8 - hope
Sandra closed the office door behind her as Sasha sat at her own desk. The inner office was normally reserved for when one or the other of them had paperwork that needed completing or when a bollocking was on the cards. Sandra had a feeling this time it was going to be used as the latter.
"Sir?"
He glanced at her before leaning against the desk. She had to admit he looked exhausted, she knew he worried about the team as it was but now they had Ted in the hospital he seemed to be even more concerned. She sighed, Ted was not a young man; any attack on a man his age was potentially devastating. She bit her lip as she waited for him to say what he had to.
"I spoke with DCI Chandler." He ran a hand through his hair. Sasha and Sandra glanced at each other. Both knew the senior detective but had little to do with the MIU at the best of times. "Seems the hunch Danny and Brian approached them with worked out. They have all the evidence needed to make an arrest. Which," He checked his watched. "Is happening about now."
"Oh thank God." Sasha smiled slightly. "Its over."
"Well, apart from the fact Ted is still in Intensive Care." Sandra sighed. "Steve has gone to check on her and Pat. I'll call him."
"Why don't you go to the hospital?" Sasha looked out of the office window. "I can handle things here."
"Ok." Sandra grabbed her jacket before heading out of the office, glad that for once she had some good news to tell Kelly and her Dads.
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"Ted is as tough as they come." Steve stated firmly as Kelly folded her arms. She felt sick at the thought that her father was merely feet away still fighting to live. She knew he wasn't the strong man that Steve was making him out to be. He was a man in his 70s. A healthy and fit 72 year old but still an old man. She knew there were a million things that could happen and most of them were not good.
"He's an old man." She slumped in the chair. "He's not 25 anymore, no matter what he is trying to make you all believe. I know Pat worries about him." She pulled out her mobile phone, texting Pat quickly she told him to return to the ITU as soon as he could. The phone bleeped a few seconds later so she knew he was on his way back. "I just want him to get well. If he never works for UCOS again, if he has to accept he is a pensioner then I will take that."
"Would you?" Steve asked as she nodded.
"Yeah. To have my dad, yeah I would."
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"Pat!" Sandra left the car as she saw her friend walking through the car park. The rain battered the tarmac as she called across to him. Pat stopped, turning to wait for her he frowned.
"Sandra!" He ushered her into the hospital foyer. "You'll be in the bed next to Ted at this rate. You'll get pneumonia." He tutted as she smiled slightly. "Kelly text, told me to get my arse back here."
"Oh right." She suddenly felt guilty, that she was intruding on what was essentially a family moment. Pat smiled at her.
"You got something to say, Luv?"
"Yeah." She fell into step beside him. "I'll come as far as the waiting room with you. Ok? I wont intrude."
"You never could. We're family, or as near as damn it." He squeezed her arm. "Out with it."
"There's been an arrest. I spoke to my boss, Strickland and he told MIU that I would be the one to tell you and Ted. They arrested two young men about an hour ago. They are being questioned now. I think they are going to be charged. They have witness statements and descriptions as well as the CCTV. It was just a matter of time." She watched as he closed his eyes, swearing under his breath.
"Ok, right. D'you know I barely thought about the police side of it. All that matters to me is Ted getting better."
"Yeah." Sandra understood completely. Pat was never a vengeful man, never one to want to seek out wrongdooers. He just got on with things. She should have known the only focus he would have had would be on his husband. She frowned, looking at her shoes as she spoke. "Ted, he is?"
"I dunno luv. I dunno." He shook his head as they stepped out of the lift to see Kelly and Steve waiting for them.
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