Title: Blood Relatives
Author: Roth
Rating: PG 13
Spoilers: Rampage, Sniper Zero
Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs and neither do you. We don't have a problem so please don't sue.
Summary: Don's thought after the shooting at the office. (Don POV)
Note: I normally don't do tags to episodes or first person stories, but I just loved this episode too much. I was originally considering doing these type of thoughts for four parts of the episodes (The parts where I thought they would work best), and when people thought I should continue it, I decided I would. There are four parts all together, and then, there will be no more. Thanx to my dad for doing a last minute beta. I hope you enjoy.
Shattered
Chapter One: Lucky
"Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am alright, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong." Jane Austen
I sometimes hate it when my dad is right. I mean, there are sometimes when it's okay and doesn't bother me, like when we have a bet on a game or something, but there are times when I just wish he was completely wrong, a full 180. Like, when he talks about my job being too dangerous, or about how my personal relationships never go anywher,e or how I don't come over and visit enough. That stuff bothers me.
The thing that I hate him being right about most, however, is Charlie and me. I know my dad has spent way more time with him than I have and knows his likes, dislikes, hobbies, almost everything better, but Hell, I'm his big brother. Can't I be right every now and then? Of Course, maybe I shouldn't talk. I could have made a little more effort.
I guess I really got started thinking about Charlie and how my dad is always right about things when we were working on that sniper case. I mean at first, I didn't think much of what my dad said about my job and putting Charlie in danger, but God, I felt my heart stop when I saw David and Charlie show up at the scene, and it didn't start beating again until I saw David push him out of the way and the glass of that car window break. As much as I didn't want to, I was going to tell Dad he was right when I went over to Charlie's house, but in the end, I just couldn't tell him that I nearly got Charlie killed. Now, I've started thinking about it again.
Charlie was down at the office because of this sexual offender case we needed help on. He was explaining his problem to me as best as he could when the shot came. I heard the glass of the window break and then I saw the bullet hole in the board Charlie was using. I threw him to the floor in a split second, shouting at him to get down as I loudly as I could. Like me shouting was gonna stop a bullet.
I was already in "agent mode" as I was getting back to my feet and drawing my gun. I didn't even cast Charlie a second glance as I hurried out of the room trying to avoid the bullets; all I said was stay down. The entire thing went fast for me, but I can't imagine how long it must have seemed for Charlie. I was doing my job; Charlie was just there to try and help me.
Even after it was all over and we were putting the shooter in cuffs, I wasn't really able to process what the Hell had just happened; I still had things as an agent I had to do.
"Who's hit? Who's down!" I shouted hoping to get an answer of no one.
"He's still breathing," Colby told me as he checked over the shooter.
I nodded as I continued to look around the office trying to see if anyone was hurt; that's when I finally saw Charlie. He was walking out of the war room hugging his laptop in front of his chest and looking around the office blankly. It felt like ice had dropped into my stomach.
"Hey," I said as I hurried over to him. "Are you alright?" He didn't answer and simply turned to watch a person who had just walked by which made me even more nervous. "Did you get hit?" I pulled the laptop away from him trying to see if he was okay.
"Huh?" muttered Charlie as he tried to see what I was doing.
"Let me see." I tried to pull his hands away, but he started to push them off.
"No, no, no!" he said, trying to pull away.
"You sure you okay?" I asked as I finally let go.
"I'm okay!" he said loudly. Then he did the thing that probably scared me more than the shooting did; he gave me that empty smile trying to convince me he was fine. It was then I knew he wasn't, but I didn't push it. Megan had walked over to us all just hanging up her phone.
"S.W.A.T.'s mobilizing, the paramedics are on their way. I've got two bullet wounds; they're both minor and some cuts from the glass," she explained quickly.
"That's it?" I asked hopefully.
"No," I heard David reply; Megan and I both turned toward him. "Whoever this guy is, I think he got who he came for." I looked in the interrogation room to see our suspect lying dead on the floor with a bullet wound in his head.
Later, when the office had been emptied and Megan had filled me in on how are shooter had disarmed another agent, I saw Charlie leaning against the building just watching people; he was still hugging that laptop.
"Hey, Charlie," I said as I started to walk over to him. "Hey. How you doing? Are you alright?" I poked his arm slightly, and he turned toward me.
"I'm fine," he said quickly and quietly. "I'm fine. How is everybody?" He looked away from me quickly and then back.
"Well, you know, I mean...Look, all things considered, I'd say we got off lucky." I just sorta shrugged wishing that could make everything better.
"Lucky." I hated the way he said it almost like it was a curse. "He nearly killed all of us- I don't see how you get up and deal with this everyday." That look in his eyes was almost as bad as how he said lucky.
"Eh, you know. I don't get shot at everyday." I let out a small laugh to release some of my stress which I realized a second too late might have been a bad idea. "Come on. I'll buy you some coffee."
Charlie quickly shook his head. "No, I gotta go. I should get back to school. I should get some work done." He walked away without another word just one more scared glance at me as he hugged his laptop tighter like that thing was gonna protect him.
That look in Charlie's eyes was one of the reasons I wish my dad was wrong more often about Charlie and my job. We had gotten off lucky this time, like we had the last time, but that doesn't make it better. I don't want to have to rely on luck to protect my little brother when he's around me, cause luck runs out. Like, my luck had run out on keeping the danger Charlie was in from my dad; this was gonna be all over the news by six.
Still, that look in Charlie's eyes bothers me. It was different from the sniper case or the bank one. I mean, Charlie was shell-shocked.; I would be too if I had been in that situation, but still, it was different. He looked uncomfortable, like he was scared to be there anymore like he was scared to be around me. I'm probably looking way too deep in this, but I just wish Dad would have been wrong. Maybe then Charlie would never have gotten that look in his eyes.
XVIIIIV
TBC
