Archive of Our Own

Due South Alphabet Series

X Is For X-Ray
by Grey

Halfway home from work Ray’s truck pulled hard to the left and worse, there was a new engine noise that didn’t sound good. He cursed under his breath. ″Fuck. I don’t need this shit.″

Dief lifted his head and gave an annoyed woofy sound, his version of what the fuck? It was almost like the wolf knew something wasn’t right. He might be deaf, but he had some kind of sixth sense when it came to Ray’s foul moods. Ray reached out to rub his head as he apologized. ″Sorry.″

The animal huffed and settled back down. It’d been a long day at the office and he was tired. So was Ray. All he wanted to do was to get home and relax with Ben. Ray debated whether to run the truck over to his friend’s garage or just try to make it home. Checking the nasty weather through his windshield, he decided that he didn’t want to get stuck on the highway when it was snowing and fifteen below zero. The truck jerked a little harder to the left which solidified Ray’s decision. He’d call Ben when he got there. ″Jimmy’s it is.″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Fuck, Ray, this doesn’t look good, man.″

Ray stared up at his truck’s under carriage and noted the cracked wheel hub on the left side of the front axle. The bearings were shot, too. ″I thought you replaced that when you did the repairs after my accident.″

″I did, but they were used parts. There’s no real guarantee on these old truck bits.″

″I know that. Fuck.″ Ray had hoped for at least a year without grief with his truck.

″Sorry, man.″

″Not your fault.″

″You know that’s going to need to be replaced, right?″

It was an expense Ray didn’t need, but he knew he didn’t really have an option. No way did he want to get a new truck anytime soon. He loved his truck. ″Yeah, I know. So, how much is this going to run me?″

Instead of giving him a price, Jimmy went right on talking. ″That’s in addition to the belt and the seal that need replacing. They’re both on the verge of going any minute. Easy fix, but it needs to be done before you blow the engine. All totaled it might run you more than this thing is worth.″

Ray winced. ″That bad?″

″Bad enough.″ Jimmy wiped his greasy hands on a red rag and then stuffed it in his back pocket. He was around five six, 150 pounds and had light brown hair. He was about the same age as Ray and married to Sophie. Together they had four kids under ten and one on the way. Jimmy apparently had been busy with more than fixing cars.

At the moment his short friend was staring at Ray waiting for an answer about whether to fix the truck or scrap it. Well, he wasn’t scrapping it, no way. ″How about this? Go ahead and order the parts. Once they come in, I’ll rent a spot here and do the work myself. You okay with that?″

″Sure. That would cut the bill in half.″

″Great, so what’s the ETA on parts?″

″I’ve got to order from a warehouse in Edmonton. They get some of their parts from the States. Might take a week, maybe two if we’re lucky. Could be longer. You know how shipping is, especially this time of year.″

Sadly, Ray knew all too well how hard it was to get things shipped in to Whitehorse from other parts of the country much less from across the border. Plus, there was the added issue of buying parts for older vehicles which were usually sourced from scrapyards in both countries.

″Jesus. That long, huh?″

″I know. Sorry, Ray.″

″Just do what you can. So you got a loaner?″

Jimmy walked over to his desk and pulled out a set of keys. ″It’s not much, but it should do you until we get this one fixed. You’ve got to really crank it up to get any real heat, but it should be okay for just driving to and from town.″

Just what Ray needed, to drive an icebox around Freezerland. But beggars couldn’t be choosers. He took the keys and asked, ″Where is it?″

″It’s the Ford Maverick parked in the back. I charged it up this morning, so it should start.

That didn’t sound good. ″Fuck, Jimmy. What are you giving me, a death trap?″

″You could always rent something.″

″And pay a small fortune? Forget about it.″

Jimmy smiled and shrugged. ″You get what you pay for, which in this case is nothing.″

Ray shook his head in frustration and motioned for Dief to follow him out to the gold Ford parked outside. He climbed in beside the wolf and put the key in the ignition. He turned it and nothing happened. It was obviously out of juice already. ″So much for a charged battery.″

Even more frustrated, Ray got out and trudged back inside. Jim was sitting at his desk filling out an order form. He looked up in surprise. ″You still here?″

″The battery’s dead.″

″Want me to charge it?″

Ray figured the Maverick had a dud battery and would be more trouble than it was worth. He handed the keys over to Jimmy. ″I’ll call Fraser to come get me. I’ll rent a car tomorrow.″

″You don’t have to do that, Ray.″ He leaned back in his desk chair to lay out his new plan. ″I’ve got a cousin who’ll loan you something for half of what you’d pay one of those big car rental places. Let me give him a call and get him over here.″

″Which cousin?″

″Jerry. He’s got a spare truck he uses for his food deliveries. He was just whining about his business being slow in the winter. He was thinking about renting it out.″

It might do the trick. ″Worth a shot.″

Jimmy picked up the phone to place the call. Ray walked to the other side of the garage and made his own call to Ben. His partner answered right away. ″Ray? Are you all right?″

″I’m fine, the truck is not. It’s going to need more work than I thought. I’m still at the garage.″

″It’s late. You want me to come get you?″

″No. Jimmy’s trying to get me a loaner.″

″I’d offer to let you use the Jeep, but it actually belongs to the service. I’m not allowed to loan it out even to you.″

″I know. Look, I’ll call you before I leave here. Why don’t you go ahead and have supper. I’ll heat something up when I get home.″

″I’ll wait.″

″You don’t have to.″

″I want to. I don’t enjoy eating alone, Ray.″

That small confession warmed Ray’s heart. He felt the same way. When he ate alone, the food had no real taste anymore. He wasn’t sure when that happened, but he didn’t much care. He just knew that Ben was all the flavor he needed in his life. ″I’ll try to get home as soon as possible then.″

″I’ll be waiting.″

As soon as he hung up, Ray turned to find Jimmy giving him a thumbs up. ″He’ll be here in less than ten minutes. He’s thrilled. I think you’ll be pleased, Ray. It’s a great truck. I do all the work myself, so I know it’s in good working order.″

″Well, it can’t be any worse than that Maverick out back.″

Jimmy lost his smile. ″Sorry about that. I usually have three or four vehicles available for loaners, but there’s been a rush on people needing work this time of year. But never mind that. You want a drink while we wait?″

″Coffee would be great.″

″I was thinking about something a little stronger to warm you up.″

Ray shook his head. ″I’m driving, but suit yourself.″

″Party pooper. Where’s your Polish spirit, man?″ Jimmy pulled a bottle of Jack Daniels from his bottom drawer along with a shot glass. He held it up. ″You sure?″

Ben would kill him if he drank and then got behind the wheel. He wouldn’t like himself much, either. ″I’m sure.″

Ray watched his friend drain the drink and then down another before putting the bottle and glass away. A horn honked outside the front of the garage door. ″Jerry’s here.″

Not soon enough as far as Ray was concerned.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Pancakes for supper?″

″I thought we could do something different tonight.″

Ray sat down at the table, rubbing his hands together. ″Hey, you don’t have to sell it. I love pancakes any time of day.″

″Good.″ Ben proceeded to make the batter and put the skillet on the stove. ″I’m sorry about your truck, Ray.″

″Me, too, but it could’ve been worse. I’m actually kind of lucky.″

Ben turned, frowning. ″How so?″

″If that axle had gone while I was driving, I could’ve wrecked. I could’ve been hurt or stranded or worse.″

″Well, I must say, I’m glad that didn’t happen.″ Ben returned to making the pancakes.

″Yeah. Anyway, I’ll get it fixed as soon as the parts come in. Shouldn’t take but half a day after that. Meanwhile, I’ve got the 1990 Suburban. It’ll do. I’ll spend a small fortune in gas, but that’s nothing new. Drives smooth, got good pick up and traction. He’s giving me a great discount because I’m Jimmy’s friend.″

″That’s nice of him.″

″I thought so. I think it’s also kind of a trial run to see if he wants to rent it through the winter until his catering and food delivery service picks up in the spring.″

Ben put the first pancake on Ray’s plate and handed him the maple syrup. ″You said it was Jimmy’s cousin. Would that be Jerry Kovack?″

″It would. You know him?″

Ben turned around as he poured another pancake. ″I know of him. He came into the station about two months ago to file a complaint against a dissatisfied customer he said was harassing him.″

″Really? What kind of harassment?

″I believe it started with threatening phone calls which escalated to vandalism of his business. It was suggested he apply for a peace bond. That would protect him for up to a year from any contact from the aggressor.″

″That’s like a restraining order, but against someone like a neighbor or, in this case, a customer, right?″

″It is.″

″And did he get it?″

″I believe he did, yes. He had enough proof to establish that he had reason to be fearful for his safety.″

″Well, I’m glad he got it, but how do you remember all that if you weren’t directly involved in the case?″

″I read the daily reports from the front desk.″

″But still...″

Ben added another pancake to Ray’s plate and proceeded to make another for himself. ″I do believe I’ve mentioned my eidetic memory.″

″Oh, yeah, the photographic memory business. Still, doesn’t your brain hurt with all that information crammed in?″

″Not particularly. It’s just the way my memory works. I’ve got no control over it.″

Ray noticed the slight defensive tone in Ben’s voice. ″It’s not a bad thing, Ben. I was just thinking that it might be hard on you, that’s all.″

Ben relaxed slightly as he finally served up his own pancakes and put the skillet to the side before turning off the burner. ″I appreciate that, Ray. It’s just some people seem to take offense at my ability to recall so easily.″

″Take offense? Why’s that?″

″The term ‘show off’ has been the phrase most often used.″ Ben poured some maple syrup.

″Well fuck them. They’re just jealous.″

″You think so?″

″Sure. Who wouldn’t be? But it’s not just remembering stuff with you. You know what to do with all the stuff you remember.″

Ben stopped mid bite and put his fork down. ″What does that mean exactly?″

″It means that a lot of people can remember a bunch of facts and figures, but you do the rest of it. You put it all together and come up with solutions and theories.″ Ray shrugged. ″You’re smart. That’s all I’m saying.″

″Well thank you. You’re smart, too, you know.″

Ray pushed his plate away. ″You don’t have to say that.″

″I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t believe it. I can analyze facts, that’s true. But you see patterns of behavior that I miss. You have an instinctive kind of intelligence which is what makes you such a good detective. Plus, you’re a lot better with people than I am.″

Ray had to admit to himself that he loved it when Ben praised him like that, especially since he knew his partner really meant it. ″Well, thanks. I guess that’s why we were such a great team, huh?″

″I think so.″

Ray sighed and crossed his arms. ″I miss that.″

″I do, too, Ray, but we have a new life now. It’s not so bad is it?″

″No, not bad, just different.″

″Different isn’t worse.″

Ray lifted his head and met Ben’s worried gaze. ″No, different isn’t worse. Sometimes it’s better.″ He reached out and took Ben’s hand. ″Don’t mind me. I was just running down Memory Lane. It’s a nice place to visit, but you can’t live there.″

″No, you can’t.″ Ben kissed Ray’s knuckles and then returned to finishing his pancakes. He motioned toward Ray’s plate. ″You still have a whole pancake left. You don’t want to waste it.″

″Let Dief have it. I’m full.″

Ben wasn’t convinced. ″You never eat just one pancake.″

″I’m just tired, that’s all.″ Ray stood up and scraped the rest of his dinner into Dief’s bowl. He hadn’t lied, not exactly. He did miss Chicago, but he didn’t need to keep talking about something he couldn’t change. What was the point? The past was over and done with, gone bye-bye, and never to be repeated. He had to be grateful for the present and what was. And he was happy. Mostly.

Ray ran the water to clean up as Dief scarfed down his surprise pancake. ″Do we take Dief out or do we just let him go on his own tonight?″

″I can walk him if you’re not up to it.″

Ray turned and took up the challenge. They might not be able to work a case as partners anymore, but by god they could walk their own goddamn wolf together. ″Finish the dishes and I’ll get my hat and coat.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Do you have the updated report on Vince Gore yet?″

Buddy Frank shook his head. ″Not yet, Boss. I figure I’ll get it done in the morning. Our computer’s having trouble connecting to the database I need to get his background info and previous record.″

Well that was perfect. That was the fifth report that they’d have to scramble with the next day. It wasn’t the kid’s fault, but it was annoying as hell. Ray had wanted everything wrapped up before he left for the night. ″First thing then. And I want those others lined up, too.″

″And if the database is down again?″

″Then I guess you’ll be running over to the library to do it the old fashion way by chasing a paper trail.″

Buddy groaned and banged his forehead on the desk in beside the keyboard. ″Fuck me.″

Ray knew the feeling, but he still had to say something. ″Stop that, Kid. You’ll hurt yourself.″

The younger man stood up and stretched, making a big show of it. He put on his coat, hat and scarf as he talked. ″It’s been a long day, Ray. I’m going home, take a hot shower and hope that I can scrounge some food off Cheri’s mom.″

″I’m sure she won’t let you starve.″

″I know, but I’m behind on rent. I’ve been avoiding her.″

That didn’t sound right. They’d given Buddy a decent raise a few months earlier and a hefty bonus at Christmas. It was good money, plenty enough to cover his bills, which Ray happened to know were low for the area. His college tuition was already paid for by the company, too. So, where was all that money going if not to bills or savings? Ray hoped it wasn’t going toward something stupid like gambling or other vices he didn’t want to think about.

″Yeah? So, how come you’re behind?″

Buddy shrugged as he tugged his red wool hat over his blond hair. ″I just ran short the last month or two, that’s all. I’ll pay it though.″

″I know you will.″ Ray hesitated and then added, ″Do you need a loan to tide you over?″

″No, thanks. I’m fine. The truth is, Dana needed some money. Her tuition ran more than she expected this semester and her scholarship didn’t cover all of it. Plus, her landlord raised her rent right after Christmas. Double whammy.″

″Paying for your girlfriend’s tuition and rent is pretty noble, but don’t forget your obligations to Cheri and her mum.″

″I know, I know. They took me in when I needed it. I’ll pay it, Ray, I promise. In fact, I’ll give her some of it later tonight, set up some kind of payment plan for the rest.″

″I know you’ll take care of it, but I repeat if you need a loan until you get it back from Dana, I can spring for it.″

″I couldn’t let you do that. I picked up a pizza delivery job for the nights I’m not at school. I’ll get caught up and then quit.″

Ray hoped his young assistant wasn’t overstretched. Buddy worked full time for him, went to school part-time and now he was taking on more work. ″When do you have time for a second job?″

″I don’t sleep much.″

″Buddy...″

″Look, Ray, I know you mean well, but this is my business, not yours. I’ll take care of it. I promise.″

″I know you will. Just remember I offered to help out.″

″I will and thanks.″ Standing at the door of the office, Buddy gave his own advice. ″You should head home, too, Ray. The roads are getting slick out. They’re talking about high winds and more snow.″

″Thanks for the weather report.″

″Just sayin’ it might not be a bad idea to get home before it gets much worse that’s all.″

Ray wanted to finish up his work first, but Buddy had a good point. ″Yeah, you might be right. You be careful out there if you’re doing deliveries.″

″I’ll be fine. Besides, tonight’s a school night. Later, Boss.″

As soon as Buddy left, Ray realized that everyone in the office had already gone for the day. That seemed to be more common lately. He been staying later each night trying to keep from taking paperwork home. When he was at the cabin, he wanted it to be just about Ben and him, not filling out reports for court. He walked over to the break room and checked that the coffee maker was off. It was. Way to go Cheri. The young receptionist always cleaned up, too. She was a real treasure for the office and a nice person. They’d gotten lucky when they hired her right out of high school.

Once he finished his quick sweep of the place, Ray grabbed his own coat and hat. He waved at Dief to follow him out. Ben should already be home, so he’d be making supper. That meant no stops, just a straight stretch home. He was happy about that.

Ray started the engine and was pleased with the easy hum. He had to admit the Suburban was a good vehicle. Maybe if he ever had to replace his truck, he could persuade Jerry to sell it to him. He could do a lot worse.

Once Ray was on the highway, he realized that Buddy was right about the weather. He wrestled the wheel against the wind gusts that kept coming in waves. About halfway home he noticed the steady high beams behind him. He squinted and adjusted his rear view mirror. He knew visibility was low what with the heavy snow and not many street lights, but high beams were a big no-no when there were other vehicles around.

The van behind him sped up, coming closer, too close. Fuck. Ray put his foot on the gas. Whoever was driving wasn’t just tailgating. They were moving too fast, coming at him deliberately. The first ram from behind nearly took him off the road. He held the truck steady, but just barely. He went even faster, but it didn’t help. The van slammed into him again with full force.

With a crunch of metal, Ray skidded sideways. As he fought to keep from going off the edge of the highway, the black van whizzed by. The last thing he saw was the flash of a shotgun blast. It peppered the side of the truck and shattered the driver’s window. He closed his eyes and focused hard on controlling the wheel, but there was no chance. A sharp pain went up his left arm as the Suburban flipped on its side and kept sliding for ages until it stopped suddenly in a ditch.

Luckily for him, Dief had jumped into the space right behind the front seat and was safe. Unfortunately, Ray wasn’t so lucky. The truck was lying one way and he was stuck another. The icy cold and snow came through the space where his window should’ve been. Fuck. He shifted himself to his side so that he could reach into his pocket with his right hand. Despite the throbbing pain in his left wrist, Ray found his cell and pushed the right combo of buttons.

″Ray?″

″Some fucker ran me off the road. Dief’s fine, but I need help.″ He gave his location. ″Call an ambulance. Fuck.″

″I’m on my way.″

″Love you. I’m going to close my eyes now.″

″Don’t go to sleep, Ray. You could have a concussion.″

Ray hissed at the pain in his chest as he took a deep breath and complained. ″Well, if you don’t get here soon, Dief and I will freeze to death and it won’t matter.″

Instead of niggling, Ben must have heard the urgency in his voice. ″Hold on. I’m on my way, Ray.″

″Greatness.″ Then he closed his eyes and cradled his throbbing left arm against his aching chest. Fucking Canadian driver tried to kill him and he’d damn well not quit until he found the son of a bitch and take care of business. But first he needed to throw up.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Stay put and stop fidgeting. You’re being foolish.″ Ben actually put his hand in the middle of Ray’s chest and held it there as if that would make a difference if he really wanted to get up and out of the hospital bed.

Ray stared down at Ben’s hand, angry all over again. ″Fuck that. I need my clothes and I need to find the person who did this.″

″Ezra and Sergeant Jolly are both on the scene of the crash gathering evidence. Right now your only job is to stay in bed like the doctor ordered.″ Ben tough tone softened. ″Ray, you have a broken arm and four very bruised ribs.″

″I know what I have. I’ve had broken bones before. He just needs to put a cast on it, take out the IV and we can get going. I want to talk to Ezra or whoever’s in charge of the case.″

″The case can wait. Dr. Marshall is calling in a specialist to evaluate your X-Ray. He thinks you might need surgery.″

Ray scoffed. ″Scare tactics.″

″Scare tactics?″

″Yeah. He just wants to scare me into thinking it’s worse than it is.″ Sitting up in the hospital bed, Ray cradled the injured arm in his lap. It was strapped to a splint board and distorted by both the bruising and swelling. It was also twisted at a weird angle to the left instead of a straight line. ″Does it hurt like a motherfucker? Yes, it does, but once it’s in a cast, it’ll be better. I know because I’ve broken it lots of times as a kid.″

Ben seemed surprised. ″Really? The same arm?″

Ray shook his head. ″Both arms, different times. I was an active kid, Ben. I fell out of a tree when I was eight and broke the right. Broke the left twice with hockey. Broke the right again in a fight. They just slapped on a cast and I kept going. No big deal.″

″Well, that was when you were a child, Ray. This injury is different. According to the X-Ray, the doctor says you’ve broken both the ulna and the radius bones very near the wrist itself. It’s not just a matter of simple setting and casting. They have to be positioned and set carefully or the bones could heal in a way that could permanently hamper the proper use of your thumb.″

Ray vaguely remembered the guy saying that, but he’d shut it down in his brain. He just wanted to get out of the hospital and find out what was going on with his case. ″People break their wrists all the time. It’s no big deal.″

″Are you being deliberately obtuse?″

″Am I what?″

″Perhaps it’s the result of your head injury. You might not have a concussion, but you might still be stunned. Did you not understand what the doctor said and its significance?″

″You calling me stupid?″

″No, stunned.″

″I″m not stunned. I’m pissed.″

″Well, whatever you are, you’re staying put until the specialist evaluates your injury.″

″Who says?″

″I say.″

Ray nearly smirked, but he saw the tough expression on his partner’s face. He was standing there in his I dare you stance with his back straight as a board and his hands gripped into fists. He was ready to fight if he had to. His partner rarely faced off against him like that and only about things that were super important. It stopped Ray from saying anything other than what Ben needed to hear, complete surrender. ″Okay. You win.″

Ben visibly relaxed. ″Thank you. I appreciate that, Ray.″

If he’d had a free hand, Ray would’ve reached out for one of Ben’s. Instead he took a deep breath and let his head fall back against the pillow.

″So where’s Dief?″

″Diefenbacher is with Ray Vecchio. I called and he came to pick him up. He’ll keep him as long as we need.″

″That’s good of him.″

″I thought so.″

Ray got to the heart of the matter. ″So, how long do you think we’ll need to wait for the specialist? You know I’m not good at waiting.″

″I don’t know, Ray, but it’ll be worth the wait.″ Ben pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down. ″You scared me tonight.″

Ray turned his head and saw the tight lines in Ben’s face, the thinned lips. ″I know. I’m sorry.″

Ben ignored the apology and got right down to business. ″We need to put our heads together to figure out who might have attacked you. Have you made any enemies lately?″

″No more than usual. We piss off a lot of people when our clients win, but I don’t think this is about me.″

″Why do you say that?″

″What was the name of the guy who was going after Jerry Kovack?″

″Cash Carver. Why? Do you think the man who attacked you was aiming for Jerry, not you?″

″It’s possible. I was driving Jerry’s Suburban. He’d be the first guy I’d check.″

″That’s an excellent idea. As soon as we talk to the specialist, I’ll call Ezra.″

″Don’t wait. Go do it now. And call Jerry and warn him, too. He might still be a target.″

″But we don’t know for sure.″

″Better safe than sorry.″

″Understood.″

Ben stood to leave just as Dr. Marshall walked in next to a woman doctor. Neither were smiling. Well fuck.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

To say Ray was pissed and unhappy would be putting it mildly. Dr. Kagan, the bone lady, decided that Ray needed surgery. It couldn’t be arranged until the next morning because she needed a team apparently to do the job right. That meant at least an overnight stay, possibly longer. Fuming, Ray ignored the pain and wished he could be in the Star Trek universe for just a little while. He’d get one of those hand held healing devices and fix his arm himself. Then he’d step onto a transporter that would take him to the scene of the crime where he could check it out himself. He hated being benched even for a little while. Real life sucked sometimes.

The nurse came in, checked his vitals, and injected some medicine into his IV. She was a young brunette, in her twenties, pretty and way too chipper. He was in no mood for chitchat, but she kept talking anyway. ″We want you to be comfortable, Mr. Kowalski. The doctor has ordered some pain relief and mild sedation. It should kick in pretty quickly.″

Ray didn’t hear a question, so he didn’t answer. He was too busy being ticked off. She frowned and asked, ″Do you need anything while I’m here?″

″A release form would be great.″

″Sorry, fresh out.″ She patted his shoulder and indicated the remote. ″That will turn on the TV if you want, but the red button at the top is the call button. Push it if you need anything. I’m on duty until they take you in for surgery in the morning.″

Ray didn’t answer, just nodded. Whatever she’d put in his IV was starting to kick in already. His vision was getting blurry, or at least blurrier than usual. He had to admit it was nice that his wrist was less painful even if the trade off was a tongue too thick to manage.

Ben had left a little earlier to call Ezra about the accident. Ray knew Ben needed to be his eyes and ears, but he resented not being able to do it himself. He wanted to be out there doing the job he’d been trained to do. But thanks to his gimpy arm, he was stuck doing nothing. Some big hot shot dick he was.

There was a rap at the door. ″Hey, Ray.″

Gus Moody stood at the entry looking about as unhappy as Ray felt. ″Hey.″

His boss stepped into the room still wearing his long gray wool coat, but he had his fedora in hand. ″Where’s Fraser?″

″He’s making some calls.″

″You look pretty shitty, Ray. What’s the verdict?″

Ray had to really concentrate to make the words. Whatever pain med they’d given him slowed both his thinking and his coordination. He indicated his left arm. ″Surgery in the morning.″

″That bad?″

″They need to pin it.″

″Ouch.″

″Tell me about it.″

″I heard you were run off the road. Do they know who did it yet?″

″Too early.″

″If you want, I’ll go through my lists of clients. See if there are any contenders.″

Ben’s voice came from the doorway. ″That would be appreciated.″

Gus turned and greeted him. ″Hey, Fraser. I’ll go to the office tonight and get the list to you first thing in the morning.″

″Thank you.″

Suddenly too sleepy to keep his eyes open, Ray wanted to say thanks, too, but blinked into darkness instead.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″How’s he doing?″

Ben glanced up to see Ezra in the doorway. He didn’t think their talking would wake Ray from his drugged sleep, but he didn’t want to take a chance. He got up and went out to the hallway. ″They’ve given him something for the pain. He’s due for surgery at six.″

″I’m sorry.″

″Thank you. What have you found so far?″

″Jolly’s working with the forensic team. They’ve collected the buck shot from the door and driver’s seat. He was lucky he wasn’t hit.″

″Indeed.″

″They also found some broken bits of what we think is the headlight from the vehicle that hit him. If we find a suspect, we’ll be able to match it to his car.″

″Have you spoken to Jerry Kovack yet?″

″I have. I got a copy of his peace order against Cash Carver, too. Got his address and ran a background check. Carver’s had three assault charges in the past four years and has had court mandated psych evals. He was also forced to attend anger management sessions, but they clearly haven’t taken. He’s definitely a prime suspect in my book. Drew Jolly is taking over the case personally. He’ll bring in Carver first thing in the morning. If he’s got no alibi, we can get a warrant to check out his car for damage and his home to find the shotgun.″

″That all sounds promising. Ray’s boss Gus Moody is also going to send a list of possible suspects in the morning. We could use that if Carver isn’t the one who did this.″

Ezra jotted that down on his black notepad. ″Whoever it was, we’ll find him, Fraser. We’re on top of this.″

″I appreciate it, Ezra. Please give my thanks to Sergeant Jolly as well.″

″I will. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve got something to report. I’ll also make sure your shift is covered for as long as you need it. Inspector Paris has already approved your leave.″

″I’m incredibly grateful.″

Ezra reached over and squeezed Ben’s shoulder. ″Hey, you’re one of us now and by extension so is Ray. Nobody comes after one of our own and gets away with it. We’ll catch this guy.″

Ben nodded, hoping that such a pledge would come true. He had to trust Ezra and Jolly to do what he couldn’t, find the man who hurt Ray. ″I’d help if I could, but I need to be with him.″

″I understand, Fraser. We all do. I could no more leave my wife’s side while she was in surgery than you can Ray’s.″

Emotion welled up, but Ben worked to keep it under control. In all his years in the service, he’d never had as much personal support as he’d had since coming to Whitehorse. Still, he couldn’t allow himself to be overwhelmed by it, not when he had to look after Ray first. ″I should get back in case he wakes up.″

″Give him my best. Let me know when he’s out of surgery.″

″I will.″

Ezra walked away and Ben went back to his chair to sit vigil over the man he loved more than breathing.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

″Is it over yet?″

″Not quite.″

Ray groaned as he shifted slightly in the bed, his whole body bitching and moaning about being tossed around like a rag doll the night before. He’d hoped and prayed that when he finally woke up, the whole surgery thing would be over and he’d be ready to check out to go home. No such luck. He forced himself to open his eyes. It took a moment for his vision to adjust and then he saw Ben. ″Fuck. You look rough.″

″I’m fine.″

That was a total lie, but Ray ignored it. ″You been here all night?″

Ben raised his right eyebrow as though Ray had asked the dumbest question ever. ″Where else would I be?″

Instead of answering that, Ray asked, ″So what time does this show get on the road?″

″It’s nearly time. The nurse came by. They’ll be in to get you in about ten minutes.″

″Nearly showtime then.″

″Ray, it’ll be fine.″

″I know. Did they say when I could check out after the surgery?″

″No. I’ll have to talk to Dr. Kagan about that.″

″What about the case?″

″They’ve collected evidence. Ezra has turned the case over to Sergeant Drew Jolly. He’s going to bring in a prime suspect for questioning later today. If he can, he’ll get a warrant to check his vehicle for damage and to see if he has the shotgun that was used.″

That sounded on the ball and that pleased Ray. He needed one more thing though. ″And is it the guy harassing Jerry?″

″It is, yes.″

Ray closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His chest still hurt from the bruised ribs, but he was less worried about that than the fact that his left arm was throbbing like a high school marching band during football season. He’d be glad when they’d finally set it. The longer it took, the more it was going to hurt later.

Then he remembered something. ″Was Gus here last night?″

″He was, but you were rather under the influence.″

″This is leaving him in the lurch. We’ve got at least six major cases coming to court this week and next Monday. You need to call him and tell him Buddy can take up the slack or he can get a sub in. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get back up to snuff.″

″I’m sure he’s aware of that, Ray.″

″But call him anyway, will ya?″

″I will, yes.″

Before they could discuss anything further, a different nurse than the one before came in followed by a couple of orderlies. This lady was older, in her fifties with gray hair and a solid build. She spoke to Ben instead of Ray. ″We’ve got to move him to be prepped for surgery, Sergeant. You should go to the waiting room until we get him upstairs. Then you can return here. Dr. Kagan will update you once he’s in recovery.″

″Thank you.″ Ben turned to Ray, his eyes filled with concern.

Despite his own pain, Ray knew that feeling. He’d be jumping out of his skin if the roles were reversed and it was Ben going under the knife. He felt compelled to say something. ″It’ll be fine, Ben. I’ll be all wired up when she’s finished.″

″Wired up?″

″Yeah, better than ever. Then he waved the best he could with his right hand. ″See you on the other side?″

Ben nodded and reluctantly headed out the door. Ray turned his attention to the nurse whose name tag said Berniece. ″Hey, Bernie, don’t make a liar out of me, okay?″

″That’s Nurse Bernie to you and I wouldn’t dream of it.″ She motioned to the orderlies who got on both sides of Ray and lifted him with the sheet to a gurney like he was light as a feather. It felt like flying. Before it was over, Ray had a feeling he might feel like that more than once. He’d never been good with going under. Drugs and Ray, not a good mix.

″Might as well hit the highway and get this over with, guys and gal.″

Berniece chuckled. ″You Americans.″

″What about us Americans?″

″You just talk funny, that’s all.″

Ray had to admit that it was nice to have the distraction to talk about something other than being at the mercy of some doctor he only met once. So he went with it. ″No more than you guys with your ehs and your curling.″

Still smiling, Berniece patted his shoulder and they headed down the hall. ″I’ll admit that I prefer hockey, but don’t tell my husband.″

″I hear you. Curling’s like housework on ice.″

Heading down the hallway, she whispered, ″It’s going to be fine, Mr. Kowalksi.″

″Call me, Ray.″

″Dr. Kagan’s the best, Ray. She’ll have you fixed up in no time.″

″You’ve worked with her before?″

″Dozens of times. She flies in from Edmonton about once a month or in case of emergencies like this one.″

That was news. ″She flew in just to do my surgery?″

″Yeah. Dr. Marshall called her and she agreed to come in.″

″Why would she do that?″

″Her husband was a Mountie.″

″Was?″

″Killed in the line of duty. She’s got a soft spot.″

Ray didn’t know why, but for some reason that made him feel a lot better. ″Thanks, Nurse Bernie.″

″You’re welcome.″ The gurney slotted into a spot in a small room near surgery. ″Now, I’m going to need you to hush and relax. Let us take care of you from now on. It’ll be over before you know it.″ Then she proceeded to add something to his IV. ″The doctor will be in to talk to you in just a few minutes. Good luck, Ray.″

Then he was alone, his eyes closed wishing like hell that Ben could be with him. In the end he would be. He’d just have to hang in there until that happened.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ben hated wasting tea, even bad tea, but he just couldn’t drink it. His stomach was in knots as he waited for news about Ray. The nurses had all been so kind, letting him return to the room for privacy. They’d cleaned it and put on new bed linen. It didn’t take a genius to know that Ray would be staying at least one more night.

He got up and emptied his cup before throwing the tea away. Then he walked over to the window and stared out at the parking lot. People milled around, coming and going. Two ambulances were parked at the ER door. Ben watched as they wheeled in not one but two patients. For a rather small town compared to Chicago, Whitehorse’s hospital stayed fairly busy. They were lucky to have it.

″He’ll be fine, Son.″

Ben turned to see his father standing there, all dressed in red and at parade rest. ″How do you know?″

″It stands to reason. He’s not one to let a few broken bones get him down.″

″I hope you’re right.″

″I am. Buck had a similar injury one winter back in the early days of our partnership. We were chasing a particularly wily miscreant in and around Great Slave Lake, one Niles Wassenberger. He was damn clever, but we managed to track him to his paramour’s cabin. He took off across the frozen lake and Buck went after him. They both made it to the other side, but Wassenberger caught him unawares around fifteen minutes later. Buck went over a cliff side. Broke his arm in three places.″

″You never told me about that.″

″I didn’t?″

″No, and it’s not in your journals.″

″Well, it wouldn’t be. I was too busy getting Buck medical treatment and then going back out to find Wassenberger to do any writing.″

″And did you catch him?″

″I did. Dragged him back for a speedy trial. He got five years for both the thievery and assault on a Mountie.″

″I don’t remember Buck being in a cast.″

″It was before you were born, Son. It healed, but he always complained that he could tell the weather report from then on. Apparently it hurt like the dickens whenever a cold front moved in.″

Ben hoped that wasn’t the case with Ray. He hated to think of his partner in pain from such an injury for the rest of his life. ″As assuring as that story is, why are you here, Dad? I haven’t seen you since before Christmas. Where have you been?″

″One question at a time Benton. First of all, I’ve been busy. Second, I don’t have to account for my whereabouts. I’m a ghost after all. I can come and go at will.″

″Can you? I always wondered about that.″

″Well, maybe not at will, but if I concentrate very hard, I can materialize.″ His father rubbed his left eyebrow. ″I must admit that it’s getting harder to do.″

″What? To materialize?″

″That as well as return here. I seem to be going here and there, different places I frequented in life. I suppose one might call it meandering.″

″And do you see Mom or anyone else familiar while you meander?″

″No, not your mother and not Buck, but I have met other people I knew in life. It’s rather odd when you think about it. Why not let me see the important people in my life who have passed on? I must confess, Son, this being dead business is odd sometimes, very odd, indeed.″

″So it would seem.″

″So it would seem what? You talking to yourself again, Benny?″

His father disappeared and Ben turned to see Ray Vecchio standing in the doorway carrying a monster-sized fruit basket. He had to smile. If nothing else, Ray was an excellent distraction from his worries. ″It’s good to see you, Ray.″

His ex-partner put the huge basket on the table by the bed. He continued to tease him about his odd behavior. ″So, is it so bad you have to talk to yourself?″

″He’s been in surgery for over two hours now.″

Ray raised an eyebrow in surprise. ″For a broken wrist?″

″It’s broken in three places. They’ve brought in a specialist to pin it.″

″I’m sure he’ll fix it up just fine.″

″It’s a woman.″

Ray worked hard to sound upbeat and waved off his concern. ″It’ll still be okay. So have you eaten yet?″

″I’m not hungry, Ray.″

The taller man motioned toward the basket. ″Well, if you get hungry you can dig in. I had the lady put in a bunch of the healthy stuff you like, apples, pears and whatnot.″

″We appreciate it, Ray. How’s Diefenbaker?″

″He’s fine. Yucking it up with Little Bennie.″

″I appreciate you taking him in.″

″No problem. Luckily, my new nanny likes big dogs.″

Ben had met the new caregiver a few times. Ezra’s aunt by marriage, she was a widow who’d raised her own three children and was now offering her childcare services to others. It seemed to be a good fit. ″How is Mrs. Crow doing?″

″Rainie’s great, perfect so far. She’s not only taking care of Bennie but doing light housework and cooking, too. I pay her extra for that and it works out for the both of us.″

″I’m glad.″

″So, Benny, have they caught the guy who did this yet?″

Ben swallowed hard as he thought about the latest update from Sergeant Jolly. They were being slow and steady, making sure they had all the evidence in place before bringing Carver in for questioning and getting a warrant for his home and vehicle. If Ray were working the case, he’d be ranting and raving about the snail’s pace being set. He understood their intentions, but it was difficult to accept when it was his partner who was attacked. ″Not yet.″

″What’s the hold up?″

″They just want to make sure they have all the facts in order first.″

″Well, they should bring the guy in before he has a chance to set up alibis. But what do I know? I only worked as a detective for half my life.″

″I’m frustrated, too, Ray, but I can’t work on the case.″

″Yeah, I know. Besides, you’re where you need to be. When Kowalski wakes up, he’ll want to see your face first thing.″

Before he could answer, Dr. Kagan walked into the room. She noted Ray Vecchio’s presence but focused on Ben. ″He’s in recovery, Sergeant. He’ll be here for at least another day, maybe two as we manage his pain and make sure he doesn’t develop complications. After that, you’ll have a local orthopedic associate involved to monitor his progress. I’ll talk to you more about all that later. I just wanted you to know everything went as well as it could go. I’m very pleased by the result.″

″Thank you, doctor.″

″You’re welcome, Sergeant. He should be back in the room in another hour or so.″ And then she was gone.

Ben sagged down in the nearby chair, more relieved than he wanted to admit. Ray Vecchio stepped closer. He slapped him on the back a few times. ″He’ll be fine, Benny. Honest. Guys like Kowalski, they’re tough as nails. It takes more than a battered arm to take them down. He’ll outlive us both.″

Ben didn’t speak, just thought that he hoped Ray Vecchio was right. He never wanted to imagine his life without Ray in it.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ray floated and drifted along, just spinning around in the air. Slowly he settled, his chest tight and his throat sore. The world smelled of alcohol and fake mint. Heavy weights kept his eyes shut, but he worked hard to lift the lids to see Ben. He needed to wake up, but it took three tries before he managed a groan and got just the right eye open.

Ben stood up and came over. He smiled. ″You’re awake.″

Ray swallowed several times, ignoring the choking sensation. He knew from experience waking up from surgery did that. His voice sounded raspy even to his own ears. ″Ben.″

His partner caressed his cheek. ″You’re fine, Ray. The doctor said it all went well.″

Ray wanted to speak, ask questions, but his mind was still stuck in the mud and the world was a blur. He sank back under, but he still felt Ben’s hand against his cheek. It was enough for the moment.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The next time he came to consciousness much faster. He wasn’t quite so out of it. The world settled and clicked into place almost like waking from a dream. He opened his eyes and saw Ben reading a report. Despite his dry lips, Ray smiled and cleared his sore throat. ″Ben.″

His partner came to the bedside quickly. ″Ray? How are you feeling?″

″Like I got run off the road. You?″

″Relieved. You’ve been asleep for several hours. The doctors were getting concerned.″

″Should’ve mentioned, I go under hard when they do surgery.″

″Go under hard?″

″I don’t know what they call it, but I overreact to the drugs. Go under longer I guess.″

″I see. Yes, you should’ve mentioned that, but you seem better now.″

″Still feel sluggish.″

″That’s the pain medication.″

For the first time since he woke up, Ray realized that his left arm was suspended from a pole attached to the side of the bed. It was a hell of a big cast. At least it didn’t hurt like before. In fact, he could hardly feel it. ″Good drugs, but why the hanging routine?″

″To reduce the swelling. Keeping it elevated should help with that. They want the edema to go down as much as possible. Dr. Kagan said she’d likely replace the cast with one that’s smaller and more manageable in a week or so.″

″Good, because that’s a hell of a lot of plaster to handle.″

″She said the surgery went really well.″

As he lay there, Ray’s throat complained. He was dying of thirst. ″I need to raise the head of the bed and drink something.″

Ben pushed the button and got him situated before holding a cup of ice water for him. He also steadied the straw. It coolness burned at first, but helped ease the scratchiness. ″Thanks.″

″You’re welcome.″

″So, how long am I stuck here?″ Ben hesitated and wouldn’t meet his gaze. It didn’t take a detective to figure out the rest. ″I’m not going to like this am I?″

″Probably not, but Dr. Kagan wants you here for another two days. She wants the swelling monitored..″

″And we can’t do it at home?″

″She assures me that this is standard with severe breaks like this.″ Before Ray could bitch and complain, Ben added the kicker. ″We wouldn’t want to get home and undo all her work, Ray.″

As much as he wanted out of the hospital, Ray had to admit that he didn’t want to do anything that would force him to go under the knife more than once. ″I don’t like it, but I get it.″

″Good. I’m relieved you’re so amenable. I was afraid you might not want to cooperate.″

″You thought I’d throw a hissy fit, huh?″

″Perhaps.″

″Well, stick around. There’s still time. Which brings me to the next question. What’s going on with the case?″

Ben’s smile vanished. ″Ezra called to let me know that they’ve arrested Carver.″

″Good. They got enough evidence to lock his ass up and throw away the key?″

″I believe so. They have plenty of forensic evidence. When confronted, he actually confessed, said he’d gone after Kovack. He’ll be charged with attempted murder.″

Ray took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wasn’t able to get the guy himself, but at least Ben’s Mountie friends were getting the job done. ″Good. That’s a relief. What about Jerry’s Suburban? Is it a lost cause or do we owe him a new one?″

″I’m sure he has insurance, Ray.″

″He might, but since I was driving it at the time, I feel responsible.″

″The accident wasn’t your fault.″

″Maybe not, but whatever his insurance doesn’t cover, we need to make it right.″

Ben nodded and touched Ray’s face again. He gave him a soft kiss before pulling back to whisper, ″You’re a good man, Ray Kowalski?″

″Right back at you.″

Someone cleared their throat at the door and Ray glanced up to see Vecchio standing there all pink in the face. For some reason that amused him. ″Hey, Vecchio.″

″Kowalski.″ The man walked in and draped his long coat over the back of the chair closest to the bed. He also put a paper bag on the seat. He eyed and inspected the huge cast. ″Wow, that’s a whopper. It’s bigger than you are.″

He wasn’t wrong. ″I’ll manage.″

″Not much choice.″

Ben asked, ″Why are you here, Ray?″

″Just thought I’d let you know that your wolf is a dog, Benny.″

Ray cocked his head to the side in confusion. ″What are you talking about?″

Vecchio couldn’t wait to tell his story. ″Well, turns out my neighbor has a husky in heat. Your wolf jumped my fence and had a great first date. Said neighbor ain’t happy about it.″

″Oh, dear.″

″Oh, dear, and then some, Benny. I’m just saying come spring, you might be the proud papa of a litter of pups.″

Ray snorted in amusement. ″Hey, Vecchio, every kid needs a dog. You’d be lucky to get one of Dief’s little guys.″

″Oh, don’t even suggest such a thing. Handling a baby’s hard enough? A baby and a dog? Forget about it. I’d lose my mind.″

Ben joined in the teasing. ″Ray’s right, Ray. Benita would benefit from being raised with a pet. All the child development books talk about the positive influence such a bond creates.″

″And do those same kid books talk about how to deal with having to double your vacuuming duties when you’ve got a mutt who sheds night and day? I’ve had to buy a new lint brush, too. You think I want to deal with that with a puppy? Baby mess is bad enough.″

Ray laughed for the first time in days. ″What’s a little wolf fur between friends?″

Vecchio shook his head, working hard not to be convinced to become a pet owner. ″I’m not getting Little Bennie a puppy, not now, not ever.″

Ray couldn’t help himself. Ray Vecchio was a pushover when it came to his little girl. ″Bet me.″

Vecchio rolled his eyes. ″Ain’t happening.″

But Ray could tell he was already warming up to the idea of giving his girl a dog like Dief. It’s what every kid needed, a furry loyal companion to grow up with. ″We’ll see.″

Vecchio decided to change the subject. He motioned at the bag he’d brought. ″I went to the cabin like you asked and got you some clothes, Benny. Plus, I threw in that machete you call a razor.″

″I appreciate it.″

Ray must have really been out of it. He hadn’t even noticed that Ben was still wearing the same duds from the night he’d been brought in and was sporting the good start of a beard. ″You’ve been here this whole time?″

″Of course I have, Ray.″

Vecchio cleared his throat. ″That’s my signal to take off. I’ll leave you two love birds alone. Call if you need anything.″ As he stepped to the door, he paused and held up a finger. ″And be thinking of puppy names.″ Then he was gone.

Ben chuckled, but Ray had to admit he liked the idea of maybe adopting one of Dief’s offspring. ″What do you think about Ranger?″

″Ranger who?″

″No, I mean as a name for a new dog.″

Ben’s expression softened. ″You want to get one of his pups?″

″I wouldn’t mind it. What do you think?″

″Raising a pup is a big responsibility, Ray. Are you sure you want to take that on?″

″I don’t see why not. I’ve always heard two dogs are better than one.″

″Where in the world did you hear that?″

″I don’t remember. Somewhere. But think about it. They’ll keep each other company.″ Ray pushed a little harder. ″You know you want to. It would be the start of our own little pack of wolf-dogs.″

Ben smiled and then leaned in for a quick kiss. ″If you want a puppy, we’ll get a puppy.″

″Not just some random dog, but one of Dief’s pups.″

″Understood. I’ll check into it.″

″And if we can’t get a Ranger, then we’ll take a Lucy.″

″You’ve already got them named?″

″I’m stuck in the hospital. Might as well dream of something to look forward to. Those names aren’t set in stone though. We’ll talk about it. We’ll pick the best name together.″

″Indeed.″ Ben pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed. ″Did I ever tell you the tale of right after Diefenbaker rescued me?″

″I don’t think you did, no.″

Ben’s storytelling voice took over. It was like music, lulling Ray to close his eyes and just listen. He followed the words into sleep as he dreamed about playing with a mini-Dief in the snow.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& The End