Ruby Red Dress-The Mentalist

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Wayne Rigsby

We speed down what was a quiet street and I know immediately something has happened. Something bad...

There's an ambulance and a few people dotted around. I see Jane stood holding someone's hand and a man in handcuffs talking to an older woman.

Lisbon is driving and she stops the car so that we jolt forward. She gets out and jogs over to the mayhem. Her wispy hair hitting against her back as she runs. It's now that I have a feeling. I know what has happened.

I too get out the car and run towards the casualty. As I get past the ambulance I can see her. Her wavy hair coming down past her shoulders. Her hand holding someone else's. I follow the arm attached to the hand up to the body to see that it's Jane. He's stood over her, her hand in his. It's lifeless by her side. He's saying something to her. I feel envy wash over me.

I walk out from my hiding place behind the ambulance and Jane glances round at me.

'Look who's here,' I hear him tell her. Her head moves slightly and her eyes lock on me. I walk over to her. She rests the side of her head into the 'pillow' on the stretcher. 'You'll be fine Grace, I promise,' he says and with that Jane walks off. But before he leaves me alone with her completly he offers me her hand. I clutch onto it and raise it slightly. She grunts and winces nuzzling her head into the pillow even more.

'Be careful. She's been doing badass agent work all day,' he winks at her and she gives a half smile. It obviously hurts her to move much. Jane walks away and towards Lisbon. I wait until he's completely out of earshot.

'What happened?' I ask gently. Stroking the bare side of her face.

'I was being badass...apparently,' she says. Sounding a bit out of breath by just having to give a reply. I absent mindedly go to place a peck on her forehead but she flinches away...thankfully. We could have been caught. Instead I make it look like I'm going to whisper something in her ear.

'I love you... Even more now you're badass.' I pull away forcing a smile. She gives a half hearted smile and I feel her thumb briefly stroke over my hand.

Her eyes suddenly, yet slowly seem to close.

'Grace?' I ask in a whisper. She doesn't reply. 'Grace?' I say slightly louder. 'Doctor! Over here! Please help...' I shout to someone. Whoever will listen. I see a man turn around and jog towards me. 'She's not replying,' I say. Worry catching in my throat. He checks for a pulse.

'She's unconcious again,' he shouts out and turns her head removing it from its nest in the pillow. It's then that I see what she was trying to hide.

The hidden side of her face has gone a shade of white and there are grazes and cuts on her cheeks. A deep gash on her cheekbone beneath her eye. I step back a bit as paramedics wheel her stretcher away and into the back of the ambulance. I take a look at her face once again and an image of her hiding it flashes into my mind. Then others follow. Of her in the office that afternoon when she had been talking to Jane and he had made her a coffee. One of when she was with me and we were interviewing workers at the salon. Another of her smiling as the rest of us are sat around the big desk and were talking about Jane's tricks. Then one flashes into my mind. It lingers there for longer than the others. The image of her in my bed that Friday morning. She's curled up in my arm sleeping. Looking peaceful and happy.

I get snapped out of my trance when I hear Lisbon shout something at me. I blink and look at her clueless.

'Go to the hospital with Van Pelt,' she repeats. I nod and jump on board the ambulance not needing to argue. I want to be with Grace when she wakes up.