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It was her one request of Bright. He promised her that he wouldn’t die on her as he tried to prove his innocence. An innocence she knew deep down in her soul. Bright wasn’t capable of murdering someone.
But the idiot had nearly gotten himself killed by Endicott. She knew better than to believe such promises.
When she received the news of his near fatality from Dani she went into a full blown panic. She raced to the hospital. JT and Dani were sitting together in worry and shock. Gil and Jessica were standing against a wall in close proximity. Ainsley was by herself nursing a cup of coffee in her hands.
Dani noticed her first and stood up. She signaled to JT to come with her.
“Thanks for coming,” Dani said. “Bright would want you here.”
She simply nodded because she had no voice. Her throat tightened, and tears threatened to well up in her eyes.
JT wasn’t used to seeing a discombobulated Edrisa. The medical examiner was always serious about her work but weird. Her flirtatious nature with Bright was beyond him.
“He’s still in surgery,” JT commented. “He should be out soon.”
“That’s great,” she replied her voice barely above a whisper. She glanced towards Jessica as she began to move off the wall. The doctor had come out to greet the family.
Edrisa could register the words complications, touch and go, unconscious. Bright was not out of the woods yet.
“May I see my son?” Jessica asked. Edrisa noticed as her hands slipped into Gil’s. She was afraid and didn’t want to face her son alone.
Edrisa wasn’t sure she wanted to go in alone either. She wanted to see Malcolm’s eyes shine bright and wide. She didn’t want to imagine the hospital bed being the precursor to him being on her table.
“Edrisa,” Dani called out. “Do you want to see Bright?”
“Will you come with me?” she questioned. “I don’t-
Dani gave her an understanding look. Dani walked with her and went in first. Edrisa followed and she could feel her heart stammer in her chest. He was hooked up to various tubes and he looked so small. Fragile.
“Hey Bright,” Dani said. “Edrisa and I are here.”
Dani turned around but Edrisa was gone.
Three weeks passed, and Malcolm could feel the tension in room with his favorite medical examiner. She didn’t flirt with him. She wasn’t her cheery self. Even at crime scenes, her eyes seemed to avoid his.
Malcolm decided to get to the bottom of this. He went to her office. She’s recording her findings as she examines a body.
He waits until she finishes and makes his presence known. Her face thins out when she sees him.
“Bright,” she greets. Her voice is flat. “What can I do for you?”
He approaches her calmly. Friendly. He wants to put her at ease.
“Edrisa, what’s going on with you?”
Her eyes waver while his eyes grow in concern. “This case,” she replied. “The victim-
“No,” he interrupted. “Don’t lie to me. We don’t lie to each other.”
There’s an anger that swells within her. “I need to get back to work. Please let me,” she declares.
“Edrisa,” he calls out once more but she doesn’t want to hear him. She moves past him to her office and closes the door.
Malcolm tries to talk to Dani the next day. “What did I do to Edrisa?”
Dani glances from her paperwork to see Malcolm leaning over her desk. “Talk to Edrisa.”
“She won’t talk to me. This isn’t like before when she was trying to protect me. She’s been closed off.”
Dani put down her pen and sighed. “You freaked her out in the hospital. The poor woman couldn’t even be in the room with you five minutes before bolting. She was really scared.”
“Why didn’t she just tell me? She knows we can talk about anything,” Malcolm pondered.
Dani pulls Malcolm to the side. “Edrisa called me one night drunk. She said you promised her something and you didn’t hold up your end of the bargain.”
Malcolm sighs. “I need to go.”
“Edrisa,” he called out when he saw her. His eyes are determined, and she knows Dani must have told him something.
“Do you have a case?” she asked.
“Yes, I do. Us.”
“Us?” she questioned. “What about us?”
“Why are you so mad at me?” Malcolm wondered.
Edrisa wants to do anything else but have this conversation. She avoids the question. “I have a lot of work to do.”
“Why are you mad at me?” he repeated. “Edrisa, please talk to me.”
Edrisa’s eyes drift to empty slab. “You could’ve been on my table Bright. I could have been examining your body.”
“But I’m fine,” he assured her.
“You promised not to die and you almost did,” she said almost shouting at him. “Do you have to be so reckless all the time?”
Edrisa seemed to remember where she was and withdrew herself. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Malcolm’s heart breaks. He hurt his friend. She was the one person he could count on outside of Gil. It was no secret that she developed feelings for him but he chose not to cross that line. He didn’t want to risk dragging her into his world. She was the purest thing in his life.
He chose Eve and the result was disastrous. She left only to be killed by Endicott. Why risk getting his heart broken again?
In that moment, he noticed the silent tears running down her face. He pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have made that promise.”
Her grip tightened around him. His shirt soaked with her tears. “I’m sorry I scared you. It matters to me what you think and feel. I’m so sorry.”
Edrisa pulled back taking off her glasses. Malcolm took the opportunity to wipe her tears. “Will you forgive me for being reckless?”
She nods yes. He smiles at her. She smiles back.
“Will you forgive me for giving you the cold shoulder?” she asked.
“Nothing to forgive,” Malcolm said.