Part 31
"Here let me-"
"I'm fine." Gail bit out as she tried to shrug Chris off her arm as he 'helped' her into the home she shared with Holly, and for the time being Holly's younger sister Elizabeth, who currently had hold of her other arm. "Seriously guys, I can walk without you both hanging all over me." She added, finally breaking free of them and gingerly taking a seat on the couch.
Chris looked on worriedly still thinking Gail should be in the hospital. "Holly said to-"
Gail glared at her friend. "I know what Holly said. I was there."
Chris offered a smile and a weak chuckle as he glanced at Elizabeth for help but the younger woman just shrugged and headed for the kitchen.
He looked back at Gail who was starting to lay back and get comfortable. He only just managed not to offer his help working out that the blonde wasn't going to let him. Even if she was clearly in pain.
"I'll…get back to work then?" He asked still looking unsure.
Gail struggled to open her eyes, the swelling on her face only just starting to reduce. At least she could now open both eyes. "You're still here?" She made a noise then closed her eyes again.
He blew out a breath, lifted his hands, and then gave up. "Okay, but if you need anything?"
Elizabeth eyed the blonde sprawled out on the couch then at Chris who was waiting for an answer. "Thanks for the lift, we appreciate it." She ignored the snort from the other side of the room. "At least I do, and Holly too."
Chris blushed and grinned pleased to have been of help even if he wasn't going to get any thanks from Gail, he knew she cared even when she didn't show it. "Welcome. Bye Gail."
"Yeah, yeah." Gail muttered in response.
Elizabeth shook her head and saw Chris to the door before coming back. "Would it kill you to be nice, he didn't have to drive us back from the hospital."
"You can thank him enough for all of us." Gail muttered as she tried to turn only to feel a sharp pain flash over her back muscles. Fuck that hurt.
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Gail winced and had to hold back a groan of pain before finally finding a position that didn't make her want to scream.
Elizabeth watched on carefully. She'd known the blonde wasn't really ready to be released from the hospital, had even tried to argue her release with Holly but for some reason her sister wasn't having any of it, despite knowing from a medical point of view that Gail had to be in serious pain giving her injuries.
But Holly hadn't wanted to hear it and signed Gail's release papers before she'd left for court. Leaving her to deal with getting the blonde back home. Luckily Gail had that covered having already called Chris back during his lunch to drive them both to the house.
She just didn't understand why Gail wasn't still under proper medical care.
"Here."
Gail blinked her eyes open and after a moment focused on the glass of water and pill being held out for her. She shifted painfully into a seated position then hesitated taking them from Holly's sister.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and pushed the glass and pill into Gail's hands. "Stop being a martyr and just take the damn pill."
But Gail didn't want to, not really, as much agony as she was in the medication could make her feel ten times worse.
"Don't make me call Holly while she's at court."
With another small pause Gail popped the pain medication into her mouth and forced it down with a swallow from the glass before she handed it back to Elizabeth and shuffled back down closing her eyes firmly.
Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. She was definitely talking to her sister when she got home, Gail shouldn't even be at home yet, and if the blonde wasn't going to follow her own doctor's orders then she was just going to slow down her recovery if not make her injuries worse.
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Holly was exhausted after her court appearance and couldn't wait to just dump her files at her office and go home. It hadn't been a taxing cross examination, far from it, the evidence spoke for itself and Holly expected the defence to either make a plea agreement with the prosecution or their client was looking at spending a lot of time behind bars.
No. It was all the waiting and anticipation of what questions she had to prepare for that made it a long day. That and thoughts of Gail at home. All Holly had wanted to do since last night was just curl up alongside the blonde and forget the world for a while.
And that was exactly how Holly planned to spend the next few days.
It was already after 5pm when Holly entered the forensic building and gave the receptionist a tired smile as she used her ID card to access the inner corridors. Half an hour Holly figured was all she'd need. Just enough time to sort out her files, check her emails for anything urgent and to make sure everything was in place for her being off for the next few days.
After twenty minutes Holly was ready to leave, pausing only to lock her desk drawer before reaching for her satchel when a knock sounded on her door.
With a tired sighed Holly sat back down behind her desk. "Come in." She called out hoping it wasn't anything that would keep her here longer. She'd been down to be in court all day so she wasn't available for any new cases and she wasn't about to be talked into any.
She just needed to go home.
As the door opened Holly blinked. "Oh. Wasn't expecting you."
Elaine Peck closed the door behind her and stepped up to the desk not bothering with the seat. "No, I don't suppose you were."
Holly folded her arms across her desk, her eyes flicking to her wrist watch. "What can I do for you Superintendent?" She asked. "And am I to assume this is a personal matter or are you here in an official capacity? Because if you are then I'll just be going seeing as I'm on personal leave."
Elaine studied the woman in front of her. She knew more about this woman than her own daughter might. She even admired her intelligence and professional success.
But that didn't stop her from being pissed at her for trying to interfere in a family matter. Her daughter was treading a very fine line right now between being applauded for her actions yesterday morning and being held responsible for the whole mess starting.
"This is both personal and professional." Elaine started, "I would like to speak to my daughter but I have been informed today that she no longer resides in that frat house with those two morons from 15." Elaine informed Holly. "I was told to speak to you or have I been misinformed?"
Holly groaned internally as she pulled off her glasses to wipe them down. She did not want this woman anywhere near Gail right now. And Holly was certainly not going to be the one inviting her into their home tonight. Not when she was contemplating hiding the body of whoever it was that told Superintendent Peck to speak to her in the first place.
"Let's cut the bull, I'm sure you know exactly where Gail is living right now." Holly answered not in the mood to play games. "I'm also not going to pretend that you'd be welcome there tonight either." She continued before standing and gathering her things ready to leave. "What I can do is pass on to Gail that you'd like to see her, I'm sure she'll be in touch." Eventually. Maybe when Hell froze over.
Elaine scowled. "I'm not sure you understand the seriousness of her actions yesterday Doctor Stewart."
Holly scoffed and pulled open her office door, holding it in a clear invitation for the white shirted Superintendent to leave ahead of her. "Oh, I'm more than aware of the situation."
"Then you'll appreciate how urgent it is for both Gail and the department that this matter be cleared up as soon as possible." Elaine told Holly without moving from her spot. "I have SIU waiting to interview her, and now that she's been released from hospital I think it will be best for all concerned that she come in to the station tomorrow."
Holly had just about lost all her patience with the older woman.
"Wouldn't you agree?" Elaine asked, tilting her head to study the other woman.
Holly chewed on her bottom lip then marched back to her desk and picked up her things, leaving the door open in the hopes that Gail's mother would take the hint. By the time she was ready Elaine still hadn't move.
Obviously subtly wasn't Elaine Peck's strong point. "Superintendent I've had a very long few days and I'm going home now." Holly said as she walked back to her office door. "You can either leave or I'll call down and have security escort you from the building."
Elaine narrowed her eyes at the doctor but Holly held her gaze not backing down an inch, just like she hadn't at the hospital. "A word of advice Doctor Stewart, be careful of the choices you make here." She said as she stepped towards the hallway. "Your career may depend on it." She added as she walked away.
Holly blinked. Had Elaine Peck just threatened her job?
She shook her head and just locked her office. Whatever games Elaine Peck was playing Holly wasn't interested. All she wanted was to get home and see with her own eyes that Gail was really okay.
Battered and bruised but alive.
That was all Holly cared about, not Elaine, 15 Division, and certainly not either of their future career prospects. If Holly had her way she'd be able to convince Gail to take a nice normal safe job, like house wife, or librarian.
Holly sighed and made her way out of the building again. Statistically she knew police officers were in less danger of being murdered on the job than the average person in Toronto, it just didn't feel that way sometimes. Not when it was standard procedure to where bullet proof vests when officers are out on patrol.
But even then gun crime was also not the danger police officers faced most when attacked on duty, it was the attackers person that did the most damage; fists, heads and feet accounted for more than 80% of injuries suffered by officers.
Just like the assault Gail had suffered.
Holly tried not to think about the what ifs, she knew Gail could have been killed, or Traci, which would have had a devastating impact on her girlfriend given the connection both women shared after Jerry's death.
If Elaine Peck was still more concerned about appearances than her own daughter's health then that was something Elaine would have to be ready to accept the consequences for.
Holly knew where her priorities lay and they were all at home right now.
Exactly where she needed to be.
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Elizabeth heard the door open and got up from her chair after a quick glance assured her that Gail was still sleeping on the couch.
She met Holly in the hallway and put her finger up to her own lips indicating for her sister to be quiet. "Gail's sleeping on the couch." She explained quietly.
"Good." Holly replied before peeking in to see the head of blonde hair. "Although the bedroom would have been better for her."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes then tugged on her sister and pulled her into the kitchen, further away from Gail but still close enough to know if she woke up.
"Okay what?" Holly asked wondering what was up with her sister now.
Elizabeth kept her voice low as she asked, "Have you seen the news?"
Holly shook her head. "No. I was in court all day." Although she guessed there would be coverage of the incident Gail was part of, after the shoot out to get Traci back, of course there would be speculation and demands for answers from the public and politicians. Holly wasn't naïve, she knew how these things worked. She might not have all the facts about what went on but there had been at least one death caused by a police officer's gunfire, it wouldn't matter if they were taking fire themselves only that someone had been killed by a cop.
"There was a protest last night outside one of the police divisions," Elizabeth explained. "There's supposed to be a bigger one tonight downtown. There's already people there."
Holly didn't understand why her sister looked so worried. It was partly a natural reaction when these events occurred. Police officers were public servants so people had a right to demand answers.
"Holly they're saying the boy that was shot... they're saying he was unarmed." Elizabeth added.
Holly pulled off her glasses to rub her eyes. "That can't be true, I mean, from what I know he was in the car that took Detective Nash, she was pulled free from that car Elizabeth." So whatever was being said in the news had to be wrong.
Elizabeth didn't know what to think so she shrugged. "I don't know, all I know is there seemed to be a lot of angry people planning to be downtown tonight."
Which Holly realised had to be the last thing that anyone wanted. Police officers would have to be on hand to control the crowd which just made them very visible targets for that anger.
Holly really hoped 15 Division wouldn't be called in to help out. She took a breath to reply but a knock at the door stopped her cold.
"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered to herself. If Elaine Peck had followed her home the first thing Holly was going to do come morning was file an official complaint about the woman.
"What, who is it?" Elizabeth asked as she saw the anger flash over her sisters face.
"Someone that's about to be very, very sorry." Holly bit out as another knock threatened to wake Gail.
Elizabeth followed closely behind her sister as she charged for the front door before another knock could wake Gail up.
"Listen, why don't you-" Holly faltered as she yanked the door open to reveal an older black woman holding what looked like a crock pot stood in front of her. Beside her stood Traci Nash and her son Leo.
The woman smiled at Holly and handed the pot over as she stepped inside.
Holly took it by instinct her eyes finding Traci's and full of questions.
Traci guided her son in after her mother. "We came by the hospital."
Holly scowled and handed off the pot to her sister as she closed the door behind Traci and Leo. "Gail hates hospitals." She explained.
Traci smiled sadly. "I know."
Elizabeth did know what to do with the pot she was holding. But whatever was inside was making her hungry.
All four of them ended up stood just inside the living room.
Traci's mom had Gail's face in her hands and both women were crying silently.
"Thank you dear for saving my girl."
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AN/ yeah I know, but real life you know?
So this topic sort of makes me feel off. Not trying to offend anyone or anything, but rookie blue is a cop show and I can't not touch on it. There won't be much anyway as this is mostly going to be from Gail and Holly's side of things.
Thanks for reading!