Charlie chuckles, alleviating some of her tension as she looks down the hallway, her heart thumping as she sees the doctor approaching them. Jumping up, she rushes toward him,
"Doctor, how is Joey?"
"Her nose wasn't broken, but she has badly bruised ribs, a nasty bump to her head and internal bleeding which we've managed to stop."
Having closed her eyes as she listened to the list of injuries, Charlie opens them. "What about her hand?"
"Nearly every bone in her hand has been broken. We'll operate again, but I warn you, there is a chance that she won't gain full mobility back."
"Fuck," Hugo mutters.
"Can we see her?" Charlie asks.
"She's just come to, so don't overtax her."
Charlie nods to the doctor, pausing a moment to look at Watson and Hugo. "It's ok Charlie, she'll probably want to see you first," Watson tells her.
Smiling in gratitude, Charlie enters the room, holding her breath at the sight of Joey looking so weak. "I won't break," she murmurs.
Letting her breath out, Charlie smiles with relief as she moves to the bed, kissing her tenderly before she takes in her injuries. "God you look a mess."
"I'm kind of glad I can't see for myself." Joey raises her damaged hand, now encased in plaster, "Except for this of course."
"The doctor's a little worried about that."
"Yeah I know." She attempts a grin, "It's a good think I'm ambidextrous then."
"It's ok to be scared about it Joey."
"I am, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it."
Charlie brushes away the tears threatening to fall.
"Hey, I may be a little busted up, but I'm alive."
"Sorry, it's just that I've been worrying since the moment you went missing and then I nearly lost you."
"I'm ok Charlie." She takes Charlie's hand with her good one. "Thanks to you."
"And Graves," Charlie says. "She's the one who dived in after me to help keep you afloat."
"She always told me she hated boats."
"Believe me, she wasn't lying. She was green the entire trip but as soon as she was in the water, she was swimming like a fish."
"She was State U17 champion in swimming."
"So she said." She smiles wryly. "It's pretty much all she said the entire trip. I think it was like a mantra to take her mind off the rocking of the boat."
"She's a good cop," Joey says. "The doctor said that my brother was out there."
"Hugo's a bit bruised, but the vest saved him."
"I thought he was a goner."
"I did too and I knew about the vest." Charlie sighs, "I can tell you it was a shock when Graves told me about him."
"He's very good at his job and," she squeezes her hand, "You never really knew Hugo all that well, so there's no need to doubt your observation skills."
"You're right and as good a friend as Georgie has been, she's always been fairly closed off about parts of her private life." She grins, "I am surprised that she is engaged though, considering her views on marriage."
"She's never been against marriage, she just thinks some people shouldn't get married and the only problem she had with Graves and I getting married, was she thought we were both too young."
"Having seen Graves and Dex together, I really can't imagine them not being married."
"They're sickening, aren't they," she jokes.
Charlie chuckles, nodding in agreement.
"Knock, knock," Hugo calls from the doorway.
"Butt out Hugo, I'm busy," Joey snaps.
He looks behind him, "Yep Georgie, she's fine."
Joey mutters her annoyance under her breath as Hugo, Watson and Graves file into her room.
"Graves, I didn't realise you were here?"
"Just got here Charlie."
The three arrivals all greet Joey with a kiss on her cheek. "Keep pulling that face Joey and you'll be stuck looking like that."
"I was talking to my girlfriend Hugo and I'm not supposed to be pestered."
"The doctor said don't overtax, nothing about pestering."
"Same thing," she mutters at him. She sighs in annoyance, "Ok, as I'm not going to get rid of you, you might as well fill me in, starting with Rosetta."
"Well, we've got him on Annie's rape and murder."
"Really?"
"Once Angelo's DNA was entered into the system, it came back with a hit on Annie's."
"Why didn't it come up before?"
"Because the DNA from Annie was run before the sample from Charlie's nails had been entered."
"Any other hits?"
Graves shakes her head. "And the bastard is still out there. The boat he took off on was found a little further up the coast, no sign of him."
"Fuck that guy's a little weasel the way he always gets away," Watson says with annoyance.
"He'll be back," Joey says confidently. "What about the round up?"
"When Hugo called," she pauses, looking at Charlie, "Which I was extremely grateful for. Joey, you should have seen Charlie, she wanted to tear the town apart looking for you and I thought she'd tear me apart if I didn't tell her what I knew."
"Graves, focus," Joey says.
"Oh, right. Anyway, Charlie was just about to go me when Hugo called to say that Georgie had sent a text message that she was with you on the boat. As soon as he hung up, I called Shannon to let him know what was going on while Charlie and I rushed down to the docks to meet up with Hugo. While we were out on the water, Shannon gave Hogan and the others a list of names, so while he joined up with the marine police and came after us on the police launch, Hogan and the others rounded up all those on the list. Hugo had also given the word for raids to be conducted on the locations where the other girls were kept."
"Did you get them all?"
"Most on the list and it shouldn't take long to get the rest. As for the girls, because the raids were conducted simultaneously, no warning got out so we got the lot of them. They're being looked over by medical staff and will be interviewed about their experiences once they're up to it. As most of those smuggled in from other countries haven't got family at home, they're likely to be granted refugee status once their identities have been confirmed and those who weren't smuggled in, will be returned to their families."
"I'm glad those girls are going to get a chance at a new life," Hugo says, still feeling guilty for not being able to help them earlier.
"Who was the council member you'd mentioned earlier," Charlie asks out of curiosity.
"Madge Wilkins," Joey tells her.
Charlie looks shocked, "You're kidding!"
"Nope, she got caught in a compromising position and was blackmailed into approving certain planning permits."
"Do I want to know what sort of compromising position?"
Both Joey and Graves shake their heads. "God, that'll give Colleen something to think about, having her friend busted," says Charlie, secretly wishing she could be there to see the look on Colleen's face when she found out.
"Technically, she's a victim and if she testifies against those in the organisation, she'll probably get off."
"Which of my officers were involved?"
"Cavanaugh was the only one we couldn't clear."
"She's been a cop for less than a year," Charlie says in disappointment.
"She got into some trouble." Graves shrugs, "It made her easy prey. And Joey, you were right, there was someone higher up."
"Area Command?" Joey guesses.
Graves nods, "The Snr Sergeant kept Martha informed about any cop who may be open to blackmail, in return for tip offs from Martha about her rivals. It's been going on for the past few years."
"So his success rate is because he was selling out his fellow officers," Charlie says with disgust.
"Pretty much. He wanted advancement and didn't care who he ruined to get it. Cavanaugh had let some guy off a serious drug offence because she fell for his sob story. She felt guilty about it, so she went to him and turned herself in."
"Why didn't she come to me?"
"Angelo had been hassling her and you were still engaged at the time. The Snr Sergeant gave her a lecture and told her it was just a rookie mistake, one he trusted she'd learn from. He warned her to keep quiet about it and a month later, Martha contacted her. Cavanaugh went back to the Snr Sergeant who told her to just do as she was told and everything would be all right."
"God, the poor kid was trying to fix her mistake and that bastard took advantage of her," Charlie says angrily. "What about Burton and Joseph? I've kept an eye on them since you told me about them, so am I to assume they're in the clear?"
Joey nods.
Charlie breathes a sigh of relief. "Good, because Burton's really pulled his socks up since he's distanced himself from Joseph and Angelo. He's been displaying more initiative, enthusiasm and with the recent reports on his behaviour, he will probably survive the end of year review."
"Joseph's still a fuck up though," Graves points out. "Without Burton with him, Joseph's incompetence is even more glaring. When he realised that we had looked into him as a corrupt officer, he suddenly realised this life wasn't for him and he tended his resignation."
"Great, so now I'm down four officers," Charlie groans.
"Other officers are being sent here to help us with the follow up," Graves says.
"What about Martha and Rosey's homes, the Club and the places Hugo identified?"
"Being gone over with a fine tooth comb. The last update I had was that nothing of much significance had been found."
"It'll be there somewhere," Hugo assures them. "But knowing Martha, it won't be easy to find."
"What do you think there is to be found?" Charlie asks.
"There has to be some record of their contacts and dealings and hopefully locations of the girls who were auctioned off to others. Also, there has to be photos, videos and whatever else they used to blackmail people," Hugo tells her.
"Also the original videos of the girls used on the porn sites," Joey adds.
"God," Charlie murmurs.
"It was a big operation, Charlie," Joey reminds her.
"I'm starting to realise just how big. Graves, did that guy from the boat tell you anything?"
"He's little more than a lackey, one who does the grunt work. He seemed genuinely surprised when we mentioned the possibility of there being someone else in charge."
"Damn, then we're no closer to the mastermind."
"Joey, there's still a chance that when we find Martha's records, we'll find a link to the mastermind," Watson says.
"I hope so." Joey looks at Hugo. "What happened to Indi?"
"When Martha told me to get rid of her, I handed her over to Shannon who took her to a safe house in the city."
"I hope he gagged her for the trip," Graves mutters.
Hugo shakes his head, a smile on his face. "I always thought you were exaggerating about her, but Shannon said he'd never heard such language before, from anyone. He said she'd even tried to give him a head job while he drove in an attempt to get him to stop."
Graves screws her nose up in disgust, "God, that girl doesn't have any boundaries."
Noticing Joey trying to stifle a yawn, Charlie suggests that it was time for everyone to leave. "No Charlie, I want you to stay."
Charlie squeezes her hand, "Of course I'll stay."
"Joey's got a girlfriend," Hugo teases in a sing-song voice.
"I can't believe you're marrying that idiot, Georgie."
"Well I am," she hooks her arm around his, "And he's my idiot."
"Hey!" Hugo protests.
"Then stop teasing her."
"You do it all the time."
"I'm allowed to, I'm her sister."
"And I'm her brother."
"Well Dr Phil," Joey says with an American accent, "You see, my problems all started when my sister married my brother."
Watson glares at her sister, "Please don't say that when the baby is born; having us as a family is bad enough without confusing the poor little bugger."
"Are they always like this?" Charlie whispers to Graves.
"From what I've seen. Hugo's been undercover most of the time I've known him, so I haven't really seen much of them together as a family."
Charlie steps forward when Joey yawns again. "Ok, I think Joey has had enough."
"Oh, we're not too late, are we?" Ruby asks as she and Dex walk in.
"You can say a quick hello," Charlie tells her.
With a wary glance at Hugo, Ruby walks over to the bed, throwing her arms around Joey. "Ruby, be careful," Charlie warns her when Joey tries to avoid wincing in pain.
"Sorry," Ruby jumps back.
"It's ok Ruby," Joey assures her.
"I don't want to break up this little get together," Dex says, "But Xav called. He wanted me to give you the heads up." When he has their attention, he smiles, "She's on her way."
"Shit," Joey's groan echoed by Watson and Hugo.
Charlie looks between them in amusement. "She?"
"Mum." Hugo sighs, "She hated it when we made her stay away the last time Joey was in hospital."
Charlie looks blank for a moment, before realising. "God, it must have been hard for her to stay away so she wouldn't blow your cover."
Hugo nods. "As annoying a brat as Joey is, she's still mum's little girl."
Joey scowls at the description while Charlie frowns, trying to imagine Joey as someone's little girl.
"I think it's time Hugo and I left," Watson says, grabbing his arm.
"Anyone would think that you three didn't want her here."
"It's not that," Joey says.
"It's just that," Watson starts, waving her hand as she tries to think of what to say.
"Mum can be kind of scary," Hugo helps her out.
"Scary?" Charlie asks, growing a little worried about being introduced to this woman.
"She's a high school principle," Joey informs her.
"Yeah, so?"
"So, she deals with bratty kids for a living."
Charlie chuckles. "Let me guess, you never got away with anything."
"Oh no we did," Joey says, "But it was so damn hard to do it."
Hugo grins, "It was a perfect training ground for a future in covert ops."
"She's going to be pissed about the state Joey got herself into," warns Watson.
"I didn't plan this," Joey mutters.
"And she'll probably blame us," Hugo complains.
"If she does, Georgie can just say she's pregnant, that'll get her off your back," Joey suggests.
"Oh great, then I cop it all."
"Man up Hugo, you're going to be a dad."
"Children, that's enough," comes a sharp voice from the doorway, making them all jump.