Harry was bored. He took that to be a good sign. The nurses had told him his last ECG had looked ok so he took that to mean he was one step closer to getting himself discharged. He looked up at the ceiling as he thought about his life. In his mind he had never been a particularly good man. He had tried to do what was right, to make sure those he loved were protected as much as he could. He sighed, he'd failed at that. His older children had, at one point hated him. His ex-wife had dripped enough poison into their young minds, so he had thought but he knew he wasn't blameless either. Jane had been violent, vindictive and adulterous but then hadn't he been just as guilty at the latter? He was not a good man. Good men didn't lose contact with the people they loved, didn't become the reason a vulnerable young boy became a junkie and alcoholic. He was the reason Ruth had left so many years earlier, the reason Nick had lost his biological father. He ran a hand over his face, he wondered what harm he would unintentionally cause Gracie-Jo. He sighed as he looked up to see Malcolm watching him.
"Nurse said it was ok." He explained.
"Malcolm."
"You had a heart attack, Harry. Not a lobotomy, I expected you to remember my name." He sat next to his old friend. "I also know when you are wallowing. You think it was Karma. Nothing to do with eating rubbish for years, drinking a little too much too often, genetics and generally living on stress for the majority of your adult life."
"Can always rely on you to say it as it is." Harry sighed. "If you must know I was thinking about the kids."
"Who are all fine." Malcolm paused. "Catherine is back at work. She's doing well."
"I know. Clever girl." The pride in his voice was clear to him. He had always known Catherine was intelligent, more so than him and Jane had ever hoped to be put together. "Why are you here?"
"My oldest friend had a heart attack."
"I know. Bloody painful too. Give me torture any day."
"I'm sure Ros could arrange such." He smirked as Harry raised an eyebrow. "She is going to make an outstanding Section Head. But she hates it."
"I did at first. Missed being in the field. Her kids will thank her for it in the end. Having their Mum safer than she had been."
"You still set on retiring?"
"You did."
"I came back."
"You didn't nearly die."
"True." Malcolm paused, looking his old friend in the eye. "I am also not prone to episodes of self-pity. You know you will drive Ruth and the children insane at home all day every day. You're bored now. I can see it in your eyes. You think you'll be able to watch Ruth and Catherine go off to the Grid daily and not worry about them? Not wonder what they are up to? Which terrorist cell is causing mayhem this time? And you know neither of them will be able to tell you. And they won't." Malcolm stared at him.
"I don't know."
"I do." Malcolm paused. "You'll be watching the news constantly, looking in the papers. Driving Ruth mad and yourself towards another heart attack."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"I think we have known each other long enough to be absolutely frank with each other." Malcolm paused. "No way you are fit enough to return to work at present. But see how you are after Christmas."
"Mike says six months." Malcolm raised an eyebrow at the disgruntled tone in his friend's voice.
"See? You are already thinking about it." Malcolm got to his feet. "I'll keep my eye on Ruth, you know that. And Catherine. Get back on your feet."
"Malcolm." Harry paused. "Thank you." Malcolm smiled slightly before getting to his feet and leaving the ward before the nurse returned.
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Ros paced the office as she listened to Lucas talking on the other end of the phone. Malloy had been picked up, before any damage had been done and was currently being escorted under armed guard to Piccadilly station where anti-terrorism officers would interview him with Adam and Beth.
"You on the way back?" Ros asked as she heard her husband explain what had happened at the dead drop. She smiled slightly as she heard him say both him and Will were ok and would be back on the Grid within the next half hour. She couldn't shake the feeling that Ruth's asset asking to make contact when she was on Compassionate Leave was not a coincidence. To Ros, nothing was just a coincidence. "Alright, get back here. I want to know what Hannah has for us." She ended the call, looking out onto the Grid wondering just how long she would be stuck deputising for Harry. She knew the team on the Grid were amazing, she knew they were pulling together to cover for Harry and Ruth as well as keeping an eye on Catherine. She narrowed her eyes, wondering what would become of them if Harry chose to retire. She knew he would at some stage, he had tried to resign more than once. It was something she had never contemplated seriously before. She looked up as Tariq called her name.
"Boss."
"What?" She walked towards his station as he began tapping away furiously at the keyboard in front of him.
"You really need to see this."