Chapter Three
Mahoney In Distress
Georgetown Memorial Hospital- The next afternoon
Dr. Anton Pierce grabbed a clipboard from his nurse, who was briefing him on the next patient. A 37 year old female, F.B.I. special agent, who'd gone after a criminal, been beaten unconscious and raped. She'd been found in the abandoned house by a fellow special agent Ray Terry the next morning. She'd regained consciousness briefly, then fallen back asleep, exhausted from the struggle the previous night, it both helped and hindered the F.B.I.'s case against the man, she was strong, their strongest female agent which showed this guy had some real strength, it hindered their case for that reason, she was their best and was down.
"What are her injuries?"
"Mild lacerations on the face, neck and arms, two broken ribs and he um, he bit her, sir, on the shoulder when he raped her."
"Bit?"
"Left an imprint, crazy son of a bitch, they just have to take the pcitures to the dentists around . . ."
He opened the door and looked at her, frowned, she was pretty, the cuts and bruises did not change that. "What did her superior say?"
"Nothing much, just to let her know she 'still has her place', whatever that means."
"She's been treated though?"
"Dr. Fiston took care of everything, they just want us to look after her until she can leave and we have to check her for any serious head trauma."
"I doubt it, these guys don't get much sleep, but let's go ahead and run her through the CAT scan."
"Yes sir, I'll go get it ready." The nurse left, he stepped into the room and shut the door, slid his hands into his pockets, rocked on his heels for a brief moment, then moved to her bedside. "Poor kid."
Her eyes slid open, she blinked and gazed up at him, surprised he knelt next to her. "Hey, there."
"H-hi." She managed, looked around. "I'm still in this dump?"
He laughed, nodded. "Yeah, we were gonna run you through a CAT scan, are you in pain?"
"Cuts sting, feel like I've been hit in the head."
"You have."
"I know that, I meant like, moments ago." She groaned, stretched and jumped, looked with hate at the IV in her arm.
"Eh, might want to stay still."
Starling and Mahoney's home- 1 week later
It absolutely drove her crazy, sitting around, nothing to do, no one to talk to. She couldn't go run, couldn't go to the gym and worst of all, couldn't go to work. It was about to make her explode when the back door opened and she eagerly waited for someone to come into the living room, where she was stuck, it wouldn't be Clarice, not this early. It was either Lecter or a friend from the Bureau kind enough to bring her lunch. Her suspicions were confirmed after some muddling in the kitchen was finished, Lecter strolled in and grinned down at her. "Good afternoon, Sharon."
"What do you want? Because you just saved me from dying of boredom, oh my God, are you hungry? I can fix something up."
He chuckled and shook his head, waved a finger at her in warning. "You, madame, are not supposed to move, I managed to get some groceries for you as your refrigerator is barren, and I will be making dinner, I did, however, bring you a video, also, to keep you occuppied as I work, it's one of my favorites." He moved to the VCR and popped a cassette in, waited, and left the room when the black and white film began to play. She was speechless, wasn't really into the old black and white movies but thought What the hell? I haven't got anything better to do. Finally the title showed and it intrigued her. "Hold Back the Dawn? Interesting."
Two hours later, the film was over, she'd flipped to CNN, where the case she'd worked on was just being talked about.
"Urgent news, we're all familiar with the "Candy Man' case, which involved the rape and brutal beating of F.B.I. special agent Sharon Mahoney earlier this week, F.B.I. special agent Ray Terry and 30 SWAT team men caught the rapist earlier this hour, in a Memphis drug store, as he attempted to rob and rape the female pharmacist, Mahoney, who is currently at home resting has not commented on the apprehension yet."
Intrigued, Sharon picked up the phone beside, her, did not notice that Lecter was behind her and had watched the bulletin as well. It rang twice, and finally Perarsall picked up. "Pearsall."
"Hey, it's Special agent Mahoney, I just heard about it."
"Sharon, how you feeling?"
"Sore, good, but sore, this is great news though, when'll Ray be back?"
"Probably this evening. You ok there, want someone to stop by and make you dinner?"
"Um," she finally turned around and though surprised to see the doctor, did not show it, smiled. "No thanks, have a neighbor here who's making me dinner. I'll see you in a couple weeks, though, ok? Call me, I go nuts with nothing to do for hours and hours."
He chuckled on the other line. "Ok, hey, if you hear from Clarice tell her to give me a call, ok?"
"Yeah, oh, and uh, sir?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for not punishing me."
"He did enough of that, soon, Mahoney."
She smiled weakly and hung up, turned best as she could to look at Lecter again. "Hi, you ok?"
He seemed amused by the question, knew she hadn't known what else to say. "I'm fine, do you need help standing?"
She tested first, and when falling on her butt, she laughed. "Just, just a little, grab my hands," he moved in front of her and did. "And pull." With a combined effort she stood, but swayed, it had been too fast and she was dizzy, but he caught her and bent his knees a bit to keep her up, so they were eye level, and though terrified, she was also feeling shy.
"I um, if you let go I think I'll be ok this time." Her voice had softened, and deepened."
"Are you . . . sure?"
"Yes, yes I'm sure."
He attempted to let her go and she was fine for a moment, but slipped and fell sforward again, her nose hitting his, sliding across the width of it, then down the side between his nose and cheek. Her breathing accelerated massively and he could hear her pulse when he bent his head and his ear went to her neck, she hadn't intended to act this way, he knew the wrappings around her waist made walking awkward, anything requiring moving her waist awkward. She hadn't been so close to a man in many years, and he doubted she'd ever been treated so kindly by one, his own behavior surprised him, but he needed to get to Clarice. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, pressed her palms to his chest and lifted herself up that way, struggled with her balance and finally managed to walk towards the dining room.
He went ahead of her to retrieve the food, she sat and when he brought it out, the air was so tight and awkward, that she decided to try and lighten the mood. "It isn't made from anybody either of us know, is it?"
He chuckled, shook his head and set it down. "Unfortunately, my appetite for human's has depleted a bit. It's lamb." He set the met down, she looked at the ribcage and knew unless it was made from a small, Indonesian child, he was being truthful.
They ate in silence, he offered her wine but she had to decline, she had a prescription for morphine and had not hesitated to use it. Which reminded her, she was up for a dose right now. After using the table, this time, to gain balance, she found her way to the kitchen cupboard, which contained the little box of meds and over the counter stuff. She took a clean syringe, a bottle, took the cap off of the needle, poked the sharp object through the paper on the top of the bottle, filled the syringe, pulled it out, set the bottle aside and took a piece of cotton. She stretched her arm out and poised the needle when she heard the doctor say. "Let me give you a hand with that."
Though hesitent, she decided she had enough reason to trust him, as crazy as it sounded even to her. "Ok," she handed him the syringe and he poked it into her skin, pressed the cotton over it, injected the fluid, pulled the nedle out and held the cotton there for a moment, then moved it away and bent her arm. "Hold it like that for a moment, not too long."
She smiled softly. "Thanks." After a moment, she let her arm down.
"So," he decided to make small talk as he cleared the dishes. "Why exactly did Clarice go on vacation, too stressed?"
"Well," Sharon leaned against a wall. "She didn't really go on vacation, per say, she more or less went on personal leave, yesh, she was pretty stressed."
"And I take it you're watching the house for her?"
"No, we lived together for a couple months before she left, it wasn't romantic at all . . ."
"Relax, agent Mahoney, I know you two are cousins."
"Oh, well there you have it." She was suddenly uncomfortable. "Why'd you decide to come back?"
He set the last dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on, sat against it. "Mostly because I missed her, and I missed New England."
"And um, why are you being os friendly with me?"
"Well, I like you."
"Doctor, please, you don't have to try and make me feel . . ."
"I assure you, Miss Mahoney, that I would not be here for any reason if I did not like you."
"Maybe you do, but I know you want to get to Clarice." He was silent, he just watched her, seemingly emotionless. "Why are you so desperate to get to her? Why did you offer to help me to get to her?"
"Because I love her." It surprised him as much as it surprised her. True, he was no starnger to speaking his mind freely, but it was an outburst he'd avoided making for fifteen years. He didn't think he could hide it any longer, but she was the last person he'd expected to tell first. "If you should ever learn that feeling, Sharon, you'd understand."
It surprised her, indeed, but it didn't really, she hadn't expected the outburst but she knew his answer before it. "Well, that's a pretty damn good reason."
"You should get some rest. I'll go, but see you soon. Are you going to be all right?"
"I'll be fine, I'm a big girl."
She watched him walk out the back door without him saying another word, not even a goodbye. She sighed, moved to go to the living room and the couch when the phone began to ring, she sighed, picked it up. "Mahoney."
"Sharon? It's me, Clarice."
Well, hope you like it, please review.
