Chapter 8
Caitlyn sat at her home desk going over work emails. Trying to take her mind off thinking about Vi for just a few minutes. Every second she wasn't occupied with something important, her mind would wander back to that night. What she could have done better, how she should have handled the situation, why she acted the way she did. She knew it wasn't healthy to keep obsessing over something she could not change. So, then her mind would go to how she could fix this. Playing out multiple scenarios in her head, all ending with Vi still hating her.
Caitlyn's weekend involved lying on the couch crying and trying to distract herself with work. Finding neither to be very productive. As Sunday night rolled around, she had a major decision to make. "Go into to work tomorrow or stay home another week until I can better fix my situation". She got up from the couch, only to feel more tears fill her eyes. "I can't do this", deep fear began to sink in, "what if I can never go back"?
Caitlyn grabbed her work computer and began writing emails explaining she needed another week to fully recover, but that she would gladly continue to work from home. Caitlyn had no idea what she would do if she was no longer Sherriff. "Oh, how happy that would make my mother" she thought. But this only made wanting to fix her situation more important than ever.
Monday morning rolled around to the office. Vi who also had a pretty uneventful weekend, only hers consisted of hard liquor while passing out on her couch, strolled into work hoping somehow things could work themselves out. Vi was never good with feelings, or expressing herself properly, she knew if confronted by Caitlyn she wouldn't know what to say, or how to make better of the situation. She worried anger would take over once again only to inflict deeper wounds upon Caitlyn, "Maybe we will just avoid talking about what happened, let it become a distant memory". Vi shook her head immediately. She knew Caitlyn would never be able to let something like this go. Weather it be to fire Vi or want to talk about how it made them feel. Vi shuddered at the thought of having to share her feelings. Especially because she knew it hurt like hell, to have Caitlyn not only say those things to her, but to believe them.
Vi found her desk, only to slump down in her chair trying to peak over her partner's computer into the sheriff's office to get a glance at Caitlyn's mood. Just then a soft voice spoke "you don't have to worry, she's not in her office, rumor has it she took the week off". Alina then put a donut on Vi's desk. "Sgt Andrews brought in donuts for everyone thought I better save you one before the hoard take them all". Vi now sitting up right in her chair glancing once again at Caitlyn's office unable to process Caitlyn taking a whole week off. "Thank you, Alina, but who said she is taking the week off"? Alina now sitting at her desk. "Well, I guess Sgt Andrews was overheard on the phone talking to someone important about it". Vi didn't know how she should feel about this news. With Caitlyn not being there she figured she at least still had a job for a week, but what did this mean for Caitlyn?
Just then Sgt Andrews called for the morning huddle. Everyone gathered to hear about assignments, and lectures about getting paperwork filed more promptly. Then came what Vi was waiting for. Sgt Andrews confirming Caitlyn's absence for the next week.
Caitlyn spent most of her days at home doing Sherriff duties. Still making sure to respond promptly to emails, and even on rare occasions sitting in on conference calls. Trying to avoid the topic of what illness she suffered from, that would have her home for over a week. She found comfort in getting lost in all the paperwork. It made her feel useful and still important.
Her nights were mostly spent going to the gym. She felt as though she could run several marathons by the time this week was up. She ran until she felt numb, still trying to avoid the pain she inflicted on herself and Vi.
Unfortunately for Caitlyn, every time her head hit her pillow, she immediately went back to that night. Not enough miles could be run to prevent her brain from wanting to relive the words she shouted to her friend.
All days seemed now to be blending into one. Caitlyn knew she now needed to talk to someone. Not just anyone. Someone who knew her. Someone that could make her feel like everything was going to be ok.
As Thursday morning rolled out, Caitlyn got herself up early, cleaned herself up, and headed for the only person she felt comfortable enough to share everything without judgment. She grabbed a morning coffee and jumped in her car for the short drive. She made her way to the upper part of town. Gazing at the beautiful large mansions that sat back from the street. She pulled up to the gates of one of the larger mansions, leaned out the window, and entered a specific code. The two large gates opened wide allowing her to drive up to the large mansion sitting in the middle of acres of beautiful green land. Just as Caitlyn was getting out of her car, a familiar voice filled the air. "Caitlyn, it's been too long" A tall man with darker hair that had a bit of grey salted throughout, had his arms open wide waiting for an embrace. Caitlyn quickly closed her car door before quickly moving into his arms. "Father" she exclaimed as tears began to fall, hugging him even tighter. Her father pulled her back just a bit to look at her face. "Let's get you inside and see what we can do about this". He said with much empathy, While brushing some of the tears away with his thumb. He grabbed her by her side and walked her up the stone steps to the large doors.
Vi's week wasn't going as great as she would have hoped either. She found herself more on edge. Often getting after people more aggressively than usual. Vi wasn't exactly known for being kind when confronting criminals, but she seemed to operate with a little more punching and less talking than usual. Alina watched as her partner was beginning to crumble. Not sure if she could do anything to stop it, but she felt she needed to try. She felt more than responsible for the events that unfolded on that night. After all Vi only got in a fight to protect her, only brought her home to protect her, and now it was Alina's turn to protect VI, "But how" she thought.
Alina didn't know much about Sherriff Caitlyn. She saw her as a complicated women to read, and Alina always prided herself on being able to know a person without actually ever talking to them. She relied on body language and random interactions, and studied them. Being able to see people this way was why she wanted to become an officer, hoping one day to move into top detective. She knew Vi though. A rough on the outside soft on the inside kind of person. Vi never really opened up to Alina about personal things, but she could read Vi enough to feel like she really knew who she was. And because this beautiful pink haired women was more than just her partner, but a friend, she was going to work to help her fix things with Caitlyn.