Back in Town

Chapter 8: Post Trauma - Day 4

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*Present Day*

Alec walked into the police station early that morning and found Ellie Miller already in her office. He had received a text from her that morning just after he had woken up, asking him to come by the station as soon as possible. He knocked twice on the door, though it was open, to alert her to his presence.

When she received her promotion several months before things had been reorganized and remodeled in CID to accommodate two DI's. She now worked in an office that backed right up to Alec's, and an interconnecting door had been installed between the two offices.

"What's come up?" he asked as she nodded him into the office.

"Come in. Close the door," she said quickly as she glanced back at her computer screen then back to him.

His eyebrow rose, but he did as she asked and after closing the door moved to the seat across the desk from her.

"I need you to promise me you're not going to get upset, Hardy." Ellie said calmly.

Now his eyes widened. "I won't make a promise if I don't know what it is you don't want me to get upset about."

Ellie sighed. "CCTV footage from around McEwen's was inconclusive. We see two men running away from the building, but they're wearing hoodies that conceal their identities. There is quite a height difference between the two that might help support any further evidence we have or might get. Such as—"

Alec slid forward in his seat, almost growling at her. "Such as?"

Ellie stared at him. "Such as the CCTV footage we obtained from the block of flats the cook lives in. We looked back several weeks and found one individual who I happen to be know who made frequent visits. It seems our cook, Kevin Jenkins has been receiving frequent visits from. Jim Wright."

Alec stood up so fast that his chair flipped back. "What!? That son of a—"

"Alec!" Ellie shouted over him.

Alec barely stopped his rant for her interruption. "That piece of rubbish couldn't care less about the pub, the money—it was about getting at Liv—we have those threatening letters on file, Miller! There's no way he can get away with this!"

"Alec! You need to calm down. Right. Now," she said through clenched teeth. "I am just as pissed off about this as you are, you know that."

Alec kicked the fallen chair out of his way, hands firmly gripping his hips as he paced back and forth in the small office space. "Where is he?" he growled questioningly.

"We don't know," she said quieter.

"What!?" His voice rose again as he pinned her with a stare.

"Oh come off it, Hardy! You can guess as well as I can—he's gone into hiding. We've sent uniformed officers to his place over in Bridport. They've got it under surveillance. His landlord says he hasn't been there in days."

"Probably four days to be precise." Alec continued to pace frantically. He felt like a caged animal. He really wanted to hit something—no, he really wanted to hit someone. And that someone was Jim Wright. He stopped in his tracks, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "By now he knows Liv is alive. If she—" He paused and squeezed his eyes shut as he sucked in a sharp breath. "When she wakes up, if she identifies him, it's another nail in his coffin. If he tries to get into the hospital and—"

Ellie interrupted him, "Already on it. I got the clear to send two uniforms over to guard her door. Two will be there for overnight watch, outside visiting hours. I've also gotten you a pass to be there from seven a.m. to nine p.m. It was as far as they'd push outside regular visiting hours. During that time, one officer will be at her door while you're in the room, in case you need to leave. I assume that's an acceptable arrangement to you?"

He swallowed hard, his head hung down as he took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He nodded slightly.

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*Flashback – Month 4 of Alec and Liv*

Over the course of the last two weeks, Liv had received four separate notes, two by regular post, and two with flower deliveries. It wasn't till the last one had come with a dozen roses that she finally talked to Ellie.

"I'll have you or no one will." Ellie read the note that had been attached to the roses delivered the day before. The flowers now resided in the recycling bin outside the building. She looked up at Liv, who was leaned against the counter, staring at the floor. "It's Jim, isn't it."

"Of course, it's Jim." Liv's glared at her best friend. "He's finally found out that I'm back in Broadchurch."

"Have you told Alec?" Ellie questioned.

Liv's eyebrow raised. "What do you think?"

"I think you should tell him." Ellie stared back.

"I think you're mad. He'd go off in a rage if he found out," said Liv back.

"He'd make sure you are protected." Ellie tried to maintain a measure of calm. She was now very familiar with the power of a Scottish temper, having dealt with Liv's for almost her entire life, and now Alec's as well. It made her wonder how this whole thing was going to play out.

"I can protect myself."

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*Present Day*

Alec stood at the end of the bed, staring down at Olivia MacDonald. It was her fourth day in the hospital and he was finally beginning to see improvements in her condition. She was still comatose, but the swelling was starting to go down in her face, which he hoped meant the swelling was also going down in her brain.

He still struggled to maintain any sense of focus or calm after the news Ellie had delivered earlier. He was still staring down at Liv when a doctor walked in.

"Mr. Hardy, my name is Doctor Richards. This morning Olivia was taken upstairs for several scans and tests."

"How is she doing, doctor? She's looking better, I think." Alec nodded towards the woman in the hospital bed.

"Yes, the external swelling is going down. And I'm happy to report the internal swelling is going down as well. The pressure on her brain is starting to diminish. There's a long way to go for the broken bones, of course, but I'm pleased with how they were set during the surgery, so I believe they will heal properly."

"When will she wake up?" Alec questioned the doctor. Though he knew there was no certain answer, he was compelled to ask.

The doctor sighed. "Mr. Hardy, we have no way of knowing that for sure. It could be days, it could be weeks."

"I know you can't give me a guarantee. But based on her current state?" Alec pushed.

The doctor stared at the detective a moment before continuing, "My opinion? Based on the current rate at which the swelling is going down, it should be gone within another three to four days. It doesn't mean the trauma to her brain isn't still present, and that we won't find something else once the swelling is gone. But, at that point, I believe it will be up to Liv as to when she wakes up. Comas are a tricky, mysterious thing, when it comes to brain trauma especially. That's why we can't predict when she'll wake up. And Mr. Hardy—you were warned after the surgery—there's possibility of all sorts of other neurological issues could occur—such as amnesia."

"You're telling me she might not remember me when she wakes up. I understand that."

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