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Disclaimer: again, not mine.
CHAPTER 2/6
"It is with greatest pleasure that I introduce my good friend and fellow—no, that sucks. Introduce my esteemed colleague—no—"
A knock at Toby's door interrupted his muttering. That new guy, the one with Josh's job, was standing there.
"Yes?"
The man stepped inside, either oblivious to, or ignoring, Toby's icy tone. "Hi." He said.
"Hi."
"I'm sorry, I forget your name."
"Toby."
"Of course. Carl."
"Hi."
"So how's it going, Toby?"
"You need something?"
"No, not really."
"Then why are you here?"
"Just looking around."
"Oh."
"So..." Carl walked over to the desk. "She's pretty." He said, nodding to one of the pictures. "Your sister?"
"Ex-wife."
"Oh."
"Do you want something?"
"I'll just get going."
"Good idea."
Carl didn't move. Toby looked up from his computer. "What?!"
"Oh, nothing. Leaving."
"Then do so."
"Of course. Bye."
Carl hurried out and Toby kicked the door shut. As he passed the next office, Carl looked in the window where Toby's deputy was working. The younger man looked up and their eyes almost met. Then Carl looked away and headed to his office.
"Excuse me."
Hearing a voice coming from that doorway caused Donna to jump, nearly falling out of her chair. "Sorry." It was Carl.
"That's okay." She said quickly, avoiding his eyes.
"I was wondering if you could get me the Winder file."
"Yes, sir."
She came into his office a few minutes later and dropped the file on his desk. "Thank you Angela." Carl said.
"Donna."
"Donna. How did I get Angela just then? Sorry about that."
"That's okay."
"There was this girl who worked at my old office who looked a lot like you. Her name is Angela. That must be where I got it. I'm terrible with names."
He smiled, but Donna remained somber-faced. "Donna, you think you could get me some coffee?"
Coffee...she blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears back.
"Yes sir." She said.
"Awesome. Thanks."
She walked out the door and down to the mess as casually as she could. The coffee machine was on the other side of the empty room. When she reached it her knees let out and she collapsed to the floor beside it, clutching the machine and shaking.
It had been so long since anyone had been in there. So long since there had been anyone but Leo.
"Donna?"
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Brushing her hair out of her face, she turned and faced Sam. He knelt down beside her.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Him." She replied, "Being in there. Hearing someone in there who isn't Josh."
Sam nodded in agreement. "It's been over a year. I should be able to do this."
He wrapped his arms around her. "I just miss him so much." She said, "It kind of went away for a while but now – every time I hear a noise in there or hear footsteps coming to the door my heart goes into my throat. I think, it's him! It's Josh! But it never is."
She burst into tears. Sam blinked hard, trying and failing to keep his own back. He staggered to his feet, pulling Donna up with him. He knew exactly how she felt. It was as if a wound, a bullet wound, had begun healing in his heart, only to be ripped wide open again by this new arrival.
It was Donna who broke away. "Thank you." She said, "I have to go. I have to bring..."
She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and poured a cup of coffee. Grabbing a handful of sugar packets, she hurried up to what she still thought of as Josh's office.
TBC...
Disclaimer: again, not mine.
CHAPTER 2/6
"It is with greatest pleasure that I introduce my good friend and fellow—no, that sucks. Introduce my esteemed colleague—no—"
A knock at Toby's door interrupted his muttering. That new guy, the one with Josh's job, was standing there.
"Yes?"
The man stepped inside, either oblivious to, or ignoring, Toby's icy tone. "Hi." He said.
"Hi."
"I'm sorry, I forget your name."
"Toby."
"Of course. Carl."
"Hi."
"So how's it going, Toby?"
"You need something?"
"No, not really."
"Then why are you here?"
"Just looking around."
"Oh."
"So..." Carl walked over to the desk. "She's pretty." He said, nodding to one of the pictures. "Your sister?"
"Ex-wife."
"Oh."
"Do you want something?"
"I'll just get going."
"Good idea."
Carl didn't move. Toby looked up from his computer. "What?!"
"Oh, nothing. Leaving."
"Then do so."
"Of course. Bye."
Carl hurried out and Toby kicked the door shut. As he passed the next office, Carl looked in the window where Toby's deputy was working. The younger man looked up and their eyes almost met. Then Carl looked away and headed to his office.
"Excuse me."
Hearing a voice coming from that doorway caused Donna to jump, nearly falling out of her chair. "Sorry." It was Carl.
"That's okay." She said quickly, avoiding his eyes.
"I was wondering if you could get me the Winder file."
"Yes, sir."
She came into his office a few minutes later and dropped the file on his desk. "Thank you Angela." Carl said.
"Donna."
"Donna. How did I get Angela just then? Sorry about that."
"That's okay."
"There was this girl who worked at my old office who looked a lot like you. Her name is Angela. That must be where I got it. I'm terrible with names."
He smiled, but Donna remained somber-faced. "Donna, you think you could get me some coffee?"
Coffee...she blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears back.
"Yes sir." She said.
"Awesome. Thanks."
She walked out the door and down to the mess as casually as she could. The coffee machine was on the other side of the empty room. When she reached it her knees let out and she collapsed to the floor beside it, clutching the machine and shaking.
It had been so long since anyone had been in there. So long since there had been anyone but Leo.
"Donna?"
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Brushing her hair out of her face, she turned and faced Sam. He knelt down beside her.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Him." She replied, "Being in there. Hearing someone in there who isn't Josh."
Sam nodded in agreement. "It's been over a year. I should be able to do this."
He wrapped his arms around her. "I just miss him so much." She said, "It kind of went away for a while but now – every time I hear a noise in there or hear footsteps coming to the door my heart goes into my throat. I think, it's him! It's Josh! But it never is."
She burst into tears. Sam blinked hard, trying and failing to keep his own back. He staggered to his feet, pulling Donna up with him. He knew exactly how she felt. It was as if a wound, a bullet wound, had begun healing in his heart, only to be ripped wide open again by this new arrival.
It was Donna who broke away. "Thank you." She said, "I have to go. I have to bring..."
She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and poured a cup of coffee. Grabbing a handful of sugar packets, she hurried up to what she still thought of as Josh's office.
TBC...