Chapter 8


It was the sudden and repeated stabs that finally got Amy's attention. The biggest thing about them were how much they hurt. Her eyes flew open and she grabbed for her arm as she proclaimed, "ow!" Then she suddenly realized how much her neck hurt as well. She was busy massaging it when she suddenly realized that she had no idea where she was. There were plain walls, uncomfortable seats, and there was a computer screen stuck up on the wall that was running all news bulletins. There was also a fourteen year old girl sitting next to her with unusually long fingernails. That explained the stabbing.

Amy yawned and rubbed her eyes as she asked, "did we get any word?"

Shannon used one of her nails to point up at the door to the hospital waiting room. Amy followed the line and found herself looking at some dark headed woman dressed in expensive clothes. The woman took her sun glasses off and Amy felt a spark of recognition there but, could not quite put a name with the face. Maybe it was the lack of any descent sleep or, quite possibly, Amy never really knew the woman's name in the first place?

"Do I know you?"

The woman had a slight accent when she spoke, "yes you should. You are Agent Hiller, right?"

The slight accent gave the woman away. Amy had not heard it very many times since she moved to this planet. This did give Amy a little direction about what to do. She sent Shannon down to the snack machines and then stood up to face the woman, "Tasha Kingsley, right? Is there something you want?"

The woman seemed a bit peeved when she replied to Amy, "well of course I do. A friend of mine has been shot. I would like to know how she is doing."

"Excuse me," Amy replied with a little bit of confusion, "your friend?"

"Daniealla is my friend," replied the Kingsley woman. "We went to school together."

Amy was not really sure what to say. She fidgeted and it did not take long before this Tasha woman told her, "I know she probably has not spoken of me Agent Hiller. Probably for the same reason you are giving me that look right now."

"What look!" Amy scrambled to try to cover herself, "I don't have a look! I'm just, uh, well I didn't get a lot sleep last night as you can image I…"

"Do not lie," Tasha told Amy. "I have been married to that bastard for six years. I know that look when I see it. Well, agent, I am not my husband and Daniealla is still my friend. I want to make sure she is all right and I want to see if there is anything I can do."

"Oh," Amy just fidgeted some more. She tried to think of something to say but finally decided to just ask, "so, I guess you haven't seen her lately have you? She's doing fine…" Amy suddenly realized what she had just said and corrected herself, "I mean she was before she was shot and all. Um, so how have you been?"

Tasha only groaned in frustration and said, "I knew this was a mistake. Still I had to come because I love Daniealla so. Even when that angry little policeman so much as accused me of shooting her, I still came. Is that not enough for you cops?"

Amy squeaked, "I guess."

Tasha rolled her eyes just before reaching in her purse. Amy had visions of a gun coming out and shooting her right between the eyes. Fortunately, all the woman pulled out was a small business card that she offered to Amy. Then the woman said, "that's my private number. Just scan it if she needs anything. I know she has no more family here so I am here for her."

Shannon came back with far more snacks than she probably should have had. Amy did not complain in the least because, for some reason, Tasha Kingsley turned around and walked out no sooner than she saw the teenager. Amy deflated even if Shannon did not seem to notice. The kid just tossed her thumb towards the hall and said, "that doctor is out there now."

"Shit," Amy rushed pass the kid and practically ran down to the nurses station. Sure enough, the German doctor was standing there talking to a nurse. When Amy asked him the question all she got was a shrug from the man. It was the nurse who told Amy, "he doesn't speak English dear."

Amy frantically asked the nurse, "you were talking to him?"

Maybe the nurse was being a smart ass when she replied with a, "jahol herr frau."

"Translate," Amy snapped back. "Is she going to live?" The nurse was still amused as she asked the doctor in German. Once again the doctor only shrugged. Amy grunted as the nurse went on to say, "your friend is out of surgery. They moved her to Intensive Care. There's no way to tell at this point darling. I'm sorry. I wish we could tell you better news but, with these things, we just don't know."

"Can we talk to her," Amy asked. It was like grasping at straws but, she felt like doing it right now.

"She's not conscious," the nurse replied. "Why don't you go get some sleep. You look like you could use it. We'll ring if something changes."

Amy did not do as told. She stumbled back to the waiting room and found that they now had additional company. Tony was sitting beside Shannon and they were passing a hand held game console back and forth between each other. They seemed to be having a good time which was contrary to the way Amy was currently feeling.

When Tony looked up and saw Amy at the door he asked, "what happened? Is she ok?"

"ICU," Amy glumly replied as she found her another seat to occupy. She buried her face in her palms and then, the rest of her head in her long red flowing hair. Then, with no small amount of frustration, she jerked up and growled, "oh this day is just turning out to be peachy!"

Shannon paused her game and asked, "who was that woman?"

Tony quickly perked up at that, "what woman?"

Amy forced a fake smile, "oh, Danni just got paid a goodwill visit by the Texian Legion."

"Excuse me," Tony replied.

"As it turns out," Amy tried to figure out how to explain it. She couldn't figure out any delicate way to say it, "her and Tasha Kingsley were BFF's in high school, apparently."

Now Tony was even more confused, "Wait a minute. I knew Danni in high school, well, she was in eighth grade when I was a senior."

Amy began rubbing her forehead, "was that before or after they held you back."

If Tony took it as an insult he did not show it when he said, "after." It came out in a very matter of fact kind of way. He also sounded distracted until his eyes lit up and said, "holy shit. She used to hang out with this girl named Natasha, um, Ivanov. Oh my god, that girl is Tasha Kingsley?"

Now Amy stopped rubbing her forehead and slapped it instead, "how could you not know that Tony? My god, that woman is on the cover of every fashion magazine in the Arch."

"Well first off," he replied as he ticked off points on his fingers, "I haven't looked at a fashion magazine since I was twelve and…" Tony's eyes drifted down to Shannon and so he revised his statement, "I never seen one. Second, if that's her then she's changed a little bit since junior high. The girl I knew was buck tooth and flat chested."

Amy shook her head in disbelief, "Tony, every girl is flat chested and buck toothed in junior high."

Shannon snarled, "watch it sister!"

"I'm sorry Shannon," Amy apologized in a less than convincing manner. Then she turned her attention back on Tony, "you know she is married to the son of the kingpin, and heir apparent, of the Texas Mob. I'd bet she could afford braces at some point. I'm willing to bet those…" now it was Amy's turn to look over at Shannon and figure out what to say next.

Shannon saved her the trouble, "oh they were definitely not real."

Now Tony was sitting up with his back noticeably stiff and he traded glances with Amy. Then he asked her, "did Norm say what they were doing last night?"

"No," Amy replied, "Cal told me that Danni got a call and had to go take care of some business. Norm never told me anything. Hell, he was running around all morning without his phone."

"Yeah I know," Tony told her with no small amount of frustration in his voice, "I tried calling him. Did he ever show up?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded deep in thought. "He and the new guy went to some fire over by the L-5." She could see the confused look forming again and Amy put her hand up, "don't ask, it's stupid." Then she got back on her train of thought, "he should have his phone by now. I told Cal where to find him. Hell, I couldn't even send Norm the file on the case because he…"

As Amy drifted into deep thought, and silence, Tony had to reach over and poke her to get her back to reality. Then Amy asked in a very quizzical way, "how did he know where to go? I never told him where it was?"

Tony reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and hit the button for Norm. After a few minutes he hung up and groaned, "oh great, he's still not answering."

That set Amy into motion. She produced her phone but, she called Cal, "where are you? Are you guys still at the crime scene, err, whatever it is!"

Cal seemed a little surprised when he answered, "no. I brought the new boss back to the station. Why? What's up?"

Amy put her hand over the microphone and, in a hushed tone, told Tony, "Cal's back at the station?" Then she tried to pretend everything was all right as she asked, "is Norm there by any chance? I guess you didn't get him his phone, did you?"

"Yes and no," Cal corrected himself, "well more like no and yes. I mean. no, Norm isn't here and, yes, he has his phone. He's not there with you? He should be there already."

Amy did her everything is all right voice, "I'm sure he's just caught in traffic. Talk to you later Cal!" She hung up before Cal could say anything else. Then she got dead serious, "Cal has no idea where he is."