Chapter 6 –

Alice was sat on the chair which she had brought closer to the bed but she hadn't crowded Rachel, watching the girl closely as she drunk the coffee and devoured the sandwich that Zoe had brought in for her.

"It's Sam and Zoe."

Sam spoke quietly outside the cubicle before the two of them entered, Sam quickly made her towards Rachel smiling as she reached up and gently stroked the girl's forehead. Zoe made her way towards Alice about to talk to the detective but she was quickly interrupted as sound of Alice's phone filled the cubicle.

"I'll take this outside."

Alice didn't look at anyone as she left causing Zoe to look at Sam with raised eyebrows.

"Ok well, how are you feeling Rachel?"

Zoe smiled as she lifted her glasses down off the top of her head and read Rachel's medical notes.

"Tired and it aches."

"What aches sweetie?"

Zoe moved closer to Rachel who had turned to look at Sam who nodded reassuringly before the girl turned back to Zoe.

"It hurts all over."

"I know sweetie do you want me to give you anything for the pain?"

"No!"

"Rachel it's ok calm down."

Sam quickly spoke as she reached and tried to take a hold of Rachel's hand but the girl had clasped both hands together.

"They made me take stuff before when I was hurt but it made me really ill!"

Zoe looked at Sam but Sam had closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"But those people weren't really doctors and didn't want to look after you, do you trust Sam and I?"

Rachel slowly nodded her head as she moved one hand over to Sam and allowed her to take a hold of it.

"That's really good Rachel, I promise you that we won't force you to do anything but this will help ease the pain slightly."

"Ok."

Zoe smiled and nodded her head as she saw the tears escaping from the corners of Rachel's eyes before she left to go and get the morphine to help Rachel.

Alice listened carefully to the information as she stood outside the cubicle, no mention of the Poseidon group had been made by her but the attack on the girl had to be investigated by her detectives and luckily the man who had died had been quickly identified as a local gang leader. Alice watched Zoe leave the cubicle as she took a deep breath.

"Ok well he wasn't alone in the car when they dumped her, CCTV shows her being pushed out of the back, so we know who the likely suspects are round them up and see what they know."

Alice finished the call and wandered over to where Zoe was standing filling a syringe up.

"What's going on?"

"Rachel is in a great deal of pain, she refused pain relief before but I have managed to convince her that it is ok and will help."

"I don't understand?"

"Apparently the people who had her gave her drugs, we found traces of amphetamines in her system but slowly we are gaining her trust and can treat her."

Alice nodded her head sadly as she took a long breath.

"Who was the call from?"

"Oh we've identified the man who was shot, Derek Musgrove, he's well known to us as a local gang leader we're rounding up his associates and hopefully they'll be able to give us some more information."

Zoe raised her eyebrows before she double checked the syringe and looked back at Alice.

"So you'll be leaving us?"

"I haven't decided that yet, if Rachel is staying with Sam then I may chance it."

Zoe nodded her head before she took a breath and looked at the detective.

"She's not well enough to leave hospital yet, technically she should be up in paediatrics but because of her situation and trust issues I think that staying put is the best option for the time being."

"Thank you Zoe I'll be in contact soon."

Zoe nodded her head as Alice smiled before she quickly walked away leaving Zoe to concentrate on the syringe in her hand before she wandered back over to the cubicle smiling as she entered and saw that Sam had found the food in the bag and was eagerly eating a bagel.

"Here we go Rachel this will help with the pain but it will also make you a bit drowsy."

Rachel nodded her head as she watched Zoe move closer, she felt her body stiffen slightly but then Zoe smiled and gently stroked her arm and Rachel felt a little bit better.

"That's great Rachel well done."

"Thank you."

Zoe smiled at Rachel pleased that she too was managing to build a slow bond with the girl and that would hopefully allow Sam to have a bit of a break too. Zoe watched as Rachel shifted and got herself comfortable on the bed once again and closed her eyes the morphine quickly easing the pain she was suffering from.

"Dixie we've got a shout!"

Jeff called out while Dixie waited in line at the roadside cafe, hearing his voice she quickly left and ran back towards the ambulance.

"What have we got?"

"The police called us in, they went to arrest a suspect and found he has been beaten up."

Dixie nodded her head as Jeff drove into the estate the sight of three police cars quickly drawing them where they were needed. A small open piece of grass that had abandoned cars and sofas littering it, quickly they stopped and jumped out as a uniformed officer greeted them.

"He's lying on the blue sofa, he's breathing but someone has done a right number on him."

"Ok mate we'll check him out."

Jeff and Dixie quickly moved over to where the man was located, Dixie bent over and started to check his vitals, both of them concentrating on the injured man and the police on keeping the crowds at bay, none of them expecting the sound and sight of bullets to suddenly come reigning down on them.

"Dixie!"

"Keep down Jeff!"

The mayhem lasted less than thirty seconds, Dixie could feel her body was still shaking as Jeff put his arm around her.

"You're bleeding!"

"I'm ok let's just get out of here."

"Hey I need a hand over here!"

Jeff called out as a policeman came running over, helping Jeff lift the injured man into the ambulance while Dixie trailed behind.

"You're in the back Dixie and I don't want to argue with you."

Dixie reached up and felt her arm, she knew that she had been struck by a bullet and that she was quickly losing consciousness.