A/N: Heeeeey, so I was feeling rather antsy and muse-less. So, A prompt generator lead me to this. Hope you like my little one-shot.
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOOoO
Annie ran her fingers over the keys, imagining his gentle tap- tap-tapping upon them. The braille reader lay inert; all the indecipherable letters withdrawn into their cave below the board. She wondered where he was, why he wasn't sitting in his chair, leaning back and smiling like he did every day. It was as if the light had disappeared from this place.
She looked around the rest of the office. People were acting as if everything was fine. Normalcy restored, at least to the naked eye. How could this be? How could anyone function without him? She looked down at her shoes, those kitten heels he adored. She watched them transport her to his chair and set her there.
Her head came to be cradled in her palms, hair covering her face like a shroud of golden thread. Within her contrived womb, she cried.
It wasn't fair.
Who said that it was okay for him to go in there, alone? Who said that a blind man could go into the field? Who? Because, it was her recollection that he was "quote/unquote Not sanctioned for field work." At first, when she had heard Joan utter those words for the first time, she had felt pity for Auggie. Why shouldn't he get to go out into the field, like her? With another agent, he could have fared well. And he did, especially with her at DataTech. She supposed it was a double-edged sword. Wanting him in the field was a rose-tinted notion, as now he was lost-truly lost- out there. Contact broken for a week now, no way of getting home.
Who said okay to this?
Where was August Anderson?
Joan had teams out looking, but she too was beginning to lose hope. Arthur was horrified with the notion he might have to fire his wife for such dangerous tactics, and then wondered how long before those higher up than he would put Jai Wilcox in his place. Jai sat around, biting his thumb and jiggling his knee, mildly regretting the not-so-playful banter between them for the past few months. And Annie, well her state: inconsolable. She couldn't go home to Danielle without having to lie about her mood again. So, she had slept at Auggie's. As much as it had pained her to break his window latch, sleeping on his bed and longing for his return was better than facing her overbearing, if not well-meaning sister.
Annie looked up at Auggie's computer screen, the dancing photos of Mingus and their times at the bar making her laugh. What a blind man, keeping things he couldn't see. Just the knowledge alone, he had said, makes it worth having.
Silly Auggie.
Missing Auggie.
Lost Auggie.
Ou est Auggie?
Qui es Auggie?
Annie stood up and walked out of his office and towards her desk. Taking car keys and wallet from the top drawer, she informed Joan that she needed to take a day or so off. The woman, her face drawn, merely nodded at she looked out the window. Annie jumped into her car and took the long way to Auggie's. Creeping in through the window, she moved into the kitchen. She smiled weakly at his refrigerator. Bachelor Pad Bare. Taking a cheese stick from the dairy drawer, she peeled away it's plastic and started stripping strings off to drop into her mouth.
She crawled into his bed, kicking off her shoes in the process. They hit the hardwood with earth-shattering clarity, making her catatonic mind jostle ever so slightly. Curling up in his scent, she let the sheets lull her into worthless dreams. Dreams the were black. Dreams that-
Riiiiiiing!
"Walker." She stated, flipping the phone open.
"Annie-we found him." Joan's voice was strained but the relief was evident.
"Is he alright!" she asked, voice pitching up in fear. Joan made a noise, neither good nor bad.
"Annie, get to the hospital. They'll let you in to see him now that he's in recovery." Annie hung up the phone and snatching up her shoes, she raced through D.C.'s streets. The nurse had no face, nor the people around her. She was too focused on Auggie. Room 6572, right hand side, you can't miss it. That's what the faceless nurse had said. Annie pushed the door open, wishing that for once, she was blind. She didn't want to see the damage. She wanted Auggie's image immortalized the way it had been. The way she met him.
He lay quietly, eyes closed. His breathing was even and tranquil. Bruising surrounded his left eye, but the browning around the edges made her believe that it had been healing for quite some time. One leg elevated and plastered to high-heaven, Annie whimpered at the sight of it. Besides the presence of a few scrapes and cuts, this broken appendage seemed to be his worst ailment. Annie moved to the visitor's chair by the window and sat down. The harsh lighting above his head made the angles of his face look extremely defined; his cheeks appeared too sallow. She touched his hand, gingerly avoiding the I.V. He smiled gently.
"Well, Annie," he spoke softly, his voice thick with sleep, " you came."
"Where did you go….?" she sobbed, head drooping down towards her lap. Auggie's sightless eyes opened, searching the ceiling for her face. A face he'd never seen. A face he cherished more than anything.
"I'd rather not talk about it now… "
"Auggie….Don't you ever go back into the field again." She said after a time, turning down Jeopardy.
"After this, I don't think I'll be allowed to. Joan is going to get into a lot of trouble for my mistake. The least I can do is be a good boy and stay behind my desk."
"August Anderson, I am being deathly serious. I was so desperately lost without you…" Auggie's head leaned sideways on the pillow, smiling softly at her tear-streaked face.
"I have that effect on people. Comes with the genius card." His wink did not amuse her. She lightly tapped his cheek and he pretended to sob like a cartoon character.
"Auggie… "
"Hmmmm?"
"I'm sorry you're hurt."
"I've seen worse." He joked, running a hand through his hair. She followed it, touching his cheek softly. Cautiously, she leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. After a sharp intake of breath, he responded in kind.
" I should get kidnapped more often."
"I'll murder you, do you hear?" She deadpanned. Auggie laughed, lacing his fingers with her.
"It's good to be back….I promise I'll tell you…when I can," he sighed with contentment. Annie nodded, turning up the Daily Double.
"I don't care. As long as you're here with me, I don't care where you've been. You're here now."
"Fair enough." Annie leaned her head onto his shoulder. She tell him about the window eventually and he would tell her how he had gotten to be laid up like this. For right now, after being so long without him, all she wanted was to watch Jeopardy and share his hospital Jello. Nothing More. Nothing Less.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoO
The End!
DeMuerte