@compoundingmuses starter for mark !!
At times, walking into work is something Ellie has to brace herself for. It can be a guessing game sometimes, wondering what horrors she might be greeted with next. There’s a degree of that this morning, yet she still walks inside with purpose. They’re in the middle of a very difficult case at the moment, one that they’re terrified they’re going to come to a stop with, so right now she’s eager to follow up any possible leads that might find their way to her desk.
Unfortunately, what she finds on her desk when she arrives on this particular morning brings her anything but hope. She pales within seconds of picking the report up. Mark’s name is the first thing she sees. After that, she can only bare to read a few more sentences. She stands, handing the report to the approaching Alec who seems to be about to protest. But he too only has to take a quick glance at the sheet of paper before his expression changes, looking at Ellie knowingly. “Go,” he urges. “I’ll get you covered.”
She’s at the hospital before she knows it, finding out where Mark is staying and asking if it’s possible to see him. Offering her gratitude to the nurse that lets her have a moment with him, Ellie walks into the room as the other woman leaves. Her heart aches seeing him lying there so vulnerably. She’d seen him in a bad way before now, on the (sadly rare) occasion that she’s managed to slot in a visit to his new flat, but nothing like this. As she gets closer up, she notices his eyes are shut, so she assumes he’s sleeping — or at least resting. She tries to be as silent as possible manoeuvring to the other side of the room, but all hope of that is tarnished when the chair she reaches for scrapes on the floor. Kicking herself internally, she slowly sits down — watching as he inevitably stirs in confusion. “Hey....it’s - it’s alright. It’s just me, i’m sorry.” She whispers, eyebrows furrowing apologetically.
