Apt 8150 to St Martins, Evening, Sunday, Ang, Alec, and Emma
Ang had been settling Gavin down to sleep, rocking him gently in the nursery, crooning a lullaby a she half dozed herself, mind wandering from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and on through the future she would love to see come to pass.
Alec appeared in the doorway, face tense. "Ang? That was Andy on the phone, something happened at the gallery. We need to get down to Saint Martin's, Emma's there.
"What?" Ang looked up, still half lost in her daydreams, "But, she was at work, surely Emma should be safe there? How on earth did she manage that?"
But she was moving already, smoothly out of the rocker and laying Gavin on the changing table to add a warmer snowsuit to his sleepsuit, "Can you check the change bag has everything in it? It should be fine, and then I just need to grab my coat and maybe a bottle for Gavin if we're gonna be a while? Does Emma need a change of clothes? If so she can manage with a pair of my joggers and a t-shirt?"
Alec unhooked the diaper bag from the back of the door and dug inside, checking that it had everything. "Andy didn't say how bad she was, just that somebody came in and roughed her up while she was working. But you should probably bring them just in case."
"I'll be right back with a bag then, can you manage Gavin? I'll meet you by the front door?" Ang was hesitant to leave Gavin alone on the change table, he tended to roll and crawl now and falling off that would only add to the worries for the evening.
"I think so, yes," he said, just a hint of dryness in his tone as he draped the diaper bag over his shoulder and stepped up to keep Gavin from rolling off the changing table. "Yeah, we'll manage, huh buddy?"
Ang was already moving down the corridor, her mind racing through the options and coming up with solutions to problems they might not have already thought of (although Alec probably had). Once in their room she hurriedly changed into clean jeans and a fresh t-shirt, grabbing a clean pair of joggers and another t-shirt, as well as a fleece jacket. Sliding her feet into trainers she tied the laces and pulled her hair back loosely into a scrunchie, grabbing a second one for Emma just in case. Then it was off to the bathroom, where she grabbed a can of body spray and added it to the bag, just in case, before heading back to the front door and grabbing her coat. "OK, I'm ready, should we take the stroller? Or a teddy bear for Gavin?"
Alec had just finished putting on his coat and was once again lifting Gavin to his hip where he drooped sleepily against Alec's shoulder and neck. "The stroller might be a bit of a hassle in the emergency room and there's a picture book and a stuffie in the bag already."
"Right, but, holding him for however long? Might be easier to park him in the stroller and avoid having to change arms or carriers? Did Andy say anything else?"
Ang pulled on her coat, not bothering to do up buttons, and pulled open the apartment door, "It's not like her to be overly talkative, but, no details at all?" Then she remembered the bottle and yelped a little before racing back to the kitchen for a bottle of milk, a small bag of Gavin's favourite little cookies and a bottle of water for herself while she was there. Then she headed back to the front door, "Right, definitely ready, do you have all the keys?"
He held up his left hand, giving it a little shake, the keys jingled softly against his palm. "Check. Let's go."
And smiled a little worriedly and followed him out of the apartment, closing the door tight behind her.
They took the elevator straight down to the garage and since he'd gotten into the habit of parking nearby it didn't take them long to pile in, buckle up and be on their way to Saint Martins.
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The doctors had finished cleaning Emma up fairly swiftly, and although her teeth felt loose they'd assured her they should be fine, she just should avoid eating toffees or other chewy foods for a while. Several nurses and a couple of doctors had been involved in cleaning her up, and she had a couple of stick on stitches holding a split above her eye closed. The ice pack that they'd given her for her eye was helping a little, as was the injection of painkillers they'd given her. The nurse had asked if there was anyone she should call, but at the time Emma had been more interested in staying awake and not throwing up, but now, she was wondering if she could use her cell and call home before Ang and Alec sent out the search parties?
Of course that was pretty much when, and she should have realised it would be this way earlier, Alec came in, closely followed by Ang and Gavin.
Alec stepped in, took one look at Emma and immediately moved to hug her. "God, Emma-" he pulled back, eyeing the gash on her forehead critically, taking in the bruises. "What happened? Are you alright?" God help whoever who had done this if she wasn't.
Ang settled on the other side of the bed, one hand reaching out to smooth Emma's hair back from her face, and wincing at the sight of the bruises on Emma's face. Gavin was asleep in her other arm, so she was kind of stuck, but, at least she could see Emma was mostly all right, "Oh love, never mind Mr Spanish Inquisition here, just, oh dear..."
Emma of course promptly burst into tears, because it was all right now to admit to being completely unable to do anything, and feeling utterly helpless and sure they were going to kill her and she remembered seeing the flash of a knife, as somehow, in amongst the sobs and the sniffles she managed to explain everything. It helped. A lot. Because now Alec and Ang were here, and she felt safe again.
Alec held her again, letting her cry while he rubbed her back gently. "It's alright, Emma. You're safe now. We're here. No one will hurt you now, we're here."
Ang was feeling a little stuck, with Gavin in her arms (she'd lost the discussion about the stroller) she couldn't do the one thing she wanted to and wrap Emma up in a hug of her own. Instead, she shifted a little closer, and leaned a little, managing to free one arm and just gently lay it over Emma's shoulders, "Oh love, you're going to be fine, the doctors say there's no permanent damage, and bruises heal, so you know you're going to be just as good as new in a week or so, and we'll take care of you. Right Alec?"
Alec pulled back, found a way to smile down at Emma. "Absolutely." He looked over at Ang and let go of Emma to hold out his arms for Gavin. "I'll take him," he said quietly.
Ang handed him over without saying anything, and then moved closer to Emma, looking her in the eyes and smiling, "You do believe us right? You will be fine. I promise. We're here now and we will make sure you get all the way recovered."
She wrapped her arms around the younger woman, pulling her close and thinking how different it could have been. "I'm not entirely sure I want to let you leave the Manor again for any reason whatsoever without an escort. Preferably an armed and dangerous escort."
Alec was already trying to work out how often he could be there to see Emma home from work and school and whether or not he should start picking Ang from work again and was thinking maybe he should have a chat with that boyfriend of hers sooner rather than later - but figured that maybe now wasn't the best time to start laying down decrees.
"Have the police been in talk to you yet?" he asked Emma gently, thinking at least if that was out of the way he could focus on the important thing - getting Emma home where she'd be safe and comfortable.
Emma nodded, "Yeah, they were here, asked loads of questions, sometimes the same one two or three times, I think they thought I might not notice?" She rolled her eyes, "They twigged it though when I started reciting answers back to them."
Ang smiled, that was so teenager, she couldn't help almost chuckling, "Oh Emma, you didn't wind them up did you? Because that would be daft, and we both know you're not daft right?"
Alec chuckled softly. "Getting mouthy with the police? She's definitely alright." He shifted Gavin a bit so he could free one hand enough to take one of Emma's and giving it a little squeeze.
"So if the doctors have cleared you we can take you home?" Ang was hopeful, after all, Gavin could sleep anywhere, but Emma needed to be somewhere she felt safe and protected, comfortable to be vulnerable. She needed to be home. "Should I go check?"
Emma clung a little tighter, not quite ready to let go, and Ang glanced across at Alec, unable to let go of Emma, and yet, knowing that they needed the information.
Emma sort of mumbled something, and then lifted her head a little, "I think I'm done, I just want to go home, I had a jab for the pain, and they gave me some tablets to take later? Oh, and the ice pack of course, but, I just want to go home?"
"I'll go ask," Alec said, giving Emma's hand another squeeze before he let go and stepped away to let himself out of the room, shifting Gavin in his arms again.
Ang leaned back a little, tipping Emma's head up gently, "So, you know they're gonna tell him you can go home, let's get you ready huh? Any idea where they left your shoes? I did bring you some things, in case yours were dirty or ripped or anything? Only some of my things, but hey, they're clean and warm and dry?"
Emma looked down, the clothes she had been wearing were in a bag, and the nurses had given her a couple of the daft gowns to wear, one over the other and both a different way round. "Clothes would be good. I'm so not wearing paper out of here, it must be freezing."
It took only a few moments for Ang to hand over the clothes, and help Emma to get dressed, so she was at least ready to go.
Indeed, they did tell Alec that was she free to to go and when he re-entered Emma's room to share the news and found her already dressed, he smiled. "You were gonna go whether they wanted you to or not, weren't you?" he teased lightly.
"I don't like the smell here, and to be honest? I think I'd sleep better knowing you guys were right there?" Emma wanted to smile, but her jaw hurt, her face hurt and she just wanted to go home.
"We're going Emma, I can tell he's teasing, so we're just gonna make sure you're all signed out etc, and that you have everything with you and then we're going home." Ang smiled, and gave Emma a quick hug, "Now, let's make sure you have all your things, was anything stolen? Or did you drop anything?"
Alec interrupted gently, "Everything she came in with that the police didn't take is in here." He held up a bag the nurse had given him.
"Oh good, so we're all set then? Emma can you manage on your own or do you want some help?" Ang was wondering how Alec was managing Gavin and the bag, and then there were doors and elevators, and she wasn't entirely certain she was up to managing more than one thing at a time just then.
"I can walk, I'll be fine. I think." Emma stood up and managed to stand up almost straight, her stomach hurt too much for her to manage fully upright, and one arm wrapped around her middle, "Just, don't go too fast huh? I hurt all over the place, except for my feet, which are fine."
"Slow and steady wins the race," Alec promised, stepping back to let Ang and Emma go first, that way Ang could steady Emma as well as manage the doors and such, and then fell in at the rear, Gavin supported sturdily, the bag of belongings squashed haphazardly under one of his arms.
It took a while, and Alec had to pass Gavin over to Ang once they got to the parking lot in order to bring the car around close for Emma, but they did eventually make it and once everyone was settled as comfortably as possible, he hopped behind the wheel again and headed back to the Manor.