Chapter 6
Rating: PG-13
Not mine ~ they just use my head for a playground sometimes.
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Slowly, Jordan moved over and flopped down into one of the big leather chairs in Garret's office. Stiles watched her for a minute before speaking.
"Jordan?"
"Yeah?"
"How are you doing?"
"I'm tired, Howard. Extremely tired."
"As a result of. . .?"
"Do we really have to do this now?"
"Jordan, it's just that given the time of year and your relationship with Detective Hoyt. . ."
"We didn't have a 'relationship'! Jeeze, why can't people get that through their heads?"
"Jordan, I just. . ."
"Yes, we were friends. Yes, we kissed a couple of times. Yes, for some insane reason he seemed to think that if he just gave me space and time I'd come around to his way of thinking. But he was just a good friend. It would never have worked any other way. Yeah, he was cute, but at least half the time he drove me nuts with his hyperness and whatnot. I would have killed him in less than a year ~ probably less than six months ~ if we were anything other than friends." She paused to catch her breath. Stiles sat there, waiting for the rest of her tirade.
"Ok, so he'd planned to come over to my place the other night. Big deal. He wanted to do some silly birthday party so I'd think nice happy thoughts on my birthday instead of the fact that my mother was murdered a week later. Maybe he saw it as more than friends ~ I didn't. Am I upset about him? Yeah. I lost one of my good friends. Why wouldn't I be upset about that? Will I be ok? Yeah ~ I will. I know everyone is expecting this massive breakdown given the time of year and everything, but I don't see it coming. He was a friend Howard. A really good friend. Yes I'm going to miss him. But I have a job to do. I can't let myself. . ." Jordan's voice broke as the sobs she'd been holding back returned. Howard let her cry for a few minutes, then he leaned forward and touched her arm to get her attention.
"I believe you Jordan. I know you will get through this. I won't push you ~ I know that if you need something you'll come to me."
"Ok. Thanks, Howard. Can you. . .?"
"I'll talk with Garret and the others. Let them know that you need space and if you want to talk about things, you'll come to them."
"Thanks."
They looked up as they heard a commotion in the hallway. Jordan crossed to the window and looked out. She saw Lois Carver and Eddie Winslow standing there with a distraught man. One look at his face and Jordan knew who it was. The eyes. It was Woody's father. Instinct told her to go and say something to him, but Garret came into the office and stopped her.
"Jordan, it's probably best that you stay here."
"Why? He doesn't blame me does he?"
"No. It's just. . . He's having a real hard time with it ~ feeling lots of guilt for letting Woody move to the big city and. . . I just think it's better if we let him do what he needs to do so they can get back to Kewaunee."
"Kewaunee? But. . .?"
"Woody's family is going to take the body back to Wisconsin for the service and burial."
"But. . ." Jordan looked up as Lois and Eddie entered Garret's office. Apparently Woody's father was with Lily or someone taking care of what needed to be done. Eddie crossed over to Jordan and gave her a gentle hug.
"I'm so sorry, Jordan."
"Eddie, thanks. But we weren't. . ."
"I know that." Jordan raised her eyebrow at him, wondering exactly how he knew that kind of information. "Or I guessed. I've known you for a while Cavanaugh. Long enough to know that even if you weren't, he'd gotten under your skin and you were at least friends."
"Yeah. We were. But I'm going to be ok. I'm not a fragile little doll or something!"
"I know. I know." Eddied settled onto the sofa. "As far as the whole service thing. . . Yeah, the family wants to do it all private in Wisconsin. So we'll deal with it. We can't do the whole service and all, but Lois and I were talking about having some sort of celebration of his life with some of the guys from the precinct and you guys here at the morgue."
"Really? That would be cool. I'll bet Dad would let us use the Pogue."
"We thought of that. But I had another idea ~ something to get us all away for a little while. If the scheduling can be worked out here ~ we've got it covered at the precinct."
"What's that?"
"My folks have a place out on the Vineyard. No one's using it for the next month or so, and they've given me permission to use it. It would just be for a couple of nights, but it would give us a place to get away and some time for all of us to spend together."
"It sounds cool." Jordan was intrigued. Time away, at the ocean always did her mind a lot of good. She looked up at Garret. "Think we can get it worked out here?"
"Yeah. Let me check the schedule. I don't know that we could do it this weekend, but how about next?"
"That's what we were thinking too." Lois looked out into the hallway and saw that Mr. Hoyt was about ready to go. She gave Jordan and Garret quick hugs and motioned to Eddie to follow her. He squeezed Jordan's hand as he stood.
"If you want to talk or anything, just call."
"Ok. Thanks Eddie."
Jordan, Stiles and Garret watched Mr. Hoyt leave with the detectives. It was so hard to believe that all this was happening. Garret turned to Jordan and Howard.
"Everything ok?"
"Yes, things are fine. Jordan has promised to call me if she feels like she needs to talk to someone other than a friend for the foreseeable future."
"That's good. Now Jordan, if you want to. . ."
"Garret? Can I stay and work? Please? I don't want to go home ~ all I'd do there is sit and be miserable."
"Sure kiddo. But take it easy, ok?"
"Ok." Jordan gave Garret a hug and left his office to go find something to do.
Garret turned to Stiles after she was gone and the door was shut. "Is she really ok?"
"It's hard to say, Garret. She appears lucid and fully aware of what's going on. She's tired, but then who isn't? She's sad about losing a friend, but we're all struggling with grief right now. Is there a chance that some of this will come back and bite her in the butt? Possibly. But there's also the possibility that she just needs to cope with this in her own way. I think this idea of a weekend on the Vineyard is perfect. Remember when she ran before? She went to her aunt's at the ocean. Apparently there's something about the ocean that she finds comforting. Jordan will be ok. Give her space, but keep an eye on her."
"Alright. Thanks, Howard."
"Anytime you need me, let me know." Howard moved towards the door. He'd hang out around the conference room just in case, but he felt confident in Jordan's ability to weather this based on what he was seeing so far.
"Will do. Now, I guess I need to go and get the schedule worked out so that some of us can go to the Vineyard." Garret moved out towards the desk to look at the upcoming schedule and see where changes could be made.
. . .to be continued. . .
