A/N: Happy New Year everyone! Sorry for the delay, but as you might now I got a wee bit sidetracked by other parts of this saga (and also by this pesky AU story idea to my own AU... writer's ADHD has struck again *sighs*). All mistakes are mine this time around as my trusty beta hazelmist has gone to see the world (and some palm trees). Alec's coming up with a shit plan...

CHAPTER 35

"It's my decision, Ed," Hardy shouted at his friend. He had been sitting up in his bed, pretending to nibble on the mushy hospital food they had brought him for breakfast, but now fell back onto his pillow, catching his breath. The monitor started alarming and Hardy's face turned grey, furrows of pain deepening his permanent scowl. He rubbed his chest, sucking in some air. A nurse came in, took his pulse, adjusted his IV drips and placed the oxygen cannula back in his nose. He had stubbornly taken it off twice already since Baxter had walked into the room this morning.

"Mr. Hardy, would you leave that in, please. We've told you before." She sounded exasperated and Baxter didn't blame her. Hardy rolled his eyes at her, mumbling something about it being uncomfortable.

"I know, but having pain in your chest I bet is more uncomfortable. Right?" Her expression was not without sympathy when she put a hand on Hardy's shoulder. To underscore her remark, Hardy's face scrunched up and he couldn't hold back a moan. Her eyes flicked to the monitor and there was the briefest moment of concern in them before she could hide it.

Baxter's gaze didn't leave the green crawling line of Hardy's erratic heartbeat. Hardy hadn't required any shocks since the day prior when his insane escape plan had resulted in quite literally a blood bath. But he had passed out a few times due to his ever slowing heart rate. How was he supposed to talk sense into him if every time Hardy got upset their conversation was interrupted by the alarms going off? He tried ignoring the fact that this only showed how ill his friend truly was.

Once the nurse had left, Hardy didn't waste any time to pluck the oxygen off his face. Baxter sighed, leaned forward and put it back. Hardy weakly swatted at his hand and after a short but vigorous kerfuffle between the two of them, the cannula and Hardy's face, Baxter resolutely held down Hardy's hand, put the cannula in Hardy's nose and barked at him, "I'm only continuing this conversation if you're leaving the oxygen where it's supposed to be."

Hardy huffed and looked away. He closed his eyes and took in a few more deep breaths. Baxter had only been in the room for the better part of half an hour and Hardy already looked more exhausted than before. If that was possible at all. Ever since they had taken out the breathing tube the day prior, he had been in and out of sleep. Finally, a day later, he was fully awake. Baxter had been surprised that he had turned around so fast, considering he sort of died not even forty-eight hours ago.

And although he still looked like shit, Hardy apparently was well enough to have come up with an utterly hair-brained plan how to deal with the loss of the pendant. That's what they had been arguing over last night and promptly continued to do so with the fresh new morning.

"I'm not going to agree that you take the blame for something you clearly have no part in. It's going to ruin your career, Alec," Baxter repeated his earlier words.

"What career, Ed?" Hardy spat at him. "If I actually make it through this, I'm finished in the force. You know that just as well as I do."

Baxter couldn't look at him. After his conversation with Emily Abbott yesterday, where she clearly indicated that Hardy wouldn't be able to return to CID any time soon, he couldn't argue with him.

"Alec, even if field work might not be suited for a while, that doesn't mean you can't have a meaningful position within the police department. And once you've got the pacemaker –"

"I'm not going to get it," Alec interrupted him, voice frighteningly calm. "Emily told me after the cath that the pacemaker insertion would be extremely high risk and that contrary to most other patients there is a high likelihood I would suffer a fatal attack during the procedure. That is, if I survive until then. She gave me about twenty to thirty percent survival rate. And I'm sure that after this..." - he waved vaguely at the drips and monitor, struggling to breathe - "...my chances can't be better."

Baxter stared at him. He didn't know that part of the story. No wonder that Hardy had been so tight-lipped when he had brought him home that day. He pulled himself together. He needed to be strong for his friend and not dwell on his own feelings of desperation about how dire Hardy's situation was.

"That doesn't justify to martyr yourself for what these two did. Tess and Dave should pay for their mistake," Baxter insisted.

Hardy pinched the bridge of his nose and fidgeted with the bothersome cannula. He very quietly made his next point. "Daisy needs someone who can support her. If both her parents are out of a job, what's going to happen to her? I don't give a fuck about Dave and I'm sure you can find a way to discipline Tess - demoted her, send her to another division, whatever - but she must not lose her livelihood." He was pleading now.

"Don't be ridiculous. Even if you're invalided out, you still have your pension to help support Daisy."

"Not when I'm dead," Hardy replied with a quiver in his voice, looking out the window.

Baxter's mouth gaped open. He hadn't expected that. Or maybe he should have, considering what Emily had revealed about Hardy's state of mind when he was waking up.

Hardy hadn't finished yet and he continued tonelessly, "Daisy can never find out what her mother did. When I die, she mustn't be left behind with her mother whom she hates because she cheated on me. That cannot happen." He turned to face Baxter. His eyes were dark and feral, burning with determination.

"I'm willing to do anything to assure that Daisy will be cared for, emotionally and materially. If I have to take the fall for the loss of the pendant, so be it. I'm not going to be around much longer, so what difference does it make?" He found Baxter gaze and bore into it. "Will you help me with that? As a friend? Please?" The desperation in his voice was heartbreaking.

Baxter was taken aback by Hardy's conviction that he was going to die soon. He hadn't said, if he died, no, he had said when. Baxter opened his mouth to set Hardy's head straight, but then his eyes fell on his friend. And for the first time since Baxter had dragged him to the hospital, he allowed himself to really look at him and the whole bloody mess they were in.

Hardy was lying in his bed, challenged by as simple a task as having a conversation. His gaunt and ashen face emphasized his exhaustion. His skinny hands that were bonier than ever fisted the sheet when he tried to hide the pain in his chest. His heart at this point was one beat away from giving out forever and his chances to make it to the pacemaker surgery and survive the procedure were slim. He was plagued by horrific nightmares and sleepless nights, and now utterly broken by his wife's wrongdoing. He was a shadow of his former self after having died on Friday morning and if Baxter was any judge, he had wanted to.

He could see why Hardy would feel compelled to make sure his daughter wasn't left with her life shattered by her mother's wrong doing in the event that he should die. What Hardy didn't take into consideration was that Daisy's world would fall apart simply due to the fact that her father would be gone. And what would happen, if he actually made it?

Baxter dragged his hands down his face. "Alec, do you truly believe you're going to die?" he asked softly. A single nod was the only reply. His throat choked up and tears were stinging his eyes.

Hardy propped himself up, reaching for Baxter's hand. His palms were clammy and his cold fingers tightened around Baxter's, leaving Baxter with the eerie association of a dead man's grasp.

Hardy took in a shuddering breath. "I don't know if I can go on like this, Ed. I left something of me behind that day I almost drowned in that river. I thought I could get it back, by solving the case, by being with my family, but now... what's left for me to fight for?" Tears were welled up in his dark eyes.

Baxter squeezed his hand. "Daisy is not gone, Alec. She is still with you and she cares about you. I care about you. Emily Abbott does and so does your friend Duncan. You can't give up, you're not alone in this." It was Baxter's turn to plead.

Hardy closed his eyes. Barely audible he said, "Daisy needs her mother now that she's getting older. She's turning away from me and Tess is the better parent for her."

"Ach, for God's sake, seriously?" Baxter was getting angry. "I told you not to listen to that horseshit Tess was telling you. Clearly she had her own motives."

They looked at each other, both knowing that there was truth to either sides. Hardy tried to sit up more and Baxter supported his effort. He seemed to sway a little, maybe feeling lightheaded from the change in position. Baxter's gaze wandered over to the monitor. His friend's heart rate had slowed down significantly and sure enough, Hardy's eyes glazed over and his body went limp in Baxter's arms. He lowered him back on his pillow and was about to hit the call button when Hardy spoke.

"I can't do this on my own, Ed. I really need your help," he begged breathlessly. "Please, I thought about it. It's the best solution. Daisy will not find out what her mother did, Tess will be able to take care of her and as for me…" He passed out before he could even finish his sentence. The alarms went off again and people rushed into the room.

Shaken by the conversation and its abrupt end, Baxter watched the medical team attend to his friend from the corner of the room. Maybe Hardy was right and it was the best solution besides the truth. Or maybe Baxter couldn't help himself but to fulfill what could well be the dying wish of his friend.

Baxter had to step out of the room. Watching yet again how Hardy's frail heart needed to be reminded of doing its job properly was eating away on him. His swift pace took him outside and to the small park across the hospital and police station. He had spent countless hours there while Emma had been ill and soon enough he found his usual hiding spot.

He plopped down onto the bench and leaned his head back against the old oak tree. The musty smell and the rough feeling of the bark underneath his skin was grounding him, like it had so many times before. His racing thoughts slowed down and he finally felt like he could step back from all the emotional turmoil.

He couldn't in all good conscience agree to Hardy's plan. It was insane, born from the frazzled mind of a person who had been pushed to his limits. But still, there was this nagging voice inside him that could see where Hardy was coming from. If he were certain he was dying, all he'd wanted was to make sure that his loved ones were taken care of. Hardy's world all of a sudden had been reduced to a single focus, his daughter who he was extremely devoted to. Of course he'd do anything to assure her well-being, even if that meant to protect the very person who was at the core of this horror show.

Baxter shivered in the cool morning air. The sun wasn't strong enough to penetrate through the thick green leaves of the oak tree. Baxter tugged his coat tighter around him. It was late spring and the world around him was blossoming and bursting out in colors. But all Baxter could see was Hardy's grey face, gaunt and pained. He wanted to help him, to make things at least the tiniest bit more bearable for his ailing friend.

What if he for one moment entertained the thought of Hardy taking the blame? Baxter shook his head. It was impossible. People knew that Tess and Thompson had taken the pendant with them. The SOCO team and Swenson wouldn't just idly stand by and help propagating such an outlandish lie. Especially as they were well aware of why the evidence had been left unattended. And they respected Hardy. There was also no way that Liz MacMillan would go along with this shit plan. She never had as much as one scandal in her whole career and she wouldn't start now because two of her sergeants couldn't keep their hands off each other. It couldn't work.

Baxter groaned and kicked at a pebble in front of him. Something buzzed in his coat pocket, interrupting his brooding. He was confused as it couldn't be his phone which he was holding in his fidgety hands. He put his mobile down and patted down his body until he found what he was looking for. It was Hardy's. He forgot he'd taken it when they handed him his belongings.

He peeked at the caller ID. Duncan, no last name. Hardy's oldest friend. Baxter realized that there were several missed calls and text messages on Hardy's phone. He didn't know the unlock code, so when Duncan rang again, he answered without a second thought.

"Hello?"

There was a brief moment of silence, then a booming Scottish voice spoke. "You're not Alec Hardy. You greet people in a civil manner."

Baxter grinned. This might be more entertaining than he could have hoped for. "I've been house-broken. Not like Hardy, he's still feral."

There was a huff on the other side. "Ha. Good one." Then a brief pause. "Who are you, why do you have Alec's phone and most importantly where is he?" The tone of voice had changed, concern emphasizing the Scottish accent.

So much for the entertainment. Maybe that list-of-questions habit was a Scottish thing. Baxter let out a deep breath. "I'm Ed Baxter, Hardy's boss. And you're Duncan, his best friend," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Aye. So, where is he?" Duncan persevered without wasting time for further greetings.

Baxter had always hated having to deliver bad news to people. It hadn't changed since he was a young police officer. He leaned forward on the bench, running his hand through his hair.

"Duncan...," he started hesitantly, struggling to find the right words.

"Did something happen during the procedure?" Duncan's anxiety was ringing in his ears.

"No. Not really. Besides the fact that they couldn't place the pacemaker," Baxter sighed into the phone.

"What? Why not?" Duncan asked, agitation becoming more evident.

"He was too ill. They couldn't do it," Baxter explained, stalling what he knew was the real news.

"Bloody hell," Duncan hissed. And after a couple of heartbeats, he added, "That doesn't explain why you have his phone though."

Smart man, Baxter thought. He had beaten around the bush long enough. Dragging it out wasn't going to make it easier.

"Alec is in hospital. He suffered a cardiac arrest on Friday morning. He was gone for almost five minutes before they brought him back. He's awake now and doing slightly better, but he's not well."

The silence on the other end was deafening.

"Why didn't anybody call me? And why do you have his phone and not Tess? What the fuck is going on?" Duncan eventually yelled into the phone. He sounded hurt.

Baxter contemplated his answer carefully. As far as he was aware, Hardy and Duncan were very close, having been best friends since they were boys. Considering how secretive Hardy had been about his heart condition, Baxter wondered how much Duncan knew. He obviously was privy to the cath procedure and aware that there were risks associated with it. Baxter thought about the fact how much Hardy needed support in his life at this very moment.

"Duncan, do you think you could come to Sandbrook? Alec could use a friend. He found out that Tess is having an affair and –"

"What?"

Baxter would have expected an outcry of indignation, but the quiet word carried more outrage in it than any loud proclamation of anger could have had.

He inhaled deeply and continued with his tale. "Tess is apparently having an affair with one of her colleagues. She picked the opportune moment of the evening after the cath procedure to tell Alec. He wasn't in the best shape to say the least and it was too much for his heart to handle. I found him collapsed in my office the next morning and took him to the hospital."

Duncan's sharp breaths quickened. Baxter had never met Duncan, but it didn't take much imagination to picture the furious face on the other end of the phone.

"Go on," Duncan demanded roughly, Scottish accent reminding Baxter way too much of Hardy.

"Ever since his heart stopped..." – there was a chocked back cry crackling through the speaker – "... he's had multiple episodes where he either needed to be shocked or resuscitated otherwise. He's in the cardiac ICU and it doesn't look like he's going to leave there any time soon," Baxter explained.

Duncan cleared his throat. "I can't come today. My wife's out of town and I've got the kids. But I'll try to get there by tomorrow, no later than Tuesday."

Baxter hummed in acknowledgement, contemplating if he should enlist Duncan in dissuading Hardy from his insane plan.

"Ed, what are you not telling me?" Duncan questioned, shaming every detective with his perceptiveness.

Baxter leaned back against the oak tree again. The rough bark scraped against his scalp, giving him a sense of grounding while the earth seemed to slip away from under him.

"Why did you find Alec in your office? Shouldn't he have been home the morning after the cath?" Baxter had to give it to Duncan, he asked the right questions. He made a decision and hoped he wouldn't regret it someday.

"Duncan, what I'm going to reveal to you now needs to stay between us and Alec. Can you promise me that?"

"Aye." One word spoken with conviction. Baxter was satisfied.

"Tess called Alec to the station to tell him that a piece of key evidence was stolen while she was having sex with her colleague." Baxter stopped to see how Duncan would take this information.

"Fuck," came his response after a long pause.

So far so good. Baxter still had to drop the bomb.

"Duncan, the reason why I think it would be good for you to come here is that somebody needs to talk sense into Alec," Baxter said tiredly.

"Why? Does he want to break out of the ICU and beat the shit out of the arsehole who's shagging his wife? I don't think that's so unreasonable. I might help him," Duncan ranted, sarcasm dripping off of his words.

"I wish that was it," Baxter sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Can you not be so fucking cryptic? I'm already losing it over here and you stalling doesn't help," Duncan growled.

"Alec's got a shit plan. He wants to take the blame for the loss of the evidence becau –"

"You can't be serious about this?" Duncan shouted into the phone so loudly that Baxter had to hold the speaker away from his ear. "The bloody, idiotic moron!"

Baxter stared at the mobile in his hand, listening to Duncan spewing out a bunch of colorful Scottish swear words that Baxter had never heard off. It was left to his imagination what they all meant, but the gist of them was clear. Duncan was livid at his friend and that was putting it mildly. When he finally fell silent, Baxter dared to continue his explanation.

"Did you get that out of your system?" Duncan groaned in agreement. "Good, because yelling at him won't do the trick here. He's got it stuck in his thick head that he's going to die and therefore needs to make sure that Daisy will be cared for. He doesn't want her to know what her mother did so that she won't hate her. And he wants to take the blame so that Tess will keep her job and provide for Daisy once he's dead." His words spilled out fast, unloading the burden of sharing Hardy's insane idea.

To his surprise, Duncan was utterly silent.

"Duncan? Are you still there?" Baxter inquired into the seemingly dead line.

"Aye. I'm here. Can I ask you something and please think about it before you answer," Duncan inquired pensively.

"Sure," Baxter replied, suspicious of the question.

"Is he dying?" There was a quiver in Duncan's voice.

Baxter was stupefied by Duncan's words. He couldn't talk around the chocked up sob in his throat.

"I thought so," Duncan said, carrying so much sadness in his tone that Baxter broke inside. "You're a father, Ed. Look at it from Alec's perspective, maybe he's got a point."

Unfortunately, Baxter found himself agreeing with Duncan. In a weird twisted way, Hardy did have a point.

"What if he doesn't die though? What good does it do if Daisy doesn't hate her mother but him? Especially as he didn't do anything," Baxter argued.

"Can't he take the responsibility without being accused of having an affair?" Duncan thought out loud. "Then Daisy could be kept out of it at least as far as that part goes."

Baxter hadn't even considered that. Nobody needed to know about the affair, they'd only needed to come up with a somewhat plausible story how Hardy lost the pendant. That is if the SOCO team and Swenson would keep quiet. Baxter let out an exasperated huff. His head was pounding.

"I'm not sure, Duncan. There are people who know what happened. It's going to be hard to keep it quiet as it is." Baxter paused. A sudden heat hit his stomach at the thought of helping to cover up what Tess did. "I can't be part of it," he blurted out.

"Ed, I understand, you're his boss and as such you have to uphold a certain integrity –"

"No, you don't understand. You didn't talk to her. She had so much contempt for him and was so self-righteous. She basically killed him with her actions and her disinterest and I can't let her get away with it." His anger was palpable. "I despise her, she doesn't deserve any compassion." It was the truth and he had no reason to hide it.

"Oh, no doubt about that. I'm with you all the way, but Alec is the one that needs our support. If it helps him to cope with this horrible situation to know that Daisy is taken care of, it's worth considering going along with his shit plan. Don't get me wrong, I think it's idiotic, but then all I want is for him to be better. I haven't had any interest in protecting Tess since she hit on me years ago but –"

"She hit on you? You're his best friend, for God's sake," Baxter interrupted in disgust. He had believed he couldn't have thought less of Hardy's wife but he had been wrong. "Didn't Alec tell me she doesn't like you?"

"I guess she didn't take kindly to being rejected. It was a long time ago and Alec knows about it. He loved her too much to give it too much thought. He forgave her as soon as she apologized and said she hadn't meant it." Duncan sounded as disgusted as Baxter felt. He let out a deep sigh. His voice was rough when he continued, "We both know that there is a real chance he might die from this heart condition. I would like to be able to tell myself that I've helped fulfill my oldest friend's last wish. And if it should turn out that it wasn't that, I'd be happy to deal with the fall out, because it'll mean he's still around."

Baxter stared up into the green roof of the oak tree. Flares of light flickered through the thick umbrella of leaves, ever changing with the breeze. He remembered the moment when he received the phone call from Emma's doctor telling him that they'd found a suitable donor for the bone marrow transplant, a procedure that almost killed her and left her debilitated for many months after, but in the end saved her life. He had been sitting underneath this very tree, looking for answers when they were hard to find. Duncan's words sank in. If this was what Hardy needed to do in order to be at peace, then he as his friend should help him. He hoped with all his heart that he would have many more years to come where he could yell at Hardy about his shit plan of taking the fall for his wife in order to protect his daughter.

"I guess we'll have to come up with a good story then," Baxter said slowly, still hesitating, while accepting the path he'd chosen.

Duncan let out a sigh of relief. "It's a moronic thing to do, but at the same time also a very Alec Hardy thing. I've known him since we were kids. He'd always give himself up to save a poor soul. Maybe we can save his this time?" Duncan suggested, voice soft.

"I hope you're right," Baxter mumbled.

"Will you tell him that I'll be there tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

"Possibly. We usually squabble, but it's amicable," Duncan sniggered.

"All right then. I'll keep you in the loop," Baxter promised. They exchanged numbers before hanging up. Baxter took in a long breath, looking up into the tree. Then he exhaled slowly, raised to his full height and began his way back to help his friend in need.

"What the hell have you guys been arguing about?"

Emily's angry voice made Baxter jump while he was signing the visitor sheet at the ICU's reception counter. Baxter finished his signature, dated and timed the list meticulously to buy himself time. When he turned around, he was greeted by a scowling Emily. Her dark eyes were furious and boring into him. With crossed arms she leaned against the counter, waiting for an answer.

"Can we not talk about this in the hallway, please?" Baxter snagged her elbow and pulled her towards the family room. She followed reluctantly, face still angry.

As soon as the door closed, she started talking again.

"How can you upset him like that? I told you to go easy on him, and then you have nothing better to do than –"

"Listen to me Emily," he interrupted her rant. "It's not my fault. Alec has come up with an insane plan how to deal with the loss of the evidence and I was trying to convince him otherwise." He breathed deeply before going on, "He wants to take the blame to protect his daughter from the fall out."

Emily frowned. "How does that make any sense? And what does Daisy have to do with the case?"

"He's convinced he's dying and doesn't want Daisy to be left behind with a mother she hates and who can't care for her because she lost her job."

Her eyes widened and she inhaled as if she was going to speak, but then held her breath instead. She cocked her head and pulled the corners of her mouth down. Eventually, she said. "I hate to admit it, but that does sort of make sense. If you believe he's dying."

"Is he?" Baxter retorted, sharper than he had intended to.

Emily's face was answer enough, but Baxter needed to hear it.

"Is he?" he asked, louder this time.

She still didn't respond.

Baxter started pacing through the small room. He came to a sudden halt, invading her personal space.

"Because if he isn't, I won't go along with this insanity," Baxter hissed into her face. She didn't deserve his anger, but he was too high strung to endure any games. He needed answers to make an impossible decision.

"Ed, we never can say for sure," she began with a soft tone. His hope flared up for the one split second, but when she continued, he already knew how this conversation would go because he'd been in it before. "However, if we really look at the situation and what happened, his chances of surviving are probably less than ten percent. He could be lucky and with good care and rest recover enough to make it to the surgery. There is always that possibility, but for all practical purposes it's not wrong to say, he's dying."

Baxter's tall figure crumpled in on itself and he dropped down onto the closest chair. He had known the answer all along, but hearing it from her made it real.

"Ed, he can make it, not all is lost. If we assure that he takes care of hims–"

"Are you listening to what you're saying? Have you met this man? He's shit at taking care of himself, that's one of the reasons why we are faced with this situation to begin with. If he hadn't been so stubborn, he wouldn't be lying over there and try to die on me every time I'm talking to him. This bloody stupid, stupid…" Whatever else he had wanted to say was suffocated by his angry tears. He was furious at Hardy, his self-neglect, and his delay in dealing with his heart before it was too late. And at the same time, the grief of losing a friend was overwhelming and it got the better of him.

"I would never presume that I know what you're going through as I'm not in your shoes, but you're not on your own in this," Emily said gently, diffusing his anger. "I'm mad at him too, but now is not the time to yell at him. Now is the time to show him that he's not alone and that there are people out there who care about him. He lost everything that is important in his life - his wife, his health, his job - and the only thing he has left is his daughter. At least in his eyes, even if there is more out there. He can't see that right now, but hopefully soon he will. We need to get him through this until he gets back on his feet. And if we can do that, he has a real chance of living and not only dying."

Baxter looked up into her optimistic eyes and took in her sincere smile. She meant it and that was all he needed to hear to go on.

Her smile turned into a mischievous grin, when she said, "I bet you a hundred quid that he's going to try and leave against medical advice by no later than Wednesday."

Baxter huffed. "I say Tuesday. He was already complaining about the food earlier. He's going to be out of here as soon as his skinny legs will carry him."

"As long as he's not going to exsanguinate himself again, I'll take it," she said with a pained undertone.

Baxter groaned and got up. The image of Hardy lying in his own blood turned his stomach. "I'll better check on him before he gets any ideas."

"I'll come with you. I've got something I want to try and see if that helps to speed up his bum ticker. Your brother suggested it," she added with a smirk.

"Marty?" Baxter asked in surprise.

"Yup. He called me last night, wondering about where his baby brother has been all this time. Said you were supposed to meet him for dinner, but you weren't answering your phone. He had a hunch your absence might be related to a certain Scot," she explained, still smirking.

"Is there no privacy here?" Baxter moaned.

Emily's amused chuckle echoed through the hallway. "You're spending too much time with Alec, he's rubbing off on you."

"Seriously?" Baxter asked in a mock Scottish accent and when she sputtered with laughter he joined her, feeling lighter than he had in days.

Force of habit made Emily scan the room quickly when she walked in. Her eyes wandered from Hardy's face to the monitor, the IV pumps and back to her patient. Before she could stop herself, she reached for his wrist and felt for his pulse. It wasn't really necessary considering that his heart currently was under more scrutiny than the Royal Family. She liked the human touch though, reassuring her that she was treating a person and not only numbers.

Hardy's eyes fluttered open, sluggishly following her movements. It was hard to believe that his grey color and only slightly labored breathing were an improvement compared to two days ago.

"Good morning," she said, smiling.

He grunted and cursed when his broken ribs prevented him from rolling onto his side. He spotted Baxter who had stayed back at the door and his eyes narrowed. Emily wasn't happy with their earlier argument and the fact that it had put Hardy over the edge again, but at least this time he had skirted by without needing to be shocked. Maybe the cocktail of medication she'd been throwing at him finally started to take effect.

"So, I hear you have a shit plan to martyr yourself," Emily stated, not attempting any small talk.

"Oh, fun-bloody-tastic. You told her about it. Have you put it in the paper yet?" Hardy threw at Baxter who was still hiding behind her.

"She yelled at me for picking a fight with you." Baxter pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. Emily's eyes flicked back and forth between the two and she shook her head.

"Ey, don't drag me into this. You should spend your energy on coming up with a good story instead of wasting your breath on arguing," she admonished them.

Hardy's eyes grew wide when it sank in what she'd said. Then he closed them and buried his face behind his palms. His "Thank you" was barely audible.

Baxter snorted. "Don't thank me. I'm doing this against my better judgement." There was a deep frown etched onto his forehead. It didn't take a skilled observer to see the conflicting feelings in Baxter's haunted eyes.

Hardy dragged his thin fingers down his face and scratched his scruff. He rubbed his tongue over his teeth. "What day is today?" he queried, sounding lost.

"Sunday," Emily answered, prepared for Hardy's shocked expression that followed the moment of confusion. She'd seen it many times when patients regrouped after a cardiac arrest, but it was still hard to see it on him.

"Sunday? But that's three days...," he trailed off, grappling with the realization of how fleeting time was. His effort of trying to pull himself together was valiant. She felt for him. He fidgeted with the oxygen cannula, plucking it off his nose. Baxter was at his side in no time, slapping Hardy's fingers.

"Leave it be!" he chastised him like a child.

"I hate it," Hardy whined, hand sneaking up again only to be stopped by Baxter's raised index finger and eyebrow.

Emily bit down on her lip to avoid laughing at them. "Do you behave like that at work?" she wondered out loud. That earned her a twin sheepish stare from both men and she grinned. They both sighed and Baxter fell heavily onto the foot of Hardy's bed.

"Alec, we have to talk about this. How on earth do you think you can take the blame for it? You weren't even around when they searched the car. There were other people involved besides Tess and Thompson," Baxter said, sharing his thoughts.

Hardy had turned his head towards the window when Baxter mentioned his wife and the other man. He seemed far away and Emily's trained eye caught onto the subtle changes on the monitor that made her worry. His rhythm was steady for now, but she feared where this conversation was going.

When Hardy came back from wherever he'd gone, there was determination burning in his eyes.

"Did you talk to the chief?" he wanted to know.

Baxter nodded. "I had to, Alec. She was livid. You know how she gets about things like this," he ended meekly.

"This?" Hardy echoed angrily. "What's that supposed to mean – this? Like her SIO screwing up because he's got a bum heart and needed to keep it a secret? Or... or like the two senior officers having a field day instead of supervising the search of a potential crime scene? Or... or like two of her detective sergeants not being able to keep it in their pants and literally fucking up the most profiled investigation this constabulary ever had?" Hardy's voice got louder and more agitated with every stammered and breathless sentence he pressed between his gritted teeth. There was a hint of hysteria in there that didn't only make Emily feel uncomfortable but Baxter as well.

Emily's eyes didn't leave the monitor. She didn't like what she saw. "Alec, please calm down," she urged quietly. She reached for him, but decided against touching him as he seemed too tense.

"I'm having a really hard time with that concept right now," Hardy snarled, digging his fingers into his messy hair.

"Listen, Alec. I know how important this if for you. If this is supposed to work out, we have to come up with a good story how all of this happened. If we don't have a solid plan, there's no way in hell we can make MacMillan go along with this. And if you're not able to stay calm, we can't talk," Baxter argued.

He must have found the right words because Hardy's clenched fists uncurled and he let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Good," Baxter said. "I know this is a lot to ask from you right now, but you can't get upset when I share with you what Tess told me when I suspended her."

Hardy's eyes burned a hole into Baxter's head. "You suspended her?" he rasped.

"Her and Thompson," Baxter confirmed. Emily noted Baxter's jaw twitch. It couldn't be easy for him either to keep his anger at bay.

Hardy closed his eyes and grunted, "Go on. Tell me. I wanna know. Everything." His Scottish brogue had been getting rougher throughout this conversation.

"They stopped at the hotel to find some privacy for celebrating their success. Thompson stated they forgot the bag with the evidence in Tess' car because they were distracted." Baxter paused. Hardy's eyes were still closed and he was pressing down on them with his fingers.

"Distracted by what?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Alec, don't..." Baxter's tone was begging not to have to go on.

"By what?" he shouted, following his outburst with a gasp for air. Emily's heart broke seeing him like that.

Baxter's shoulders sagged. "They were snogging." His tone was subdued and he looked like a beaten dog. The dead silence in the room was only interrupted by the stuttering beeping of Hardy's heartbeat and the clicking noises of the IV pumps. Baxter and Emily both jerked when Hardy forcefully hit the side rail of his bed.

"I'm so sorry, Alec," Baxter breathed, voice cracking. Emily had cupped her mouth with her hand, suppressing her own need to cry.

Throughout all of this, Hardy never had opened his eyes and he kept them closed, even when the tears started to well up.

"She destroyed everything and for what? A snog and a shag in a cheap hotel," Hardy said eventually, eerily calm. The bitterness in his words though spoke of how much he was hurt by what his wife had done. He wiped at his face and when he finally opened his eyes they were dull, all spark gone.

Emily was too rattled to speak and a look at Baxter confirmed he wasn't doing much better. He sat at the foot of the bed, staring into space, absentmindedly kneading the mattress.

His tone of voice dead, Hardy started talking, "Tess' car is registered under my name. That makes it easy to claim it was mine for the paperwork. Clearly the two of them took the pendant from the search site. Then they met up with me at the hotel. I wanted to celebrate the team's success with my wife –" Hardy faltered for a heartbeat and then ploughed on, "She left the car for me to drive home in it as I had come by taxi and Thompson took her to the station. I stayed behind, having another drink. The car was broken into and the evidence stolen."

He stopped, panting. His face was paler and he had started sweating with the exhaustion of his long speech. But he wasn't finished yet.

"Them listening to me and not coming to the station directly can explain why you suspended them to begin with," he added, eyelids drooping shut.

"What about you?" Baxter questioned quietly.

Hardy took in a shuddering breath, more and more struggling to talk. "I don't matter," he wheezed.

Hardy didn't see Baxter's angry expression as he was fading away, worn out by the burden he decided to take on.

"No, Alec. You do matter," Baxter insisted. "We have to leave you a way out."

"Why?" Hardy rasped bitterly.

"Because you can survive this, Alec," Emily spoke up for the first time since they had embarked on this sad journey. There was not much she could do besides offering a chance. "Alec was not aware that the evidence was in the car until he found out about the break in. They forgot to tell him." Emily found Baxter's eyes. "Could that work?" she wondered. Baxter nodded. They both looked at Hardy, only to find him staring at the ceiling tiles.

"Alec?" Baxter prompted him

The up and down movement of his head was barely noticeable. Emily was worried how much of a toll this had taken on him. He looked like he'd aged years since they had walked in earlier. Emily caught Baxter's attention and motioned towards the door. Hardy needed to rest. Baxter stood and they were about to leave when Hardy stirred.

"I wanna talk to Tess," he demanded roughly.

"What? No!" Baxter exclaimed angrily. He spun around and glared at Hardy's gaunt figure.

"She's still my wife, Ed," Hardy retorted weakly.

"That's questionable. And the last time she talked to you, she fucking killed you!" Baxter snarled back, face flushed with fury.

"Ed, she didn't know. You can't fault her for that," Hardy argued, breathing ragged.

"Stop defending her. Bad enough that you're going to take the fall for her irresponsible behavior, but I'm not going to stand by and watch her beat you while you're already on the ground," Baxter shouted, bottled up anger spilling over. Emily put a steadying hand on his elbow.

"Ed, don't," she warned him quietly. She didn't look at him, focused on the monitor. It had changed significantly.

"I want to... no, I need to tell her about this myself. She needs to understand why –" Hardy chocked and clawed at his chest. His face contorted in pain and his eyes rolled back in his head. Emily hurried to his bedside and hit the code button. She needed her team here now, before his heart would stop for the third time in as many days.

"Ed, tell him you'll get Tess to see him. Now!" Emily yelled at Baxter while she was clearing his chest to prepare him for another encounter with the defibrillator.

Baxter unfroze and jumped to Hardy's side. "I'm sorry, Alec. Of course you can talk to her. I'll call her as soon as you're better. Listen to me and calm down, please," Baxter begged. He was clutching Hardy's hand, clinging onto it in his panic. Hardy's wild eyes locked with Baxter's and to Emily's great relief, Hardy's heart rhythm didn't deteriorate further. By the time they had brought in the code cart with the defibrillator, Hardy had settled down enough for it to be rendered unnecessary.

Baxter didn't want to let go of Hardy's hand, shaken up by what had happened. Hardy was out cold and Emily was grateful for that. Both men needed a break. She put her hand on Baxter's back.

"It wasn't your fault," she tried to console Baxter.

"If he can't even talk to us, what is she going to do to him then?" Baxter's voice was laced with worry.

"You'll make sure that she knows how to behave around him. No startling, no waking up, no shouting, no picking fights. Tell her to just listen to him, not to argue and certainly not discuss any marriage issues. She's not an idiot. She might have been able to ignore his physical decline before, but she won't now. All she'll need to do is see him like this and she'll follow your instructions," Emily reassured Baxter and brushed her fingers over Hardy's temple.

"I hope so." There was doubt in his reply but also acceptance.

"Let him rest. I gave him a sedative so he'd calm down. He should wake up in a few hours. You can call Tess then."

"Can I stay with him?" His voice trembled.

"Oh Ed, of course you can," she said warmly. "What would he do without you?" She squeezed Baxter's shoulder, glad that Hardy had a friend like the man in front of her.

"Do you really think he can make it through this?" Baxter asked quietly.

"I do. He's survived so far and he's stubbornly clinging onto life. The odds might be against him, but knowing him, he's going to roll his eyes and ignore them," Emily reassured him resolutely.

"Yah. That sounds like him," Baxter sighed, tucking the sheet tighter around Hardy. There was a fondness in his gesture that touched Emily.

"My bet still stands by the way. He'll want to leave by Wednesday," she said with a lighter tone.

Baxter smiled at her and pulled Hardy's hand closer. "They're not cold any more."

Emily returned his smile and nodded. "Told you," she said and finally left the two to themselves.

A/N: I hope Alec's shit plan makes sense... I can't tell you how long I've been trying to come up with a semi-plausible idea for this because to be honest with you if you really think about it, Hardy taking the blame when people most likely know that Tess and Dave took the pendant with them is a bit of a stretch to put it mildly. I've grown a few grey hairs over it and possibly an ulcer. So yah, I hope it works for you guys. Wishing everyone a fantastic 2016!