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

[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."

[thatsfascinating]

Two hours later a doctor comes into the room. She introduces herself to Malcolm, then gently wakes Edrisa up to check her vitals and neurological functions. Her blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse-ox are on the low side of normal, and her temperature is a perfect 98.6. The neurological assessments show that she's still markedly weak, and her fine motor skills are significantly diminished, her hands shaking as she performs the tests.

"You're doing fine," the doctor says, addressing Edrisa primarily but turned so she's also addressing Malcolm. "It's normal to have some loss of motor function after a case of extended hypoxia. You're young and you're healthy, so chances are good that you'll make a full recovery, but it will take some time. Maybe a couple weeks, maybe longer. You might need some help at home at first." She looked at Malcolm. "You're her boyfriend, right? Do you live together?"

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm watches, not interfering with the tests and not trying to show how worried he looks. Of course it's normal that she's not going to be a hundred percent a few hours after the end of her ordeal.

"Not yet, no. We had discussed it, but hadn't quite gotten around to it yet." He glances at Edrisa. "I'm guessing you'd rather be at your apartment, right?"

[thatsfascinating]

Edrisa frowns faintly. "I don't know," she whispers, then looks at the doctor. "What do you mean, I'll need help?"

"It may be a while before you can walk unassisted," the doctor answers, turning back to Edrisa. "It will be difficult to perform everyday tasks. This is after your hospital stay here, mind you. We try to get people out of the hospital as soon as possible so they can recuperate at home, though. Do you have any family in the area?"

She shakes her head a little, even that taking more effort than it should. "No."

[prodigalmess]

"If I have to stay overnight, then it can't be at her apartment." Malcolm turns back to the doctor. "I have a sleep... thing." Yeah. That. "I have a guest room upstairs, or I can rearrange some furniture in the living room area if you think it'd be better for her to not have to navigate stairs."

[thatsfascinating]

The doctor turns to Malcolm. "She will need someone with her at night, yes. And stairs will be difficult for her." She turns back to Edrisa. "I'll let you two talk it over. You don't have to decide now. We'll probably keep you for another day or so. I'll be back in another two hours to check you again." She nods at Malcolm, then leaves the room.

Edrisa sags back against the bed, closing her eyes, exhausted from the effort of the tests and the conversation.

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm sits down next to her, gently taking her hand. "We can set up a bed for you over in the living room area," he says. "That way I won't accidentally wake you up if I have a nightmare."

He hates that she has to go through this, and it leaves him feeling worried. Both of them are tired, and he'll be glad to let Edrisa sleep once they have this sorted out.

[thatsfascinating]

"Are you sure?" she whispers. She opens her eyes and looks over at him, so tired with a strong undercurrent of her own worry. "There's no way of knowing how long I'll need to...recover." To be looked after is what she means and what she won't say, but trusts Malcolm knows. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

[prodigalmess]

He furrows his brow. "Edrisa... of course I do. I love you. I'm not going to just leave you to fend for yourself."

Malcolm is surprised she would even think that, but chocks it up to her still recovering from her ordeal.

[thatsfascinating]

She's afraid. Afraid of the memories, afraid that something's going to go wrong and she's going to die after all, afraid she'll never recover.

He loves her. She knows that. But she's afraid.

She nods a little, and her eyes well with tears.