Into the night
A streak of light leads you into the living room. He sits on the couch, disheveled and weary-eyed, hunched over an empty slump down next to him.
There are days that just should end, and this is one of them. Were it tomorrow, it'd already be an ounce easier to breathe. But the night lies ahead.
At length he utters the words that have underscored all your thoughts the past week:
"Coop deserved better."
"He did." But you know the evil out there never stopped for good deeds. If it did, Agent Cooper wouldn't be locked up in a Seattle mental ward. Harry wouldn't be hiding in here, stricken. Josie… All that's for certain is the impression she left on him and the dirt Cooper dug up on her. Her death didn't give any chance to make amends. But she never acted out of pure malice; you've seen enough of that to tell the difference.
Margaret said it would be near-impossible to save Cooper. But with both her and Albert in his corner, you hoped, for Harry's sake. And at first it seemed to work. Cooper woke up, blinked at the people round him, at Albert who'd stooped to check his pulse. Began to say something.
Next thing you know you had to wrestle him down so he wouldn't bite Albert's nose off. BOB laughed in your facesuntil the sedatives set in.
"I feel rotten for thinking it…" Harry's eyes are dark and blank like winter windows. "But I wish Coop had died right quick instead. Wouldn't have to think he's still in there somewhere and knows-" He cuts himself off as if the words burn his throat, swallows hard.
There's nothing comforting to sayabout Cooper's fate that will ring true. The knowledge that you did all you could - the only thing left to do – hangs heavy in the air.
"I felt the same way when my aunt got dementia."
His eyes soften a fraction,but there's still something weighing on his mind. You realize what when he presses the brass badge into your palm.
"Harry."
"Keep it. I can't do this anymore." His gaze is pleading when it flicks up to meet yours. "You'll make a good Sheriff."
Never expected him of all people to give up. "Harry, don't let this get you down for good."
"I won't, Hawk. I won't-"
The words swerve into a sob. He ducks his head down as many more follow, quiet and muffled. "Sorry. Must be the booze…" His shoulders shake with the effort to fight back a cry of grief. You reach out and wrap him in a bear hug, to lend him whatever strength you can.
At last he slumps, drained. When you draw back he clutches at your wrist.
"Don't go. Please."
He needn't ask more.
It's near two in the morning when you settle in one of the guest room's vacant, but you want to linger nearby. Harry's burrowed under a blanket on the couch,drifting intoa doze that is still interrupted byshivering, hitched breaths.
You tuck the badge into your breast pocket. It will be a long time before he's back on track,and there's no way or need to rush it. Yet you'redetermined tosee that day. He needs someone now, when defeat weighs heavy on him and it seems easy to withdraw from the world.
Sleep comes as mild and gentle as morning mist.
A/N: Based on this prompt over at damnfinekink on LJ: "Josie's gone. Coop's body's still moving but Harry knows something isn't right. When all hope is gone, Hawk helps Harry move his penis ."
Obviously my fill ended up being quite different from the prompt. OP, if you're reading this I still hope you like it, even though it's not very long or smutty.
Big and special thanks to urbandirt for beta-ing :).