Private Eye Blues
by Kat Caine
The paramedic was just finishing up on Kim Sutter when Texas Rangers, Cordell Walker and James Trivette walked up.
"What happened Kim?" Kim looked up at the tall man, worry in her eyes.
"I don't know, Walker. It happened so fast and the man was covered in shadows. I'm not even sure If I got the look right." She noticed Walker and Trivette glance at each other. "Do you know something I don't?" she demanded.
"Garret Murphy broke out of prison last night," Walker paused a second. "and Carlos is missing as well." Kim gasped.
"Does that..." Her voice trailed off as she realized the answer. "Oh God."
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Trent was having nightmares. They were filled with darkness and dispair. And he couldn't get away from them.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Carlos woke up groggy, in a dimly lit room where there was only a small hospital bed. Everything was white and one wall was entirely covered with a mirror. He grimaced at the sight of himself. His bruised face and dark circles under his eyes stood out immensely with the background of white walls. He didn't get to notice anymore as the door opened behind him.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Trent finally awoke from his nightmares, bathed in sweat. His room was much like Carlos' but unlike Carlos, he could see through the glass. He saw the man step in behind Carlos.
"Carlos!" he screamed through the glass. "Behind you!" Carlos couldn't hear him. He watched in despair as the man moved closer to him. He saw Carlos turn just as a fist slammed into Carlos' face. Trent spun furiously into a round kick, his foot colliding solidly with the glass. All it did was knock him to the floor. He tried once more and found himself glaring at the glass. It was unbreakable. All he could do was watch helplessly as Carlos was beaten. He slammed his hands onto the glass and slid to the ground, unable to take his eyes off Carlos as he weakly tried to fend off his attacker. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Kim sat next to a woman who was messing with something on a computer screen. Kim's hands were clenched tightly in her lap as she looked at the man's face on the screen. Walker stood behind her.
"Are you sure this is it?" Kim shrugged.
"He was covered with shadows, I'm not... Wait. His right hand had a scar across the palm. I noticed it when he grabbed me." Kim shuddered a little and Walker placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The woman typed in the information and then printed it out. Walker squeezed her shoulder gently.
"You did a good job." Kim nodded and as Walker went to walk away, she stopped him.
"Trent and Carlos are going to be okay, right? I mean, well," Kim stammered and then quickly, "I want to know the truth." Walker looked her square in the eyes.
"The truth is, I don't know." Kim slumped back in her chair, forcing back tears.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Carlos awoke, his head pounding with the effort to open his eyes. The pounding on the mirror didn't help. He forced himself up and winced at his reflection. He saw the mirror vibrate and he sank down next to it. He could here something over the sound of the pounding.
"Carlos..." Trent's voice was calling him. It took a minute to realize that the voice wasn't in his head.
"Trent?" He placed his hand on the mirror. Knowing his friend was just behind the glass, he felt calmer. "Trent!"
On the other side, Trent placed his hand over Carlos's and pressed his forhead on the glass. He was relieved to see Carlos awake, but he was worried about the way Carlos was holding his side. He wished there was someway to talk to him. But before Trent could think, he heard a hissing sound and saw some kind of white cloud coming in through his vent. He looked back at Carlos and realized that the gas was only on his side. He began to cough and his body began to feel boneless. He slowly slid to the flow, his eyes closing slowly.
"Carlos...."
Carlos heard the hissing and noticed that the pounding had stopped. He pounded on the glass.
"Trent! Trent!" He emphasized his words with his pounding. He gasped at the pain in his side and curled up on the floor. He tried to calm his panic. "Trent...."
"Don't you enjoy having your friend suffering only a few inches away and not being able to save him?" Carlos tried to locate the sound of the dark, menacing voice and realized that the man was speaking through an intercom. "I mean, a big hero like you must have a hard time not doing good deeds all the time." The voice was dripping with sarcasm and each word was making Carlos angrier.
"You, you psycho!" He yelled and gasped for breath. "You pathetic, bastard." The voice didn't answer and Carlos struggled to get up.
As he straightened, his head began to spin and he had the faintest sensation that he falling.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
"Trent? Trent..." Trent heard the voice through the fogginess in his brain and struggled to open his eyes. A blurry figure stood above him and he blinked a few times to clear his eyesight. Kim, Walker, Alex and Trivette stood above him and the person in front of him, holding his hand was his mother, Katie.
"Mom?" She smiled and kissed her son's hand. Her cheeks were wet with tears. "Mom, I'm okay," he said a little embarrased but glad to be out of that room. He bolted upright. "Carlos!" The room was silent for a few moments.
"Trent," Alex started, "Carlos suffered a punctured lung and... he's in a coma." Trent pushed aside the sheets and hung his legs over the side of the bed.
"Trent?" his mom asked, her eyes worried and questioning.
"I have to see him." Trent forced back tears. "So either help me there or I'll do it myself. But with your help, it would be easier." Knowing it was useless to argue with him, Walker and Trivette carefully helped him up, and sat him in a wheelchair. Katie tucked a blacket around his legs and took her place behind the wheelchair. Walker went to help but she held up her hand.
"He's my son. I want to do this." Walker nodded and followed her out as she pushed the wheel chair down the hall to Carlos's room. Trivette, Kim, and Alex hung back, letting Walker and his mother stay with him.
As they opened the door, Walker heard an involuntary gasp from Trent, but stayed quiet, knowing it would only bruise his pride more. Katie pushed the wheelchair as close as she could get to Carlos. She set the break and touching Trent's cheek, walked to Walker.
"I'm going to talk to the doctor. Please.. keep an eye on him?" Walker could sense the desperation behind those words. She had lost her husband not long ago. She didn't want to lose her son, too. He nodded slightly and, looking relieved, she left, closing the door softly behind her. As soon as she was gone, Trent broke down. He had his hand clenched in Carlos's as tears flooded his cheeks.
"I'm going to get them for this, Carlos," Trent said, his voice shaking. A determined looked flashed through his eyes and he lifted his chin, his voice steady now. "Even if I die trying."
by Kat Caine
The paramedic was just finishing up on Kim Sutter when Texas Rangers, Cordell Walker and James Trivette walked up.
"What happened Kim?" Kim looked up at the tall man, worry in her eyes.
"I don't know, Walker. It happened so fast and the man was covered in shadows. I'm not even sure If I got the look right." She noticed Walker and Trivette glance at each other. "Do you know something I don't?" she demanded.
"Garret Murphy broke out of prison last night," Walker paused a second. "and Carlos is missing as well." Kim gasped.
"Does that..." Her voice trailed off as she realized the answer. "Oh God."
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Trent was having nightmares. They were filled with darkness and dispair. And he couldn't get away from them.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Carlos woke up groggy, in a dimly lit room where there was only a small hospital bed. Everything was white and one wall was entirely covered with a mirror. He grimaced at the sight of himself. His bruised face and dark circles under his eyes stood out immensely with the background of white walls. He didn't get to notice anymore as the door opened behind him.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Trent finally awoke from his nightmares, bathed in sweat. His room was much like Carlos' but unlike Carlos, he could see through the glass. He saw the man step in behind Carlos.
"Carlos!" he screamed through the glass. "Behind you!" Carlos couldn't hear him. He watched in despair as the man moved closer to him. He saw Carlos turn just as a fist slammed into Carlos' face. Trent spun furiously into a round kick, his foot colliding solidly with the glass. All it did was knock him to the floor. He tried once more and found himself glaring at the glass. It was unbreakable. All he could do was watch helplessly as Carlos was beaten. He slammed his hands onto the glass and slid to the ground, unable to take his eyes off Carlos as he weakly tried to fend off his attacker. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Kim sat next to a woman who was messing with something on a computer screen. Kim's hands were clenched tightly in her lap as she looked at the man's face on the screen. Walker stood behind her.
"Are you sure this is it?" Kim shrugged.
"He was covered with shadows, I'm not... Wait. His right hand had a scar across the palm. I noticed it when he grabbed me." Kim shuddered a little and Walker placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The woman typed in the information and then printed it out. Walker squeezed her shoulder gently.
"You did a good job." Kim nodded and as Walker went to walk away, she stopped him.
"Trent and Carlos are going to be okay, right? I mean, well," Kim stammered and then quickly, "I want to know the truth." Walker looked her square in the eyes.
"The truth is, I don't know." Kim slumped back in her chair, forcing back tears.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
Carlos awoke, his head pounding with the effort to open his eyes. The pounding on the mirror didn't help. He forced himself up and winced at his reflection. He saw the mirror vibrate and he sank down next to it. He could here something over the sound of the pounding.
"Carlos..." Trent's voice was calling him. It took a minute to realize that the voice wasn't in his head.
"Trent?" He placed his hand on the mirror. Knowing his friend was just behind the glass, he felt calmer. "Trent!"
On the other side, Trent placed his hand over Carlos's and pressed his forhead on the glass. He was relieved to see Carlos awake, but he was worried about the way Carlos was holding his side. He wished there was someway to talk to him. But before Trent could think, he heard a hissing sound and saw some kind of white cloud coming in through his vent. He looked back at Carlos and realized that the gas was only on his side. He began to cough and his body began to feel boneless. He slowly slid to the flow, his eyes closing slowly.
"Carlos...."
Carlos heard the hissing and noticed that the pounding had stopped. He pounded on the glass.
"Trent! Trent!" He emphasized his words with his pounding. He gasped at the pain in his side and curled up on the floor. He tried to calm his panic. "Trent...."
"Don't you enjoy having your friend suffering only a few inches away and not being able to save him?" Carlos tried to locate the sound of the dark, menacing voice and realized that the man was speaking through an intercom. "I mean, a big hero like you must have a hard time not doing good deeds all the time." The voice was dripping with sarcasm and each word was making Carlos angrier.
"You, you psycho!" He yelled and gasped for breath. "You pathetic, bastard." The voice didn't answer and Carlos struggled to get up.
As he straightened, his head began to spin and he had the faintest sensation that he falling.
**************** **************** **************** ****************
"Trent? Trent..." Trent heard the voice through the fogginess in his brain and struggled to open his eyes. A blurry figure stood above him and he blinked a few times to clear his eyesight. Kim, Walker, Alex and Trivette stood above him and the person in front of him, holding his hand was his mother, Katie.
"Mom?" She smiled and kissed her son's hand. Her cheeks were wet with tears. "Mom, I'm okay," he said a little embarrased but glad to be out of that room. He bolted upright. "Carlos!" The room was silent for a few moments.
"Trent," Alex started, "Carlos suffered a punctured lung and... he's in a coma." Trent pushed aside the sheets and hung his legs over the side of the bed.
"Trent?" his mom asked, her eyes worried and questioning.
"I have to see him." Trent forced back tears. "So either help me there or I'll do it myself. But with your help, it would be easier." Knowing it was useless to argue with him, Walker and Trivette carefully helped him up, and sat him in a wheelchair. Katie tucked a blacket around his legs and took her place behind the wheelchair. Walker went to help but she held up her hand.
"He's my son. I want to do this." Walker nodded and followed her out as she pushed the wheel chair down the hall to Carlos's room. Trivette, Kim, and Alex hung back, letting Walker and his mother stay with him.
As they opened the door, Walker heard an involuntary gasp from Trent, but stayed quiet, knowing it would only bruise his pride more. Katie pushed the wheelchair as close as she could get to Carlos. She set the break and touching Trent's cheek, walked to Walker.
"I'm going to talk to the doctor. Please.. keep an eye on him?" Walker could sense the desperation behind those words. She had lost her husband not long ago. She didn't want to lose her son, too. He nodded slightly and, looking relieved, she left, closing the door softly behind her. As soon as she was gone, Trent broke down. He had his hand clenched in Carlos's as tears flooded his cheeks.
"I'm going to get them for this, Carlos," Trent said, his voice shaking. A determined looked flashed through his eyes and he lifted his chin, his voice steady now. "Even if I die trying."