Sorry for the wait (and the cliff hanger) but in the year I've been away, I've loved, lost, and decided to change careers. I'm a changed person but this story still has an ending and I WILL get it written. Thank you to everyone who poked and prodded me to get a move on though. On with the chapter x

Chapter 16

"I'm sorry" came a delicate whisper, carried upon the slight breeze that whipped at the floaty material of her shirt. The smile dropped from Serena's face and she turned away from the warmth of the sun to look in the direction the voice came from.

"Bernie?" she questioned to the empty garden stretching out behind her.

Bang.

Serena jerked awake, her eyes wide and unfocused against the blue flashing lights around her. All her senses were in disarray. She tasted metal in her mouth, smelled the tang of iron and sweat, blood rushed in her ears and a loud thumping sound blocked out all else. God, she thought she was going to throw up.

With difficulty, Serena pulled a shaking hand up to cover her mouth, it was then that she registered a dull weight upon her, pushing her down into the floor. Instinct had her body shake and wiggle until the weight upon her slid off. Her blurred vision of flashing blue was then cut off as something fell into her line of sight. Blinking a few times, her eyes focussed on the unmistakable warmth of Bernie's. For a moment, everything was silent and still and almost hazy as she mirrored the smile she found in those eyes.

Serenity filled the air. It was just her and Bernie. And oh… how Serena would love to simply lie here for eternity lost in those chocolate pools. Everything was soft and warm and filled with light. She could feel soft white cotton sheets beneath her and could almost hear the ocean breeze through a distant window. This right here, her and Bernie, was heaven.

And then reality came crashing down.

Sound flooded her world. She could hear shouting and the harsh, rhythmic beating of booted feet against tile. Her eyes left Bernie's for a second to look beyond her, it was then that the light disappeared. The gloomy darkness set in like a plague, the world illuminated by the sickeningly yellow, buzzing fluorescent lights overhead.

Her eyes darted back to Bernie's, the world becoming sharper and colder by the second, but Bernie's eyes were no longer smiling back at her. Serena's face paled at the sight that greeted her. With her eyes readjusted, the softness had left, leaving the image of a battered and bruised woman in its place.

Serena took in the sight of dirty blonde hair, glittering in the light with pickles of glass, plastered to woman she loved's forehead and cheeks. There was bruising blossoming like delicate little poppies just under the matted hair on her cheek, almost a mirror image of her other cheek. Harsh handprints were forming along the column of her elegant neck and there was blood spattered and smeared over her face.

But it wasn't the discolouration of her skin that caused her to panic. Tears sprung to her eyes as she gazed into the other woman's unfocused and all too still eyes. The light had gone out in them. Serena called out her name but gained no response.

With blood rushing in her ears once more, she heard nothing more than her own strangled cries as she pushed herself up and shook Bernie in desperation to gain a reaction. Bernie, however, didn't even draw breath. With blind panic locking out the rational medical side of her brain, she failed to notice others approach her until their hands joined her own on Bernie's body.

"No! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER YOU BASTARDS!" She screamed as she batted away their hands in an effort to save Bernie. It was then that she felt herself being pulled away from her by force. "NO! NO! STOP IT! DON'T HURT HER!"

Fighting against the strong arms holding her, she watched in muted horror as the strangers ran their hands over Bernie's body and formed a fist at her now exposed sternum. She could see their mouths moving, spouting out hasty orders, but she could hear nothing but her own laboured breathing echoing off the walls. She couldn't lose Bernie. She couldn't.

Serena's eyes left Bernie's glazed over ones momentarily as memories attacked her brain to remind her just where she was. Looking down Bernie's body, she gasped when her eyes met the torn, blood soaked fabric of her jeans, glass still poking out from the open wounds. But where did she get the glass from?

It was then that her eyes picked up on the blood-stained floor surrounding her legs. Following the trail of red with her eyes, hysteria began to over load Serena's brain as her eyes settled on the broken glass and men huddled over an unmoving body.

Struggling against her captor, her eyes darted back to Bernie. All rational thought had gone as Serena screamed incoherent words at the men. Thrashing against the strong arms, she threw her head back and forth, desperate to be released.

Suddenly, her view was blocked. Serena looked up, her vision fuzzy as she made out a man's face. His mouth was moving but she couldn't hear his words. He was in the way. She needed to get him out of the way. She couldn't see Bernie!

Then a blinding light was shone in her eyes, her ability to close them hindered by a chunky thumb holding her lid open. Cowering away from the light, she began to scream and thrash once more. She needed to see Bernie. She had to stop these shadowy figures from hurting her! She had to save her!

Tears ran down her cheeks, her jaw was cramping from crying out, but she continued to wrestle with the person holding her. Her screams were deafening and yet she couldn't hear them, just the heavy silence until two words finally penetrated her existence.

"I'm sorry" echoed the faint, delicate voice.

Serena stopped struggling for a moment as she let the familiar voice wash over her. She barely felt the needle penetrate her skin, so focused was her mind on holding onto the echoes of Bernie's voice in her head. As her body wound down and calmed, rational thought once again crawled its way back to her. Everything started to go hazy and the world began to spin as she struggled to keep her eye lids open. Just as the world started going black, she vaguely registered in the back of her mind that she'd been given a sedative.

And then stillness. Serena felt her knees collapse as her body was slowly lowered onto a soft surface. She almost felt like she was floating on water as the darkness engulfed her entire being.

Thump thump.

With the beating of her heart, she opened her eyes to the sound of voices echoing through her mind as though she were at the end of a long corridor.

"She's arrested"

Turning her head to the side, she could just make out the halo of gold strands strewn on the floor mere meters from her before the world went dark once again.

Thump thump.

With the beating of her heart echoing in her ears, she blinkingly opened her eyes against the glare of the overhead lights of the ambulance as she faintly registered the sound of sirens somewhere in the background.

"It's ok, Ms Campbell… you're safe now"

She closed her eyes again.

"I don't think she can hear you, mate."

Darkness.

Thump thump.

With the beating of her heart, she became aware of the feeling of being in motion stop.

"Right mate, you go first"

"What do you think will happen to Wolfe?"

"Dunno mate. If she survives the trip back, her life won't be worth living anyway"

She then felt the surface she was laying on begin to move once more.

Then nothing.

Thump thump.

With the beating of her heart, she gingerly opened her eyes a crack against the light blinding her eyes.

"Female. 50s. Head injury. When we arrived on scene, the patient became frantic and bit her tongue. Sedative administered on scene"

"Serena?"

"Oh my god it's Serena!"

Familiar voices… Raf? Morven? Where am I?

"Right folks, this is not a drill! I want her checked over and sent for a CT scan asap!"

"I'll ring up for an emergency slot and then let Elinor know she's been found"

Rick?

She opened her mouth to try and voice her questions but no noise came out. She tried opening her eyes wider, but the tiredness just made her want to give in.

"Bring her over here"

"Right, on three. Ready?" There was a brief pause "Three" And then Serena felt herself being slid onto another surface. She was becoming aware enough to realise she was most likely in the trauma bay. But why?

"Right we'll leave you to it" said a retreating voice as she felt hands on her.

"Wait!" called the voice she recognised wholeheartedly as the worried tones of Morven "We received a trauma call for two patients… did you find Bernie too?" she whispered in hushed tones, but Serena still heard it. Bernie? What happened to Bernie?

"Yeah. She was in a bad way when we'd gotten to them" he said almost carelessly.

"No" it was barely audible, but the broken whisper carried on the air. Bernie… What happened to Bernie?! Serena felt utterly useless. Her mind was too hazy, she felt like a bystander in a conversation where no one could hear her talk.

"I wouldn't wish harm on anyone, but it's no less than exactly what she deserves for what she's done"

There was a pregnant pause, even the barely there Serena felt the room turn cold. "She didn't do it" came the seething voice of Morven. "She wouldn't!"

"Let's not do this here, we need to take care of Serena and you need to get on and do your job" came the brusque tones of Raf.

Bernie. What happened? Where's Bernie?! As Serena became more aware, her mind raced. Adrenaline rushed through her body as her memory began to return.

Thump thump

"Oh my god…" Morvens voice trailed off as the paramedic began to spout off information.

"Female. 50s. Found unconscious at scene. Multiple injuries to her face, torso, arms and legs. Serious glass puncture wounds to the left leg. She's lost a lot of blood and arrested on scene and then again in the ambulance…"

His words faded into nothingness as Serena's mind began to scream. BERNIE! Her leg! All that blood! Images flashed in her mind's eye of Bernie's broken body lying in a pool of her own blood.

"mmmf…'ern..ie"

"It's ok, Ms Campbell. You're safe now" came a woman's soothing tone.

"mmm…vvvfernie" Serena slurred.

"Ms Campbell, you're going to be okay. I'm just checking you over and then we're going to send you for a CT. Do you feel any pain?" she spoke calmly, despite the multiple people behind her speaking over each other.

"There's no time to wait. We have no choice, were gonna have to operate here" came a male voice from somewhere "we need to stop her from bleeding out"

Serena fought the lingering haze and cracked one eye open, the other quickly following her brain began to register the frantic beeping and shuffling in the room. "vvvfernie?"

"It's okay Ms Campbell. She's in good hands, but I need you to focus on my questions, Ms Campbell. Do you know where you are right now?"

"vernie" mumbled Serena as she attempted to push herself to sit up straight. Why did her head feel so heavy?

"No Ms Campbell, we need you to lie down for us" came another calm voice but Serena ignored it, instead twisting her body back and forth to try and get a better view of the still body surrounded by ever moving trauma scrubs.

With hands trying to coax her into a more comfortable position, she twisted her body once more just in time to catch a glimpse of Bernie's discoloured face framed by a bright orange neck brace as Lou moved out of the way to grab a scalpel.

"VERNIE!" Serena cried, her tongue feeling floppy and sore in her mouth as she witnessed movement on Bernie's face.

"BP is raising" came the panicked croak of Morven as the beeping of the machine beside her sped up.

"She's waking up" In that moment, Serena wasn't sure who exactly said the words, all she could focus on was the small muffled moan as Bernie began to shift on the bed.

"VERNIE!" cried Serena once more, her mind racing and her body struggling against hands suddenly on her shoulders trying to hold her in place.

And then, just as abruptly, everything stopped. And all Serena could hear were the bells ringing through her ears as the world shook around her.

In painfully slow motion, Serena watched in silence as Bernie's eyes snapped wide open, immediately springing to the scalpel still held in Lou's hand. In one breath, Bernie used one hand to push Lou away and the other to grab the scalpel from her loosened grip. She then pulled herself free from the neck brace and wires attached to her and leapt from the bed, seemingly oblivious to the blood soaking through the bandages on her legs, and began edging her way away from the other people in the room, scalpel raised in front of her as a warning.

Serena remained motionless, eyes focused on Bernie's back, as the scrubbed men and women backed away from the blonde. Their mouths moved but the ringing was too loud for her to hear what they were saying.

Bernie, one hand clutching her head, the other shaking slightly with the weapon in her grip, began to scream and shout but Serena couldn't make out the words over that blasted ringing, she could almost swear though that she heard her own name upon Bernie's lips.

"TURN IT OFF!" came the angered plea of Bernie, her voice finally breaking through the wall of high pitched whining. Serena vaguely registered a scrubbed body scrambling towards what she now realised was the heart rate monitor. Within seconds, the ringing in her ears was gone.

The silence, however, wasn't meant to last.

Serena looked to Rick as he approached the now frantic woman "Bernie" he said soothingly as he held his hands out in peace "you need to give me the scalpel and let us help you"

"Serena, where is Serena?" Bernie began to mutter as though she didn't even see or hear Rick. Serena could hear the tears forming in the other woman's eyes by the waver in her voice alone. Though fear was an emotion she'd seldom seen in her co-lead, she knew. She knew in her heart that Bernie was terrified.

"Serena is safe, but you need to let us help you" When he received no response from Bernie, he took one last step forward. Bernie flinched and held the scalpel out in warning to Rick. Anger flared deep within Bernie. The face staring back at her wasn't that of a concerned Rick Griffin, it was the face of a grinning Simon.

"Stay back! STAY BACK YOU BASTARD!" Bernie's eyes were wild with contempt "I want to know where Serena is" her voice now threateningly low.

"Bernie…" began Rick as his eyes dropped to the ever-reddening gauze wrapped around the glass still protruding from Bernie's leg.

"NO!" she yelled as she lunged clumsily at Rick with the knife. Rick jumped back, his old boxing instinct kicking in, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade. He gazed into Bernie's eyes and found a stranger staring back at him. This wasn't the Bernie he knew, the Bernie he knew wouldn't attack a colleague… or perhaps the rumours were true about the nature of her and Serena's disappearance. His eyes flicked to Serena just over Bernie's shoulder. With dread building, his face momentarily paled as he brought his eyes back to Bernie. How could they have been so stupid as to bring them both here. "Now you tell me…" Bernie began her face hardened "where she is or I swear to GOD I won't miss a second time!"

Fearing what Bernie might do, Serena leapt from the bed behind Bernie, ignoring the initial wooziness upon landing, and held out her hands in surrender to Bernie.

"WHERE IS SERENA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER YOU BASTARDS?!"

"Vernie…" came the meek voice of Serena "Vernie, a'm here…"

Bernie's attention snapped to Serena, her head turned in a grotesque angle as she continued to hold the knife in a defensive stance. Serena gasped and visibly flinched as Bernie's wide eyes settled on her. Her pupils were so blown; Serena would swear she was taken over by some sort of demon. 'They drugged her again!' Screamed Serena's mind in panic.

"Serena" Bernie breathed, her voice little more than a desperate whisper.

Serena moved to Bernie's side, taking in the torn shirt hanging open and the trembling muscles beneath, littered with angry, blistering cuts and glistening with a sheen of sweat. 'She has a fever' she mentally noted, taking in the colour on her chest and cheeks, a stark contrast to the rest of her waxy pale skin.

Rick took a step forward, his hand held out should he need to defend himself "Serena" he said glancing at Serena before bringing his gaze back to Bernie "its ok, Serena, just back away slowly"

Bernie, alerted to his presence, turned her head to face him so quick Rick himself felt like he'd been struck with whiplash. At the wild look in Bernie's eyes, he stopped moving and took a deep breath.

"Bernie, put the scalpel down. You don't want to hurt anyone" Apart of Bernie screamed in the back of her mind to stop this madness, that this was Rick not Simon… but she could feel Serena's presence. She had to keep her safe and that was enough for her eyes to fool her into believing it wasn't her friend confronting her "Let Serena go"

Startled out of her jumbled thoughts by Ricks firm voice, she visibly flinched. "NO!" she spat at him before lunging at Serena.

Serena was vaguely aware of gasps and shouts echoing through the room when a sudden dizziness over whelmed her as a hand clamped around her wrist. A feeling of nausea overcame her as she felt herself stop spinning and the hand let go. When she finally opened her eyes, it took a few moments to focus on the stunned and horrified faces just over Bernie's shoulder. Her eyes narrowed in on Rick when she registered his movement. As he took a step forward, Bernie took a step back, throwing her arm out as if to block anyone who tried to get to Serena.

"Bernie please, let Serena go"

"No" she replied.

"W'ick, you 'ont un'er'hand" said Serena with as strong a voice as she could muster.

"Serena, please. Everything is going to be ok" he said before turning back to Bernie. "Bernie" he said calmly, still all too aware of the knife pointed directly at him "Don't be stupid. Let her go"

"NO!" Serena flinched and Bernie clinched her free hand into a fist. Serena drew her eyes up from Bernie's fist to Rick. She had to make him understand before Bernie did something she'd regret.

"W'ick s'es not-"

"Its ok Serena" He cut in impatiently "we're going get you out of there" he then took another step forward.

"No W'ick!"

"Stop right there" The knife in Bernie's hand was shaking violently now. "you're going to listen to me." Rick stood still, mere meters from Bernie "you're going to step aside and you're going to let us leave"

"Bernie, I can't do that. You're both inj-"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Bernie, her mind struggling to break free from the suffocating thoughts running through her mind.

"Bernie!" Yelled Rick in frustration. Bernie flinched and pushed back at Serena as if Rick would suddenly lunge forward to hurt the brunette.

"Vernie" came the meek voice behind her "you 'eed help"

Bernie began to tremble like it was getting harder to breathe. Rick looked into Bernie's eyes and watched as tears began to form there. Bernie took in a shuddering breath "I won't let you hurt her" the words spoken were barely a whisper, the blondes voice thick emotion as tears finally rolled down her cheeks.

Rick's brows furrowed and for the second time, a glimmer of doubt burrowed its way into his mind. "Vernie" Serena spoke once more "'s not you, 's it?" Bernie didn't respond, her shoulders merely shaking with the effort of trying to hold back tears. If it were at all possible, Rick's eyebrows knitted together even more in confusion.

It was at that very moment that security slid into the room behind Rick, hands held up in a sign of peace. They began to speak, voices talking over each other… so many voices. Bernie blinked against the wall of noise, her breathing getting heavier as all sound turned to suffocating static within her mind. Her eyes darted from face to blurry face as her skin began to burn all over, her nervous system fizzing with dread. Whatever she did, she couldn't let them hurt Serena.

Serena observed Bernie from behind. She'd given up trying to talk to the people in front of Bernie, she needed to get through to the actual woman "Vernie" she whispered. Nothing. "Vernie" she spoke once more, louder this time, but still Bernie didn't respond. Judging from her state of freeze and shaking, even with her hazy mind, Serena knew the woman was mid panic attack.

"Vernie" she tried once more. With no response, Serena looked down to see Bernie's free hand still balled in its fist, her knuckles white with pressure. Serena Sighed and slowly slipped a warm hand around the cold sweaty fist.

Bernie physically flinched and for a moment… and then everything became still. There was no noise, her chest felt lighter and a gentler warmth began to seep into her skin. Looking away from the silent faces still talking at her, she momentarily looked down at the hand so delicately clutching her own before looking back to the people in front of her.

Confusion clouded her senses for a moment before she realised that the arm out-stretched before her was in fact her own and the shiny object in her grasp was a knife. She gasped and dropped the scalpel. Her eyes, wide with shock, met those of Ricks as the metal clattered to the floor.

"R-Rick… I'm so sorry" she said with a shaking voice as security rushed at her, her hand still held weakly by Serena's. "Rick" Bernie pleaded in panic as darkness edged in on her periphery. Bernie, unaware she was still holding Serena's hand, took steps towards the man in a bid to explain before the darkness swallowed her whole. It was now, as her mind hazed over and her vision danced, that she realised she was cold. Her stomach churned violently as the sound in the room swirled and warped in her ears, giving her a feeling of claustrophobia and panic. Her last thoughts were of forgiveness as her eyes closed on the vision of Rick lurching forward to catch her as the ground rose up to meet her.