Thanks to the reviewers on the last chapter - Fashionista-girl, S, Suzy Q1068, DS2010, Guest, and a second Guest! As this is a smaller fandom, I definitely appreciate each and every comment! I am glad to have received so much support for the first bit of this story. I hope that you will all continue to enjoy. I do not know exactly how this is going to turn out in terms of discipline, but I think that it will be interesting for us to find out! (At least, I hope...!)
Virtual hugs to you all at this time of great anxiety and concern. I know that I am definitely going to be enjoying my CBS All Access streaming service a lot with the cut-off from society! So, hopefully there will be more stories and writing as I get time (however, my classes have all been transferred to online, so I still have a lot of work to do. Patience is appreciated!)
Now, enjoy!
...
"Cable? I need ... where's Cable?" Bull asked, stepping out of his office to look for the young tech expert who he needed for a task.
Marissa looked up from where she was standing next to a table, analyzing jury information. "She isn't here yet."
"Isn't here? She was supposed to be here what? Two hours ago? Where could she be at this time of ...?" He stopped his rant and his face went grim as he turned back into his office.
"Bull? Is everything okay?" Marissa called after him, not quite liking his expression.
"Yes," Bull hollered back. And it was - in regards to them. But this situation was boding poorly for a certain junior tech genius. He grabbed his phone off of his desk and dialed her number, frowning while he waited for an answer.
...
Cable nearly had a heart attack when she saw "Dr. Bull" show up on her caller id.
Apparently he did not get that bogus email that I sent him! Or maybe he did and didn't believe me! Oh, great. Now I have to lie over the phone and I am SO much worse at that then I would like. He is so suspicious and can read pretty much every body cue. I could leave this and let it go to the answering service. Yes, I'll just do that. No! I can't do that! He'll go over to the dorms and raise the roof when he realizes that I'm not there! I have to answer this call if I have any hope of successfully getting out of town and to that convention.
"Turn off the radio and be quiet. I have to fake that I'm sick to my boss," she explained to her friend who was driving. He shrugged, shut off the radio, and nodded for her to answer.
I hope that he won't be suspicious!
"CABLE MCCRORY! WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOU? YOU'D BETTER NOT BE GOING TO THAT CONFERENCE!"
She held the phone away from her ear, wincing at the bellowing coming from the speaker. But it was time to play her part. She sniffled pitifully.
"Hib, Dr. Bull. cough cough Did you neeb me? sniffle"
There was silence for a full ten seconds before he replied.
"Cable?"
"Yeb?"
She was pulling out her best congestion voice.
"Are you sick?"
"Yah. cough cough Dibn't you geb my email?"
There was a shuffle on the other end of the phone.
He's checking his email just now. Oh, I hope it works, I hope it works, I hope it works ...
"You're sick?"
"Yeb."
"Oh." There was a long pause and Cable felt her heart pounding in her chest as she hoped against hope that he would go along with her faked illness scam.
There's no way that he's going to believe it. Not at all. I was so stupid to try lying to someone who's job it is to detect ...
"Sorry for yelling at you. When you didn't show up for work I thought that you had left town for that conference."
What?! He isn't calling me out?
"Conbention," Cable corrected with a sniffle, continuing her role before adding, "Nob that it mabbers since I can'd go!"
Bull seemed to skip past the self pity, focused on her imaginary ailment. "You sound really sick. How bad is it? Do you need anything?"
It sounds like he fell for it. Wow! Lying to him was easier than I had thought!
"Nobe. My friends gob me some soub and I shoub be back at work tomorrow. I am trying to stuby but ib is hard..."
"Take the day off, Cable. Rest up and save your energy to fight your cold. The studying can wait until tomorrow. I'll call you then and check that you're okay."
"I'm sure thad I will be."
"Good. Feel better soon. Bye."
"Bye."
Cable hung up and smiled at Daniel.
"We're free to keep going!"
"That was some great acting," he complimented her. She laughed.
"It sure was, wasn't it? I haven't done that for so long but it seems that I haven't lost my touch!"
"Why even bother faking though? Like, he's your boss - not like he can do much. I'm pretty sure they can't fire you over missing a few days of work - especially during exam season."
"Well, I just ... had to," Cable said. "Hey, let's see what's on the radio," she said, turning it on as a form of distraction.
Because instead of the smugness that she felt would be normal at having tricked one of the best psychologists that she knew - well, the only one that she knew, but he was good at his job! - she felt an uncomfortable level of guilt looming over her head.