Title: The Quiz Show
Chapter One: What are you going to tell her?
Rating: T. Some suggestive scenes, nothing explicit, you know me already.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Crossing Jordan.
Summary: After the crash, some new events had taken their toll on Jordan. Shadows of the past and of the future threaten her. Woody is by her side this time in so many ways, but will that be enough?
Acknowledgment: to Amélie as always. Thanks girl!
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Let's The Quiz Show begin!
The Quiz Show
Chapter 1: What are you going to tell her?
"Woody, I don't know what's gonna happen up here. But, uh, there's something I have to say. Just so you know, uh…" Jordan took a deep breath…"I love you." Woody's heart jumped and began to beat faster; this wasn't what he had anticipated. What had he been expecting? She was his best friend, the best thing that ever happened to him and despite all those misunderstandings and all the things he had done to ruin their friendship, maybe she thought the same about him… or maybe she was going to tell him she was defeated. He had never expected this open declaration of love. The one he wanted so much and had given up a long time ago. He was thinking that the one who should be confessing his love for her was him. Why couldn't he? It was very likely they were going to die up there without food, and freezing, and with the transmitter that didn't work. "Jordan". He was going to try to do the same, to be as strong and honest as she was. But Jordan interrupted him, not wanting to be distracted from what she was determined to finally say, maybe this was her last chance. "I'm not asking for anything here. I just, you know. Uh, I just don't want it left unsaid. Feels like my whole life I've been so focused on death. You know, my Mom, my job and uh…I think I've…I've just been afraid of really living, you know." Woody couldn't stand it anymore; this was the only reason for living, for fighting to get out of there. He leaned in and kissed her sweetly, and with the new resolution of hope.
Woody was reflecting on that event, which seemed to have happened ages ago, looking trough the glass wall of the hospital room where Garret was, lying on a bed, fighting for his life. Since they had been rescued, Garret had had three surgeries; this time his liver didn't want to cooperate, they said something about hepatic vein thrombosis. If he was lucky, the damage could be repaired, if not, he had only one last option… a transplant. Jordan was beside Garret, not wanting to let him go, as if her own life were on it too. The air was rare. The lack of oxygen, the constricted space, the white walls and aseptic features were overwhelming. Woody had to get out of there immediately… and never to come back. He knew he had to be there for Jordan; she expected him to do so. But he couldn't. Even though he loved her with all his soul, he couldn't.
His phone rang, the dispatch requested him personally. This was his way out; he would tell Jordan later. Not even noticing, he began to walk fast, so fast that he was almost running. On his way out, he bumped into Nigel and Kate in the hospital corridor. That made him cringe. Nigel's arm was still in a sling, not having recovered from his injury yet.
"What's up, Woodrow? Watch out!"
Woody had to slow down. He made sure he hadn't hurt his friend, but he did it fast.
"Excuse me, Nige, did I hurt you?"
Nigel was staring at him, in an unpleasant way. Woody was acting strange. Since Garret had been hospitalized, he just came to visit him once… And now, which seemed to have been a fast one since he was leaving in a rush.
"Where do you think you're going? I thought you were here to be with Jordan during the surgery. You know Garret's surgery is today, don't you?"
Woody had to get out of there… he had: "Yes, Nigel, but there's something up at the precinct, they're requesting me to go" and not expecting an answer, Woody disappeared.
Nigel and Kate found Jordan in the waiting room, distressed. She seemed like she was searching for something, or possibly for someone.
"Are you looking for Woody?" Kate was being kind, which was something she did just for a few privileged people, Jordan one of them, and at very special times, this one of those.
"Have you seen him? He was here a minute ago, I only checked on Garret for a moment and now I can't find him."
Nigel was getting mad. He remembered the detective in a similar occasion, when he should have been by this lady's side, and he hadn't been… "We saw him leaving; he said they requested him at the precinct. It better be important because this is not the way to behave, love".
Jordan became sad. Her face said it all, her abandonment, her disappointment. "I'm pretty sure it is." But why, oh why, didn't he tell her what was going on?
Woody's mood turned even graver than before. He was approaching Beacon Hill, it wasn't a nice visit. He left Jordan without a notice… that bothered him, the outcome of the surgery was disturbing him too, but this… this was almost unbearable. And it had to happen on the same day… Garret's surgery and… How could planets be aligned like this? It was like a bad premonition.
He parked his car in front of this beautiful Victorian house. Police officers were everywhere you looked. He had never been here or met who he was going to see, but he thought he could recognize everything… and anybody.
Woody made his way into the house and climbed the stairs following the instructions that a uniformed officer gave him. He saw Bug at the end of the corridor, crouching over something… or, better said, someone. He dreaded to get there, but if he had to do this, he would rather do it fast.
"What do we have, Bug?"
Bug's frame of mind was puzzling for many people; you had to know him very well to be able to say if he was being sad, thoughtful, or just quiet and enjoying life. Woody knew him; after all these years, he knew him. His friend was troubled.
"One shot to the chest, a very accurate one… TOD like thirteen or fifteen hours ago…"
Woody was processing this information, writing everything down into his notebook, like he always did. His stance was worried… the events draining not only his body, but his soul as well.
"Looks like there wasn't a fight, nothing is out of place, the murderer must have known…" said Woody, after a quick eye inspection of the surroundings.
Bug's eyes turned sad… if you could see the sadness in his eyes, which was the same one like when he was reflecting over Maddie's toy keys after the crash, you'd know the situation they were facing now was a very gloomy.
"It can't be good for Jordan, this chain of events… the crash, Garret's surgery and now… this." Bug was thinking out loud, "Who is there at the hospital?" He asked Woody while he was picking up his instruments, preparing to leave.
"Jordan, and when I left, Nigel and Kate were arriving" answered the detective, with his eyes fixed on the body.
"Well, Woody, I'm on my way to the morgue with… her, and… I'm checking on Garret after that…" Bug seemed to have difficulties in taking a decision, but finally came with one.
Woody became aware of the next thing they had to face, and he didn't like it.
"Would you please not tell anything to Jordan yet? … First I have to do some police legwork, and when Garret's out, I'll tell her."
Something was not right about what Woody said, or was it about the way he said it?
"Aren't you coming to the hospital?" asked Bug, and Woody just shook his head. And then, Bug uttered something that only he could have made sound so calm: "What are you going to tell her? That her grandma has just been killed or that you are a jerk."