Thank you so much for reviews! I'm not so sure that I like the direction this is taking, but I'll keep going to see where we end :) You gotta love Hawkes and his tie, he's so cutee! In this chapter I think I may have overdone it with the mention of anorexia so soon, let me know.
Mac turned sharply, as Flack, Hawkes and Lindsay headed to the door, only to see the almost comical sight of the collected, and usually put together Stella, sprawled dramatically across the floor, surrounded by an empty mug and the contents of numerous scattered files. Mac would have laughed, but his keen eyes were drawn to the worrying sight that was her hip bone, jutting painfully out above usually tight trousers, that were now being held up by a brown leather belt. Suddenly he knew who exactly the cause of Lindsay's concern was.
All were momentarily distracted as a loud yell escaped Stella's mouth. "Frick! Frick…Frick!" she shouted loudly, catching the attention of the lab rats across the hall.
"Cool it, Stell," Mac told her gently and quickly moved to help her up, as Flack set himself to work gathering up Stella's pieces of paper.
"Don't patronize me, Taylor. That hurt!" Stella shot him a glare that he knew could make many a man quake. She calmed down, however, when she felt her boss' strong, gentle hands, one on her hip, the other round her back, sitting her up, and pushing her forward onto her feet. She glanced at him, embarrassed, but her raging emotions were brought down a notch as her eyes locked on his, and she was met with worry and concern.
A red mark was already visible across her hollow cheek, heading down towards her chin, and she circled her wrist a few times, satisfied with the loud 'click' she heard on doing so.
"Get these back to Stella's office, Flack" Mac told the younger man, and, hand still on the small of her back, led her to his office, despite her numerous protestations.
"Mac, I'm fine, I slipped, it's not the end of the world, my ankle just turned over, I…" Stella broke off as Mac pushed her gently down into his $2000 state funded, black, leather chair, and she took a deep breath as his callused fingers ran down her cheek.
"You're hurting." He stated simply, ready for the confusion that crossed her immaculately made-up face upon hearing his strange use of tense.
"It's nothing Mac, I told you that," She insisted angrily, bemusement still visible on her features.
"That's not what I'm referring to, Stella, and we both know it," Mac shot back evenly, gesturing to her skeletal frame without intending to.
"What are you saying, that I'm…anorexic? You've been talking to Lindsay, Mac, haven't you?" Fire blazed in Stella's eyes, as she drew herself up to her full height, defence visible in every part of her stature.
"I wasn't saying anything of the sort, Stella, but you knew what I was going to say, didn't you? And, no, I wasn't going to say you were anorexic because I don't think you are, but you certainly haven't been looking after yourself, and you need to, Stella."
"You know what? I have had enough of this. I push myself hard, Mac, that's what this job demands. I can't make mistakes, and if that means I work occasionally through my lunch breaks, then so be it. It's no crime, and lord knows you do it enough. So before you tell me to 'look after myself', you could take a look at your own actions."
Mac didn't attempt to follow as he watched her storm from his office, and his mind was distracted as his pager bleeped, and he hurried to meet Adam to go over his latest set of results.
Next chapter ready and waiting :)