Impasse

32. Guardians

Em is waiting with a gurney and two other members of medical staff as Rome pulls up to the hospital's emergency entrance. Talay is also there, keeping his distance so the medical staff can work. Kai's body is completely limp as Rome lowers him onto the guerney.

"Where did you find him?" Clearly, Talay had filled Em in because she immediately begins her assessment, checking Kai's pulse and breathing.

"In OmniVentures' break room." Rome's hands are clenched so tight the muscles ache. "With Nail."

"Kai?" Em gently lifts one of Kai's eyelids and gets a whimper in response. "What was he given?"

"I don't know." Rome's jaw is as clenched as his hands. "But Nail put it in the coffee. Whatever it was hit Kai hard."

"I can see that." Em turns to the other medical personnel, saying something about an IV drip and other things Rome doesn't quite understand. "We'll have to run tests to figure out the proper antidote, but I'll make sure he's ok."

"Thank you." Rome forces the words out around the guilt searing through him. He'd promised to keep Kai safe, and that barely lasted a week. "He's allergic to alcohol, so be careful."

"I know," Em nods in acknowledgment. Her forehead wrinkles when she sees Rome's expression. "Hey, this is not your fault. Everyone concerned knows that."

Rome nods, throat tight, unable to take his eyes off Kai's slack face.. Em signals to the other personnel and Kai is wheeled into the emergency room, leaving Rome and Talay to follow when they're ready.

Talay comes up beside Rome. "Do you want me to ask if you're ok?"

Rome doesn't even try to smile. "What do you think?"

"That Kai's lucky you got to him in time. We can wait here until Em updates us on how he's doing. You hungry? The cafeteria menu here is pretty good." Talay puts a hand on Rome's shoulder as he sees the expression on the other man's face. "Rome, you did exactly what you were supposed to."

"Doesn't feel like it." But Rome doesn't shrug Talay's hand off. Just imagining the looks on Jet's and Mali's faces when they find out Rome broke his promise makes his insides twist up.

Talay's gaze drops to the folder in Rome's hand and they enter the hospital and walk down the hall. "What's that?"

"It's Kai's." Actually, Rome has forgotten he's holding it. "He had it in the room with him. We found concrete evidence of my uncle's fraud the other night. Kai was looking for more. I wouldn't be surprised if that's why he ended up—like that."

"Oh?" Talay's head jerks up. "Why is that?"

It takes the entire walk to the cafeteria and two additional cups of coffee before Rome has caught Talay up on everything he and Mali and Kai found. They've chosen a table in the corner so they won't be interrupted, and Talay takes a couple of minutes to process before he asks his first question.

"Does Jet know about any of this?"

Rome shakes his head. "Kai and Mali said they'd tell him, but I doubt they have yet."

"If what's in that folder is corroborating evidence of Chalam's slush fund, then we might have enough to get a search warrant." Talay extends a hand. "Can I see?"

Rome slides the folder across the table and Talay flips it open. Even reading it upside down, Rome knows what it is: OmniVentures public financial records. Talay was right, all they had to do was get this to Pepper and she could interpret what they needed.

Chalam had known that.

He had counted on that.

Which was why Kai had ended up in the hospital.