Title: Consideration
Author: Katelynne
Rating: PG-13, for possible future adult themes.
Characters: Martin, Danny, from Without A Trace and my own character Josie Sinclair
Disclaimer. The characters from Without a Trace are not of my creation, but I use them with only the utmost respect.
Description: Takes place the day after "Broken Bones, Broken Hearts". Martin thinks about Josie's husband and considered talking to her about his aunt. Inspired by last night's episode, but takes place later than the timeline for that episode.
Category: General
Feedback: please, on list or off, laws4907@uidaho.edu
Martin sat at his desk, absent-mindedly tapping his fingers on his desk. He turned his chair and looked at Josie then spun back to his desktop. She had looked so fragile to him once, but now she looked strong and vital. It was strange how having the right information could change your whole outlook.
Josie's husband had died. Martin felt guilty for assuming that she was divorced, or that her husband had abandoned her. It didn't even enter his mind that someone his age could be a widow. Logically he knew it happened, but she had never said anything to give him any indication. But then, why would she?
Martin spun around in his chair to look at her again and again, turned away. Maybe I should talk to her, he thought. I could tell her that I understand her loss, but then, how can I say that? I've never lost a spouse, a lover. I've lost someone I love, but not in the same way that she loved Ryan's father.
Martin thought of Ryan lying in his hospital bed, feeling sad for reminding his mother of her loss. Poor kid, Martin thought. It seemed such a heavy burden the boy was carrying. Ryan was nearly 8 years old and wanted nothing more than to protect his mom from her own pain.
Martin got up and walked past Josie's desk. He got himself a cup of coffee in the break room and considered what to say for a few more minutes. Would she think he had pried some private information from her boy? Would she hate him for knowing? He didn't think so, but grief made people do strange things. He knew that first hand. He wanted to talk to her about it; wanted to let her know that there was someone that she could talk to. He wanted to be able to talk to her about Bonnie's death.
Working up the nerve, Martin rinsed his mug in the sink and headed back toward Josie's cubicle. "Hey." He said as he approached. Josie looked up tiredly, "Hi."
"How's Ryan doing?" Martin asked her.
"He's doing okay... he was able to go to school this morning. I had to check him out of the hospital early enough so he could go home and get ready, but he's doing okay." She smiled slightly, "Thanks for asking... and thanks for stopping by. I didn't realize how badly I needed food."
"It was nothing." Martin shrugged, "I was wondering..." Josie looked at him expectantly and he continued, "Would it be possible for us to go out for a drink or something after work?"
Josie sat back in her chair, "I don't see why not? I'll call my neighbor and ask her to watch Ryan for a little longer. Why? What's up?"
Martin leaned on the top part of her cubicle, "Just wanted to talk, that's all."
"Okay." Josie nodded and reached for the phone.
At five-thirty, Martin and Josie sat across from each other at a small table in the crowded pub. Martin ordered a beer and Josie asked for white wine. The waitress took their orders and left. "So, how was your day?" Josie asked, making small talk while she waited for Martin to get around to what he wanted to talk to her about.
"Long... yours?" He glanced across the table at her.
"Long..." she nodded in agreement and looked at him.
"Listen..." Martin started and leaned forward, "I wasn't trying to be nosy or anything, but yesterday at the hospital.... Ryan told me about his dad."
Josie looked at her hands, which were curled around each other in her lap. "Oh?"
Martin swallowed, "Yeah... I'm, well, I wanted to talk to you, because my aunt just died of cancer."
"I see." Josie's eyes darted up to his face then back down to her lap.
Martin bit his lip, "Never mind, I don't want to bring it up if it's too painful."
"It's always painful, it always will be painful." Josie said, sitting up straighter, "the pain dulls, that's all."
"Yeah." Martin said quietly, his voice catching in his throat.
Josie looked at him then leaned forward, "What kind of cancer did she have?"
"Breast cancer. It metastized into her bones and died soon after that."
The waitress brought their drinks, placing them on paper coasters. "I'm sorry, Martin." Josie said softly.
They sat there quietly sipping their drinks for several minutes before Josie broke the silence. "David was a school teacher."
"David, was your husband?" Martin asked.
"Yes. He was my high school sweetheart. We got married the summer after graduation." Josie told him.
Wow, Martin thought, Sam was married when she was 18 and that didn't last. Josie continued, "We went off to college and when I was 20, Ryan was born. Four years later, I was a widow."
"God, I'm so sorry." Martin reached for her hand, across the table.
Josie smiled at him, "Thank you, but I'm luckier than most. David spent his whole life with me."
Martin was floored by that statement and couldn't think of anything he could say at that moment. Josie squeezed his hand and said, "Tell me about your aunt."
Martin told her about Bonnie. How strong she was, about the work she did with cancer patients, even while suffering from the disease herself. He even told her about what Bonnie had done to end their suffering.
Josie held his hand through his story and then at the end she squeezed it again, "Bonnie sounds like an incredible woman. I wish I'd met her." Martin met her eyes and thanked her.
"I'm glad Ryan told you... I wasn't sure how to bring something like that up, but I felt like I should say something, seeing as how we're friends. It's just..."
"I know." Martin told her, "You don't need to explain." And she knew that she didn't.
Author: Katelynne
Rating: PG-13, for possible future adult themes.
Characters: Martin, Danny, from Without A Trace and my own character Josie Sinclair
Disclaimer. The characters from Without a Trace are not of my creation, but I use them with only the utmost respect.
Description: Takes place the day after "Broken Bones, Broken Hearts". Martin thinks about Josie's husband and considered talking to her about his aunt. Inspired by last night's episode, but takes place later than the timeline for that episode.
Category: General
Feedback: please, on list or off, laws4907@uidaho.edu
Martin sat at his desk, absent-mindedly tapping his fingers on his desk. He turned his chair and looked at Josie then spun back to his desktop. She had looked so fragile to him once, but now she looked strong and vital. It was strange how having the right information could change your whole outlook.
Josie's husband had died. Martin felt guilty for assuming that she was divorced, or that her husband had abandoned her. It didn't even enter his mind that someone his age could be a widow. Logically he knew it happened, but she had never said anything to give him any indication. But then, why would she?
Martin spun around in his chair to look at her again and again, turned away. Maybe I should talk to her, he thought. I could tell her that I understand her loss, but then, how can I say that? I've never lost a spouse, a lover. I've lost someone I love, but not in the same way that she loved Ryan's father.
Martin thought of Ryan lying in his hospital bed, feeling sad for reminding his mother of her loss. Poor kid, Martin thought. It seemed such a heavy burden the boy was carrying. Ryan was nearly 8 years old and wanted nothing more than to protect his mom from her own pain.
Martin got up and walked past Josie's desk. He got himself a cup of coffee in the break room and considered what to say for a few more minutes. Would she think he had pried some private information from her boy? Would she hate him for knowing? He didn't think so, but grief made people do strange things. He knew that first hand. He wanted to talk to her about it; wanted to let her know that there was someone that she could talk to. He wanted to be able to talk to her about Bonnie's death.
Working up the nerve, Martin rinsed his mug in the sink and headed back toward Josie's cubicle. "Hey." He said as he approached. Josie looked up tiredly, "Hi."
"How's Ryan doing?" Martin asked her.
"He's doing okay... he was able to go to school this morning. I had to check him out of the hospital early enough so he could go home and get ready, but he's doing okay." She smiled slightly, "Thanks for asking... and thanks for stopping by. I didn't realize how badly I needed food."
"It was nothing." Martin shrugged, "I was wondering..." Josie looked at him expectantly and he continued, "Would it be possible for us to go out for a drink or something after work?"
Josie sat back in her chair, "I don't see why not? I'll call my neighbor and ask her to watch Ryan for a little longer. Why? What's up?"
Martin leaned on the top part of her cubicle, "Just wanted to talk, that's all."
"Okay." Josie nodded and reached for the phone.
At five-thirty, Martin and Josie sat across from each other at a small table in the crowded pub. Martin ordered a beer and Josie asked for white wine. The waitress took their orders and left. "So, how was your day?" Josie asked, making small talk while she waited for Martin to get around to what he wanted to talk to her about.
"Long... yours?" He glanced across the table at her.
"Long..." she nodded in agreement and looked at him.
"Listen..." Martin started and leaned forward, "I wasn't trying to be nosy or anything, but yesterday at the hospital.... Ryan told me about his dad."
Josie looked at her hands, which were curled around each other in her lap. "Oh?"
Martin swallowed, "Yeah... I'm, well, I wanted to talk to you, because my aunt just died of cancer."
"I see." Josie's eyes darted up to his face then back down to her lap.
Martin bit his lip, "Never mind, I don't want to bring it up if it's too painful."
"It's always painful, it always will be painful." Josie said, sitting up straighter, "the pain dulls, that's all."
"Yeah." Martin said quietly, his voice catching in his throat.
Josie looked at him then leaned forward, "What kind of cancer did she have?"
"Breast cancer. It metastized into her bones and died soon after that."
The waitress brought their drinks, placing them on paper coasters. "I'm sorry, Martin." Josie said softly.
They sat there quietly sipping their drinks for several minutes before Josie broke the silence. "David was a school teacher."
"David, was your husband?" Martin asked.
"Yes. He was my high school sweetheart. We got married the summer after graduation." Josie told him.
Wow, Martin thought, Sam was married when she was 18 and that didn't last. Josie continued, "We went off to college and when I was 20, Ryan was born. Four years later, I was a widow."
"God, I'm so sorry." Martin reached for her hand, across the table.
Josie smiled at him, "Thank you, but I'm luckier than most. David spent his whole life with me."
Martin was floored by that statement and couldn't think of anything he could say at that moment. Josie squeezed his hand and said, "Tell me about your aunt."
Martin told her about Bonnie. How strong she was, about the work she did with cancer patients, even while suffering from the disease herself. He even told her about what Bonnie had done to end their suffering.
Josie held his hand through his story and then at the end she squeezed it again, "Bonnie sounds like an incredible woman. I wish I'd met her." Martin met her eyes and thanked her.
"I'm glad Ryan told you... I wasn't sure how to bring something like that up, but I felt like I should say something, seeing as how we're friends. It's just..."
"I know." Martin told her, "You don't need to explain." And she knew that she didn't.