Part 12

Gail sighed as she held up the flimsy material that passed as a hospital gown.

"This thing's a joke." She muttered as her eyes narrowed at the cloth. "It ties up. In the back." She told the pathologist as if this was a new discovery. "It won't even close properly." She finished her complaining with a pout as she sat on a bed in a room waiting to be transferred for her scan.

Holly grinned and looked away. "Just put the thing on." She ordered.

Gail huffed as she held the gown in her lap. A doctor had already given her a check over and sent her for an x-ray to make sure there wasn't any fractures to her skull. Gail didn't think there was given her headache felt more annoying than a stark warning of something more serious.

With a tired sigh she took one more look at the brunette who was turned away to give her some privacy then started to undress. She wasn't sure why Holly kept her back to her, Gail was far from a prude and she was proud of the work she had put into her body. She was in better condition now than she had been during her time at the Police Academy were she had to endure two hours of physical training every morning alongside the rest of the hopefuls.

Holly heard the rustle of Gail taking her clothes off and breathed a sigh of relief. There was still that knot of fear that she had hurt Gail, especially knowing more of her medical history. She had already heard it from Gail but when the doctor had gone through it and had the blonde confirm her previous injuries and treatment, including two metal implants as part of reconstructive surgery to fractured facial bones, Holly thought she'd be sick.

"There, you can stop pretending you're reading that chart on the wall." Gail told Holly as she sat back down and swung her legs off the side of the bed. "I'm decent."

Holly smirked as she looked over her shoulder just to check Gail was telling the truth. "That's up for debate I think."

"Watch it, or I'll show you some of my moves Doc." Gail warned as she brought her fists up ready to box the older woman. "Pow, pow." She muttered as she threw a left then right as Holly wandered closer.

Holly shook her head unable to keep from grinning as she stepped over to Gail and touched her knee. "I'm going to suggest they check for a brain you know."

"Again with the insults." Gail grumbled with a sad shake of her head. "If my brain did fall out then it's testament to your poor skills and why they only let you work on the dead people bodies." She told Holly with a grin.

Holly sighed, it didn't matter what she said to the blonde it seemed like Gail would always have a return comment to make.

Gail chuckled knowing by Holly's silence that she had definitely won that round. But her smile died away as she saw Holly eye her pile of clothes that she had folded neatly on the bed beside her. The brunette was focused on the chain resting on top and the attached rings.

Holly reached out and touched the metal links of the chain as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing. "Is this…were you?" They were wedding rings, from the size difference, a man's and a woman's wedding band.

Gail stopped swinging her legs and reached for the chain, pulling it up to catch the rings in her other hand as they dangled down. She turned the larger of the two and noticed the inscribed date. A date she was very familiar with as it marked the start of her journey on the road to the family business.

It was the date she joined the Academy.

"They're not mine." She stated quietly before glancing over at Holly who looked to be doing her best not to ask her any of the questions Gail knew had to be waiting behind those intelligent brown eyes.

"They belonged to a friend." She added.

Holly nodded but bit her lip to keep from asking why Gail had them if they didn't belong to her and why would she then wear them around her neck every day? But she couldn't stop her mind from trying to work it out.

Maybe she could ask Traci or Steve if they knew if Gail was ever married.

Gail sighed as Holly glanced away from her, clearly not content with the limited information Gail had just provided but she understood that. Putting the chain back down Gail debated sharing more of her past but the story of the rings would need to come with the story of Jerry Barber's death and Gail wasn't ready for that.

Gail hadn't shared the details of that day with anyone. Not even Ollie who had spoken to her about what he could remember several times as she had visited with him during his long stay in hospital and subsequent three operations on his thigh and hip that left him unable to return to full duty.

The door opening pulled Holly from her thoughts as the doctor returned and gave them both a grin that had to have been developed during his training. It was very fake and Holly found it annoying and the eye roll from Gail made her think the blonde's thoughts were in line with her own.

"Well, good news is you don't seem to have any new fractures." He told the pair as he held up one of the films he had in his hands to the light and pointed at something. "See here, this looks good!" He continued with another grin as he focused on Gail. "Your forearm is clear as well, so now we just have to get that scan and we'll be all done!" He told her cheerfully just as Holly snatched both x-rays out of his hand and headed over to the light box on the wall across the room.

Gail smirked at the startled look on the doctor then she ignored him as she watched Holly switch on the box and fit both films against it like she had done it a million times before. Then Gail realised that Holly probably had given her line of work.

She smirked at the doctor in front of her. "She's just along to provide a second opinion, not that I'm questioning your competence." When he paled she gave him a wider grin.

"Behave." Holly muttered as she returned the films to the doctor and crossed her arms over her chest. He was right, there didn't look like there was anything to be concerned about as Gail's skull showed no signs of recent trauma although there was a healed hairline fracture visible by the strong white of calcium deposits. Gail's facial implants were also starkly visible.

"Okay, well…ah, the porter will be along shortly and then I will speak to you after I have those results." He told the pair in a confused tone before leaving the room.

"That was cool." Gail told Holly, impressed by her ability to almost make the doctor pee his pants.

Holly took her glasses off with a tired sigh and rubbed at the bridge of her nose.

Gail nudged Holly with her sock covered foot. "Lighten up Doc, I told you I'm fine." She tried to reassure the other woman.

"You're not though, are you?" Holly said as she moved to stand between Gail's legs. She gently touched Gail's temple, her finger tracing the path of the scar there. "What happened here?" She asked softly, wondering if this was from the beating Gail took at the hands of Romi's brother.

How could Gail still be friends with that kind of person, the kind that would hurt her so badly?

Holly's breath caught and she closed her as she realised she was just as bad.

Gail frowned as Holly snatched her hand away from her face as if burned. The scar wasn't that bad was it? Granted it was fairly prominent but still, Gail didn't even notice it anymore, not after the tightness of the newly healed wound had faded.

"It doesn't look that bad does it?" She asked self-consciously. She hadn't really considered what the scar made of her looks although she did enjoy the shock on her brother's face the first time he had seen it. Although he'd been shouting at her at the time and any concern he might have had was lost in his anger at finding out who she was working for.

How could she do that to their parents, to him?

Gail sighed and tried not to think about it. Instead she looked away from Holly and wished the damn porter would turn up for her. At least that would get her away from Holly's pity.

"What? No!" Holly spun back to the blonde and saw the slumped shoulders and wanted nothing more than to kick herself. She stepped closer again and tilted Gail's face up to look at her.

"That's not it at all Gail, I just, you've obviously been through a lot and I just, I wish I hadn't added to it that's all." She explained as she searched Gail's blue eyes for understanding.

Gail shrugged and gave Holly a tentative smile. "I think it adds character." She said with a wink, surprising herself by not pulling away from Holly's hold.

Holly chuckled and then smiled at the blonde. "I think you already have more than enough character as it is, so maybe a little less of the scars, yeah?"

Gail snorted. Like any of this was self-inflicted.

"Maybe if you say please and thank you once in a while?" Holly grinned as she offered Gail some advice.

Gail couldn't help but laugh. "Right, next time." Like there was any place for that in Gail's work.

Holly took her hands away and gave the blonde a shrug just as the door to the room was opened again. "You never know."

"Abigail Peck?" The porter with the wheelchair asked.

Gail scowled, she hated being called that. She could hear Holly chuckling as she hopped off the bed and threw herself into the chair.

As the porter started taking her down the corridor Gail noticed Holly had followed them.

"A hundred bucks if you lose the brunette between here and the scan room." She told the guy who smirked and glanced over his shoulder at Holly.

"Done." He said and Gail squealed in delight as he took a corner and started pushing her at speed down the hallway.

xxxxx

"Oh, come on, it was hysterical!" Gail said as she started to dress.

Holly shook her head with her back still turned to the blonde. Out of sight she was trying not to laugh because after she got over the shock of turning the corner and seeing Gail had disappeared and then making her own way up to the CT scanner, she had found it amusing.

"And it cost me a C-note." Gail grumbled as she pulled up her jeans and fastened her belt. Seeing the pathologist was still turned away made Gail roll her eyes, seriously, given the other woman was gay she really was taking this whole 'privacy' thing a bit far. "You can turn around if you want."

Holly turned and made her way back over. "How are you feeling?" She asked as the blonde looked down at the plaster over the needle mark in her arm. "Don't play with that." She warned moving Gail's hand away before it could do and damage.

"What was that stuff anyway?" She asked Holly as she pulled her boots on.

"A contrast dye." Holly replied as she couldn't help but glance at the small of Gail's back as her t-shirt rode up as she bent over.

Gail smirked as she felt eyes on her. She took her time straightening back up and almost laughed as Holly quickly glanced away. She was totally caught.

Holly cleared her throat as she turned to a knowing look from Gail as the younger woman pulled on her leather jacket. She chose to ignore the obvious as she was grateful her skin tone limited the blush she felt on her cheeks.

"Nice view?" Gail said just going for it. Maybe then she could figure this thing out that was clearly there between them.

Holly shrugged and did her best to play it off. "I've seen better."

"Ouch!" Gail slapped her hand to her chest but smiled at the brunette, not believe a word of it.

Holly blinked as her eyes were drawn back to the rings around Gail's neck. She couldn't help but reach out to them. "They're beautiful." She whispered as her fingertip touched the metal.

Gail's jaw clenched. They were, but sadly they'd never be worn by the people they were meant for.

She nodded at Holly but remained silent as she let Holly continue to study them.

Holly lifted her eyes to meet Gail's. "They must have been-"

"He was. He was a good friend." Gail told her still unsure how much to explain.

"I'm sorry." It was all Holly could respond with. But Gail seemed to appreciate it as she offered Holly a smile and tucked the rings safely away under her top.

Holly took a deep breath and took a chance of her own. "Hey, listen, do you think maybe we could-"

The door opening interrupted Holly and they both sent the doctor glares that dropped the smile off his face.

"Well, uh, you are all clear. Absolutely nothing to see on your scan so just see the nurse at the station and you can go." He said before retreating back the way he came.

Gail smirked and sent Holly a look. "I think you scared him off."

"Me?"

"Well notice, he didn't offer you the chance to check his work on this one."

Holly rolled her eyes. CT scans needed special computer software to look at, but the blonde probably did have a point as the doctor should have invited them into his office to go over the scan in detail not just discharge Gail. "Whatever."

Gail grinned as she looked back at Holly. "You just can't admit that I'm right."

"I never said that you were." Holly maintained.

"Well I am, and you know I am, and you so owe me coffee. Lots and lots of coffee." Gail said as she left the room and approached the nurse's desk. She spotted Romi further down the corridor looking like he had fallen asleep waiting on them to be done.

Holly took a step back, lingering as Gail filled out some paperwork and eyed the figure down the corridor as well. She was unsure how she felt about him knowing the damage his brother had inflicted on Gail.

"C'mon." Gail said as she started for Romi.

Holly followed along and tried not to laugh as Gail flicked the boy's ear and he jumped to his feet.

"Let's go." Gail said and continued walking.

Romi eyed Holly then caught up with the blonde. "What did they say? Are you okay? And why did I give that guy a hundred bucks?"

Gail sighed. "Not sure, Holly scared the doctor away. And because I lost a bet." She said giving Holly a quick smirk.

Holly shook her head at Gail and then at Romi who gave her a cautious look.

"She's fine, although I can't know for sure," Holly said as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "I didn't see the scan, but he did give her the all clear."

"That's right!" Gail said spinning and grinning at the pair, right now she was feeling good. And Holly owed her coffee. Life was great. "And maybe someone should have played nicer with the other doctors, huh Holly?" Gail gave the pathologist her best grin as they arrived at the elevators and she pressed the button.

Romi took in Gail's grinning form and the older woman shaking her head with what could only be described as a tolerant smile.

"Well, that's good right?"

Gail just grinned and rubbed hands together. She was just grateful to be getting out of the building. She looked at her two companions as they travelled to the ground floor together.

She liked Holly, really liked her.

Which felt strange and exciting and Gail wasn't sure what to do with that, only that she didn't want her time to be over with the pathologist just yet.

"So, Romi here is going to give us a lift back to my place, if you want." Gail said as the elevator dinged as they stopped and got out. She let Romi walk ahead as she grabbed Holly's arm gently to hold her back. She eyed Holly for a moment then lowered her voice, not wanting Romi to hear if Holly told her no. "You do want to, right?"

Holly couldn't help but grin. She gave Gail a half shrug and said, "I don't seem to have anything better to do right now, so why not."

Gail let out the breath she'd been holding and smiled. "Cool."

And then they both started after Romi who was already out on the street beside Gail's Mustang.

"After you." Gail said as she pulled her seat back and let Holly climb into the back seat before taking her own and tapping the dash. "Home James!" She instructed Romi who shook his head at her but started the car up. "It's going to be a great day, I can feel it."

Romi snorted then eyed Holly in the back as he pulled onto the street and the light traffic of mid-morning. "They drug her or something?" He asked the older woman seriously as Gail started playing with the radio settings.

They both winced as a rap song started blasting out before Gail apologised and turned the volume down.

"You mean this isn't normal?" Holly queried not knowing the blonde well enough to comment properly on Gail's current mood.

Romi chuckled and looked at his friend as she danced in her seat. That was actually kinda normal for Gail. But the smiling at the hospital wasn't, from the few times he knew of her being admitted they never went well, not for Gail, the staff or him and Anan. When Gail was in a pissy mood she let the world and his dog know it and did her best to drag everyone around her into her misery.

But he also knew the blonde had never invited anyone back to her apartment, even Anan rarely saw past her front door. So maybe Gail's brightness right now had more to do with his back seat passenger than the hospital giving her the all clear.

He shrugged and answered Holly, "Hard to tell."

The drive was quiet for a while before Romi reached over to lower the volume of the radio at a red light. "So, how long have you known about me and Chris?" He asked nervously.

Gail chuckled and turned the volume back up. "If you didn't want caught don't snog in the middle of the club." She told him.

Romi swallowed and tried to work out when that could have been and more importantly, "Anan see?"

"Yup."

Romi licked his lips nervously. "He get mad?" He asked his friend softly.

Gail frowned and glanced at him. "Why would he get mad at you for that Romi?" She asked him. Yes, Anan had been a little shocked at the scene just as Gail had been, but Anan was more concerned with who Chris was and if he'd hurt his brother than the fact his brother was kissing a guy.

"You lived with Anan for over ten years Romi, you think he didn't know?" Gail asked delicately, not wanting to tease or upset her friend. They might never have talked about it but Gail had always assumed it was just known and if Romi wanted to talk he'd let her or Anan know.

"So he's okay with it?"

"What do you think?" Gail slapped the back of her hand against Romi's chest. "Of course he is."

"Be nice Gail." Holly interjected from her seat.

Romi smirked as he saw Gail roll her eyes. "Yeah Gail, be nice."

Gail huffed and shook her head, then focused back on Romi. "I'm surprised Chris never told you about our little chat." She said teasingly and she grinned at him when he glanced over.

Romi frowned. "What chat?"

Gail just kept grinning.

"What'd you say to him? He never said anything." Romi grumbled wondering why Chris would keep something like that from him.

Gail was enjoying this little diversion from the state of her health.

She'd only pulled Chris aside to prevent Anan from doing it. And Anan had only let her after explaining that Chris was her inside guy and that he was closer to her than her own brother. All she did was warn him not to hurt Romi and to not let him get dragged into anything illegal either.

Chris was embarrassed to start with but then they'd had a few drinks at the bar they were at and he'd opened up a bit more to her and she'd shared her own struggles with her attraction to women, an attraction she'd never really acted on before.

It had been cute when she'd pointed out his little crush on Dov and the blonde guy back at the Academy. Chris had been unable to deny either attraction, and his beet red blush had made the awkwardness of the discussion more than worth it.

She eyed Romi for a moment then said, "You know Chris is like a brother to me right?" She waited for Romi to nod. "So I'll tell you the same thing I told him, if you break his heart I'll break bones."

Holly rolled her eyes. "Gail." She warned wondering why violence always seemed to be the first reaction with the blonde.

"I'm just saying!" Gail proclaimed with a faint chuckled. "Someone's got to look out for Chris."

Romi snorted. Chris was pretty good at looking after himself, and Romi had no intention of screwing things up. "We've only been dating a couple of weeks, I would have told you eventually."

Gail grinned and relaxed back in her seat. "Well now you don't have to."

"Is Anan really okay about it?" Romi couldn't help but ask again. His brother wasn't overly religious anymore but homosexuality was still very much frowned upon where they were from.

Gail sighed and looked over again. "After everything that you know he does for a living and how you both grew up, do you really think he cares that it's a guy you've fallen for? He just wants you to be happy Romi, so do I." She told him, hoping it would sink in that his brother really didn't mind and was only concerned for him as an older brother should be.

Romi finally felt like he could smile now. He'd still have to talk to his brother, something he'd been reluctant to do so far but by the sound of it, it wouldn't go as badly as he had feared.

"Thank you." He muttered to Gail as he sent her a smile.

"You're welcome." Gail replied. "But I'll still kick your arse if you hurt him." Chris had been through a tough time recently, and she had commended him when he'd tried to do the right thing about Christian but then that had blown up in his face. If Chris and Romi could be happy together, Gail wasn't going to have a problem with it and she was damn sure she'd deal with anyone that did.

Romi chuckled but took the warning for what it was.

"He guys?" Holly said from the back. "I think we're being pulled over." She told them as she turned and spotted a squad car following right behind them and then flash its lights.

"Shit." Gail quickly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket as Romi started to signal and pull over. She pulled it apart and took out the chip before reassembling it again. She then put the chip in her hand and passed it through the space between her and Romi's seats. "Take this Holly."

Holly quickly took the small chip and tucked it as discreetly as she could into the coin pocket of her jeans. "What's going on?" She asked trying not to panic but given her last few days it was hard not to.

"Just keep quiet and do whatever they tell you, but they can't arrest you or search you, okay, so just keep calm." Gail told Holly before eyeing Romi. "You better not have anything on you." She warned him.

"Not a thing." Romi assured her as he stopped and waited for the cops to get out behind them. His hands rested on the top of the steering wheel in plain sight, not wanting to give the cops any excuse.

Gail spotted Nick get out on her side and shook her head. He was going to pay for this she swore it, she was sick and tired of his games. "And didn't I tell you you'd just pull on over." She smirked at Romi who scowled at her.

"Not the same thing Brav-Gail." Romi complained, only just managing to call Gail her proper name as the cops arrived. "Problem Officer?" He asked turning with a smile only to be greeted with the barrel of a gun.

What the fuck?

"Shit!" The cop said on see him and his eyes went from Romi to Gail and so too did the gun. "Hands where I can see them! HANDS!" He screamed at her.

Gail already had her hands up out in front of her but she noticed the cop sweating and the slight shaking of his gun. This was not going to end well. "My hands are up you asshole." She ground out at him as she noted the name on his vest and took a good look at his face.

"Hey what's this about?" Romi asked trying to shift the attention back on to him but Gail put her hand on his chest and forced him back against his seat, keeping him there as she left her hand in place.

Holly swallowed nervously from her seat in the back and wondered when the cops became the bad guys.

"What are you going to do Rookie, shoot me?" Gail asked angrily. Then she turned her head and spotted Nick near her rear wheel. "You going to have him shoot me right here Nicky, with two other passengers in the fucking car? You going to have him shoot all three of us you fucking prick!"

Nick stayed where he was but lifted his hand to his radio and spoke into it too quietly for Gail to hear.

Grinding her teeth Gail glared back at the Rookie who had now spotted Holly in the back seat but his gun remained in Gail's direction. "What are you going to do, say you thought it was your stun gun?" She didn't think that excuse would ever work again for a cop, as unconvincing as it was in the first place.

"Nick?" The Rookie called out.

Gail narrowed her eyes at the Rookie. He was the one holding the gun right now, Nick could drop dead for all she cared. "What do you think Romi, he pissed himself yet?" She asked her friend who chuckled and move his head slightly to try and look at the cops pants. Holly even gave a short laugh from the back seat.

"I'm not sure, maybe." Came Romi's answer.

Gail laughed, but it was for show, the rookie was panicking, she could tell from how wide his eyes were. But before she could say anything more her door was pulled open and Nick was reaching in for her.

"Gail Peck you are under arrest." Nick said pulling her away from her car and she was being pushed face down onto the hood of the squad car as she heard Romi and Holly shouting from her car.

She struggled against Nick as he put her in cuffs. "What the fuck for?"

"Do I need a reason?" Nick asked her smugly as he pulled her along to the back of his car and pushed her into the back and slammed the door closed just as they both heard a shot ring out.

"Romi!" Gail cried out as she watched Nick race forward with his own gun drawn and the rookie backed away from the driver's side of her car with his gun lowered at his side.

She could hear voices and shouts and as she slammed her shoulder against the car door she could also hear sirens getting closer.

But that didn't stop tears from rolling down her face. Whatever had happened there was nothing she could do about it now.

Gail screamed in frustration and fear as crowds gathered on the streets to watch.