The phone by the bed rang softly as the woman on the bed slept. The room was dark except for a few streaks of moonlight shining through the curtains, and the woman continued to sleep through the ringing. The phone rang a few more times before a slight click was heard and a male voice rang through the room.

            “Sandy it’s Dale, call me back this is important, bye.” And then the room was silent, except for a few uneventful light snores coming from the bed.

Sandy Sullivan yawned gently as she got out of bed and slipped her size five feet into the warm fuzzy pink slippers that lay by her bed, and checked the clock.

“Damn it’s early,” she mumbled to herself as she stretched and stood up to her full length. She sighed as she creaked her neck and made her way slowly towards her small, crusty bathroom.

She pulled the door shut and turned the shower on full blast before peeling off her tank top and shorts and having a good look at her sleepy face in the mirror. She looked tired and worn out, and felt as if she hadn’t slept in days. But she knew a nice long, hot shower would fix that all.

With another heavy sigh she stepped under the steaming water and let it run down her back and face for a few minutes before lathering up. She closed her eyes as she rinsed off and thought abut the day ahead of her.

Work, work, work. It had all she’d done this week, not a free moment to herself and she was tired, but she wouldn’t trade her job in for anything in the world. Because as much as it made her tired, and sometimes grumpy, she loved it.

She got out of the shower and the minute she did so the phone began to ring. She shook her head slightly and, wrapping the towel around herself, she headed out of the bathroom to answer it.

“Hello?” she asked, trying to be pleasant at the early hour.

“Sandy? Thank God I found you, it’s Dale.”

“Oh hi Dale,” she said, the small smile returning to her lips at the sound of her partner’s voice, “What’s up?” She sat on the bed and began towel frying her hair, with the ear crooked to her ear.

“I called earlier but I don’t think you got the message,” Dale chuckled slightly before continuing, “Anyways the reason I called is because the boss man wants us to go over to go over to Saint Lucia’s to check something out, something to do with a hit and run. I’ll give you the details when I see you.”

“Um, okay,” she nodded and placed the towel on the bed before taking the phone back in her hand. “What time will you be here?”

“In about fifteen mins? Is that good?” Dale asked as he checked his watch from his end. Sandy nodded and walked over to her wardrobe and pulling out her uniform.

“Yeah fifteen minutes is good, just let me get dressed I’ll meet you out front,” she said and laid the clothes down. “See ya.”

“See ya Sands,” Dale replied and hung up, leaving her to get prepared for work.

The scene they were greeted with when they arrived at Saint Lucia’s was something that Sandy had not prepared herself for. No matter how much detail the reports had given, it still did not prepare her for what she and Dale were about to witness.

They walked quietly, but quickly down the narrow corridor that smelt of icy medicine. Looking over her notes as she walked, Sandy felt an unbearable feeling rise in her belly. She held her breath as they rounded the corner and entered the room marked 202.

Sandy let a small gasp escape from her lips as they entered the room. Lying on the bed, with his face half covered in bandages, a young twenty-something man lay.

“Yes? Can I help you?” The nurse standing by the bed asked, looking up from her duties as she dressed the young man’s wounds.

“Yeah, I’m Sergeant Dale Fisher and this is my partner Sergeant Sandy Sullivan we were called in earlier today about a hit and run this young man was involved in?” Dale asked the nurse as he looked over his notes. The nurse looked at the two of them for a minute before registering what had been said to her.

“Oh, you must be from the LAPD,” she said with a small smile that read apology. “Let me just finish up here then I can go get Miss James for you.”

“Okay thanks,” Dale replied with a nod and let the nurse finish dressing the young man’s wounds before she stepped out. “Sandy, are you okay?”

“W-What?” Sandy asked snapping her eyes away from the young man and looking at Dale.

“I asked if you were okay, or do you want me to handle this?” Dale asked with a raised eyebrow and Sandy shook her head.

“No it’s okay, I’ll be ok. So who did the nurse go call?” Sandy asked referring to her notes as Dale did the same.

“Miss James,” Dale said finding what he was looking for and sighing, “The victim’s fiancée.”

“Ah,” Sandy answered with a nod just as the door opened gently and a young woman with honey blonde curls stepped in to the room.

“Miss James?” Dale asked as the woman slowly walked into the room,

“Yes, that’s me. Or rather Madeline, the nurse said you wanted to see me?” she asked nervously walking over to the young man’s bed and sitting down beside him on a near by chair.

“Yes, we wanted to ask you a few questions actually,” Sandy nodded, glancing at the two. “Miss James, we were informed that you were with the young man at the time of the accident.” Madeline sighed and nodded, before looking at the officers.

“Yeah, I was,” she barely whispered and both officers had to strain to hear her.

“Miss James,” Dale began, while looking through his notes, “What were you doing before the accident?”

“We were having dinner,” Madeline replied looking at the officers than to her fiancée on the bed, “He was planning to leave today for New York and I wouldn’t see him again for another three months.”

“And what was he planning to do in New York?” Sandy asked as Dale scribbled down the details.

“He was going there for work,” Madeline explained, not taking her eyes off her fiancée.

“Work?” Sandy asked with a raised eyebrow and glanced at Dale. “What type of work does he do Miss James?”

“He’s…. Well...Josh is…” Madeline paused before restarting her answer. “He’s an entertainer.”

“Entertainer?” Sandy asked, she didn’t want to know. “And Josh is, um…” Sandy glanced at the young man and Madeline got the hint and nodded.

“Yeah, his name is Josh,” Madeline answered before frowning, “Wait, don’t you have his name in your files?”

“Ah yes sorry we do,” Dale nodded as he glanced through the file. “Sorry we were just put on the case, you must have met out Lieutenant at the scene. Sorry for the confusion.” Madeline looked at him and smiled.

“That’s okay,” she answered softly and looked at her fiancée.

“Miss James, did you get a chance to see who was driving the car?” Dale asked looking at the young woman who sighed and shook her head.

“No, not really,” she responded without removing her eyes from her fiancée.

“Would you care to expand on that?” Sandy asked softly walking over to the woman. Madeline didn’t answer. “Miss James, we know this must be hard for you, but we need to know all we can so we can help.”

“And how can you help?” Madeline wanted to know breaking her gaze and glaring at Sandy. “He’s already half a vegetable, there’s nothing more you can do that the doctor’s haven’t tried.” There were tears in her eyes as she spoke, you could tell she was on the verge of a break-down.

“Miss James, we’re sorry. We’ll come back another time, when it’s convenient,” Dale said seeing the woman’s distress and motioning for them to leave. “Come on Sands.”

“Um, yeah okay,” Sandy nodded, reluctant to leave the case half finished, but she knew that they had to and would come back another time. “We’ll come back in a few days.”

Madeline didn’t answer, nor nod, or even look at them as they quietly left through the door. Instead she continued looking at the young man, whose hopes of justice lay in the hands of the two officers.