‹ Prequel: Race Against Time
We'll Be Okay
Heat Wave
This. Summer. Sucks! The 102°F sun beat down on me while I collected evidence from a balcony at a brownstone on the Upper East. I ran my hand through my newly-cut hair, sighing.
"You alright, Izzy?" Hawkes asked. I looked up and nodded.
"Yeah, just pretty tired. I think if someone cut me open, there wouldn't be blood. Just coffee", I joked.
"Just be sure to drink water. It's pretty hot out here", Hawkes said.
"Wow, I hadn't noticed", I replied sarcastically. Add lack of sleep and food to overheated Isabella and that equals a very grumpy country girl. I stepped onto the ladder, slowly climbing down. I swallowed, trying to maintain my balance as I stepped down. Halfway down, my vision blurred and I couldn't keep my concentration. It was a long fall and I was starting to tremble. I couldn't keep my grip any longer and I fell backwards, blacking out.
[Flack's point of view]
When I saw Isabella trying to climb down the ladder and start wobbling, I walked closer. Something was going to happen.
"Someone hold that ladder still, Pacino doesn't need to get injured", I said to one of my boys. Out of nowhere, she lets go of the ladder and falls backwards. I try to reach out and catch her, but Mac got to her first.
"What the hell is wrong? Is she breathing?" I demanded, checking her pulse. Rapid. She was breathing, which was a good sign. Hawkes came down, running to her.
"She's fine, it's just heat exhaustion", he said, checking her vitals.
"Someone get her some water!" I yelled. Officers scurried to anywhere. Mac set her down, patting her face.
"C'mon, Izzy, wake up. Wake up, kiddo", he said. After a bit, Isabella's eyes fluttered and opened.
"W-What happened?" she murmured. I kissed the top of her head.
"We nearly lost you, that's what happened", Mac replied. An officer came with a bottle of water. I pressed it to her lips and helped her drink. Immediately, Isabella guzzled down the water.
"She's severely dehydrated. Taking her home or to the lab and getting her body temp down is vital. The more she's out of this heat, the better", Hawkes said.
"How would we go about getting it down?" I asked.
"Loosening her clothing, keeping cold water nearby, making sure she gets either a sports drink like Powerade or Gatorade to replace electrolytes. Water is idyllic, and try to get something salty in her system", Hawkes replied. The man was a walking MD exam.
"We'll check her mental state. Isabella, what's your full name?" Mac asked. Isabella frowned.
"Isabella Rae O'Malley Pacino", she replied.
"She's fine, we can move her", Hawkes said. I scooped her up into my arms. My girlfriend weakly shoved against my arms, muttering complaints.
"I can walk, Don, put me down", she said. I shook my head.
"No, you're coming with me back to the lab where it is nice and air-conditioned and we can get you all nice and happy", I replied, walking towards my car. I set her in the backseat and cranked the air-conditioning. When I pulled up to the lab, Danny was waiting outside.
"Hey, man, I'm here to take Pacino off your hands", he said. I shook my head.
"No thanks, Danno, I got this", I replied, sliding Izzy back into my arms again.
"Stop, it's too hot", she complained. Yep, she was sick. I carried her into the locker room, causing Lindsay to rush out.
"Oh no, what happened?" she asked.
"Isabella just fainted from heat exhaustion. You know that new thing with her: Food, water, and sleep is for chumps", I replied, frowning down at her. I unbuttoned her shirt and slid it off. Lindsay opened her locker and pulled out the clothes Isabella had in there for off work. Tank top and shorts. Isabella pulled the top over her head and slid on the shorts.
"Can you grab something salty for her plus some water?" I asked. Lindsay nodded and rushed out.
"You're working yourself into the ground. What's wrong?" I asked her.
"I can't tell you", she replied. She was a bit more coherent now.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because I can handle it", she replied. I gave her a look.
"Says the woman who fainted off an eight-foot ladder from heat exhaustion", I said.
"I don't know how you'll react", she whispered.
"You'll know if you tell me", I replied. She sighed and looked away. I knew something major was up. We'd had a tight relationship since we'd met two and a half years ago. It wasn't like her to lie and it wasn't like her to not take care of herself.
"You alright, Izzy?" Hawkes asked. I looked up and nodded.
"Yeah, just pretty tired. I think if someone cut me open, there wouldn't be blood. Just coffee", I joked.
"Just be sure to drink water. It's pretty hot out here", Hawkes said.
"Wow, I hadn't noticed", I replied sarcastically. Add lack of sleep and food to overheated Isabella and that equals a very grumpy country girl. I stepped onto the ladder, slowly climbing down. I swallowed, trying to maintain my balance as I stepped down. Halfway down, my vision blurred and I couldn't keep my concentration. It was a long fall and I was starting to tremble. I couldn't keep my grip any longer and I fell backwards, blacking out.
[Flack's point of view]
When I saw Isabella trying to climb down the ladder and start wobbling, I walked closer. Something was going to happen.
"Someone hold that ladder still, Pacino doesn't need to get injured", I said to one of my boys. Out of nowhere, she lets go of the ladder and falls backwards. I try to reach out and catch her, but Mac got to her first.
"What the hell is wrong? Is she breathing?" I demanded, checking her pulse. Rapid. She was breathing, which was a good sign. Hawkes came down, running to her.
"She's fine, it's just heat exhaustion", he said, checking her vitals.
"Someone get her some water!" I yelled. Officers scurried to anywhere. Mac set her down, patting her face.
"C'mon, Izzy, wake up. Wake up, kiddo", he said. After a bit, Isabella's eyes fluttered and opened.
"W-What happened?" she murmured. I kissed the top of her head.
"We nearly lost you, that's what happened", Mac replied. An officer came with a bottle of water. I pressed it to her lips and helped her drink. Immediately, Isabella guzzled down the water.
"She's severely dehydrated. Taking her home or to the lab and getting her body temp down is vital. The more she's out of this heat, the better", Hawkes said.
"How would we go about getting it down?" I asked.
"Loosening her clothing, keeping cold water nearby, making sure she gets either a sports drink like Powerade or Gatorade to replace electrolytes. Water is idyllic, and try to get something salty in her system", Hawkes replied. The man was a walking MD exam.
"We'll check her mental state. Isabella, what's your full name?" Mac asked. Isabella frowned.
"Isabella Rae O'Malley Pacino", she replied.
"She's fine, we can move her", Hawkes said. I scooped her up into my arms. My girlfriend weakly shoved against my arms, muttering complaints.
"I can walk, Don, put me down", she said. I shook my head.
"No, you're coming with me back to the lab where it is nice and air-conditioned and we can get you all nice and happy", I replied, walking towards my car. I set her in the backseat and cranked the air-conditioning. When I pulled up to the lab, Danny was waiting outside.
"Hey, man, I'm here to take Pacino off your hands", he said. I shook my head.
"No thanks, Danno, I got this", I replied, sliding Izzy back into my arms again.
"Stop, it's too hot", she complained. Yep, she was sick. I carried her into the locker room, causing Lindsay to rush out.
"Oh no, what happened?" she asked.
"Isabella just fainted from heat exhaustion. You know that new thing with her: Food, water, and sleep is for chumps", I replied, frowning down at her. I unbuttoned her shirt and slid it off. Lindsay opened her locker and pulled out the clothes Isabella had in there for off work. Tank top and shorts. Isabella pulled the top over her head and slid on the shorts.
"Can you grab something salty for her plus some water?" I asked. Lindsay nodded and rushed out.
"You're working yourself into the ground. What's wrong?" I asked her.
"I can't tell you", she replied. She was a bit more coherent now.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because I can handle it", she replied. I gave her a look.
"Says the woman who fainted off an eight-foot ladder from heat exhaustion", I said.
"I don't know how you'll react", she whispered.
"You'll know if you tell me", I replied. She sighed and looked away. I knew something major was up. We'd had a tight relationship since we'd met two and a half years ago. It wasn't like her to lie and it wasn't like her to not take care of herself.