Heal the Scars Left on the Heart

11: Regret

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I blinked my eyes open slowly with my head tilted to the side. I groaned as the first thing my eyes laid on was a yellow vase on the bedside.

I blinked carefully, faintly squinting my eyes to focus on the white flowers.

Daisies...?

My hazy brain just kept staring mindlessly, unable to process fast enough. And that was when the door opening interrupted my thoughts. Hank had walked in after the door and graced the room with his presence.

"Hey," he spoke up, making his way next to me and sat comfortably on the chair. "How are you feeling, honey?"

I chuckled weakly, "just fucking peachy."

He nodded slowly, and sighed. He clearly looked distressed, it looked like he hasn't slept for the past two days I've been stuck in the damn hospital. The dark circles under his eyes almost dragged down to his cheeks.

My mind still slightly dazed, I asked, "did you get me these?" as I pointed my fingers without lifting my hands up. "They're pretty, tha-"

"Ain't from me," he cut me off.

"Oh," I responded, dumbstruck.

Then who?

I thought to myself, trying to sit up. I winched in pain, the feeling on my shoulder felt like thousands and thousands of needles stabbing me violently.

Hank watched as I struggled to get up, his forehead wrinkled when his eyebrows came together worriedly. "You need a couple more days here?"

"No..." I groaned and sighed. "I got a case to solve."

"Yeah, about that," he said as he folded his hands onto his laps. "You're off the case. Captain Fowler and I already talked about this. It's been discussed. I'm takin' over, the other case has been solved."

I stared at him in bewilderment with my eyebrows scrunched together.

He continued, "Mark Dragon. Charged with five murders. I'll be doing the Bot Killer case with Ben. Probably with a few other guys too. You're gonna be doing patrol most of the days."

"Wait," I interjected and I frowned in confusion, "what do you mean I'm off the case? Why?"

"I mean, look at ya'," he said, as if I should obviously know the answer.

"So I'm just patrolling and giving out fucking tickets?" I protested.

"You're fucking injured, (Y/N). What did you expect, us to just send you out there to get shot again? Or possibly even die?" he countered with a hint of aggravation in his voice.

"Well, what did you expect? That I'll just be a squeaky clean cop forever and not get hurt at least once?" I retorted, matching his aggravation and tone. "Get real."

He balled his fist so tightly, the veins on the back of his hands threatened to burst. His voice elevated quickly and he yelled, "do you know what happened to Gavin?! He was internally bleeding! He almost didn't make it!"

I raised my voice and yelled back, "well, he did!"

"Yeah?! Well, what if he didn't?! That could've been you, (Y/N)!" Hank exclaimed louder. "I refuse to send you out there again! Do you hear me?! Not on my fucking watch!"

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Give out fucking parking tickets until I retire?!"

He gritted his teeth with no response, and that only infuriated me more.

My blood boiled, furious that he thought he had control over my life, my job, my cases. I gritted my teeth as I looked at him with anger rushing through my body.