Greetings readers... new fanfic.. going a bit dark (I know... I'm not exactly lighthearted).. I will try to keep the chapters shorter than my usual. Hopefully, I can update faster this way.
I'm back on the mainland, still working on my book and soon searching for gainful employment.
The title of the story comes from a Sia song called Bird Set Free. I thank marsupial1974 very much so for it. I didn't know what to call it but she's good like that. Thanks babes.
Thanks for having a go at it. Cheers.
"Unconscious female in her 20s. Possible overdose. Possible assault. Police on scene." They groaned as they heard the call out followed by the address. They turned on the lights and sirens. While they preferred police to be present at questionable or hazardous scenes, in this scenario it meant things were being treated as a possible crime and everything had evidentiary possibilities. They were still being called to treat the victim but they were also going to be second-guessed on everything if this went tits up. Just another Thursday. The woman driving thought as she gleefully made vehicles give way to her ambulance. Her partner had hopped in the back and was likely already snapping on rubber gloves and grabbing the jump kit.
It didn't take long to arrive at the location. It was a club in the warehouse district. Someone's idea of a grand locale for partying with lower overhead. The police cruiser had its lights on and was parked blocking off an alley. The exited the ambulance and walked with purpose. The officer on scene rattled off what he knew. A young man called police on his mobile as the girl he was pounding went into some sort of seizure. He thought she might be under the influence given her focus but it didn't stop him or slow him down in having his way with her. He was sitting in the back of the cruiser for further questioning. Her clothing appeared to be ripped and while it was possible things had been consensual, the officer wasn't chancing losing the guy.
She was laying on her side with a light blanket covering her. A kindness probably from the officer. Naomi had taken the kit from her partner who knelt and began assessing the patient after pulling the blanket off.
"I'd say a huge yes on the drugs. Eyes are absolutely fucked."
"They haven't added that category to the reports. Define please." She dropped her voice. "And remember we've got ears around us you twat."
He looked up and saw the cop not exactly hovering but looking on. "Fully dilated. Pulse is reaching tachy and we've got plenty of vomit. Yay." Naomi resisted slapping Shaughnessy only because of the audience. She would talk to him later. He was excellent at his job but a total dildo otherwise. She finally looked at the girl after handing over the manual suction to clear out the airway.
"Fuck." Her partner looked at her. "I know her."
..
The machine was beeping steadily. She'd clocked off her shift about two hours ago. It was creeping on 9 now. She'd gone back to hospital after getting her personal vehicle. She was sitting on an uncomfortable chair fast asleep. She hadn't wanted to leave in the first place but being on duty pre-empted any thoughts of chivalry and care. She'd made one call on the way here, leaving a message as she didn't think the owner of the phone would bother answering that early.
"Hey I need you too look into a couple things. You have connections and I need information. You wouldn't believe who I picked up on a call tonight. And before you say any crap about privacy, don't. Doesn't apply right now."
She said the name and left word as to what information she wanted. There was an increase in the beeping and her eyes popped open. Her hand went to the limp wrist on the bed and tried taking a pulse herself. The girl was still unconscious and likely having dreams. Her heartbeat came back down after a couple of minutes. Naomi rubbed the back of the woman's hand. "What the hell happened to you?" She said it out loud and jumped when she got a response.
"Bitch sister turned bitchier. Major loss. Add time, obvious self hatred, her sister's dicksplash of a boyfriend and you have total destruction."
"Fuck Effy... why do you do that?" She watched as her long time friend walked into the room with a folder under her arm. For once, she was dressed sublimely and warm. Naomi thought that was perfectly rational given the chill in the hospital. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see her." She approached and handed Naomi the inch-thick file. "All I could find from the moment you left Bristol to now. Some of it was public, some not." She paused as her eyes took in the sight of the girl on the bed. "She's in pain."
"What?" Naomi looked at the woman lying there attached to electrodes and tubing. She looked for signs of distress.
"Not right now. But she's been hurting a while according to what I found. You won't like it." Effy had become a private investigator. She mostly dealt with corporate espionage and white collar crimes. But she had contacts and access to a lot of information not available to the general public. She also had certain connections and personal skills that opened confidential police files. There had been a number of redacted files that gave specifics on the woman's past according to an unnamed informant.
"Great." She stopped as she braced herself for what she might read. She knew Effy didn't mince words, nor did she downplay things. If she was warning her about the file, then she needed to be ready for it. She lifted her eyes and caught the gentle touch Effy placed on Emily's cheek. It was a show of tenderness not always on display.
"I've got the day off. I can sit with her if you need to sleep."
"I'm off the next 48 so I can catch up on sleep later. I want to be here when she wakes up." She watched as Effy pulled up another chair and settled herself into it. Apparently, she wanted to be here too. Naomi started to flip through the file.
