When she received the telephone call, Julia felt all energy leave her body and she fell on her chair. When she heard a door close somewhere behind her, it brought her back to reality. William had been hurt, badly, while chasing a suspect fleeing a crime scene. She quickly took her coat and her medical bag and rushed out. George had given her the address they were at, she would join them there. She arrived in the alley as they were carefully bringing William down.

"Lay him on the ground please." she said.

"Are you sure Doctor? It's all muddy and ..."

"I don't care George, lay him down. I need to check his injuries to know if I bring him home or if he should go to the hospital. Now, do as I say." Julia commanded.

"Julia? Why are you yelling at George?" William asked weakly, his eyes fluttering open.

"You're awake, that's a good sign." she smiled, kneeling next to him on the ground.

"What … what happened?" he asked, trying to sit but collapsing back down with a groan.

"Don't try to move William, I need to check you first. And I don't know what happened. George, care to enlighten me on how my husband fell from a roof? And never say something like that ever again on the telephone, I thought he was dead!"

"Well, we were chasing this man Sir, the one who arrived at the crime scene at the same time we did and started running away. You followed him, climbing several ladders, running on the roofs of buildings … you even jump from one building to another, it was awesome Sir!" George explained, getting excited at his own tale.

"George!"

"Sorry Doctor. Well, on one of the ladders, when you were almost catching up with the man, one of the bars of the ladder fell off and … so did you Sir. You fell back down on the roof and crashed into a wooden crate. I couldn't wake you so I ran to call for some help and ..."

"You left him alone George?" Julia asked, getting angry at the constable.

"I didn't have a choice Doctor, I was alone with him, on the roof, and I had to leave him to get some help and ..."

"I'm sorry George, of course you did the right thing. I ..."

"Julia, I don't feel so good." William said, trying to roll on his side.

"Don't move William. I need to check your injuries." Julia said, turning back to her husband and starting to open his vest.

"What are you doing?" William asked.

"I'm getting your vest and shirt open so I can decide if it's so serious I need to take you to the hospital. And I can't see through your clothes, hence the opening."

"But we're not at home. We're … in the streets. And … George is looking." William said, looking at his colleague.

"I don't care. Can you move your legs William?" Julia asked.

"I think so."

"Don't think, move your legs William." she ordered, letting a sigh out when he did.

"Why do you look so happy. It hurts … a lot." he groaned.

"I'm sorry. You can move, that's a good thing." she said, moving on to opening his shirt.

"Julia, please … George!"

"Alright, alright." she said, standing up. "George, could you go to the morgue and ask for an attendant to bring a stretcher? I'm taking William home but I don't want to move him too much right now."

"Of course Doctor." he said, turning to leave.

"Oh and George? Tell the attendant to give something to make William sleep as well. I really need to examine him and I can't do it properly if he is conscious apparently.

When William opened his eyes, he was in his bedroom. On his bed. In his work clothes … which were opened on his chest.

"What is going on?" he mumbled.

He tried to move but his breath caught when he tried to sit up. Something was wrong.

"Julia?" he called loudly.

"Oh good you're up!" she said, smiling as she entered the bedroom. "Maybe you will let me take your clothes off now that George is no longer around."

"What?"

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked as she tried to get him out of his shirt.

"I … I remember a dead body in an alley and running after someone. Is that right?"

"Based on what George told me, yes." Julia laughed. "Now, help me get your clothes off, I really need to check your injuries. I tried to undress you while you were sleeping but you're too heavy, I couldn't make you move."

It took longer than she had expected. He seemed to be rather beaten and moaned or groaned when she tried to make him move too much. Once he was undressed, she spent half an hour asking him to move in specific ways, asked him some specific questions and assessed his condition. Then she bandaged some parts of his body and helped him into his pajamas. She walked to her medical bag which she had put on her dresser and prepared a seringe of mercury. She laughed when she saw her husband cringe.

"Really William, you have a concussion, two cracked ribs, a bruised ankle, torn ligaments plus a busted knee and elbow and you're afraid of a needle?"

"I'm not afraid of needles, I just don't like them."

"Well, it's for your own good William. It will make you feel better, I promise." she said, kissing him sweetly before injecting him.

"Are you going back to work?" William asked, sinking deeper into the pillows.

"No, not today." Julia said, sitting down on the bed next to him and taking his unharmed hand in hers. "I'll see how you are doing tomorrow. But I do have a board meeting to attend tomorrow afternoon."

"You should go. There is no point in both of us being trapped in here."

"William, you can't get out of bed on your own, you can't stay alone here. How would you get down the stairs?" Julia laughed.

"I thought you were a good doctor? I'm sure your seringe will make me feel better in no time." he said, feeling sleep come over him.

"I think I could ask Mrs Jones to look after you during my meeting tomorrow." Julia thought out loud.

"Who?"

"Mrs Jones. I ran into her and Alwin when I brought you back home. Apparently he has a friend living nearby. She was completely panicked when she saw George and the morgue attendant bring you in the house on a stretcher. I think maybe she's in love with you." Julia laughed. "William?"

She lowered her eyes to him and saw that he was asleep. "I'm so glad you are alright William." she whispered, kissing his lips softly before pulling the covers on him and leaving him to sleep.

He was doing much better this morning. But not as good as he would have liked. Everything still hurt. He managed to get out of bed, into his robe and down the stairs before he felt faint. He sat down on the steps and that's where Julia found him a few minutes later.

"William, are you ok?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

"Yes. Just a little unstable on my feet that's all." he said, smiling at her. "I think I'll settle on the sofa for now." he continued, getting up.

Julia helped him, supporting him on his way to the living room.

"I think you shouldn't move too much today William. You're obviously still in pain."

"I'll be fine Julia don't worry."

"I know you'll be fine, but the harder you try, the longer it gets before you are back to normal. And I would like to have my husband back sooner rather than later." she teased, kissing him tenderly.

"I think I'm going to stay on this couch today. I don't want to risk it." he smiled, pulling her to him for one more kiss.

"Don't over do it Detective." she laughed, standing up. "Now, is there anything I can bring to you? I need to leave for my board meeting in about an hour."

"Could you bring me books and … things to repair or … anything to do, really. Even laundry to fold will do it." William said.

"Isn't that wonderful! You should fall from a roof more often if it makes you want to fold clothes." Julia laughed.

"Oh, I know! Could you get me my tools and my night vision goggles from the garden shed? I have time to finish them now ..."

"Here? You're going to bring your greasy tools in my beige living room?"

"I promise I'll be careful.. And I'll clean everything. Pleeeaaase?" William asked, pouting like a child.

"Fine." Julia said, getting out of the house to get her husband's instruments

When she left him to go to the morgue, she made him promise he would not move from the sofa. He had a stack of books and journals on a table next to him, his night vision goggles on his lap. On her way out, she crossed path with Mrs Jones and Alwin who were walking up the alley to their house. She let them in and hurried back out.

When she came back home a couple of hours later, Julia found Alwin playing by himself outside her house. He told him that his mother was still inside, taking care of the detective and Julia had a bad feeling about it. She saw she was right when she got inside. William was asleep on the sofa, a blanket thrown over him and Mrs Jones was sitting in a nearby chair, a book in her hands but she was not reading. She was watching William sleep, a dreamy look on her face.

"Is he alright?" Julia asked, taking her coat off and placing it on the back of the sofa.

"He is fine. He worked for a little while on his … glasses over there, read a little and he fell asleep."

"Thank you for everything Mrs Jones. You didn't have to stay so long though."

"It was fine, don't worry. You're a busy doctor, you can't stay all day with your patients." Mrs Jones smiled.

"Well, thank you anyway. I think Alwin is getting restless outside, you should bring him home. It's no fun for him being here."

"He enjoyed helping William with his tools and glasses."

"William?" Julia asked, feeling anger rising in her.

"I mean Detective Murdoch. You're right, I should go." Mrs Jones said, getting up and putting her book on the table.

As she collected her things, Julia felt William's forehead for a fever, caressed his cheek and tucked the blanket tighter around him. She saw Mrs Jones look at her and she was satisfied. Maybe this time it was clear that William was already spoken for. But just to make sure, when Julia accompanied the woman to the front door, she made sure to have her pass by one of their framed wedding pictures on a table in the entrance.