That Night Part 3
Rating: PG-13
Jordan. . . It was a pretty standard case as far as that goes. Body found in an alley, apparently stabbed. Nothing overly complicated ~ it didn't smell weird to me. We did what we had to do, then I left to go back and start on the identification so we could notify next of kin and then do the autopsy. Woody said he was going to stay at the scene and get that wrapped up, then he'd come by to see what we found. Like I said, normal stuff.
Nige got going on the identification and in no time had a name and the information needed to contact the family. I went into trace evidence and then started the autopsy. Nothing unusual ~ we'd run a tox screen of course, but it looked like this guy just got caught in the middle of something. As I was leaving autopsy, Woody came off the elevator.
"Find anything?"
"Not really. We got an ID and Lily's handling all that ~ family and department notification and all that. And we've got to wait on the tox screen, but it looks like just plain bad luck. Any leads from the scene?"
"A couple that some of the boys are following up on. Want to grab lunch?"
"Um, yeah. Let me go to my office for a second and then change ~ I have this weird thing where I don't like wearing scrubs out of here, call me crazy."
"No, no. That's fine." So he followed me to my office. Fine. He can wait while I go to the locker room and. . .
"Jordan, wait."
"What Nigel? Oh, shoot. We were going to have lunch together, weren't we?"
"It's ok. I was getting swamped with some stuff, so I ran out and grabbed a bite. And I picked up something. . ." Noticing Woody standing in my office, he opted not to finish that sentence, handing me a small pharmacy bag instead. Lowering his voice so that hopefully only I could hear it, he said, "I just figured that I'd help a little. I made sure what I was getting."
"Ok. Thanks Nige." Well, if I was and. . . It could be worse than Nige. He seems genuinely worried about things. "I'll, um. . .I'll let you know what I. . ."
"Jordan, whatever happens, it'll be ok."
"Yeah, right."
"Ok, now didn't I hear you just making plans for a lunch date? He's gong to get impatient." Nige winked at me and squeezed my hand. "Just let me know what I need to do."
"Thanks Nige! See you later." And I spun into my office to find myself face to face with a very perplexed Woody.
"What was that all about?"
"Oh, we'd talked about grabbing lunch earlier today, but he got swamped and had to cancel. But it was just two friends who were going to have lunch. No big deal."
"And what's in the bag?"
"Just something he picked up for me." Please let that be the end of it! "Now, if we're going to get out of here and get some food, I need to change." I grabbed what I needed and tossed the small plastic bag towards my bag as I went out the door to get cleaned and changed. That done, I went back to my office.
"Jordan? What is this?" Oh shit! The bag hadn't gone far enough and its contents had slid across the floor, landing right at Woody's feet.
"It's. . .um. . .it's. . ." How do I explain this to him. I never meant for him to get hurt. I mean. . .
"It's a pregnancy test."
"Yeah."
"Why the hell would Nigel be getting you a. . . Oh. I guess I might be as dumb as I look. I had no idea that the two of you were. . ."
"We're not. . ." Damn this looks bad.
"Not quite what it looks like. Or is there someone else and he just decided to be nice and pick this up for you?" I hate the look I see in his eyes right now. And even though I need to say something, I get the feeling it'll only make things worse.
"Woody, I'm. . ."
"Don't bother. I'll see you around I guess." Taking one more disdainful look at the box ~ not me, he wasn't even looking at me now ~ he threw it onto the desk and stormed out the door.
"Woody, I. . ." Stunned, I slumped into the chair that thankfully was right behind me. I guess Nigel had heard everything, because in a moment I heard him saying he would take care of things and for someone ~ Garret maybe? ~ to stay put. That apparently done, he came into my office and pulled me up into a hug.
"Oh Jordan. I never should have given that to you when and how I did. I. . ."
"Nige, it's not your fault."
"But if I hadn't brought it down here to give you right then. . ."
"He would have found out sooner or later. Grapevine or something. Cause you know somebody knows, or suspects. We've had too many close calls today. And who knows, I might have even had to tell him myself eventually if we got to that point. . ."
"Well, I hate to bring this up right now, but should we try and. . ."
"Oh. That. Um, do you still have the receipt?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It can go back. I'm not. . ."
"And you know this how exactly?"
"Trust me Nige. I know. Guess sometimes I am late." He pulled me into another hug and I could feel the relief he felt ~ because I felt it too.
"So now this will really never be mentioned again, right?"
"Well, not between us. I've got a lot of explaining to do. . ." I looked towards the elevators, hoping I hadn't lost Woody forever. "I'm just not sure right now how I'm even going to get him to listen to me. I think I hurt him really bad, Nige. Even though he and I weren't exactly. . .well, you know. We'd still shared some pretty close moments and it seemed like only a matter of time. Now I don't know if I'll ever get the chance. . ." Nigel looked towards the elevators himself, then back at me. He nodded slowly and pulled me into another hug.
What I didn't know at the time was that the wheels were already turning. He felt responsible for the pain Woody was in and the apparent misery I was in myself and, he felt like he needed to do something to make things better, to repair the damage. "But what. . .?" he thought. . .
. . .to be continued. . .
Jordan. . . It was a pretty standard case as far as that goes. Body found in an alley, apparently stabbed. Nothing overly complicated ~ it didn't smell weird to me. We did what we had to do, then I left to go back and start on the identification so we could notify next of kin and then do the autopsy. Woody said he was going to stay at the scene and get that wrapped up, then he'd come by to see what we found. Like I said, normal stuff.
Nige got going on the identification and in no time had a name and the information needed to contact the family. I went into trace evidence and then started the autopsy. Nothing unusual ~ we'd run a tox screen of course, but it looked like this guy just got caught in the middle of something. As I was leaving autopsy, Woody came off the elevator.
"Find anything?"
"Not really. We got an ID and Lily's handling all that ~ family and department notification and all that. And we've got to wait on the tox screen, but it looks like just plain bad luck. Any leads from the scene?"
"A couple that some of the boys are following up on. Want to grab lunch?"
"Um, yeah. Let me go to my office for a second and then change ~ I have this weird thing where I don't like wearing scrubs out of here, call me crazy."
"No, no. That's fine." So he followed me to my office. Fine. He can wait while I go to the locker room and. . .
"Jordan, wait."
"What Nigel? Oh, shoot. We were going to have lunch together, weren't we?"
"It's ok. I was getting swamped with some stuff, so I ran out and grabbed a bite. And I picked up something. . ." Noticing Woody standing in my office, he opted not to finish that sentence, handing me a small pharmacy bag instead. Lowering his voice so that hopefully only I could hear it, he said, "I just figured that I'd help a little. I made sure what I was getting."
"Ok. Thanks Nige." Well, if I was and. . . It could be worse than Nige. He seems genuinely worried about things. "I'll, um. . .I'll let you know what I. . ."
"Jordan, whatever happens, it'll be ok."
"Yeah, right."
"Ok, now didn't I hear you just making plans for a lunch date? He's gong to get impatient." Nige winked at me and squeezed my hand. "Just let me know what I need to do."
"Thanks Nige! See you later." And I spun into my office to find myself face to face with a very perplexed Woody.
"What was that all about?"
"Oh, we'd talked about grabbing lunch earlier today, but he got swamped and had to cancel. But it was just two friends who were going to have lunch. No big deal."
"And what's in the bag?"
"Just something he picked up for me." Please let that be the end of it! "Now, if we're going to get out of here and get some food, I need to change." I grabbed what I needed and tossed the small plastic bag towards my bag as I went out the door to get cleaned and changed. That done, I went back to my office.
"Jordan? What is this?" Oh shit! The bag hadn't gone far enough and its contents had slid across the floor, landing right at Woody's feet.
"It's. . .um. . .it's. . ." How do I explain this to him. I never meant for him to get hurt. I mean. . .
"It's a pregnancy test."
"Yeah."
"Why the hell would Nigel be getting you a. . . Oh. I guess I might be as dumb as I look. I had no idea that the two of you were. . ."
"We're not. . ." Damn this looks bad.
"Not quite what it looks like. Or is there someone else and he just decided to be nice and pick this up for you?" I hate the look I see in his eyes right now. And even though I need to say something, I get the feeling it'll only make things worse.
"Woody, I'm. . ."
"Don't bother. I'll see you around I guess." Taking one more disdainful look at the box ~ not me, he wasn't even looking at me now ~ he threw it onto the desk and stormed out the door.
"Woody, I. . ." Stunned, I slumped into the chair that thankfully was right behind me. I guess Nigel had heard everything, because in a moment I heard him saying he would take care of things and for someone ~ Garret maybe? ~ to stay put. That apparently done, he came into my office and pulled me up into a hug.
"Oh Jordan. I never should have given that to you when and how I did. I. . ."
"Nige, it's not your fault."
"But if I hadn't brought it down here to give you right then. . ."
"He would have found out sooner or later. Grapevine or something. Cause you know somebody knows, or suspects. We've had too many close calls today. And who knows, I might have even had to tell him myself eventually if we got to that point. . ."
"Well, I hate to bring this up right now, but should we try and. . ."
"Oh. That. Um, do you still have the receipt?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It can go back. I'm not. . ."
"And you know this how exactly?"
"Trust me Nige. I know. Guess sometimes I am late." He pulled me into another hug and I could feel the relief he felt ~ because I felt it too.
"So now this will really never be mentioned again, right?"
"Well, not between us. I've got a lot of explaining to do. . ." I looked towards the elevators, hoping I hadn't lost Woody forever. "I'm just not sure right now how I'm even going to get him to listen to me. I think I hurt him really bad, Nige. Even though he and I weren't exactly. . .well, you know. We'd still shared some pretty close moments and it seemed like only a matter of time. Now I don't know if I'll ever get the chance. . ." Nigel looked towards the elevators himself, then back at me. He nodded slowly and pulled me into another hug.
What I didn't know at the time was that the wheels were already turning. He felt responsible for the pain Woody was in and the apparent misery I was in myself and, he felt like he needed to do something to make things better, to repair the damage. "But what. . .?" he thought. . .
. . .to be continued. . .