For prodigalmess

[thatsfascinating]

Edrisa has always loved the fascinating cases, the ones that crackle with mystery, the puzzles that invite the team to match waits with a killer before he or she strikes again! They got even better when Malcolm Bright became part of the team, brought in for just such cases. And now that the two of them are together, it's the best! She loves working with him, delving into a case together, so in tune with one another.

The hardest part is trying to be discreet and professional. To be fair, she's never been good at that.

This crime scene, in a wooded area in Central Park, is a doozy. At a distance the body looks like a life-sized doll with curly blonde hair, a blue gingham dress, and patent leather shoes. Up close, though, it's a woman who has been strangled, exanguinated, and posed. The hair is a wig on a head that has been roughly shaved, and the eyes have been sewn open to display bright blue contacts.

It's a whole mess of weird. And Edrisa is on the scene examining the body and looking up periodically, hoping to see Malcolm. He's going to love this!

Comments

[prodigalmess]

He smiles at her, tears in his eyes. As much as he wants to be strong for her, he's so glad that she's still with him and he can't help but shed a few tears of relief.

"Of course. I've been here the whole time."

[thatsfascinating]

"That's not what I meant," she whispers. "I knew you'd find me."

She knew he would, but was afraid he wouldn't. Afraid she would never see him again.

She sees those tears, and her own eyes well up. She's so glad he's here, and she's here. She lets go of his hand and reaches up, shakily, to touch his cheek and brush away his tears with trembling fingers. He can see the deep red grooves in her wrist from the rope.

[prodigalmess]

"Oh," he says, a sad smile returning to his face. "Yeah, I wasn't going to give up. The whole team helped find you."

Malcolm makes a shuddering sigh when she touches his face. He places his hand over hers. "I'm so sorry." Even though he doesn't really have anything to be sorry about, he just aches that she has to go through this at all.

[thatsfascinating]

She shakes her head slightly. "It's not your fault. I should never..." She takes a breath, starting to get winded just from talking. "...never have gone out there alone. Not...the smartest thing I've ever done."

[prodigalmess]

"It's not your fault either," he replies. "You're the... victim." Malcolm hates using that word, even if it's technically true. "It's never the victim's fault, Edrisa."

Malcolm moves away for a second so that he can pull up a chair and sit next to the bed, his face now closer to hers. Very gently, he brushes her hair back.

"I was so afraid I was going to lose you, that I wasn't going to be able to talk him down in time."

[thatsfascinating]

It's strange and unpleasant to hear that word describing her. When she uses it in her work, it's always in reference to a body at a crime scene or on her table. Someone cold and dead who no longer has any agency.

"I think," she whispers, "I prefer the term 'survivor.'"

When he brushes her hair back she leans into his touch, closing her eyes. "But you did. You saved me."

[prodigalmess]

"That's a better word," he agrees as he continues to stroke her hair. "I couldn't lose you. I love you."

Malcolm knew that they had come very, very close. She'd almost died. He wouldn't have been able to bear it if that had happened.

[thatsfascinating]

"I didn't want to leave you," she whispers. "I love you, too."

She's aware of how close it was. It's one of the things that comes with being a doctor. She knows what her symptoms were when her body began losing the fight to stay alive and what they meant, knows what the EMTs were talking about in the ambulance as they worked to try to stabilize her. Even now she knows every wire and every tube and what each one is keeping an eye on to make sure she stays stable, stays alive, as her body recovers.

She opens her eyes, looking up at him. "Stay with me," she whispers. "Please."

[prodigalmess]

"I'm not going anywhere," he replies. Not even the prospect of questioning Swift is enough to make him want to leave Edrisa's side. She still needs him and he wants to be there.

Malcolm gently kisses her forehead.

[thatsfascinating]

She sighs and closes her eyes as he kisses her forehead. "Thank you," she whispers. She doesn't want to be alone, and she doesn't want to be without him. He keeps her safe and warm, and she needs that right now.

"Is he alive?" she whispers. She remembers her captor having a gun when Malcolm came in, and she knows that rarely ends well.

[prodigalmess]

"He is," Malcolm confirms. He doesn't know how many details she wants on him right now, but Malcolm will share if she asks. "We got him though. He's in custody."

Swift is in jail and he's probably never leaving.

[thatsfascinating]

Edrisa has rarely wished anyone dead...but she doesn't know how she feels about the man who almost killed her. Who had looked at her and treated her like a thing and not a person.

She wants to move closer to Malcolm, seeking safety and comfort, but is only capable of turning slightly toward him.

"How did you find me?"

[prodigalmess]

"We found your phone first, then realized what had probably happened after you went back to the crime scene. We had to identify his first victim in order to figure out his name. At first we went to his house, assuming you were being held there." Malcolm sighs. "I was so... crazed when we realized that the house was empty and that you were apparently elsewhere."

[thatsfascinating]

It must have been so terrifying for him, she realizes, to have a setback like that when her life was at stake. She reaches up to touch his cheek again.

"Where was I?" She has no idea. All she knows is that it seemed to be an abandoned warehouse.

[prodigalmess]

"An abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn that used to belong to his family for their garment business," he replies. "I... haven't unpacked everything when it comes to him yet. I was more concerned with getting you back."

He did enough to figure out where Edrisa was. In the upcoming days, he'll probably be working more with Swift's profile.

[thatsfascinating]

She nods slightly. "That makes sense," she whispers. "I heard the sewing machine." She pauses, then continues, almost inaudibly. "He cut my clothes off. He...measured me."

She doesn't know how much she'll be able to say before it's too much, for either or both of them, but she feels like she has to try. To fill in the blanks and complete the picture. The other woman would never be able to speak the truth of what happened to her. Edrisa can, and feels she should.

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm takes a deep breath and debates telling her that they don't have to talk about it right now. In his heart, he doesn't want to hear it. She might need to say it though, and the least he can do is listen. All he does is nod and squeeze her hand.

[thatsfascinating]

The deep breath makes her swallow. She doesn't blame him for not wanting to hear this. It's a horrible thing to have happen to someone you love.

"We...don't have to talk now."

[prodigalmess]

"If you want to, we can," he tells her quietly. As much as he might hate to hear it though, it has to be harder for her to tell it, and even harder still that she lived it. Malcolm can be strong enough for her.

[thatsfascinating]

"I can," she whispers. "I can tell you what happened. The first woman...she can't. I can. I need to." She holds his hand tighter, looking in his eyes, hoping he understands what she's trying to say.

[prodigalmess]

"When you're ready," he replies, not wanting to dissuade Edrisa, just letting her know that it doesn't have to happen right now. With his other hand, he reaches up to gently brush his fingers through her hair.

[thatsfascinating]

He does understand. Her body relaxes and her eyes drift closed as his words remind her that she has time. She's not dying anymore. Assuming she remains stable and on the mend, there will be a tomorrow.

"Can you hold me?" she whispers.

[prodigalmess]

"I can try."

As much as he'd love to get up on the hospital bed with her, he doesn't want to inadvertently hurt her. Plus, the nurses probably wouldn't look to favorably on that and he'd end up being kicked out. Malcolm carefully drapes an arm across her stomach and lays his head next to hers.

"I love you," he tells her before giving her a soft kiss.

[thatsfascinating]

She puts her arm over his and turns her head to rest her forehead against his. There's still fear lurking in her mind, fear that she knows she won't be able to just will away, but she knows he'll keep her safe as she sleeps.

"I love you, too," she whispers, kissing him back with the last of her strength and awareness before she slips into unconsciousness.

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm stays like that with her for a while until he fears that he'll fall asleep too. He gently moves her arm so that he can free his, then sits up.

Gil comes in a few moments later to ask after her. "She's stable," Malcolm tells him quietly, "but she's got a long way to go."

He sighs and puts a hand to his face. Gil rubs Malcolm's shoulder. "You saved her, kid. You did well today."