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18. Dazed

==Judy==

Fru Fru had said to be happy to receive me when I had rung her up from my car. Without even stopping at home, I had gone over to the villa. Upon my arrival, the doorman had already opened up the garage. Even though I knew the way by now, I was still being escorted upstairs to Fru Fru's guest chamber. She was awaiting me in a comfy chair near a hearth. For a moment it gave me the faint hope that it wouldn't be so cold this time. Sadly, I found it to be an artificial one. Instead I crossed my legs to keep my feet a little warmer underneath me.

It wasn't long before Mike, Fru Fru's personal bodyguard and therefore sort of a second Koslov, arrived to ask for our demands. I asked for carrot tea, Fru Fru took nothing. When he turned around, she waited for him to leave the room and then turned to me.

"So… Tell me, what is the problem."

"Problem?"

She gave me a stern look.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Really? Then why did you came over so fast?"

"I-errr… I thought it would be nice to see you?" I replied with a wry smile.

"Oh don't be ridiculous, honey. It's written all over you. As much as I'd like to believe what you just said, your entire face spells out: I got troubles."

Once again someone pointed out how bad I was at disguising my feelings. I had come here in the hope to forget the matter, although I did also feel a bit of relief when she brought it up. With played reluctance, I told her about the argument Nick and I had. About how he wanted to keep our relationship hidden from everyone, to avoid them thinking he joined the force for me alone and how he had questioned my promise to help him keep it a secret. Despite Fru Fru waiting for me to finish my monologue, I noted that she was wagging in her chair from a certain point. Now she leaned forward.

"That's nice and all, but rewind a little. Did you say that you guys are dating now?!"

I couldn't keep away my smile.

"Yea, we are."

"Really? Oh Judyyyyyy! I'm so happy for you!" She yelled in excitement.

"Yea. Well, I'm not sure that I am."

She snapped from her psyched state.

"What do you mean?"

"Well. If he doubts me so quickly already, how can I be sure that he won't do so in the future?"

She snorted disapprovingly and shook her head. I looked at her with a titled head, waiting for her to finish examining her nails and to elaborate on her response.

"Don't be silly, hon. You don't break off a relationship on the first for something like that." She replied laconically.

I perked my brows confused.

"What do you mean, 'something like that'?"

She reclined in her chair.

"Men are and always will be very serious about their pride. It's all about masculinity…"

Mike came back inside with my cup of tea. I thanked him. He responded with a light bow and left the room again. To my satisfaction, Fru Fru was discrete and made sure Mike wasn't able to take notion of our topic. Not that I believed for a moment he would be a tattle-tale, yet it was nice that she considered the delicacy of the matter. Like any real friend did.

"As I was saying." She continued. "The word machismo exists for a reason, honey. Dignity is an important trademark for men and other men will always attempt to discredit others in order to make themselves appear more virile. And pride is like a synonym for manliness. So what Nick says, is probably true."

"I thought that maybe he was ashamed of our relationship." I thought out loud.

"Not likely. If he would've been ashamed of you, would he have become your partner?"

"I guess not…"

"Trust me, hon. If the other guys can use your relationship to make Nick look foolish, they always will. That's just what men do. And Nick is lectured enough, to know that too."

I processed the information she had provided me, whilst blowing at my tea to cool it off a bit. It explained all the pretend-insults my male co-workers flung at each other during coffee breaks. Even the chief pretending not to care about new recruits. After all, the men that sympathized with the rookies, were called soft by the others. It all added up.

"How did you become such an expert at this?" I asked, taking a sip from my drink.

She laughed.

"Look around, Judy. I live in a house full of men. If I hadn't learnt their ways by now, I'd be either blind, or a man myself."

I joined in with her laughter.

"So. On to more important things. How did he ask you?"

"Oh, I don't remember exactly."

I smile shyly. Truthfully, I remembered his words precisely.

"Judy, what did I say about you lying to me?"

We both sniggered.

"Alright, alright. It wasn't how I had imagined it to be, yet it was still perfect."

Fru Fru leaned forward, placing her elbows on her the arms of the chair; her head in the palms of her hands.

"I think it started at the gala, but I only dared to ask him this morning. First I thought he didn't want to, that he only wanted to be friends. But then…" I closed my eyes to relive the moment. "… then all of a sudden, he lifted my chin and he kissed me."

"Aw, really?" She uttered dreamily.

I nodded frantically, much to the bliss of my friend.

"Yes he did. And then he said: I'm your partner, Judy. Always have been. Always will be."

"Awww, that's so romantic!"

"Yes, it was." I radiated.

"If only my Edgar would've been so good with words." She complained.

I realized that all my anger towards Nick's doubt had subsided. I knew I had done the right thing in coming here. After all, Fru Fru was the only real female friend I had besides some of my colleagues. And who better to discuss girl stuff with, than another girl? Our conversation had become so much fun, that I completely forgot about the time. Eventually, we were interrupted by an alarm from my phone. I pulled it from my duty belt and lighted the screen. Doctor's appointment. Oh right, I had to be at the hospital in half an hour.

"Sorry Fru Fru, I totally forgot about that."

"That's okay. It's actually quite funny, cause I need to be there tonight as well. "

She explained that it was time for the weekly check-up on her pregnancy.

"Maybe if we go together. Then afterwards, we can dine together again?"

"That's becoming a bit of a habit, lately. Sure your father doesn't mind?"

She made a dismissive gesture.

"Just because I'm in a house full of men, doesn't mean I don't have 'm all under my thumb."

After some more chatter, Mike notified us that he had driven the limousine in front of the house. I helped Fru Fru down the stairs and joined her in the back of the car. It gave me a déjà vu, recollecting the torn interior during my search for Emmitt Otterton. I wondered if that memory would ever fade. I praised the knowledge that the trip would be a mere fifteen minutes, the seats were cold as ice. Something nobody else seemed to be bothered by.

Mike glanced at us through the mirror, closed the hatch to keep our matters private and then drove off the premises.

"So, how is your injury now by the way?"

I rubbed my chest.

"Still a little sore, but I don't have much trouble breathing anymore."

She nodded.

"Sounds like improvement."

"How about you and the baby?"

She shrugged.

"Not a lot of change actually. Of course, carrying her around becomes more problematic every day. She never seems to skip a day when a comes to growing, you know?"

A brief moment of realization dawned on me by seeing her so happy. Nick and I would never have kids of our own, that was certain. The strange thing about this moment was, that it didn't seem to bother me. I had never really thought of myself as a mother anyway and if I could spend my life with Nick, I wouldn't need kids. I'd already have all the love I needed. That reminded me, I had been quite harsh on him when I left the precinct. I owe him a little text, to set things right.

I slipped the phone from the duty belt into my hand. I swiped through my contact list until I came across Nick's number.

"Texting him?" Fru Fru asked when he saw me typing.

"Yea. Maybe I've overreacted a bit today. I'm just a little new to this whole relationship thing and given what you said earlier, I might have taken it a bit too personal. Hopefully I didn't scare him off."

"Don't worry, hon. I'm sure he's dying for a text from you right now."

I pictured Nick anxiously lying on the couch with the phone in his hand, checking it every two seconds. I chuckled and resumed my typing.

Hey Nick. Just wanted to say that I-

*Sccccraaaack*

Out of the blue, the car received a mind-dazzling, heavy blow. The windows got smashed and I felt myself getting pressed into the seatbelt so hard, my ribs hurt. The mugs and decorations from the limo's cupboard flew by me as the car was sent into a sideway turning. Fru Fru screamed and I heard Mike's distant cursing through the polyester board that separated us from him. In the chaos, I lost the grip on my phone. I seized the straining leather belt that agonized my chest and tried to relieve the pressure. It was in vain. The full frontward speed of whatever had hit us, combined with our own velocity, had us trapped into a rotary movement that sucked me towards the middle of the car. With the seatbelt being the only thing that kept me from going there, I was fending off the entirety of that force, thus it was no surprise I failed to do so.

I groaned as the spinning made me nauseous. Just as I thought I was going to throw up, we came to an abrupt halt against what I suspected to be a tree. The images that my eyes sent to my brain were twisted and shaky. This was the second time today I was in a car accident. When did I become such a non-starter? I looked over at Fru Fru. She hung forward against her seat belt. She didn't reply to me, though I heard her breathe. I assumed she was unconscious. From the front, I heard another curse.

"Mike?"

I got a muffled reply.

"Don't worry ladies. I'll come to get you out."

I heard him open his door and slowly get up from his seat. Good, meanwhile I should locate my cell phone to call an ambulance. I sincerely hoped Fru Fru's and her baby were okay. Where was that thing?

Suddenly, Mike's gruff voice alarmed me.

"Hey. Who are you?"

Two sharp, squeaky thuds followed and a heavy thwack against the car door had my stomach cramp up completely. Those were silenced gunshots. They had shot Mike! Oh my god. This wasn't good. I checked my belt and concluded that I had left my tranquilizer gun in my locker at the precinct. All I had was a Taser. It was something. I unbuckled myself and fell on hands and knees.. I had to find that phone. Now!

I startled by the slit to the driver seat being opened and clutched both hands around the electric weapon, waiting nervously for whatever would come through. Then, a smoking can was tossed inside, and the slit was closed and locked. The white cloud quickly filled the cabin with a hissing sound. It was halothane gas to knock us out. Whoever assaulted us, at least didn't seem to want us dead.

"Come on. Where is that thing?" I yammered, scouring under the seats.

I cut my hand on a piece of broken glass, but I had no time to give it attention. I was becoming drowsy and my vision started to blur. I shook my head. It was my only shot. Get the phone and call for help. Finally I locked onto it. From what I could read, my message was still there. I reached for it slower than I wanted.

"I have to call him. I have to…"

Talking to myself didn't keep me awake. The room spun around me and the Taser slipped from my hand. I stared muzzily at how it tumbled onto the soft floor mat of the limo. And after a second or two, I rather heard than felt that my body followed its example. I heard the door open and indistinct voices filled the room. I couldn't see anymore. I couldn't hear anymore. I passed out.