Thanks Em :D

Chapter 2

Adam and Harry were loaded, politely but firmly, into the back of a police van. They were joined by a shaven-headed man who was clutching his ribs and complaining about the pain. The door was closed and the van moved off.

"Not quite the end to the evening I had in mind."

"Nor me, Harry." Adam grimaced as he felt his top lip. One punch had found its target.

"I wonder where Zaf is. I think we might need his help get out of this," Harry mused, half to himself.

If he was honest, though, Zaf wouldn't be his first choice but there was little alternative. Malcolm had gone to a musical recital in Oxford and Jo was with Ruth. Even if Jo could come up with a convincing excuse to leave early, there was no guarantee Ruth wouldn't try and ring him and then wonder why she was speaking to his voicemail. And phoning Ruth directly was a complete non-starter; she would be livid and make him pay for his misdemeanours in an appropriate way.

Unbeknown to them, Zaf was in need of assistance himself. He had been placed into another police van, along with Amanda and her husband, and was heading towards the police station too.

-----

"Evening Sarge."

"Evening PC Poddington. What have you got for me?"

"Six from the Bar Kudos punch-up. Have you got room for them all?"

"Six?" The custody Sergeant sighed, "And it's not even the weekend yet." He checked a whiteboard on the wall behind him. "Yes, there's space; wheel them in."

The shaven-headed man was still complaining so was processed first. Then it was Adam's turn. A long discussion had ensued as to why he couldn't just be released.

"Come on, I've told you who I am and who I work for. Surely you can let me go now?"

"Look 007, I don't care who you say you are or what dodgy ID you're carrying – you don't get released until we've checked your details and sorted out what happened this evening."

It was clear the 'don't you know who I am?' routine wouldn't work with the Sergeant.

"James Bond is the other mob," Adam muttered under his breath. He received a death glare from the policeman and decided not to say any more.

It was Harry's turn next but he adopted a more reasonable approach, giving his details and nodding understandingly when it was explained everything would need to be checked.

As the cell door shut, he sat down wearily on the thin, plastic covered piece of foam that passed for a mattress. His head was aching and contemplation of Ruth's reaction to what had happened was making the pounding worse. All he could do was hope that Zaf hadn't got lucky with the woman he had been chatting up in the bar and would be able to come and vouch for them.

Zaf had arrived at the police station and was standing in the custody suite, going through the same booking-in procedure.

The Sergeant looked at the ID card and rolled his eyes. "Are you lot on a works outing or did you get a job lot of these," he waved the piece of laminated plastic, "from Spies-R-Us?"

"Sorry, I'm not sure I'm following… The ID is real, as you'll see when you do the checks."

"That may take a while. Computers are down at the moment. Sign this." The policeman watched as Zaf awkwardly wrote his name. "I'll get the doctor to have a look at you."

-----

"Hi Kate, how are you?" Dr Emma Radcliffe greeted PC Poddington warmly.

"Hi Em. I'm fine, thanks. How about you?"

"I'm OK, thanks."

"I thought Dr Walker was on duty tonight?"

"We swapped; she has some sort of family get together. She's promised to do Friday night for me so I couldn't really say no."

Kate smiled. "Sounds like a good swap."

"What fun have I got in store for me tonight?"

"Five males; involved in two separate fights. All of them have been drinking, I'm afraid."

"No surprise there then. What is it with these people? Do they think it's mandatory to end an evening of drinking with a punch-up?"

"It would seem so." Kate unlocked the door of the medical examination room. "I'll be back in a moment with your first customer."

The first patient was the man Zaf had been fighting with. He had a few cuts and bruised ribs but was otherwise OK. He was declared fit for interview and taken back to his cell. Kate returned with Adam, who was clutching a lurid green T-shirt he'd been given to change into.

Emma had to help him out of his ripped shirt before examining him. "Interesting scar you have there." The mark down the centre of his chest was fading but still noticeable.

"I had a bit of an accident."

"Was it the same accident that gave you this scar?" Emma had moved round to examine Adam's back and her fingers rested lightly on the mark left by a rifle bullet.

"Something like that."

"Right, you're fit."

"That's what all the girls say." He shot her a dazzling smile before pulling the T-shirt on.

Dr Radcliffe blushed. "I meant you're fit for interview."

Kate stifled a laugh and gave Emma a 'yes, of course that's what you meant' look as she escorted Adam out of the room.

It was Zaf's turn next and he decided that the doctor and the police officer were in need of the full force of his charm.

"It's so nice to deal with such gorgeous professional ladies as yourselves."

Emma, who had her back to him whilst she put on a fresh pair of latex gloves, froze and muttered something.

"Are you OK, Doctor Radcliffe?" PC Poddington asked.

"Er, yes. Fine."

She turned round slowly and the smile on Zaf's face froze.

"Em…"

"Hello, Zaf."

"You know him, Em?"

"Um, yes." The doctor blushed as she looked at Kate. "Is it a problem?"

"It shouldn't be, so long as I stay here."

There was embarrassment on both sides as Emma carried out her examination of Zaf. She had to help him remove his shirt and his comment about how keen she used to be to get him topless was not well received.

"Hmm, I think you may have damaged your shoulder. You'll probably need some physiotherapy."

"Well, you have healing hands as I recall, Em."

She ignored the remark. "I can recommend someone if you want."

Zaf sighed. "Yes please, that would be helpful."

Amanda's husband was next to be checked over and he proved to be as surly and obnoxious as he'd been in the bar. He was grumbling about his treatment in the police station as he was examined.

"You have a few cuts and bruises but you're fit to be interviewed."

"I've been beaten up by yobs and bundled into a van-"

"You heard the doctor – you're fit for interview. Come on."

Kate took him firmly by the arm and propelled him out of the room.

Coming up: Harry in a ripped blue shirt and an interesting phone conversation with Ruth..but only if you leave a review! Thanks.