Notes: Since this is connected to my other Tim/Lucy stories the storyline I decided on for this won't be as dramatic as it appears since we know the outcome and that she stays with Tim. :)
Title: Turmoil
author: Cindy Ryan
Fifteen minutes later Tim disentangled himself from Lucy and went to tell the nurses that she was awake. He waited outside as the doctor examined her. Tim was suddenly exhausted he knew it was the adrenaline wearing off and the stress of the day. He leaned back against the hallway wall. Footsteps approaching drew Tim's attention and he turned to see Diaz. The man wearing a short sleeved LAFD t-shirt and jeans.
"How's Lucy?"Eddie asked worriedly as he came to a stop by Tim.
"Awake; doc's checking her over now."Tim responded quietly.
"Thank God."Eddie murmured softly. "She gave me a scare."
"Me too."Tim admitted then extended his right hand to the firefighter, "Thank you for getting Lucy out. I didn't get a chance to say so earlier."
Eddie shook Tim's hand.
"Just glad we found her."Eddie replied as he let go of Tim's hand.
A thirty something blond man in a white doctor's coat stepped out of the room and glanced at the two first responders. He smiled and Tim relaxed.
"I'm Hinton."The doctor said as he shook hands. "I'm going to keep her another day just because of the amount of smoke inhalation Officer Chen endured. But otherwise CT scan and other tests came back clear."
Relief washed over Tim. He knew he'd have nightmares of this one for some time to come.
"Thanks, Doc."Tim acknowledged gratefully.
"Feel free to call if you have any questions."Hinton said as he walked away.
Since the rescue Eddie had been doing a lot of thinking. He'd been more affected by nearly losing Lucy than he had expected. She'd only been in his life such a short time. But they'd clicked; become fast friends. There was also that spark of something else just below the surface. Technically Eddie was married, but they'd been estranged for so long that it hadn't felt like a real marriage for a long time. It had surprised Eddie how much he wanted to take a chance with Lucy. She may reject him royally but Eddie knew if he didn't take the risk he'd regret it. Today had been a harsh reminder that tomorrow wasn't guaranteed for anyone. Happiness had to be grabbed when the opportunity came.
"I know you and Lucy are involved."Eddie began as he pushed away from the wall and turned to face Bradford. "But I care about her too and I want her in my life."
Tim felt his whole body tense as he turned to face Diaz. He moved away from the wall.
"I think I heard you wrong."Tim stated through gritted teeth.
"No, you didn't."Eddie countered. "What's the matter, Bradford? Scared of a little competition?"
Tim balled his right first and swung. Eddie ducked the first punch. He got off one of his own before a right hook of Bradford's connected with Eddie's jaw knocking him back. Eddie recovered quickly and before he knew it the fight was on.
Captain Bobby Nash stepped out of the elevator to find a hospital floor in chaos. A security guard ran past heading up the corridor talking into a radio. Bobby frowned but went on his way to the nurses's station. He was about to inquire what room Lucy Chen was in when a familiar face caught his attention. Eddie Diaz was halfway up the hallway getting punched by a dark haired man. The security guard Bobby had spotted earlier was converging on the two combatants.
Bobby reached the fight just as the security guard attempted to break it up. The guard was shoved into the left wall for his trouble. Bobby went into the fray just as Diaz took a swing at the other man catching him across the nose. The other swore and dove at Eddie but Bobby went around and managed to get a hold of the man's back collar and hauled him back into a choke hold.
"Enough!"Bobby ordered sharply.
Eddie stumbled back as the flow of the fight was interrupted. He saw his Captain holding Bradford in a choke hold and to his left a security guard was regaining his footing calling for backup into a radio. He felt blood dripping down from a cut above his right eye and his bottom lip was bleeding too. Bradford had blood near his nose and on his left hand.
"Captain?"Eddie asked in confusion.
"Want to tell me what the hell is going on?"Bobby demanded. "And who this is?"
Eddie realized that with magnitude of the last fire scene Bobby hadn't been in the area where Lucy and the other officers had been rescued from.
"Officer Tim Bradford, LAPD."Tim interjected angrily. "You can get your hands off me!"
"Eddie?"Bobby prompted grimly.
Eddie sighed feeling a headache starting to form. He opened his mouth to explain when two more security guards one red haired female and an African-American male arrived.
"We're going to take this to the hospital security office."The first responding guard stated firmly. "Move, now!"
Eddie sighed and turned and followed the guards. He heard Bradford mutter a curse as Bobby let him go and he joined the group as they left the hallway and stepped into an elevator.
Once in the security office on the hospital's first floor introductions all around were made.
"Is everyone simmered down?"Paul Martin the blond guard who'd been the first to arrive on the scene asked. "Or are we going to have to take further action?"
"I'd still like to know what started this."Bobby commented.
"Diaz wants my girlfriend."Tim replied still angry.
Eddie winced at Tim's phrasing and Bobby's raised eyebrow.
"Chen."Bobby surmised grimly.
"Yes."Tim affirmed. "I didn't like that. Do I need to explain further?"
"No."The blond guard responded. "Officer Bradford go to the ER and get your wounds attended to. Mr. Diaz I suggest you leave the hospital."
"I'll make sure of that."Bobby affirmed quietly.
"Alright."Martin acknowledged. "Try not to interact with each other on hospital premises otherwise you can be on your way."
"Thank you."Bobby said as the group left the office and went their own way.
Fifteen minutes later Tim's head was spinning and it wasn't just from the was in the ER having his nose bandaged. Fortunately it was just bruised and not broken.
"Tim, you alright?"A familiar voice asked with concern.
Tim glanced over and saw his commanding officer frowning a few feet away. Grey was still in uniform and looked tired.
"Nose isn't broken."Tim reported as a nurse placed a bandage on the bridge. "You here to check on Lucy?"
"Was on my way when I got a call from hospital security about my officer being in a brawl in a hallway."Grey stated folding his arms across his chest.
Tim sighed inwardly.
"Was with Eddie Diaz."Tim began as the nurse finished and stepped away.
"The Eddie Diaz who saved Lucy's life today?"Grey countered with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah."Tim confirmed as he rubbed a hand along his forehead. "He told me he cared about Lucy and wanted to be with her. I didn't like that."
"So you decked him."Grey commented.
Tim nodded wincing as the movement brought pain to his bruised nose.
"Diaz pressing charges?"Grey asked quietly.
"No."Tim replied gruffly.
"How is Lucy?"Grey inquired gently.
"Doc said all her tests came back good. They want to keep her another day because of the smoke inalation."Tim reported his voice rough with emotion.
"That's wonderful news."Grey said with relief."She gave everyone a scare today."
Tim remained silent staring at the other side of the busy ER as hospital staff bustled about.
"I nearly lost Lucy today."Tim said quietly as Grey sat down next to him on the hospital bed. "Made me realize how much I love her. For the first time since Isabel I'm thinking about the future; about taking a chance at marriage again."
"I know the fallout was stressful for you and Lucy."Grey stated. "But I know she cares about you. You think Diaz is really going to make a play?"
"Yeah."Tim answered as he gingerly touched the bandage on his nose. "I think he is. He made a crack about me being afraid of some competition. I'm not, I know what Lucy and I have is strong enough to survive this."
"I hope you're right."Grey replied as he stood. "I don't want any more calls to the ER."
Tim smiled grimly as he eased himself off the bed. Part of him didn't want to believe Diaz was a threat, but Tim knew how strong the bond could be between people who had saved a life. The old Chinese saying niggled into Tim's troubled thoughts and he shoved it aside. He and Lucy loved each other and if Diaz wanted to challenge that he could go ahead and try.
"You going home or back to Lucy?"Grey asked.
"Home, I need to clean up."Tim said as he left.
As he made his way home Tim hoped he'd have a chance to explain the fight to Lucy before Diaz.
