grabbed the letter and shoved it in her work bag before she sank down onto the couch and buried her head in her hands.
"What the fuck are you gonna do, Ramirez?"
Her eyes trailed across the walls of her home. Her safe space. She landed on the photo Eddie hung when she officially moved into the house. It was of Mariana and Christopher sitting on the porch and laughing as they aimed water balloons at him and Buck. Her heart constricted and she pressed her fist against her lips as emotion flooded through her veins.
It was no longer fear. It was pure, unfiltered rage.