Chapter Two

Work. It now consumed her. The more she worked, the less she had to think. The less she wanted to think. And the less she thought, the less she hurt. And the less she hurt, the less she had to deal with Woody.

So Jordan worked. Doubles. Rotation. Overtime. Nights. Weekends. Garrett had never seen her more dedicated...or consumed. But with the fact that the morgue was now short-staffed with Peter's departure, coupled with a seeming rise in Boston's body count, he was thankful for her efforts...and not inclined to ask questions about it right now.

It did seem odd to him that she was almost refusing to go out on Woody's call-ins. But Nigel had always stepped up to go. Or Devan. And that was fine with him. If Jordan wanted to bury herself inside the morgue with work, he was more than happy to send someone else on pickups.

Nigel watched her carefully now. But she was staying so busy, they rarely had a chance to talk. He finally cornered her one day in her office. "Love?" he had asked.

"Yeah, Nige?" She was sitting at her desk, her head in her hands, her dark brown hair nearly tumbling out of the messy bun she had it pulled back in.

"Love, do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly, coming into her office and shutting her door.

"Talk about what?"

Nigel sighed deeply. "You know what, Jordan. I went to O'Malley's. I saw what you wanted me to see."

Jordan hung her head lower. "Yeah."

"All I can say is that he must be crazy, Jordan. Completely crazy."

She lifted her head from her hands and gave Nigel a weak smile. "Thanks...I think."

"Why Devan? Why now?"

"It's simple, really, Nigel."

"Then tell me."

"I made him wait too long. By the time I had set all my past behind me...accepted my mother's death....settled my differences with my father...made peace with my history, it was too late. He found someone else that wouldn't flinch away when he mentioned the word 'relationship' and didn't turn green when he told people they were 'dating'. Devan's that person."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Do about it? There's nothing I can do about it. He's made his choice. I've got to live with it. It's another piece of my life I'll have to get used to." She pushed away from her desk and walked over to her window. Nigel's eyes followed her. When Jordan began to pace when she thought, she was in deep concentration over something. So Nigel sat silent, waiting for her to verbally exorcise the demons that were presently torturing her soul.

"I'll just have to get used to it, Nige. Give me a few weeks. Then I'll be able to go back out on his pick ups...I'll be able to work with Devan. I'll be able to accept the fact that Woody lied to me." That was the hardest part for her. He had promised he would always be there for her...the one stable place in her life was now ripped out from under her, leaving her feet on very shaky ground.

"You won't fight for him?"

"You mean take Devan outside and dust her off a bit?"

Nigel laughed. While the idea of a catfight between the two women had its appeal..... "No, confront Woody with your feelings."

"No. He's made his decision, Nige. He's moved on. It's time for me to do the same thing."

Nigel rose from his seat and walked over to Jordan. "Hey, sweetheart, I think you may need to tell him the way you feel. At least to get it off your chest, if nothing else. Know you did all you could."

Jordan shook her head. "No. If Woody's happy with Devan, it won't make a bit of difference. And it may cause more tension around here. And that's not good. Garrett's getting ready to rip me apart now because I won't take Woody's calls."

"Hmmm. Maybe so. But if you need to talk....if I can do anything...."

"I know, Nige. I'll be fine. Honestly."

Determined to put Woody behind her, Jordan continued to work more hours at the morgue, often sleeping overnight on her couch because she was simply too tired to drive even the short distance back to her apartment. She'd curl up on her couch, pull her throw over her, pillow her head on whatever was handy, and sleep a few hours until she felt like going home, showering, and doing it all again the next day. Garrett had joked he was going to list the morgue as her second residence if she didn't start going home at five o'clock like normal people.

"Since when have I ever been normal?" she had asked.

He had grinned back at her, but said rather firmly, "You need your rest, Jordan. I seriously doubt you're getting it this way."

"Give me a few more weeks, Garrett, just a few more. Then I promise I'll be back to normal." Nigel had filled Garrett in on what had happened. And while Garrett didn't like personal problems to interfere with morgue work, he was cutting Jordan some slack...especially since she was picking up Peter's load.

"Okay...but only until the new ME gets here. Then it's back to normal for you...including taking Woody's call-ins if they fall on your watch."

Jordan nodded. She had avoided him for a good three weeks now. She was getting better. Give her a couple of more weeks and she should be completely cured.

Until she looked back into those blue eyes.

And that happened all too soon for her. She had worked one more round of doubles. After finishing a victim in trace, she had mumbled a sleepy "good night" to Nigel and went back into her office. She shut the door and lay down on the couch and was soon fast asleep. She didn't hear her door open.

"Hey, Jo...Jo...wake up," he had said, gently shaking her.

She had mumbled something in her sleep and turned over on her stomach.

"No, Jo. Wake up...just for a minute. Nigel said you were doing doubles. I need to find out about that victim in trace."

She rolled back over and sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she asked, "What about him, Woody?"

"Did his fingernails have any scrapings?"

"Ummm...yeah."

"Do we know anything about them, yet?"

"Sure." She pushed herself up off the couch and away from him. It was vital she get away from him. She could feel the heat roll off his body....it reminded her too much of how it felt to be in his arms. She fumbled with the files on her desk. "Yeah... here it is." She handed him the file and turned to sit back down in her desk chair.

"Are you okay, Jo?" She looked awful...dark circles under her eyes...

"Who? Me? Yeah...just tired. I'm covering for Peter until we can hire a new ME."

"Oh...well -- get some rest, okay?"

"Hmmm? Yeah, sure. Whatever."

He left...She looked awful. It's true she was working a lot of doubles...too many. He had heard this through the office grapevine and Devan. Determined to find out more, he stopped by Nigel's office to get some questions answered.