Adam Fuller sat stony faced at his desk trying to think of the best way to tell everyone the dreadful news, he wasn't entirely sure he was ready for that yet, he was still trying to process everything in his own mind. He had been replaying the conversation from the night before over and over in his head trying to convince himself it hadn't happened and that he had misheard what the doctor had said, but, being the practical man he was, he knew there no was kidding themselves. This was happening and there was no denying it. He'd waited at the hospital for Dorothy so she wouldn't have to hear the news alone. From Doug's stories and rants he had built up a picture of her of being a hard, ice cold, tough as nails battle axe , but she had crumbled and wept in his arms as the news had washed over her. He thought about his young officers, past and present , and what they had been through, anger fighting with grief as he thought about how it hard it had been to try and heal from the past few years. How would they heal from this? He felt as if he was stood at the edge of a cliff looking down and there was no way to see the bottom.

He slowly walked over to the door and called over to Hoffs and McCann, his head still reeling and his stomach churning as they walked over. He'd had this conversation with so many people so many times in the past, so why did this one feel so bad?

"Captain?" Judy asked in a small voice, looking at him with grief and suspicion in her dark eyes.

"Sit down guys." he said kindly and softly.

"It's bad isn't it?" Judy croaked as she studied his face.

"I spoke with Ioki and Penhall's surgeons last night. Guy's, I'm so sorry, there's no easy way for me to tell you this and I don't think you would appreciate any sugar coating." he began as he told them the details of last night's awful conversation, the horror and grief in their faces deepening with every word. As he explained Harry's condition and the prognosis from the doctor, Judy knelt crumbling to the floor as her grief overtook her, not being able to imagine life without her partner and friend, struggling to comprehend how Doug Penhall could cope with how dramatically his life was about to change. McCann knelt down beside her, a comforting arm on her shoulder feeling numb, he hadn't known this team long but liked them, and it all seemed so cruel and senseless.

"We're going to need to contact Harry's next of kin" Fuller said tentatively as they began to gather themselves into some sense of calm.

"Next of kin?" Judy breathed, reality hitting home.

"Ioki didn't really talk much about his family. Where are they?", McCann asked.

"Gone." Fuller said bluntly. "His parents were killed trying to leave Vietnam."

"So, who…? McCann asked as Fuller handed the copy of the form the doctor had provided. He scanned the from before letting out an irrational bark of laughter. "Really? This guy's like some kind of ghost!"

"I can't do this." Judy whispered getting to her feet as she glimpsed what was written on the sheet McCann held up to her. "Dorothy is with Doug at the hospital, someone should be there with her. She can't be alone right now. And Clavo, someone has to watch him", she babbled as she headed for the door.

"Judy!" Fuller barked after her before letting out a deep sigh and sitting heavily back on his chair, his head dropping into his hands.

"Are you ok, Captain Fuller?" McCann asked, not really experienced in trying to console a destressed police captain.

"I don't think so Tony, no."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Look after Hoffs."

"Sure."

McCann looked at his commanding officer and it seemed to him that Adam Fuller had aged and shrunk considerably in the past 12 hours. He wanted to help someway, in anyway. He thought there was a way he could help and save more hurt and distress and decided that in this case a complete stranger would be the best choice.

"Dorothy?" Judy said softly as she entered the too silent room and put a comforting hand on the usually loud, brash and outspoken woman's shoulder. Not in any of her dealings with Dorothy Pezzino had she ever seen her so quiet.

"Judy, hi.". Dorothy looked exhausted. Her hair usually teased and backcombed to within an inch of its life was lank and loosely tied up, the 6 inches of makeup missing from her face making her appear so much younger and so lost.

"He looks more comfortable today.", she smiled, trying to be as positive as possible for Doug's distraught girlfriend. "Have you seen his doctor this morning?"

"Briefly. They're doing more tests later but what good will that do?"

"Hey, the doctor says it's very early days, we don't know what's going to happen."

"What if he never walks again? How will he deal with that?"

"Dorothy, Doug's as tough as they come, he won't let this beat him. You're no push over yourself, you know.", she said kindly, finding some relief in being able to focus on someone else's grief and worry other than her own.

"I can't do this on my own." Dorothy said softly as tears began to fall down her cheeks. "He's going to need so much support! I don't think I can be that for him."

"Hey, you won't be on your own. We'll all be here and Clavo. You can get through this."

"I can't expect an 8 year old to help look after his crippled uncle. He's been through too much I can't put that on him. How the hell am I going to explain this to him? He's going to want his Uncle Doug to play ball with him, coach his team. He's not going to be able to do that. How can a kid that age understand?"

"He's a pretty special little boy, I wouldn't worry."

"He shouldn't have to be." Dorothy said resolutely, surprising Judy with how much she had changed from the petty angry woman she remembered from Doug's stories.

"You know Doug talks about you all the time"

"Does he? His topic of conversation has been very limited recently.". she said bitterly.

"What do you mean."

"Nothing. I'm having a bad moment. One meltdown and then I'll toughen up, promise.", she said offering a week smile. "I haven't even asked how Harry is." At seeing the look on Judy's face, she knew she didn't have to. "Oh' I'm so sorry Judy.", said kindly, "Harry's a good guy, this shouldn't have happened to either of them. What exactly did happen?"

"They were run off the road. One minute they were in the truck pursuing suspects, the next they were spinning out of control. There was nothing we could do it all happened so fast."

"Have they got the people that did this?" she said suddenly sounding rather cold.

"Believe me Dorothy, we will do everything we can to make sure they go away for a very long time for this." She said with a steely look in her eye.

"Thank you. I do love Doug, you know. It's just, he's not easy to live with."

"We know!" Hoffs said with a fond smile over towards where her friend lay.

This was followed by Judy's sheer and total bewilderment as she realised that Dorothy Pezzino was actually hugging her. She put her arms around her awkwardly to comfort her as she felt her starting to sob. Despite everything she couldn't help but stifle a small chuckle as she thought of Doug's reaction if he were to wake up now. Turning this into a good imitation of a cough, she looked into the other woman's face and told her "You and Clavo won't be alone, we promise."

Having made some calls and blagging his way through tape, McCann sat with Tom Hanson's file open on his desk. Looking through he wasn't surprised the guy ended up some kind of crazy. Hell, just the death of his father and girlfriend would have sent him packing. This was another level. He also began to feel for what Penhall must have been through as, during a lot of this , he was right there with him. But as he read through, he also wasn't surprised that they seemed to miss him so much. Seemed like a decent guy. Frustratingly though, there was very little about family or people that might know where he was. Numerous calls to the smallest leads had turned up nothing. It seemed to him, the people closest where here and they weren't talking.

He looked up from his desk as he noticed the figure of Sal Banducci walking by.

"Hey Sal? You knew Penhall's old partner, right?"

"Sure did" the stocky janitor replied with a small smile.

"Do you know where he was last seen? Any family? Girlfriend?"

"Err, in a mental hospital, no just his mother, and an auntie in Philly I think, and have you spoken with Judy? Are you kidding me?"

"Judy's not being too helpful. Come on Sal, it's for Doug and Harry."

"I've got a number for Mrs H, his mother. You never know, he may have called her."

"And no one thought to ring her before?

"Well, Penhall did at first but Fuller put a stop to that."

"Ok, Let's do it."

Judy had watched them with unease from her side of the chapel and rushed over as panic began to rise as she watched Sal handing over a slip of paper.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Giving him Mrs H's number."

"No. You're not bothering his mother. She's been upset enough."

"I think she'd want to help Judy." Sal replied.

"Doug been looking for two years; you don't think he's already tried that? Or that she wouldn't tell us if he'd gotten in contact? What makes you think that after all this time you'll be able to track him down when his best friend couldn't?" she finished glaring at McCann.

"Because he doesn't know me, there's no restraining order on me and the only person that's telling me to stay away from him is you."

"McCann, leave it please." Judy begged him, placing the phone back in the cradle and fixing his eyes with an intent stare. "And what are you doing with this?" she demanded as she snatched up the files on his desk.

"I was curious. You don't talk about him, I wanted to know about this guy that's so important, yet no one mentions him, even though he seems to be hovering over you all the time." He softened as he saw Judy's face twist.

"Listen, I know I haven't been here long and there is obviously some deal going on with you over this guy, but legally we need him, and Doug obviously needs something from him. I thought you and Penhall were close."

"We are, but I don't think anything good can come from bringing him back here. Doug wants someone who is a distant memory. He was unstable, even scary. Doug doesn't need that right now."

"And the real reason?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've told you."

"Ok. Understood, none of my business. Listen, it's not been easy trying to fit in here with you guys and your history and secrets, but Doug has been really good to me. If this guy can help, I'm gonna do my best to find him."

"You don't need to." Came Fullers voice from behind them. "I know where he is."

"Captain, I don't understand." Judy croaked.

"You don't need to, just trust me."

"Captain Fuller leave him in peace, please. Penhall has us and Dorothy and Clavo, he'll be ok."

"Judy, this might be best for both of them."

"How can it? The state he was in last time? Do you really think he could cope with seeing them like that?"

"What's this really about Hoffs? Is this more about you being scared to see him again?" Fuller barked, regretting it when he saw the look on the young woman's face.

"Yes, Captain Fuller. I'm frightened of seeing him again. I've spent all this time moving on and finally being happy, but I'm frightened that I still love him. I'm frightened that he might have gotten worse, that he can't forgive us. Most of all I'm scared he won't want to know."

"I don't think that would ever be the case Judy. I know this isn't going to be easy for any of us, but Harry has put him down as next of kin and we need him to give consent."

"That's another reason. How is it fair to put that on him? He won't be able to cope!" she said, her voice shaking and tears forming in her eyes.

"Judy….."

"Captain, if we find him and he does give consent, that means Harry's gone" she sobbed.

"Finally, the truth" Fuller said smiling sadly as he moved over to put his arm around her. "Judy, you heard the doctors, Harry is gone. We need to let him be at peace and I will do whatever I can to give him that. Would you rather we went down the route of removing the next of kin due to diminished responsibility? Have him assessed and deemed as not been of sound enough mind to make this decision, paraded in front of doctors and lawyers and told he's too crazy to give his friend peace? How do you think he would cope with that? And what about Doug. He needs all the support he can get and Hanson's his best friend".

Judy locked eyes with him as if she had been kicked. There, it was out. One of them had to say his name eventually and the sky hadn't fallen in on them, the world was still turning.

"I'm sorry Judy, this isn't going to be easy for any of us, but it is happening".

"You really know where he is?"

"I do."

"Is he still, you know….?"

"No, discharged nearly a year ago.", he said kindly.

"Does that mean he's well? We did the right thing?"

"I don't know Judy, won't until I speak with him. But, yes, we did the right thing. That is one thing I'm sure of"

"Captain, how long have you known? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Does it matter now?"

"Yes, it does. Doug's been looking for Hanson for so long and you knew the whole time."

"Not the whole time, and Hanson didn't want to be found, that was his choice and not mine to make."

"He seemed to think he had the right to make that choice for all of us. If you think he's well enough and he can help Doug and Harry then fine, I trust you, Captain."

"After all this time Hoffs I should hope so.", he smiled sadly. "Now, the team investigating need to interview you both about what happened. They'll be a car here in a few minutes to take you over to HQ. That's the best thing you can do for Harry and Doug at the moment."

"Captain…."

"I'll let you know once I do Judy."

"Come on" McCann said kindly, "Lets help them get these bastards."

"Captain Fuller, Doug recognised the person in that car. Could it have been someone from Grant? Was their cover blown?"

"Can't rule anything out Hoffs. Just tell them all you can."

He watched his officers go before returning to his office and closing the door behind him. If this turned out to be a mistake, he didn't want to give any false hope.