Another prompt from #notmoreflippingelves, "Jean comforting a sad James Hathaway."
Goodbyes Are Hard
…
Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent came in to the office shared by DS James Hathaway and DI Robbie Lewis, a strange look on her face when she only saw Robbie sitting at his desk. Any other day James would be the first one there, even before herself.
"Ma'am?"
"No James today?" She asked, looking at her watch.
"Eh, no Ma'am…phoned in sick."
"He phoned in sick?"
Jean saw the odd look on Robbie's face as he lied to her, his face evident of wrong doing.
"Where is he Robbie, really?"
"He doesn't want a fuss?"
Jean came further in to the office, closing the door behind her, before she took a seat across from her DI.
"A fuss about what? What's going on?"
"Someone close to him, they died last night?"
"I wasn't aware James had any family left, any that he spoke too."
"Apparently this man Simon, he and James we close friends when they were younger, I don't know much more but going by his tone on the phone, he seemed pretty upset."
"I see, well…will you be alright on your own today or do you need another body?"
"There's no big case on right now, I thought I'd just get caught up on me' paperwork, if that's okay with you Ma'am."
"Yes of course, you'll let me know how James is, yes?"
"Of course Ma'am."
"Good, well…I'll let you get on."
…
The rest of the day passed in a haze as Jean attended meeting after meeting with her bosses, as Jean walked back in to the building, she went past Robbie's office to see him still at his desk, the small desk light on.
"Robbie, I thought you'd be off by now?"
"Nearly Ma'am, just one left."
"How's today been?"
"Pretty quiet, boring on me' own."
"Will he be back tomorrow do you know?"
"I did message him but all I got was that he was okay, I said I'd go around but he said he just wanted to be on his own."
Jean saw the worried look on Robbie's face as he looked back at her.
"You don't believe him?"
"You know what he's like Ma'am, he hides behind a mask a lot of the time. I would go around but after he said not too, well Laura invited me our for a drink, can't very well stand her up now, or maybe I should?"
"No, you go and enjoy yourself. I'm not busy tonight, I'll go and pop in on him."
"You Ma'am?"
"Why, not a god idea?"
"Well no it's just…"
"What, not a good idea for his boss to be taking an interest in his welfare?"
"That's not what I meant Ma'am."
"I do care, and I know he can be stubborn, perhaps talking to someone he's not as close to, like yourself, might be what he needs."
"If you don't mind Ma'am, I'd certainly appreciate it."
"Think nothing of it, have a good evening with Laura, won't you."
"You'll let me know how he is?"
"I'll message you later."
"Thank you Ma'am."
"Night Robbie."
"Night Ma'am." He smiled.
…
James was sitting on the floor against the couch, music playing in the background as he stared at the photo in his hand, a bottle of beer by his side, he closed his eyes as his mind drifted back to when James and Simon would play cops and robbers outside the auto parts shop that Simon's father owns, rows of old cars lying around for them to hide in from one another. James eyes shot open when he heard someone knocking at the front door, thinking to himself that Robbie decided against his instructions not to come around. Getting to his feet, knocking over the half bottle of beer that had been beside him as he went.
"Oh shit." He muttered to himself as he went to answer the door.
Visitors were the last thing James felt like right now, all he wanted was peace and quiet to deal with his grief.
"Robbie I told you I…Ma'am?"
James looked at the figure standing before him, seeing a smartly dressed Jean Innocent standing in front of him.
"Hello James." She smiled towards him.
"Sorry I…I thought it was Robbie."
"Well he wanted to be here but he got busy."
"I already told him I didn't need him here."
"May I come in?"
James nodded as he stood aside to allow Jean inside, closing the door and following her through to the front room.
Jean was about to sit down but stopped when she saw the spillage on the floor.
"What happened here then?" She asked.
James followed her gaze, completely forgetting about the beer.
"Oh I em, forgot it was beside me."
James disappeared, returning quickly with some kitchen roll and wiping up the mess, watching Jean closely as she sat down.
"A drink Ma'am?"
"Wine if you have any?"
"Sure, won't be a minute."
As James went to the kitchen, Jean saw the photo lying on the floor, bending down to pick it up, seeing to young men, around eighteen years old, standing outside a pub, both smiling. James came back through to see Jean holding the photo.
"Your wine Ma'am."
Jean looked up, taking the glass of white from him, a smile on her face.
"Thank you James, and it's Jean now…we're not at work."
James sat down beside her, silence in the room for a moment as Jean took a sip of her wine.
"Robbie told me about your friend, I'm so very sorry for your loss."
James lifted his head, seeing that she was still holding the photo in her hand.
"His name was Simon, we were best friends."
"What happened to him, Robbie didn't say?"
"Car crash, other drivers fault, they were speeding."
"How old was he?"
"Thirty-six."
James went quiet, his head falling when his voice cracked. Jean placed her glass on the table, before her hand came to rest on James back. She passed his photo back to him before she spoke again.
"When was this picture taken then?"
"Our eighteenth, our first pub crawl, god we were so ill the next day. We both said we were never drinking again, that lasted until the following week." He joked a little.
"I must say, you really suit the hat."
James started to laugh, as Jean joined him. Jean stopped when she realised that James laughter had turned in to tears as she felt his body shake beside her, Jeans arm going around him as she felt him lay his head against her chest.
"I'm so sorry James, I really am." She spoke softly.
"It's just…so unfair, he didn't deserve this."
"Nobody deserves this, I know."
"Why did you come here tonight?" He asked as he looked up at her.
Jean saw such a vulnerability in James in that moment, something she very rarely saw and it broke her heart to see it.
"I came because I care, I'd like to think we're friends as well as colleagues."
"I didn't think I wanted anyone with me tonight, I was wrong."
"I know you're not one to ask for help, that's why I came."
James smiled a little towards her, as he took her hand.
"Thank you for being coming, for being a friend."
"We're always here for you, always."
James began to cry again as Jean allowed him to hold her tightly, letting his grief flow.
…
-Fin