Nikki
I sit and wait for impatiently for Jack. I do feel bad about sort of 'blackmailing' him into picking me up, by threatening to get a taxi, but I knew the taxi threat would work. I might not be in a position to perform post-mortems at present, but seeing as the injury is on my left hand and I am right-handed, I am still equipped with being able to do paperwork, and they might as well use my brain on the case. I now have an 'inside' view to a certain extent.
I would rather not have my own personal encounter with this man. The situation I found myself in was not a welcome one – to put it mildly – but as it has happened, something good might as well come out of it – in fact it better had. We have to catch Alan Lane – if only to get justice for Joanne Henderson, so that Emma doesn't lose her father too and if we can get my finger out of Lane's possession, then that will make me feel a whole lot better.
The hospital 'agreed' to discharge me – not that they really had any say in the matter. I know my rights. If I want to discharge myself, they can't stop me – and neither can Jack, Leo or Clarissa for that matter. It didn't come to that this time anyway– although I might have told Jack that it did on the phone.
It added weight to my argument.
Anyway, the hospital 'agreed' on the understanding that I wasn't going to be alone. Another reason to go back to work – and Leo's a doctor, which I think is what swung it for me in the end. I'm a doctor too, but apparently it doesn't count when I'm the patient.
Jack reluctantly agreed to come for me, but he told me that I have to sit inside and wait where there are other people. He will phone me when he's outside and I have to go and get straight in his car. He thinks that Alan Lane is hiding outside, waiting for me.
If he is, he's an idiot as well as a creep. It would be very stupid for man who's intent on claiming his innocence. But then it was pretty stupid of him to attack me in the first place, in a police station car park with CCTV, when he'd just been released from custody.
He was angry – that was quite clear - and anger doesn't listen to reason.
"Alright?" Jack asks as soon as I get in his car and shut the door. The relief on his face at having me safe where he can see me is hugely evident.
"Fine, thank you." I answer promptly. He doesn't look convinced. "Really, Jack – I've got painkillers for my hand and I'm fine" I repeat. "Take me back to the Lyell so we can catch this bloody creep."
Jack huffs a bit, making it clear that he thinks I should still be in hospital, but he drives me back to the Lyell as I ask.
When we get through the door, DI Warren is arriving at the same time as us.
"Nikki!" she exclaims in surprise. Apparently she wasn't expecting me to be here. "How are you?"
I open my mouth to speak, but see Jack's face and I grip his arm with my good hand to calm him down before answering.
"Fine, thank you." I respond, ignoring the exasperated looks I'm being given by the rest of the Lyell team. Having a finger missing and a bandaged hand isn't their idea of 'fine'.
"Jack, just leave it, please." I whisper, once the DI is occupied in conversation with Leo. "We're all supposed to be on the same side. We all want to catch this man."
We head to the meeting room. I half expect to be told I'm not allowed in because I'm meant to be 'resting' or something, but I rather suspect they want me in the same room, so that they can 'keep an eye on me'.
"I have the CCTV of what happened in the car park" DI Warren begins. She stops and looks at me.
She wants me to leave the room, like a naughty child being sent to the corner – as though the position I found myself in was down to me - as if I'm a liability to her case.
I'm not the one who's been ignoring the obvious.
She's insinuating that it is my fault that she has my blood and broken glass from my car window splattered and shattered in her police station car park. I can assure anyone who doubts the situation that the fault lies with Alan Lane – though DI Warren herself is not entirely without blame. She's the one who let him out because 'daddy said so'. She's the one who didn't listen to me – or Jack.
Or reason – and in her case it had nothing to do with anger.
"I'm not leaving the room if that's what you're wondering, DI Warren." I retort irritably.
"Nikki" Leo sighs, "What happened might not be very nice to watch."
'What happened might not be very nice to watch'
This isn't 'Deep blue Sea' and we're not sat with a tub of popcorn that we might spill when a shark suddenly launches out the water. There's no 'might' about it!
"I know what happened, Leo, I was there." I snap stubbornly. "I have an inside view of it – I might remember something that helps. I just want to catch the bloody man!"
He needs to be locked up for good.
Jack
"Just play the CCTV, Kate" Leo sighs.
Nikki clearly has no intention of backing down. Good on her – although, I wish she didn't have to see it. It was bad enough that it had to happen to her once.
Saying that, I'm pretty pissed off with 'Kate'. Her intention was obvious – to get Nikki out of the room so she didn't have to watch what happened to her. That's fair enough, but the way the DI made her intention clear, it was like she was blaming Nikki for what that man did – that's the way it came across to us – and Nikki. It's not surprising that Nikki was offended. Perhaps DI Warren feels some guilt over what happened in the car park – she bloody well should do – but putting that blame onto Nikki is wrong.
The camera is at the entrance to the car park and gives clear view of everything – albeit distant.
The CCTV starts playing and we see Nikki crossing the car park and putting her forensic case in the boot. She then shares a phone call with me. While she's on the phone – just before she hangs up, Alan Lane drives past her slowly – as if 'cruising'.
She was on the phone to me when he went past her and she said afterwards that she didn't like how he was looking at her. I wish she had told me over the phone.
I don't know what I could have done. I want to be her hero and did as soon as I met her, but as much as I hate to admit it, – I'm not superman. I couldn't have got there quick enough to stop him from hurting her, but I wish she had told me she was scared.
I could have told her to run.
