"Anyone seen or heard from DS Fleming?" Ted Hastings asked his team as they gathered around him. The raid had ended very successfully. All the members of the OCG present in the warehouse had been captured and were now on their way to be processed and questioned at local police stations.
There were negative responses to Ted's questions and he had a bad feeling about the DS. He had tried to contact her several times over the radio when he hadn't seen her, but had received total radio silence.
"We're gonna have to go back in there and find her," Ted ordered his officers. His best team were very close and he had to find Kate or Ted knew he was going to feel the full force of DS Arnott's wrath, especially as he hadn't wanted to leave her earlier that morning.
AC-12 went back in to the warehouse with their search mainly concentrating on the back of the building where Kate had last been seen. A couple of officers also tried working on the lights as the darkness was hampering the search.
Two DC's were just about to finish in one area of the deserted building when they heard the distant ringing of a mobile phone. They moved towards the sound, torch beams moving from side to side as they walked closer.
"Kate!" one called and then they both listened for a reply. Nothing came and the phone stopped ringing.
"Maybe it was nothing," one DC said before the phone started ringing again and they carried on moving towards the sound until they were sure they were as close to it as they could get.
"Kate!" they both shouted as they moved their torch beams around looking for their colleague. One fell on a stair well that consisted of eight concrete steps leading down towards some sort of pit that was usual in a mechanics garage.
There at the bottom of the stairs was the crumpled body of their friend. She was unconscious and not moving. The two DC's looked at each other very concerned.
"Sir, we've found her," one informed the gaffer as the other descended the stairs and checked for a pulse at Kate's neck.
"She's alive," he murmured.
"We're gonna need some paramedics," the other informed Ted.
"They'll be there shortly," Ted said before deciding to follow them.
Kate's phone started ringing again and the DC who was checking on her saw who it was that was trying to call her. "It's DS Arnott," he told the other DC. "Should I answer it?".
"Sir," the other DC said into her radio, "DS Arnott is calling DS Fleming. Do we answer it?".
"No!" replied Ted. That was the last thing he wanted. Making a decision he spoke again into his radio. "I'll do it when we have more information,".
It wasn't long before the paramedics and Ted arrived on the scene and the medics got to work assessing Kate. All their gentle prodding and poking eventually roused her to everyone's relief. She was very dazed and couldn't really remember what had happened but she was able to inform the paramedics of her painful left ankle. One pulled up her trouser leg and saw the swollen joint which was by now also going a nice shade of purple.
"It could be broken," he surmised. "We need to get you to hospital for an x-ray and get someone to check the rest of you over as well," he told Kate.
Ted realised Kate was not her usual self when she agreed to the hospital visit without any argument. It was quite unlike her to not out up a fight.
"I think someone should probably answer the phone," the other paramedic said, holding out Kate's phone to Ted as Kate wasn't really in any fit state to be answering a call. "This person is quite persistent," he added, seeing it was Steve trying to contact Kate for about the fifth time since the paramedics had been with Kate.
"Give it here," Ted said, before finally answering the call. "Steve," he said gruffly.
"Sir?" replied Steve, a little surprised to hear his boss on the end of the phone before he realised what it might mean. "Is Kate ok?".
Ted paused as he thought about how best to answer. The last thing they needed was Steve arriving in a fluster. "There's been a bit of a-," he started to say before Steve cut him off.
"What's happened?" Steve demanded.
"We're not sure and Kate can't remember either," Ted explained.
"Oh my god!" Steve said.
"She's fine, Steve," Ted tried to placate his DS. "The paramedics think she just tripped and fell," he added, "but they want to take her to hospital-,".
"I'll be right there," Steve interrupted before hanging up.
"- to check her over," Ted said to a dead phone before he too hung up.
Kate was dozing when the nurse stuck her head in to her cubicle. She had been assessed by a doctor who had deemed her injuries not life threatening. She was now awaiting an X-ray with her left foot elevated on a pillow on a trolley whilst she did so.
"Kate?" the nurse asked gently to rouse her patient.
Kate opened her eyes a bit startled as she looked around wondering where she was before she remembered where she was.
"I've got a Steve outside who's quite keen to come in and see you," the nurse explained. "Is that alright?".
"Is he making an arse of himself?" Kate asked, knowing how Steve could be when he was worried about something or someone.
"No," the nurse reassured her patient. "He's just persistent,".
"Send him in," Kate replied. The nurse left to be promptly replaced by Steve who bustled in and stood at Kate's side.
"I'm so sorry, mate," Steve started to say guiltily. "This is all my fault,".
"Don't be a tit, Steve," Kate replied. There was no way he was to blame for her accident. "This is in no way your fault,".
"If I'd been there -," he started to argue.
"- I'd still have tripped," Kate pointed out.
"That looks bad," Steve said as he caught sight of Kate's bruised and swollen ankle.
"You've got X-ray vision have you?" Kate retorted. "You kept that quiet, Superman,".
"Kate,".
"I'm fine. Honestly," Kate reiterated. "Just waiting for an X-ray and I'll be out of here. How's Ellie?" she asked, diverting Steve's attention away from her.
"Spotty," Steve said as he sat down heavily in the chair beside Kate's trolley. He was greatly relieved to see Kate wasn't as badly injured as he thought. He'd jumped to the worst case when the gaffer had answered Kate's phone. "Fast asleep in her bed surrounded by a pile of her teddies when I last saw her,".
Steve had finally got hold of his mum after hearing of Kate's accident and asked her to babysit whilst he went to the hospital. They had both popped their heads in to Elle's bedroom before Steve had left.
Kate smiled at Steve's words. "That's good," she said.
The porter arrived shortly after to transfer Kate to X-ray and back. Steve stuck like glue to his mate throughout the trip, leaving her briefly alone only for the short time it took for the X-ray to be performed.
"I've got good news," the doctor said entering the cubicle after reviewing Kate's ankle X-ray. "I can't see any broken bones," he informed her. "So I think it's a very bad sprain and possible ligament damage,".
"What does that mean?" Steve asked concerned.
"It means lots of rest with the foot elevated," the doctor replied. "Ice packs if it gets more swollen. Pain killers," he continued. "And crutches for the next two weeks. I don't want you weight bearing on this foot whilst it heals," he informed Kate. "We will see you in clinic in two weeks and see how you are progressing,".
Kate nodded in understanding. The news was better than she had hoped. "So I can go home?".
"We'll give you a quick tutorial on using crutches," the doctor replied, "but then yes you can be discharged,".
Kate smiled happily.
"As long as you have someone at home with you because of your concussion,".
"I'm fine," Kate insisted.
"It's the rules I'm afraid," the doctor said regretfully. "It's for your own safety-,".
"She'll be staying with me," Steve interjected. He hasn't discussed it with Kate but it alleviated some of the guilt he felt in her injury.
"Excellent," the doctor said, turning to Steve. "I'm going to get some information on head injuries," he told him. "Any worrying signs, please bring her straight back,".
"Will do," Steve agreed quickly.
"And I'll get you a clinic appointment and some analgesics for you to take home," he told Kate. "Once the nurse has shown you the crutches you can go,".
"Thanks," Kate said before the doctor departed. Now alone with Steve she glared at him.
"What?" Steve asked.
"You know what," she replied huffily as she crossed her arms, annoyed at Steve's protectiveness. She would have been fine on her own.
Steve smiled. He knew Kate was miffed that he'd decided she was staying with him without any discussion. "It's payback for getting the gaffer to send me home earlier," he informed Kate remembering how she had ambushed him at AC-12. "Now we're even!" he took delight in telling her.