Is It Ever Enough?

Chapter 7

"Holy FUCK Bishop, what did you DO?!"

"Dramatic" or "over-stated" are not words often used to describe Victoria Hughes. Level, fair and honest would be more like it. So, for her to exclaim the way that she did at the sight of her mangled and misshapen hand, Maya knew it must be bad. Maya could see for herself, if her eyes weren't purposely trained to the floor, as she hung her head in shame. She was mortified that she had not only made an ass of herself in front of many of her friends and colleagues, but also that she was missing her former best friend's discharge as well as exposing her self- destructive secret to several members of her team. Maya was brought back to reality as she felt a stinging pain rip through the center of her hand. She snaps her head up, to finally look at the damage to her hand.

"Sorry about this, captain. I'm just numbing the area so we can get some stitches started. From what I can see, you've narrowly avoided having to have surgery here. You just barely missed severing the tendon in the center of your hand, though there is some significant tissue damage here." Bailey says sternly, shooting the captain a disappointed look.

Maya winces both at her words, and at the massive needle that is shoved into her hand. Her breath catches as she observes what's left of her hand. She managed to slice it deeply open, right down the middle between her knuckles, and halfway back toward her wrist. She already couldn't feel half of her hand and several of her fingers, a slight tingling had worked its way into her hand and wrist, causing pins and needles to be felt from her thumb inward. Maya pondered mentioning it to Bailey, but thought nothing of it, chalking it up to alcohol and not nerve damage.

Vic shares a look of concern and worry with Ben, the two reaching a mutual understanding that their captain was falling apart and also that she was going to be insanely stubborn in her recovery of this injury. It wasn't their first rodeo of watching Maya refuse to accept that she was hurt. Bailey finishes stitching Maya up.

"I can work, right? This isn't gonna put me out?" Maya asked worriedly, terrified at giving the station another reason to hate her by having to take time off for her lack of anger management.

"Well, as long as you keep this wrapped, clean and dry, you should be able to. Don't take your gloves off on a call and certainly don't stretch and pull on these stitches. Come back in two weeks and I'll remove them. Or I guess Ben can at the station. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to discharge Andy" Bailey replies.

Maya merely nods her head, relieved that she will not need an all clear to return to work. Getting anything past Ben and Vic though, that's going to be a whole different story. As Maya goes to scoot herself off the table and walk out, she winces as her ankle gives out, causing her to limp awkwardly.

"Whoa, whoa, what was that Cap?" Ben exclaims, a puzzled look on his face as he reaches out and steadies Maya.

"Nothing, Warren, my ankle is just sore. It's my bad one and it does this often. I must have injured it while extracting Andy." Maya snaps, frustrated that people are prying into her life like there was something actually wrong with her.

"I don't think so, Bishop. Back on the table and take your shoe and sock off" Bailey orders

"It's nothi-" Maya tries, only to be cut off with a tone sharp enough to slice the tension in the room

"That wasn't a question, Maya. On the table now. I know I'll never catch you in this hospital again so I'd better take advantage while I've got it. Shoe off, NOW" Bailey commands. Ben and Vic sit in anticipation at the state of Maya's ankle. Vic is growing more worried, wondering how many injuries Maya had hidden over the years. It truly was a miracle that they got Maya into the hospital.

Maya reluctantly slips her shoe and sock off, to be met with a gasp from Vic. "Jesus Christ, Mai. You are falling apart at the seams over here"

Maya's ankle is black, blue and swollen, indicating a very bad sprain if not a broken bone. She looks down at it, internally kicking herself for being in this position in the first place.