Detective Sergeant James Hathaway peered more closely at his computer screen. He was having a difficult time concentrating because of the various throat clearings, sniffles, coughs, and other sounds of illness emanating from the other side of the office. He finally resigned himself to getting something else done. Hathaway picked up a stack of forms and reached for a pen. But the cup that should have been holding several was empty. Instead, a few pens were scattered across his desk. Six more were strewn across the desk of his partner and office-mate, Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis.
It peeved Hathaway that something as simple as putting things back where they belonged seemed to elude the senior officer.
"Sir, have you been borrowing my pens again?"
"Sorry, Hathaway. I didn't realize there were 'your' pens and 'my' pens. In my ignorance, I thought there were only 'our' pens." He scooped up most of the ones on his desk and dropped them into the cup.
Hathaway was horrified. "Sir, I am not interested in contracting whatever virus or bacterium you are entertaining these days." He dabbed his fingers with the hand sanitizer sitting on his desk, applied more to a tissue, and proceeded to wipe down the newly-returned pens, as well as those he picked up from his own desk.
"It's just a cold. And I'm almost over it."
"When I'm concentrating on a case, I find it very distracting to have to hunt for something to write with."
"Sorry." Lewis made a face when Hathaway wasn't looking. "You need to learn how to tolerate a little disorder in your life, Hathaway."
"While I recognize that you have considerable expertise in disorder, Sir, I must respectfully disagree. I don't think there's a need for any more of it in my life than I already endure."
Lewis had to smile to himself. Having raised two children and shared his home with at least one other person for nearly all his adult life, he knew the value of adaptability. And he recognized that it was something his sergeant sorely lacked.
"Not keen on surprises, then?"
"It's not a moral shortcoming, as you seem to imply."
"No, no. Only, I'll have to cancel the stripper I booked for your next birthday party."
Alarm flooded Hathaway's face for a second before he realized Lewis was grinning fiendishly at him. "Very funny, Sir. Anyway, I'm not sure you'll be invited."
* * *