Danny was patiently waiting for Adam to finish. He sat on a bar stool as his beaten co-worker in the bathroom. The CSI had suggested going into this nearby bar so that he could clean himself up after what had just happened.
To be honest, the bespectacled man still couldn't figure out what had happened. He was just about to meet Flack for a couple of drinks when he heard a little scuffle from across the street. He followed the noise and found himself in a dark alley where he saw a guy beating up another guy. Out of instincts he did what he was trained to do and help. He first tried getting the hobo off the other man. The guy must have been drunk because he stunk. When he turned to check on the victim he was just surprised to see that it was his lab tech of a friend Adam. He turned his attention back to the drunk when he ran down the alley. So he went back to checking on Adam. He was reasonably angry, but he was a little more defensive than Danny thought he should have been and that's when it got a little weird for him.
"I'm fine Lucas." He remembers Adam shouting at him.
He had no idea who this 'Lucas' guy was and why Adam had called him that. All he knew was that he was just involved in something serious and it seemed to have really shook him up, to a point that the CSI knew he wouldn't be able to get any answers out of. That's why they were there. Maybe they could talk it over a couple of beers or if he didn't want to, at least he had to try to calm him down. He really was worried about the guy.
'What the hell is wrong with you?' the bearded man asked himself, 'splash', as he washed his face with cold water. 'You didn't need to do that.' He silently added. 'Ok, just relax. Just pretend nothing happened.' He suggested to himself. He knew that it was a piece of crap of an idea, but he tried to comfort himself. 'He'll understand.'
It really was eerie, the similarities. On the anniversary of that terrible summer day back in Phoenix, the one night his alcoholic of a father came back after seventeen years to just beat him up all over again, on this one night, who comes to his rescue? He did… like he used to. It was so eerie he slipped up and called him 'Lucas.'
Adam can't even remember when was the last time he said his name out loud like that. He's not sure if; it was on the day he died, the trial day or on the bum's release. He's thought about him constantly, but he doesn't remember the last time he ever said his name. He even misses calling him.
The blonde had ordered a couple of beers. He texted Don that he couldn't make it tonight. 'Something came up.' in his own words. He was just about to check his watch again, when his companion came back and sat down on the bar stool next to him.
"Hey," Danny greeted, putting his cell back in his pocket. "You ok now?"
"Yeah," Adam replied in a bitter laugh. "I'm ok."
"I took the liberty of ordering you a drink." The older of the two said as the bartender took out another bottle.
"Thanks." He politely replied and took a swig of the cold beverage.
He took a look of him drinking. 'It was a pretty long swig' he thought. It wasn't the type that looked like 'I just got into a fight and now I'm thirsty.' It looked more like 'I just want to forget what just happened.' He wasn't used to seeing him like this. He got so used to the lab tech to be more energetic, lively, a little clumsy and awkward but endearing. There were times he teased him about it. He'd give him a hard time about the littlest things. He was like… a little brother.
He was just caught in a fight. He's never seen him in a fight before, he wasn't the type to. He always thought that he was too smart to ever be caught in a fight. Now, he's weary and tired. He looks at him and thinks 'he needs someone.' He's not sure if he's qualified, but he was willing to help him in any way he can, and only if he wanted to. He wasn't going to force the young man to tell him his life story. If they'd just end up sitting here in silence drinking a couple of beers, that would be ok. He'll just be here for him.
"I thought you were meeting Don at Sullivan's tonight." The bearded man opened conversation.
"I was." The bespectacled man answered. "But he cancelled; he's got a hot date." and he lied.
"You don't?" he asked rhetorically, sounding a little more bitter than usual.
"No," he answers trying to laugh it off. "I don't." took a drink of his own.
"Not even with Lindsay?" he asked bluntly, causing the other man to choke on his drink a little.
He coughed a little and gave the other man a questioning look, before licking his lips and answering. "It's complicated."
"Oh," the younger man said, fearing that he may have just struck a nerve. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to pry."
"Adam, it's ok." He reassured him with a warm smile.
'Calm down.' The lab tech told himself. This really got him on edge. He wanted to act all normal, but he ended up acting like a jerk. It's understandable that he may act like this right after what had just happened, but Danny shouldn't get the worst of him right now. He had just saved him from his own father. He doesn't deserve that.
"So, how's the 'dancer' case?" he casually changed the subject. "-The one with deodorant on her top."
"Oh, you were right about the pineapple fibers." The older man answered. "Only the guests were wearing them. The particular fibers we got from the necklace came from one of the celebrants nephews."
"A modern day 'Richie Rich' type?" the other man rhetorically asked with a smile.
"A married 'Richie Rich,'" He corrected him. "He was having an affair with Gina Fernando. She threatened to tell his wife. They fought. She ended up dead." He explained.
"Oh," he said again. "Kinda cliché, don't you think?" he asked with a feign grin.
"Definitely." He agreed. "It's funny, but you work this long enough, you don't too many surprises anymore." then took another drink.
They both fell into this slightly awkward silence, both not really knowing how to go on from there. They just sat their quietly occasionally sipping their beers. There were small bits of conversation about the lab and recent events and other happenings, civil and polite conversation.
'Ok, no pressure.' He mentally tells himself as he drinks his beer. 'Don't try to make too much eye contact and don't try to be too suffocating.' He added. 'Just let him tell you what he wants to tell you. Don't pressure him.'
Most of the awkwardness came from the jumpy lab tech, his foot bouncing lightly on the stool step just beneath him. Again, he tells himself to calm down, looking at the other man next to him just sitting calmly drinking his own beer. 'Why can't you be more like that?' he asked himself. 'Why can't you be more like Lucas?'
"Are you going to talk about him or not?" the older of the two asked bluntly, causing the other man to jump a little.
"What?" he asked, almost like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"The guy? Earlier?" he asked, making hand gestures trying to remind him of what had happened half an hour ago. "The bum? The one who beat you up earlier? What happened? You got mugged or something?"
"Huh, ah no, no, no" he nervously answered shaking his head slightly as if the notion were impossible. "No, I didn't get mugged. I've still got my wallet." he addd tapping on his backpocket.
"That's good." He replied, though he didn't fully buy into it. "So, what happened? Did he try to?"
"To, to what? Mug me?" he asked and the other man nodded. "No. He didn't."
"So, what it was some random act of violence?" he asked rhetorically, his hands up in the air for exaggeration.
He didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. If he said 'no', because it would lead into a long conversation, he's still not sure he's ready to have. He couldn't say 'yes', because it wasn't random. It wasn't random at all.
"Adam," Danny pulled him back to reality. "If you don't want to talk about it… I'd understand."
"No. I mean yes. I mean… er, I." he tried to explain himself, but he doesn't know the right words to say. He doesn't even know what to say. "I'm sorry, Danny."
"Don't be." He puts his hand on Adams shoulder and gives it a comforting rub. "You've been on the edge lately. I don't know why, and I don't need to know if you don't want me too." He explains trying to ease the other man's uneasiness. "I'm just a little worried about you, kid."
That was it. It was like a lightning bolt on the base of his spine and up his neck. He looks at him. He looks straight at him. He knows it's not exactly him, but just by that word, that little word, it felt like him. For that split second, it felt exactly like him. He thought he was looking at him.
"You've got a brother right?" he asked.