Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Crossing Jordan.
Making Amends
Chapter 4 – Making it Personal
Woody begrudgingly went to work the next morning prepared for comments about his swollen face. The right side of his nose had continued to swell well into the night and the gash from Jordan's ring still throbbed. "Jesus Hoyt," Framus exclaimed, as he walked into the precinct. "Get in a bar fight last night?"
"No, he was beat up by Jordan," Santana explained merrily.
A smile crept across Framus' face and she dropped her gaze to her desk so she wouldn't laugh.
Woody frowned and dropped into his chair, desperately trying to ignore all the eyes on him.
Seely's phone, however, pulled everyone's attention away from Woody's broken face. "This is Seely…Okay where?…Yeah, I'll be there."
Woody followed him into the hallway. "Give me your case."
"What?"
"Give me your case."
"No. Why would you want it? It's high profile isn't it? I could use some good publicity, get your own big case."'
"It's not high profile."
"Then why do you want it?"
"Just give it to me. You can have my next big case."
"Why? Oh wait, it's Jordan's case isn't it?"
"Just let me have it."
"All right, but it's your funeral."
XXXXX
Jordan was sitting at her desk, quietly reading a file when she noticed Nigel standing in the doorway. "Can I help you Nige?" she asked without looking up.
"I was hoping we could talk."
She lifted her gaze to meet his and he dropped into a chair in front of her desk. "About what?"
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well you gave Detective Hoyt a nice shiner yesterday. He has quite the swollen face, poor bloke." Jordan winced at the thought of the punch she had delivered Woody.
"Yeah well, you know…" she offered awkwardly, twisting her hands together. "I kind of lost it."
"I heard through the office grapevine that Lu broke up with him."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I thought you'd want to know."
"Yeah well, I don't," she said bitterly.
"What happened between you two?"
"I really don't want to talk about this. Just let it go, I have."
"You don't really believe that, do you?"
"Nigel, I don't want to do this. Woody made it clear how he feels, I respect that. We're over."
"You are completely over Woody?"
"I will be one day and until then, I'll just avoid him."
Nigel was about to respond when Jordan's cell rang. "Cavanaugh…okay and who's the detective?… Seely's fine, thank you." She closed her phone and smiled at Nigel. "If you'll excuse me, I have a body to attend to."
XXXXX
Woody watched Jordan climb out of the SUV, as he stood talking with the two uniformed officers. She slid her sunglasses onto her head and started walking towards them, until she realized it was Woody.
"Jordan," he called, walking towards her. Her eyes narrowed, but she couldn't help but observing the ugly purple bruise that sparkled on his face, along with the angry red gash that was in the center of it.
"I thought I was working with Seely."
"Yeah, we switched cases."
"Why?"
"He wanted one of mine," Woody lied, observing how much thinner Jordan was then the last time he'd been this close. "The body's over here."
Jordan nodded awkwardly and walked towards the corpse. Woody stood above her, as she knelt down, and rocked from foot to foot.
"Blunt force trauma," she said as she lifted the head. "Looks like he bled out from the head injury. The lividity depressions on his back, indicate this was where he died. He's been dead at least twelve hours," she said professionally, without looking up at him.
"Anything else you can tell me?"
"Nothing until I do an autopsy. I'll do it when I get back and fax you the results, there's no reason for you to make a trip over."
He frowned and dropped his gaze to his feet. "Jordan, I…"
"I would rather you called me Dr. Cavanaugh, it's less personal."
"Come on Jordan, don't do this."
"I'm not doing anything but my job," she said bitterly.
"You think that avoiding me is going to fix this?"
"Can we not do this here?"
"Well you won't talk to me anywhere else."
"And that surprises you? What did you think would happen Hoyt? You made your decision and I respect that."
"I know I screwed up, but you have to believe I am sorry."
"Why cause Lu dumped you and you need someone to sleep with? Is that all I am, someone to screw when it suits your needs?" Jordan yelled, attracting attention from all the cops in the area.
"Jordan, that is not what happened. Jordan," he yelled as she walked away, hoping he wouldn't see the tears spilling down her cheeks.
