Disclaimer not mine

Waiting Game

Richard stared into space as he tried to get his thoughts together. One moment they had been looking for Janine, the next she was in his arms bleeding and barely aware of what was going on around her. The thought that she was injured made him feel sick. He closed his eyes as he heard Shapps tell the team that the children were on the way with Helen. He shook his head sadly as Butchers swore. He was right, there was no way any child should have to visit their mum in hospital in this state.

"What have they been told?" Butchers finally asked as Shapps shrugged his shoulders.

"Helen said she'd tell them we'd found their mum and we were going to take her to hospital to be seen by the doctor."

"Ok." Richard nodded. "Tom and Lucy may take that but Ellie and Michael won't. You can't fob teenagers off like that."

"He's right." Kat sighed. "God I feel so useless."

"Then go back to the station with Butchers and Shapps. Tell Hogg what's happened and find the arsehole that did this. Kezia's killer is still out there. I don't think Janine is going to be able to talk to us for a while."

"But." Kat stared at Shapps and shook her head as he realised it was not the time to argue.

"Ok." Butchers got to his feet as he spoke. "Ring us, when you know more?"

"Course I will." Richard half smiled as he realised Janine had more people that cared about her than she knew.

##############################

"Mum is in hospital." Michael spoke on the mobile as his auntie parked the car in the hospital carpark. "Yea the babies are with Leanne next door. Helen is here with me and Ellie. Dad." He closed his eyes as he listened to yet more of Pete's excuses. He snapped his eyes open as Ellie reached across from the back seat of the car and took the mobile out of his hand.

"Dad, it is Eleanor. No, you listen to me. Mum is in hospital. Auntie Helen is looking after us, which funnily enough should be your job. But then that bimbo comes first. Just remember you divorced Mum not your kids. Not that it matters because we are happy. It's clear you don't want us and we certainly do not need you. Goodbye." She hung up the phone as Helen smirked slightly.

"Feel better for that chicken?"

"Yes. Much." Ellie handed the phone back to her brother who stared at her in shock. "Can we go and see Mum now?"

"Yeah." Michael smiled as he realised just how alike his mother and sister were. "I think that's a good idea."

###################

Janine screwed her eyes shut as the nurse tried to shine a torch in them.

"It's ok." The nurse smiled kindly. "I'm just checking everything is ok. It wont be long until your husband can come in. Then we'll take you for the CT scan the doctor ordered."

"My?"

"Tall man, dark hair? Nice jacket."

"Richard."

"Yeah." The nurse smiled as Janine said his name, relieved that she seemed to be able to remember people. "Shall I get him?"

"Yeah." Janine smiled slightly. "Yeah".

############################

Kat narrowed her eyes as she listened to Hogg talk about how they had to be disspassionate in any case whether it involved an attack on one of their staff or not. She could see the senior officer was making her colleagues just as angry as she was.

"Where is DI Mayne?"

"Ma'am he's at the hospital." Butchers started as he stared at the white incident board in the corner.

"Still?"

Butchers shot Kat a look as Shapps nodded.

"Yes Ma'am. Still. The doctor said DCI Lewis was in no fit state to be interviewed when we were there and you know as well as I do we need to get her statement as soon as possible, seeing as she is the only real witness to her own attack." He watched as Kat tried to hide her smirk. They all knew that wasn't the real reason he had stayed behind. "He is also the only one on the team that has spoken to the family and therefore it would be breaking our own policy should another officer they don't know dealt with DCI Lewis' sister and her children."

"I am well aware of the operational policy DS Shapps."

"Yes Ma'am." He tried his best not to laugh, having just made up a policy. Butchers kept his eyes on Kat's computer screen as she tapped in what little they knew about Janine's case in relation to Kezia's murder. It wasn't much.

Louise narrowed her eyes at the sargeant before storming off to her office. Kat shook her head.

"You know. I think I am going to talk to that barman again."

"Yeah, come on then." Butchers grabbed his jacket as Shapps laughed.

"I can go on my own. I'm a big girl."

"Yeah." Butchers nodded. "And our DCI probably said the same thing." She rolled her eyes as she let him follow her out of the office.

##############################

"Hi." Richard stood in the doorway of the resus room as Janine turned her head to face him. "You ok?"

"Apart from the dizzyness, fourteen stitches in my head and the headache from Hell?"

"Yeah." Richard smiled, "Apart from that."

Janine returned the smile as he stepped towards her. He was just grateful she was looking at him, the glazed expression of earlier had gone.

"You ok?"

"Me?" He at next to her as she took his hand. "The kids are on the way in. I think Helen was talking to Pete."

"I don't want him here."

"Ok." He began rubbing circles on her hand as she began to get agitated. "Hey, it's ok."

"Ah, the porters are here to take you for your scan." The nurse folded her arms as he stood and kissed her forehead.

"I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Yeah." Janine smiled as she was wheeled away.

##########################

A/N more soon?