Sorry for the delay - life gets in the way!!!
Thanks for the reviews. They really help.
Usual disclaimer - CSI:NY is not mine. Pants.
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Flack was staring intently at the timeline when Stella came into the lab that morning. She was all wind-blown and pink, her hair tucked under a hat and her raincoat firmly tied around her waist. She was full of energy, which had become a rarity during the last few days, and ready to start the new day with a fresh clear outlook. She deliberately dropped her umbrella and bags with a clatter making Flack, who was still in 'the zone,' jump.
"Geez Stella! I just lost ten years!" He joked.
Stella grinned at him cheerfully before giving him a hug. He looked like he needed it. Flack these days was starting to look like Danny had not so long ago – all rumpled and exhausted.
"What was that for?" Don asked in surprised pleasure his cheeks going slightly pink.
"Oh sweetheart, you just looked like you really really really needed one." Stella held on tight, refusing to relinquish her hold when he started to shuffle his feet.
"Oh."
"Don't you 'Oh' me Don Flack. Sheesh. You two are peas in a pod, y'know that?"
Stella let go and instead studied his face, holding it between her hands, "You look after yourself you hear me? I can't lose you too." She stared at him hard, her eyes shiny and earnest.
Don's face went a deeper shade of pink and Stella finally dropped her hands, and moved away to study the timeline for herself.
"I think I've got most of it." She murmured half to herself half to Don. "Though who knows?"
Don sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "He couldn't sleep."
She glanced over her shoulder at the subdued tone. "I'm sorry?"
"He couldn't sleep. After Louie an' all, well, he had trouble sleeping. Spent all his time at work or in the hospital, he didn't sleep at all s'far as I could tell. When he was home he certainly didn't, would keep me up all night pacing the floor. Damn noisy. How can one man make so much noise just walking?"
Stella made a noncommittal noise, she could tell from his expression he wasn't after an answer.
"Shit." He tried to school his features back into his 'cop-face' but it wasn't working. "Then he started cutting back his time at the hospital. I guess he was trying… trying to not see Louie so much… tryin' to loosen the ties, 'specially after being told there was little chance left that he would make it."
Stella held back a quiet moan. She had hoped that Louie would eventually wake up; for Danny's sake as much as his own. But now…?
"Then… Aiden died and he lost one of his best friends. And, uh, then me, I guess. He was in that damn hospital almost non-stop after that…"
"Oh." Stella sat down with a strangled sob, emotion overwhelming her. "God Don, how many knocks can one guy take without breaking?"
Don sat down next to her, stroking her back in long comforting strokes. He had to finish. To get across just how many knocks theirguy had taken, and then managed to stay standing, functioning, for what it was worth. "I guess then Lindsay left, which he took better than I expected to be honest, but he really misses her a lot." He paused. Swallowed. Waited for the reaction he knew would come. "Then. Well. Louie died…"