It Started With Stealing | Sherlock Holmes

80 - Fugitive

But the reality was, with burns like these, she wouldn't be spending much time out in the sun at all this year (let alone in wintry January/February).

The nurses soon left, meaning Rita was left on her own again, left to her thoughts, left to acknowledge the rough cling of the cream bandages to her aching skin.

Then there was a knock on the door.

A lanky man with dark hair strolled in with a wheelchair, a nervous smile across his face, "Dr Rita Rahat?"

"Yes?"

The stranger took in her appearance before coming closer, "I'm Robert, Cleo's brother, I've come to...get you out."

"Where's Cleo?"

"She thought it less suspicious if she didn't show up again, what with CCTV and all." He pushed the wheelchair closer to her, "We have to be quick though: Little Sister is distracting your security guard. Pulling the 'lost her mother' card,'" He smiled a little bit, rubbing the back of his neck as he breathed a laugh, "Little does he know we lost her years ago now."

It was obvious that he wasn't used to this, sneaking around. He seemed shy, almost jumpy - had a lovely reassuring smile though. Was he really the right person to be doing this?

"God, you're the baker, aren't you?" She questioned, tilting her head at him as she gradually, painfully slid off the bed, moving even slower to take a seat in the wheelchair, "From the Rob'n'Cat?"

"Y - yes."

"I can tell. You're the 'good one'."

Alarm rang in his tone, "Is it really that obvious?"

For his sake, she lied, "No. Cleo told me. You don't like to get involved."

Better to keep him calm rather than alarm him after all, especially if he were new to participating in this criminal side of his family life. He wheeled her out into the corridor, peeking out in search of the guard. Down the hall was a younger girl with brown, curly hair, very similar to Cleo's except from the colour, crying to the guard. She looked to be a young teen.

Out the corner of the girl's eye, she saw her brother beckon her prior to rolling Rita away. The young teen stopped crying to the officer, announcing she had spotted her mother and ran off after the two of them.

Once outside, Robert neared the edge of the pavement as a navy blue SUV pulled up in front of them. The window rolled down to reveal a man in the driver's seat.

"Ride for Dr Rahat?"

"Theo, you're going to have to help her up, I need to take the chair back - "

"Just leave it there, Robs, you help her up." The man (now established as Theo) instructed, "Where's Ivy?"

"Here!" The teen chirped up and then struggled to hide her grimace at imagining what horrors lay beneath Rita's bandages, "Somebody sure gave you a lesson..."

"Ives!" Robert scolded her, "C'mon, open the door for her."

As Ivy did this, Theo asked, "Where's the guard?"

"Just ran and left him. I don't think he followed."

"Yeah, well, at least - " Theo's eyes narrowed as he saw a security guard leave the hospital entrance, looking around, "Rob, Ivy, do not look back. Get her in the car - quick."

"Theo, she can only move so fa - "

"I'll be fine. Help me up."

Without hesitation, Rob followed the order that had been barked at him. He offered her his arm and Rita stood, using him to lean on, hissing at the pain of her wounds as they shifted uncomfortably under the bandages. She pushed herself off Rob, up and into the car seat. Ivy leapt into the front seat, as nimbly as an excitable dog, brushing past Theo as she clambered into the back seat, next to Rita. Robert closed Rita's door shut before hopping into the front passenger seat and slamming his own door closed.