Disclaimer. I do not own NCIS: New Orleans. All copyright belongs to the original writers, CBS and Belsevario productions. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred
1: Realisation
Dwayne splashed water on his face as he avoided looking at himself in the mirror above the bathroom sink. He had no reason to doubt what had happened, but it seemed like he and his team had been living in a nightmare for weeks. Hannah was being stalked, Tammy was being ostracised by her mother and family, Carter was trying to fill Christopher's shoes while Paton and Sebastian seemed to be on a self destruct drive. He knew Loretta and her boys were going through similar. The shooting of one of their own was still affecting them all, and now with Sonja back in the City as FBI liaison it seemed that the whole family was going through changes and difficulties they had never imagined.
"Penny for them?"
He turned to see his fiancé watching him. Rita looked as worried as he felt.
"Hey." He smiled slightly as she stepped into the bathroom. "You ok?"
"Yeah."
"You're worried."
"Am I that easy to read?"
"I know you Dwayne Pride." She rested her hand on his cheek. "I know you, remember. You are blaming yourself for all this."
"Christopher."
"Getting shot was not your fault." Her words were sharp, almost angry. "You cannot blame yourself for that sadistic madman with a gun."
"I should have been there."
"You cannot be everywhere at once. Christopher was an excellent officer. You know that." Her eyes held his as if challenging him to argue with her. "You know how good he is. And you know he would not want you to be acting as a nursemaid. We go on. We have to."
"I am going to go. See him." He paused. Rita smiled, her eyes softening.
"Good." She kissed him chastely. "I think that will be helpful for you both."
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Christopher stared at the television screen in the corner of his living room. He hated daytime television. It was banal and boring. He was also beginning to hate being stuck indoor. By nature Christopher LaSelle was a man of action. He needed to be out, doing something. He sighed, remembering fishing trips with his brother as young boys, days spent outside with his siblings and school friends, then the police, then NCIS. He was not a man to sit around indoors. Sighing he looked at the wheelchair next to the couch wondering if he could be that man again. Patton had a life filled with adventure and purpose. He smiled slightly, wondering how he was going to go about achieving the same. He touched the cross around his neck as he heard his partner call his name as she slammed the front door.
"Where there is a will." He smiled to himself as he picked up the mobile phone on the coffee table, pressing the speed dial for his friend. It was time Pride knew he was ready to get back to work.
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a/n shall I go on?