Back at it with another chapter! Thanks to Hetwaszoietsals for the kind review.
I do not have a fully fleshed idea for this fic, just loose scenes or themes/events that I want to get to write about, so if you have any ideas of where you see this going feel free to PM me or leave it in a review.
This chapter is rated M for mature themes, with a SA scene, take whatever space you need around that.
19.
FRIDAY.
Maya sat at the edge of the water reservoir, watching dragon flies flit across the water's surface. She had taken her shoes off and had her feet in the water. It had gotten warmer than she expected, but the day was more humid than they had had for a while, so was using that to account for her sweaty state. She chewed through the sandwich she had packed, musing on how tonight would go.
It was the third 'first' date her and Carina had planned, the first two not going greatly. She chuckled thinking about the drunken state of the bachelorette party at their previous date. Her thoughts naturally followed to her own wedding, and the pang of loss she felt at the events that followed. She had always considered herself a proud person, proud of who she was, what she could do, so felt a lot of shame around the past few months.
She was so lost in her thoughts she jumped slightly at a voice, "Pretty nice out here," it came from a tall man, wearing lightly coloured hunting clothing, pants and a long sleeve quarter zip. He had a cap on that covered a lot of his head, and dark sunglasses on.
"Uh, yeah it is. You been out hunting?" Maya asked, noting the large blade hanging off the man's belt.
He smirked, Maya noticing his teeth were discoloured, likely from smoking, "Sure have, plenty of prey around." Maya took her feet out of the water, the interruption reminding her that she had places to be.
"What do you get at this time of the year?" It was late spring, where everything had melted, and the day's were warm, but the evenings still cold.
The man gestured to his hunting pack, leaning up against a tree. Rifle barrel sticking up out of the top. "Mostly deer, but sometimes something surprises you." He sounded vague. Vagueness annoyed Maya, she preferred people be direct and say what they meant. She pulled her socks on and did up her laces. Normally she would've let her feet dry first, but felt uneasy so wanted to get moving.
Standing she smiled, "Well I got to get going, my husband is waiting for me in the car park," It was a lie, but one she used frequently when she wanted to reassure herself.
The man folded his arms, "Nice to meet you," He turned back to his pack, reaching down to sling it over one shoulder. He thumbed a small radio, before sliding it into his pant pocket. He faced the tree and Maya rolled her eyes as she heard his fly undo.
'Men,' She thought as she tightened her vest and started to make her way back down the trail.
19.
SATURDAY.
Carina woke with the sun streaming in. She had forgotten to close her curtains, and dawn was making it's appearance. She lay on her back for a while, thinking about the night before checking her phone. Normally it would be on her dresser, but recently she had moved it to her bedside table, in case Maya had messaged her. She often wouldn't reply, at least not immediately, but it was nice to know when a message arrived. Last night she slept with her phone on the pillow next to her.
Tapping the screen all it showed was the time.
0712.
A blank reminder that there had been no contact from her wife. Carina checked on her messaging apps and saw Maya hadn't been active since 11am the previous day. This felt weird and Carina was suddenly worried. The memory of Jack finding her in the hospital still fresh. The waiting and not knowing what was wrong. The screaming of Maya.
"WE'RE THROUGH. WE'RE FINISHED. I HATE YOU."
Determined to not let her thoughts get the better of her Carina made herself an espresso while she got ready. Now faced with two options, the station or Maya's apartment. She decided to just call her wife, pushing away her pride, hoping to just get a thousand apologies that she had been called in and it had been a big night. Even though she didn't often deal with trauma at work, Carina knew when a big event, a building fire, crash or otherwise came through. She hadn't heard of anything major.
"Hi you've reached Maya Bishop, I'm not here right now please leave a message or send me a text."
"Ciao bambina, I- ah, I missed you last night. Call me when you get this," Carina stammered out.
She then decided to go to Maya's apartment, she still had a key, thinking if something had gone wrong at the station people there would've gotten in contact. If something had happened at home, no one may know.
It was a short distance between the two locations, one that Carina would've happily walked or biked, but the tension in her body made driving the most logical answer. She took the unusual risk and ran an orange light, immediately cursing herself. Even though she had a green card, she still felt nervous to bend any law. Running up the stairs the apartment revealed nothing. Carina checked the bedroom, seeing the clothes for their date night laid out on Maya's bed.
The phone dialled twice, "Carina, you all good?" Warren asked from the station.
"Hi Ben, ah, have you seen Maya? I cannot get hand of her," Carina asked, sitting on the arm of the sofa.
"I think you mean get hold of her," He chuckled, "But no I haven't, I think she had taken a personal day. Let me just check." The sound of footsteps running down the stairs filled the speaker.
'A personal day?' Carina paused, wondering when that had been booked in.
"Yeah Carina?" Ben asked, checking she was still there.
"Mhm."
"Yeah she booked a personal day for today, last Friday she put it in. Reece from B shift should be here with the others for 8, you all good?"
"Ah yes, thank you Ben, I am sure I have just missed her," Carina quickly replied. Hanging up she sighed. She knew Maya had worked hard to get her team's faith back that she could be trusted on calls, and didn't want to jeopardise that.
Last Friday had been their previous date night, and they had groaned at 5am when Maya had gotten up to go for a run before shift. She had joked she would try get a Saturday off soon so they could hang out.
Not sure what else to do Carina got up and headed to Grey Sloan, dreading, but also hoping someone there might have an answer.
19.
"C'mon Maya, wake up!" Andy urged, hooking her friend up to an IV line. They had quickly pulled her up onto the road, and rolled her onto a backboard, before carrying her into the aid car. Aside from a slight moan when Warren had put the C-collar on she had remained unresponsive.
Ben pulled the woollen rug off his lieutenant, and used some cutters to rip her thin singlet in half up the middle, chest monitor attachments at hand.
Startled though he stopped, "Herrera," Andy made eye contact with him then looked down. Two dirty wounds were actively bleeding from her abdomen. One just below and to the right of her belly button, and the other an inch above.
"Are those?"
"GSW's," Warren confirmed, sticking the monitor on and reaching back from some padding to try stop the blood loss.
Andy stood for a moment, shocked, "Bishop what the hell happened?"
An alarm blared out, showing Maya's heart rate was dangerously weak, breaking any train of though Andy was getting lost in.
"Warren bag her and get ready for compressions, I'll radio ahead, we need to get her to Grey Sloan."
Ben did as told and got in position with the right gear, while Andy slid into the front of the aid car. Quickly putting on her headphones and turning the engine on she flicked for the lights and sirens before doing a U-turn and heading back towards the city.
"Dispatch this is 19 aid car, I have an unconscious female with 2 known GSW's, head trauma and likely hypothermia, headed for Grey Sloan," She rattled out on the radio.
"Copy 19 aid car, notifying Grey Sloan," The line communicated back.
Keeping both hands on the steering wheel Herrera yelled back, "How is she Warren?"
"I've got her air way, but she's bleeding, you need to hurry," He firmly replied. Bishop was probably the person he was least close with on the team, Vic, Miller, and Sullivan all had the bond of being Black firefighters, and Ruiz, Montgomery and Herrera seemed to understand that also, as people of colour. Jack he had gotten closer with after Miller had died and he would come round for Pru to see her 'Uncle Jack'. Bishop he often found stiff, she didn't joke much with him, but he respected her drive and dedication, even when he didn't understand it much.
They made the 15 minute drive in 10, the windy road preventing Andy from taking too many liberties. They pulled into the ambulance bay at Grey Sloan, pushing the doors open quickly.
An unfamiliar intern greeted them and assisted in the hand over, Warren silently thanking whoever was listening when he saw Hunt was on duty.
Maya was wheeled into a trauma suite and immediately worked on by a team that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Andy grabbed the arm of an attending that arrived a few moments later, glad when Altman turned to face her.
"Good it's you, her pulse is really weak, I'm worried about her heart again," Andy exhaled, voice trembling.
Nodding, "I know, I got her," Altman smiled kindly, then her expression went serious again and she entered the room, as the 'pulse lost' alarm began.
"No, no, no, not like this," Andy said into her hand, which was over her mouth is panic.
Warren rubbed his eyes, suddenly aware that they were both still soaking, "Someone has to tell Carina."
19.
FRIDAY.
Maya ran the first mile away from the reservoir faster than usual, feeling tense after her interaction with the hunter. She couldn't name why, but she felt uneasy. His comment about prey and surprises made her feel on edge, and was happy to put some space between them.
She rounded a tight corner at the end of a steep descent and stumbled over a fallen log that was just below knee height. Landing heavily she cursed. It couldn't be seen till you were on top of it, and she was certain it wasn't there when she came past it the first time. She rolled onto back and sat up, seeing her hands were now rough and beginning to sting, and her right knee had a deep gash on it. Otherwise everything just appeared to be dust and gravel.
"You should be careful, not much cell service here," A voice carried up the path to her.
Maya glanced up and didn't see anyone, the bush was fairly dense here. "Yeah, that, ah came out of nowhere," She stated, not sure where to direct her voice but trying to give the impression she knew who was speaking. The brush to her right moved and a stout man appeared, also dressed in hunting attire. He was wearing a large pack, with a rifle in his left hand.
"Your knee looks painful, here let me get a bandage to keep the dirt out," He offered, putting his pack down next to Maya.
"I have my own first aid kit, I will be fine," Maya quickly replied, sliding her vest off of herself and sitting it between her legs. The man stood back upright. He wasn't very tall, but he looked strong, he had a thick beard and a bald head.
"Please I have the gear right here," He started reaching into his pack, rummaging around. Maya noting he had some dehydrated meals, a rain jacket, and a few other items before he pulled out his first aid kit, quickly grabbing a bandage out. He dropped to one knee in front of her and began wrapping it snugly around her injured leg. The blood seeped through the first few wraps but by the time he had done the whole roll it appeared to be working.
Maya glanced at her watch. She had about 4 miles left, and about 5 hours before her date with Carina. She still felt a bit weird, but decided this man was just being helpful.
That thought was quickly interrupted by his radio crackling into life, "Aye Rick, got sights on tonight's entertainment?" A voice laughed through to them.
'Entertainment?' Maya froze, feeling suddenly cold. She glanced at the man, who had now stood and was holding his radio. He seemed expressionless, holding his rifle in one hand, radio up to his mouth with the other.
"Worked like a charm, be with you shortly," He grinned, quickly swinging the butt of the rifle at Maya before she could get out of the way. The first blow knocked her to her side, the second essentially knocking her out. She groaned as she felt her hands being bound with a cable tie, and her shoe laces being tied together. She felt herself rise and slump, as if lifted over a shoulder. She felt branches and twigs snag at her as she was carried into the thick bush.
19.
SATURDAY.
Carina arrived at Grey Sloan feeling tense, she didn't see any of her closer friends as she walked to her office, where she logged into her work laptop. She quickly opened up the patient database, searching for who was currently admitted. Unsure if it was relief or further confusion when Maya's name wasn't on the list. A short, double knock interrupted her thoughts as Amelia Shepherd opened the door.
"Hey I thought I saw you, isn't it your day off?" She asked, with her large grin, not immediately feeling the mood of a room was one of her specialities.
Carina rubbed her forehead, "I-," Her voice cracked and she swallowed before continuing, "I was meant to see Maya last night and she didn't come, I have checked her apartment, the station, I cannot find her."
Amelia paused, taking in the situation. Carina didn't have many friends outside of work, and neither did Maya, for their own reasons. She didn't know Bishop very well but didn't think she was close with her family for an impromptu visit. The main thing she knew is she had collapsed a few months ago due to overexercise.
Closing the door behind her, "Well what does your gut say to you?"
Carina sighed, looking at her interlocked hands, "I don't know, I cannot tell if I am mad, anxious, disappointed, preoccupata, or hurt, I-I, I don't know what to do," She cast her eyes down, madly blinking away the tears.
Amelia again paused, it wasn't unusual that Carina would add in Italian words when she was stressed, and blend languages together. So from that she knew her friend was struggling. "Have you called her Battalion Chief?"
"I do not want to make her mad, sarà imbarazzata if her boss thinks she is not well again," The stress of the past months were beginning to bubble back for Carina. Shepherd sat on the couch next to Carina's desk, also lost in thought, thinking of a time when her loved ones didn't know where she was, if she was even alive.
"From experience, Maya knows you love her, and knows she can come home when she is ready, I hate to say it, but she will come to you when she is ready," It wasn't perfect advice, but remembering arriving back at her family home after a 3-week bender, the sentiment still rang true.
"What do I do now though? Do I call the police?" Carina could hear her advice, but still felt the need to do something.
"Why don't you go back to her apartment first, and check thoroughly for signs, and maybe call her friends, they may know something?" Amelia wished she could go with her to help, but wasn't free for another 8 hours. "Call me if you need a sounding board," She added.
Grabbing her keys and closing her laptop Carina stood, "Mhm," and forced a smile to her friend before heading out the door.
On her way to Maya's apartment she rang Andy, asking if she had heard from her wife.
"No, she's on leave today," Herrera replied slowly, not sure what was going on.
"Gah," Carina sighed, "I cannot find her, when did you see her last?"
"Uh, Friday morning at the end of our shift. She said she had a date with you that night?"
Carina indicated and pulled in outside the apartment building, "Mhm, and she did not come. Do you know where she went yesterday?"
"I think she said she was going to go for a trail run? But I'm not sure, Carina, is everything ok?" Andy was getting worried for her friend, who's mental health had been shaky that year.
"I do not know Andy, I am at her apartment, I will see if her running clothes are back," Carina hung up without waiting for a reply. She was tense and felt like everything was a bit too much. She opened the door and saw on the shoe rack her trail shoes were gone, checking the cupboard her vest was also gone, the freezer, where she kept her hydration bladder, was also empty. Satisfied she could guess something had happened on a run she again pulled out her phone.
"Hello 911?"
"Yes I would like to report a missing person."
19.
Almost to the storyline's aligning! Again, I hope this isn't too confusing for y'all, having to jump between timelines. I can't quite think of a clearer way to show it, but hopefully it's all making sense.
Thanks heaps for reading, and for the support so far, means a lot!
As always, leave a wee review!