Casualty Fic: Music Numbs my Skin
Pairing: Kirsty/Adam
Summary: Warren's treatment of Kirsty is getting too much for Adam. How will he respond when confronted with the decision to stay and comfort her or go out to seek justice?
Disclaimer: This sooo ain't mine. Except for the odd character that I madedededed up all by my selfy-self! (*does impish child grin*)
AN: Chapter Three... hopefully one or two more after this then I can get back to other things... and my new Casualty fic, Dream Girl
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~~Casualty~~
Chapter Three
Numb
~~Casualty~~
I can't feel a thing...
I'll rape this city just to show you she's as pretty in the night as day...
I kiss bottles even though I know that they'll become my currency
I'm made of books, and drunks, and people, who I thought I should become,
~~Casualty~~
He was sitting in the bloody hospital security office. For trying to get his bloody daughter back. That thieving kidnapping bastard was allowed to take his daughter anywhere in the world, while he was stuck here. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Mr Clements?"
"Who's askin'?"
"DIs Robyn Angelo and Andrew McAllister, we're here to have a little chat with you about your wife."
"What about her? Has she turned up?"
"We didn't know you'd reported her missing."
"I 'adn't. Don't you 'ave to wait 24 hours until then or something? It ain't been that long yet."
"She's not missing, Mr Clements, she's right here in the hospital. She never left."
"Why didn't she come 'ome?"
"She fainted before she could. In front of your daughter. Do you have any idea how that could happen, Mr Clements?"
"No. I don't. Can I please go see her?"
"No, we have been informed that you have been abusing your wife over a long period of time."
"I haven't touched her."
"Perverting the course of justice is a serious offence, Mr Clements. We could arrest you right now and continue this 'little chat' down at the station. I don't think you'd like that, would you?"
"No."
"Well then, if it isn't you that is harming her, how do you explain the bruises?"
"Bruises?"
"Yes, Mr Clements. Purple-black discolouration of the skin. Usually appear when the body is struck sharply or with great force. She's covered in them. Old ones overlapped by fresher ones."
"Maybe it's that doctor she seems so friendly with. That Dr Truman. He beat me up pretty bad."
"We have an eye witness that confirms it was in fact the other way around. That you attacked him."
"He were trying to kidnap my daughter." He said, his voice rising indignantly
"Your wife, your daughter's mother placed her in the care of Dr Truman while she was otherwise unable to look after her. After your assault on Dr Truman we have decided it best that we take you into custody, pending charging."
With that she stood him up and handcuffed him. They then proceeded to guide him out the door. When he stumbled DI McAllister said "don't try anything funny, mate."
To which he replied "Funny? You think Muscular Dystrophy is funny?"
"Warren Clements, you are under arrest for the suspicion of assault and perverting the course of justice."
One thought stuck in his mind.
Adam Truman was going to pay.
~~Casualty~~
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Kirsty." Said a familiar voice; "we've all been very worried about you."
Tess
"Listen, you've just missed Adam and Nita. They said you'd woken up but they've gone to get something to eat and then they'll be back."
"Nita" she struggled to say with her dry mouth "school"
"Don't worry, Adam says he'll sort everything out tomorrow."
"Warren." She said timidly
"The police have taken him into custody." Tess explained "He tried to attack Adam, so he's behind bars for now. That means Adam and Nita can go and get some of your and Nita's things. Adam's offered to let you stay with him for as long as you need."
"Adam. How is he?"
"He's good, he managed to get in a fair few digs before security pulled them apart. Now. Enough chit chat. How about some water?"
Kirsty nodded gratefully and took a few sips, grateful for the cool liquid running down her sore, dry throat. Luckily, she hadn't needed to be intubated, so it could have been a lot worse.
"How long was I out for?" she asked, a little croakily still but better
"About 15 hours. You were given a 12 hour dose and you woke up for a few seconds but fell asleep again."
"I might just go right back to sleep. I feel as if I haven't in about a year." Kirsty said, stifling a yawn
"That's alright, just you get yourself better"
"Thanks Tess" she replied sleepily
"No problem"
"Could you stay for a bit, please. Just until I fall asleep."
"Yep. Will do and I'll make sure Adam knows you were awake and maybe next time you wake up he and Nita'll be here."
"I'd like that" she said as she nodded off.
Tess smiled at her nurse's sleeping form. From the looks of things, Tess wouldn't have been that surprised if Kirsty hadn't had that much sleep in the past few weeks, never mind a year. Kirsty's breathing evened out and Tess quietly got up and left her in peace a few minutes later. It was time for her shift to start.
~~Casualty~~
And I'll swallow anything
That seems to look just like a key, yeah...
Just like a key, yeah...
~~Casualty~~
He should have kept his cool. Warren was waiting in the interrogation room, waiting for the two DIs to conduct their 'formal interview' as they called it. The thought floating about his head were loud and annoying. Maybe it was just a hangover. 'Right about now a good whiskey or a strong rum would be so good. It could make everything go away. I wouldn't be held responsible for my mistakes. It really was an accident this time. I hadn't actually meant to hurt that stupid wife stealing goody two shoes. I just wanted my daughter and to see Kirsty.'
I just saw red.
~~Casualty~~
How did she deal with it? Day in, day out. The same thing over and over. How did she manage to hide it from their only daughter? Or from everyone else? She was a gentle, loving soul. And every day he would break her. Every day she would get up, brush herself off, and glue back the pieces of herself. But no matter how good the sticking back together is, you can always see the cracks. She is a broken person who hides it so well, but that's not how it should be.
She shouldn't have to deal with it alone.
~~Casualty~~
It's funny how people say in moments of frustration that they hate their parents. I don't. I love my mum. But right now my dad could die and I wouldn't care. I do love him, it's just that he's not the man I thought he was. He isn't my dad. My funny, kind of embarrassing, lovely dad. I don't know where he's gone. I want that dad to come back. It's like he ran away and left an empty hateful shell. It scares me so much.
He scares me.
~~Casualty~~
She says, "You're hurting me..."
"I can't feel a thing."
I said, "Don't worry cause I can't feel a thing."
(I can't feel a thing! )
I said, "Don't worry cause I can't feel a thing..."
~~Casualty~~
Adam looked at Nita's sleeping form as she sat in the chair beside her mum's bed. Kirsty had not awakened and they'd only been able to go in for an hour after they'd gone back inside. Nita had wanted to check on her mum, after the confrontation with her dad, but they were both exhausted. So Adam had said to her that they wouldn't stay long. Now they were here, and both were asleep, he could see how they were both so alike it was scary.
~~Casualty~~
Did he know he hurt her? DI Robyn Angelo stood watching the suspect through the one way glass. She was waiting for her partner, DI Andrew McAllister fill their DCI in, before they would conduct the interview.
Violence was always horrible. Angelo was often confused as to why people would do certain things. Not so much why, nowadays, but how could it be stopped and prevented from happening again. This case was no different. There was the split second thought of 'why?' then it was gone. Replaced by a determination to get justice for the victim. Domestic violence was the worst, in Angelo's opinion. Too many times it ended in death, before and even after intervention. She'd seen it way to often in one person's lifetime. Her mind returned to the man behind the glass.
Was this the only way that he felt he could live?
She felt she alone couldn't find the answer. She saw the time and sighed. How long would McAllister take? She made a decision. She glanced once more at the man behind the glass, and went off to find her partner.
~~Casualty~~
The anchor, the appetite.
Why don't you tell me how I lost my way?
They taught me to love with my eyes and my fists
So I bought a blindfold and medical tape.
~~Casualty~~
Angelo paused at the door to the DCI's office. She could hear the voices of McAllister and the DCI. She stopped as she heard McAllister say "Please, Guv. Just don't tell Robyn. Not today. I'll do it myself. I need time to get used to it first."
"Sure thing Andrew. But you will have to tell her. this affects her too."
"Will do, Guv. I have to go, she'll be waiting for me."
Angelo silently tiptoed away from the door and into the hallway. She heard the Guv's door open and shut, and she proceeded to go to her partner.
"Hey, I was just coming to look for you. You've been ages. I was beginning to think that you'd got lost on your way." she joked lightly.
"Well obviously I hadn't. There was something else I needed to talk to the guv about. It's not important now. Let's just get this over and done with, while he's still refusing legal representation."
"Ok. Well, you know I'm here if you need to talk."
"Yeah, thanks for the thought. Anyway this is the police, not a counselling service."
'Well, sorry, I'm just trying to be civil' she thought
~~Casualty~~
I broke all of the rules I made
We're in a shroud made out of cellophane.
Now I'll swallow anything
That reminds me I am temporary here.
~~Casualty~~
Maybe they were better off without him. After all he nearly had killed the woman he was supposed to love. Maybe it was his time. His last goodbye. He knew they blamed him for everything. If Kirsty died, it was all his fault and he deserved all he got. Maybe he should just end everything. What about Nita? He couldn't leave her an orphan. Kirsty would probably have found a way that she would go to that doctor she was so in love with. Adam Truman had taken everything away from him. His wife, his daughter. Well. Warren would make sure that he never got his life as well. He would remove it before it could be taken away from him.
~~Casualty~~
Kirsty was awake again. But she couldn't sleep.
If anything, Kirsty was glad that she was out of the situation. She just hoped Nita would forgive her for taking her dad away from her. It wasn't entirely her fault. Warren was a thug. Plain and simple. She just wished she'd stood up to him and told him to his face. As she thought of their future, Kirsty pondered whether Nita would accept Adam. What was she thinking? Adam wasn't her's. Anyway, Nita wouldn't appreciate it. She'd probably see it as Kirsty trying to replace Warren in their lives. Yes, it would be an improvement, but it wouldn't be her dad. A parent and child had the strongest bond possible. Kirsty was not wanting to try to take that away. She could accept that Nita would unconditionally love her dad, despite all that had happened.
~~Casualty~~
Adam took Nita home and promised her they'd go see her mum after school the next day. She'd probably be awake and she and Nita could have some time alone. He didn't know what it was, but he had felt drawn to Kirsty almost as soon as he knew her. When he found out she was married, he'd backed off, but had been there for her when she had finally told him everything that was going on. He wanted to be there for her, but hadn't wanted to give Warren any more ammunition than he already had.
Adam realised how he felt about Kirsty, but he knew she could never feel the same way. He knew there was no chance that she'd leave her husband either. He kept trying to persuade her to leave, but to no avail. Is this what it took? A brush with death?
He couldn't think of any other way he could have persuaded her to leave Warren. He'd offered her a way out, which she'd nearly taken. Until she'd realised the time and fear had put her defences up. She'd gone back. Late. He'd feared for her safety. Those words when she'd come to his door. 'he crossed the line' Then she'd gone back. Again.
~~Casualty~~
DI Robyn Angelo sighed after a long day. They'd questioned Warren Clements and had decided to hold him overnight, and let everyone in question get some sleep. They'd taken him to lock up and shut the door on him. He was given his meal and left alone. They'd gather their evidence and charge him in the morning. The prison doctor came to gave him his sleeping pills and left him to it.
McAllister had been his usual pain in the arse self, but it was because, like most days, none of them had really taken much of a break that day. She thought of the conversation she'd overheard earlier. Something was up with McAllister, but what? Ahhhh! She didn't care. Men were so awkward sometimes. Why couldn't he just tell her?
~~Casualty~~
She pushed in deep,
Wearing nothing but her bones
She says, "you're hurting me..."
I can't feel a thing.
I said, "Don't worry cause I can't feel a thing."
(I can't feel a thing! )
~~Casualty~~
"Adam. Can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure, Nita, what's up?"
"It's about my dad."
"OK. Go on."
"I don't love him anymore. He's my dad and I don't love him. Not even for the fact that he's got blood relation to me. It's just DNA now. I don't feel like I care anymore. At least not enough to cry that he's dead. Does that make me a bad person?"
"Calm down, it's OK. I think that right now what you're feeling is that you do love him, but everything else is in the way. There's nothing wrong with loving him, he's still your dad."
"OK. I just don't know how he could expect anyone to feel anything for him after it all.
~~Casualty~~
"INMATE DOWN! INMATE DOWN!"
Alarms sounded around the prison. The entire prison went on lock-down. But it was too late. They were too late.
The last flicker of light faded and the blackness enveloped him.
Warren Clements had taken his own life.
~~Casualty~~
I'll fall in love with you or anyone...
I'll fall in love with you or anyone...
(I can't feel a thing! )
I'll fall in love with you or anyone...
(I can't feel a thing! )
And I'll fall in love with you or anyone! Yeah!
(I can't feel a thing! )
FALL in love with you! And I'll fall in love with you!
(I said don't worry 'cause I can't feel a thing...)
(I can't feel a thing! )
I could fall in love with you or ANYONE!
(I said don't worry 'cause I can't feel a thing...)
~~Casualty~~
That was it. Game over.
~~Casualty~~
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end of Ch3
As I mentioned at the start, if you're interested,
I have a new Casualty fic, Dream Girl check it out,
hopefully I can manage both at once,
and get others finished as well