Chapter 2
Amanda waited at the hospital. She could not forget the sight of young Ashley Golden being brought out. She looked no more than a child. She shook her head trying to dispel the image. How could this be allowed to happen. How could she have been so stupid. From day one she was told not to bring anything from outside into the main office. Leave it in the lead coated box and reception and dial 2222 for emergency security. Great, she knows that now. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Billy took his place beside her. He handed her a strong watery cup of coffee in a brown plastic cup.
"I hate these places," he began as he looked around. "Just when you think it's just another evening at home watching the game you end up in this place worried to death about someone you love."
Amanda couldn't answer. She only shook her head.
Francine came up beside them. She looked shattered and her clothes were covered in black specks and smelt of smoke. Amanda got up to give her the seat. Francine took it and immediately started in on talking with Billy. Amanda folded her arms against the chill and just listened.
"They're taking Lee to x-ray. He's woken up. So has Ashley as far as I could see both are ok. I was talking to Ashley. She's seem's alright, a bit shook up. They said she might be kept in overnight."
"Thank God," Billy took her hand in his. "Why are they doing an x-ray on Lee, did you hear?"
"No, I don't know. The doctor was in with him,"
Billy turned and looked at Francine then, "are you ok?'
She gave a shaky nod. "Yeah I was down the corridor. I heard the blast, my ears are still ringing but I'm ok. I took in some smoke is all."
"I'll drive you home, come on,"
"You don't have to do that," Francine sounded dead tired.
"Come on, you need a good nights sleep," Billy put an arm around her and guided her towards the exit.
"I'll be back Amanda," he called over his shoulder.
"I'll keep you posted sir," Amanda nodded.
Francine didn't acknowledge her presence at all. Amanda sat down and fought the urge to cry. This was all her fault. How could she have been so stupid.
~o~
Lee was sitting up in bed. He looked exhausted. For some reason to Amanda he looked so much younger. His fringe was down around his face and he had a large bandaid on his forehead. She tried not to look at the lines of dried blood still matted in his hair.
"How you feelin," she asked in a voice that was broken.
"I'm fine, doc says I get to go home tomorrow."
She looked at the light blue cast on his arm.
"Did you break your arm?"
"I didn't even feel it," he shrugged his bare shoulders. "You know when you get that adrenaline in those situations. I just wanted to get us out of there."
Amanda came closer, "I'm so sorry,"
"Now Amanda don't do that, this is not your fault. It was a change purse. I wouldn't even have considered that a threat, I can't even guess who the culprit could be."
"I should have handed it into security,"
"Amanda don't worry about it, these thing's happen,"
She could tell this conversation was draining his energy. He didn't want to talk about this now.
"I brought you some candy bars and the paper. I'll leave them here for you. Oh and I got you some soda," she smiled as she left them down on his locker.
Lee mumbled a thank you but she could tell he was nearly asleep already. She pulled the stiff starched sheets up around his shoulders and turned down the light.
~o~
In the days that followed, their headquarters was temporarily relocated to a set of offices in a penthouse across town. It was stuffy and too warm as no one could seem to work out how the air conditioning works. Tempers were frayed as people were in each others faces and no one had any privacy.
They had already gotten the good news that Lee was to be discharged from the hospital the following morning. Amanda was going to pick him up. He would feel so much better back at home, she told herself as she worked on filing. Francine had some paperwork for her and some typing. It looked as if Amanda had been unofficially demoted but she didn't care. No one was killed in the blast and the two that were injured seemed to be on the mend. She would just get on with her work and be glad nothing more serious came of it.
Amanda looked up as Francine was called into Billy's office. She went back to her typing. Yet another mistake, she took the bottle of white out in her hand and tried to paint it over. That is until she heard Francine crying. She looked up as a chill curled fingers around her heart. She could hear Billy comforting her. Endless minutes later Francine came out still wiping her eyes. Many eyes were turned in her direction but she went back to her desk and tried to recover herself.
"Francine, is everything ok?" Amanda asked her.
She shook her head, "No, no it isn't. Ashley has lost her eyesight. She has become totally blind."
Amanda felt her world begin to spin. The young twenty something year old who was so promising and so eager to learn had lost her sight. The pain of it felt physical to Amanda. She wanted to throw up, instead she put a hand to Francine trying to comfort her.
"Amanda just stop. If you had followed correct procedure. If you had brought that purse where it was supposed to go." She shook her head. "It's not your fault. I've often said that people shouldn't be just taken in off the street. I knew this would happen sooner or later. Ashley is my friend. What the hell am I going to say to her when she gets back. I don't even know what I'll say to her."
Francine began to sob and Amanda put arms around her and just let her cry on her shoulder.
That night Amanda sat at home. She had the TV on but she wasn't watching it. Her eyes were lost in a world of guilt and pain. She didn't know how to fix it for any of them. She was freezing cold but didn't turn on the heat or get a sweater. She just sat there turning it over in her head.
~o~
Amanda drove to the hospital early the next morning to bring Lee home. She made a stop to pick up Francine. She was going to visit Ashley at the same hospital. The word was not good. Her eyesight had not returned as hoped. She had been on the phone to Francine half the night just scared and crying.
They both went in to see her first. She was lying in a spotless bed looking physically better but she was just staring up at the ceiling.
"Who is there?" She asked
Francine came forward and took her hand. "It's me Ashley, I'm here with Amanda."
"It's good of you to come," Ashley said, "I was just eating breakfast and didn't know what to do with myself after that."
Francine took her bag and opened it up. "I thought we could do your hair and maybe some makeup. There are bound to be some cute doctors around here."
She felt bad about what she had just said given that Ashley wouldn't see them but the young girl just smiled and said she would love to have her hair done.
"Who is with you?" She asked.
"Sorry Ashley it's Amanda, I'm Amanda," Amanda pointed at herself and instantly felt foolish.
Francine gave her a dirty look.
"It's good to hear your voice Amanda. Thanks for coming to see me. You're so good to come because I know you get busy with your kids."
Amanda felt so bad, she didn't know what to say to that.
Ashley sat out on the side of the bed. She was smiling as Francine brushed out her long honey blond hair. It had been washed that morning and it was soft and held such a shine. Amanda stood holding the tongs and hairspray as Francine worked. She tried to tell them funny stories about her kids. Ashley laughed with enthusiasm at the tales but Francine just continued with her work brushing her hair and adding long spiralling curls to the front framing her pretty face.
As they worked a doctor came in to see Ashley. He was indeed handsome.
"Hi Ashley, I'm doctor Hughes I wanna have a look at your eyes this morning. Has there been any improvement overnight?"
"No doctor," she frowned as she spoke, making her look so vulnerable. "Still the same."
"Well sometimes these things take time. We'll have a look and see.'
Francine and Amanda gave her a hug and left the room while she was being examined.
Once they were out in the corridor Francine turned to her, "You go and bring Lee home. I'll get a cab."
"We can wait for you," Amanda suggested.
"No go on, I want to hang out with my friend. Tell Lee I'll see him later."
With a heavy heart Amanda turned to leave.
She forced on a smile as she entered Lee's room. In typical Lee style he was all packed and ready. He hated hospitals and was perched at the edge of his bed as if he would walk home if someone didn't come to pick him up. Amanda took hold of the plastic bag with his belongings but he took it off her with his free hand.
"I'll take that," he told her "you look like you haven't slept a wink."
"I'm alright, come on let's get you home."
Once they were back in his apartment Lee sank down on his couch, he looked so relieved to be home.
"I'll go fix you some coffee," she smiled that smile again but Lee looked straight at her.
"Come sit here," he patted the seat beside him.
"No, you'll want coffee and you haven't eaten. I should have stopped at the grocery store but I could do that now. There's a shop across the road. Would you want a sandwich or maybe something hot. It's getting near lunch time."
"Amanda come sit here," he asked again.
She came over and sat beside him without making eye contact.
"We're partners aren't we, Partners tell each other everything."
She couldn't help it. She put a hand up to her face as tears began to pool in her eyes.
"That's it, just let it out." He spoke softly.
She shook her head, she couldn't stop it now. She let out heart wrenching sobs as the tension of the last two days finally poured out. He moved in close putting his free arm around her as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her voice sounding muffled against his shoulder
"Nothing to be sorry about," he told her.
Finally she moved back and looked up at him. He smiled back at her, his dimpled smile was so like a warm cosy home it poured comfort into her wretched heart.
"Are we still partners," she asked brokenly.
"Always," he told her.
He took her hand in his. What happened sometimes happens in our business. It's a dangerous world. If it hadn't been the change purse they would have found another way. I've been in this business a long time Amanda and that's what I've learned. In order to survive we have to be lucky all the time, the terrorists only have to be lucky once. And this time they got lucky.
"They met me," Amanda said.
"No, if it weren't you it would have been someone else. You think Francine would have handed that into security. She would have put it in her purse and that would have been the end of her. Francine talks a good talk but she's the queen of hindsight. Now go get one of those leaflets up there. We are having Chinese noodle takeaway and watching Terminator 2 on video."
"Terminator 2," Amanda whined back at him.
Lee smiled "hay I have my arm in a cast here, I get to choose the video. Thems the rules."
They had a nice time eating beef and cashew nuts in fried rice and then they sat side by side on the couch watching the young boy being chased around the city by liquid evil cop and finding Arnie to help him.
It was the first meal Amanda had eaten in the last 24 hours and she was beginning to feel better. Lee had a time trying to watch the best bit as his partner was snoring asleep.
