New team members, pirates, explosions ... what about Harry?

Ruth managed to arrive back at the hospital just minutes before Harry was transferred from recovery to ICU. As the porters locked his bed in position and went on their way, she stood back taking everything in.

Harry was awake, though barely, and woozy from the anesthetic. A catheter was stuck in a vein in the back of his hand, connected to a drip delivering fluids and antibiotics, and a large white dressing covered the wound on his chest where they'd opened it to operate. He looked very tired, and much older than he actually was. He looked so different, it almost took her breath away.

Ruth stayed near the door, deciding what to do next. Harry groaned, trying to sit up a little straighter. "Ruth. You … I didn't expect ... You'll be needed on the grid."

"I've been there all morning. Everything is fine Harry. Now, it's probably a stupid question, but how are you feeling?"

"Right at this moment, I'm not really sure." He croaked, licking his lips to try and moisten them. "I'm thirsty though."

Walking over to the stand by the bed, Ruth poured a glass of water and handed it to Harry, "Here," she said taking his hands and placing them on the glass. His hands trembled as he tried to lift the glass, so Ruth put her hand on his and carefully guided it to his mouth.

A small mouthful of water was all he could tolerate, but seemed to do the job. "Thank you," he whispered as Ruth returned the glass to the stand.

"Do you want some ice chips?"

Harry shook his head. "Not right now."

"I'm really pleased to see you sitting up, I actually expected ..." No, probably shouldn't go there, thought Ruth. "You need to rest though. And I'd better get back. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Lucas and Tariq want to come and see you later, see for themselves how you're doing. They said they'd come tonight. Is that okay?"

"Yes." It was actually the last thing he wanted, but he knew how it worked.

"I … I'll be staying on duty when they come. But I'll phone you, to see how you are ... say goodnight. If that's okay?" She smiled at him nervously. "And I'll come and visit again tomorrow?"

Harry nodded and smiled weakly back at Ruth. "Thank you. I'd like that."

When Simon came wandering out of Harry's office asking for information about the transfer of new officers, Tariq did his best to cover for Ruth, and explain her absence. A lunch meeting seemed an acceptable excuse to Simon, who just hmmed and walked back to the office.

Simon's presence on the grid felt very different to Harry's, and had already generated plenty of evidence they wouldn't get on. He had asked nothing about Harry personally or professionally, not even to ascertain how he was faring in hospital. From his dismissive manner, the team came to the conclusion that they must have met in the past, but were definitely not on the best of terms.

Tall and stocky, Simon's suits were obviously chosen to help him look the part, but were not flattering. He swanned around with an air of self-importance, keeping chatter to a minimum, but when he did speak, he was loud and his manner often abrasive. It was in stark contrast to Harry who was, in general, quietly authoritative in directing his staff and commanding respect. Harry was also far better dressed in his immaculately tailored suits.

On the surface, Simon Glen may have appeared aloof and uninterested, but the truth was in fact the opposite. Simon was a game player of the highest order. He held his cards very close to his chest, all the while deconstructing everything he saw and heard. Behind the harsh but distant facade, Simon observed the comings and goings of the officers now under his command. When he eventually learned where Ruth had been, he wasn't particularly impressed. "I'd heard Harry Pearce garnered great loyalty from his team, but I never realised it included house calls," he announced loudly enough for everyone on the grid to hear.

Ruth almost choked on the tea she was sipping, and turned a subtle shade of red, but she wasn't going to just sit back and accept a comment like that. "Well, I'm not sure what you're used to, Simon, but in my experience, it's perfectly normal to show concern for your colleagues. And given that Harry is still officially the Head of Section D, and you're only here temporarily, I don't think it's out of order for any of us to visit him when he's recuperating from a heart attack." She glared at him, and the muscles in her face tensed as she turned to her attention to the computer screen, waiting for the fall-out.

Simon looked slightly apoplectic, but didn't respond, just emitted a strange sort of grunt as he walked away. Lucas raised an eyebrow at Tariq, whose eyes were wide with surprise, but neither of them said anything. They figured it was safer that way.

Just after six o'clock, Harry heard a knock at the door of his room and looked up to see it opening. Lucas and Tariq hovered in the doorway for a moment, then ventured in, complete with sheepish smiles and a large bag of grapes.

"Harry." Lucas gave him a nod of acknowledgment as he moved to stand at the foot of the bed. "How are you?"

"Oh, well, you know … I've had my chest sliced open and stapled together again, so I feel like hell at the moment, but I'm alive which is a good start ... I'm stuck here until at least the end of the week."

"Only that long?" Tariq voiced his surprise from where he'd perched himself on the windowsill.

"So I've been told. A few days in here so they can make sure the wound is healing, and there's no sign of another heart attack. Then it's home for a while."

"So you won't be back at work anytime soon then?" Tariq asked. Lucas frowned at him, as if to say he shouldn't be raising that topic.

Harry simply smiled at him. "Not for a while, I'm afraid. I'm not sure what the DG will want to do about it - "

"Er, actually," Lucas interrupted Harry, "He's already done something."

It was Harry's turn to frown. "What?"

"He's, ah, he's seconded Simon Glen from Six. Made the arrangements last night and he arrived this morning."

There was a pout on Harry's face now. "Simon Glen? That bloody fool?"

"You know him then? Ruth says Simon has spent time in the States, and has plenty of experience with organised crime. That could be helpful at the moment." Lucas shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and grew worried as he saw Harry start to fume over the news.

"Oh yes, I've met him, and yes, his experience might be helpful. But Simon Glen is all about Simon Glen. He's not a team player, and he won't think twice about sacrificing his colleagues if it means advancing his career."

"So not to be trusted?"

"Not as far as I could throw him. Just make sure you watch yourselves."

"We'd better let Ruth in on that advice quickly then," said Tariq.

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow, so Tariq went on. "She's not exactly holding back where Simon's concerned. Already told him her opinion in no uncertain terms on several occasions."

"Well, that's Ruth alright," said Harry shaking his head, "But tell her to watch her step. Simon won't take too kindly to being told what to do, and I don't want him shunting her off to GCHQ."

Lucas and Tariq smiled at each other. Then Lucas inclined his head toward the door. "We'd better go Harry. The nurse out there told us to keep it short. Don't want her blacklisting us."

"Before you go …" Harry stopped them as they headed for the door. "I've only just realised that I'd completely forgotten about Scarlet. She's probably starving, and fretting away in the back garden."

"It's okay, Harry. Ruth remembered her yesterday. Scarlet's taken care of."

He looked relieved. "Thank you. Please tell Ruth thank you too."

Tariq was already halfway out the door when he stopped abruptly, causing Lucas to do the same. "I'm sure she'll be here tomorrow. You can thank her yourself then. " He grinned at Harry, as he and Lucas made a quick getaway, closing the door behind them.

Thanks for continuing to read and review.

I know I don't really have to say this, but just a reminder that all of this was written before series 9 aired, so despite using new character names and themes, you will find it very different plot-wise compared with what we're seeing on screen.