Rachel wakes up to find she's lying on a gurney in the back of an ambulance. A sterile scent lingers thickly in the cool air, a familiar smell from years spent working in the hospital. A heart monitor is beeping steadily beside her, another familiarity from decades ago. The lights above her are so bright, that they're almost blinding. Their reflection off the metal cabinets seems to intensify their intentness. She looks over to find an EMT adjusting the bag of fluids dripping steadily into her arm. How did I end up here?
The last thing she remembers is climbing up the steep mountainside. Rachel suddenly recalls the landslide and how she was nearly plowed to the ground by falling rock. Rachel's thoughts shift to her partner still trapped in the car. They need to find him before it's too late, she thinks. In a state of panic, she licks her lips and quickly blurts out, "My partner is in the cruiser at the bottom of a cliff." Her throat is so parched that her panicked words are barely audible.
"What was that?" The EMT asks, leaning closer, hoping to be able to hear what she said.
"Jerry is trapped in the car at the bottom of the cliff." She manages to mutter before losing consciousness again.
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Rachel awakens a short while later to find her handsome husband standing beside her bed, her hand cupped in his.
Seeing she's awake, Joe squeezes her hand, gently lays it on the bed and says, "You had us scared to death." Bending down, he kisses her forehead. She'd coded twice in the ambulance. The doctor said her cardiac arrest was likely caused by a heat stroke, running a series of tests to confirm.
"Did they find Jerry?"
Hobbling over in his walking boot he says, "Doc says I need to take it easy for a while, give my leg time to heal, but other than that I'm alright."
Joe glances at his detective, then over at his wife and says, "I'm just glad you two made it out alive."
Recalling the cause of it all, Rachel asks, "What fell?"
"Jeff and Kirk are checking into that now." Joe lies. Afraid that finding out what it was would be detrimental. Life-like dolls of your family hanging by their neck could cause anyone to have heart failure more so in an already frail state.
"I need to help them look." Throwing the covers back, she swings her legs to the side of the bed and says, "So go get the doctor, and tell him I'm ready to leave." She's worked in the hospital for numerous years, but despises the idea of being a patient herself.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, honey." Lifting her legs, he places them back in bed. He's reaching for the cover when she throws her feet over again.
"And why not?"
Let the battle begin, Joe thinks. He was hoping to avoid this argument at least for a while. But knowing Rachel as well as he does, Joe should've known it was going to happen sooner rather than later. "The doctor says he wants to keep an eye on you for a few days to make sure you're alright."
"A day or two, no, I can't do that. I have an investigation to run, and leads to follow."
"About that." Joe says anxiously shifting his weight.
Glancing between her partner and hubby. Rachel asks, "Why do I get a feeling you're about to tell me that I'm off the case?"
"Your father feels and Jerry and I agree this investigation has become too dangerous for you to continue. And that's why we feel it'd be in everyone's best interest if we.."
"You can't do this to me, Joe. You can't."
"He's threatened your life numerous times, right?"
"So has some of the others."
"And you told me earlier you thought he was stalking you." Jerry adds.
"I got an eerie feeling that I was being watched, but no one was there."
"I heard him wishing you a safe trip home, meaning he knew you were out of town."
"He probably tracked me by my GPS or something."
"Which is a form of stalking. And you know as well as anyone that stalkers can be dangerous especially when they feel threatened."
"You're already one man down, Joe, so you really can't afford to lose me too."
Shaking his head at his little drama queen, he chuckles and says, "You're not being fired, Rachel just reassigned is all."
"I might as well be canned, being told what case I can and can not investigate." Having another thought, she turns and adds, "This is exactly what he wants, Joe me running scared. So, by doing this, you're letting him win."
"He wins the battle, and we'll win the war." Kissing her forehead Joe says, "Besides, your life is much more important than any head game."
Picturing the victims in her mind she says, "He's a murder, Joe. A cold blooded killer, and he won't stop until he's caught."
"In case you've forgotten Sergeant, Jerry and I have been solving cases long before you came along."
"I know that Joe, but since he's gone after my family, I think it's only right that I be the one to bring him in. Besides, I can hold my own. You know I can. I've proved it to you time and time again."
"I hate to break it to you, wifey of mine, but you're not a superhero. And as much as you'd love to believe you are, you're not invincible. Today's near death experience proved that."
"We survived, though, right?"
"After coding twice on the bus."
"I did what?"
"You suffered a heat stroke, Rachel, which put you into cardiac arrest. Something that wouldn't have happened if you were at the station instead of chasing a lead."
"This is my case, damn it, and I need to see it through."
"And end up getting killed in the process? No, Rachel, I'm not putting your life in danger again. You're off the case and that's final."
"You're infuriating Joe."
"I'm only doing this because I love you."
Crossing her arms across her chest she says, "Yeah, well, I don't love you right now or you either Jerr." Working together for as long as they have, the three have formed a strong, family-like bond. Jerry being the clown of the bunch.
Making a pouty face, Jerry lays his head on her shoulder imitating her child's voice and says, pease don't say that, mommy, pease. It'll break our wittle hearts."
Smiling, she pushes him away. "Ok, Ok I love you, but I'm still really mad at you two."
"How are you supposed to run point from a safehouse anyhow?" Joe questions.
"A safehouse?"
"The agreement you made with your dad?"
Picturing her father in her mind she asks, "Does he know about the accident?"
"No, and we're going to keep it that way."
Nodding in agreement, she says, "I've got to call him, and let him know I'm alright otherwise he'll be on the first flight back."
"Your sister Becca took care of that for you."
"She did?"
" She imitates your voice quite well."
"Captain, that was Jeff, He said there was a problem at the safehouse, plumbing issues, said the apartment is full of sewer gas."
"Tell him to get a plumber out there to fix it."
"He tried to, boss. Said the guy is so backed up that he won't be able to get to it until late next week."
"Move them somewhere else then."
"Harrison PD has all the other safe houses occupied."
"I guess they'll have to go back to the apartments then at least for a week or so."
"That will work out perfectly, Joe."
"What will?"
"I can still work the case from the safety of our home." Seeing the skeptical look she adds, "We already have all the equipment I need to run this investigation remotely." She glances over at her partner and says, "Jerry can man the desk from the comfort of our couch, leaving Jeff and Kirk to follow the leads."
Joe recalls the first case she worked on back in her rookie days. Like this case, the perp threatened her life numerous times. Attempted to kidnap her when she got too close, but nearly got her cousin Emma instead. Finding out about the threats on her life and the attempted kidnapping, her father, the assistant DA at the time, requested Rachel and her cousin be placed in protective custody. Two days later, Rachel comes across a potential lead and decides to follow it on her own. She apprehends the suspect, nearly being killed in the process. I'll have someone keep a real close eye on her and Jerry will be there so there's no way it could possibly happen again. "I'll agree to that if you promise to stay put until the killer is caught. No going solo this time."
"I promise Joe."
A man in scrubs casually glances into the patient's room as he pushes the meal cart down the hall. "This will be the last time you see her alive, " he smiles, reviewing the plan in his mind.