Harry and Leo walked into the office space that Harry and their colleague Dr Nikki Alexander shared engrossed in discussing the latest case and the similarities it bore to a case they had worked on together with Professor Sam Ryan many years ago, before Nikki even joined the team. As they finished talking Leo looked up and saw a pale almost grey tinged Nikki.
"Morning Nikki, Oh Are you ok? You look very pale ...if you are ill Harry and I can handle the workload today … you can just catch up on paperwork or head home ..." Leo asked the young woman concernedly. He saw her as a daughter and after more than seven years of knowing her could tell something was wrong with her.
"I'm just overtired and not feeling quite myself but I'm not ill I will be fine…. thank you though Leo …."Nikki replied gently, inwardly sighing she clearly hadn't layered the make-up on well enough this morning.
"Not a problem Nikki and you know I'm around if you want to talk and Janet's not on a case either at the moment if you want to chat to her you could just call. I'm in the office doing paperwork unless we get called for a PM catch up on paperwork ok... that means you too Dr Cunningham" He smiled gently at Nikki and jokingly glared at Harry before leaving.
"Coffee Nik..." Harry asked his colleague, and best friend.
"No thanks I think that might set off my stomach … it can when I'm not feeling one hundred percent. Neither of us want to deal with that..." she said glancing up at him trying, and failing, to inject some of their normal light and laughter into the conversation.
He saw the deep sadness resonating in her eyes and mentally scanned the calendar to see if it was an important date in her family history. Her mess of a family was the only thig outside of physical pain that would ordinarily sadden his friend , but even that rarely caused this sort or shadow in her eyes. To the best of Harry's knowledge there was no event in her past causing the shadow and that made his desperate desire to take away the pain he could see much harder to fulfil, he couldn't take away what he did not understand.
"Nikki what happened over the weekend … you seem so sad. Actually its beyond that...ok I am as ever being a nosey idiot and you don't have to tell me but like Leo and Janet, I'm here whenever, wherever you need me ok …."He added a silent However she needed him to his speech. Nikki was his best friend , had been for years and he would do anything for her that she needed of him. Legal or otherwise, whatever it cost.
Nikki bit her lip and blinked fighting the tears that threatened to fall. Harry crossed to her immediately crouching and holding her in a gentle hug. Nikki so rarely cried and he knew she hated to let the tars fall in front of anyone so Harry simply held her to him letting her compose herself and even unaware of why she was crying fighting to control his own emotions.
"I don't …... not here …. can we take a walk please ….." she asked her voice shaking slightly.
"Of course I'll tell Leo we're heading out OK ….." Harry said stepping back and heading to Leo's office.
"Leo … Nikki .. she's really upset and she wants to talk to me … but not here …. we're going to tak a walk … I have my mobile."
"OK... I will call if you are needed and this doesn't get you two out of paperwork" Leo joked
"Somehow I didn't think it would!" Harry sighed sarcastically
Harry and Nikki left the Lyell centre and walked to a nearby park which to Nikki and Harry's pleasure was practically deserted. They headed for a quiet bench and sat silent for a few moments
"You can tell me anything you know that Nikki, I'm here for you and I wont judge …. I haven't got the right to...no-one does really but least of all me"
"It's not … I'm just ...I'm scared you might over react... and …... I don't want you to think less of me"
"What happened Nik …?"