Continued...
That morning, Nick booted up his laptop and looked through what little Natalie and him had gathered, hoping to find something to tell him where to go next. Two hours later he hadn't learned anything new, sighed in frustration and headed over to the fridge where he grabbed a bottle. He grabbed a wine glass, uncorked the bottle and filled the wine glass. He took the bottle and the glass back to the couch with him.He took a sip, scratched his head and tried to figure out where to look next. He rested his head against the back of the couch and closed his eyes. He'd never been faced with this tough a challenge before. What made it harder was the one he bounced ideas about it off of was incommunicado for the next twenty-seven days.
Nick realized a full background check had not been done on the victims, only a preliminary one. He was going to run the deepest check possible on each one, and hopefully find more links. He started the background checks in a way that no one would be able to connect it back to him, Natalie or the precinct.
Meanwhile, inside rehab, Natalie's in another group session. She's forced to talk about herself, present and past. She heard about the lives of her group mates and found too many eerie similarities.
"Natalie, it's your turn. Everyone else has gone."
"I don't know how I started. I'm the head of the night shift. With the recent budget cuts I had to let some people go. Working in a morgue doesn't really qualify you for much else. Then we got so busy I was putting in fifty hour weeks, I think there was one or two sixty hour ones. I know a couple of my friends put in at least that much as they're homicide detectives. We were overwhelmed, understaffed, under funded. At least one ME was out with the flu. At one point another was out injured. Which only made the workload heavier for everyone. For a while I was working on maybe 5-6 hours sleep a night."
"What lead up to your first suicide attempt?"
"I don't know. I was tired from another stressful night. Nick and I had been disagreeing lately. We'd pretty much worked it out. I wasn't in the mood to cook, so I brought in take out food. I watched TV while I ate and don't really know what happened next. I just remember waking up in the bathtub with my wrists slit."
"Sometimes the mind can block out things it would prefer not to remember. If it doesn't come back, there are a few techniques we can try. You need to face the reason in order to fully heal. What caused the second attempt?"
"Pretty much the same thing. Only work had been much more stressful with a few weeks of sixty plus hours a week. Vacations, the latest bug and injuries had severely impacted our department. The precinct was hit pretty hard as well. The extra work and stress didn't help matters.
Natalie thought the first week was tolerable, even if she hated to talk about herself that much. She didn't like dredging up her past. Especially when it had no bearing on the present. She hated how they weren't allowed to be alone outside of the bathroom. She did find talking to her group mates interesting, which was the only thing that made the week tolerable.
By the middle of the second week, Natalie was climbing the walls. She missed Nick. She wanted to see him or talk to him but wasn't allowed to. There were no television, no magazines, no newspapers. They were encouraged to interact with each other in various activities.
Nick was beginning to really miss Natalie as well. Schanke could tell as Nick was getting a little cranky. He knew the next week and a half could get quite difficult as Nick grew more cranky. He didn't think they'd ever been separated for so long, especially without any contact. Luckily they had cases to keep them busy at work.
Nick worked on putting the puzzle pieces together when he wasn't on duty. When he needed a break he either played the piano or painted. The picture he did was Natalie. He knew he could probably sneak in there, but didn't want to get her in trouble.
In a group session during the last week, KC noticed Natalie was climbing the walls. "Natalie, care to tell us what's wrong?"
"I miss Nick. We've never been apart this long."
"I thought you said you were just friends."
"It's complicated. We're friends, but we love each other. His abusive father is one reason we can't get together. It's more emotional abuse than physical. Yet, Nick is loving, gentle, and cares about what happens to people. Even with all the pain he doesn't often let it get to him."
"That's tough. I miss my friends, my family," Tammy said. "I don't have children. I was forced to come here or be kicked off the force."
"How many are here involuntarily?" KC asked. She saw almost every hand go up. "If you didn't come you'd lose your job, medical license, paramedic credentials, right?" Everyone nodded. "How many here would've come voluntarily?" Two hands went up. "Who cursed the person who forced them here?" Once again every hand went up. "Who does NOT see that it was in their best interest." No one raised their hand or nodded.
Natalie wanted to, but knew it would only make her have to answer more questions.
At the precinct, Schanke had started marking off the days until Natalie's release at the end of last week. There were only a few more days left. He hoped he could survive it. Nick was growing increasingly cranky, frustrated. If there were any doubts how close his partner and Natalie were, this ended all doubts that they were in love. Nick was starting to live up to the nickname the Knightmare.
Natalie's release day finally came. She couldn't wait. She passed her final drug test and was released. Natalie headed straight for the loft as she needed to see Nick.
Nick's mood brightened when he heard the lift start and detected her heartbeat. He met her at the door, and opened it for her.
They hugged, both thrilled to be reunited. Their caution slipped a moment as they passionately kissed. Nick pulled away when the vampire came to the surface. When they broke apart he lead her over to the couch, where they sat next to each other, facing each other.
"I was worried about you. How did it go?"
"I kept on my toes. I hate dredging up everything negative that ever happened. I hate talking about myself to strangers, especially that intimately. They didn't let up until they believed we'd realized how we became addicted, then worked to show us how to fix it and keep it from happening again."
"I suppose you told them what they wanted to hear?"
"Yes. I made up stuff when I had to. Once again, no one believed the truth. The more I told them what they wanted to hear, the less I had to talk. The scary thing was all the women there had too many similarities as they were all in medical, firefighting, or law enforcement careers. It did make me think about how if I didn't have a strong support system and this had happened..." Natalie shuddered and changed the subject. "I hope you had a more productive month than I did."
"I did," Nick said with a small smile. He handed her a small box. "Something I thought you might need."
Natalie had a curious smile on her face as she took the box. She opened it and found it full of dark chocolate truffles. "Perfect." She ate one, savoring every moment of pleasure.
Nick waited until she'd finished the first one before telling her what he'd found. Her surprise told him she was pleased.
During the next three weeks, Nick and Natalie worked on the puzzle during the day. He made her do something different while he went in for his shifts, reminding her they needed a break to keep them fresh. She caught up on her forensic reading, as well as a few books for fun. She pondered the idea of writing her own forensics textbook. She wanted to be prepared for when she was cleared.
They spent two nights over the next two weeks dining with the Schanke family. They wanted Natalie to know her friends still cared about her. They were pleased to see she'd cleaned up her act and hoped she could stay clean.
Grace took Natalie out for lunch a couple times. They took turns paying. She too was glad Natalie was clean and hoped she could stay that way. She figured it would be easier with the support of her friends.
During the next week, she started on her forensics book. She figured if nothing else, maybe she could find a publisher for it. Especially if she was cleared. She knew it kept her busy while Nick was at work, and kept her sane.
A little over two weeks later, Schanke entered the loft to show Nick something, called out to Nick as he entered. He saw Nat asleep on the couch and was surprised when she didn't wake. He saw the empty wine glass on the coffee table, but didn't think much about it. He sensed something was wrong because she was still soundly asleep. He approached her.
When he got near the couch, he saw an empty pill bottle on the floor, which greatly worried him. He was relieved to see she was still breathing. He tried to find a pulse and felt a little something but it wasn't good enough to tell what her pulse rate was.
He reached over the couch, picked up the cordless phone, and dialed 911.
"I need an ambulance at 101 Gateway Lane for a probable OD." As he was listening to the 911 operator, Schanke reached down and picked up the container. "Phenobarbital. No, I don't think she has a seizure disorder. No, I don't know how many were in there or how many she took. The only way she could still be sleeping after my calling out for our friend, and talking to you, is if she was unconscious." He listened to the person at the other end. "Yes, she's breathing. Yes, her skin's dry and she's cool." Schanke watches her breathing. "It's shallower than normal." Schanke listened to the person. "Have them buzz when they arrive and I'll let them up." He hung up.
He squatted down next to Natalie, sighed and watched her, a bit disappointed. "Come on, Natalie. Stay with me," his worry clearly came through. He couldn't believe it. "What happened? You were doing so well." He grew more concerned when it seemed to be taking forever for the paramedics to arrive. "Come on, Natalie. Stay with me. Nick needs you."
Schanke started pacing, then checked on Nat, then paced, relieved only by the sound of the door buzzer.
"Paramedics."
"Take the lift up," Schanke said into the speaker as he released the door. There was a small sigh of relief.
Schanke heard the motor start and waited over by the couch with Natalie. Moments later, the lift door opened and the two paramedics entered, with the stretcher between them, their equipment on top of it.
They spotted Natalie and headed over to her. One paramedic started taking Natalie's vitals while the other prepared the equipment. The first paramedic called out the vitals as he got them. They were weak, but stable, at least at the moment. The paramedics knew how fast the patient could crash. An IV was started as was oxygen.
"It looks like she's tried to kill herself at least once before. Did she get help?"
"Yes. She seemed to be doing fine for the last few months."
"These look older than that."
"They are. She got help and had been doing better since then." Schanke was torn between telling them about the positive drug tests, but decided that since she'd been clean for as long as she was, that they didn't really matter.
"Does she have a seizure disorder?" The paramedic asked, looking at the pill bottle.
"Not that I know of," Schanke said. "She probably wouldn't tell me if she did. Nick would probably know better as they're closer."
"Does she have any known medical problems?"
"No."
Schanke was watching all of this and was a little freaked out by it all. Natalie looked so helpless. He was afraid for her and for Nick, knowing how devastated he would be if anything happened to Nat, especially in the loft.
Nick pulled down the alley and saw the ambulance and then saw Schanke's car. He was concerned and wondered what happened.
The paramedics loaded Natalie onto the stretcher, being careful not to disturb the IV or the oxygen.
Nick ran up the stairs so fast he practically flew up them and entered as Natalie was being pushed into the lift. He grew worried upon noting she was unconscious.
"Schank, what happened?"
"It looks like she OD'd. She seemed to be doing so well," Schanke said worried and a bit disappointed.
"What?!" Nick couldn't believe it. He knew she was NOT going to be happy when she woke up. He walked over to the paramedics as they were closing the door and entered. "Schank, I'll meet you at Toronto General."
Schanke nodded as the door finished closing. He'd take the lift down when they were finished.
Nick asked the paramedics, "how is she?"
"Are you Nick?"
"Yes, why? How is she?"
"She's alive and stable, at least for the moment. Her vitals are a little on the weak side. The guy with her said that you'd know more about her than he would. Was that your place or hers? "
"Mine. Why?" He asked as they loaded Natalie into the back of the ambulance.
"What can you tell me about her medical history?" The first paramedic asked as he climbed in.
"She doesn't have any known allergies to drugs or latex," Nick said as he climbed in.
The other paramedic shut the back doors and hurried towards the driver's door. He climbed into his seat and started the motor.
"Does she have a seizure disorder?"
"No."
"How has she been the last few months. In between slashing her wrists and now?"
"She's been pretty good. She's been clean and pretty much back to her old self." Nick left out the positive drug tests because she'd been clean since rehab.
"Do you have any idea why Natalie would do this?"
"No. She seemed fine lately."
Before long they arrived at the ER. The back doors opened. Nick hopped out and stepped out of the way. The paramedics rushed Natalie into the ER.
"What do you have?" The nurse asked.
"Thirty-three year old female with an apparent Phenobarb OD. No idea how much was taken or exactly when the OD occurred." The paramedic gave the nurse Natalie's latest vitals as he handed her off.
The team started their immediate assessment of Natalie. A large bore NG tube was inserted into her nose and threaded down her throat into her stomach to allow them to pump out the contents, and afterwards to protect her airway. They put activated charcoal down the tube and into her stomach to absorb any remaining drugs.
"It's a shame. She's a very bright woman." The doctor said.
"You know her?" the nurse asked.
"I met her at a medical conference. She's one of the top Coroner's here. She's a very nice woman."
"You wonder what makes someone do something like this."
Out in the waiting area Nick paced the floor. Schanke entered and headed straight for him.
"Any news?"
"No. They're working on her now."
Back in the treatment room, the suction was turned on and the charcoal along with the stomach's contents were pumped out continuously. EEG's leads were hooked up to Natalie's forehead, temples and all over her scalp to monitor her brainwaves. The medical staff were a little disappointed but not too surprised by the minimal brain activity they saw on the monitor. The cardiac monitor showed a slow but steady heartbeat. Natalie's pulse ox level was good and she was breathing on her own which were hopeful indicators. They also knew how quickly things could change. The doctor decided to intubate her for exactly that reason, along with the fact that Phenobarbital was a respiratory depressant. They switched the larger NG tube for a smaller one that would be more comfortable for her.
"Looks like this isn't her first suicide attempt," the nurse said as she showed them the scars on Natalie's wrist.
"Interesting. The woman I met was full of life and seemed to have the respect of all her peers. She seemed to be well liked by just about everyone. Yes, I've seen the newspaper reports. What could've happened to her to bring about such a dramatic, desperate change?" The doctor said.
"Only she knows. Hopefully she'll be able to tell someone," the nurse said.
In the waiting room, Nick and Schanke met the doctor halfway across the room.
"Is anyone named Nick here for a Natalie Lambert?"
"I'm Nick Knight."
"Friend? Family? Spouse?"
"I'm her best friend and the closest she has to family."
"I'm Dr. Barnes. Your friend is alive, but still unconscious. We neutralized the drugs with charcoal and pumped her stomach. There's minimal brain activity on the EEG." He saw their devastated expressions, especially Nick's. "The fact that she's breathing on her own is a good sign. We put her on a ventilator because Phenobarbital is a respiratory depressant, and want to avoid any crises. She won't be out of danger until she regains consciousness."
"Do you have any idea when that will be?" Nick very worriedly asked.
"No. The longer she's out the worse it is. I do expect she'll probably be out for at least several hours. She'll be moved to the ICU shortly."
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Schanke asked, concerned about his friend.
"There's no way to tell. We just have to wait and see."
The doctor leaves to return to his patient.
Nick's cell phone rings. Nick fishes it out of his pocket and answers it, wondering who it could be.
"Nick, is something wrong? I can't reach Nat. Schanke's out. And you weren't home." Grace senses that something's wrong.
"Grace, Nat's in the hospital."
"What happened?" Grace asked, nearly cutting him off.
"It looks like she OD'd. We'll tell you all about it when you get here."
"Toronto General?" Grace asked, the worry clearly evident in her voice.
"Yeah."
"I'll be right there," Grace said. She hung up."
Natalie was moved to the ICU where she's hooked up to a cardiac monitor, along with all the ones from the ER.
Shortly afterwards Nick arrives at the ICU desk.
"I'm here to see Natalie Lambert."
"Are you family or spouse?"
"I'm the closest she has to family."
"I'm sorry. You have to be immediate family or the spouse. And no, you can't charm your way in."
"Can you at least point out her cubicle so I can get a look? I promise I won't try to go in."
"Okay. That one right there," the nurse said as she pointed to the third one over from her position. She could see how much he cared for her patient, and would give him what little she could.
"Thanks." Nick used his vampire senses to see Natalie. He was surprised and disturbed by all the equipment around her, all the tubes and wires attached to her. He was unable to filter out all the beeps and tell which belonged to the equipment monitoring her. He wished he could be with her, but knew that she probably wouldn't know he was there. He prayed she'd recover.
Nick knew he couldn't stare at her too long if he wanted to be able to come back and check on her from time to time. He knew it would hell until he could be with her and prayed that no one tried to kill her while she was unprotected.
Schanke saw Nick enter the waiting area a bit more depressed than he'd been before he tried to see Natalie.
"They didn't let you see her, did they?" Schanke knew how strict they were.
"No," Nick sighed. I did get to peer into her cubicle from the nurse's desk. She looks so helpless, so frail."
"It's always hard to see a loved one in the hospital." Schanke saw Nick's look. "Don't even try that just friends excuse. You know, if you were married..."
"I know. And don't start. I'm not in the mood for it," Nick warned his partner.
Schanke knew it was going to be hell until Natalie regained consciousness, especially if Nick was forced back to work. He was almost as worried about Nat as Nick was.
Grace rushed into the waiting area very worried. "What the hell happened?"
"It seems as if she OD'd. She's alive and stable. There's minimal brain function." Nick saw Grace's expression drop and tears form in her eyes. "They said she's breathing on her own, which is a good sign. But they put her on a ventilator as a precaution due to the respiratory depressant nature of the Phenobarbital." Nick continued to fill her in.
Schanke told her what little he could.
"I don't get it. She was clean and doing good. Or at least I thought so."
"You know as much as we do."
Nick walked over to the nurse's station.
"She's still the same."
"I know. I just want to make sure you have my cell, work and home numbers. I want to know as soon as there's a change. I'm the closest she has to family. She's the only surviving member of her family."
The nurse saw his love for Natalie and told him that she had all the numbers and would call him if there were any changes. She knew it was the most she could do, since she couldn't let him into her patient's cubicle.
Nick knew he had to leave, but took one more look at Natalie through the door. His heart broke seeing her that still, that helpless.
He walked back to his friends.
"Nick, how about we all go home. We can't do anything here, until she comes around, or at least until they move her out of ICU," Schanke gently said.
"I know," Nick said.
"How about some food? I'm not hungry, but we all need to eat."
"I'll pass. I just want to be alone," Nick said.
"You shouldn't be alone," Grace said. "I don't want to have to worry about you too."
"I'll be okay. I have to be there for Nat. She needs me."
"You're right," Grace said. She hugged Nick.
"Are you two going to be okay?" Nick asked.
"I'll be okay. If not, I'll call," Grace said. "I wish I knew why she did it, and why she didn't call any of us."
"Only she knows the answer, and we'll just have to wait until she wakes up to tell us," Nick said.
"Are you sure you'll be okay, alone at the loft?" Grace asked.
"I'll be okay."
They headed for their cars. Nick stayed inside and said bye to Grace, while Schanke walked her to her car. Schanke headed over a row to his car and pulled up in front of the front door of the hospital and popped the trunk. Nick made a very quick dash for it, not wanting to smoke, or not too much. Schanke shut the lid as soon as Nick was in the trunk.
Schanke dropped Nick off right by the garage door and as soon as he saw Nick was safely inside, he left.