Chapter 7 – Out In The Open
Hey guys! Two updates in a week you lucky people! Anyway please read on and enjoy, as always thanks to Vikki and Lauz and Kate for reviewing.
The next day Kerry was determined to make things normal again between Smithy and her. Her chat with Will last night had made her realise how many positives she had in her life right now. He had assumed that she was just experiencing some coming back to work blues and she hadn't corrected him but what he had said made sense anyway. Smithy and Kerry were still partnered together as Smithy was still showing Kerry the new procedures. However nothing that drastic had changed and even though Kerry had been in a coma for the last two years she had managed to memorise the way to the canteen immediately. She had also picked up the other new procedures quickly as Smithy had expected she would. Now he had nothing new to show her and the conversation had dried up. They were sitting at opposite computers both looking people up on CRIMMINT and writing reports for the DI.
Eventually it was Kerry that broke the silence, 'You would have thought that in two years the Met could have devised some amazing new system that meant no more paper work for us.'
'What like magical elves?' Smithy replied gruffly.
Kerry recoiled slightly, surprised at Smithy's hostility, she buried her head in the work again.
The seconds ticked by and turned into minutes, Kerry was desperately trying to think of something to say, anything to break the silence.
'So how's things with you and Rachel then?' inwardly she kicked herself. Anything except that. She desperately wanted to know of course but that was the kind of question Honey was here for. Kerry ducked her head again and braced herself for the oncoming explosion.
'Frankly that's none of your business PC Young.'
'Right, sorry,' Kerry said, relieved that she had got off lightly.
The whir of computers and the ticking of the clock once again became the only audible things in the room.
'Listen Smithy,' Kerry began, she wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say but she knew she had to say something. Surprisingly she was cut off.
'You gonna tell me about you and Will then?' His voice was forcibly civil.
'What?' was all Kerry could manage and it came out very loud and high, it felt as if Smithy has slapped her.
Outside Honey and Will were walking past but hearing Kerry's exclamation they stopped. Will made to enter the room but Honey grabbed him and pulled him down so that they were kneeling under the window.
'Oh come,' Smithy jeered. 'I know you Kerry are you trying to tell me that nothing happened? I saw him follow you out of the pub for crying out loud!'
Outside the window Honey looked at Will eyebrows raised. Will however was distracted by Lewis walking past, he cottoned on to what they were doing immediately and crouched down beside them. Emma who was following him was not so quick on the uptake however and stood outside the window looking down for a second before the others hurriedly pulled her down too.
'Who?' Lewis whispered.
'Smithy and Kerry,' replied Honey.
'Ooooh boy' said Lewis.
Luckily for those outside, the occupants of the room were too preoccupied to notice.
'You don't know me at all Smithy! I used to think you did but every thing's different now!'
Lewis caught a glimpse of Dan walking down an adjacent corridor and called out to him. He joined them.
'Don't try and dodge the question!' Smithy retorted, an infuriatingly smug look on his face.
Their voices were getting louder with ever sentence.
'Not that it's any of your business but for your information Will was very kind and sweet. I could talk to him and he listened, unlike you at the moment!'
Outside Will looked around at the little group now crowded on the floor under the window and pointed at himself. He mouthed the word 'me' as Kerry said the words 'kind and sweet'. Dan looked incredulous and Lewis threw a pretend punch at him which nearly caused him to topple over. Honey and Emma just smiled.
'Yeah right!
'Why do you even care anyway?'
'Because ...'
Kerry paused for a second. But then the anger overcame the shock, she couldn't believe Smithy could be so hypocritical. 'I don't believe you! You are the one that has gone off with someone else and you are trying to make me feel guilty!'
'Well what do you expect Kerry? You were in a coma for two years!'
'Man this is getting heated!' Lewis said as Leela joined them.
'How long have you been here?' she asked 'They probably want their privacy and what if Inspector Gold finds us?'
Everyone else just looked at her. It was Honey, the most experienced over-hearer who voiced everyones feelings and told Leela to shut up or bugger off.
'I don't know Smithy, I know that it's selfish and unreasonable but I did expect!'
'Two years Kerry! You have no idea how hard it was, suddenly you were just gone from my life! You were dead to me!'
Outside the room everyone flinched.
Kerry stopped. She raised her fist as if to punch him but battled with herself and stopped. Instead she whirled around and headed for the door.
Outside everyone realised where she was headed at the same time and all tried to get out of the way in different directions. They ended up in a big tangled pile on the floor as Kerry wrenched the door open. However the tears in her eyes and haste to get away meant she didn't notice them as she fled towards the locker room. She slammed the door behind her. The pile on the floor relaxed slightly, that was until Smithy opened the door. He couldn't fail to notice the mound of uniformed figures on the floor.
'You know what? You were right Honey. This floor is really shiny.' Will blurted out.
The rest of the pile groaned and Smithy turned and slammed the door.
Well what did you think? I know there are loads of you who have read this but haven't reviewed (there is a hit count on here that I have just found hehe) and I have now enabled anonymous review (which I didn't realise where disabled sorry hehe) so even if you are not a member please please please review whether you loved it or loathed it I would love to know what you thought.
bawbert xx
