SPOOKS ISN'T MINE, CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE AND NEITHER IS MOTHERCARE!
Harry had not taken his eyes off Ruth all afternoon. Seeing as she never looked anywhere near him anymore she had failed to notice. Beth and Dimitri certainly had.
"Something's happened."
"That's obvious, Beth, but what?"
"Do you know where he's been?" she asked.
"No. No meetings scheduled. Took too long for just a coffee and a sandwich," Dimitri speculated.
"He's not one for shopping and besides he came back with no bags." Beth knew that much. "Ruth's been shopping but it looks like she's put all her bags in one, so all we know is she went to Boots."
"Maybe they had a fight over the toothpicks," she glared at Dimitri.
"What's wrong with him? He hasn't moved for about two hours"
"No wait a minute, look" she paused, "He blinked."
They both looked at Harry.
It was true he hadn't moved. He couldn't remember if he'd actually breathed since seeing her in the street.
It had been three months. Three months since the snow.
Twelve weeks.
He couldn't think. He couldn't move.
Three months. Twelve weeks.
Mid afternoon Ruth got up to make a tea for herself, Beth and Dimitri, she didn't offer one to Harry. He watched her all the way past his office window and his eyes stayed fixed on where he had last seen her, waiting her return.
"What are you doing?" Dimitri whispered as Beth headed straight for Ruth's desk.
"Checking," she said and started rooting through Ruth's shopping bag, she didn't need to worry about Harry, he was still lost, looking after Ruth. After a few moments she froze. Dimitri wondered if it was catching and he'd be the next one to be immobilized.
"What?"
Beth said nothing but stood up slowly, her face fixed, holding up a yellow and white outfit. It had a hood, and press studs up the front and tiny ducks embroidered all over it.
It was contagious. Dimitri didn't move, he just stared.
Beth pulled herself together and pushed back the tiny outfit, rearranged the bag to how it was and silently sat back down. Ruth emerged with three mugs and handed them over as she passed. They nodded their thanks but no one spoke. Ruth sat down and went back to work. Three people stared, silent and still. She didn't notice.
"Ruth," he spoke quietly.
Dimitri and Beth were on high alert. Harry had moved. Not only that but he had moved to Ruth's desk.
She took her hands from her eyes, she'd been rubbing them and not seen him.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine," she said and the same, tired eyes returned to her screen.
"If you're feeling, you know, under the weather, or anything, then I'd rather you went home."
"Harry, I'm fine. Why would I go home?"
"I just thought.."
"Well, you don't need to."
There was that closed door again.
Harry walked back to his office and received sympathetic looks from Beth and Dimitri.
"See what you can find out tonight" Dimitri hissed when Harry had gone.
"I can't I'm out all night with friends."
"Cancel."
"No, Dimitri, if Ruth wants us to know she'll tell us in her own time, besides it's still early."
"Aargh, you think she is then!"
"I don't know. She might be. It was about three months ago when they were…."
"Right," he said, "that's it then."
Ruth went home. She put her bags down. She put the takeway down. She felt tired. All she wanted was a bath and a cup of tea. The water was hot and she didn't want to get out. As she relaxed her thoughts slipped to Harry, to his hands gently roaming her body, to his lips, soft and delicate, to the feel of …to the face in the window. She got out of the bath.
She warmed the takeway up, had her cup of tea and soon after went to bed.
Harry couldn't sleep.
He had come home and sat in his chair. He hadn't got around to eating. He hadn't actually got around to going to bed.
The next morning they were all on the Grid early. There seemed to be intel required from every direction at the moment from diplomatic leaks to Korean military action, as fast as they plugged one hole another seemed to appear. They were all sat in the morning briefing, including Alec who had just returned from Syria. Ruth was giving them an update on a Saudi Royal visit scheduled for later that week when she suddenly seemed to turn a little pale.
"Are you okay, Ruth?" said Harry, immediately concerned.
"Yes, fine." She continued for a minute more and then suddenly got up, "I'm sorry, I…."and hand clasped over her mouth she ran from the room.
Harry, Beth and Dimitri all sat and looked after her. Beth and Dimitri turned to each other and then caught Harry's eye. He had the very strange feeling that they were thinking the same thing as him.
"Is no one going to go and see if she's okay?" asked Alec.
"Yes, of course," said Beth and followed Ruth in the direction of the ladies.
"Is she okay?" asked Tariq, who along with Alec was not party to their speculations.
"It's probably just a bug," said Harry, he turned his gaze from the direction of the door and looked at Dimitri.
"Yeah, course it is," he agreed.
