"Why'd he do it?" someone shouted as she bullied her way to the elevators. "What kind of cops do you have working down there?"
"The kind who lay it down to serve and protect, even when it involves vultures like you. Goddamn it," she muttered the minute she was inside the elevator. She punched the wall, causing the elderly woman half-buried in a flower arrangement to try to melt into the corner of the car. "That's going to be tonight's revolving sound bite. I know better, better than to let them get under my skin."
"It would have to be made of reinforced steel not to get pricked now and then, Lieutenant. And as sound bites go, I thought it a strong and pithy one."
"Pithy, my butt. Damn it, I didn't get what floor he's on."
"I did. Twelve. Madam." Roarke smiled winningly at their elevator companion. "Your floor?"
"I can get off anywhere." She noticed the weapon peeking out from under Eve's jacket "Anywhere at all."
"It's all right." Smooth and handsome in his business suit, he kept his voice light, friendly. "She's the police. That's a beautiful flower arrangement."
"Yes. Well. My granddaughter just had a baby. A boy."
"Congratulations. You'd like Maternity, I imagine. Ah, six." Once he had their destinations, he turned back to her, careful to keep his body blocking Eve's gun. "I hope mother and son are doing well."
"Yes, thank you. It's my first great-grandchild. They've named him Luke Andrew."
She slid her gaze cautiously toward Eve when the elevator doors opened to six. Holding the flowers like a shield, she scurried out.
"What? Do I look like I stomp on old ladies for recreation?"
Roarke angled his head. "Actually-"
"Just keep that silk tongue of yours still."
"That's not what you said last night."
And because he made her laugh, she was able to head down to McNab's room with less weight on her shoulders. It dropped right back on when she stepped in, saw Peabody sitting by the bed, and McNab in it.
He looked too young, lying there with his eyes closed, face white, so white against white sheets. They'd taken his body adornments, she thought. He looked naked, vulnerable,wrong without his complement of earrings.
Skinny shoulders, Eve thought with a wave of worry. The guy had skinny shoulders and they didn't belong under some drab hospital gown. He needed something bright, bold, silly over that half-assed body of his.
His hair was loose so that all that sunny blond looked too shiny, too healthy against the rest of him.
She hated hospitals. They stripped you down to flesh and bone, left you weak and alone in some narrow bed where machines clocked your every breath.
"Can't we get him out of here?" she heard herself say. "Can't we-"
"I'll arrange it," Roarke whispered in her ear.
Of course he would. He'd arrange everything while she stood here, stuck in the damn doorway. Annoyed with herself, Eve stepped inside. "Peabody."
Peabody's head snapped up. Eve could see she'd been crying. Her hand slid across the sheet, covered McNab's.
"He's out. The doctor says he's doing okay. He took a pretty hard hit, but… I appreciate you letting me leave the scene to ride with him."
"I heard he'd come out of it."
"Yeah, he…" Peabody stopped, took one long breath, and seemed to draw herself in. "He went in and out a few times. He was vague on what happened, but he was coherent. They didn't find any brain damage. It gave his heart a pretty bad punch, and I think they're a little worried because the beat's still irregular. And his, um, his right side's numb yet. They think that's temporary, but right now he can't move his arm or leg on that side."
"Gonna walk funny." The voice was a bit slurry, but brought everyone's attention to McNab's face. His eyes were still closed, but his mouth curved up, just a little, in an attempt to smile that ripped at Eve's belly.
"You in there, McNab?"
"Yeah." He tried to swallow. "Yeah, Lieutenant, all present and accounted for. She-Body?"
"Right here."
"I could use some water or something. A brew'd be nice."
"You get water." She snatched a covered cup, brought the straw to his lips. After two shallow sips, he turned his head away. "I don't smell any flowers. Guy ends up in the hospital, people are supposed to bring him some damn flowers."
"I got a little distracted on my way to the gift shop." Eve moved over to the right side of the bed. "Had to kick a few reporters."
He opened his eyes. They were green, and they were clouded. From drugs or pain she couldn't be sure, but to Eve's mind one was as bad as the other.
"Did you get the captain out? I can't remember-"
"He'll be coming by to see you as soon as he gets out from under the paperwork. He's fine."
"Halloway."
"He didn't make it."
"Jesus. Jesus." McNab closed his eyes again. "What the hell happened?"
"You tell me."
"I… I can't get it clear."
"Take it easy for a while, then we'll talk about it."
"You laying off me that fast? I must be in pretty bad shape. Peabody, if I croak, you get my vid collection."
"That's not funny."
"Okay, okay, you can have all the earrings, too. But my cousin Sheila's going to be pretty pissed. Can somebody help me sit up some here?"
"The doctor said you were supposed to rest." But Peabody was already bringing the bed up to a reclined sitting position.
"If I croak-"
"Will youstop saying that."
He managed a grin while Peabody scowled with her face close to his. "How about you lay one on me?"
"I'll lay one on you." She muttered it, then pressed her mouth gently to his.
When she glanced over, she noted Eve was staring fixedly at the ceiling. "Sorry," Peabody murmured. "Just indulging the dying guy."
"No problem." She looked around when she heard Roarke come in. He nodded, then walked to the foot of the bed. "There seems to be an inordinate amount of attractive female medical personnel on this level, Ian. But I don't suppose you've noticed."
"Blast didn't screw up my vision."
"That being the case, you may not want to change locations. Summerset, while efficient, isn't quite so pretty."
"Sorry. Huh?"
"The lieutenant thought you'd be happier recovering elsewhere. We've a room for you at home, but it lacks attractive female medical personnel."
"You'd spring me?" The faintest hint of color crept into his cheeks. "To your place?"
"Your doctor wants another look at you first, but we should be able to transport you in an hour or two. If that suits you."
"I don't know what to say. That's so solid. Lieutenant-"
"Yeah, yeah." Eve shifted her feet. "Let's see how grateful you are once Summerset's poking at you. I've got stuff to do."
"He looked sick," McNab said and stopped Eve before she turned for the door.
"Halloway?"
"Yeah, I was coming in from a field assignment, and he was by the cooler. He got really pissy. Mean and aggressive. Not like him. He could be a pain time to time. Full of himself, but we got along. We were in the squad together two years."
He closed his eyes again. "Jesus. I don't get it. He came down on me like he wanted to taste some blood. Wasn't just what he said-you ride each other just for kicks half the time. You know how it is."
"Sure." Eve moved back to the bed. "But this wasn't just riding."
"No. It was how he said it, how he looked at me when he did. Got me hot enough to suggest we go down to the gym and pound on each other, but the captain came in and broke it up. He didn't look good. Halloway. All sweaty and his eyes were blown. Your eyes get fucked sometimes with all the data, but his were bad. I went back to my cube, he went to his. I forgot about it."
"Did you speak with him again? See him speak or have an altercation with anyone else?"
"No. I had to get this report out. And there was a search and scan on a couple 'links I'd been putting off because they promised to bore my brains out. I got some coffee, bullshitted with Gates. Got stuck with a transmission from some woman who thinks her computer's possessed by aliens. We get those all the time. We've got this routine we walk them through to… Doesn't matter. I'm just off that call, and I hear somebody yell. Somebody's yelling in EDD half the time, but this was different. This was trouble. I swung around to see what the hell was going on."