Broadchurch: Across the Pond

Chapter 19

TW: Medical situations, anxiety

Alec drifted in and out for the next two days, thanks mostly to frequent doses of morphine. The second time he woke up, he saw Daisy at his bedside, absorbed in her smartphone. She jumped a foot when he said her name.

"Shit!" she yelped. "Oh, my God, Dad!"

"Hey, darlin'," Alec whispered, glad to find that the oxygen mask had been replaced a tube in his nose. The IV cannula was still in his hand; he could feel it.

"Ellie's at the hotel," Daisy told him, nearly verbatim Ellie's words the night before. "We've been switching off. Do you need anything?"

Alec shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine. I promise."

Daisy's blue eyes filled with tears. "We almost lost you, Dad. The surgeon—he said you should never have been on a plane, or traveled that far. Ellie told him your doctor at home had cleared you. He said he's gonna report him to the medical board."

"Quite right. But y'know what?" Alec said.

"What?"

"We solved...the case."

Daisy gave a watery smile. "Yeah. Ellie said it was the secretary. I told her it sounded like that game, Clue. The secretary, on the beach, with the brick."

Alec smiled, and reached out with the hand that didn't have an IV in it. After a moment's hesitation, Daisy took it. Alec ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Gonna fall asleep," he murmured.

"That's okay." She kissed his cheek. "I love you."

The next time he woke, he was alone. Surprising but not worrying. Then a nurse came in, gave him a dose of morphine, and a note. Alec had her get his glasses out of his coat pocket so he could read it.

Alec: the doctors say you're probably not going to die now, so I'm going home to my boys. I expect a text as soon as you can see straight. I'm giving Daisy a ride so she can pick up some fresh clothes, then she'll be back. Keep me updated. --Ellie

Alec paged the nurse and asked for his phone. Someone did, and he texted Ellie. im alive. thx for everything. Knowing she wouldn't get back to him for a while, he texted Daisy: hey dizzy daisy. im ok. u stay home. go to school.

The answer was almost instant, and exactly what he expected: lol no. go 2sleep. b there when u wake up.

And she was, sitting in the bedside chair staring at him eight hours later. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Good morning," Alec replied. He felt considerably more alert. "Or is it afternoon now?"

"Still morning. How are you feeling?"

"Better. I can almost think straight. That morphine really does your head in."

"Yeah, that's when they gave me when I had my appendix out," Daisy reminded him. "It's a trip."

"Quite." He raised the head of his bed so he almost sitting up. "Is your mum here?"

Daisy shook her head

"Then...how did you get here? You didn't drive, did you?"

"I didn't drive," Daisy promised—then she bit her tongue.

It took Alec a few extra seconds to put it together through the haze of painkillers, but he got there. "Where is he?"

"Dad, please, you need to keep your heart rate down," Daisy begged trying to placate him.

"My heart rate'll really go up if I have to--" He struggled to raise himself up on one elbow "--get of out this bed and hunt him down. Bring him in. Now."

Daisy called out, and Jackson poked his head into the room, wide-eyed. "Um, Mister—Detective--Hardy. Erm, hi. I'm Jacks--"

"I know who you are," Alec said darkly. "Daisy, would you...excuse us?"

Jackson shot his girlfriend a desperate look—please don't leave me alone with him—to no avail. She patted his arm encouragingly and left.

"Sit," Alec ordered.

Jackson perched on the edge of the chair as though preparing to flee. Alec let the tension build for a moment while he caught his breath.

"How long...have you and Daisy been together?" he asked in a deceptively mild tone

"A few months. We've known each other for over a year."

"And...why wasn't I told?"

"Daisy said you'd freak out," Jackson admitted.

"Well, she's not wrong." Alec smiled coldly. "Daisy...is my little girl. No matter how old she is, she is my daughter, and I will protect her...'til my dying day."

"Yessir."

"I may be bed-bound now, but...if you hurt her or break her heart, I will cut your dick off...and then I'll kill you. Rest assured that if Ican't...DS Miller will. Do you understand?" Alec asked in a growl.

"Yessir,"Jackson squeaked.

"Good. Now, go fetch Daisy."

Jackson scurried out looking shell-shocked. Daisy returned and regarded her dad with a stern expression. "What did you say to him?"

"The usual. Threatened his life." Alec pointed to the cabinet. "Bring my coat, there's something in the pocket for you."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"I promised I would. Go get it."

She retrieved the coat. He rifled through the pockets until he found the little box from the night market in LA. "Here it is. I hope you like it, darling."

"I'm sure I will," Daisy promised. It was a necklace, a tiny, crystalline vial filled with grains of sand and miniature seashells, strung on a gold chain.

"I can't take you to LA right now," Alec told her regretfully. "But I can bring LA to you."

"Oh, Dad, it's beautiful." She put it on and touched the little pendant. "I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome, darling. Tell me about school," Alec requested with a smile.

"You should rest," Daisy said.

"I will. Other than...the boyfriend, how's school going?"

"School's okay." She sat on the bed, giving him her hand when he reached for it. "Swim meets start next week. We've got this new girl, total numpty. She hit the bottom of the pool..."

 Alec settled back onto the pillows, happy just to have her with him. He was asleep in minutes.