Ideally I would have published this yesterday, but the friggin' document manager wouldn't work! Very annoying. Yeah, just pretend you were reading this yesterday alright?
It's FRIENDSHIP okay? You'll see.
We all knew what day it was.
24th June.
My birthday.
No one said a word, but they were all thinking about it.
They all knew.
A hush fell over the lab.
Ryan dared to ask why and Eric snapped.
Calleigh diffused the situation and sent Ryan out. She then turned to Eric.
"Listen Eric," she said, holding his forearms. "Calm down. That was uncalled for."
"I'm sorry! It's just…"
He trailed off.
"I know it's hard but don't think that you are the only one that's struggling. And don't take it out on Ryan either."
She shot him a meaningful glare before leaving.
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A couple of hours later, Calleigh was chasing up some evidence that she had sent to Trace.
When I had been alive, I had always had music on and that part of the lab had never been quiet. But that day when Calleigh went in to fetch the results, it was silent.
Before stepping over the threshold to Trace, Calleigh paused and looked around the empty room.
"…Speedle…" she murmured.
Her eyes were closed and her brain was ignoring all of her senses. It was totally focused on remembering what had gone by.
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"Calleigh?"
She was brought back to Earth by someone calling her name.
"There something wrong Calleigh?"
It was Ryan.
Calleigh shook her head vigorously.
"No. Everything's fine."
She shook her head again.
Ryan looked unconvinced.
"Are you sure? It's just that everything seems a little… quiet today."
"It's nothing. Really."
Calleigh grinned broadly, to drive home the point that she was totally fine.
She made to walk away, but Ryan gently placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her.
"As a friend, I'm worried about you. All of you. Everyone upset about something but no-one is saying what."
"Ryan, it's… it's Speed's birthday today. Well, it would be. It should be."
Calleigh turned away from Ryan, not wanting him to see the look on her face.
Ryan started to comfort Calleigh, something he never thought he would have to do.
He pulled her into a friendly hug, which Calleigh backed away from almost immediately.
Almost immediately.
They hugged for almost two seconds before Calleigh stepped out of the embrace.
Calleigh smiled sadly at Ryan and left.
He stood in the corridor, bewildered at what had just happened.
I don't think he realised how lucky he was.
Calleigh had let him comfort her; let him see her when she was weakest.
She's accepted him as a true friend.
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At the end of the day, Calleigh went to fetch her things from the break-room, as usual.
She got her bag and also picked up an envelope.
White, with simple biro ink on it.
What was written in the ink was important.
It said "Tim Speedle" in Calleigh's neat handwriting.
I knew exactly where she was going, but I didn't want to join her.
But I had no choice.
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At the graveyard, Calleigh put the letter on the headstone.
There were many more flowers than normal because of it being my birthday.
Calleigh didn't bring flowers.
Only her letter.
As she stood back from the grave and looked at it, a small sob escaped her throat.
She bit her lip to prevent it happening again.
She left.
Once, she glanced over her shoulder at the grave.
Just once.