It was dusk in Jamrock. Harry leaned against the wall behind the Precinct 41 station, watching the sky fade from orange to purple. He took a deep drag from his cigarette. The fading light softened the blunt edges of the austere, graffito-covered apartment building across the street. Warm yellow light spilled out of one window, then another, as residents returned for the evening. Harry closed his eyes, breathing the city in, listening to the sounds of chatter from a group of teenagers lounging against a pair of trees older than most of the buildings, the clacks and dings of typewriters floating out of an open window above him, the clop of horses hooves, and the rumble of a distant motor carriage. Harry smiled - if you let your mind wander, the sounds bled together into a rhythm almost like a heartbeat.
The back door of the station burst open and Harry jumped at the sound. Turning to look, he saw Judit stumbling down the stairs, the door swinging closed behind her. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, one hand clinging to the railing for support, the other wrapped protectively around her middle. Tears streamed down her face.
"Judit!" said Harry, quickly stubbing out his cigarette.
She turned to look at him, startled, as he hurried over to her. "Sorry," she said, hurriedly wiping her cheeks with the cuff of her jacket. "I didn't–I didn't realize anyone was–" More tears fell down her cheeks and she wiped them away again.
EMPATHY:This isn't sadness. It's fear.
"Judit, what's wrong?" said Harry. He touched her arm, gently. Her face crumpled and she let out a choked sob.
"I don't have–I don't have time for this," she said, her voice wavering. "I have to go– My kids are alone– And my husband– No one knows where he is. I'm scared he might– he's been so down lately–" She stopped abruptly, unable to make herself say what she was thinking. She was shaking. Harry's chest squeezed with sympathy. He took a deep breath.
"Okay," he said softly, resting his hand on her shoulder. "We're gonna go look for him. But first, we're gonna spend a couple minutes making a plan, so we're not just running around in a panic, yeah?"
She nodded, then sniffed. Harry fished in his pocket for a handkerchief and handed it to her. "First, do you have any idea where he might be?" he asked.
She took a shaky breath. "I already called around at his usual bars, and they haven't seen him. But there are a few parks and things he likes. He likes bridges. Oh God…" she gripped Harry's arm, looking up at him, a fresh wave of fear washing over her. "What if he's–"
Harry pulled her into a hug. "He's not," he said firmly. "We'll find him."Please, let me be right, he thought.
Judit clung to the front of his jacket, her face buried in his shoulder, her breath coming in sharp jerks.
EMPATHY:Shit, when did you last hug someone?You don't even remember hugging anyone, do you? That's so sad.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY:You know what will make both of you feel better?Someaction.Kiss her, hard.
VOLITION 's wildly inappropriate. We're helping her. Focus, now.
"Deep breaths, Judit," said Harry.
HALF-LIGHT:And who the fuck areyouto be helpinganyone?You're barely holding it together on a good day.
VOLITION:Stop it. You're what she has. It's enough. You can do this.
"Breathe in. Breathe out." Harry did his best to follow his own advice. Judit's breathing was stabilizing. "In. Out."
After a few more breaths, Harry could feel a bit of Judit's tension leaving her. "Okay. Okay," she said, her voice thick with tears. She let go of Harry's jacket. Harry pulled back a bit, keeping one arm around her shoulders. She wiped her face with the handkerchief and blew her nose. A cool breeze blew through the darkening street. The streetlights kicked on, yellow light splashing onto the pavement. Judit moved over to stand under one of the lights, then turned to face Harry.
She bit her lip. "Where to go first…" she muttered to herself.
"Can we bring more people in on this?" Harry asked, following her to the pool of light..
Judit tucked her hair behind her ears.
COMPOSURE:A nervous habit. She probably thought she'd broken it ages ago.
"You think they'll help?"
"Kim will. And Jean. Torson and McLaine…probably would. Jules would. His shift lasts a few more hours, too."
"I don't know…" Judit said, a crease appearing between her eyebrows. "I don't want to scare him. Bastien, I mean. If he thought the police were after him…" She shook her head to clear it of the thought. "But if they saw him, they could call in to Jules. I could keep checking in whenever I find a payphone."
Harry nodded. He pulled a notebook and pencil from his pocket and handed it to her. "Write down a list of the most likely places you think he'll be. Jules can call around while we look."
"Yes, that's good," she said, already writing. Planning out their next steps seemed to calm her.
"Oh!" she said suddenly, covering her face with a hand, "My kids! They're alone, and they'll be getting hungry." She groaned in frustration. "What kind of person forgets theirkids?"
SUGGESTION:Make a joke. Keep her from spiraling.
"I don't know, it's not like you've had a lot on your mind or anything." Harry said, with a sad half-smile. She looked at him and huffed a laugh.
"You could go home," he continued. "We'll keep looking and call you if we see Bastien."
Judit shook her head. "No. No. I can't just sit there waiting for a call, trying to keep it together in front of them." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I might be the only one who can talk Bastien down, anyway."
"Okay. Is there anyone else they can stay with for tonight?"
"Normally they could stay with my mother, but she's…" Judit trailed off.
ENCYCLOPEDIA:In the hospital. Being treated for throat cancer. This particular type of cancer has a 27 percent survival rate at 5 years and a 15 percent survival rate at 10 years with current treatments.
"I could…watch them for you," he said, surprising himself at the offer. Judit looked surprised, too. His thoughts immediately kicked into high gear.
HALF-LIGHT:You watch her kids?You?You can't be responsible for someone else - they're still babysittingyou. Surely you don't think people are checking up on you on your days off because theyenjoy your company?
ENDURANCE:Look at you, you're a wreck. You'd probably have a heart attack and die, right on the kitchen linoleum, with the kids watching.
RHETORIC:Shit, she's hesitating. She's trying to think of a reason to say no.
EMPATHY:She's trying to think of a way to spare your feelings.
"I mean–if you're comfortable with that," Harry said quickly. "It's okay if you're not. I'm not exactly, uh…"
AUTHORITY:Not exactly trustworthy? Yeah, no shit.
VOLITION:It was good to offer. She knows you're trying to help.
"No, it's a good idea, I'm just…not used to people offering to help." Judit laughed a little, awkwardly.
EMPATHY:She's embarrassed by how sad that sounded.
Harry felt himself wincing in sympathy. Judit glanced at his expression, then looked away.
"Anyway." She swallowed. "Yes, I'd appreciate it. Thank you. I'll have to introduce you, so they know it's ok for you to be there. Let's go ask Jules for help, and then head to my apartment." She gave a tight little smile, patting Harry's arm in thanks, before hurrying back up the stairs into the station. Harry followed.
RHETORIC:Is she serious? She's trusting you with this? Shemustbe desperate.
VOLITION:She is. But she also trusts you. Remember that.