Chapter Text
Detective Alex Monroe's day started like any other: the relentless ticking of the clock, the friendly greetings exchanged with precinct officers, and a brand-new stack of files awaiting her at her desk. But as she sat down, eager for the continuation of her current case, her world came to a screeching halt with a single phone call.
It was Linda, Detective Frank Arden's wife. She rarely called. Hands shaking, Alex answered the call. "H-hello?"
"Frank's had a heart attack. He's at the hospital now. I think you should stop by when you have the chance."
The words felt like a physical blow to her chest. Alex had known Detective Arden for years, together they had worked through some of the toughest cases the precinct had ever seen. His gruff exterior and unwavering dedication to the job had always inspired her, and now that, their partnership, all seemed to be in jeopardy. She couldn't lose Frank, not now.
Hastily, she gathered her things and shoved her phone into her pocket, not bothering to check if Linda was still on the other line. Ignoring the concerned looks of her colleagues, she rushed out to her car.
/
She kept a brisk pace as she made her way through the maze of hallways, past the anxious faces of visitors and the somber expressions of medical staff until she finally reached Frank's room. Slowly, she pushed on the half-open door and peeked inside.
Alex's heart ached as she took in the sight before her. Despite the beeping of the monitors and the steady flow of nurses coming and going, there was an eerie silence that seemed to fill the room.
She took a tentative seat in the chair beside Frank's bed, and held his hand in hers. Feeling a soft squeeze, she looked up to see him smiling at her. "Did you bring the files?"
"Susan, did you bring his files?" A pudgy nurse stood in front of her. "S'cuse me darling. I left some paperwork." Alex was still standing in the doorway, her fists clenched tightly in the pockets of her leather jacket.
"Sorry," She mumbled, taking a quick glance at Frank, cringing at the wires and machines surrounding him. She then turned and walked down the hall and towards the hospital exit.
Alex had seen Frank in a hospital bed before, but it had always been due to a physical injury, one that bled and healed as living things often do. But this time was different. He did not look like an injured officer, yielding a bullet wound earned on a dangerous mission, but an old man, sick and fragile, ailed by the dysfunction of his own body.
The cool morning air did little to ease the panic settling in her stomach as she made her way to the parking lot and unlocked her car and slid into the driver's seat. She rested her head against the steering wheel, took a deep breath and let out a shuddering sigh.
Alex drove aimlessly for awhile, unsure of where she was going. The tears kept falling, leaving trails on her cheeks. She wiped them away roughly, refusing to let herself cry anymore.
Finally, she pulled up in front of her apartment building and made her way inside. Climbing the familiar stairs, her footsteps echoed through the empty hallway.
Alex paused outside her door, hand on the knob. It was only midday, why had she not gone back to work? She wasn't the one in the hospital. She was perfectly capable of doing her job. Physically capable, at least. Mentally - mentally she wasn't so sure.
Letting out a shaky sigh, she unlocked the door and entered the apartment. The early afternoon sun streaming through the sheer curtains cast a soft glow upon Audrey, who dozed on the couch with a book propped open in her lap. It was her day off, and Alex felt selfish for disturbing her.
Alex set her bag down and took off her shoes, and careful not to startle her sleeping girlfriend, removed the book from her lap and set it on the coffee table. Gently, she climbed onto the couch behind Audrey, wrapping her arms around her waist and nestling her head into her shoulder. Audrey let out a contented sigh and shifted slightly, her back arching into Alex's embrace. The familiar scent of her shampoo filled Alex's nostrils, making her feel instantly at ease. They lay there like that for a while, silently sharing the comfort of each other's presence as Alex too, drifted off to sleep.
{i'm tired and just wanna finish this dumb thing so boom bam insert transition here they at the hospital again}
Audrey knocked lightly on the window before opening the door. Linda slowly stood to greet them. A few silvery strands had escaped her loose ponytail, her pale features contrasted sharply with the red cardigan she wore.
Taking a deep breath, Alex stepped into the hospital room. The soft hum of the florescent lights overhead created a soothing, almost hypnotic atmosphere, but it was pierced by the harsh glare of the bright, unforgiving sunlight streaming through the window, casting long, stark shadows across the crisp white sheets and the figure lying motionless beneath them. The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and the metallic tang of stainless-steel medical equipment, and it was hard to tell if the faint whiff of lavender that wafted through was coming from the flowers on the counter or from somewhere deeper within the room itself.
Linda gestured for them to take a seat at the small table tucked into the corner of the room. Audrey perched on the edge of a chair, her posture rigid, hands clasped tightly in her lap. Alex slowly lowered herself into another chair, doing her best to look anywhere but at Frank.
The palpable tension only grew as they sat there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, the weight of the situation seemed to press down on them, making it difficult to breathe, to think, to feel anything but an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Frank lay still, his features obscured by a thin veil of sweat and the oxygen mask that was pressed tightly to his face. His chest rose and fell rhythmically with each labored breath, the beep of the monitor registered a steady, yet alarmingly low heart rate.
Outside, the sun continued its relentless journey across the sky, bathing the world in a warm, golden light, Inside the hospital room, however, the shadows grew longer and more pronounced, as if the light was being drawn inexorably toward the bed where Frank lay.
The air grew heavier with each passing moment, the silence almost unbearable.
Audrey and Linda exchanged knowing glances before slipping out of the room, leaving Alex alone with her thoughts and memories of the man who lay before her. Hesitantly, Alex rose from her chair and stepped toward Frank, afraid that even the slightest noise might disturb the fragile balance that held his life together.
Blinking back tears, Alex took Frank's hand, for real this time. "Y-you can't go. I'm not ready."
'I am.'
Alex jerked her head up, her gaze leaving the floor completely for the first time since she had entered the room. Frank remained unmoving, pale eyelids covering his once soulful eyes.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the monitor emitted a long, drawn-out beep, signaling that Frank had taken his last breath.
He was gone.