AN: 1.1 and 2.7
Order
Over the phone, all you can really do is scream and yell and say the same thing over and over again, to no avail.
From the safety of their kitchen, Mitch Larsen begs her husband to tell her what's going on. Her mother's instincts tell her the absolute worse has come true but she hopes and prays that she's wrong.
Linden's anger flares as she listens to Holder's grunts and screams from the security of her car. He's outnumbered and they're beating him but there's nothing she can do from where she is to stop it.
This form of communication is also a barrier. All that passes between each party is their voice. Everything else remains restrained by distance and it's in their helplessness that this distance is apparent.
"Stan, Stan! What's happening, Stan?"
"Holder? Holder!"
In this respect, there's a limit to their communication. The person on the other end is helpless or overwhelmed. They are caught in their own experiences, ones that cannot be relayed over the phone to the other person. All that can be passed through are bits and pieces, an incomplete picture that results from this means of communication.
Denny and Tommy can only watch in fear and confusion. Their mom is crying and yelling and talking to their dad, but that's all they know. Something is wrong, but that's all they know.
Jack senses something is wrong and it has to do with Holder, but that's all he knows.
Mitch and Stan must wait to meet with the coroner before they can know for sure. Their sorrow is immeasurable and they still cannot fully accept what has happened but at least they can be certain.
Linden has to go through the chain of command and request a search. It's more of a delayed process than she would have liked (which would have been to be there right away) but it will help Holder.
Over the phone, communication is limited but it is often a means to initiate a process that brings people together and leads to truth.
And it's better than not knowing at all.
-End-