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"It's Peter." Blake and Skalany chorused, similar exasperated looks on their faces as they lingered at the coffeepot.
"He's been singing all morning," Skalany groused. "Jeez, I don't know which is worse: the way he's mooned around while Kacie's been gone or the way he's acting now since she's coming home today."
The subject of their discussion sauntered up to the trio with a jaunty step. "What's wrong, guys? It's a beautiful day today. You all look like you've been sucking on lemons."
"We've been listening to you sing for the past two hours, and we're about to lose our minds, Partner." Skalany shook her head and snorted in disgust.
Peter looked surprised. "I've been singing?" Three pairs of eyes stared at him accusingly. "Oh. Sorry. Guess I hadn't noticed."
"Well, we have, and, if you don't knock it off, I personally will install a mute button somewhere on your anatomy that you may not find particularly pleasant." Kermit glared at him over the top of his sunglasses. "We're tickled as hell for you that your woman is coming home today, but do you have to be so God damned cheerful?"
Shrugging his shoulders helplessly, Peter laughed. "Can't help it. There's been so little to be cheerful about for so long, it just keeps coming out. You want me to go back to acting like I was the past six days?"
Peter jumped as the entire squad room shouted a resounding, "No!"
"See?" he crowed. "You guys have all been outvoted." Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he went on, "Look at it this way: tomorrow's Friday and it's my weekend off, so you won't have to put up with me that much longer."
"When's her plane get in, Mr. Sunshine?" Skalany teased.
"Not until after five. She couldn't get a direct flight today, so she's taking a flight to Minneapolis, sitting through a three-hour layover, and then coming home. Mike is escorting her again, so I'm not too worried." He glanced up at the clock while taking a sip of his coffee. "As a matter of fact, her plane should be leaving any time and --" He broke off abruptly, face turning ashen as he doubled over.
Blake snatched the cup of coffee from his hand just as it started to spill, and Kermit rushed to grab his friend. "Peter, what's wrong?"
"Can't...breathe," Peter gasped, eyes bulging as he fought for air. "Heart...pounding. Don't know...what's...wrong."
Kermit carefully lowered Peter to the floor, and Skalany frantically fumbled for the phone to punch in 9-1-1. She spat the words, "This is Detective Skalany at the 101st Precinct. Officer down. We need an ambulance immediately for a thirty-year-old white male with shortness of breath and chest pain." She slammed down the receiver and knelt beside Peter, taking a cold and shaking hand in her own. "Help's on the way, Peter. You just hang in there, Partner."
He stared at her and wheezed, pressing his fist against his chest and curling into a ball.
Blake could watch no more. "I'll-I'll go downstairs and show the paramedics which floor we're on." He hurried away toward the stairs.
Kermit watched helplessly and muttered under his breath. "You come out of this, Peter, and I swear I'll never bitch about your singing again."
Just as the EMTs reached the top of the stairs, eyes searching for their patient, Peter abruptly uncurled and sat up. "It's-it's gone." He inhaled deeply and rubbed the heel of his hand across his chest. "The pain is gone. Doesn't hurt at all, and I can breathe just fine." He scrambled to his feet as his friends and colleagues watched in open-mouthed amazement. "I-I don't know what it was, but it's over."
"Please sit down, sir. My name is Don, and I'm a paramedic," a muscular black man with a deep, authoritative bass voice directed. "With symptoms like you had, you really should let us check you out."
"No, really, I'm fine," Peter insisted. He shook his head in amazement. "Jesus, I've never had anything like that happen before."
"Sit down, shut up, and let these guys take a look at you, Peter," Kermit ordered sternly. "I don't want to have to explain to Kacie how we let something happen to you on the very day she was coming home."
Peter shrugged and allowed his pulse and blood pressure to be taken as he answered the paramedic's questions.
After finishing his examination, Don stared in amazement at Peter. "I don't get it. From the symptoms described, I'd have sworn we'd have found a heart attack victim. I can't find anything wrong with you here in the field. It would be a good idea, though, for you to have a thorough exam from your own physician."
"Which one?" The words escaped Kermit's lips without thought. "Practically every physician in County General has dealt with him at one time or another."
A slow smile turned up the corners of Don's mouth. "You must be Peter Caine."
Peter's head whipped around at the man's pronouncement. "For crying out loud, I can't be the only cop in town who ends up in the hospital from time to time."
"You're the only one that has his own private entrance," Skalany joked, relief apparent on her features.
Peter rose to his feet, extending his hand to Don. "Thanks for coming so quickly. Sorry to have wasted your time."
"Hell, don't be sorry. I'd rather make a run like this any day than one that's an ADSD."
"ADSD?" Kermit looked puzzled. "What's that?"
"Already dead; stays dead," Don replied flatly with a sardonic grin. He rapidly stored his gear back in his jump kit. "Gotta get back to the bus."
Watching the paramedics until they left, Peter turned to his friends to find them still regarding him with some concern. "Hey, relax, guys. I don't know what it was, but it's over now."
"You sure you shouldn't see a doctor, Peter?" Skalany eyed him dubiously.
He grinned at her crookedly and pointed at the clock. "Nah. In about seven hours I'll be seeing my own private duty nurse. She'll take good care of me. I'm fine now, really." He stared at each face in turn and insisted, "Really. Now go away and let me get back to work and I promise I'll try to stop singing. Hey, it's OK if I whistle, isn't it?"
"Kwai Change Caine, what happened to you? Are you ill?"
Caine inhaled with a deep cleansing breath and exhaled slowly before speaking. "I...do not know. For a few minutes, I could not breathe, and I thought my heart would explode."
"Are you in pain?"
Shaking his head slowly, Caine said, "I feel fine now. I do not understand what happened to me, Master."
"Sit down, and I will examine you."
Caine obeyed, and after several minutes of careful scrutiny the Ancient pronounced, "I can find nothing wrong with you, my friend."
"Perhaps I am simply excited to know my family will be complete again." Caine shrugged one shoulder and smiled. "I know that my son will be of little use to his precinct today. Perhaps I will go to see him, so that the others may get their own work done."
"First we must have our walk in the community."
"You mean we must stop for our morning tea."
"Ah, my friend, you know me too well."
"I have had many years to do so, Master."
Lo Si cackled gleefully. "Many years. That is a good one."