"How're you feeling?" Ted Hastings asked a little later that day. Kate had phoned him to tell him that Steve had woken up and he had wanted to visit as soon as possible.
"Awful," Steve replied this time, hoping to get some sympathy from his boss. He had a thumping migraine although whether it was his fractured skull or embarrassment from his mothers stories, it was hard to say.
"That's the spirit," Ted replied enthusiastically and Steve realised he wasn't going to get any special treatment from his boss. "They looking after you, anybody need shaking up?".
"My mum maybe,".
"What?" puzzled Ted.
"I'm in good hands, sir," Steve corrected himself.
"Good. Just thought I'd come and say hi. I'll be back with James,".
"Jamie," Steve corrected Ted.
Ted shot a look at Steve that showed he wasn't happy to be interrupted- it didn't matter whether Steve was injured or not. He should have known by now that Ted was useless with names. He was just being his usual wee gobshite self.
"Jamie. Whatever," Ted flustered. "What was I saying?" He asked out loud after the interruption completely derailed his train of thought.
You'll be back with Jamie," Steve prompted.
"Ah that's right. We'll be needing a statement from you about what happened so I'll bring Jamie along later and we can do that if that's ok? We've got some pictures for you to look at as well".
"Sure," replied Steve, not really looking forward to having to relive the whole scenario again; well what he could remember anyway. He might ask Kate if she wouldn't mind being there for that discussion.
"Excellent," Ted agreed. "Well I'll get going, Steve," he continued as he prepared to leave. "Kate around?". There was something important that he needed to tell her before he headed back to AC-12.
"With my parents," Steve answered, not too happily. "They went to get a coffee or something,". He hated to think what they would be talking about over their drinks.
The sound of chatter filled the ward that Steve had been moved to and Ted and Steve turned to see Kate and Steve's parents entering.
Ted was happy that Kate had turned up as the hospital was a big place and he really didn't have the time to spare looking for her when he was needed back at AC-12. Introducing himself to Steve's parents before they went to sit at their son's bedside, Ted then turned to his DS. "Can I have a word outside, Kate?" he asked.
"Sure," Kate replied, wondering what the problem was. She turned to the Arnott family. "Back in a bit. The gaffer wants a word," she explained before following Ted to the corridor outside the ward. "What's up, sir?" Kate asked.
"I'm afraid you're off your undercover assignment in the Huntley case, Kate," Ted informed her solemnly.
"What? Why?" Kate asked getting angry. "It's not because I asked for a few days off is it?" she wanted to know. It was the only thing she could think off that might have upset Hastings.
"No," answered Ted. "We had Huntley in for another interview. She knows you are an undercover officer,".
"What?!" Kate exploded. "How?".
"One of her team was keeping an eye on you,".
"Jodie," Kate knew exactly who was responsible. She was so far up DCI Huntley's arse it had to have been her.
"She's got pictures of you in the evidence room and talking to the forensic officer Kevin Gill, in charge of it. All to do with that possible tampered evidence KRG13, ".
"Shit!" Kate reprimanded herself. She had slipped up yet again. Three of her last four undercover cases had failed now. "I'm so sorry, sir,".
"I'm pretty sure someone told Huntley all about you before the photos were taken. She knew about wee Josh," Ted explained, hoping it would alleviate some of Kate's distress as he knew she would blame herself for this disaster. "AC-12 has been leaking like a colander recently and we need to find out exactly who's tongue is loose before the whole investigation of Ros Huntley is called into question," he continued getting angry. No one questioned the integrity of his team without proper evidence.
"Yes, sir,".
"Cheer up, Kate," Ted consoled. "Look on the bright side, eh? You can stay with Steve for a bit longer. Make sure the wee idiot is behaving himself. And when you are able you can come back to AC-12. We still need you working in some capacity on the case,".
"Yes, sir," Kate replied as she tried to give a little smile at Ted's efforts to cheer her up.
"I'll be back after work to get Steve's statement on what happened to him. He might want you there for that,".
"Ok, sir," Kate replied, despondently.
"Right, well I'll be seeing you,".
"Thanks, sir," Kate said before heading back to Steve's bedside. She tried her best to act as if she wasn't upset about what had happened and she thought she had done a good job. Steve's parents didn't notice any thing was wrong as they bid both Steve and Kate good bye before leaving them for the night.
"You gonna tell me what's up?" Steve asked once they were alone. She hadn't done a good enough job to convince the one person who knew her best.
"Nothing," she replied. Steve had enough to worry about at the moment without her adding to it.
"Wanna try again?" Steve urged as he took Kate's hand.
"I've fucked up another undercover assignment," Kate revealed, getting upset again at her failure. She always took her failures very personally.
"The gaffer said that?" Steve asked, incredulous at him being so harsh to his friend.
"Not in so many words,".
"What did he say, Kate?".
"That Huntley knows I'm an undercover officer. I've ruined everything!" she chastised herself, as the tears spilled over. "I'm sorry," she continued, trying to get control of herself.
"How did she find out?" Steve asked. It was good talking about work stuff as he could forget about his current situation.
"Caught me sniffing about that incorrectly labelled forensic sample- KRG-13,".
"I asked you to look into it, mate. It's my fault," Steve reminded Kate. It was one of the last messages he'd sent her before he was attacked.
"Gaffer reckons someone told her about me as well so she was already suspicious. Knew some personal stuff about me, like Josh,".
"Who did that?".
"Dunno. But if they knew about Josh, it has to be someone I know which means it could be someone at AC-12,".
"So what happens now?".
"The gaffer reckons I should be able to do some work at AC-12 without compromising the investigation. Until then you have my undivided attention. Here every day to keep you company,".
"You don't have to,".
"I want to," Kate interrupted. Steve didn't look that enthralled with the idea. "Although it looks like you don't want me here,".
"I do," Steve corrected her. "It's just...can you stop asking mum for embarrassing stories,".
Kate cast a glance at Steve and saw he was actually being serious. He obviously wasn't too keen on her finding out all about his childhood escapades and it had hit a nerve. "Sure," she promised. There was no way she would let something so trivial affect his recovery. "No more stories,".