'I don't care,' Blair stated more firmly as the initial shock of seeing Cam's injury began to wear off. 'Mac is here. He can take care of things.' She edged closer to Cam, stroking her fingers over Cam's forehead, brushing a damp lock of hair away from her eyes. 'You're cold,' she murmured, struggling with the fist of anxiety in her gut.
She looked around for something to cover her with, and finally focused on the fact that Cam was wearing only a thin sleeveless silk T-shirt. Her dress shirt was lying on the floor, rumpled and bloodstained. Blair's eyes narrowed as she regarded Savard leaning between Cam's outstretched legs, but she decided she probably didn't have to kill her just then.
'There's a blanket at the foot of the bed,' Savard remarked without looking up, as she started to apply a topical antibiotic burn ointment to Cam's arm.
Blair was gone for a few seconds and when she returned, Cam was sitting up a little straighter, obviously working hard to hide her discomfort.
'That's not going to work, Roberts,' Blair commented darkly, covering Cam's upper body with the blanket. 'You still need to go to a hospital.'
'Ma'am,' Savard said quietly, efficiently wrapping a soft gauze bandage from Cam's palm to her biceps, 'I'm certified as a physician's assistant as well as an EMT. They're not going to do anything for her at a hospital that I haven't already done.'
Blair turned to her, an angry retort on her lips, but Renee Savard met her eyes calmly, a soothing certainty in her gaze.
'You're sure?' Blair asked quietly. She had moved back to Cam's side and without realizing it had rested her hand on the back of Cam's neck. She ran her fingers gently through the dark strands of hair, caressing her softly.
'Yes, ma'am, I am.'
If Savard noticed Blair's actions, she gave no sign of it.
'I just need to lie down for an hour or so,' Cam insisted, feeling better now that the pain was starting to abate.
Blair removed her hand and took a step away. 'Will you see that she does, please,' she asked Savard, her tone dull with resignation. She wanted to stay with her, and knew that she couldn't. Not here, not under these circumstances. It was agony to leave her.
Savard's voice was gentle with sympathy when she answered, 'I will, Ms. Powell. You needn't worry.'
Blair studied Renee Savard closely for a moment, then looked at Cam. 'For once, Commander, let someone take care of you.'
Mac was on the sofa, looking exhausted, when Savard returned to the room. He asked quietly, 'Is she okay?'
Savard sank down on the couch next to him and blew out a deep breath. 'She's got to be hurting like hell, but it's nothing that won't heal.'
They regarded one another cautiously, each trying to judge the other's frame of mind. They were on opposite teams, in a manner of speaking, and had only been working together a few days. A few days that felt like a century.
Finally, Mac said, 'Do you have any idea what that was all about?'
Savard chose her words carefully, aware of the fact that she was only on temporary loan to the Secret Service, and that ultimately she would have to survive within the hierarchy of the FBI. On the other hand, she would never defend someone like Patrick Doyle, even if it did mean risking her career. 'Special Agent in Charge Doyle does not confide in me, Agent Phillips,' she said quietly.
Mac waited.
'However,' Savard continued, 'speaking only as an observer, I would say the man has a hard-on for her.'
Mac blinked, then grinned broadly. 'Well then, he's going to wait a long time for a little relief.'
'I'd say that's the truth,' Savard said, grinning back. Then, she added seriously, 'I don't know what's going on with him. At first I thought it was just bureau politics. But it seems like it's more than that, and I don't know him well enough to speculate.'
Mac propped his feet up on the coffee table, suddenly aware of how very tired he was. 'It's bad enough that we have to worry about Egret. Now we have to worry about Doyle and the Commander.'
'I don't really think you have to worry about your commander, Mac,' Savard responded. 'She's a little torn up at the moment, but once she has her feet back under her, I'm sure she can handle him. She didn't get as far as she has by being pushed around by men who resented her position or her competence. I think we should all concentrate on catching Loverboy and let the Commander handle Doyle herself.'
Mac sighed in agreement. 'Sounds like a plan to me.'
'Have you seen Stark?' Savard asked casually.
'The last time I saw her she was talking to Lindsey Ryan in the kitchen.
Savard raised an eyebrow and stood. 'Was she now?'
Mac watched her walk away and wondered why he felt like he never really knew what was going on around him.
*
