Falling For You [Tom Hiddleston]

30

Claire's POV

I felt a rush of vertigo again when I attempted to sit up and promptly laid right back down, waiting for my vision to straighten out again. I was pretty sure I had a more severe concussion than last time just going off of how shitty I felt right now.

I was just glad I'd managed to cover my face well enough with my jacket to keep from inhaling too much of the biological agent they'd used to incapacitate the entire area. Man, I freaking hate that stuff, I thought as I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried not to breathe any deeper than I had to - and not just because I was pretty sure a fair amount of my ribs were broken.

The unmistakable salty, coppery tang of blood from my split lip was already making my mouth water unpleasantly as my stomach revolted; I hated the taste of blood. My eyes began filling with tears involuntarily as I spat out the excess saliva, afraid that if I swallowed it, the taste would make me throw up.

Retching was the last thing I wanted to do right now; I might puncture a lung again if I wasn't careful. It hurt so damn bad just to breathe, let alone move...my side throbbed in time with my heartbeat, aching a little more with each breath. My body hadn't had enough time to fully heal  from the last beating before taking the brunt of Owen's displeasure today.

*    *

"You did good, lass," the Chief murmured as he unlocked the handcuffs a rookie had loosely put on me as a precaution. I didn't blame the kid; he didn't know me from Eve and was only following protocol. "Are you all right?"

I rubbed my wrists slowly; I was running solely on my energy reserves at this point - and now that the adrenaline rush was over, those weren't going to last long. All I wanted - in this order - was a handful of Tylenol, my headache meds and my own bed so I could sleep this migraine off.

"I've been better. Did you get them all?"

"I don't know yet, but EMS are here - let's get you looked at."

"I'm fine, Chief," I insisted. It had been worth every injury to keep Caleb's crew from achieving their goal; I couldn't let them take Will and Kate's kids.

"Claire; you're bleeding, which means you're not fine. Corcoran, send the first available EMT to me," he said over his radio. "I want Kingsley looked at ASAP."

"They're already en route, Chief; looked like she went down pretty hard from where I was located."

Great - just great; now everyone would be talking about me. I glared at my boss as I slowly stood up, fighting back another wave of vertigo. Holding my throbbing side as I straightened, I left the shock blanket they kept putting on me behind because I didn't need it; I wasn't in shock.

I knew from experience that if I let the EMT's get ahold of me in my current state, they'd want me to be transported to a hospital for x-rays and scans...and then I'd probably be admitted. I couldn't have that - not when my brothers weren't here yet to keep watch while I was incapacitated; I wouldn't survive the night.

"I'm fine, Chief; I'll call Dr Mendoza when I get home if it'll make you happy, okay?"

He caught my arm gently but firmly, waiting for me to look up at him before speaking. "I'd rather they assess you before I allow you to leave the scene; it'll be easier to get charges to stick if I have the EMS statement in addition to the pictures they'll take."

I exhaled slowly, reminding myself that this was reasonable; proof of assault of an officer would at least get Caleb and Owen held long enough for me to file the rest of my paperwork; between that and treason, there was no way they'd ever be bailed out.