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Mark
Mark had noticed the flower.
And while his curiosity was piqued, he wasn’t sure what to think. She might have brought the flower in herself. There was no possibility right now she’d started seeing anyone, at least not that he was aware of. He could logic his way out of any jealousy by telling himself that, although the idea that she had started seeing some guy niggled at the back of his brain and wouldn’t stop tormenting him.
They were quiet in the car, with him driving. It gave Darby a chance to prepare for these resuscitations. When they were called in for a case they weren’t involved in from the start, it took a heavier toll on her. A few minutes of quiet seemed to help.
When they were about halfway there, he set the car on auto and turned to his partner. “Everything okay? You going to be able to handle a resuscitation?”
“I should be,” she said, even though she didn’t look at him. Darby lifted the sheet the LT had given them. “Seems cut-and-dried. Boyfriend found the girlfriend fooling around, shot the guy and killed him, injured the girlfriend, then went on the lam. Police found him overnight on a tip.”
That wasn’t what he’d been asking, but he let it slide.
Every outside resuscitation seemed to get worse. In the early days, she’d be asked to step in, and she’d be a little weak afterward, need about ten minutes to pull herself together. But now...it was different.
It all had started two years ago after a particularly difficult resuscitation when she’d been desperately ill, and had passed out. If they hadn’t been at a hospital and hadn’t done some preparation beforehand, she might have died.
“Sounds like you shouldn’t have any trouble,” he agreed.
“Shouldn’t.”
Two serious-looking female detectives met them at the refrigerated morgue. Everyone knew the drill.
As such, they’d set up the morgue with a stretcher to one side with the victim, another with the killer, and a seat in between. It was chilly, which Mark only rarely took notice of. It kept the stench of the dead down, slowed the decomposition process.
A handful of observers stood off to one side, including one with a video camera. Well over half of Darby’s resuscitations were recorded for court...if the cases ever saw trial before the killer died from aftereffects of her powers.
He escorted her to the chair between the killer and his victim, then stood back. She would need him afterward. Even if they’d been sparring, this was something that hadn’t changed. She needed him.
He just wished she realized he needed her.
Darby folded her hands in her lap then reached to the killer.
The guy jerked away.
Mark helped the two officers haul him back into place.
She watched them dispassionately and gave a little nod of thanks when they were done.
This time, she reached for the victim first. With her hand on him, she extended her other hand to the murderer.
An audible electric sizzle rang throughout the room as Darby touched both men. A couple of the uniforms and one of the medical personnel exchanged nervous glances.
It took a little over two minutes, then the sizzle faded.
Darby’s arms dropped to her sides, her chin to her chest.
The medical team rushed to the victim, who was now breathing. Officers wheeled the killer away.
Mark was left to tend to Darby.
He crouched in front of her. “You okay?”
She took a few deep breaths, then finally peeked at him. “I think so.”
But she had paled and looked positively ill.
“You sure?”
Darby tried to get up, but fell back in the chair. “Okay, maybe not.”
What if she was sick again? The last time had landed her in a hospital bed.
His chest tightened. “Do you want someone to look you over?”
She hesitated. “No, not really.”
He brushed some of her honey-blonde hair from her face, and picked up a slight sizzle through his fingertips. “If you’re saying that because you want to work our case, I’ll have to insist, Darb.”
She scowled.
“Only my doctor. If he’s here.”
Mark signaled to the remaining medical personnel.
“Maybe I need some water,” Darby suggested weakly after the aide was dispatched.
This was so strange for her, and all he could think of was making sure she was okay. “I want you checked out. You’re extremely pale.”
She tucked her head between her knees. “Oh...”
“Darb, are you sick?” He huddled next to her, and not knowing what else to do, rubbed her back. It seemed he’d done this with one of his sisters once.
“Really light-headed.”
The familiar form of Doctor Jacoby burst through the doors. He squatted next to Darby’s form. The doctor murmured to her.
“Did she just do a resuscitation?”
“Yes. For OPBPD.”
The doctor frowned, but felt Darby’s wrist. “Pulse is strong. My dear, can you look at me?”
Her gulp was audible, but she slowly raised her face.
“Are you dizzy?”
“Yes.”
“And this happened after a resuscitation?”
She nodded and shakily brought the cup to her lips.
“When was the last time you performed a resuscitation?”
“Yesterday around midday,” Mark supplied. “One of our cases.”
“I see.” Jacoby turned back to Darby and talked quietly to her, so low Mark couldn’t make out what was being said.
She started nodding in response to him. Slowly, color returned to her cheeks. She finally looked up and gave Mark a timid smile.
The tightness in his chest loosened.
“What happened?” Mark asked Jacoby. “Do I need to worry about her the rest of the day?”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Mark,” Darby interjected.
“You’re my partner. I get to worry about you.”
Jacoby got to his feet. “Keep her hydrated, and if you can, let her rest. You guys have an active?”
Mark nodded. “Caught it last night, but the victim has been deceased since Sunday.”
Jacoby winced. “Do your best with her.”
“I’m sitting right here,” Darby said. The sparkle was back in her eyes.
The doctor ignored her. “I think she’ll be fine. I’d almost give her something to raise her blood pressure, but it can make people jittery, even in small doses, so I’m going to hold off unless this becomes a regular problem.”
“Do you think it’s related to the resuscitation?” Mark asked.
Darby growled.
“Almost certainly.” Jacoby turned back. “Have you ever performed resuscitations this close to each other before?”
Darby glanced to Mark. “A couple days, maybe a little less. This is definitely the closest I’ve ever done any before, other than a double resuscitation a few weeks before I was kidnapped.”
Mark nodded. “She’s right. I can’t recall anything closer than about two days.”
Jacoby pursed his lips. “So you tested your limits today, and you didn’t think to have me present?”
“I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
“My dear, we’re still trying to figure you out. I would have preferred to hook you up to monitors to determine how back-to-back resuscitations affect you.”
Darby sighed. “Fine. I’ll probably destroy the equipment though.”
“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it. You call me when this happens. Understand?”
She gave a solitary nod.
The doctor nodded. “Go eat some pretzels or potato chips, Darby. Drink lots of fluids today, and if you can, please get some rest. You severely stressed your body. You’re lucky you guys have a pressing case and I’m incredibly busy today, or I’d be hauling your ass upstairs for further testing.”
Mark bit his tongue to keep from laughing, but couldn’t keep the smile from his face.
Darby scowled at him. “Laugh it up, fuzzball.”
Jacoby glanced at the clock. “I’ve got to return to a meeting. Herman, you call me later this afternoon, or bring her in to St. Mary’s if she goes downhill. I’ll put a note in her file.”
“Got it.”
The doctor left.
Mark offered Darby his hand.
She stared at it for a moment, then attempted to get up on her own.
She didn’t make it.
“Come on, Darb, don’t be stubborn. You don’t like us talking around you, or me laughing at you, fine. I get that. But at least let me try to be a gentleman and help you up. You’re weak.”
“I bet I could still kick your ass,” she said.
He laughed as she placed her hand in his. “I’d like to see you try.”
She wobbled once on her feet.
He put an arm around Darby’s waist.
She looked up at him in alarm.
“Until you feel more sure of yourself, Darb, let me help you. There aren’t any other cops here for you to feel weak around, only me.” Of course, he tried not to enjoy holding her close, would never speak of it if she asked, but he did love the feel of her in his arms.
They desperately needed to sit down and talk, and the longer they waited, the harder it would be. Maybe they could do it tonight, after shift.
They started walking, and she leaned on him for support.
Okay, maybe not today. She was pretty weak. Tomorrow? Thursday?
They came around a corner. A uniform stood at the elevator bank down the hall.
Darby tried to stand up and pulled away a little.
Mark shifted and put his hand at the small of her back.
“I’m fine,” she hissed.
“You don’t have to pretend to be strong, Darb.”
“I refuse to be treated like an invalid.”
Definitely not today. Mark gritted his teeth. “I’m just trying to—”
“I don’t need your help, Mark.”
“Your situation five minutes ago would state otherwise.”
She glared at him. “Not in front of other officers.”
If it were just the two of them, he’d shake her to knock some sense into her, and because she was being so irresistibly frustrating, probably kiss her. The urge to kiss her was almost unbearable. But he wouldn’t—couldn’t—do that here and now. Not again.
They hit the main doors and called the Flexion around to their position. It was already warm—easily in the eighties—and the humidity was pumping in from the Gulf of Mexico, a thousand kilometers to the south.
Darby crumpled against him as soon as they hit the heat.
“If you pass out, you’re going right back in that hospital, Shaw. Now stand up. That’s an order.” He held her in his arms long enough for her to get acclimated, then released her.
She stood shakily.
While Mark didn’t like having to be hard with her, if she was going to try to be the big, bad cop, he’d have to push her.
“You’re worse than Pops.”
He opened her door and made sure she got in safely. “Drink some water.”
“Nag, nag, nag.” But her lips hinted at a smile as she reached for a bottle.