So I have to preface this with, since L&O's "Camouflage" was last night, if any of you want any explanation as to why Nolan Price is my favorite character, WATCH THAT EPISODE. Seriously, at some point Hugh Dancy needs an Emmy for one of Nolan's closing arguments. This episode was a work of art. And angsty as hell . . . which probably explains why this turned out as angsty as it did, since I wrote the ending during the L&Os.
Christopher has the only brain cell, Maddie introduces her girlfriend to the 118 fam, Hen meets doctors worth their coats, unstoppable forces meet an immovable object (guess who's who when you get there XD), and just when the calm settles, the storm hits, and it hits hard.
Here comes the conclusion of "Suspicion!" I won't tell you to enjoy, because . . . well. We all know how it originally ended. Let's just say I do what I do best: I Moffat-ed it.
***
"Good morning, Captain! Good morning, Lieutenant!"
Kelly looked up from his coffee to see Christopher with bright eyes and a wide smile as he carefully made his way over, supervised by Eddie, Buck over at the breakfast nook to get their drinks. "Morning, Christopher," he smiled at the boy.
"You're out of here early," Matt noted, checking his watch.
"Hen had something come up this afternoon, so instead of a barbecue, Bobby's making a breakfast buffet," Eddie explained. "We're heading over early."
"Makes sense," Peter nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "And the good news is people on your side outnumber those who probably aren't."
"Also known as the firefighter paramedic who often puts his foot in his mouth," Matt muttered.
Eddie snorted. "You sound like you take this more personally than Buck nowadays."
Kelly smirked. "He didn't represent the 118 well in San Angelo."
"No, he didn't," Buck agreed as he joined them, holding out a coffee for Eddie. "And I really wonder how he'll react when Maddie brings her plus-one."
"Nancy?" Matt guessed.
"Nancy," Buck confirmed.
Kelly snickered. "Take a video of his reaction when he sees them together?"
"No, no, no," Matt shook his head. "Take a video when she punches him in the face."
"May would do it," Christopher told Buck seriously.
"I bet she would, Superman," Buck patted his head.
Footsteps caught their attention, then Marjan appeared at Buck and Eddie's shoulders, her dark eyes worried. "Has anyone seen Sylvie?" she asked.
"No, not yet," Peter checked his watch. "Why?"
"Because she didn't come back to our room last night," Marjan answered, making Matt's eyes widen.
"Maybe you were asleep when she came in and when she left?" Buck suggested.
"No," Marjan shook her head. "Her bed wasn't slept in, I could tell."
"We arrived at the same time last night!" Eddie shook his head in bewilderment. "She's here somewhere!"
"Who's here somewhere?"
Kelly started when he heard Nolan's voice, and everyone looked up to see the Executive ADA step up by Peter, coffee in hand, a vanilla folder in the other. "Uh," Marjan's eyes flitted between the prosecutor and Eddie. "My roommate."
"Sylvie?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "She can take care of herself."
"There's something I had to ask her, and I asked Marjan to do it since they're in the same room," Eddie sighed. "It's . . . kind of urgent, too."
Nolan snorted. "Any chance Sylvie saw you ask Marjan to interrogate her?"
"I wasn't going to interrogate!" Marjan protested.
Peter hummed, tilting his head. "If she saw or overheard you . . . she might have taken it that way."
Marjan sighed, her shoulder slumping. "I'm just worried about her."
"What was there to worry about?" Kelly asked in confusion, looking around the room.
Marjan gulped, looking at Eddie. "Something I want to ask her before talking to anyone else," Eddie answered.
"Then maybe you should ask her yourself and not get someone to interrogate her for you," Nolan deadpanned, turning to Peter without further ado. "I reviewed your notes on the Hudson case. Good work."
"Oh," Peter blinked, taking the folder. "Thanks."
Nolan nodded, then looked around at the others. "Enjoy your day," he smiled pleasantly, then headed back to the elevators.
Marjan turned back around, eyes wide. "He's a little scary," she whispered.
Peter felt a tap against his leg, and he looked up to see Christopher looking intently at him. "Peter?" the boy asked.
"Yes, Christopher?" Peter leaned forward, giving him his full attention.
"Do attorneys typically have more than one cup of coffee in the morning?"
Peter blinked, then gestured to the single cup next to him on the table. "Not that I'm aware of. I usually start with one and refill throughout the day as needed."
Christopher tilted his head. "Then why did Nolan have two?"
Buck choked on his drink, and Matt and Kelly simultaneously turned to see the elevator doors close on Nolan. "He did?" Marjan's jaw dropped.
"We heard in New York that he and Sylvie have similar tastes in favorite coffee," Eddie recalled as he clapped Buck on the back, helping his boyfriend clear his airway.
"So he knows where she is," Matt realized.
Peter snorted loudly, taking a sip of his coffee. "And he didn't even lie about it. He just didn't touch the subject." He laughed. "Yeah, Marjan, be a little scared of him. There's a reason Jack has wanted him on his staff for a long time." He gave Eddie a knowing look. "And no, I know for a fact, you will not get Sylvie's location out of him. You'd have more luck taking a nail to a cinderblock wall."
"There's an image," Buck coughed.
"It's realistic," Peter shrugged as he stood, tucking his folder under his arm. "When Price has his mind set, you won't get him to budge. And since it looks like he knows where Sylvie is and doesn't want you to find out . . . " He smirked. "Better find some nails."
***
"But did anyone actually see the two of them around each other?" Nancy asked as she and Maddie followed Buck, Eddie, and Christopher up the drive to Bobby and Athena's house.
"No," Buck shook his head. "Stone, though, seems insistent that Price knows where she is."
Nancy snorted. "Look, if there's one thing I know about Sylvie, she isn't one who likes being confronted. If she is, you're not gonna get anywhere with her."
"Yeah, I know, asking Marjan to do it was a bad idea," Eddie sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Don't forget," Maddie smirked. "She now has two prosecutors she can sic on you if needed."
Eddie groaned as Buck laughed and knocked on the door. "Thank you, Maddie. I had forgotten after Stone read me the riot act this morning."
May was the one to open the door, her eyes brightening when she saw them. "Buck!" she cheered, surging forward to hug him.
Eddie snorted. "And now I feel even better because I know who May missed the most."
"Oh, hush," May frowned at him.
"We're happy to see all of you," Athena chuckled, coming up behind May. "Preferably here and not potential murder suspects."
Eddie sighed. "That's not going away any time soon."
Nancy snickered. "And it was the Three Musketeers who decided that would be a good idea first."
"I'm telling you, Cap gets with Benson and Stabler, and suddenly he's the one who needs watching," Buck rolled his eyes, following Athena into the house.
"Instead of you, TK, and Sylvie?" Maddie grinned.
Buck glowered. "Hey. Which of us was the one who went on an arsonist hunt?"
"Not you, because you weren't told," Eddie quipped as they entered the backyard, where everyone was mingling. "And if you were, you would've been right there with them chasing a serial arsonist."
"Who chased a serial arsonist?"
That came from the pretty redhead by the drinks, the dark-haired woman in a flower dress next to her looking just as curious. "TK and Sylvie," Maddie answered with a grin at her friends. "But we all know Buck would've been involved if he knew a hunt was going on."
"Of course, that paramedic hunts arsonists," David sighed, making Michael pat his shoulder sympathetically. "Of course, she does."
"If it helps any, she got pulled into it by her best friends," Buck offered.
David closed his eyes. "That sounds familiar."
"Hey, I didn't tell her to help!" Bobby said defensively.
"It's hard to believe a paramedic can be that danger prone," Ana said tentatively, looking at Taylor in surprise.
Buck grinned. "Out of everyone here, who has leap frogged across a minefield, been taken hostage at gunpoint, had to do makeshift surgery in a restaurant – "
His words became muffled when Eddie clapped a hand over his mouth. "She gets it," the paramedic huffed.
"A freaking minefield?!" Chimney gawked.
Eddie sighed. "That was just my second shift, too. I blame my captain."
"Pretty sure she and Captain Strand have the house record for dangerous calls," Nancy nodded in agreement, then tilted her head. "Well . . . TK's up there, too. He's the only one who's actually been shot in the line of duty." She scratched the back of her head. "Then again . . . I have no clue about any calls that happened in New York other than something involving the Chrysler Building, so . . . "
Ana stared in shock, and Taylor snorted loudly. "OK, I'm going to need a recap of every ridiculous call you have ever had in Austin, just so I can compare them to the calls I've reported here in Los Angeles."
Buck rolled his eyes fondly. "Journalists."
"Adrenaline junkies," Taylor retorted.
"Vice principal," Maddie pointed to Ana.
Ana's smile was bolder. "Dispatcher."
"I feel left out," Nancy pouted.
Maddie cupped her cheek. "Paramedic," she smiled.
Nancy giggled. "My hero."
"Well, I try."
"And I love you for it," Nancy kissed her cheek.
Maddie beamed happily, and Taylor squealed. "You go, girl!"
"Welcome to the family, Nancy," Bobby grinned from where he was plating sausage links from the grill.
"Thank you, Captain Nash," Nancy smiled in reply.
"Please," he waved the title off. "Call me Bobby."
Christopher was swept away at once by Harry and Denny, though not before the boys greeted Eddie and the Buckleys with hugs. "Now how did this happen?" Athena smiled, passing mimosas to Maddie and Nancy.
"When we were cleaning up the 126, actually," Maddie answered, sitting on the end of the lawn couch with Taylor and Ana; Nancy took her usual perch on the arm. "Right before we came out here."
"I'd been trying to decide how to ask her out way beforehand," Nancy nodded, taking a sip of her mimosa as her other hand absently combed through Maddie's hair, the dispatcher leaning into her touch with a happy sigh. "But given how ridiculously crazy Austin is . . . of course the right time was the aftermath of an arsonist and a damn dust storm."
"You do remember how we finally ended up together, right?" Buck raised an eyebrow, gesturing between himself and Eddie.
"Oh, I remember," May snorted.
"Yeah, that was when Mom and Bobby packed us up and flew us out to Austin with Sergeant Amaro," Harry piped up. "They said something about wrapping you up in bubble wrap, Eddie."
"What, and not Buck?" Hen asked in surprise.
"I didn't get taken hostage and forced to do surgery in a restaurant," Buck shrugged.
Eddie threw his hands in the air. "Bobby! I need food so I don't have to listen to this!"
Bobby laughed, gesturing to the table. "Help yourself!"
Eddie was gone in a flash, making Buck grin innocently. "Was it something I said?"
Taylor threw back her head and laughed. "Never change, Buck!"
***
A groan from the direction of the Wilson family made Buck turn away from his conversation with Albert, and he saw Hen shove her phone back into her pocket. "Hung up on me," she grumbled. "Again."
"Everything OK, Hen?" he asked, walking over.
Hen sighed. "My mom moved in, and if you think I'm stubborn – "
"She is," Buck told Karen seriously.
Karen smirked. "I'm well aware."
Hen huffed. "She collapsed at the market the other day, and the doctor taking care of her insisted that nothing was wrong."
Buck tilted his head. "Dehydration," he listed possible suggestions. "Allergies . . . " He trailed off, seeing Hen's scowl. "I'm just offering suggestions," he held up his hands as best he could, considering one held a plate loaded with food and the other a glass of water. "I'm not a medical professional, Hen."
"Well, the medical professional who took care of my mama barely acted like we were there," Hen huffed. "And when I tried asking questions about what happened, he acted like I was offending him."
Buck frowned. "That's not right."
"No," Hen agreed darkly. "It isn't."
Buck rocked on his heels, thinking hard. "Maybe you should go back and ask for another doctor," he said. "Was it either Cedars-Sinai or First Presbyterian?"
"First Presbyterian," Hen scowled. "But if that doctor turned my mom away, I don't want to think about what the other doctors could do."
"Someone needs to advocate for your mom, and as an experienced paramedic, you're a good voice to do it," Buck told her. "And those hospitals have visitors from out of state, remember?" At Hen's thoughtful expression, Buck nodded. "I know at least three who have come here, and if what Sylvie's told me about them is anywhere near true, they'll hear you out. If you take your mom back in, ask for one of the doctors from Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. I – I don't know their schedules or if one will be at one of the hospitals, but it wouldn't hurt to ask."
"I will," Hen nodded. "Thanks, Buck."
Buck grinned. "Happy to help."
***
"Can we talk, Maddie?"
Maddie closed her eyes, counted to three, then plastered a smile on her face and turned to Chimney. "Sure, Howard," she told him. "Talk."
Chimney faltered, looking around. They were in the corner of the yard, but he was very aware they had several pairs of eyes occasionally looking their direction. "Um . . . maybe inside?"
"Anything you want to say can be said out here," Maddie folded her arms.
Chimney sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry for eavesdropping on you and Buck, and I'm sorry I told everyone without talking to you first."
Maddie considered him, then nodded. "Thank you for the apology. But I can't forgive you, Howard." Chimney frowned and opened his mouth, but Maddie held up a hand. "You overheard us talking about our dead brother, and when you decided to run your mouth at the 118, you told everyone we have a brother . . . an alive brother. How can I instantly forgive you for that?"
"It was months ago, though, Maddie," Chimney told her.
"And I just got an apology," Maddie pointed out. "Am I supposed to think that's because you're seeing me face to face since I left, or is it because I came with a plus-one other than you?"
Chimney flinched. "Maddie, I swear, it's because I wanted to apologize." He hesitated, eyes darting over to Nancy, who was still perched on the arm of the couch. She raised one eyebrow and took an intentional sip of her mimosa, making it very clear she was watching him like a hawk. "But I didn't know you started dating someone else, too," he admitted.
"Why would you know?" Maddie snorted. "The only ones who did were the rest of the 126 and those at our hotel. And I didn't tell anyone here in Los Angeles until today. The only one who could've known was May when I was talking to Nancy at the dispatch center, but she never said a word. I've moved on, Howard. Maybe one day I'll forgive you, but today isn't that day. Besides, you were my boyfriend." Her eyes slid towards Buck, who was now enthusiastically demonstrating a call for Michael, David, and Harry, David looking seconds from a heart attack. "You didn't go ambushing the dispatch center about Daniel, did you?"
***
"If you take your mom back in, ask for one of the doctors from Gaffney Chicago Medical Center."
Buck's words rang in Hen's head as she and Luis, one of her friends in med school, wheeled a woozy Toni Wilson into the hospital. "Go, I got this," Sydney urged, gesturing them further into the hospital.
Hen watched Sydney speak in rapid-fire to the receptionist, and one of the nurses behind another desk stood, watching her wheel Toni up. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"I have a patient," Hen answered, looking down at her mother. "Female, 62 years old. She's experiencing dizziness, back pain, and orthostatic hypotension. Could be looking at abdominal aortic aneurysm. We need an electrocardiogram to verify, stat."
The nurse blinked in surprise. "Uh . . . "
"What's going on here?" a male voice asked.
Hen turned to see a ginger-haired man in red scrubs approach, his head tilted in concern as he looked at Toni. She finally saw the identifying logo on his coat, and she sighed in relief. Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. "You know Buck?" she asked hopefully.
The doctor – Will Halstead, according to his coat – did a double take, then nodded. "He works with one of my best friends," he said, walking forward. "How can I help you?"
"It's my mom," Hen gestured. "She was in here the other day, but one of the other doctors dismissed anything being wrong."
"That's obviously not the case," Will crouched down to examine Toni himself.
"We're med students," Luis explained. "We think it's an abdominal aortic aneurysm."
Will's head shot up, eyes wide. "You're sure?" he asked.
"Yes," Hen nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense."
"Alright," Will's expression tightened as he stood. "Bring her back. We'll get an EKG for her right away."
"Thank you," Hen sighed in relief, pushing Toni after him. "Thank you so much."
"If someone misdiagnosed her, this is the least I can do," Will shook his head, pulling out his pager.
***
"Mrs. Wilson?"
Hen looked up from fiddling with her phone when she saw Will return, this time accompanied by a black-haired man in black scrubs, his lab coat declaring him a surgeon. "Is my mom OK?" she asked worriedly.
"Mrs. Wilson, I'm Crockett Marcel," the surgeon introduced himself, extending a hand. "Dr. Halstead gave me a short explanation of what happened with your mother before you brought her in today. I wanted to come out here myself and give you the rundown on what we've found."
"Thank you," Hen said gratefully, shaking his hand and sitting back down. "Please, tell me everything."
Crockett nodded, pulling up a chair so he could sit directly in front of Hen. As Will took the seat next to Hen, Crockett turned the tablet he held in his hands, showing the screen to Hen. "We started running tests as soon as Dr. Halstead brought your mother back," he said. "What the Echo and EKG found show severe deterioration of the abdominal aorta. Imaging shows that a rupture was imminent. We're prepping her for surgery now."
"May I?" Hen asked, holding out a hand.
"Of course," Crockett nodded, handing over the tablet.
Hen, already stunned by how welcoming these two doctors were to her, looked over the scans with experienced eyes. "So she's OK?" she asked.
"We should be able to graft the artery," Crockett nodded. "I won't be the lead surgeon on this case, but Dr. Halstead will also be in the room. The doctor coordinating this surgery, Dr. Rhodes, will be by in a few minutes. He'll go over the procedure with you and answer any questions you may have."
"Is he – ?" Hen began, looking at Will.
"Also from Chicago Med," Will told her. "He was in the room when we were running the tests, and I explained what you told me. All four ED doctors who came here from Chicago Med are on shift here tonight, and all four of us are gonna be in that room with your mom. We're gonna give her the best treatment we can."
Hen sighed, shaking her head as she handed the tablet back to Crockett. "You know, when I'm out in the field on a call, I have a split second to diagnose a patient, if I'm lucky," she said. "I can't run blood, do an X-ray, or order an echo. All I have is what I know, and my ability to listen to what the patient is saying. Even with every tool at his disposal, Dr. Sampson still got it wrong."
Will frowned, pulling out his phone and typing into it. "Dr. Sampson . . . "
"Well, it's a good thing you found Will when you got here this time," Crockett told Hen. "He's always been a good listener."
"I'm glad Buck brought up you folks at Chicago Med," Hen smiled weakly. "Any chance you can stay out here when everything's said and done?"
Will laughed, pocketing his phone. "Wouldn't that be nice?"
"We'll keep you updated as much as we can," Crockett promised.
Hen nodded. "I appreciate it."
***
"Did she say what this is about?" Buck asked quietly as he watched Christopher excitedly recap the breakfast party to Carla.
"No," Eddie shook his head, checking his phone. "No, all she asked was if she could meet in the hotel lobby. She isn't sure how long it'll take, but she says it's important."
"Alright," Buck nodded as Christopher hugged Carla. "I'll stay up here with Chris. Let me know if you need back-up."
"I shouldn't," Eddie shook his head. "But thank you."
Buck nodded. "You're welcome."
Carla joined Eddie as he headed out the door. "Did I hear you say Ms. Flores is here to talk to you?" she asked.
"Yeah," Eddie nodded. "She was at the breakfast this morning for Maddie, and I saw her entertaining the kids, too. I'm not sure what she needs to talk to me about, but if she said it was important . . . it might have to do with a kid."
Carla knitted her eyebrows. "I see what you mean."
It was a short elevator trip to the lobby, and Eddie saw Ana right away, now in a cozy black cardigan instead of the dress she wore that morning. When she saw him approach, she gave him a tense smile. "Eddie," she greeted. "I'm sorry for coming to the hotel, but I wanted to talk in person. I – I didn't think this was best done over a phone call."
"No worries," Eddie told her. "You remember Carla Price?"
"I do, yes," Ana smiled, holding out her hand to Carla. "Nice to see you again."
"You as well, Ms. Flores," Carla shook her hand.
"What's going on?" Eddie asked.
Ana sighed, sitting down at one of the tables in the lobby. "While we were at the party this morning, Christopher told me about the family you helped on a call," she explained. "Sheila and Charlie, right?"
"That's them," Eddie confirmed.
"Right, Christopher said they support themselves through their FundMe page," Ana opened her laptop. "So I started looking around – "
Eddie smirked. "You went snooping?"
Ana gave him a dirty look. "I was trying to make a donation, maybe circulate it on the faculty newsletter," she corrected, looking at her browser as it booted. "But I think there's something wrong with this woman."
Eddie raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a leap," he remarked. "You haven't even met her."
"No," Ana agreed. "But I found some weird stuff online. I think she lied to you."
Eddie blinked. "About what?"
Ana merely turned her browser towards him, and Eddie leaned down, clicking through the tabs she had open. As each one loaded, he felt the blood drain from his face, and he quickly pulled out a chair to sit. "Carla?" he looked at the care aid.
Carla immediately joined him, and Eddie wordlessly showed her the browser. Carla's eyes narrowed with each tab switch. "That's a lot of FundMe pages," she murmured.
Ana nodded. "There's Sheila and Charlie Burns in El Paso, Sheila and Charlie Young in Phoenix, and Sheila and Charlie Watts of Santa Fe." She looked at Eddie worriedly. "It's him," she told him. "The same kid every time, just with different last names and different cities."
"Charlie did say they moved around a lot," Eddie nodded, taking a deep breath. "That would explain the different accounts and different cities . . . but not the different names."
"What did his mom say his illness was?" Carla asked.
Eddie wracked his brain, thinking, and he scoffed derisively. "She didn't," he realized. "Not really. Said it was autoimmune."
"Well, that's awfully general," Carla scowled, tapping her fingers on the tabletop. "Charlie did say he goes to a lot of different doctors. Could be doctor shopping . . . which is what you do when you're not really sick, you're just looking for a doctor to say that you are."
"You think she's lying?" Eddie asked.
"Well, we wouldn't be the only ones," Ana told him. "Most of the FundMe pages were shut down, but the comments are still up."
She turned the laptop towards him, and Eddie leaned forward, his heart sinking as he read the comments. "'This woman is a fraud and a scammer. Do not trust her.' 'She's a con artist looking for money and attention.'" He continued scrolling, then found one that made nausea roll in his stomach. "Oh, God."
"What?" Carla asked in concern.
Eddie shook his head, shutting the laptop. "'I think she's making her kid sick.'"
Ana paled, clapping one hand over her mouth. "Oh, my God."
Eddie pushed away from the table, taking out his phone and scrolling through his contacts. He didn't even pay attention to who he dialed. "Hello?" the voice answered.
"Carisi," Eddie took a deep breath. "It's Eddie. I'm sorry for the late call."
"No worries," Sonny told him, a worried note in his voice. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm wondering if it's possible that Sylvie and I could meet up with you tomorrow before our shifts start?" he asked. "I mean, that's if you're on a shift."
"I am," Sonny confirmed. "I'm running with a pair from Chicago's Intelligence Unit, but if Sylvie's involved, I'm sure we can meet up."
"Thank you," Eddie sighed in relief. "This is . . . I need opinions on this."
"You're welcome. Just let me know the details of when you want to meet."
"Copy that," Eddie nodded and hung up. He turned back to Ana, who had shakily put her laptop back in its case. "Thank you for this," he told her sincerely.
"You're welcome," Ana nodded. "I just wanted to make sure the right person knew, even if this is just some big overall scam."
"How about I walk you out?" Carla suggested.
Ana nodded in agreement. "Have a good night, Eddie."
"You, too," Eddie nodded, watching them depart the hotel. He turned to head back to the elevators, then paused in his tracks when he looked into the restaurant. Sylvie's back was to him, so he couldn't see who she was speaking to, but it looked like a hushed conversation, given how her head was inclined. After a moment, he saw her take something from the bar top and stand to leave. Eddie quickly ducked out of her line of sight, watching her twist what looked like a card over in her hand as she headed for the elevator.
Back in the restaurant, Nolan Price turned back to the bar, lifting a tumbler of bourbon to his lips.
***
Athena mentally prepared herself as she walked into the kitchen of her house, and she paused when she saw Bobby stacking dishes. "Oh, you didn't have to do dishes," she blinked. "You cooked!"
"Well, that's OK," Bobby shrugged.
Athena fiddled with the ring around her finger, then took a deep breath. "What do you say, you want to watch a movie?" she asked. "May is out and Harry's at Michael's. We could have a date night in."
"Um, rain check?" Bobby tilted his head. "I just had a really long day. I think I got to crash."
Athena nodded, watching him fold the towel. "Is everything OK?" she asked. "I mean, if something's bothering you, if something's on your mind, you know you can talk to me."
"Everything is fine," Bobby shrugged, putting the towel aside and walking past her. "Nothing to talk about."
Athena braced herself. "It doesn't feel fine," she said, turning to face him. "I'm worried about you."
"Athena, I'm – "
"I did the laundry yesterday morning, Bobby," she finally said, making him pause. "And I really, really don't want to sound accusatory . . . but the shirt you came home in the other day . . . it smelled strongly of bourbon." Bobby's face drained of color, and Athena hastily held up her hands. "If it's someone else's, then please don't break confidentiality," she hurried to say. "I just want to know – "
"If it was mine?" Bobby's voice was sharp.
Athena swallowed hard. "I can never really understand that part of your life," she whispered. "But I'd like to try."
There was silence for a long time, and Athena worried Bobby wouldn't answer. But her husband finally took a deep breath, his shoulders tense. "I can't give you a name," he said tightly. "Because I won't violate confidentiality or share a story that isn't mine to tell."
"I understand," Athena nodded. "What's said in this room will never leave it."
Her trained eyes saw the minute relaxation in his stance. "I'm sponsoring someone at meetings," he told her. "And the other day, this person fell off the wagon. They called me, and when I got there, they were still drinking. The bottle spilled on me when I tried to take it from them. This person . . . " He faltered, closing his eyes. "I didn't tell you because all I could think about was how you reacted on the 710."
"Drunk and stupid," Athena repeated her words with a nod. "And here I am, the stupid one."
"Athena, you're not stupid," Bobby shook his head.
"I said that in front of you," Athena argued. "Pretty damn stupid of me."
"You were thinking like a first responder," Bobby told her. "I doubt you were the only one who thought it that night."
"If anyone else did, I'm the only one who said it," Athena snorted. "In front of you, no less." She chuckled bitterly. "I want to understand your life, and yet I said that." She took a deep breath. "I am so sorry," she whispered.
"Athena, I forgive you for it," Bobby reached for her hands, squeezing them tightly. "You hear me? I forgive you."
Athena swallowed hard, squeezing back. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for trusting me." She took a deep breath. "And maybe after your shift tomorrow, I can tell you more about the decisions I made at the start of this year."
Bobby paused. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes," Athena nodded. "We're partners in this. So let's be partners."
Bobby smiled. "Partners."
***
"I'm fine, Karen," Hen told her wife from where she sat out in First Presbyterian's courtyard. "You . . . you stay there. I'll call you when I have an update." A coffee cup suddenly appeared in her line of sight, and surprised, Hen followed the hand up the arm to a smiling Sydney. "You're still here?" she asked, taking the cup. Sydney nodded, sitting next to Hen, her own coffee in hand. "You didn't have to."
"It's your mom," Sydney said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
And Hen knew that, to Sydney, it was. Sydney, after all, was the one whose mother had died at 34 and her grandmother at 32. Sydney was the one who wanted to be the first woman to live past 35 years of age, and not only that, but she wanted to graduate medical school, too. If anyone knew what Hen was going through, it was the girl she had no clue she would eventually become close to. "Thank you," Hen whispered. "For everything."
Sydney nodded, then perked up, looking past her. "Hen!"
Hen spun around to see another doctor in red scrubs emerge in the courtyard, her kind dark eyes immediately finding Hen. The paramedic saw the badge on her scrubs and the hospital logo stitched in white, and she surged to her feet. "Mrs. Wilson?" the doctor asked, removing her surgical mask. "I'm Dr. Natalie Manning."
"My mom?" Hen asked.
"Good news," Natalie told her, making Hen sigh in relief and Sydney giggle in delight. "She's out of surgery and heading to her room. Would you like to wait with her?"
"Yes," Hen nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"
Natalie smiled. "I'll take you to her."
Hen turned to Sydney, but the girl was already shaking her head. "Go be with your mom," she said, squeezing Hen's arm. "I'll see you some time in the next few days?"
"Yes," Hen nodded. "Absolutely."
Sydney nodded back and left the courtyard, and Hen turned to follow Natalie. "Will told me that you made the diagnosis yourself?" the brunette woman asked, leading her through the hospital.
"Well, with a little help," Hen shrugged. "My medical school partners helped me."
"Either way, you nailed the diagnosis," Natalie told her. "And in doing so, you saved your mom's life. You did incredible, Mrs. Wilson."
After how she had been treated by Sampson just a few days ago, Hen found herself blushing at the praise. God, was Hen glad that Buck had brought up the doctors from Chicago Med. They were possibly the best doctors she had ever seen in her line of work, at least at this hospital.
Natalie finally turned a corner, and Hen recognized the scrubs of Will Halstead, Crockett Marcel, and the doctor who had given her the rundown of her mother's surgery: Connor Rhodes, the one to which the other doctors deferred. Will was checking the machines hooked to Toni as Connor and Crockett conferred, then Natalie cleared her throat. "Dr. Rhodes."
The surgeon looked up from his paperwork, and he smiled. "Mrs. Wilson," he nodded. "As I'm sure you gathered from Dr. Manning, the surgery was successful."
"Thank you, Dr. Rhodes," Hen sighed in relief.
"And to be clear," Connor narrowed his eyes. "You said it was Dr. Sampson who made the initial examination?"
"If you can call it that," Hen grumbled.
Connor nodded. "Rest assured, Mrs. Wilson, I will be bringing this up to the hospital. I run Chicago Med's ED, and I would not let this happen."
Hen smiled. "I appreciate that, Dr. Rhodes. Really . . . that means more than you know."
"I'm glad we were able to help," Connor told her. "And with how you never stopped until you knew what was wrong with your mother? The medical field needs more candidates like you. I look forward to seeing where you go from here."
Hen beamed. "Thank you again."
Connor shook her hand. "We'll leave you with your mother."
Natalie gave Hen another kind smile, and she left at Connor's sides, Will and Crockett following. Hen watched the quartet of doctors walk down the hall, actually making the rest of the staff part wherever they walked. That was a quartet where everyone was worth their scrubs and their coats.
Those were the types of doctors she, one day, wanted to work with.
***
"Mr. Price," the bartender on shift that night said worriedly, eyes darting between Nolan and the entrance of the restaurant. "I think you have visitors."
Nolan raised an eyebrow. "I expected them." The bartender nodded, giving another nervous look towards the entrance before turning around to start working again. Nolan merely took a sip of his drink, hearing the unison steps walking towards him. "Joining me for a drink, gentlemen?" he asked, not looking over his shoulder. He knew who was visiting him. "Given how much you've glared at me in the time we've been here, I thought you hated me."
"What kind of game is going on, Price?" Kelly grated, green eyes narrowed.
"One I don't like to play," Nolan answered, his voice glacial. "It's called 'wondering what's so important to the rest of the 126 that Sylvie is so spooked she asked to hide in my room again.' It's a long name, but I haven't figured out how to abbreviate it. Any ideas?"
"So you did know where she was," Matt scowled.
"No one asked me if I did," Nolan shrugged. "So I didn't say anything. Especially when she asked me not to tell anyone." He crossed one leg over the other and leveled his best 'don't you dare lie on the stand' look at the officers. "Unlike Diaz and Marwani, apparently, I'm not interested in knowing every little detail of Sylvie's life. I'd've thought, as her best friends, you would respect that, too."
"We do!" Kelly huffed, taking one of the other bar stools. "I can count on one hand how many times I've seen her in the past 48 hours, and I'd have fingers left over."
"The only time I've seen her was that call with the woman trapped in the balcony," Matt added with a sigh. "It's like she's avoiding everyone."
Nolan tapped his glass on the bar, frowning thoughtfully. As much as he wanted to be pissed with the two men in front of him, the genuine concern they felt matched his. As a prosecutor, it was his job to read everyone he cross-examined or put on the witness stand. Even if these two didn't like him, they were on the same side: Sylvie's. "Since Sylvie obviously thinks the world of the two of you, I'll put to rest what you're thinking," he finally said. "There's nothing between us, and I doubt there ever will be."
Matt did a double take. "We weren't going to ask!"
"Oh, but you wanted to," Nolan chuckled. "And I have eyes, Captain. You aren't subtle." He finished his drink in one go, then placed the tumbler back on the bar. "Besides, I would never have a chance with her."
"That's not what a few people of the 126 think," Kelly remarked.
"Then they're blind," Nolan deadpanned. "Because it sure as hell isn't me she's interested in. And if you two think she is, then God, you two are idiots." Matt had to cover his mouth to avoid spraying his mouthful of beer all over the bar, and Kelly's wide eyes stared at Nolan in shock. "Look, I just want her happy, alright?" the prosecutor sighed, watching the bartender refill his glass. "So if that's letting her stay with me to avoid getting ambushed by the 126 or getting a few idiotic officers' heads on straight, that's what I'm going to do." He smirked at their dumbfound expressions. "Anyone with eyes and ears knows she feels more for the two of you than friendship . . . and I only got it from phone calls."
Matt closed his eyes, resting his forehead on his knuckles. "She lives in Austin," he reminded Nolan.
"Last I heard, Captain Strand is getting promoted to the deputy chief of the department," Nolan countered. "That leaves some open spots at the 126, doesn't it? And when he was on medical leave, he didn't choose anyone from Austin to lead the house. He chose you. Who do you think may be on his list of candidates to take over when he's leading the department?"
Both men looked pale at the thought. "51's joked about it," Kelly whispered. "So has the 126."
Nolan sighed. "And it hasn't sunk in that it might not be a joke?"
Matt silently shook his head. "We knew going into our relationship that we love her," he told Nolan. "And we planned on attempting to pursue that in Austin, but . . . "
He made a face, and Nolan nodded. "The whole world kind of flipped on its head while you were there."
"There was no way it was a good time to drop that on her," Kelly nodded.
"Is there ever going to be a good time?" Nolan asked, looking between the two men. "First responders are in the line of fire, quite literally, every time you put on your uniform. In the time you were in Austin, you were almost caught in a warehouse arson, would have been blown up in the 126 had you not been called by Captain Strand, and got caught in a damn dust storm. Sooner or later, one of two things is going to happen: you won't get so lucky the next time you're caught in a disaster, or she isn't going to wait or make a move. One of you needs to crack . . . and given the condition she's in, I don't think it's going to be her."
Kelly snorted. "Nice pep talk, Price."
"I'm the lead prosecutor for high level homicide cases," Nolan smirked. "I swing between optimism and pessimism constantly. It usually depends on Sam's state."
"You know, I just realized," Matt frowned. "You didn't bat an eye at the thought of the three of us together."
"Why would I?" Nolan smirked. "Like I said, all I care about is if Sylvie's happy. If that's with no one or with four people, it doesn't matter." He looked between Matt and Kelly, his smirk widening. "I mean, I know she's got dibs, but no one attracted to men would say no to you."
Matt snorted into his bottle, hiding his grin. Kelly did no such thing. "Speaking from experience, Price?" the lieutenant asked.
Nolan laughed. "Absolutely."
Kelly grinned wolfishly at Matt. "Make a note of that, will you, Case?"
Matt opened his mouth to answer, then blinked. "Were we supposed to meet up tonight?"
Both Nolan and Kelly swiveled to see what he had, and Kelly watched Grainger and Pelham walk towards them, strides purposeful. "I don't think so," he pulled out his phone to check.
Nolan cleared his throat, putting his glass down and starting to stand. "Sounds like I should leave you to it – "
"You can stay, Counselor," Grainger interrupted, shaking his head. "We might need your input."
Nolan paused, blinking in surprise. "What's this about?" Matt asked, putting down his beer bottle.
Kelly, however, frowned thoughtfully. "Does this have to do with why you were off the whole shift, Pelham?"
"Yeah," Pelham nodded, pulling out one of the stools to sit. "Greg brought it up."
Matt looked between the two lieutenants uneasily. "We aren't gonna like this, are we?"
"No," Grainger shook his head, a pained expression on his face. "No, you won't."
"Alright," Matt spun on his stool to face his friends. "What is it?"
Pelham turned to Grainger, who sighed. "You remember the call we had the other day with the 126 Squad Company?"
"The woman falling through her balcony," Matt nodded.
"Did anything stand out to you in the aftermath of the call?"
"No," Matt shook his head. "No, it was as routine as you can get." He paused. "Although, Sylvie did make a weird face at one point . . . "
"When?" Grainger asked, leaning forward. "The exact moment, if you can remember."
Matt frowned, tracing the lip of his bottle. "Something about joking you would finally get to ride in an ambulance?"
Grainger groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "I hate being right."
"I don't get it," Nolan looked at Kelly in confusion.
"Neither do I," Kelly shook his head. "Guys?"
Grainger looked up and between Matt and Kelly. "Remember before the wildfires in San Angelo, we were bouncing ideas about who made Sylvie leave Chicago?"
Nolan's eyebrows raised. "What?!"
"It's a very long story, one we still don't know everything about," Matt shook his head. "In particular, who was stupid enough to threaten Sylvie by outing her and saying she was sleeping her way through the CFD."
Nolan's eyes widened. "You're kidding!"
"Oh, that makes so much sense now," Pelham closed his eyes. "That . . . oh, that tracks."
Grainger looked miserably between the two. "Well, now that I know that tidbit of information and what we dealt with at 51, I know we ruled out someone we shouldn't have."
"Who?" Kelly narrowed his eyes.
Grainger swallowed. "When Stella Kidd wants something, she doesn't take no for an answer."
It was like ice was dumped down Matt's back, and he put his beer down on the bartop. "Kidd?" he demanded, aware he was almost growling.
"In a choice between me and her, Brett chose me without even thinking about it," Grainger nodded. "And if there's one person at 51 that I've seen Brett avoid being near, it's Kidd. And you didn't see Diaz's reaction to that one radio interaction when we did the drop-off at Cedars-Sinai. He heard the exchange between Brett and Kidd and looked like he'd been told someone was going after Christopher."
"And her obsession with you isn't exactly a secret," Pelham added to Kelly.
"No, it isn't," Kelly shook his head in agreement, knuckles white from where he tightly grasped his beer bottle. "And she's made it very clear what she thinks of me dating Matt."
"And I think the only thing stopping her from being vocal about it is I'm her commanding officer," Matt nodded, mind running miles a minute.
"We worked with Lieutenant Seager to solve that pet factory fire," Grainger told them. "The night at Molly's when we were finished, she said it was the first time at Molly's she felt welcome, all because she didn't have Kidd waiting on her."
"Put it this way," Pelham leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "Kidd's obsession is pretty obvious. She has two people in her way. Severide, you're dating one of them. And what happened to the other person?"
Kelly closed his eyes. "She vanished, gone without a trace."
Pelham nodded, and Matt did growl that time, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."
"I don't know Kidd, but I worked in the defense field for years," Nolan swallowed. "If what you're saying is true – "
"I would bet my bugles on it," Grainger admitted.
"You're that sure?" Matt demanded.
Grainger nodded, deadly serious. "I can't think of anyone else with a better motive than that, Casey. If I wasn't this sure, I wouldn't be here right now."
"Right when Boden's vouching for her on the lieutenant's exam?" Kelly looked sick.
"If that's true, then that exam can say goodbye," Nolan gulped. "With these kinds of actions, she's not just going to lose any chance at getting that promotion. If the charges are ironclad, she'd be blacklisted in the department."
"If she did this, she deserves it," Matt snarled. "And if Eddie is suspecting this – "
"That explains why Sylvie is hiding," Kelly looked at Nolan. "Especially if he asked Marjan to approach the subject."
Nolan checked his watch, shaking his head. "With how late it is and knowing she's got a shift tomorrow, I'm not asking her," he said. "Especially since I promised I wouldn't pry."
"She's got the most allies in this city while the conference is still going on," Grainger said. "It just needs to be approached while we're still here."
"We'll figure that out," Matt nodded, eyes narrowed to slits, his grip threatening to shatter his bottle.
Finally, at long last . . . even if they had been wrong initially, they finally had a name.
***
Sylvie paused when she exited the elevator the next morning, clad in her uniform, to find Eddie already waiting for her, a sheepish look on his face as he held out a coffee cup to her. "Good morning," she said carefully, taking her coffee gingerly, as if it was about to poison her.
"I'm sorry for the past few days," Eddie told her. "I haven't been that good of a partner."
"On the job, you're great," Sylvie assured him, taking a sip of her the coffee. "I'm not too happy about the plethora of people taking a sudden interest in what happens off the job. I've practically moved into Nolan's room just so Marjan wouldn't bug me."
"God, I've been an ass," Eddie closed his eyes, shaking his head as they walked towards the doors. "It's just that after last shift – "
"Don't," Sylvie warned.
"You know I've got your back, right?" Eddie turned to look at her.
"Of course, I do!" Sylvie scowled. "I've never doubted it."
"Then you know you can talk to me whenever you're ready," Eddie told her. "I won't make you, even though I know something's bothering you." He sighed, looking down at his shoes. "I'm making connections I don't like," he admitted. "But I still don't know everything, and I know that. Just know that if you ever need me, I swear you have me."
Sylvie smiled. "I know, Eddie. Thank you." She extended her coffee cup, and with a chuckle, Eddie bumped it with his. "So, what was with you wanting to meet early before we officially roll?" she asked, checking her watch.
Eddie's expression darkened. "I called Carisi last night and asked if he could meet us somewhere. I found out something, and it's something he should know."
"Carisi specifically?" Sylvie's eyebrows raised.
"Yeah," Eddie nodded. "Special victims."
Sylvie swallowed hard. "Then we better move."
***
"Tommy and Nancy will stock 99 for us," Sylvie told Eddie as they walked down the street, she pocketing her phone. "And we'll be put online as soon as we're done."
"Thanks," Eddie nodded.
They approached one of the picnic benches in the park, and the trio of police officers waiting for them turned at the footsteps. "Well, there's the other arson chaser!" Jay grinned, getting up from the bench. "I was wondering when I'd see you!"
"Sorry," Sylvie smiled back, giving Jay a hug. "Los Angeles is a crazy city."
"I never believed it until I was here," Hank admitted, giving her a hug as well. "I know all about Austin . . . not so much here."
"Yeah, Austin is only a little better than Los Angeles," Eddie snickered. "Then again, there's only one city where I've had to deal with minefields, so . . . "
"Minefields," Jay muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Thank you for meeting us, by the way," Eddie added, his face settling into a serious expression.
"Of course," Sonny nodded, watching in concern as the paramedics took their seats. "From the way you sounded on the phone, it's an urgent matter."
"When I asked Eddie about why we were up earlier than usual, he said it was a special victims matter," Sylvie nodded.
Hank narrowed his eyes. "Should we see if any other members of SVU can be here?"
"No," Eddie shook his head. "This can't wait."
"Alright," Sonny folded his hands, watching Eddie intently. "What's going on?"
"We took a call last shift," Eddie began. "A woman named Sheila fell through her balcony. Rotten wood, nothing unusual there. She has a son, Charlie. For a woman with a huge gash in her leg, she was more concerned about not leaving her sick kid than getting it fixed."
"OK," Sonny nodded.
"He's not sick," Eddie said seriously, making Sylvie blink. "Not really. She's making him sick, probably for years."
"You're sure?" Jay demanded, eyes wide.
"Munchausen by proxy?" Sylvie whispered. "Eddie . . . that's a huge accusation."
"I know," Eddie nodded. "But I wouldn't be saying it if I wasn't sure. I tracked down some people that knew them before. All signs point to it. The nonspecific autoimmune disease, the revolving door of doctors. He's frail, he's weak, he's always throwing up. She's poisoning him."
Hank's face looked like it had been carved from stone. Eddie knew the sergeant's reputation, but this was the first time he was seeing him in his element as a cop. He never wanted to be on the wrong side of that face. "If she's poisoning him, do you know how?" he asked.
"It would have to be something she has easy access to," Sylvie murmured, tapping her fingers on her arm.
It hit Eddie like a freight train. "Eyedrops," he breathed, looking at Sylvie with wide eyes. "I saw them in the kitchen!"
"Tetrahydrozoline," she nodded, looking at the cops. "That causes those kinds of symptoms! It has the potential to be lethal if it's ingested, and it doesn't show up on a standard toxicology test."
"So you have to know you're looking for it to be able to find it," Jay scowled.
"She's dosing him," Eddie spat, gripping the edge of the table, nausea rolling in his stomach. Just the thought of a mother doing that to her child made him want to throw up. "Not enough to kill him, but enough to keep him sick."
Jay looked angry enough to punch through the table. Only Hank's hand on his shoulder kept him in his seat. Sonny's eyes were narrowed to slits. Eddie knew that while neither officer had custody of a child, they treated their girlfriends' daughters like they were their own. He wasn't the only one who wanted to see this through. "That's enough for me to want to visit," Sonny finally forced out.
"What kind of person would do that to their kid?" Jay exploded. "The thought of that happening to Makayla – "
"Yeah, believe me, that's what I'm going through, thinking about Jesse and Billie," Sonny nodded. "Sometimes it's just to gain sympathy."
Hank scoffed his opinion of that. "Or maybe to make a profit," Eddie told them. "Ana Flores, Christopher's former teacher and one of Maddie's friends, brought it up to me. She found multiple FundMe pages. She's conning people out of their money."
"That's it," Sonny shook his head, pulling out his phone. "I don't care what else we do on shift, Sergeant. I want to visit this woman."
"I'm with you," Hank nodded.
Eddie's phone rang, and he frowned, not recognizing the number. "Hello?" he asked.
"Eddie?"
The shaking voice made Eddie blink. "Charlie?" he asked in disbelief. Sylvie's eyes widened, and Hank tapped the table, telling him to put the phone on speaker. Eddie did so, watching Sonny pause in whatever he was doing. "You OK?"
Charlie whimpered, and Eddie froze when he heard the faint sound of retching in the background. "I think I did a bad thing."
***
"Austin Squad 9. Los Angeles Station 133. Person down, unknown causes. Regal Pointe Apartments."
***
"I swear, if this is another rotten balcony, we're going to the landlord ourselves," Owen muttered, watching as they pulled up to the building.
Buck dropped from the driver's side, nodding to the man who left the officer's seat of Engine 133. "Captain Mehta!"
"Buckley!" Mehta nodded, looking around. "Where's your ambulance?"
"Our ambulance?" Owen parroted, hearing more sirens approach. "They weren't on shift yet, why would – "
He was cut off by a black sedan with police lights pulling up to the curb, and Buck's eyes widened when Eddie and Sylvie surged from the back seats. "Guys?" he asked in shock as TK flung open one of the compartments on the rig.
"This was our call!" Sylvie explained hurriedly, making a grabbing motion. "TK, come on!"
"What's this about?" Owen asked, all business when he saw Hank, Jay, and Sonny leave the car.
"What's the call?" Mehta asked at the same time as they all ran for the doors.
"The mother is most likely poisoning her kid," Sonny answered shortly.
"We planned on coming here later, but then the kid called," Jay continued.
"Possible OD!" Eddie's voice was faint as he and Sylvie sprinted for the stairs.
Jay was close on their heels, the police leaving the firefighters in the dust to keep up with the squad paramedics. "It's this one!" Sylvie pointed to the door.
The Intelligence officers didn't wait for a battering ram. As if on the same wavelength, Hank and Jay rammed their shoulders into the door at the same time, easily breaking through the door. Charlie was close to tears when they rushed in. "She's over here!" he called, Sylvie running to an unconscious Sheila. "I – I don't think she's breathing!"
"We're here now," Eddie gently took him by the shoulders, tugging him away from Sheila as the paramedics from the 133 joined Sylvie.
"Do we know what she took?" Mehta asked, looking down at Sylvie.
"We suspect it's tetrahydrozoline poisoning," Sylvie answered curtly. "Dosing from eyedrops."
Sonny joined Eddie, seeing the tiny bottle in Charlie's hand. "Hey, Charlie, right?" he asked calmly, and Charlie nodded shakily. "Can I see this?"
Charlie gulped, handing Sonny the empty bottle. Sure enough, when the detective twisted the bottle, he saw Eddie was right: eyedrops. "She always puts drops in my food," Charlie explained. "She thinks I don't see her, but I do."
"Oh, God," TK closed his eyes, Owen's face pale as he watched the 133 load Sheila on a stretcher.
"I just wanted to see what would happen if I gave them to her," Charlie whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry!"
"Charlie, it's OK," Sonny stopped him from turning to his mother. "Charlie, you didn't mean to hurt her. It's OK."
Eddie turned to Mehta, his face stone cold. "Charlie's going to need treatment, too," he said. "Tetrahydrozoline poisoning, just smaller doses . . . but for a really long time."
"I'm gonna be sick," Buck croaked.
"Join the club," Jay muttered, the fingers on the hand closest to his sidearm twitching as he watched Sheila be taken away.
***
"OK, let me know where Charlie's being taken, Carisi," Olivia was saying when Nolan and Peter crossed the courthouse; at her words, both men exchanged surprised looks. "And if you find out where the mother's taken, let Fin know. I'll send him and Rollins to handle her. I'll come by the hospital for Diaz's statement."
Nolan looked at Peter. "Diaz, as in – ?"
"Thanks," Olivia nodded, hanging up her phone with a sigh. "Wow."
"Liv?" Peter asked as the prosecutors approached her.
Olivia watched them with a swallow. "I know Special Victims is my unit, but I never expected a case, other than the one you're consulting with, to pop up while we're in the city."
"What happened?" Nolan asked in concern.
"Turns out the woman Austin Squad Company 126 and Chicago Truck 81 saved from her balcony the other day has been dosing her son with eyedrops for years," Olivia answered heavily. "Tetrahydrozoline poisoning."
Peter balked. "Munchausen by proxy?!"
Olivia nodded miserably. "Eddie called Carisi last night, saying he wanted to talk this morning. All the evidence is classic Munchausen by proxy . . . and the woman put up several FundMe pages, all of them with different last names. Carisi planned on going by the apartment later, but Eddie got a call from Charlie. Sheila thought she hid what she was doing, but Charlie knew she was adding something to his food . . . so to see what it would do to her, he put an entire bottle in her food."
Nolan closed his eyes. "Holy crap."
"Yeah," Olivia nodded. "They're being taken to two separate hospitals, and Eddie's agreed to give us his full statement."
"Good," Peter clenched his jaw. "God, a parent doing that to their child . . . "
"Awful," Olivia whispered, looking down at her screensaver: her, Peter, and Noah in the park, all of them with wide, happy smiles. "I can't . . . "
Nolan gave Peter a pointed look, then intentionally turned his back. Grateful for the moment given, Peter reached out and gently pulled Olivia into a hug. "Hey," he whispered, feeling her sink against him. "We have less than an hour until Noah's up in New York, and we'll be on lunch break. First thing we'll do is call and see he's all good. OK?" He felt Olivia nod, and he looked down at her. "Liv?"
"Yeah," she croaked, sniffing and nodding, wiping her eyes. "Yeah. Good idea." She forced out a laugh. "Sorry, Counselor Price."
"Sorry for what?" Nolan asked, checking his watch and not turning around. "I didn't see anything. I have no idea what you're talking about."
Olivia's laughter was genuine that time.
***
"So this is what happens when we decide to ride with danger magnets," Jay muttered under his breath to Sonny as they watched the stretchers go in different directions. "Good to know."
"You shoulda been at the station during a shift," Sonny smirked. "I'll do you one better . . . at the station with the rest of the unit."
Jay stared at him. "Now I see what Sylvie means when she says I would never believe you're best friends with TK."
Sonny's laughter echoed in the air as Eddie guided Charlie's gurney to one of the ambulances. "What about my mom?" Charlie asked. "Will I see her at the hospital?"
Eddie shook his head. "She's a little more sick," he said. "She's got to go to a different hospital." He patted the side of the ambulance. "This is your ride."
"My baby!" Sheila shrieked suddenly, and Sylvie turned away from Owen to watch her fight the restraints on her gurney. "Where's my baby? Where's my – ?!"
Her voice was cut off by Buck and TK forcefully shutting the ambulance doors. "Yeah, we heard you the first time, lady," Buck scowled.
"Good riddance," TK grumbled, hitting the back of the ambulance twice with his fist.
The ambulance drove away, and Hank turned away from his phone call to look at Sylvie with a proud smile. "You run with a good crew nowadays, Sylvie," he told her. "I wondered if I'd ever get to see you in action."
"I just wish we had gotten here sooner," Sylvie sighed, running a hand over her hair.
"Same here," Eddie agreed, folding his arms.
"We always wish that was the case when it comes to this," Sonny nudged him. "But what matters is we got here when we did. In this case, later is better than never."
Jay nodded in agreement. "That kid's lucky he met you, Eddie."
"I'm glad I met him," Eddie watched the paramedics load Charlie into the ambulance.
"Right," Sonny checked his phone. "That ambulance is my ride. I'm meeting Cap at the hospital."
"We'll follow Sheila's," Jay pointed.
"And I'll let Dispatch know we're clear to take another call," Buck grinned, stepping away.
Eddie sighed, turning to Sylvie. "And we aren't on shift for at least another hour because I need to give a statement."
"Hey, you saved Charlie from his mom's abuse," Sylvie squeezed his arm. "I'm not complaining, Eddie."
"Right," Eddie nodded, watching Sonny climb into the ambulance. "They said they're gonna let one of us ride in the back, the other in the front."
Sylvie raised an eyebrow. "Who's the one who nailed what was happening?"
"Who's my commanding officer?" Eddi retorted.
Sylvie snorted. "He trusts you more than me!"
"You're the one who made the calls to treat him and his mother!"
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. Let's settle this like adults."
She placed one fist on top of her open palm, eyebrow raised in challenge. Eddie stared at her in disbelief, then barked in laughter. "You're kidding me."
"I'm not," Sylvie shook her head. "C'mon. Best two out of three gets to decide who goes where."
Eddie narrowed his eyes. "I have a kid who knows all these tricks."
"I had years with Squad 3," Sylvie deadpanned. "Square up."
Eddie huffed. "Fine," he nodded, putting one fist on an open palm. "Call it."
Sylvie nodded. "Rock, paper, scissors – "
BANG!
***
"Dispatch, this is Austin Squad 9."
Grace folded her hands. "Dispatch reads you, Squad 9."
"Call is concluded at Regal Pointe Apartments," Buck told her. "Austin EMS 99 will still be offline until they're cleared by Manhattan SVU."
"Copy that, Squad 9," Grace nodded. "Ready to put Austin Squad 9 and Los Angeles 133 back in – "
BANG!
The sound made Grace jump from her chair, eyes wide and her heart racing. "Grace?" Josh immediately spun from his station.
"Grace, what happened?" Sue walked over to her, concern on her face.
Grace could only stare at her monitor in shock as the frightened voice of TK was heard over the radio. "Was that a gunshot?"
***
Jay had heard those pops all the time, both in his time in the Army Rangers and in his time being Intelligence's sniper. When the gunshot cracked in the air, he grabbed Hank and instinctively dropped to the ground. His boss was already in the process of ducking for cover, both men drawing their sidearms. "Cover!" Hank bellowed.
The firefighters of the 133 scattered, but a pained whimper made Jay's blood freeze. He whipped around the parked ambulance, and his eyes widened. By the ambulance labeled with the 133's number, Eddie swayed where he stood, a glaze taking over his eyes. The black of his uniform on the right side of his body was suddenly darker than before, but only the patches of brighter colors showed the dark liquid spreading rapidly across the fabric.
Blood. And a lot of it.
"Eddie!" Buck cried.
But Sonny, who had jumped from the ambulance when the shot rang out, didn't call the paramedic's name. "Sylvie!"
And sure enough, when Jay looked again, it wasn't just Eddie who fell to the ground. Sylvie stumbled back from her partner, the color rapidly draining from her blood-splattered face. Unlike Eddie, the right side of her uniform was clean . . . and blood was dripping down her left arm.
"Shots fired!" Mehta yelled, and Jay saw Squad 9 finally fight to find cover, Owen having to physically grab Buck and pull him behind their rig. "Shots fired!"
***
"Austin Squad 9, do you copy?" Grace demanded, her heart in her throat. "Los Angeles 133, respond!"
"50-21, do you copy?" Josh asked from his computer, swallowing hard. "50-21 George?"
"New York 1-6 Unit, please respond!" Maddie desperately tried to reach Sonny.
Then all of their comms burst to life. "Shots fired!" Mehta's voice called. "Shots fired!"
***
Olivia halted in her tracks when her radio suddenly crackled. "10-1!" Sonny called, the desperation in his voice making Peter and Nolan look at each other. "Shots fired! Shots fired on police and fire personnel!"
***
"When were Jay and Sarge meeting us again?" Kevin asked, checking his watch.
"They weren't sure," Hailey shook her head. "It was Detective Carisi who was running point with who they were meeting – "
Their radios all burst with static, then Jay's panicked voice made them freeze. "50-21 George, calling 10-1! I repeat, 10-1! Shots fired!"
***
"Why am I not surprised Squad 9 was the first to be called out this morning?" Cruz shook his head in amusement as he surveyed the three rigs rolling towards 51.
Gianna, however, frowned. "I don't see Brett or Diaz on 99, though."
Kelly frowned in concern, wiping his hands with a cloth as the rigs parked; sure enough, only Nancy jumped from EMS 99. "Brett and Diaz?" he asked.
"They're still offline," Nancy shrugged. "Eddie said they had an emergency and had to talk to . . . was it Carisi?"
"Yeah, it was Carisi," Tommy nodded, shutting the driver's door of EMS 126. "And maybe a few others?"
"What happened that they needed police assistance?" Matt asked, bewildered.
"Hell if we know," Judd shook his head. "We didn't hear a thing."
"All we know is Squad 9 got called to a person down of unknown causes," Marjan shrugged.
"Did they say where?" Boden asked.
Mateo tilted his head. "Royal Apartments?" he tried.
Mouch blinked. "Regal Pointe Apartments?"
"That's it!" Mateo nodded.
Matt looked at Boden with wide eyes. "That's the apartment building we got called to with their Squad Company the other day."
"Person down?" Stella frowned in confusion. "Maybe the kid?"
The sudden surge of anger that reared in Matt made him have to bite down on his tongue to avoid lashing out. "Maybe," was all he forced out.
"You good, Captain?" Gallo asked in concern.
"Peachy," Matt snapped.
The 126 ladder crew looked at him worriedly, then several radios screeched with static at once. "Whoa!" Violet staggered back, hands over her ears. "What the – ?!"
"Mayday, mayday, mayday!" Owen's strangled yell made everyone freeze. "Shots fired! Shots fired! Paramedics are down!"
Marjan let out a strangled sound, clapping one hand over her mouth. "No," Nancy's voice broke, and she shook her head rapidly as Matt and Kelly looked at each other with wide eyes. "No, no, please, don't tell me he said – !"
***
Another bullet flew past Hank and Jay, and Hank saw Owen drop to his stomach behind his rig, his grip on his radio releasing. The bullet struck the side of Squad 9, and he heard the startled shout of TK, the young firefighter's head whipping around as he tried to find better cover. Buck had plastered himself to the ground, his wide blue eyes locked on Eddie's sprawled form, his eyes miraculously still open.
"50-21, do you copy?"
The dispatcher's voice was a shout, and Hank fumbled for his radio, clicking it on. "Dispatch, this is 50-21, I need an immediate Flash-Message, now!"
***
"All units, stay off the zone," the dispatcher ordered, and in the normally bustling courthouse, silence fell in an instant. "50-21, go with your Flash."
"This is 50-21 calling 10-1!" Hank's iron voice, usually so strong, was trembling over the radio, making Olivia's fingers tighten around her radio; Peter swallowed hard and looked up at Nolan, seeing the man's multicolored eyes widen as his face rapidly paled. "Shots have been fired at the Regal Pointe Apartments. I repeat, shots fired at fire and police personnel."
***
Hank took a deep breath, bracing himself for action as he looked out, watching Sylvie go limp on the ground, blue eyes sliding shut, blood pooling on the asphalt under her. "Paramedics are down," he continued. "Paramedics of the Austin 126 have been shot!"
***
. . . so I'm just gonna go find some place to hide while everyone screams and yells at me. Sound good? Yeah, that sounds good.
Once all the pieces started falling together towards the end of this story, I knew, without a doubt, that Sylvie would also be a victim of the sniper. Not only will it prove Nolan's point to Matt and Kelly, but a very clever reader on Ao3 has already figured out how a certain important point will be brought to light.
It's only fitting that at the end of this chapter, we wrap up Team Dumbass's biographies!
***
Sylvie
Latin, "from the forest"
Sanguine
cheerful, positive, mindful
The Priest
inspirational, uplifting, motivating
Type 9, The Peacemaker
receptive, reassuring, agreeable
ESFJ
The Provider
Hufflepuff
dedication, patience, loyalty
Pisces
the creative, compassionate, gentle, wise
Water
trusting, devoted, forgiving
The Upright Sun
positivity, freedom, optimism, vitality, joy, self-confidence, happiness
Archetypes
Beware the Nice Ones, The Captain, Dude Magnet, Earn Your Happy Ending, Everyone Can See It, Hair of Gold Heart of Gold, Has a Type, I Want My Beloved to Be Happy, Long-Lost Relative, Ms. Fanservice, Polyamory, Practically Different Generations, Survivor Guilt
Lawful Neutral
The Judge
Status
alive
***
Maybe that should say "unknown" for now? But y'all know with all this talk of a sequel and a happy ending, she's not dead. There is still lots in store for my favorite paramedic.
Next chapter, there are several very, very, very, very angry first responders in the city, and the sniper is not ready as the police go to war.
Next up - the 9-1-1 S4 season finale, "Survivors!"
graphic by marvelity