In The Line Of Duty

10

Alayna stood back, the canal full of Officers, the blue and red lights lighting up the side of the road. "Dominic!" She called out to him as he came into view.

He walked up the hill a bit, seeing her there.

"What's going on? They won't let me any closer."

He stopped in front of her, indicating to the guard to leave them for a moment. She searched his features. "Dom."

"Yeah." He scratched his head, turning to observe the scene around them. "What a mess." He turned to her. "Thomas has been arrested and taken back into Stratford. Coroner is on their way for Yvonne. Nic is..." He pointed over to the helicopter starting up. "They're taking her to St Thomas Hospital for emergency surgery." He sighed. "She's not good, Lay."

He saw her about to cry. "Hey." He pulled her into his arms. "At least we got them right. That's what she wanted."

"Yeah," She hugged him. He gave her a squeeze.

"Have you given your statement yet?"

"Not yet."

"Ok." He kissed her on the head. "I'll go find someone." He turned, pointing at her. "Stay here."

Nodding, she waited until he was just out of view. Watching the helicopter lifting in the air, she gripped the car keys she's just stolen from Dominic's belt, quickly making her way back up to the road to his truck.

Interviews and statements were going to have to wait. She turned the key seeing the helicopter lights rising into the sky.

She quickly typed in 'St Thomas Hospital' in her phone. She had to be at the hospital when Nicole was brought in. She needed to be there.

She had to check she was ok.

All she could hear through the ringing in her ears was their quiet mumbling over at the nurses' station. Alayna lifted her head, opening her eyes to the white walls of the Patient waiting room. She touched her forehead for a moment feeling her headache throb.

The last twelve hours had been so exhausting. So much had been happening she was sure she was still shaking. Putting her hand out flat to study, she wet her drying lips. "Yip." She nodded to herself, taking a deep chesty breath. She was trying to stay focused on the present.

Seeing a Doctor stop at the nurses' station, her eyes flicked up at the clock. It was almost 2am. The tall Indian woman turned, seeing her.

"Ok, thanks." She heard her say to the nurses on duty, heading over to her. She stood up. "Hello, I am Doctor Jeshna Kumar. I specialise in organ transfers. Are you here with Nicole Daniela Wade?"

Alayna pursed her lips, crossing her arms, suddenly feeling out of her depths. "Ahh," She looked around the empty waiting room; there was nobody else. "Yes." She dug her hands into her pockets.

Jeshna nodded. "Good," She pressed the clipboard in her hand to her chest, the seriousness coming to her features. "Miss Wade has received some major damage to her internal organs that I am still unsure how she is still with us, but Miss..."

Alayna caught her eyes locked onto hers, waiting for a response. "Oh, um, Brown, Alayna Brown."

"Miss Brown." Jeshna nodded.

"Miss Wade will need access to much-needed organs as they come available." Her finger tapped against her clipboard. "But we cannot proceed without her consent or that of a spouse or direct family member." She caught Alayna's shoulders drop. Jeshna wet her lips. "You're not?"