Ayjay - Sorry I meant that his apartment feels like a prison, not that he is actually in prison
Author's note - This isatransion chapter and I wanted to show a lighter side, and set up for the next couple of chapters.
(Nigel)
"Lily, as the other resident jokester around here, how would you like to be involved in a little something called 'Operation Cold Dish'?"
"Operation Cold Dish what is that?"
"Oh love have you ever heard the expression 'revenge is a dish best served cold.'"
"Yes, but who are we getting revenge on… wait are you planning on doing something to Slocum, you remember what Bug told us Garrett said, to try and get along cause he could make our lives hell."
"No love wait I'm not planning on putting a bucket of paint above his door or anything that childish. This plan forming in my warped mind is to liven up the place, with Woody being wounded and Dr M gone, Jordan has been listless and just going through the motions, and she is the star of our show so to speak. And Bug has been unusually morose and is withdrawn in to himself more."
"Okay Nigel I'll help you, as long as we don't do anything to get me fired. I am still holding out hope that Garrett will be back."
"No worries love, I would not do that to you. Anyway here is the plan; a friend of mine emailed this to me. It's a list 'how to make the workplace more enjoyable'"
"Hey these are really funny, oh the coffee one. That might be kind of hard to do; most everyone brings their own coffee, in the morning."
"Yea but, I've seen how much coffee gets drank here everyday."
"So how are we going to do this, both at the same time or back and forth?"
"Some we can do at the same time, others back and forth."
"Okay which one's first?"
(Jordan) (One week later)
"Hey Bug, did you hear what almost happened to Nigel and Lily?"
"No Jordan what happened?"
"They were sitting in Lily's car pointing a hair dryer at passing cars, making people think they were running radar. But some cops pulled up behind them and made them stop; they only gave them a warning. The cops threatened to take the hair dryer." I still have to smile at that
"So did they tell you that?"
"No the cops are from Woody's station house." Oh Woody, Garrett was right this has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. I go to the hospital every night; sometimes the gang goes to. He's not as cold as he was that first day, but he still refuses my help as much as possible. I swear if it was it was not Garrett's encouragement, the love I feel for Woody, and the fact that I still see the love in his eyes when he thinks I'm not looking. Then one night, when every one was gone, I had fallen asleep with my head on his bed; I woke up to the feeling of someone running their fingers though my hair. I know it was Woody, I pretended to still be asleep, when I heard him sigh and mutter very quietly
(Flashback)
"Oh Jordan, just when we reached the point we were almost on the same page. Now I can't be the man you need, that you deserve, maybe if I make a full recovery. Oh hell, in the end, it doesn't matter, I need her, and I can't stay away from her. Damn it, why do I have to love her, so much so, that she is the very air I breathe."
(End Flashback)
It took everything I had that night to keep from lifting my head and kissing him, but I knew it was not the right time. I put it away in the special place in my heart that holds all my warm, loving memories. I bring them out when times get tough. The last couple of years or so, most of those memories have Woody in them. That's when I knew his love was… is worth it. That the pain and suffering we are both going through right now well be worth every mile.
"Jordan, hello Jordan, you there?"
"What, oh sorry Bug, what did you say?"
"I asked how is Woody doing, Dr Macy asked us to not come every night, said something about his plan of attack."
"Woody, (sigh) its tough, they drained the fluid and the swelling is going down, he has some feeling in his toes and feet and he can move his left big toe a little, I swear I almost cried when I saw it. But its very frustration for him, he is not someone that can handle be stationary for long. I'm afraid he will push himself too hard and cause damage, but he will not listen to Garrett or me, or the doctors. He wants to be fully recovered now." Damn it I don't want to feel depressed. If I go see Woody tonight he and Garrett will know. I have to be strong for Woody.
"Hey, Jordan so what are Nigel and Lily up to, first they put trashcans on their desk and labeled them 'in box', Then they spent an entire day saying 'do you want fries with that', when ever someone asks them something."
"Oh yea, and when they put up mosquito netting around their offices and spent the whole day slapping themselves at random times." Thank you Bug, thank you guys I know they did it for the whole morgue but they have brighten my days.
"The coffee thing, last week they switched the regular coffee with decaf, then on two days ago, they put in espresso, to say the day buzzed by, for all of us would have been an understatement." Bug said with a smile.
"Yea, I was wondering why Lily and Nigel spent all day laughing."