Lindsay opens her eyes --- she could only see blurry images, hear people talking, the smell of hospital bleach and alcohol.
"Thanks, Doc." she heard a man say.
The man sounded familiar. The accent was unmistakable.
"Are you alright?" the man said, touching her face.
"Danny…." Lindsay said. She could finally see him better --- the guy with the glasses and the biceps and the moustache and the goatee that she both loved and hated at the same time.
Danny didn't have with him flowers or get-well-soon balloons. On the hospital side table was his kit. And around his neck was a huge camera.
"You were unconscious when we found you. Somebody gassed that place pretty bad" Danny narrated. "Good thing you haven't had too much to drink. You survived the attack."
Lindsay quickly stands up, realizing something. "Abby!"
"She's missing" Danny said. "We only found her purse lying next to you on the floor".
"My God" Lindsay said. "She's a…. she's a friend of mine. A writer. Her family's going to have to…."
"Get some rest, will you?" Danny said as he gently pushed her shoulders back to the bed. Though hesitant at first, Lindsay eventually obliged.
As her body touches the bed, she quickly jerks back up. Like she had lied down on something hot.
"Something hurts" Lindsay said.
"There's something on your back" Danny shows Lindsay a picture. Of her, apparently. She recognized the orange shirt she wore earlier that evening. The picture appears to be taken from the back --- she must have been lying face down on the ground. Right smack on the center was a brand of some kind, seared into her skin. The brand looked like three concentric circles, with two lines crossing the middle, perpendicularly.
Danny clears his throat. "I'm here to process you. Stella was supposed to do it but Mac assigned her to find your friend and….I can ask a forensic nurse to..."
Lindsay looked at him. "Photos. Hair & Fiber."
Danny nodded. "Right."
Lindsay gave a weak smile. "It's alright."
Lindsay carefully sat up, Danny helped her. As Lindsay moved towards the end of the bed, Danny saw her bare, immaculately white back --- except for the charred skin at the center.
He took a deep breath and reached for his camera. He started taking pictures of her back. From his pocket, he took a swab.
"I'm just gonna…." Danny said as he leaned in closer to Linday's back, inspecting the brand. "If it's ok…"
Lindsay chuckled a bit. "It's fine, Danny."
On the brand were blue traces of paint. As Danny was about to swab the brand, his other hand rested innocently on Lindsay's back. Lindsay jerked forward.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you" Danny said, pulling back.
"No… um… just go ahead." Lindsay said.
The swab touched Lindsay's back again, Danny's other hand accidentally brushing her waist. Lindsay pulled back again. She shook her head.
"It'll just be a second, Lindsay, you'll have to endure the pain for a while" Danny said softly.
"It's not that" Lindsay said, burying her face in her hands.
Danny tried again to swab the brand, his other hand touching her back. Lindsay jerked back up again. Danny looked at Lindsay. He thought he saw Lindsay smirk, but tied to hide it.
"Are you ticklish?" Danny asked, himself smiling.
Lindsay just smiled awkwardly, trying her best to avoid his gaze. "Just get it over with."