Title: Problems with the Past
Author: I AM GRUMPY-BEAR
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Summary: Gary meets a girl who's past is quickly catching up to her and that could spell disaster for everyone.
Disclaimer: I still don't own them, but I'm working on it.
Note: I'm working, I'm working.
Problems with the Past
Chapter Four: Reassurance
Agent Maureen Hazel walked through the airport towards the terminal. She had gotten the first ticket for a Chicago flight she could.
She was still amazed by Bostwick. He was an unorganized, simple-minded, criminal, but he was still able to outsmart both the police and federal agents.
And then there was Robin. She had been able to succeed where everyone else had failed. She had caught and put Frederick Bostwick behind bars twice. In return, he had tried to kill her fours times. Bostwick had nearly succeeded last time.
Hazel boarded the plane and took her seat. She wasn't ready to face Robin and her family. She was tired of ruining that family's life.
She sighed as she waited for take off. The words Sarah had said to her while she was at the hospital still stung. Hazel had gone to the hospital to see if carver was alright, when she ran into Sarah. She had blamed everything on Hazel. She had blamed Hazel for everything. Carver's injury, Robin's problems, and even Bostwick's escape. Hazel knew Sarah had said most those things because she angry, but her last words still hurt.
"Why don't you stop ruining people's lives before you kill somebody else," Sarah had shouted at her. Three police officers and one federal agent had been killed while trying to apprehend Bostwick and the failure still bothered Hazel.
She looked up and saw the fasten seatbelts light on. She followed the instructions and settled in for the flight.
******
Gary walked into his apartment and dropped the paper by the door. The cat looked up at Gary and meowed. He ignored it and sat down in a chair. The cat jumped onto his lap, but he pushed it away.
"Leave me alone," Gary said to the animal. The cat hissed at him and then got into another chair to sleep. Gary heard a knock on the door and went to answer it.
"Hay, Gar," said Chuck Fishman when Gary opened the door. "What's new?"
"Nothing," said Gary half-heartedly as he let Chuck in.
"What's the matter?" asked Chuck as he sat down in a chair.
Gary looked at Chuck and then said, "A girl got hit by a car today, and I couldn't stop it."
"What do you mean?" asked Chuck. "It wasn't in the paper or something?"
"It was in the paper," said Gary. "Twice. The first time the girl was supposed to be killed in a hit-and-run accident. I stopped that, but when I looked at the paper again, it had changed. She was still supposed to be hit by a car. I couldn't stop it."
"Did she die?" asked Chuck.
"No," said Gary. "She's in critical condition, but that's not the point."
"What's the point?" asked Chuck not understanding his friend.
"The same car that was going to hit her the first time came back and hit her," said Gary. "The driver got out and stared at her and then just drove away. He wanted to hit her." Gary looked over at the newspaper lying by the door.
Chuck thought about what Gary had said and then replied, "Are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah," answered Gary. "I'll be fine." The cat looked up from his slumber at the two and then back to sleep.
******
Gary woke up to the normal thump of the newspaper and the meow of the cat. He got out his bed and went to get the paper. The cat walked into the apartment as Gary picked up the newspaper. The front page story was about an apartment building fire that killed seven people. Gary sighed and looked at the cat. "You're not going to make my day easy, are you?" he asked it.
The cat stared at him for a moment and then meowed in response.
******
Gary walked up to the apartment building and watched as people walked in and out. He walked up to the door and stepped inside. Gary looked around and saw a woman holding a bag of groceries about to get on the elevator.
"Pardon me?" Gary said to the woman.
She looked at him and asked, "What?"
"Where is the superintendent?" asked Gary.
"Go down that hall over there," said the woman. "He's putting in a new window."
"Thanks," said Gary. The woman nodded and got on the elevator. Gary walked down the hall and saw a man carrying the glass to a window into an apartment. "Pardon me?"
The man turned toward him and nearly dropped the glass. "Can I help you?" he asked impatiently.
"Th-th-there's a fire on the ninth floor," said Gary.
"What?" asked the man. "How on Earth do you know that?"
"I just- I just- I just do," said Gary.
The man stared at Gary for a moment and then set the glass down. "I can't believe I'm doing this ," he said as he led Gary over to the elevator. Gary hit the nine button and waited while the elevator climbed to the right floor. The elevator doors slid open and immediately Gary and the super smelled the smoke.
The super ran down the hall to an apartment door and started to pound on it. "Mrs. Green!" he shouted. "Mrs. Green!" The super stepped back and muttered. "That woman's practically deaf. She's never going to hear me."
"How come no one else on the floor has smelled the smoke?" asked Gary.
"No one else lives on the floor," replied the super. He got out a key ring and used one of the keys to open the apartment door. Smoke poured into the hallway and they could hear the smoke alarm going off.
"Go get the fire extinguisher from down the hall," the super ordered Gary. He went into the apartment to try and find the woman while Gary went to get the extinguisher.
"Mrs. Green, you in here?!" Gary heard the man shout between coughs. He ran back to the apartment and saw th super carrying a small older woman out of the apartment. "The fire's in the kitchen," he said as best he could through coughs.
Gary nodded and rushed into the smoke filled apartment. He quickly found the fire coming from the kitchen stove and used the fire extinguisher to put it out. Gary sighed and walked back out into the hall. "Fire's out," said Gary.
"Thanks," said the super as he tried to wake up the elderly woman.
"No problem," said Gary.
******
Hazel waited for her luggage at the airport. Her plane had to land and was delayed over night due to bad weather. She was hoping the airport hadn't lost her luggage. That was the thing she hated most about airports, going to lost luggage. She was relieved when she saw her bags. Hazel picked up her luggage and left the airport.
Her first stop was the hospital. She had gotten a call from a hysterical Christine Mason last night telling her that Robin was in the hospital. After Hazel checked on both Robin and her family, she was headed to the police station. She needed to find out more about Robin's "accident."
She hailed a taxi and got into the back.
"Where to?" asked the cab driver.
"Cook County Hospital," replied Hazel.
"Alright," said the cab driver as he took off.
******
Gary watched the paramedics load the elderly woman into the ambulance. They had said they were only taking her to the hospital to be safe and that she was going to be okay.
Gary took out the paper and saw that the apartment fire story was gone. He put the paper back into his pocket and walked away.
******
Bostwick stared at the man walking away from the apartment building.
"Yesterday he was at a hit-and-run," Bostwick thought to himself, "and today he's at a fire. Does he just run around doing good deeds all day."
He stepped out of the alley and carefully followed Gary making sure he couldn't see him.
******
Hazel stepped off the elevator and onto the ICU floor. She saw Robin's father, Roy, walking down the hall.
"Mr. Mason," Hazel said to Roy as she walked towards him.
He turned toward her and asked, "What do you want?"
"How is she?" asked Hazel having trouble reading the man's face.
"She was hit by a car," said Roy with no emotion. "How do you think she is?"
"I'm sorry," said Hazel.
"It wasn't your fault," said Roy.
"Yeah it was," said Hazel. "I know I could have prevented this somehow. It's my job."
"I can't take this anymore," said Roy as he leaned against the wall. "I can't take almost losing my daughter anymore. She's fifteen-years-old. She should be worried about what she's going to where tomorrow, not if she's going to be alive to wear it. Robin shouldn't have to deal with all this."
"Look," said Hazel. "We're going to catch Bostwick and she'll never have to worry about him again. I promise that to you and Christine and Sarah and Carver and Chief Smith and Robin. He's not going to get away this time."
Roy looked at Hazel and said quietly, "Thanks for the reassurance."
Hazel smiled and said, "It's what I'm here for."
******
Robin slowly started to open her eyes. She was immediately aware of a pain in her chest. She tried to sit up, but the pain stopped her. Robin looked around the room and realized she was in a hospital. She saw her mother sleeping in a chair near her bed. Robin reached over and grabbed her mother's hand. Christine woke up and saw her daughter's open eyes.
"Robin," Christine said to her daughter through tears. "Robin, you're awake." She set her daughter's hand down and said quietly, "I'm going to go get the nurse. You stay awake, alright?"
Robin gave a slight nod and Christine left the hospital room.
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Fourth chapter up. Someone pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeee review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!