Participants:
| Scene Title | He Knew |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Liz is well enough to at least briefly touch base with Cassidy to reassure(?) her. |
| Date | Aug 27, 2009 |
Telephones
Emotional ties can be tricky things — especially when the target is asleep for much of a few days. Throughout late Wednesday and Thursday, Cassidy would have gotten flickers from Elisabeth. Muted fear that settles quickly to a sense of uneasyness. Relief. Sadness. But nothing like what she got before. Thursday night, Liz finally manages to convince her keepers that she is well enough for at least a phone call — of course it helps that certain protective people had something they had to go do. Cassidy's phone rings, and it shows Elisabeth's cell number when it pops up.
The phone doesn't have to ring more then a couple of times before the line picks up, Cassidy's relief washes over the other woman. Of course, first thing Elisabeth hears is a "Shit —" and the sound of a clatter as red head accidentally drops her phone. Fumbling with it she finally gets the phone up to blurt out, "Liz?" A nervous twinge in her gut as she waits to hear from the other woman.
In all reality, the fumble makes her smile on her end of the phone. "Yeah, Cassidy… it's me." The sense of relief feels… strange. Relief that Cassidy picked up the phone? Maybe just relief that she's alive to talk to her sometime partner. "I wanted… to let you know…" Elisabeth trails off. She was going to say 'that I'm okay', but … she's not. Easier to change the subject. "How're things at the precinct? Am I in deep shit?"
"I have been completely worried sick about you, girl." Cassidy states, the relief evident in her tone. "Don't worry about the precinct for now. After what total nightmare you went through, it should be the last of your worries." Of course, all Cassidy has gotten from anyone was a text that said simply that Liz was alive. "But yeah.. Coren and I are doing what we can to cover your ass in this."
Sitting upright in her bed, Elisabeth is still propped on pillows. Though she's well enough by now to move around some, there is still pain and she's been remaining in the bed except for necessities because she's still dizzy at times. Tonight's really the first time she hasn't been dopey with painkillers. "I'm sorry you were worried," she says in a husky tone, tears springing to the fore immediately. "I, uhm… yeah. Thanks. For … covering." She bites her lip, realizing that she now has a choice…. in covering for her, Cassidy and Coren have given her the possibility of hiding what's happened to her. Is that good or bad? She clears her throat. "I… don't think I'll be able to reappear before Monday," she finally says quietly. The nightmares are guaranteeing that she's not sleeping much.
"Don't cry. You cry.. I'm gonna cry." Cassidy tries to tease, of course, Liz's emotions are making it nearly impossible to not sound on the edge of tears herself. She moves into the the spare bedroom of Coren's apartment, not that it matters really… but somethings are habit, even the illusion of privacy. "Of course, we're gonna cover. Once we knew something was up…" Like the feelings of sheer terror. "We knew you might need it." She's quiet for a moment before she asks. "How is Richard taking it? He sounded pretty stressed when I called him and he told me you were a prisoner of…. those bastards."
There is a long silence. "Not… good," Elisabeth finally replies quietly. Stressed doesn't begin to cover it. Again there is silence on her end, the open line somehow a comfort right now. "I don't know what to say," she whispers, the tears slipping down her cheeks. Her emotions are a mess, all jumbled and wild. And there's a sudden, fierce longing from her that is quickly squelched by sadness.
"Would you believe me if I said, no words are needed?" Cassidy reassures even as she wipes a tear from her own eye. "We're here for you… I'm here for you. Girl cops gotta stick together." Even as her voice is calm her emotions are twisted in a knot, only thing probably keeping her from being just as big a wreck is the fact that her link to Coren is stronger. So the man's calmer emotions sooth her some. "Take what time you need, Liz. Though you might need to call in some sick leave if it goes overly long. Stomach flu or something. We have you off following leads on the Azrael case." There is a slight flare of anger and shame on Cassidy's end when she mentions that name.
That name…. that name brings up rage in Elisabeth. "He was there," she spits out. "He fucking knew where I was, Cassidy." She's shaking with it. "He came… not too long before they… shot me. I begged him to tell you guys where I was and he…. " She curls up in the bed, the rage… the remembered terror, the pain all coming back. "I gotta go." The phone is hung up again before Cassidy can reply, and Elisabeth's anguish rolls over the redhead as the blonde curls up in a tiny ball and sobs her heart out.
The flood of emotions from Elisabeth makes Cassidy gasp even as the phone goes dead. "Fucking Azrael.. that son of a Bitch." It's hard to tell if any of the fury is her own or Liz's. She has to close her eyes for a moment against the terror and rage, breathing slowly trying to calm herself. It's a futile effort. Looking at the phone, Cassidy frowns a bit. Azrael… bastard is fucking with them all. What's next?
Cassidy closes the phone with a soft sigh and reaches for one of the pillows. Curling herself round it, holding it tight, and pressing her face against it, the redhead can only lay there and endure the other woman's emotions.
Her ability really does suck sometimes.