"Well, at least we found out what we needed to know about who fenced the stuff from the Brodkey's jewelry store heist," Skalany remarked reasonably.
"Yippee. You hosting the celebration, or am I?" Peter plopped down in his chair and shuffled papers aimlessly, wondering if Kacie had gotten the promised physical yet.
The brunette detective stood in front of his desk, hands on hips. "Come on, Partner, give. Something's been biting your butt all morning."
"Nothing!" he snapped, punching a button on his computer keyboard to bring it to life. "Just got a lot on my mind today."
"You wanna talk about it?" she offered.
He shook his head. "Nah. Nothing to talk about." As Skalany shrugged and strolled off to Kermit's office, he muttered under his breath, "Yet," and sat scowling at his computer monitor.
The desk phone rang, and he irritably snatched up the receiver and snapped, "101st Precinct, Caine here...Kacie? Whoa-whoa-whoa. Slow down...Honey? Why are you crying?" His face drained of all color. "Come to the hospital?...Sweetheart, please don't cry...I can't understand what you're saying...Listen to me...Listen to me...I'm on my way." He got to his feet, still talking on the phone. "Where will you be?...Radiology?...All right. All right. I'm on my way...I'll be there in a few minutes." His voice cracked. "I love you."
He threw the receiver in the general direction of the phone base as he raced from the squad room. {Oh, Sweet Jesus. I knew it. I knew in my gut there was something wrong with her.}
Skalany and Kermit peered out of Kermit's office in time to see Peter's back disappearing from the squad room and down the stairs.
"What was THAT all about?" Kermit asked, hanging up the telephone on Peter's desk and staring after his friend contemplatively.
"He's been on edge all morning," Skalany mused. "Something's got him worried. That phone call must've had something to do with what's been eating him."
Kermit scratched his head thoughtfully. "Judging by the way he lit out of here, it either has to do with Kacie or his father. And since his father doesn't normally use the phone, it must be Kacie."
Skalany shook her head. "Ya ever notice how trouble just seems attracted to Peter?"
"Yeah, well, let's hope this time he's worrying over nothing," Kermit said unconvincingly.
"That would be easier to do if it weren't for the fact that we're talking about Peter here." She shared a look with Kermit. "Now, how do we cover his ass when Captain Simms asks where he is?"
By the time he reached the sixth floor, where Kacie had said to meet her, he was frantic. His overactive imagination had come up with an endless list of terminal diseases, and he felt certain his wife was dying from one of them. Stopping at the nurse's station, he asked hoarsely, "Katherine Caine? Somewhere in radiology?"
The woman gave him a coolly professional smile and looked at the appointment chart lying on the desk in front of her. Gesturing down the hall, she pointed out, "Second door on your left."
He knocked twice on the door and opened it without waiting for a reply, to find Kacie sitting on an examination table, dressed in a hospital gown. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sniffled at the doctor facing her. "You're sure? There's no chance at all you could be wrong about this?"
"I'm absolutely certain, Kacie," the doctor said firmly. "I AM the specialist here."
Peter took one look at his teary-eyed wife and felt his heart sink through the floor. "What is it?" he choked fearfully.
Both Kacie and the doctor swiveled their heads in the direction of the white-faced detective, noticing him for the first time.
"What is it?" he demanded again, unable to move, even as he felt the room start to spin and his legs turn to rubber.
Dr. Albin swiftly grabbed Peter by the arm and sat him down in a chair. "Head down between your knees," he commanded. Keeping a firm hand on Peter's arm, he stared at Kacie. "Didn't you tell him why you're here?"
She looked startled. "No, I didn't want to tell him over the phone."
Albin rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated growl. "Well, Kacie! Look at him! Tell him what's going on before he passes out on my floor!"
Kacie gasped as the realization struck her that her cryptic and emotional phone call had totally terrified Peter. Sliding from the table, she kneeled before him, placing her hands on his knees. "Oh, Honey, I'm sorry. I'm all right. I'm not sick. There's nothing wrong with me."
Peter drew a strangled breath as faint color returned to his face. Putting his trembling hands on her shoulders, he stared at her with frightened eyes. "Then what are we doing in radiology?"