For the first time in weeks, Woody felt a glimmer of hope. Leaving Garrett, he re-traced his steps to Nigel's office. "Got that report ready yet, Nige?"
Nigel handed Woody a folder. "You may want to check what's inside there, mate," Nigel said, leaning back in his chair. "You may find you want to do some planning on this particular case."
Woody opened up the file. Inside was a computer confirmation for a round- trip ticket to North Carolina for the week of Thanksgiving. Woody gave Nigel a puzzled look.
"I'm taking a trip to see my lady fair," the lanky British doctor said. "I could use some company. And I have a feeling there may be a few things you want to say to Jordan."
"I'm not sure she will want to see me, much less talk with me."
"You never know until you try...nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm going to call Jordan this afternoon and let her know I'm coming, but warn her not to tell Stevie. I want to surprise her and Katie. Any messages you want me to relay?" Nigel had talked enough to Jordan and Stevie to know that Jordan had not talked to Woody since the Sunday before she left to go to North Carolina.
Woody thought for a moment. "Yeah. Tell her I'm going to call her tonight and to please take my call."
Nigel nodded.
========================================
"What a whirlwind," thought Jordan. "I'm not even involved in the wedding and I'm about to go crazy." Travis, Stevie's brother was getting married in a week. The entire Murphy household was on two tracks – fast and faster. Katie was the flower girl and Stevie was a bridesmaid. And Jordan was just hanging on, trying to help in whatever way she could. Katie looked adorable and Stevie, as usual was beautiful. And Jenna, Travis's fiance', well, Jenna was gorgeous. Jordan had never felt particularly drawn to weddings, never figuring she'd have one of her own, but now it was different. It was bittersweet. Deep in her heart, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be making these preparations for herself. She had hoped day it would be with Woody. Now her life was in such limbo.
She turned back to her work in the morgue. She was doing an autopsy on a 55 year-old male who had died in police custody. This meant she was working with cops again...the sight of detectives made her poor heart wobble. "I've got to get over this – over him," she thought. "This can't be good for me in the long run...detectives, weddings....I'll be in Dorthea Dix before I go back to Boston."
Boston. Surprisingly, the place did not cross her mind so much as the people did. Jordan missed the people she had worked with so much. North Carolina had been good to her. She had made some new friends and had learned a great deal. She had even learned to tolerate teaching. Dr. Menesick...well, he was wonderful. Jordan felt like she had gained another life-long mentor as well as a friend. Yes, North Carolina had been good to her and good for her. She now knew what Stevie meant by the term "Southern Grace" – it was a state of mind – peace and serendipity. She knew what it meant, but she still did not possess it. She envied Stevie, who seemed to embody it. Despite the fact she knew her friend was longing for Nigel, Stevie rarely appeared rattled, even with work and all the wedding preparations going on. Jordan's heart was still too broken over Woody to even begin to have that sort of peace.
"Jordan, you have a call on line one," Chad said, coming through the doors of autopsy three. "It's from Boston. If you want to take it, I'll finish."
"Thanks, Chad," Jordan said. Chad was this morgue's "Nigel". He did trace and had become a good friend to Jordan. "I'll take it in my office." Stripping off her gloves, Jordan walked back to her office, picked up the phone, and punched one.
"Dr. Cavanaugh," Jordan said into the receiver.
"Well, hello love. How are things in the sunny South today?" a British voice asked from the other end.
"Nigel! How are you? It's so good to hear you..." Jordan trailed off.
Nigel thought he heard a catch in his friend's voice. "Are you all right Jordan?"
"I'm fine Nige. I ...I.. I just miss you. I miss everyone."
"North Carolina not agreeing with you?"
"Oh, no. No. It's not that. They've been great and this has been wonderful..."
"A little homesick are we, love?"
"Let's try a lot homesick."
"Jordan, I've never known you to be homesick. Usually you're the one ready and raring to go somewhere new."
"I've changed Nigel. When I finally get back to Boston, I'm not leaving again. Except for vacation."
Nigel's voice softened. "Hang in there, love. You've only got a few more weeks."
"I know....it just may be long time."
"When are you leaving for Christmas?"
"I'm not...not sure yet if I'm coming home for Christmas."
Nigel was stunned. "Not coming home for Christmas?"
"Nigel, I know this is going to sound weird, but they've offered me a chance to stay here through Spring."
"Are you going to do it?"
Jordan's voice lowered to a whisper, "I don't know. I want to come home, it's just that there's nothing to come home to. Bug has Lily, Garrett has Rene, you have Stevie, and I have nothing...no real family and nothing else..."
Nigel blew out a sigh. He should have been in contact with Jordan more. "Love, I don't think we could go through Spring without you. We have a complete imbecile as a temporary replacement for you, the Pogue is dead without you, and Garrett is getting that looney look in his eyes every time he walks by your office."
Jordan chuckled. "I've got sometime to think about it."
Nigel was relieved to hear her laugh. "Jordan, I'm coming down for Thanksgiving."
"Nige! That will be great!"
"Don't tell Stevie and Katie. I want to surprise them. Do you think it will be okay?"
"I know it will be. Stevie's taking some time off then. It will be good for her and you and Katie."
"And Jordan, I'm bringing someone with me."
"You tearing Bug away from Lily for this trip?"
"No. Woody's coming with me."
"Woody...." Jordan's voice trailed off again. "Why?"
"He said there's some things he needs to tell you. He's going to call you tonight. Please, love, take his call and don't hang up on him, promise?"
Jordan hesitated. "Okay, Nigel. I'll take his call. But if he starts accusing me of taking that envelope again, I will hang up on him."
"That's fair enough. I need to go now. I'll see you soon."
"Let me know when you're plane is landing and I'll pick you up."
"I will. Bye, love."
"Bye, Nige."
Jordan slowly replaced her phone on the receiver. At that moment Stevie walked past her door. "What's wrong, Jo? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Remembering she couldn't tell her friend anything about Nigel, Jordan turned and smiled. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all...just a headache."
Stevie narrowed her eyes as she continued to look at Jordan. Jordan was a bad liar. Something was up.
Nigel handed Woody a folder. "You may want to check what's inside there, mate," Nigel said, leaning back in his chair. "You may find you want to do some planning on this particular case."
Woody opened up the file. Inside was a computer confirmation for a round- trip ticket to North Carolina for the week of Thanksgiving. Woody gave Nigel a puzzled look.
"I'm taking a trip to see my lady fair," the lanky British doctor said. "I could use some company. And I have a feeling there may be a few things you want to say to Jordan."
"I'm not sure she will want to see me, much less talk with me."
"You never know until you try...nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm going to call Jordan this afternoon and let her know I'm coming, but warn her not to tell Stevie. I want to surprise her and Katie. Any messages you want me to relay?" Nigel had talked enough to Jordan and Stevie to know that Jordan had not talked to Woody since the Sunday before she left to go to North Carolina.
Woody thought for a moment. "Yeah. Tell her I'm going to call her tonight and to please take my call."
Nigel nodded.
========================================
"What a whirlwind," thought Jordan. "I'm not even involved in the wedding and I'm about to go crazy." Travis, Stevie's brother was getting married in a week. The entire Murphy household was on two tracks – fast and faster. Katie was the flower girl and Stevie was a bridesmaid. And Jordan was just hanging on, trying to help in whatever way she could. Katie looked adorable and Stevie, as usual was beautiful. And Jenna, Travis's fiance', well, Jenna was gorgeous. Jordan had never felt particularly drawn to weddings, never figuring she'd have one of her own, but now it was different. It was bittersweet. Deep in her heart, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be making these preparations for herself. She had hoped day it would be with Woody. Now her life was in such limbo.
She turned back to her work in the morgue. She was doing an autopsy on a 55 year-old male who had died in police custody. This meant she was working with cops again...the sight of detectives made her poor heart wobble. "I've got to get over this – over him," she thought. "This can't be good for me in the long run...detectives, weddings....I'll be in Dorthea Dix before I go back to Boston."
Boston. Surprisingly, the place did not cross her mind so much as the people did. Jordan missed the people she had worked with so much. North Carolina had been good to her. She had made some new friends and had learned a great deal. She had even learned to tolerate teaching. Dr. Menesick...well, he was wonderful. Jordan felt like she had gained another life-long mentor as well as a friend. Yes, North Carolina had been good to her and good for her. She now knew what Stevie meant by the term "Southern Grace" – it was a state of mind – peace and serendipity. She knew what it meant, but she still did not possess it. She envied Stevie, who seemed to embody it. Despite the fact she knew her friend was longing for Nigel, Stevie rarely appeared rattled, even with work and all the wedding preparations going on. Jordan's heart was still too broken over Woody to even begin to have that sort of peace.
"Jordan, you have a call on line one," Chad said, coming through the doors of autopsy three. "It's from Boston. If you want to take it, I'll finish."
"Thanks, Chad," Jordan said. Chad was this morgue's "Nigel". He did trace and had become a good friend to Jordan. "I'll take it in my office." Stripping off her gloves, Jordan walked back to her office, picked up the phone, and punched one.
"Dr. Cavanaugh," Jordan said into the receiver.
"Well, hello love. How are things in the sunny South today?" a British voice asked from the other end.
"Nigel! How are you? It's so good to hear you..." Jordan trailed off.
Nigel thought he heard a catch in his friend's voice. "Are you all right Jordan?"
"I'm fine Nige. I ...I.. I just miss you. I miss everyone."
"North Carolina not agreeing with you?"
"Oh, no. No. It's not that. They've been great and this has been wonderful..."
"A little homesick are we, love?"
"Let's try a lot homesick."
"Jordan, I've never known you to be homesick. Usually you're the one ready and raring to go somewhere new."
"I've changed Nigel. When I finally get back to Boston, I'm not leaving again. Except for vacation."
Nigel's voice softened. "Hang in there, love. You've only got a few more weeks."
"I know....it just may be long time."
"When are you leaving for Christmas?"
"I'm not...not sure yet if I'm coming home for Christmas."
Nigel was stunned. "Not coming home for Christmas?"
"Nigel, I know this is going to sound weird, but they've offered me a chance to stay here through Spring."
"Are you going to do it?"
Jordan's voice lowered to a whisper, "I don't know. I want to come home, it's just that there's nothing to come home to. Bug has Lily, Garrett has Rene, you have Stevie, and I have nothing...no real family and nothing else..."
Nigel blew out a sigh. He should have been in contact with Jordan more. "Love, I don't think we could go through Spring without you. We have a complete imbecile as a temporary replacement for you, the Pogue is dead without you, and Garrett is getting that looney look in his eyes every time he walks by your office."
Jordan chuckled. "I've got sometime to think about it."
Nigel was relieved to hear her laugh. "Jordan, I'm coming down for Thanksgiving."
"Nige! That will be great!"
"Don't tell Stevie and Katie. I want to surprise them. Do you think it will be okay?"
"I know it will be. Stevie's taking some time off then. It will be good for her and you and Katie."
"And Jordan, I'm bringing someone with me."
"You tearing Bug away from Lily for this trip?"
"No. Woody's coming with me."
"Woody...." Jordan's voice trailed off again. "Why?"
"He said there's some things he needs to tell you. He's going to call you tonight. Please, love, take his call and don't hang up on him, promise?"
Jordan hesitated. "Okay, Nigel. I'll take his call. But if he starts accusing me of taking that envelope again, I will hang up on him."
"That's fair enough. I need to go now. I'll see you soon."
"Let me know when you're plane is landing and I'll pick you up."
"I will. Bye, love."
"Bye, Nige."
Jordan slowly replaced her phone on the receiver. At that moment Stevie walked past her door. "What's wrong, Jo? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Remembering she couldn't tell her friend anything about Nigel, Jordan turned and smiled. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all...just a headache."
Stevie narrowed her eyes as she continued to look at Jordan. Jordan was a bad liar. Something was up.