Participants:
Scene Title | Why Turn Your Back |
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Synopsis | Cassidy and Abigail end up in the same place at the hospital, waiting for news of Coren. Only Cassidy gets the information where Abby can't. It's cold enough to freeze hell over till Cassidy wants to know why Abigail didn't help. She learns the cold hard truth. She literally couldn't. |
Date | May 31, 2009 |
Bellevue Hospital Center
How long had it been since Detective Shelby was shot is really hard to guess. Both Cassidy and Abigail could tell you, likely down to the minute. After finishing with her tears in the back of the bar, and one taxi ride later, Abigail is at the nurses station on the appropriate floor. Her registration card is out, eyes rimmed in red and talking with the nurse on duty. "Detective Coren Shelby. I'd like an update if possible? He was the officer on my case and he was coming to.. protect me I think. I'm the Healer from TV, surely you can tell me yes?" Voice tight with emotion. At this rate, she got here just before curfew and is expecting to be here all night regardless unless she gets sent home. This wasn't St. Luke's, they didn't know her and she was getting a headache from everything.
Cassidy spent little time as possible at the scene of the shooting, anxious to get out of there and to the hospital. Maybe it was the anxiety and worry that made one of the shift supervisors finally take pity on her. He pulled the clipboard out of her hand, where she was writing a short statement of what happened. "Cassidy. We got it. Go make sure Detective Shelby is okay." She didn't even protest, she didn't say thank you.. She just turned and left, barely able to keep herself from running to her car. A short stop at the Taco Bell's 'Open all night' drive thru to get food like he requested and Cassidy is striding through the hospital. Her face is devoid of any emotions, even though internally she fights to keep from breaking down in tears. It was Buck all over again. Of course, Buck had been shot in the head, a person doesn't often come back from that.
She spots the healer at the nursing station and she feels a sharp pang, remembering the woman turning away. She doesn't say anything to Abigail, but steps up beside her on the desk, flashing her badge at the nurses. "Detective Shelby.. I'm his partner, Detective O'Shea. What's his status?" Her voice has a hard edge too it, not hint of the warring emotions within. It that tone that most cops get when they are dealing with horrible situations.
The woman gives a firm nod and flips through a chart. "He's in surgery right now Detective. Could be several hours before he's out." Cassidy gives her a thanks, turning away a glancing going to Abigail before moving past her to a row of those nice uncomfortable, hard chairs. She drops into one, setting the bag on the chair next to her. She's ready for a long night.
And just like that, she gets the information she wants but there's that look from Cassidy. It only makes the red head feel more like gum on the bottom of some joggers shoe, being shoved deeper into the treads with each step that lands on pavement. Her fingers take back her Registration card, sliding it into her wallet. "Thank you for your time" Spoken softly to the nurse. The former healer take a seat then, at the end of the row Cassidy is in. Looks like she's planning on parking there too.
Slumping in her chair, Cassidy does a good job of trying to ignore the other redhead. She's upset and she's afraid to open her mouth, there is no saying what will come out of it if she does. As the row of chairs are connected together, the whole thing starts to vibrate softly as Cassidy's knee starts to bounce with her pent up nerves.
"He'll be okay. I don't heal at this hospital, but he'll be okay Detective O'Shea. They take good care of cops" Comes from the younger woman who still keeps looking ahead, her hands resting on the messenger bag on her lap.
The vibrating stops at Abby speaks and Cassidy glances at her. "I hope so." Her voice is still stiff. She glances up at the TV hanging in a corner of the sitting area, Fox News is on, but the volume is turned off. She's not really watching it anyhow. The chairs starts to vibrate again. "At least it's not a head shot.. So I don't have to start looking for a new partner."
"He'll be fine. He'll be up before anyone else will be thanks to his ability" Abby points out. "And even if he didn't have it, he'd still be up and around as soon as they would stop locking him to his bed" She's only known the Detective for a short period of time, and even shorter has she known Cassidy.
"Thank god for that at least." The vibrating of the chairs doesn't stop, but her hand comes up, still with some of him dried blood on it. Truthfully, she hadn't thought about it. "I'm not sure he'd be okay if he didn't have it." She doesn't know how she knows, but she knows he's okay, not that it makes her any less nervous. Her hand drops her lap as she suddenly asks. "Why… Abigail. Why turn your back?" There is no accusing, there is no anger.
"Because I didn't have a choice detective. I didn't turn my back" Abigail replies back to the detective in a fairly emotionless voice.
Cassidy looks at Abigail now, her expression confused. "What do you mean you had no choice?" The vibrating stops and the detective sits up in her chair, leaning towards her. "What could possibly keep you from bring able to help him?"
"How about not being able to heal detective? How about because when I touch a person and say a prayer nothing happens. How about last week, at the same time that Detective Shelby got shot I had my gift ripped from me and given to someone else and I was left with nothing. Tell me detective how I'm supposed to heal someone when i can't? Huh?" It's snapped out a little more than she really had reason for being snippy. "It's gone. I didn't run forward because I couldn't do anything for him but get in the way of the paramedics"
There is no flinch or grimace, but Cassidy's brows lift high on her head. "Lost them? Ripped from you?" She frowns a bit. "I didn't hear anything about any attack." She says leaning back in her chair again, eyes going to the TV again. "So I imagine you didn't go to the police about it."
"No" Abigail answers. "Was in .. shock and by the time all was said and done…" She couldn't very well drag flint down to the police station. hey some guy attacked us, by the way, this guy is wanted for multiple counts of everything. "So now you know"
"Yeah… Now I know." Cassidy repeats blandly, the knee starts going again. She's quiet for a long time, before she suddenly says. "I'm sorry you lost your gift, Abigail. If anyone deserved that type of gift it's you." No she hasn't known the woman very long, but she still doesn't hesitate to say it.
Whatever. She doesn't say that out loud. Abigail's angry, one little ball of anger and worry. Doesn't change how the woman acted toward her when she thought that Abby was turning her back on the very same people she'd helped before. Proved that the woman didn't know her, that even Shelby didn't know her enough to know that she wouldn't do it without very good reason. Namely, she literally couldn't do it. "Can I get a cop to drive me home? Since it's past curfew and can you leave a message on my phone when he's out of surgery. I should go. there's nothing I can do and I'll only get in the way" The pity and sympathy haven't started yet. Well no, sympathy has, and she doesn't want to stick around when it becomes just that. "And you can tell him. If you want. So he doesn't think what you did. That I abandoned and turned my back on him"
Cassidy doesn't look at Abigail but she can sense that anger, or maybe it's her own at the guy that shot her partner. "Yeah.. and gonna get a car put outside of your place and Old Lucy's." Fishing out her cellphone, she punches in the number for dispatch. Lifting it to her ear she hazards a glance at Abby. "Hey.. O'Shea here.. I need a unit to come by Bellevue, I have a woman that needs a ride, she's a witness." She's quiet moment and then explains where Coren is at the moment. Obviously the new is spreading fast. "Yeah.. I will. I'll tell him when I finally get to see him. Hey…" She says quickly as the dispatch is hanging up. "I want units set at the woman's apartment and Old Lucy's in case this guy shows up again." She nods at something said, gives a short goodbye and snaps the phone shut. "They are on the way."
"Thanks" Abigail of the very few words. "Good luck finding him Detective" Abigail pushes herself up from the chair, slipping her messenger bag over her shoulders and starts heading off towards the elevators
"Yup." Cassidy says firmly already dialing her phone again. She won't be the only one looking, she's got connections now. Not that Abby or even Coren need to know. She watches the other woman moves to the elevators as she brings the phone to her ear. Her voice is very soft so that she can't be over heard. "Mortimer? Hey handsome. I need some help."