Chapter 2:

…

Shannon sat glumly inside the ambulance, staring into space as she held the gauze to her bleeding mouth. Her jaw was still throbbing and she could feel the blood trickling down her chin. Behind her, she could hear the man who had been tasered moaning as the ambulance officer treated him- she didn't feel pity for him at all.

"Idiot" she thought indignantly. "Fighting outside a pub and then hitting a cop- absolute idiot!"

"Here" she heard a voice say and she saw a hand stuck out in front of her, offering some more clean gauze.

She glanced up and saw that Lawson was standing in front of her, smirking.

"What are you laughing at?" she demanded, snatching the gauze out of his hand, taking away the old one and applying the new one he had given her.

"Always manage to get yourself into trouble, don't you" he laughed, folding his arms and leaning against the ambulance. "If it isn't a bike accident, it's getting yourself kidnapped, and getting smacked in the face by a drunk…..that will bruise by the way" he grinned, indicating to her mouth.

"Oh piss off!" she exclaimed, waving her free arm, attempting to shoo him away.

Lawson just chuckled and glanced down at her with a cheeky grin, watched amusingly as she attempted to wipe away the remaining blood dripping down her lips and chin. She glanced up and saw him surveying her.

"What?" she exclaimed angrily.

Lawson just grabbed another bit of gauze from the medical kit nearby and sat down next to Shannon, the cheeky grin replaced by a gentle smile.

"You've got blood dripping down your chin" he exclaimed calmly as he used the gauze to tenderly wipe away the blood on her neck. Shannon couldn't help but feel pleasant tingles run through her as Lawson touched her bare skin. She slowly glanced up and met his gaze, they held it for a few seconds and Shannon was sure he would lean in for a kiss…

Suddenly they were interrupted by the ambulance officer who had been treating the tasered man.

"How are you feeling sergeant?" he asked, glancing at her mouth.

"Bit better" Shannon replied, politely "it's still throbbing where he hit me, but the bleeding has gone down".

"How's our brawler?" Lawson asked the ambo.

"He's fine" he replied "he's fine to be taken to the police station; he's just carrying on, probably thinks it might get him out of being arrested".

"Thanks very much" Lawson shook the ambo's hand.

"Make sure you ice that, if it continues to cause you grief, visit the hospital or your GP" the ambo turned and explained to Shannon before leaving.

"Thank you" Shannon smiled.

As the ambulance officer walked away, Shannon wiped the smile away and moaned quietly as she placed the gauze back to her mouth.

"You alright to continue your shift?" Lawson asked, turning back to Shannon and glancing at her with concern.

"Yeah I'm alright" Shannon replied, with a nod, standing up and making her way back towards TR2. She took a few steps and stumbled back dizzily. She felt a hand gently grasp her arm and help her stand upright. Shannon leant forward and took a deep breath, hoping to regain her balance and get rid of the dizzy and sick feeling in her stomach.

"You ok?" Lawson asked, placing a hand gently on her back. "Maybe you should get back to base….."

"No!" Shannon exclaimed sharply, standing upright properly, taking another deep breath and looking directly into Lawson's eyes. "I'm fine" she told him.

Lawson looked at her sceptically for a second, unconvinced.

"Alright…." he told her, leading her back towards the TR vehicles. There they found Josh and Stella standing, waiting patiently.

As they approached, Josh walked over to them.

"I've got Christian and Michael talking to witnesses and taking statements" he told Lawson.

"Are you alright?" he asked Shannon, smiling at her warmly.

"Yeah I'll live" Shannon replied with a polite smile. In reality her mouth was still hurting her quite badly and she felt like the world was spinning, but she didn't want to seem weak and childish so she plastered a fake smile on her face and moved on.

"Right" Lawson interuppeted gruffly "now that we've established that Shannon will live, time to get those two down to a station" he explained, indicating to the two brawlers.

Josh and Shannon just shared a look before turning back to their team leader.

"Guys I've ID'd your two wrestlers" Leon's voice interrupted through the radio.

"Yeah what have you got Leon?" Lawson asked, eyeing the pair angrily.

"The guy who hit Shannon is one Conner James and the other one is a Carter Tranridge".

"Any connections between them?"

"Nope, but they've both got form. Tranridge for theft and property damage. James also for property damage as well as animal cruelty".

"Now we can add assaulting a police officer to that list" Josh quipped, glancing at Shannon who just glared furiously at James.

"So, nothing to suggest why they were fighting?" Lawson asked, ignoring Josh's comment.

"Nope, nothing" Leon explained "probably just a drunken brawl…..so Shannon, James got you did he?" Leon laughed "you right?"

"I'd be better if everyone stopped asking me that" Shannon replied angrily.

"Alright alright" Lawson interrupted. "Josh you talk James down to St Kilda station and we'll take the other one to Elwood".

"Yep" Josh nodded, grabbing James and roughly lifting him off the ambulance bed. "C'mon big guy" he smirked, winking at Shannon who just gave him the finger.

Shannon sighed heavily as she slowly stood up from the chair.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Lawson asked gruffly, avoiding her eye.

"Yeah I'm fine" Shannon mumbled.

"Alright" Lawson nodded "see back at base".

Shannon didn't reply, she just turned and made for TR2. She opened the door silently and stepped into the back seat, slowly doing up the seatbelt. She sat back in her seat and closed her eyes, sighed deeply, trying to push away the horrible dizzy and sick feelings.

Suddenly she was brought out of her thought as the other back door opened and Josh pushed a handcuffed Conner James inside, doing up his seatbelt.

Shannon glanced at James and rolled her eyes, groaning silently as she turned back and stared out the window, trying to ignore the horrible smell of alcohol coming from her attacker.

Josh and Christian both got into the car and Christian started the engine.

Shannon smelt the alcoholic smell get stronger and she turned and came face to face with James who had turned and leant in closer towards Shannon.

"Did I hit you darling?" he slurred innocently, Shannon couldn't help but cringe as the putrid smell of his breath filled her nostrils.

Shannon ignored his question and turned back to the window, opening it slightly, lifting her head to reach the fresh air.

"Does it hurt?" he taunted with a drunken smile, leaning in closer towards her "where I hit you- does it hurt?"

Again, Shannon ignored him, trying to focus on the trees passing them as they drove along the road. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Josh turn slightly in his seat, ready to intervene if needed.

"Coz you deserved it" he slurred angrily, leaning away from her glaring at her. "You little police bitch….." Shannon could feel her teeth gritting as she tried to contain her anger. "You deserve everything you get, you police PIGS" he spat, his voice getting louder.

Within a split second it happened, Shannon unclipped her seatbelt and lunged for James. She grabbed the scruff of his shirt and pinned him against the window, stopping with her face only a few inches from his.

"ARGHHHH" he yelled "my arm! You stupid police cow! Let go of me‼"

Shannon just gritted her teeth and huffed angrily, staring furiously into James eyes.

"Shouldn't have wasted my time with shit like you" she shouted into his face "should've let you idiots keep fighting, see who dies first!"

"Christian stop the car!" she heard Josh yell "pull up!" Christian slammed the brakes and they stopped dead in the middle of the deserted road.

"Think I'm scum?" she continued heatedly, ignoring Josh, who had turned around and tried to pry her off him "take a look in the mirror, dickhead! I was doing my job stopping you" he told him, her voice rising with each word, she was shaking him as she held on tightly to his shirt. "But I probably shouldn't have bothered, should have just let you die, and would've saved you and me the BOTHER‼"

James, Josh and Christian all looked at her dumbfounded. She slowly left go of his shirt and moved back to her side of the car. She was huffing slightly as she pushed the hair back away from her eyes and folded her arms, leaning back into her seat. She still felt dizzy and ill, but that outburst had also made her feel…..better.

Suddenly Shannon heard a loud crash and the last thing she remembered before she succumbed to the darkness was the surprised and dumbfounded expression on her attackers face.

That was it before she closed her eyes and the black, hollow darkness drowned her.

TR2 had just been T-boned.

…..

Apologies for the coarse language. Please enjoy and don't forget to review‼