Disclaimer: None of them are mine
Author: Scrimshaw
Archieve: please ask…
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Stella was walking down the street on her way to the subway station. It had been a long day and she was worn out.
She had been working on a double murder with Mac all day long and he had offered to drive her home; laughing she had declined his offer, explaining that she wasn't in the mood for NY traffic.
He had smiled sweetly at her and wished her an relaxing evening before heading to his car.
It made her happy to see that he had opened up a bit in the past few weeks. He seemed more relaxed and comfortable around people and was smiling more often.
Today he had been laughing out loud the first time in months. The first time actually since Claire's death.
He seemed to accept that she was gone and that he had a life to get going again. Not just doing his job, witch sometimes absorbed him way too much.
Being only a few meters away from her destination she began to run across the street.
Just as she had almost reached the sidewalk a car came racing down the street, trying to pass a comparatively slow vehicle. The driver tried to slow as he spotted the woman crossing the road but he was going to fast. He hit the horn but there was no way she was going to get out of his way in time.
Stella turned at the sound of the horn. As if in slow motion, she saw the car heading towards her, seeing the terrified look on the drivers face.
Time slowed all sound faded, nothing but total silence surrounding her until the car collided with her body and she felt the pain creeping up from her hip, then her arm and at last at her head before blackness consumed her.
Realising that he had driven into a human being the car driver stepped onto the gas pedal and hurried away.
The driver in the car behind the hit-and-run stopped just in time narrowly avoiding running over the fallen woman.
Jumping out he ran to the unconscious woman lying in front of his car. Checking her pulse he was relieved that she was alive, but watching the blood flowing down hear head, soaking through her sleeve and her trousers he was very worried.
He took his cell out and dialled 911.
A young woman who had seen the accident ran over and helped him stabilise Stella, explaining that she was a paramedic.
5 minutes later a police car and an ambulance had made their way to the accident and while the Paramedics took care of Stella in the ambulance, one of the police officers looked through her purse which lay next to her on the street.
"Stella Bonassera…" the officer mumbled, sure that he had heard the name before, getting back into the car and cabling the central office.
The ambulance went on it´s way to the Lennox Hill Hospital after telling the Officers where they were heading. They had stopped the bleeding of her lacerations at her arms, legs and her head.
20 minutes later a team of nightshift CSI´s arrived at the scene.
Mac was just standing at his doorway when he heard his phone staring to ring inside.
Hurrying he ran and grabbed the receiver.
"Detective Taylor?" he asked.
"Am I speaking with Mr. Mac Taylor?" a female voice answered him.
"Yes, I am Mac Taylor, what's the matter?" he was getting curious.
"We got a Miss Stella Bonassera hospitalised and you were her emergency contact. Are you able to come down to the hospital?"
"What happened?" was the first thing Mac asked shocked.
"She was involved in an car accident." The woman answered him.
Car accident… She was walking to the station… Oh god…. Mac had seen what a car could do to a walker and it frightened him to think of Stella being involved.
"Do you know how she is?" He asked concerned.
"I don´t know for sure but I´m sure the Doctors are able to tell you if you´ll come down here…"
"I'll be there as soon as possible…" Mac answered, hanging up the phone and running back to his car, an icy façade on his face, fear mirrored in his eyes.
While driving to the hospital he unwillingly saw flashes of Claire lying in bed, being kept alive by machines, but this time it wasn't Claire's face he saw. This time it was Stella's face that lay pail and emotionless on the white hospital pillow.
Feeling cold fear creeping gripping him he parked his car and leaned his head on the stearing wheel, praying that she was all right… that she'd recover.
Getting his strength together he unbuckled his seatbelt and walked over to the entrance.
He felt like hew as moving through a thick fog. Everything felt and sounded as if it was so far away.
"Stella Bonassera…" He asked the woman sitting at the front desk.
The woman pulled Stella's file up on the screen and asked… "Name?"
"Mac Taylor."
"She´s in room 127 Mr.Taylor. The Doctor who treated her is Dr Petersen. He should be making his rounds right now."
"Thank's" Mac said, leaving in search of Stella's room.
7 minuites passed until he was standing in front of room 127. He was glad that she wasn't at the ICU which meant that she wasn't seriously injured.
He stood in front of her door debating whether to go in or not, frightened about what he might see or not and paced up and down the hallway. Suddenly a picture of a gradually smiling Stella came to his head and he finnaly decided to go in.
As he was standing in front of her door, a Doctor came down the hallway, noticing the lost look on Mac´s pale face. "May I help you?" he asked him friendly.
"I was searching for Stella Bonassera..." Mac said hastily.
"That's excellent timing. She got here about 45 minutes ago. Her room is right here." The Doctor pointed to the door they were standing at.
"And by the way, I'm Doctor Petersen." He held his hand out to Mac.
"Mac Taylor…" He answered him, remembering that this was the Doctor that had treated Stella.
"How is she?" he asked, concern showing in his voice.
"She is going to be fine. She has fractured both legs as well as her left arm. She has a slight concussion, as well as bruising to her face. We needed to suture a laceration at her temple but she has no internal injuries. She is a very lucky woman."
Listening to the Doc Mac felt reliefed. He felt his heard beating heavyly in his chest.She was going to be OK…
Doc Petersen smiled encouragingly at him.
"She might be awake by now." Petersen gave him a broad hint, his eyes travelling to the door.
"Thank´s Doctor." Mac smiled a half smile, turning to face the door.
With a shaking hand he opened the door and walked slowly into the hospital room.
The smell of antiseptic making him sick.
He felt guilty although he knew that he wasn't at fault.
If he had talked her into driving her home or at least seen her to the station she may would be allright right now.
"Hey Mac…" Stella was smiling a tiny smile at him.
"Good morning, dear..." He mimicked a comment of Danny's from a while back that had annoyed her. (referring to a quote of Danny in the Episode "Blink")
"Do I have a tail here?" Stella asked, a teasing spark shining in her eyes.
Mac laughed a little glad that she got the joke, and smiled a relieved smile at her. Then his expression turned serious again.
"How are you feeling Stel?"
"Seriously, I don´t know." She answered. "They fed me up with painkillers, I can´t feel my legs, my left arm is numb and my head is dizzy."
Mac took a chair and placed it next to the bed, then settled down.
"You scared me to death Stel. When the hospital called me at home and told me that you had an accident…" He trailed of and looked at her face.
Stella noticed his pale and worn out face and began to worry about him. They had had a tough shift and now he was sitting in hospital, having a lack of sleep and being exhausted and worried…
That was the moment when someone knocked at the door.
"Come in." Stella called.
A CSI from nightshift and a police officer entered and introduced themselves as CSI Thormann and Officer Blake.
"We need to take your statement, Miss Bonassera." Officer Blake explained.
"If you want me to go…" Mac offered, but Stella declined.
"I can't remember a lot, it just happened too fast." She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her right hand.
"It was a small red car, really small, a VW or something like that. The driver was male, that's all I can remember." She paused. "I stopped them from cleaning round my head wound. Maybe there is some paint residue"
Thormann smiled at her, opening her kit and processed the wound.
"So, here we go…." She mumbled, bagging the evidence.
And with a "Thanks for your time." The Officers left Mac and Stella alone again.
Stella yawned. "I think I'm more tired than I thought I was…"
Mac simply smiled at her.
"Then take a nap, Stel…" He said softly. "I won´t go anywhere…"
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TBC…..
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A/N: Thanks to fruitbat00; Charmed Heiress and hotcher for the kind revwies : )
Ps: next chappie up soon