How Do You Heal A Broken Heart?

Boston

Rating: PG-13      

Not mine ~ they're just using my head for a playground!

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Woody. . .

What the. . .?  Where am I?  Oh, that's right.  Boston.  I almost forgot I wasn't in "sunny Southern California."  Yeah, right.  What's the point if I'm too miserable to look up and enjoy the scenery?  Thank God the Hampton Inn out near Logan had space.  I couldn't face going into the city and trying to find somewhere to stay!

Ok, Wood, let's see.  Get showered and cleaned up, get dressed, grab something from the continental breakfast bar.  Wait.  Maybe eating's not such a good idea.  Oh, I don't know.  No, I'll just make some coffee here in the room and get ready and then. . .and then go and get my butt kicked by every male who knows Jordan.  And then she'll probably take whatever's left over.  Yeah boy, this is gonna be one hell of a fun day.

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About 2 hours later we find Woody standing outside the M.E.'s building, but hidden enough that no one can see him from the windows. . .

Ok, Woody.  You can do this.  It's just going up to talk with her. Not a big deal.  I mean, you've done this hundreds of times.  Yeah ~ hundreds of times when we were working a case together.  This is a completely different ballgame and. . .

"What the hell are you doing back here?"

I felt a hand put a death grip on my shoulder as the all-too-familiar voice broke into my thoughts.  I turned around slowly and found myself face to face with. . .

"Garret.  Hi.  Um. . ."

"Don't tell me there's another California-Massachusetts case you're working."

"No, um. . ."

"Good."

I didn't know what to say to him, so I just stood there, wishing I was anywhere but where I was at the moment.

"You gonna answer my question?  What the hell are you doing back here?"

"I just. . .  They sent me back."

"You screw up out there already?"

"No, no. Not that kind of sending back.  I just. . .  I couldn't concentrate on anything because. . .because I felt like shit for the way I left."

"As well you should.  It took us two weeks to get Jordan back to at least a functional level.  And if I'm not mistaken, I told you to leave her the hell alone.  And I'm pretty sure Nigel and Max told you the same thing."

"Yes, all of  you did.  And I was trying ~ for a while anyway.  But then I went with Owens out to do the preliminary survey for a case the division was working on and. . ."

"I thought we covered this.  You said it wasn't an inter-state case."

"It's not.  It was in the desert where. . .  What did Jordan tell you about us and what happened between us?"

"Would this be the place where she kissed you for the first time?"

"Yeah."

"I guess sometimes God does have a sense of humor."

"Ha ha.  But anyway, my concentration which was already shot just got worse and he put me on a plane out here to straighten things out."

"Well, that's one assignment that I don't see you finishing.  Stay away from Jordan."

"But. . ."

"You don't think you've done enough damage?"

"Garret, please.  I need to see her.  To talk with her."

"What makes you think she'd listen to you after this?"

"I don't know.  Maybe I just have a little more faith in Jordan that you do.  I know you've known her for a long time now, but. . ."

"You think a little sex is going to make you more 'listenable'?  Where the hell do you. . .?  Never mind.  She'll be back from the field any minute now.  I've got to put you somewhere safe until I think of what to do with you.  Come on."

"What?  Into the morgue?"

"At least there I can keep an eye on you and keep you from wandering in and screwing up her life again.  At least until I figure out how to see if she'd even be amenable to talking with you."

"Ok.  Fine."

We got into the building and took the stairs up to the morgue.  Garret said he hated them, but that was the best way to get me in there without anyone seeing us to ask questions or say something to Jordan about seeing me.  Garret looked around his office and I guess finally decided that there was a spot on the couch that would make it not obvious that someone was in there besides Garret.

"Now you just sit there and look at a magazine or something.  And you'd better pray that it's not Jordan who comes in to give me the preliminary report."

"Yes sir."

Prayers were answered a few minutes later.  There was a knock on the door ~ first sign it probably wasn't Jordan ~ and Garret looked up and called for the person to come in.  I relaxed until I heard another familiar voice. . .

"Garret, I've got the. . .  Sweet Nancy, is that who. . .?"

"Hi Nigel."

"Woodrow, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was. . ."

"Apparently he was moping around the new job and they sent him back here to 'settle things.'"

"Thank God Jordan went straight to the locker room to get ready for trace and autopsy.  I don't even want to think about the repair job we'd have on our hands if she'd been the one. . ."

"I know, Nigel.  I know."

"So what are we going to do with our boy genius here?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out.  I don't suppose you think that Jordan's. . ."

"Up to a little surprise visit?  Bloody hell no.  I didn't spend the last two weeks using every 'big brother' type thing I knew of to get her back to a functional level to have you just waltz in here and screw it all up."

"Nigel, I didn't mean for any. . ."

"Any of this to happen?  Well it did.  And we're the ones who picked up the pieces."

"I. . ."

"Nigel, why don't you get ready to help Jordan in trace.  She'll probably be out in a minute and. . ."

"Right.  We don't need her coming in here and finding this."

Great, so now I was an object.  Oh well, I guess I deserved it.

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I stayed in Garret's office for most of the day.  There were several times I heard people in the hall scrambling to keep Jordan out  of my "hiding place."  Lily came in once and she, while a little more sympathetic than Garret or Nigel had been, was fiercely protective of Jordan.  I guess after she blabbed the conversation she and Jordan had to Garret and got caught she felt like she owed it to her to warn me off as well.

Finally around 4, I had to go to the bathroom and no one was around to escort me.  Garret was listening to something case-related that Bug was trying to explain.  Lily was doing notification of a family.  And Nigel was busy doing some fancy electronics testing. 

Well, it can't be that bad.  What are the odds of me running into her on my way to the men's room.  And it's not like she'll be in there.  Right.  I'll just run down the hall and. . .

But I forgot that the easiest way to get there was to go right by Jordan's office.  I'd been led another way all day, but I never really paid attention.  My feet automatically took their normal path, a fact I was completely unaware of until I heard a voice behind me. . .

"Woody?  Woody?  Is that you?"

I turned and saw Jordan standing in the doorway of her office.  Her face looked hopeful ~ until I got to her red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes which betrayed her true emotions.  This was the moment I'd been waiting for ~ and dreading ~ ever since Owens put me on the plane out here with orders to straighten things out with Jordan.  I swallowed hard and croaked the only words that would come out of my mouth. . .

"Hi Jordan."

. . .to be continued. . .