Like Eating Glass-Chapter 8
Hello! I'm still here and I've been itching to write but I just finished all my finals...almost. One more to go then I'm home for the summer but I should have a lot of free time this weekend so I'm hoping to get a couple of chapters up. Thanks for sticking with this story and for putting up with me and my random schedule. I hope you're enjoying this and that it's worth it. I'm going to try and finish this one up this week. I had an idea I wanted to get out before the continuation of "Fault Lines" comes on but we'll see how that goes. Thanks again, please review me and remember that I don't own Flashpoint!
"I can't believe that he got a hat trick in the last seconds of the period, what a game." Sam had a glimmer in his eye as he recounted the hockey game form the night before and laced his boots in the locker room.
"Yeah the hat trick was great and all, but the defense was terrible; it's a wonder that we kept them to two." Spike added as he riffled through his locker. They continued to recount the details and the statistics, Ed adding his input from time to time but mostly watching Wordy. He'd barley said a sentence since he'd walked into the locker room and he hadn't really looked at anyone. Ed watched carefully as Wordy yawned and tried to get his feet into his boots.
"You look like hell, Wordy." Ed said jokingly as he pointed to the left boot he was trying to squeeze his right foot into. Wordy seemed to break out of a trance as he looked at his feet and smiled slightly.
"God," He said as he switched his boots and started lacing one up. "yeah I'm just tired." He said without looking up. Spike and Sam had grown a bit quieter as they turned their attention to their friend.
"Everyone has those days." Sam said in an attempt to break the silence that had fallen upon them. Ed turned slightly and looked at Spike and Sam. Though he didn't speak the message on his face was unmistakable.
"We'll see you guys out there." Spike said as he and Sam left the locker room obediently. Ed turned back to his locker for a moment to grab the last of his gear as Wordy kept his head down tying his boots. The silence was thick between them as Ed closed his locker and turned towards Wordy.
"So, what's really going on?" Ed said knowingly as he sat on the bench across from Wordy. Though he hadn't raised his gaze yet, Ed saw his muscles grow tense. After a pause, Wordy sat up and spoke.
"Like I said, I'm just tired." He shrugged as he wiped his face of any emotion and kept his voice calm. Ed nodded though he was obviously not going to let the topic drop.
"I can see that." He said with a nod. "I can also see the fist sized dent in your locker and the gauze on your hand." Ed was trying to sound sympathetic but the tone wasn't completely coming across. Wordy gave him a look that he hoped would be an answer enough but Ed wasn't buying it.
"You know how that lock is. It was stuck last night and I was frustrated, guess I forgot my own strength." Wordy gave him another small smile as he went to strap on his vest but Ed saw through it. He knew that the smile he was seeing was not Wordy's smile and that just behind his tough facade his mind was tearing him apart.
"All the equipment we've got in this place, all the lock-picks you've done and you decide that punching your locker is the better option?" Ed tried to keep the tone conversational but he saw Wordy growing more desperate to leave the room.
"It was late, I was tired, I was frustrated and I punched my locker. You done interrogating me now?" Wordy said a bit harshly as he got up quickly and strode out of the locker room and directly to the briefing room.
Greg was talking to Jules at the head of the table and Sam and Spike sat across from each other talking animatedly about their predictions for the next hockey game. Wordy sat down next to Spike, giving both the men a nod. He leaned in to try and appear to be part of the conversation; he nodded when appropriate but didn't say anything. When Greg finished with Jules, Ed had pulled him aside and had whispered something to him. Wordy knew that they were talking about him, looking at him, but he kept his attention on Spike and Sam, not allowing himself a glance in their direction.
"Alright guys," Greg called for attention as Ed took his seat and Greg took his place at the head of the table. Greg didn't appear to be phased by whatever Ed had told him as he smiled at everyone and started their morning briefing. " We've got a ten hour shift today along with Team Three. If there's a call they'll be taking it and we'll hold down the fort incase anything comes up." Greg saw the confusion evident around the table, Team One had the highest success rates with hot calls and if they were on duty they were usually the ones to go out in the field, but no one questioned. Greg's tone changed slightly as he let his muscles relax and his voice soften.
"I know I said this yesterday but I'm going to say it again," He paused and seemed to be waiting for everyone's eye contact before he spoke. "Yesterday was a really tough call for all of us, it's going to take us a few days to get back in stride but if any of you want to talk about anything, I'm here." He paused again before meeting each of their eyes for a moment. "Anytime, about anything, you guys know you can call me." Everyone nodded in understanding as Greg stood up a bit straighter and he changed his tone to the more conversational briefing voice. "Alright, gun range this morning, workouts this afternoon, then we'll do some bomb stuff." Before Greg even finished his sentence Spike was out of his seat with a huge smile on his face.
"You guys are going to love it, I gave Babycakes a tune-up and wait until you see her water cannon-"
"Easy does it Spike," Ed said jokingly. "You can brag about your girlfriend later, right now we're at the gun range, let's move." Ed rose from the table and everyone followed suit. Wordy walked quickly, trying to be the first one out of the room but Greg had anticipating his move and was standing in the doorframe as Wordy approached.
"Got a minute, Wordy?" He asked with a warm smile. Wordy looked at him for a moment before sighing and nodding. They both stepped out of the doorway and let everyone else leave the room before Greg walked back to the table and sat down, motioning Wordy to do the same. His muscles were stiff as he pulled up a chair and tried to smile. Greg looked him over carefully before settling his gaze on Wordy's eyes. "How you doing, Wordy?"
"I'm fine, Sarge...a little tired, but I'm fine." He said confidently. Greg nodded.
"Relax, Wordy." He smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "You look really tense." Wordy took a breath and tried to force himself to relax but he was growing frustrated again.
"What did you need me for, Sarge?" He asked a little shortly as he tried to harden his features. Greg took a breath and looked at him closely again.
"Two things. First, I need your signature here for the file." Greg pulled a file towards them and flipped through it to find the right page. Wordy saw the address on the front of the folder and recognized it as the call file from yesterday. Greg found the page and pointed to a line as he handed Wordy a pen. He scrawled his name quickly and nodded as he went to get up form the chair.
"One more thing, Wordy." Greg said as he saw Wordy slump back into the chair. He paused a moment before speaking, seemingly thinking hard about something. "I just wanted to let you know that the offer to take some time off is still on the table-"
"I'm fine, Sarge."
"So you've said," Greg said softly. "but just know that its there and think about it." Wordy nodded in understanding and waited impatiently for Greg to add anything else. He didn't know why he was so anxious around Ed and Greg, two of his best friends and colleagues, but he felt his fingers curling into fists and his chest tighten as the silence continued.
"You can go meet up with the others, I've got one more file to finish up and then I'll join you guys." Greg saw Wordy relax a bit as he stood and headed to the door. Though Greg immediately regretted not keeping Wordy in the room and getting him to talk, he knew that it would have been futile. Hopefully he'll come around sooner rather than later.
I know this chapter wasn't great and didn't move things along too much, the next one will but I needed to get writing and get back into the swing of things. I know this one is kinda badly written so I'm not going to beg for reviews but I'd still appreciate them. I'm writing in between packing...or maybe I'm packing in between writing...well I'm moving out of the dorms next week so chapters might come up at odd times but they will be up more consistently than the past month. Thanks!