#thomas is veridian

[martha-the-martian]

[id: a photo of various water colour swatches, ranging from blues to greens. They are labelled: grass green, sea green, malachite green, parrot green, viridian green, pea green, bice green, verdigris green, chromium green, Paris green, beryl green, sage green, and the bottom three are not labelled. End id]

Image from page 174 of “A nomenclature of colors for naturalists : and compendium of useful knowledge for ornithologists.” (1886)

[orionares]

Whumptober, Day 6

Whumptober, Day 6: "I've got a pulse"

The Rookie

--------------

This is a part 3 written for Whumptober.

Part 1 is here

Part 2 is here

-----------------

Elysian Valley, Los Angeles

Lucy slams the SUV door open and peers up at the abandoned four story building, once home to a Veridian Insurance, a doctor's office and a tattoo shop. As Nolan walks around the front of the SUV to meet her and additional units arrive, Lucy replays the information the LAPD’s found since receiving the text.

Veridian Insurance moved out of the building two years ago and has no employees with any red flags. 

The doctor's office closed down in 2018. 

Lucy flinches at Nolan's touch on her shoulder. She shakes off her haze and watches Angela lead a group of ESU officers towards them. Angela's attaching a radio to her hip when she reaches Lucy and Nolan. 

"Our focus is KC's Tattoo shop," Angela calls out to the group, "The tattoo shop was the last to leave the building but has- had an employee with a penchant for being hired for robberies, small jobs and thanks to him being a cocky bastard on his social media, he was hired for a job about three hours before Sergeant Bradford was taken."

"We have a picture?" Nolan asks.

"Yep." Angela holds up her cellphone and displays the face of a man of medium build with mousy brown hair and beady eyes. "Thomas Hamilton. We will have two teams, one taking the entrance in the back led by Nolan and the second through the front led by me. Any questions?"

"No," Lucy answers. She glances down to her watch and sees 26:02 on the stopwatch. "We've just passed twenty- six hours."

"Then let's go." Angela points to two of the ESU officers. "Vanderbilt and Comiskey with me and Wilson and Morrison with Officers Chen and Nolan. Be smart and radio for assistance if you need it. Let's go."

—----------------

After clearing the tattoo shop, Nolan and Lucy enter the old doctor's office. 

Lucy and Nolan follow the pair of ESU officers in the waiting room. The room, outside a layer of dust over the furniture, appears just as if the previous tenant had never left- chairs lining the wall, a coffee table set in front to sofa chairs and a mural covering the corner wall.

No sign of Tim.

Wilson and Morrison move in sync, one behind the other, as they walk towards the office door, open it and disappear into a long, dark hallway. 

"Hallway clear," Morrison radios after a minute. Lucy nods, aims her pistol and flashlight in front of her and walks into the hallway. Morrison and Wilson are waiting in front of the first door on the left. "We've got blood."

Lucy peers up at the dusty sign on the wall and reads exam room 1. She motions to both officers to prepare to breach. "Nolan, on your count."

"Three, two-" Nolan counts down in a whisper, "-one. Go."

Morrison pulls the door open and lets Wilson, Lucy and Nolan through the door. The exam room is dark and appears untouched like the others except for a large blue tarp on the floor in a corner of the room. 

"Wait, " Lucy steps closer towards the tarp and feels a chill run down her spine at the glimpse of brown boots peeking under the edge of the tarp. 

The same boots Tim wears. 

Nolan passes Lucy and tugs the tarp off, revealing a pale, bloodied and bruised Tim. Lucy fumbles for her radio and yells, "We need an ambulance here. We found him!"

Nolan looks up as he feels for a pulse during a long pause; tears are brimming in Lucy’s eyes when Nolan suddenly looks up to meet her eyes. “I’ve got a pulse. It’s faint but he’s alive, Lucy.” 

Lucy walks over and kneels near Tim's side.  She enlaces her fingers with his and feels her chest tighten at the cold touch. He’s frighteningly still to her, even as a person who’s not as vibrant or excitable as her. She holds his hand close to her body and begins to whisper, “Ambulance is almost here, Tim. It’s ok.”

Tim moans, eliciting a tearful sob from Lucy. Nolan’s hand on her shoulder keeps her from spiraling until Rosalind's voice appears in the back of her mind.

“And if he lives long enough, maybe you can grade the quality, Lucy.”

Lucy freezes at Rosalind’s voice, replaying the warning in the back of her mind. She’s slow to realize that she’s starting to tremble until Nolan scoots closer to her.  

“Luce-” He starts to say before she reaches out to lift the hem of Tim's shirt. Lifting his shirt reveals a dark bruise just above Tim's hip and when she lifts the shirt another inch, every ounce for her, every bit of worry that's fueled her for the last twenty-six hours immediately turns to anger.

Either Hamilton or Rosalind, Lucy doesn't really care who, had tattooed Tim. 

Not with a death date like her, but in big black letters- R.D

Rosalind's initials.