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The Heart of the Matter.

Richard closed his eyes and rested his head back against the cool white wall of the A&E waiting room. He couldn't get the image of Janine unconscious on the floor of her office. The way her skin seemed almost translucent would haunt him until the day he died.

"Richard." He turned as he heard his name called.

"Hi."

"What happened?" Michael stood in front of him. "Kat called me, told me to come here. That Mum had been hurt."

"Where's Tom and the girls?"

"School and nursery. Lucy will meet them from school. What happened?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I just walked into her office to tell her something and she was laying across her desk, barely breathing."

"Oh God." Michael sat down. For a moment Richard forgot how worried he was about Janine. Michael was just a teenager, still a kid being told that his mother was very ill. He sighed as he sat down next to him.

"She's tough."

"Yeah." Michael nodded.

"It's where you get it from." Richard smiled slightly as the younger man raised his eye brows." You are your mother's son. It's why you argue so much. You are both so alike."

Michael smirked as he looked away, hoping Richard was right.

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"Any news?" Butchers asked as Shapps and Kat turned to face him.

"No but Hogg is on the warpath."

"When isn't she?" Butchers slumped down in his chair. "You know something?"

"What?" Kat sighed.

"DSI Hogg has had it in for us since she started here. I bet she's loving this. If Janine is out of the picture she can run this place into the ground. It'd save some cash out of her precious budget anyway."

"Butchers." Kat bit her bottom lip as he kept talking. "Butchers."

"No, I mean it. We never get any senior support here. It's like we don't matter. How good is our clear up rate? And still she thinks Murder Squad is a waste of time."

"Ian." Shapps used his first name, shocking him into silence. "Listen."

"No, let the man speak." Butchers froze as he realised Hogg was stood behind him and had probably heard all that had been said. "I'm sorry DCI Lewis is unwell but that doesn't mean we stop work. Where is DI Mayne?"

"He went to talk to Janine's children." Shapps stated calmly. "The oldest is only 18."

"Unfortunate." Hogg snapped. "Is there any news from the hospital."

"No Ma'am." Kat answered. "Not yet."

"Keep me informed." She glared at the three detectives. "And I suggest you get on with some work before I really believe you are a waste of space, as you most elegantly put it."

Kat closed her eyes and swore quietly while both men looked away.

"Well? How was I supposed to know she was there?" Butchers asked as Shapps shot him a filthy look.

"Come on, lets get some work done. We want those two to come back to a unit that hasn't been disbanded , yet."

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Richard looked up as the doctor walked towards them. Michael was on his feet immediately.

"Richard Mayne?"

"Yes." Richard nodded. "This is Michael Lewis, Janine's son."

"I'm Dr Wilson. I've been looking after Janine since she arrived. We're just preparing her to move to the High Dependency Unit. She's breathing on her own but still very unwell."

"What is it? What's wrong with Mum?" Michael asked. Richard narrowed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"Would you like to sit down?" Dr Wilson gestured towards the uncomfortable looking chairs in the Relatives Room.

"No." Michael stated calmly. "I'd like to know why my mother is in hospital." Richard looked away for a moment, knowing that Michael was reacting the same way Janine would have. He was so much like his mother it was unnerving at times.

"Well." The doctor looked at both men. "She is having a scan at the moment. A CT scan, which may give us with more answers."

"But, you have a fair idea?" Richard stared at him. The doctor nodded.

"A Pulmonary Embolism. A PE. A bit like a DVT but in the lungs."

"How did she get that?" Michael looked up. "A DVT is bad enough, yeah but a PE? That sounds really serious."

"It can be." The doctor stated. "It seems Janine has been unwell for a while. They are treatable but Janine didn't get to us until she was already very ill."

"So what are you saying?" Richard felt his blood run cold. Michael buried his head in his hands.

"I am saying she will be in hospital for a while. We'll give her painkillers, fluids and antibiotics. We'll also give her medication to disperse the blood clot. An injection." The doctor states. "But the rest is up to her."

"She might die?" Michael suddenly sounded years younger than he was. Richard rested a hand on his shoulder.

"She might." The doctor stated calmly. "She might, but we are giving her all the treatment we have. She is being well looked after. Does she have any other family?"

"My kid brother and sisters." Michael answered. "Auntie Helen."

"I'll speak to Helen." Richard watched as Michael pulled a face. It was well known the older woman didn't approve of Richard and Janine being together. "And I'll talk to Ellie and the others. Ok?"

"But I."

"Michael, listen to your dad." The doctor stated calmly. "I'll ask a nurse to collect you when Janine is back from her scan." Richard frowned slightly, amazed that he was referred to as Michael's father and even more amazed when the teenager didn't correct him.

"Ok." Richard sighed. "I'll call Shapps too. Let him know what's happened."

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"This is unbelievable." Kat hissed as she looked at the most recent case file to land on their desks. "How can anyone do this?"

"I'm no psychologist but it takes a pretty twisted mind." Shapps shook his head. "No wonder regular CID passed this one up."

"Yeah." Butchers took his glasses off and put them back on. "Sick, sick people in the world."

The staccato beat of heels on tiled floor caught Kat's attention. "Ma'am."

"If you think the investigation of a young man's murder is beneath you."

"Of course not." Shapps snapped. "We do our job and you know we do."

"Um, with DCI Lewis here."

"And we'll do it while she is off sick. Because it's what we do. Now, Ma'am I have witnesses to interview." He grabbed his leather jacket before calling for Butchers and heading out of the office. Kat glared at the older woman before picking up her phone to call forensics. Hogg glared at the retreating figure of Shapps before storming out of the room.

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A/N More soon. Please review