Line of duty fanfic - Steve Arnott / OFC

Line of duty

Author's Note - This has not been proof read and was written exactly after I watched the episode. 

Clara Martinelli was asleep in her apartment on a Monday morning after a hectic night shift as an intensive care nurse. Suddenly, she heard a very loud noise and as much as she wanted to remain in bed, her nursing instincts kicked in and she sprang out of bed, taking her phone and a couple of medical gloves with her. The source of the noise was the stairs in front of her apartment. A suited young man, possibly in his mid-30's, was lying on his back on the stairs with his head facing downhill and was bleeding profusely from his head. His shirt collar, as well as the stairs, were soaked red with blood.

Clara took a photo of the man, just in case it needed to be used as evidence and she immediately, took off her pyjama top, leaving her in a vest, and put on her medical gloves. With one hand, she pressed her top against the man's head, being very careful not to move his neck as she did so. With the other hand, she dialled for an ambulance and takes a look at the police identification badge in his jacket pocket.

"This is Clara Martinelli, a registered ITU nurse at City General Hospital. I need urgent assistance at Webber and Barratt Law Firm, Rouen Street." She gave them the law firm's address because she knew it was easier to locate that on the ambulance GPS. "A young male, possibly mid-30's, fell from a height and landed supine on the stairs. Bleeding from the nose and laceration on the middle part of the back of the head. GCS is 3, pulse is decreasing and has very shallow breathing. I've been placing pressure on the head wound but have not moved his head due to possible spinal cord injury or vertebral fracture. His police ID identifies him as Detective Sergeant Steven Arnott of Anti-Corruption Unit 12. I repeat, I need urgent assistance."

"The ambulance has been deployed as soon as the address was given and this information has been relayed to the team. The paramedics will be with you shortly Ms. Martinelli. Thank you for providing medical assistance to the casualty."

Three minutes later, the ambulance arrived and DS Arnott was taken away by Clara's paramedic colleagues. The police who came with them sealed off the area and also took Clara's blood soaked clothing and took swabs of everything they could. She was allowed to take a quick shower afterwards and was taken to the police station for questioning. Her hands shook violently in the car and as she was taken up to see Superintendent Ted Hastings, she needed to sit down for she was going to faint.

"Can I get you some water Miss?" Hastings asked.

"Yes please if it's not any trouble." Hastings called a PC to get her a glass of water. Clara sat down and drank the water.

"This session shall be recorded if that's alright." Clara nodded her consent. "Do you wish to seek legal advice?"

"Not for the time being, as I was just a bystander who intervened."

"As you wish." He placed the tape in the recorder and the same PC who gave Clara the water sat down beside him. "For the tape, this interview is carried out on the 15th of March 2015 at 11:00am, in the presence of Superintendent Ted Hastings, PC Alice Cooper and the witness of the incident, Miss Clara Martinelli." Clara recounted her story from beginning to end and she also showed the police the photo she had taken of DS Arnott just before she intervened. Hastings' face blanched upon seeing his DS in that position and was astounded at this young woman's bravery in intervening.

At the end of the interview, he asked her why she intervened. "A nurse is always a nurse sir, and is duty-bound to intervene if there is an immediate threat to loss of life, as per the Hippocratic oath. If I may ask, have you heard anything on DS Arnott's condition sir?"

"No I have not."

"Would I be able to visit him, sir?"

"I suppose you could visit, but under police orders, you are not to provide treatment at the hospital in which you work, as you are still a witness."

"Understood sir. Should you need anything else about the incident, here are my contact details and I would be more than willing to come in again."

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Clara went to the hospital to see how DS Arnott was doing. 2 armed police officers were in front of the single room. "I would like to visit DS Steven Arnott please. I have permission to do so from Superintendent Hastings from AC-12." They allowed her in and she sat in the chair that was close by to him.

"What a Monday morning this has been eh. I was supposed to be asleep." Obviously the DS did not reply, as he was sedated with an endo-tracheal tube down his throat and a ventilator was beeping. "Steve, please pull through. You have to wake up to find out which bastard did this to you." She held his hand and she fell asleep in the hospital chair and hoped the young detective would be ok.

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For the next week, Clara would go into work and check up on Steven during her breaks and spend her off hours with him, dozing off in the hospital chair and talking to him whenever she could. The endotracheal tube had been removed and it was now a matter of when Steven would wake up. Occasionally, she would see his detective partner, and Superintendent Hastings, who would be on a vigil whenever she wasn't present. One time, DS Kate Fleming stayed with her and Clara asked why nobody from home came to visit.

"The only people he's got are me and Ted. His family doesn't want anything to do with him after his incident at counter-terrorism. It was very hard for him to handle but sometimes it's hard just having your squad mates as your only family. It's strange having a witness visit but thank you for always being there for him, even if he was bleeding out on your doorstep." Clara's heart saddened at hearing this and she took his hand. "Would you like a coffee?" the DS asked the nurse.

"Thank you DS Fleming. I would be much obliged. It's been a long shift." Kate went to get them a coffee and Clara's head rested on Steven's mattress as she held his hand. She wasn't sure why she was so attached to this man that she had found dying on her stairs but somehow, she felt that she couldn't let him go.

Suddenly, she heard a raspy cough from above her. "Kate?" she heard.

"DS Arnott. You've made it."

"Who are you?" he said, still groggy.

"I'm Clara Martinelli. I'm an ITU nurse who had intervened when you had your accident."

"So you're my guardian angel then."

"I'm not the one who fell from the sky mate," she said with a smirk. "Give me one second and I'll call the doctor who's been seeing you so that he can make his assessment." The doctor carried out his assessment, with Kate and Clara drinking the coffee at the door of his room. The women were relieved that the DS had woken up but they were still sceptical about the extent of his injuries. His MRI had showed lots of swelling of the spinal cord and they were going to do another one to see if any of the nerve roots had been compromised because of the fall. However, they decided to not let this show as they returned to Steve's bedside.

"I'll call the gaffer," Kate told him as she exited the room.

"So, Clara," Steve began. "When I'm discharged, would you like to go for a drink, as a thank you for saving my life?"

"Technically you're not supposed to drink alcohol with the powerful painkillers they'd be giving you and I'm still a witness on your case. However, when all this is over, I would very much like to have a drink with you. Just don't land on my doorstep like that again."

Steve laughed and as Kate re-entered the room, Clara said her goodbyes and knowing he was alright, she didn't contact him, as promised, until the end of the investigations.

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It is up to your imagination as to what happened between DS Arnott and Nurse Martinelli after their drink. What I can tell you however, is that they were very happy together. All because a man in a balaclava shoved him down the stairs and she happened to be at the right place at the right time.  

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this story and please feel free to comment. Thanks and stay safe :)