Devotion

Back to the Grind

Jack remains with Katy in the offices, he has now laid her down on the floor surrounded by pillows from the sofa and a blanket to keep her warm. Jack continues with another case and waits for Nikki to return from the mortuary, while he is sat working DS Mullins returns to the offices. "So Jack, any more fuck ups on the case, or do we have a breakthrough?" DS Mullins quizzes.

Jack glances up from his work and looks at DS Mullins he was one police officer Jack hated with a passion. "Well hopefully there is a break, One of our Senior Pathologists is looking at it now," Jack responds.

DS Mullins nods and picks up some casework from Adam's desk and reads the notes Nikki has made on it, Jack was surprised that DS Mullins hasn't noticed the baby sleeping beside Jack on the floor. "Oh? I thought there were no senior pathologists in today?" He asks.

"Dr. Alexander said she will take a look."
Ds Mullins puts the paperwork down and looks up at Jack still completely unaware of the five-month-old asleep Jack's side of the desk. "Dr. Alexander, you say? I thought she had moved on? The cutting room you say?" DS Mullins responds and Jack nods, but before Jack can explain Nikki's situation DS Mullins has left the room.

Jack takes a deep breath and leans back in his chair running his hands through his hair, he looks down at his sleeping daughter and shakes his head. "Why did I even suggest your Mummy took a look at this case," Jack sighs.

Meanwhile, Nikki has just begun the second post-mortem and has just started the internal examination. "Dr. Alexander?" A voice comes through the intercom.
Nikki looks up at the gallery to see DS Mullins, "PC Mullins..." She smiles.
"DS Now, how are you?" He asks with a smile.

"Oh, congratulations. I am good, just double-checking Dr. Yuen's findings," Nikki explains.
"Good, always rely on you to put things right. I don't know what kind of people you are hiring here but even that forensic scientist is slow," He responds and Nikki fights back the urge to put him right about Jack.

Nikki doesn't respond but starts to record what she is finding, ready to compare to Adam's findings. "Ligature marks to both radiocarpal joints suspected binding of the wrists, they are in the exact pattern of the ligature marks on both talocrural joints. I reckon this was some kind of torture," Nikki speaks out as she records the post-mortem on the high-tech camera system they have in the mortuary.

DS Mullins stands and watches Nikki from the gallery as the works around the body. Nikki on the other hand couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as she works, it had been some time since Nikki has performed a post-mortem. She had never felt more alive, she was born to do this just, and as much as she adored being a mother nothing compared to being back in the mortuary.

Throughout the port-mortem Nikki can feel DS Mullins' eyes on her, she found it somewhat weird that he was staring at her and almost undressing her with his eyes. DS Mullins had taken Nikki on a date a year before Jack and Nikki had first met at the crime scene in the hotel, Nikki finishes the post-mortem before letting the lab technicians finish up with the body.

Nikki walks through to the changing rooms and quickly changes into her normal clothing, as she sits down on the bench to put her heels back on DS Mullins knocks on the door. "Yeah?" Nikki asks as she pulls her hair out of the neat ponytail.

"Sorry, you're decent good... look I have been thinking, how about her go for a drink later?" He asks nervously.
Nikki raises an eyebrow so much had changed since she had last seen him, "Erm... I'll have to pass," Nikki responds realizing she has taken her wedding rings off for the post-mortem.
"Come on Nikki, It will be nice to catch up. Start where we left off," He smiles.

"Adrian... look it was nine years ago. Things change," Nikki responds as she walks to her lock her and pulls out her ID badge, grabs her earrings, and puts them in before pulling out her wedding rings.

"You haven't" He speaks.
"I have" Nikki smiles as she slips her wedding rings on, locks the locker door, and leaves the changing room.

Adrian notices the wedding rings and follows after her, "Sorry, I didn't know you were married. But we can still go for a drink as friends Nikki," He responds.
Nikki rolls her eyes as she glances over her shoulder at Adrian before following the sound of a baby crying which could only be Katy. She scans her ID badge and holds the door before DS Mullins before following him through to the offices where she sees Jack stood carefully bouncing Katy crying to soothe the crying child.

"What the devil, children in a mortuary. Is this a playground or a place of work?" DS Mullins announces causing Jack to turn around with Katy.

Nikki sees her daughter crying in Jack's arms and pushes past DS Mullins, "Oh darling, is Daddy terrible at calming you down," Nikki coos as she scoops the five-month-old out of Jack's arms.

Katy buries her head into her mother's chest and pulls at her top, "One guess as to what is wrong," Jack smirks as he kisses Nikki's forehead.
"Hmm, and her nappy needs changing too," Nikki chuckles.

Jack glances over at DS Mullins who is stood starring at them in shock, "oh DS Mullins, you've met my wife Nikki then?" Jack smiles.
"Oh, I didn't know you two were..." He stutters, his tone changing completely for how he acted with Jack earlier.

"Yeah, out of work she is Mrs. Hodgson, but in work to save confusion she is still Dr. Alexander instead of Dr. Hodgson... well simply because I am a doctor too," Jack explains.
"Can you imagine the confusion it would cause in admin too," Nikki chips in as she discreetly unclips her nursing bra, as Katy is still grabbing her top.

Nikki walks over to Jack's desk while he continues to talk to DS Mullins, sitting down at the desk she grabs a blanket of Katy's and drapes it over her shoulder to give herself some privacy while she feeds Katy.
Nikki looks over at Jack as he catches DS Mullins up to date on the forensic evidence, "I can't believe you're married to Dr. Alexander, her work is inspiring..." Adrian gushes to Jack who just smirks at the comments.

"Yeah, she's more than just a doctor of pathology to me, she's my best friend, and mother to our daughter," Jack responds in a hushed tone. Nikki who had heard the entire conversation just rolls her eyes and smirks at the pair.