The sight of Lindsay apartment had shocked him, the three men had
followed a solemn Flack into Lindsay's building, Danny and Hawkes
knowing where they were going but Mac had never been to Lindsay's
before. Stepping inside they found a typical crime scene, only it's
wasn't it was Lindsay's home. A shattered lamp in the hallway lay
next to a small pool of blood with cast off along the carpet. A small
blood trail led along the side of the room to the bathroom. Mac had
disappeared into Lindsay's bathroom making sure Danny didn't come
anywhere near, he was still unsure of how far the relationship
between him and Lindsay had got. Flack had stormed outside taking his
anger out on a rookie officer who just happened to be out there and
now Danny was sat outside starring at Hawkes walking by with an
evidence bag. The evidence bag Hawkes held in his hands made Danny's
stomach turn. He never knew that a bag containing pieces of carpet
could cause such a reaction from people. For this piece of carpet,
the piece that caused all this trouble, had semen on it. Slowly Danny
edged along the side of the room towards the bathroom. He watched as
Mac took photos, and then cut it out and labelled it, he found
himself frozen outside the door unable to move.
Mac had banned
people from going in the bathroom until he had processed it. Danny
half wished he had Hawkes job so he could get away but then he
remembered where Hawkes was going, the hospital. He would see
Lindsay; see what this, this...thing had done to her. He wasn't sure
he could manage that; if he know what to say or do. The one thing he
was afraid of was what had seen so many times. Men would walk into a
crime scene and the woman would back away scared. It always hurt them
that you, your 'species', would do such a thing. He'd seen female
friends scared of their male colleges just because they were male. He
wouldn't be able to handle it if Lindsay was scared of him.
"Danny
I'm finished. We're going back to the lab." Called Mac, as
Danny numbly turned and walked back towards the car.
The
walk along the hospital corridor seemed like a movie. Hawkes felt
lost and small compared to all the action going on around him. Life
had continued around him but for them life had stopped the second Mac
got the phone call. It seemed unreal as he stopped outside the side
room door. He knocked gently and heard Stella's voice wearily reply.
On entering he could see she had been crying; her eyes were puffy and
red, her checks tear stained, and the dazzle gone from her eyes.
Lindsay laid asleep in the bed her occasional fit full movements, a
flash into the torment of her unconscious mind. Hawkes took in her
pale complexion, the buries forming around her jaw and forehead.
"The
kit." Stella spoke simply as if more words would cause he to
break down again. Hawkes simply nodded and pulled up a chair sitting
down beside Stella.
"How is she?" he asked, looking over
and trying to ignore the bruises on her cheek and wrists. He noticed
the white bandage sticking out on her pale skin on her arm and
wondered if that was what caused the blood trail.
"Physically,
not too bad, couple of stitches, bruising round the wrists. Mentally,
I don't know." said Stella a tear escaping from her eyes as
Hawkes put an arm round her.
"We'll look after her," he
said reassuringly.
"NO!" Lindsay suddenly woke making
both Stella and Hawkes jump.
"Lindsay it's okay." said
Stella taking her hand as Lindsay's eyes darted at Hawkes.
"Its
just Hawkes." Stella reassured her as Lindsay began to calm
down.
Hawkes wasn't sure what to do until Lindsay's hand
tentatively reached out towards him. He took it, squeezing
gently.
"Were going to look after you, okay," he said
smiling weakly at her.
"Thanks." she said her eyes
already drooping.
As she drifted off again he let go of her hand
and collected the rape kit.
"We'll get who did this and make
sure they pay." he said as Stella noticed his eyes now
glistening with tears. "Whoever took our Lindsay away, we'll get
them." He spoke to himself as he left the room.
As
Hawkes walked through the halls of the lab his hand felt like it was
burning. The box he held in his hand was weighing him down and
burning through his composed exterior, making him want to be sick
after he saw Lindsay. It was all he could do not to break down
outside. Lindsay had always been there and always said what she
meant. She never sugar coated things or lied. Now she was laid in a
hospital bed, broken in more ways than one. Hawkes didn't realise he
had even reached the lab until Adam's music drifted into his head.
She had it louder than usual and he was purposefully scrubbing at a
glass jar.
He noticed bits of carpet laid out on the table and
recognised it as samples from Lindsay's house. He simply laid down
the kit and left.
"Hey Hawkes. How is she?" asked Danny
running in, he clearly been at the coffee. He was holding an empty
mug in his hand the seemed to be trembling involuntary.
"As
well as you can expect. Stella said she should be allowed out
tomorrow. She's going to take her home."
"Is she injured?" asked Danny desperate to see her himself but Mac had kept him busy, for his and Lindsay's won good.
"She's got some bruises, couple of stitches in her head and arm," listed Hawkes.
"Did she say anything? Did she seem…" Danny trailed off he was going to say ok but how could she be ok, she'd been raped.
"she's
doing well," said Hawkes, "Stella's there is she needs anyone
but at the minute I think she needs to work through it on her own."
"
Where's Mac?" asked Hawkes realising he hadn't already
appeared.
"He's gone to the bar where Lindsay went. CTV."
Replied Adam who was under strict orders from Mac to stop Danny from
leaving the lab.
"Adam's running the samples form the
bathroom." interrupted Danny.
"What'd you get?"
asked Hawkes.
"Lots of blood. Some white fibres caught in the
bedside table. That's it."
"Nothing." sighed Hawkes
sitting down and burying his head in his hands.
"Pretty
much." sighed Danny sitting down next to him. He wanted to see
Lindsay he wanted to hold her but he'd lost that right when he
tried to make his pain go away by sleeping with Rikki and now he
could do nothing to ease Lindsay's pain.
Two
hours later Mac appeared in the break room.
"Chloroform."
he announced.
"Chloroform?" asked Hawkes
"On the
white fibres. Used it to subdue her. Ran the print's nothing but
Lindsay's. He must have worn gloves."
"Which suggests he
knows what he's doing," continued Danny.
"Well they're
so many people in the bar Adam's having a hard time separating
anyone out-and the staff weren't helpful." said Mac before Danny
stood and left the room Hawkes was about to go after him but Mac put
an arm out to stop him.
"Give him time," said Mac.
Lindsay
had been awake awhile when she saw Stella stir in her
chair.
"Lindsay," called Stella sitting up and rubbing
her eyes, noticing that Lindsay was already awake, and sat up. "You
okay?" she asked, not really sure why she had asked.
"I
guess," replied Lindsay "When can I leave?" she asked
pulling at the sheets that covered her. All she was wearing now was a
pair of black jogging pants and a white t-shirt that Stella had lent
her, making her feel vulnerable again.
"I'll ask someone."
replied Stella about to get up when the doctor who had examined
Lindsay last night walked in.
"Can I go?" asked Lindsay
as the woman came in the door.
"I see now reason why not. I'd
just come in to discharge you."
"Good." Lindsay was
already half out the bed before the doctor had finished speaking.
"I
assume you will have someone staying with you?"
Lindsay
paused. She hadn't really thought about that. So far she just wanted
to get out the hospital. It was now it hit her she would be going
back to where it happened, not her home. Just somewhere filled with
horrible memories.
"She'll be staying with me." Stella
told the doctor.
"Okay. I'll just sort the paper work. Would
you like me to call you a taxi?" Stella nodded and the woman
left.
"Thanks." mumbled Lindsay, now sat on he edge of
the bed. Lindsay then sat there not sure of what to say or do. She
could tell Stella was trying not to stare at her.
It was hard for
Stella not to stare. Lindsay's face was pale and the cut stood out on
her forehead along with her swollen jaw and purple bruise. Her eyes
were distant and void of emotion.
"Thanks for staying,"
mumbled Lindsay.
"I wasn't leaving," smiled Stella
taking Lindsay's hand. "Want to go wait down stairs?"
Lindsay nodded and gingerly got to her feet not realising how drained
she was, both emotionally and physically. She found each step towards
the
door harder than the first. As Stella reached out and opened
it Lindsay realised why. She froze mid step as a blurred figure
flashed before her. A sharp intake of breath caused Stella to grab at
Lindsay's arm, afraid she might pass out. Lindsay's mind came back
into focus and she realised it was just a nurse walking by.
"You
want to go on?" asked Stella as Lindsay regained what composure
she had left. She didn't answer, just simply stepped forwards into
the hall. It was crowded with people and each step she could feel her
legs tremble more. Her eyes were darting around continually as she
tried to take in everything. She was scared and not afraid to admit
it.
"Stella." she whispered as Stella steeped closer
wrapping an arm around her.
"I don't know where he is."
she whispered. It took a minute for Stella to catch on.
"The
boys will find him Lindsay. He's not going to come near you. I'm
here, okay?" she said urging her to keep walking towards the
stairs deciding that would be easier than putting Lindsay in a
enclosed space with people she didn't know.
"He could be
anywhere," said Lindsay her voice long its usual composure and
wobbling. "I don't remember what he looked like"
"It's
okay." Stella reassured her as they reached the bottom of the
stairs Stella saw the doctor.
"Your taxi's waiting." the
woman said still with that all to cheery smile.
Luckily it was a
female drive that showed them over to the car.
Danny hadn't slept for more than half an hour at a time, every time he fell asleep he saw Lindsay been attacked. He'd rung the hospital using his position as a CSI to get information on Lindsay's condition. He'd got dressed and outside his building seconds away from hailing a cab to go see her twice. He needed to see her but he didn't know if she needed to see him. Their relationship was on the off side of on and off, it was his fault it was and he knew that, but he still loved her nothing would change that. He could go see her as a friend but both of them knew that wasn't working they were doing the friend thing and all that was happening was they were getting close again and one of them would pull away. Bedside's she had a friends now Stella was still at the hospital with her and friends Mac and Hawkes were working her case. What she didn't' need now was complicated emotions from him turning up needing comforting, he'd pulled away from Lindsay after Rubern and now he wanted her to tell him it was all right, when it was her who needed it. Eventually he gave up the conflict and flicked on the TV, he may not be able to make it better but he wasn't about to make it worse by going storming in.
TBC...