Chapter Text
As he drove through traffic to reach the courthouse, the wail of sirens starting to grow louder, Frank decided on two things. One was that, assuming he would be able to get past Elliot, he was going to give Olivia hell for putting the Rublev case in jeopardy to begin with by hiding their star witness and refusing to tell the prosecutors where she was now located.
The second was that, assuming he could get away with it, he wasn’t going to let Nolan out of his sight for at least forty-eight hours. Hell, Lily probably would help him with that if she didn’t have school.
He finally found a place to pull over and quickly threw his car in park. Crime scene investigators were already on the scene, as were medical examiners. Frank ignored them in favor of weaving through patrol officers he recognized from the 2-7, barely giving anyone a second glance. There was one he acknowledged, though, and he quickened his pace to catch up with the younger detective. “Shaw, what happened?” he demanded.
“Based on reports right now, Rublev was shot at point blank range,” his partner for the case, Jalen Shaw, reported, falling into step with Frank. “He died almost instantly. Price did his best to help, but according to the MEs, he was basically a lost cause.”
Frank sighed, seeing the bloodstains on the concrete sidewalks. “Any other casualties?”
“None,” Jalen shook his head. “Just Rublev.”
“And Nolan and Sam?”
“Getting cleared by the paramedics right now.”
Frank sighed and rubbed his forehead, weaving around police and searching for where the ambulances were parked. “This damn case has been hell from beginning to end.” He quickly found Sam where she was being assisted from the back of an ambulance, looking shaken but unharmed. She nodded to the paramedic who assisted her then walked back towards the courthouse, and Frank quickened his pace to reach her. “Sam!” he called.
Sam turned at once, and she sagged in relief. “Frank,” she smiled wearily. “Hey.”
“Are you OK?” he asked, looking her up and down.
“Yeah,” Sam nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. “My ears are just ringing. I’m fine.”
Frank nodded, accepting her answer, then looked around. “Where’s Nolan?”
Sam glanced around with pursed lips. “He could be anywhere,” she admitted. “He tried helping Rublev, but . . . ” She shrugged helplessly. “He’s probably giving a statement somewhere or checking bystanders.”
Frank sighed. “Of course, he is,” he muttered, beginning his trek around the courthouse.
Jalen and Sam fell into step behind him, and while Frank mainly focused on his surroundings, he heard Jalen quietly speak with Sam. It made him smile in approval, for many of the detectives Kate had tried pairing with him had either blatantly not gotten along with the prosecutors or treated them like they were made of porcelain. So far, Jalen had done neither of those things. In fact, he had treated the prosecutors with more respect than all of the previous detectives combined. First thing I do after we finish our reports for this case, Frank thought. Convince Kate to bring Jalen permanently to the 2-7.
Frank finally found Nolan by the edge of the courthouse, the senior prosecutor speaking with a few pale pedestrians, his suit jacket and tie nowhere to be seen. Olivia and Elliot were interviewing other bystanders nearby, and Frank abruptly swung away so his path didn’t cross the captain’s. He beelined for Nolan, who stepped away from the pedestrians when he noticed him approaching. “I’m fine,” he said before Frank even opened his mouth.
“Yeah?” Frank raised an eyebrow, eyeing the drying blood on Nolan’s hands.
Nolan glanced down at his skin with a grimace. “It’s Rublev’s, not mine.”
Frank raked his gaze over Nolan, pressing his lips tightly together when he found no sign of any injuries. “You’re still getting cleared by medics,” he said firmly. “Sam already has.”
Nolan stubbornly shook his head. “There’s still work to do here - ”
“Sit down, Nolan.” Frank wasn’t sure what was more impressive: the iron command in the voice that brokered no argument or how quickly Nolan obeyed and dropped onto the bench behind him. Frank quickly turned to see a green-eyed man with greying blond hair standing nearby, his arms folded and an exasperated expression as he leveled a firm look at Nolan. Based on his black FDNY uniform, he was a captain. “Or I tell Jack,” he warned.
Nolan gave him a dirty look but didn’t argue. “Fine.”
A snort came from the man with greying black hair who stepped past the fire captain, a jumpbag over his shoulder and his jacket indicating his rank as a paramedic captain. “If I’d known you giving him an order would have made him finally agree, I’d have called you over immediately,” he remarked, placing his bag on the ground.
The fire captain smirked. “It’s the stubbornness of Prices.”
The paramedic captain outright laughed at the face Nolan made. “Deal with it, Nolan. We know you better than most people.”
“You gentlemen certainly do.” That came from Jack, and the District Attorney drew all eyes as he stopped by the fire captain. “How are my prosecutors, Karns?”
“The 207 cleared Maroun,” Karns replied with a nod in Sam’s direction. “As for Nolan . . . Zimmers?”
“Nothing to report from what I can tell,” the paramedic captain answered after a few moments. “Your ears are probably ringing, though.”
“No kidding,” Nolan muttered, experimentally shaking his head.
He grimaced immediately, and Zimmers snorted and patted his shoulder. “Don’t do that,” he advised.
“Yeah,” Nolan sighed in agreement as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Good idea.”
“And this is why you get cleared by a paramedic before you jump headfirst into something else,” Frank told him with a scowl. “Got it?”
Nolan rolled his eyes but grumbled, “Yes, sir.”
Frank scowled at the snark, but he was distracted when he saw Karns survey the crime scene. The fire captain whistled lowly and shook his head. “I admit, I was looking forward to seeing him get his reckoning,” he said. “This isn’t nearly as satisfying.”
Nolan scoffed. “Glad someone had confidence in me.”
Karns raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think you could convict him?”
Nolan sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Well, it was definitely turning into an uphill battle without a witness.”
Zimmers looked up from checking his bag and frowned. “Didn’t you have one?”
Olivia, who had started to make her way over, faltered in her steps, her eyes wide. “We had one,” Nolan slowly replied. “Then we didn’t.”
Karns blinked. “How the hell did you, of all people, lose a witness?”
Nolan hesitated, but Frank spoke before he could. “The prosecutors didn’t,” he said with a pointed glare at Olivia. “They didn’t drop the ball.”
“Cosgrove!” Olivia narrowed her eyes, instantly on the defensive.
She was stopped from further words when Zimmers turned piercing grey eyes on her, his gaze assessing her. “And you’re in a relationship with your ADA, aren’t you?” he asked. “How did he take that?”
Olivia swallowed hard, and Karns snorted. “Better question. How does an SVU captain lose a witness when it involves busting such a high-profile figure for sex trafficking?”
Frank didn’t know many firefighters to begin with, but these two were rapidly becoming his favorites. “Excellent questions,” he smirked.
Olivia swallowed hard. “Nicole’s been through enough,” she whispered.
Karns blinked slowly. “And what about others trafficked by Rublev who may not have closure? One over many?”
Elliot remained silent, but his piercing gaze on Olivia said it all. “And now Sirenko’s deal stands,” Frank added, digging in the thorns. “20 years, possibility of parole.”
“And he’s the one who shot Ava, which kickstarted the whole case, right?” At Zimmers’ words, all of them looked at the paramedic captain in surprise. “It was my ambulance that was closest to the scene,” he explained. “I was the one who confirmed her death.”
Olivia flinched, and Karns shook his head. “I’m just a fire captain, but that sounds like a noose around the prosecutors’ necks,” he said.
Nolan muttered incoherently under his breath, but Frank had the feeling it wasn’t kind. “Unfortunately, this is how the trial ends,” Jack sighed. “All we can do is clean up the rest of the ring.”
Karns sighed and turned to him. “If there’s anything my house can do to be of help - ”
“I know to contact you,” Jack smiled and held out his hand. “Thank you, Rick. I appreciate it.”
Karns smiled and firmly shook his hand. “You’re welcome.”
Zimmers slung his bag over his shoulder and squeezed Nolan’s. “Take care of yourself, Nolan, OK?”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Sam finally spoke, her dark eyes glittering as she looked at Frank.
“Well, assuming there’s nothing left for him to do,” Frank shrugged.
“There isn’t,” Jack shook his head. “Not after what happened. Both of you are dismissed for the day.”
“Good,” Frank smiled pleasantly. “You’re coming home with me. No arguing, or I’m pulling Lily from Cromwell and having her say it.”
Nolan groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You play dirty, Frank.”
“I play smart,” Frank corrected. “You’ve said no to me before. You’ve never said no to Lily.”
Elliot snickered. “He has you there, Price.”
Frank raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Nolan sighed and nodded. “Thanks, Frank. I do appreciate it.”
Frank held out his hand, and Nolan accepted his help standing. “Someone has to make sure you don’t run yourself into the ground because of this clusterfuck.”
Olivia and Elliot winced, but Zimmers outright laughed. “I like you,” he decided. “Make sure he doesn’t overdo anything.”
“David!” Nolan protested with wide eyes.
“Yes, sir,” Frank readily agreed.
“Excellent,” Zimmers smiled pleasantly. “Someone else is looking after our people.”
Karns hummed and side-eyed Olivia. “I’m glad someone is.”
“Rick,” Nolan sighed. “Just . . . leave it, alright?”
Karns’s radio chirped at that moment, distracting the fire captain. “Squad 6. Ambulance 90. Heavy rescue and medical assist required.”
Karns’s face set determinedly, and he clicked on his radio. “Copy, Dispatch. Send the location.”
“Copy, Captain.”
“Thank you,” Nolan told them sincerely. “And good luck.”
“Thanks, Nolan,” Karns smiled. “Take care of yourself, or I’ll sic David on you.”
Zimmers smirked, and Nolan chuckled. “I know you will. I give him hell about it, but I’m in good hands.”
Frank gave a pleased smile, and Karns nodded. “We’ll see you soon.”
The pair of captains disappeared into the crowd, and Jack sighed. “We’ll regroup tomorrow,” he decided. “Captain, do your best not to castrate my office again.”
Olivia slowly nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Jack raised a dubious eyebrow but turned to Sam. “If you need anything, Sam, let me know.”
“I will,” she smiled. “Thank you.”
Jack nodded and walked towards the front of the courthouse, and Nolan wearily sighed. “I’m not looking forward to the press conference this is going to generate.”
“That’s another day’s problem,” Frank said. “Now, will I have to drag you away from here, or are you going to come willingly?”
Jalen’s eyes widened, and he looked at Sam worriedly, but she just looked amused. “You could sound a little less threatening, you know?” Nolan sighed, taking his suit jacket and tie from the back of the bench.
“But it’s the threat that gets you going,” Frank pointed out. “Come on. Lily’s going to have my head if you aren’t in a better mood before she gets home.”
Nolan huffed but obediently shuffled to Frank’s side. “You know, if anyone asks how we’re friends, I’m going to start telling them it’s because you blackmail me with your daughter and not because I genuinely like you better than everyone else in our circle.”
Frank pushed down the wave of warmth that rushed up his spine at the words, and he instead smirked smugly. “If it means I get to keep you, then by all means, I will use my daughter against you. And she’ll let me do it.”
“Yeah,” Nolan sighed. “I know she will.”
As they maneuvered through the crowds, Frank stepped closer to Nolan, shielding the prosecutor from curious and eager looks sent his way. No one was going to say a single word to his best friend unless Nolan himself wanted to talk. “So,” he held out, “first name basis with the captains?”
Nolan instantly smiled. “They’ve been at the 225 for years, before I joined Jack’s office,” he explained. “They’re right down the street from the courthouse, so we’ve crossed paths often. They’re good men. If there’s a firehouse you want to respond to your emergency, it’s Karns’s house.”
Frank hummed thoughtfully as they cleared the crowd in front of the courthouse. He noted with a sense of satisfaction that Nolan appeared in no rush to increase the distance between them despite how much room they had on the sidewalk. “I guess I better hope they’re the ones who come if that ever happens.”
He was too focused on tracking down their runaway mass murderer to truly look at the paramedics swarming the Canal Street station, but Frank was certain he had seen an ambulance with Zimmers’s number on it before he and Jalen trekked through the tunnels. He never got a chance to double check, though, because he and Jalen launched right into the manhunt for their killer. John Nelson quickly made Frank’s list of suspects arrested that he hated the most.
Andrea Rankin, however, quickly climbed the ranks of people in general that Frank hated the most. He already didn’t like her because she was defending Nelson, but his opinion of her plummeted further when he saw how she treated Nolan. She acted as if it was a personal offense that Nolan was leading the prosecution, and the snide condescension in her voice when she spoke to him made Frank’s hackles raise, the urge to snap back at her almost overwhelming. How dare she treat Nolan in such a way when Nolan, of all people, was the first one to discover Nelson’s massacre in the station and did what he could to help the survivors? The moment Frank had reached the bottom of the stairs and found his best friend disheveled and his hands and shirt cuffs caked in blood, he knew Nolan would want to be the one to prosecute the mass murderer and secure his sentence. The change to a federal case and the pursuit of the death penalty had made Nolan hesitate, yes, but nothing would sway Nolan away from seeking justice for Nelson’s victims. Hell, he had brought the jury back to the crime scene to clinch the guilty verdict.
So when Nolan’s attempt to mend what little remained of the bridges between him and Andrea outside the courthouse was met with scorn and a venomous rebuke, everything in Frank wanted to push the bitch into oncoming rush hour traffic . . . or maybe he could try and convince Zimmers if he had anything in his ambulance that could handle her and wouldn’t be traced back to a paramedic.
Before Nolan could reply, however, the screech of brakes from nearby made the trio wince. They turned to the street in time to see five firefighters drop from a ladder rig, none of them looking pleased. The woman who had emerged from the officer’s seat narrowed her eyes at Andrea before glancing at Nolan’s pale face. “Everything OK here, Counselor?” she asked.
Nolan shakily exhaled. “Fine, Lieutenant,” he replied. “Though apparently I’ve changed from working with the Innocence Project to pursuing a death penalty for a mass murderer in federal court.”
The lieutenant’s eyebrows rose, and she looked down her nose at Andrea with an impressive “I am disappointed in you” expression. Frank almost felt sorry for the defender. “I imagine running towards a massacre without hesitation and doing everything you can for the victims while not knowing if you’re lying when you tell them they’ll be OK is going to change you,” she said, her glacial tone matching the icy blonde highlights in her chestnut hair. “Perhaps she can reserve judgement for you for pursuing justice until she’s drenched in innocents’ blood because she tried to keep them from dying.”
Andrea recoiled as if she was punched in the gut, her eyes wide in horror. “How long did it take the medics to clean the back of the ambulance after they transported victims?” the other female firefighter of the crew asked out loud.
“Definitely over half an hour,” one of the men replied, his arms folded as he considered Andrea. “And that was because they were transporting a victim who didn’t have an exit wound. Turns out a bullet embedded in an artery can make blood spray into nooks and crannies all over the rig. Captain Zimmers and Scott both deserved long soaks in the showers once they were done.”
Frank’s eyes widened at the first name, and he finally saw the pristine white number on the side of the ladder rig: 225. “Lieutenant,” Andrea began with a hard swallow.
“She’s right, Andrea,” Nolan interrupted, and Andrea gave him a hurtful look, one that made the prosecutor scoff. “Don’t give me that. Maybe I have changed, but I’m not going to apologize for it. I decided years ago to stop defending cruel monsters. My job now is to make sure they get their reckoning in the courtroom. If you want to keep defending people as evil as Nelson, you go ahead. I’ll keep ensuring their victims get the justice they deserve.” Andrea’s eyes flashed angrily, but the firefighters clustered closer, making her hesitate. “Go, Andrea,” Nolan told her. “We’re done here.”
While Andrea had never once retreated in the courtroom, she clearly knew she was outnumbered now. She looked around at the firefighters then clenched her jaw and turned on her heel. She walked away with her head held high, and the last member of the ladder crew scoffed. “Good riddance.”
“And she used to be your friend?” Frank asked incredulously.
Nolan shrugged wearily. “I guess I’m not the only one who changed.”
“Clearly, we know who changed for the better,” the lieutenant quipped, turning to look at Nolan with concern. Her position now allowed Frank to see the nametag on her shirt: Johnson. “You’re sure you’re OK, Nolan?”
“I will be, Isobel,” Nolan nodded with a small smile. “Though I’m glad Jack already said Sam and I are getting the day off tomorrow since we finished this case.”
“Good,” Johnson nodded, though she didn’t look entirely convinced. “Whatever that snake said to you, get it out of your head, Nolan. Whether people agree with the death penalty or not, no one can argue about whether or not Nelson is going to pay for his murder spree. Focus on that.”
Nolan slowly nodded with a deep breath. “Thanks, Isobel. I’ll try.”
Johnson patted his shoulder then considered Frank. Frank blinked once but didn’t look away. “You’re one of the detectives who found Nelson?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Frank nodded. “Detective Frank Cosgrove, Manhattan North Homicide Squad.”
“Lieutenant Isobel Johnson,” she introduced herself. “Thank you for catching that awful excuse of a human being.”
“Are we sure he is a human being?” the last member of the crew muttered again, making his teammates snort.
Frank indulged him, however. “If he has a scrap of humanity in him, I’ll eat my badge.”
Nolan snickered. “I’m not explaining that to Dixon and Shaw.”
“Hence why I said it. Never gonna happen.”
Johnson smirked at their bickering. “Enjoy the reprieve, both of you. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, Isobel,” Nolan smiled then looked back to include the other firefighters. “Christian, Maggie, Oliver. Thanks, guys.”
“Good seeing you, Nolan,” Christian, the man who had spoken last, replied as Maggie and Christian smiled.
“Give my best to the rest of the house, too,” Nolan added.
“We will,” Johnson nodded, beginning to walk backwards towards her rig. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Nolan chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Johnson grinned and climbed back into her seat. Christian revved the rig to life and honked twice in farewell, and Nolan laughed and waved. Maggie and Oliver waved from the back as Christian expertly maneuvered back into traffic, and Frank watched the ladder rig rumble down the street. “You just know everyone at that house, don’t you?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“I do,” Nolan freely admitted as he rolled his head around. He looked much more relaxed than he had before speaking with Andrea. “Karns and Zimmers especially have done what they can to make me feel welcome over the last eight years in particular, and they have a lot of influence in the FDNY.” He smirked at Frank. “And that helps when you’re trying to bury a deputy district chief’s career six feet under.”
Frank couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled in his throat. “And this is why I know better than to piss you off.”
Nolan threw back his head and laughed, and relief flooded Frank at the sound. Yes, he far preferred the prosecutor like this than the one that had been bracing himself for whatever Andrea decided to throw at him. “Happy prosecutor, happy life?” he japed, walking towards the crosswalk.
“It’s worked in my favor so far, hasn’t it?” Frank pointed out, quickening his pace so he walked side by side with Nolan. “What do you say? Celebratory drinks? I’ll buy the first round. Maybe even the second, after all the work you did in the courtroom.”
Nolan grinned. “You’re on.”
A knock on his closed door the next day had Jack looking up from reading the article about John Nelson’s sentence, and he checked the time before removing his glasses. “Come in!” he called, already guessing who was at his door. The door immediately opened, and Jack smiled when he saw the worried doe-like eyes of the girl that entered first. “And how are you enjoying your long weekend so far, Lily?” he asked kindly.
“Good so far, sir,” Lily replied, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. “Some of the upperclassmen had testing to do, so I didn’t have to go today. But . . . ”
She trailed off, and Jack chuckled. “Looking for Nolan?” he guessed.
Lily smiled sheepishly, but Frank shrugged unrepentantly. “The case and Rankin did a number on him,” he said bluntly.
Jack nodded somberly, pressing his lips tightly together. He had received four very descriptive opinions of Andrea Rankin’s behavior following the verdict reading and how she treated Nolan when he tried offering an olive branch. His opinion of the defense attorney had already been low, and now it had dropped further. “That they did. I figured you may try and look for him. I take it he hasn’t been answering any texts or calls?”
“Nothing,” Frank confirmed, an uneasy look on his face. “That hasn’t happened before. He left Manhattan last Christmas, but the first time I called him, he picked up right away. Now, it’s radio silence. I don’t like it.”
And he very clearly didn’t. Jack wondered if the man even realized his right hand was twitching next to where his sidearm was holstered. “He’s gotten like this after some cases,” he said as he shut down his computer. “But when he does, he’s predictable. That’s why I made sure he and Sam took personal days. I know where he’ll be, and I have a lunch invitation to get to.” He peered over his computer with a smile. “I was told if I saw either of you to invite you as well.”
Frank blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Us?” Lily repeated.
“Yes,” Jack nodded, standing from his chair and retrieving his coat from the rack. “It isn’t a far walk. I think you and I could both do with some levity, Frank, and I think you’ll be very interested, Lily. Of course, you can decline. It’s not often kids get a long weekend like this.”
“Dad?” Lily looked up at Frank with wide eyes. “Can we?”
Jack knew what Frank preferred before his daughter even asked. Her desire to accept the offer made his decision even easier. “Of course,” he nodded, giving Jack a grateful look. “Thank you, Jack. We appreciate it.”
I appreciate it went unsaid, and Jack smiled. “You’re welcome,” he said, putting on his coat and plucking his phone and keys from his desk. “No decisions were easy for Nelson’s case. Follow me.”
Jack knew this walk by heart. It was one he had taken several times in the past decade, both with and without one or two of his favorite people. That meant he was able to take his eyes off the path to watch the Cosgroves’ reactions as he led them down the street from the courthouse. Frank’s eyes brightened in realization when he recognized where they were heading, but he kept silent, waiting for Lily to discover their destination even though Jack knew he wanted to ask questions.
Still, Jack knew that silence was worth it when Lily’s eyes widened as she looked up at the building in front of them in awe. “I don’t think we’ve ever passed this house before!” she said excitedly.
“Perhaps not,” Jack shook his head, leading the pair up the apron and towards Firehouse 225’s apparatus bay. “The 2-7 is in the opposite direction, and that’s likely the direction you come from when you come to the courthouse. But the 225 has always been welcoming towards members of my staff.”
Sunlight shone through the windows and the open doors into the apparatus bay, reflecting off the stainless steel surfaces and illuminating the wood and marble that made the modern-looking firehouse feel more like a comfortable home. All three rigs were present, but the bay itself appeared to be devoid of personnel. Rustling from the ambulance, however, caught Jack’s ear, and he led the Cosgroves around the rig. “Hello?” he called.
The rustling abruptly stopped, then a young woman poked her head out of the back. “Mr. McCoy!” she grinned. “You made it!”
“I would be a fool to miss an open invitation for Squad’s gnocchi soup, Scott,” Jack chuckled. “How they ever figure out how much is needed to feed the house and whoever drops in, I’ll never know.”
“They have to be quick calculators to do what they do,” Lizzie Scott shrugged, ducking back into the ambulance for a brief moment before hopping down onto the floor. “But I’m never gonna complain.” She brushed off her hands on her pants then smiled at the Cosgroves. “You must be the Cosgroves, then?”
“Yes, this is Frank and his daughter, Lily,” Jack nodded. “Frank, Lily, this is Captain Zimmers’s partner, Elizabeth Scott.”
“Lizzie or Scott is fine,” Lizzie told them, extending her hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Frank nodded and shook her hand. “You have a great captain.”
Lizzie beamed happily. “I’m glad I met his expectations. I heard he was picky when he was choosing a new paramedic.”
Jack smothered a snort. Of course, Zimmers would have set a high bar after training Sylvie. Under his tutelage, she had been on track to becoming the youngest paramedic to reach the rank of lieutenant before she transferred to Chicago. “The 225 in general has a habit of settling for nothing less than the best,” he said. “This shift hasn’t changed personnel in years for that reason.”
“Really?” Lily asked in surprise, looking between Jack and Lizzie as the paramedic led them up the stairs. “Is that unusual?”
“For everyone to remain? Yes, it’s very rare.” That came from Johnson, who awaited them at the top of the stairs with a smile. “But these crews walk the walk when it counts. Glad you could make it, Detective. Good to see you again.”
“Likewise, Lieutenant,” Frank nodded.
Jack frowned. He didn’t remember seeing Johnson or her crew after Rublev’s assassination. “When did you meet?”
Frank scowled. “Rankin.”
Johnson grimaced. “My crew was plotting how to get rid of her on our drive back.”
“I still say raiding the ambulance is an option,” Oliver remarked from the dining area.
Lizzie blinked. “Was she that bad?”
Frank snorted. “Let’s just say raiding the ambulance was one of my first ideas. I came up with many over the course of this - ” He glanced at Lily warily and cleared his throat. “ - I’ll just say case from hell.”
As if summoned, Zimmers appeared from around the corner, an intrigued look on his face. “And surely a homicide detective knows how to get away with murder?”
Jack sighed at the raucous laughter that question induced. “How about let’s not discuss this in front of the District Attorney?”
“You could always cover your ears, sir,” Lily grinned.
That got even more laughter, and Zimmers nodded approvingly. “I like her.”
Jack shook his head in exasperation and followed Zimmers around the corner and into the kitchen. “I think kicking Rankin down a peg or two is satisfying enough. Nolan should have the final say.”
Said prosecutor looked up from his coffee in the corner, both eyebrows raised. “What am I having the final say about?”
“I flat out asked him if he wanted me to push her into oncoming traffic,” Frank informed Jack as he and Lily followed him, the detective’s pale eyes scanning his environment and the crowd of firefighters packed in the area. “He said, and I quote, ‘not in public.’”
Nolan choked on his coffee, and Karns grinned widely. “Did he, now?”
“In my defense,” Nolan coughed, one of the firefighters near him clapping him on the back, “this was just after I included the subway train in my closing. I was at the end of my rope.”
Jack sighed in resignation. “Defense accepted. I saw those crime scene photos.”
“Lizzie and I were in and out of the station multiple times,” Zimmers said with a scowl. “Defense is absolutely sound.”
“Thanks, David,” Nolan sighed wearily, but his smile was genuine as he set his coffee to the side. “Hey, guys.”
Lily rocketed forward and all but plowed into Nolan, making the prosecutor stumble in surprise. “What did Dad say about disappearing?” she glared up at him.
“I didn’t disappear,” Nolan shook his head as he hugged her. “I just needed some time without anyone trying to contact me. It’s a ‘phone on silent’ day.”
“We had already planned a comfort dish day for the medics after the massacre,” Karns explained from where he was stirring something in a large pot on the stove. “Once the verdict came in and Isobel told us about Nolan’s . . . unpleasant opponent - ”
“That’s one way to put it,” Frank grumbled.
“ - we invited him,” Karns continued, his lips twitching upward at the comment. “And we agreed to further extend the invitation if anyone else wanted to drop in. Jack said everyone else had plans for the day, but he agreed to come, and he figured you and your daughter may be in the neighborhood, especially since Nolan silenced his phone.”
Nolan smiled apologetically. “Everything just kind of hit all at the same time, y’know?”
Only Jack’s many years as an attorney meant he noticed how Frank’s pale eyes, alert and ready to spot anything out of the ordinary in a new location, softened at Nolan’s words. “I get it,” he nodded, stepping forward and putting a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “Other than that, are you doing OK?”
Nolan’s smile relaxed just like his posture. “Yeah,” he nodded, leaning into Frank’s offered comfort. “I’m doing better. Thanks.”
Frank smiled and shifted so he wrapped his arm around Nolan’s shoulders, allowing the younger man to lean against his side. “You’re welcome, Nolan.”
Lily immediately plastered herself to Nolan’s other side, and the prosecutor smiled and gave her a one-armed hug. Most of the firehouse went back to their activities, but Karns and Zimmers both observed the trio with raised eyebrows before looking at Jack. Jack merely smiled and shrugged because he knew exactly what the captains were thinking. It was exactly what other members of their circle thought and likely what everyday civilians thought, too: the three looked just like a family. Jack would have fingers left over if he counted the number of partners he had seen with Nolan, but Nolan looked far more comfortable and open with Frank than he had with all of them combined. Similarly, Frank had a reputation for being on alert and on guard, but he relaxed and most of, if not all of, his defenses lowered when he was with Nolan. Sam joked that they seemed to think no one else existed when they were in the same room, but sure enough, they always gravitated towards each other as if drawn by a magnetic pull when they were together. Jack wouldn’t be surprised in the least if there were more romantic than platonic feelings between them.
But he wasn’t one to push his attorneys into telling him anything personal unless dire circumstances meant he had to. And if Nolan was likely to confide that information in someone, it was going to be with someone who no longer lived in New York.
As lunch progressed, Frank grew to understand why Nolan found solace in the 225. The only crew he hadn’t met prior to then was Karns’s heavy rescue squad, and the four men seemed to know exactly how to take their minds off the horrible case that had concluded. Simon Parker, Luke Owens, Marcus Emerson, and Alec Matthews spent minutes on end sharing calls that ranged from simple extractions to ludicrous climbs up buildings. Lily’s eyes grew wider with each extreme call, and she leaned so much to hear better that the ends of her braids almost fell into her soup. Nolan occasionally interjected with a question or a comment that led to fierce debates between the four firefighters, many of which led to friendly ribbing from Johnson and her crew. That left Zimmers and Lizzie to referee, though the paramedics spent more time grinning and laughing than trying to intervene. There was a genuine camaraderie among everyone at the 225 that put Frank at ease, allowing him to fully enjoy sharing a meal with all of them.
Fortunately, the bells didn’t ring until after the table had been cleared, and it had only been for Ladder 225 to reinforce another house. Jack politely bowed out to return to the courthouse, but Lily bounded after Simon and Marcus to get a tour of the firehouse and the remaining rigs. Nolan trailed after the trio with Luke and Alec, making sure to keep a watchful eye on the eager teenager.
Frank leaned against the table close to the wall, a fond smile on his face as he watched his daughter interrogate the firefighters, all four men patient and attentive as they answered. “She’s definitely a detective’s daughter,” Karns remarked, setting aside his finished paperwork and standing from the head of the table to join Frank.
“She always gets so curious whenever she finds a new interest,” Frank explained, smiling as Lily climbed into the back of the squad rig, Simon making sure she didn’t fall. “I apologize in advance if she exhausts your men.”
“Oh, they won’t mind,” Karns waved away the apology. “Often when people think of firefighters, they think of people putting out fires, climbing ladders, or paramedics helping people. Heavy rescue takes specialized training, so anyone taking an interest in our calls is enjoyable. Plus, if we ever visit schools to talk about firefighting, it’s often to elementary schools. Those kids get very hyper, and it takes lots of patience to handle their questions. In a way, Lily is a breath of fresh air. You have a very intelligent daughter, Detective.”
“Thank you,” Frank smiled, pleased as punch by the captain’s high opinion of his daughter. “Though now I do have to wonder if there’s another potentially dangerous career she may want to pursue.”
Karns smirked. “Police or attorney?”
Frank snorted. “Police or prosecution. You think she’s curious now. You should see how she grills Nolan.”
Karns’s smirk widened. “Oh, now I really want to.” He turned back to watch Lily poke her head out the window, the girl nodding attentively to what Simon was saying, then he turned back to Frank. “Well, I’ll tell you this. The FDNY has a reputation of looking out for its members, so if she does end up choosing firefighting as her profession, she’ll be in good hands if she stays here.”
Frank smiled slightly. “I believe you.”
A loud horn rang out in the firehouse, echoing off the metal walls, making both men wince and turn around. Lily burst out laughing as Marcus grinned smugly, Simon sprinting away as Alec chased him. “Then again, she may already be adopted,” Karns said dryly, pushing away from the table and shaking his head in fond exasperation. “As if she wasn’t already.”
That made Frank do a double take. “Excuse me?” he looked at Karns in surprise.
“Nolan cares a hell of a lot about her,” Karns said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “He cares a hell of a lot about you, too. We know him well enough by now to recognize when someone is important to him. Nolan is family to my house, and anyone important to him is family to us. You and Lily are welcome here any time, Cosgrove. I mean it.”
Frank’s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. The captain radiated utter sincerity. He meant every word he was saying, and Frank believed all of them. “Thank you, Captain,” he whispered. “That means a lot.”
Karns smiled and nodded, then he turned and strode with purpose towards his rig, barking his firefighters’ names in a tone that had them scrambling to meet their captain. Frank couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Karns herd them, and Lily’s eyes glittered with mirth as she watched from the rig. As much as the mental image of his daughter running into a burning building terrified him, she looked at ease on the rig.
A picture on the wall behind him caught his eye, and Frank pushed off the table to inspect it. He blinked in surprise when he recognized almost every face in the frame: Rick Karns, Isobel Johnson, and David Zimmers as the ranking officers, and the crews of Ladder 225 - Christian di Angelo, Maggie Miller, and Oliver West - and Squad 6 - Simon Parker, Luke Owens, Marcus Emerson, and Alec Matthews - all accounted for. The one current member of the 225 not present was Zimmers’s current partner. Instead of the bubbly, red-haired woman, a young blonde woman with sparkling azure eyes stood at Zimmers’s side, her megawatt smile easily the brightest of them all as she beamed at the camera. Sure enough, the patches on her jacket marked her as a paramedic, thus making her Lizzie’s predecessor on Ambulance 90.
Frank glanced at the date the photograph was taken, and he narrowed his eyes. Something about that date . . . “Hey, Scott?” he called over his shoulder, seeing the young woman checking off items on a clipboard.
She immediately looked up at her name. “Yeah?”
“When did you join the 225, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Lizzie tilted her head as she considered. “It was around Thanksgiving, 2014,” she replied. “That was my official transfer date, at least. Apparently, the house went through a lot of paramedics in the floater pool before Zimmers decided to permanently hire me.”
Frank nodded slowly. “How long were they looking? Do you know?”
Lizzie hummed. “I started not long after Halloween,” she answered. “I think the position first opened . . . mid-July? Somewhere around then. I just remember hearing it was a big surprise when the previous paramedic left and that it wasn’t the captains’ decision. I didn’t push for any other information.”
“Karns and Zimmers especially have done what they can to make me feel welcome over the last eight years in particular, and they have a lot of influence in the FDNY. And that helps when you’re trying to bury a deputy district chief’s career six feet under.”
The date on the frame of the photograph stated the picture was taken May 26, 2014, less than two months before the paramedic position suddenly opened. That was within the timeframe Nolan indicated he had become closer to the 225. Perhaps that sequence of events was a coincidence . . . but in Frank’s line of work, coincidences were few and far between. Given Jack’s open familiarity with the firehouse, there was a connection between this departed paramedic and the District Attorney’s office. Frank was certain of that.
But what was the missing link?
Defense attorneys were quickly becoming Frank’s least favorite people of all time, especially when they did their best to hurt the people he cared about.
While the SVU, OC, and Homicide teams still maintained their inner circle, a quartet consisting of himself, Nolan, Sam, and Jalen had quickly grown closer since Jalen agreed to permanently move the 2-7 the same day Kate extended the invitation. Nolan and Sam already worked well together, but Frank rapidly discovered how he and Jalen gelled together to the point they acted like a well-oiled machine in the precinct and in the field. Their inner circle had teased him about setting up some sort of “impossible gauntlet” for detectives to conquer in order to get his approval as a partner, but Frank had always scoffed and rolled his eyes at the thought. Kevin Bernard had left some big shoes to fill, after all. That was it.
As case after case landed in their laps, however, and arrest after arrest led to conviction after conviction, Frank began thinking otherwise. Jalen ticked every box a detective could possibly want in a partner: he respected the chain of command, worked well with Frank, and he wasn’t afraid to debate points in a way that didn’t grate on Frank’s nerves. Not only did he work well with Frank, but he respected the prosecutors, too. It helped that Jalen had graduated law school, which was another point of view he brought to their investigations that Frank openly admitted was useful. Jalen also wasn’t condescending towards their prosecutors, and he didn’t treat them like they were fragile glass, easy to break as the slightest mishandling. All of those green flags combined made Frank realize Jalen really had blazed through a gauntlet he hadn’t even known existed in the first place, and he had done so with flying colors.
And their perfect record reflected that. Every case they found resulted in a conviction, either the result of a deal or the work of Nolan and Sam. Each conviction was a boost to their confidence and morale, and it soon became just as common for Frank to spend an evening out with Nolan, Jalen, and Sam as it was for him to spend one with Lily, Nolan, or both. They grew closer off the job just like they did on the job, to the point Frank had begun to view Jalen as a brother, one he trusted without question to have his six, and Sam as a sister, who wore her heart on her sleeve.
Which solidified his utter distaste of certain defense attorneys even further. Lara Vega has been smug from the beginning when she attempted to object during Nolan’s opening, then she targeted Sam in an attempt to utterly discredit the District Attorney’s office, acting as if they were beneath her. After she subpoenaed Sam and put her on the stand as a witness for the defense, Frank let out his frustrations at the shooting gallery to the point he beat his personal best that night. Now he knew the trick was to picture the target as someone whose guts he hated.
Then there were defense attorneys who were too new when they took on a huge case and tried to spin it into a spectacle and make a statement. That was exactly what the Troy Booker case turned into, and both Nolan and Jalen bore the brunt of that burden. It was the first time Jalen got a case wrong, and Booker had spent over a year in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He escaped custody on his way to the courthouse, and while the original charges were dropped, the corrections officer badly injured by Booker in the escape died from infection. Nolan had no choice to charge Booker for murder once again, and this time the charge stuck. No matter what Frazier tried, going as far to lay blame solely on Nolan and the justice system, or what Booker claimed happened in prison, the jury chose to convict. It was a choice that rattled Jalen due to the confession he coaxed from Booker that started this whole whirlwind, and it rattled Nolan as the case uncovered everything ugly in the justice system. There was no clear winner here other than the system, and it took days for the team to find their footing again. Jalen and Nolan still occasionally walked around eggshells around each other, something that made Frank grit his teeth because if the two ever came to blows, he knew which side he would pick. Jalen was arguably his most trusted friend on the police force, a man he considered his brother, but he had long since learned arguing with his heart on his feelings for Nolan was pointless. When he had crossed the line from seeing Nolan as his best friend to seeing him as the man he loved, he had no idea . . . hell, maybe that line had never existed in the first place. He did know that if push came to shove, he would stand by Nolan without hesitation.
It helped that their most recent case also involved SVU and Organized Crime. The Rublev case was firmly in the past, and having the additional teams also helped smooth things between Jalen and Nolan. Luckily, the case was also rather straightforward, so much so that the defense attorney had looked like he knew he had a losing case during Nolan’s opening . . . and that was before he received the prosecution’s witness list. “Why can’t it always be this easy when we team up with each other?” he asked, not expecting an answer as their group left Jack’s office together.
“Maybe we can chalk it up to the holidays repaying us after last year,” Sam suggested. “You know, since they soured after Wheatley got out of Rikers.”
Nolan snorted. “That sure spoiled mine. I wasn’t supposed to come back until after the New Year.”
Peter smirked at him. “Gonna try a do-over this year?” he japed.
Frank shot Nolan a look he hoped wasn’t too obvious, but Nolan chuckled and shook his head, much to Frank’s relief. “I did what I wanted to do when I visited, so I’m staying here this year,” he said. “Besides, I think Jack only offered the ‘get kicked out of Manhattan for free’ card once. I’d have to ask again.”
“Get kicked out of Manhattan?” Jalen repeated.
“Right,” Elliot grinned. “You weren’t here when Price pulled a disappearing act and didn’t tell anyone where he was going.”
“Jack told me to use the vacation time that piled up, and I used it to spend the holidays out of state,” Nolan explained. “That’s all.”
“Nearly gave Cosgrove a heart attack,” Olivia snickered.
Frank glowered at the captain. “And how was Stone during that time?”
Olivia grimaced, and Peter smirked. “I, at least, knew where he was. Though I would have liked being warned in advance.”
“I apologize, Peter,” Jack told him, and he did sound slightly apologetic. “But yes, unless Nolan has something planned and has yet to tell me, the majority of my office will be staying in the city.”
Nolan shrugged. “I did miss most of the Manhattan gatherings while I was away. Are any of those still planned?”
“My squad was discussing something since Muncy just joined a short time ago,” Olivia replied, pausing at a conference room door and knocking on the doorframe. Frank smiled fondly when he peered inside and saw Lily and Noah scramble to gather their school supplies from where they were spread out over the table. Both had the day off from school as their teachers prepared for final exams, and both had come with their parents to claim a room for themselves and finish any last minute studying or assignments. “You guys have Shaw and Yee now.”
“And OC got Whelan and Reyes,” Elliot nodded. “The whole group has new blood everywhere.”
“Maybe we can plan something in Central Park,” Sam suggested. “Something for the kids, too.”
“What for us?” Lily asked as she joined them, Noah shrugging on his backpack and hurrying after her.
“Just discussing holiday plans,” Frank explained.
Lily glared at Nolan. “No disappearing.”
Nolan exaggerated rolling his eyes as Sam giggled. “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed with a smirk at Frank.
“Come to think of it, I don’t remember the DA’s office doing anything together for the holidays other than a potluck during a workday,” Peter mused.
Something flashed across Jack’s face, too quick to name, but the pain that flickered in Nolan’s eyes lingered long enough for Frank to notice. “I can,” he said quietly.
“It’s been a long time,” Jack nodded heavily. “Close to a decade now, I think.”
Olivia tilted her head thoughtfully, watching her step when they reached the staircase to the main level. “I think Barba may have mentioned one once shortly after he joined . . . ”
Jack hummed. “That sounds right.”
A sharp scream echoed from the main entrance, stopping the group in their tracks. “What the hell?” Elliot narrowed his eyes, reaching for his sidearm.
Olivia sprinted down the stairs, her coat flying behind her. Frank and Jalen were on her heels, their guns already drawn. Before Olivia reached the doors, a pale-faced woman burst in, her eyes wide and her hands coated in blood. “In the alley,” she gasped, pointing a shaking finger. “Someone . . . oh, my God!”
“Take a deep breath,” Olivia told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “What did you see?”
Frank bypassed the captain and continued in the direction the woman had pointed, Jalen watching his back. The streetlights illuminated the prone man lying in the alley, and Jalen balked at the dark pool steadily growing around him. “Oh, my God.”
“Call 9-1-1!” Frank ordered, holstering his gun and running towards the man.
“On it!” Jalen nodded and pulled out his phone, backing away to stand on the sidewalk.
Frank skidded to a stop next to the man and crouched down, hastily pulling off his suit jacket. “Sir, can you hear me?” he asked, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder and shaking as hard as he dared. “Can you hear me?”
A weak moan spilled from the man’s lips, but no words left him. A high-pitched shriek came from the front of the alley, and Frank looked up in time to see Sam pull Lily away. Nolan rounded the corner a moment later, and he quickly dropped his briefcase and overcoat by Sam and ran to join Frank. “Where’s the wound?” he asked, turning on his phone flashlight.
Frank carefully rolled the man onto his side, allowing Nolan to aim the light. Whatever color the man’s shirt was had now turned red, and Frank swallowed hard when he saw the gaping wound along where the man’s torso met his arm. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!”
“Damn,” Nolan shook his head, removing his own suit jacket and shoving it along with Frank’s against the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Frank knew it would be a futile attempt with how wide open the wound appeared to be. “That’s got to be an arterial bleed.”
“Nolan?” Jack called from the front of the alley.
“Deep laceration by the shoulder!” Nolan called back, pressing his lips tightly together as he adjusted how he crouched. “It’s pumping hard and fast, Jack.” He paused then looked at Frank. “Switch places.”
“Frank blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Now!” The command was sharp and biting, and Frank scrambled to comply. Nolan shuffled to crouch closer to the wound, and he handed his phone to Frank. “Here. Give me some light.” Frank nodded and aimed the light as best as he could, and he watched Nolan carefully peel away the man’s shirt to inspect the wound. “It looks like an axillary artery tear.”
“A what?” Elliot asked in bewilderment as he stepped into the alley; Frank could see Olivia and Peter behind him, Peter shielding Noah like Sam was shielding Lily.
“It means he needs help, and he needs it quickly,” Nolan shook his head. “Where’s that ambulance?”
“Closest one is ten minutes out,” Jalen reported.
“Ten?!” Frank’s jaw dropped.
“But the 225 is so close!” Lily protested.
“Not if they’re already out on a call,” Nolan shook his head, his face pale. “And with the rise of nonemergency calls since the pandemic . . . ”
“Well, we have to do something!” Olivia insisted.
“Then shut up and let me think!” Nolan snapped.
Olivia reeled but swallowed hard and kept her mouth closed. Elliot gritted his teeth but did the same. Lily looked at Nolan in shock, likely having never heard him sound so short with anyone, and Jalen warily eyed Frank. Frank just watched Nolan, practically able to see the gears in his mind whir as he thought of a solution. His fingers tapped the pavement next to him, and his other hand kept the jacket against the wound.
Nolan finally snapped his fingers. “We passed a few parked NYPD motorbikes, didn’t we?”
“We did,” Frank nodded.
“OK,” Nolan took a deep breath. “I need one of their helmets. Whose car is parked the closest?”
“Mine,” Olivia answered. “It’s only a block or two down.”
“Get your jumper cables,” Nolan ordered.
“I’ll get them,” Peter volunteered, fishing his keys from his pocket.
“I can get one of the helmets,” Elliot nodded.
“Fast as you can,” Nolan told them. “Go!”
The men ran in different directions, and Frank looked at Nolan. “What are you thinking?”
“You see the angle of the gash?” Frank followed Nolan’s finger as he traced the wound, and he nodded. “It’s not flat, so I can’t put enough pressure on it to stop the bleeding. A regular tourniquet isn’t going to work here. Helmets won’t give under pressure, and the rounded edge should fit the slope of the gash.”
Frank nodded, understanding Nolan’s idea. “And you’ll use the jumper cables to tie it into place.”
“That’s the plan,” Nolan nodded. “I just hope it works.”
Frank glanced towards the front of the alley, where Lily and Noah were peering with wide eyes around Sam and Olivia. “Yeah, no kidding.”
Elliot ran back into view first, holding up a helmet. “Will this work?”
Nolan nodded. “Frank, keep this in place until I tell you.” Frank nodded and took over pressing their jackets against the gash, and Nolan held out his hands. Elliot pitched the helmet to him, and Nolan nodded gratefully. “Thanks, Stabler. Alright.” He turned the helmet over in his hands. “This needs to be quick. One, two, three!”
Frank ripped their jackets away, and he caught sight of the angry wound before Nolan shoved the rounded part of the helmet into the curve of the man’s arm. He twitched and hissed in discomfort, but he otherwise didn’t react. “Got the cables!” Peter announced, ducking past Elliot and into the alley.
Nolan extended one hand and took the cables. “Hold this in place.”
Frank nodded and took over holding the helmet, making sure he kept the pressure the same as Nolan had. “Any specific plan here?” he asked.
“Tie them as tight as I can,” Nolan answered. “Peter, lift him up for a minute for me.” Peter crouched down and carefully lifted the man off the ground, and Nolan wrapped the cables around his torso. “Better to have to cut the cables because they’re too tight than to have him bleed out because they weren’t tight enough.”
Frank grimaced at the mental image. “Good point.”
Nolan gave him a crooked grin. “I do my best. Hold that, and him, steady.” Peter nodded, and Nolan adjusted how he held the cables. “Heads up, sir . . . this is probably gonna hurt.”
He pulled the cables tight and taut, and sure enough, the man screamed in pain as Nolan wrangled the cables into place. He was quick yet efficient, tying the cables into a knot that kept the helmet in place. When Frank carefully pulled his hands away from the helmet, it didn’t move at all. “Dad?” Lily whispered.
“Is he OK?” Noah asked tentatively.
“Well,” Nolan winced as he clenched and unclenched his fingers. “Cables are in place. And the bleeding . . . ” He ducked his head to take a look, and he grinned. “It worked!”
“What?” Sam’s jaw dropped.
“Seriously?” Jalen asked in disbelief.
Frank shifted to look as well, and he grinned. “The helmet’s covering the entire thing,” he explained. “Just like Nolan said. Add the pressure of the cables tied in place - ”
“It’s just like a junctional tourniquet,” Elliot realized.
“Exactly like a junctional tourniquet,” Nolan nodded, about to wipe his hands on his pants when he glanced down and saw how much blood was on his skin. “It should keep him from bleeding out until - ”
He paused at the sound of sirens, and Sam sighed in relief. “Finally!”
The ambulance that parked at the front of the alley was unfamiliar, as were the paramedics who dropped from their seats the moment the engine stopped. “Dispatch said it was a stab wound?” the paramedic captain asked.
“That’s my guess,” Nolan nodded. “The laceration needed a junctional tourniquet.”
The paramedic captain eyed the helmet and cables, then she gave Nolan an impressed look. “Quick thinking, Price. Nice work.”
Nolan gave a pleased smile. “I’m just glad it looks like it worked.”
“We’ll monitor him en route, but unless I find something here I don’t like, I’ll keep the helmet and cables in place,” the captain explained Elliot and Jalen helped her partner bring a gurney to the injured man. “I don’t want to risk another bleed, especially from an axillary artery.” Multiple pairs of eyes snapped to Nolan in surprise, and Frank barely refrained from openly gawking. How had the prosecutor gotten the wound origin exactly right? “That means someone will need a new helmet and jumper cables,” the captain added.
Jack eyed his stunned colleagues with amusement before nodding. “The old ones were for a good cause.”
“No kidding,” the captain whistled, taking another look at the makeshift tourniquet as she and her partner adjusted the man on the gurney. “Seriously, Price, this is impressive. I don’t know where you learned this, but this looks like how I would teach candidates at the academy to improvise if needed. Ever considered being a paramedic instead of a prosecutor?”
Peter, surprisingly, erupted in laughter before coughing into his arm. Jack outright grinned, and Nolan smiled and shrugged sheepishly. “I . . . may have heard that once or twice.”
The captain snorted. “We’re not far from the 225, Price, and I’ve covered for Zimmers occasionally. I’d bet my bugles you’ve heard that way more than once or twice.” Nolan ducked his head bashfully, and the captain shook her head with a smile. “You’ve got a good one, sir,” she told Jack as she and her partner pushed the gurney towards their ambulance. “Keep him.”
“That’s the plan,” Jack smiled proudly. “Thank you, Captain Sampson.”
Sampson inclined her head respectfully. “Have a . . . well, better evening.”
The silence hanging over the group was just edging towards uncomfortable when Sampson closed the doors to Ambulance 74 and her partner drove away with lights and sirens. As the ambulance vanished down the street, Noah spun around and grinned widely at Nolan. “How did you know all that?” he demanded, practically buzzing with questions.
“That was awesome!” Lily gushed, brown eyes bright.
Nolan chuckled wearily. “Making connections that flow through the country isn’t the only reason to make friends with first responders like paramedics. The 225 taught me a few things.”
“A few.” Elliot couldn’t have sounded more disbelieving if he tried. “That wasn’t just a few things, Price. If I didn’t know you, I would say you acted just like a paramedic would.”
“I’m just glad it worked like I hoped it would,” Nolan said, examining his bloody shirt and grimacing. “But I don’t recommend doing it in a suit. Jack? I have an extra change of clothes in my office.”
“Go ahead,” Jack told him. “Cosgrove? Are you OK?”
Frank experimentally checked his clothing. There was significantly less blood on his shirt than Nolan’s, but his cuffs were red instead of white. “Got a spare jacket, by any chance?”
“I should have something,” Nolan nodded. “Come on.”
“We’ll wait for you,” Sam said.
Jalen tilted his head towards the end of the road as police cruisers began arriving. “We’ll explain what happened, too.”
“Thanks,” Nolan smiled in relief.
“Lily?” Frank asked.
She immediately ducked under Sam’s arm and ran to follow them. “How many firehouses do you know?” she asked curiously.
Nolan smiled faintly. “None as well as I know the 225.”
It later occurred to Frank, as he listened to Olivia and Elliot regale their group with ludicrous tales of a fire captain who was like a brother to them and the calls he and his son often responded to, that Nolan hadn’t given Lily a definitive answer.
Nolan flipped through the papers he held and gave Frank an incredulous look. “Aren’t things supposed to slow down during the holidays?”
“People go insane around the holidays,” Frank snorted. “You missed this last year.”
Nolan sighed and scratched the back of his head as he reviewed the case files. “What god did I piss off?” A knock on the door made him look up. “Yes?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Price,” one of the security guards said, peering into the office. “But someone asked to see you if you were available.”
Nolan blinked and checked his watch. “I have a bit of time before I’m needed in a courtroom. Go ahead.”
The security guard nodded and gestured, and a young woman with dark hair braided down her back stepped into the doorway. “Nolan Price?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Nolan nodded politely.
“My name is Andrea Daniels,” she said, holding out her shaking hand with a shy smile. “Um . . . my dad, Corbin, was the one attacked outside the courthouse a few nights ago.”
Frank’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh!” Nolan blinked in surprise, quickly moving forward to shake Andrea’s hand. “How is he?”
“Well,” Andrea took a deep breath, “the doctors said he lost a lot of blood, but it was a straightforward fix. He’ll spend a bit more time in the hospital, but he’s on track for a full recovery.”
Frank sighed in relief. “Thank God.”
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Nolan smiled. “Any word on who attacked him?”
“No,” Andrea shook her head. “Apparently, there wasn’t much evidence in the alley.”
Nolan glanced inquisitively at Frank, who shrugged. “I didn’t take a hard look,” he admitted. “But nothing looked out of the ordinary.”
“Well,” Nolan looked back at Andrea, “let us know if we can help in any way.”
“Thank you,” Andrea smiled. “I appreciate that. My mom will, too. She’s flying in from an out of state conference today.”
“She’s beating the holiday rush,” Frank remarked.
“That’s what I don’t miss from last year,” Nolan smirked, leaning back against his desk and folding his arms. “O’Hare gets crowded as hell.”
Andrea stared at Nolan for a moment before clearing her throat. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But before I go . . . the doctors say that arterial bleed would have killed my dad if you hadn’t made that tourniquet for him.”
Nolan’s smirk faded, and he slowly nodded. “It bled hard and fast,” he told her gently. “I’m just glad I could help him.”
Andrea swallowed hard. “Eight or nine years ago, my mom had a meeting here at the courthouse and brought me with her,” she said slowly. “There was a platter of brownies on the table, and I ate one without asking what was in them. I’m severely allergic to peanuts, and I had an anaphylactic reaction to the brownie. Everyone in the room was panicking, and I was so scared.” She licked her lips. “But there was an off-duty paramedic there that day. She managed to make my mom tell her where my EpiPen was, and she stayed with me the entire time to keep me calm.” Nolan had gone very still, and Andrea smiled shakily. “She’s the reason I want to enroll in medical school after I’m further in college. I want to be able to do that to someone if they’re having a medical emergency and everyone around them is panicking.”
“That’s very brave of you,” Nolan smiled, but there was a melancholy to it that made Frank on edge. “I wish you the best of luck with that pursuit.”
“Thank you,” Andrea smiled in return. “The reason I bring that up . . . I didn’t hear the paramedic’s name, and my mom didn’t hear it, either. I think I heard she moved not long after that. But I remember what she looked like. And . . . I’m sorry if I’m prying, but . . . ” She glanced down at Nolan’s right hand, which rested on his forearm. “She wore a ring that looked similar to that one.”
The baguette-cut diamonds winked under the office lights as Nolan lifted his hand and twisted it this way and that, and he took a deep breath. “I remember that day,” he said quietly. “I was in the middle of witness prep, which was in a different part of the building. I only got the rundown after the ambulance had left.” He looked at Andrea. “Blonde, blue eyes?” he asked. “Ring gold with sapphires and diamonds? Designed to look like twisting vines?”
It was such a specific description that Frank knew Andrea’s answer before she replied. “Yes,” she smiled widely and nodded. “Yes, that’s her!”
Nolan smiled in return. “The rings were sold in a set,” he said. “I have this one. She has the other.”
Andrea’s laugh of delight would have made Frank smile had Nolan’s words not felt like an ice bath. “Can you tell her - ?” she began hopefully.
“I’ll tell her your story,” Nolan promised.
“Thank you,” Andrea beamed. “And thank her, too.”
Frank’s phone buzzing in his pocket jolted him out of his racing thoughts, and he silently thanked whoever contacted him as he searched for his phone. The message from Jalen recalling him to the precinct made him decide he owed Jalen a drink or ten, and he cleared his throat. “Duty calls,” he said, glancing at Nolan and doing his best to not let his eyes turn towards the ring that now seemed to glint tauntingly under the lights. “Let us know if you or Sam need anything.”
“Will do,” Nolan nodded. “Thanks, Frank.”
Frank remembered to tell Andrea he was glad her father was doing better before he left Nolan’s office, and the tension winding around his chest released as if a bowstring snapped. He exhaled slowly as he navigated the halls of the prosecutors’ offices by heart, he had made the trek so many times before. He hadn’t even thought to quiz Nolan about the ring he had worn on a daily basis, and now he was torn between wishing he had and wishing he had never heard that conversation. Because now he knew that ring was part of a set, and the other ring was in the possession of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed paramedic who moved about eight years ago. That was the exact description of the paramedic who had once been Zimmers’s partner at the 225 . . . and Nolan claimed the 225 had taught him what he learned to save Corbin Daniels’s life last night.
Frank’s heart twisted in his chest as he realized there was some crucial detail of Nolan’s life he was very clearly missing, and the thought that the man he loved kept such a detail close to his chest hurt more than any bullet wound.
What are you hiding, Nolan? he wondered with a hard swallow. And why are you hiding it from me?