Two hours later, Harry was sitting in the stairwell outside Judit's apartment, reading a book he'd snagged from the bookshelf, a cigarette burning in his hand. He'd gone back inside to check on the kids after his first cigarette, but he'd swear he could still smell the rum from the couch in the living room. Going back into the kitchen to clean it up was absolutely out of the question, so he'd taken the first book he saw and retreated to the stairwell. He'd left the apartment door cracked so he could hear if Olive or Louis woke up and settled down to read.
Outside, he heard the sound of a Coupris Kineema trundling down the street. The engine cut off abruptly, and several metal doors slammed shut. Harry turned a page, taking another drag. When he heard the sound of footsteps coming up to the third floor, he stubbed out his cigarette on the concrete step, put the book in his pocket, stood up, and winced. His back made its protests about sitting on hard, cold, concrete steps for hours known. He didn't feel great overall, actually. He'd smoked more than he was used to, and he felt jittery, and a little nauseous. He pressed a hand to his chest - his heart was beating faster than it should be.
ENDURANCE:You need to stop doing this to yourself. Your heart's already not in great shape.
VOLITION:One thing at a time. We'll try tomorrow.
Judit appeared, rounding the corner on the landing, flanked by Kim and Jean. She looked wrecked - her hair in disarray, bags under her eyes, but she smiled at the sight of Harry. Harry smiled back.
"Hey. I'm so glad Bastien's doing okay," he said, his quiet voice echoing through the stairwell.
Jean stopped short on the stairs. "How the fuck did you know that?"
SUGGESTION:Uh…no excuse for that. Say something weird to throw him off track.
"It came to me in a dream," said Harry.
SUGGESTION:Notthatweird.
DRAMA:Nay, sire. It was perfection.
SUGGESTION:Iknewit was your idea. Why is it always absurdist melodrama with you?
Jean stared at him. "What?" he said, loudly, a chorus ofwhatsbouncing around the walls.
"Ssh, Jean!" Judit whispered. "It's late. Don't wake my neighbors."
"Relax, detective," said Kim. "He could tell from our faces." He nodded at Harry in greeting. Harry nodded back.
"How were the kids?" Judit asked.
Harry looked up at the ceiling, deciding what to say. "Good. Great. I made spaghetti for dinner. They got to bed kind of late. I have a suspicion Louis was lying to me about it not being his night for a bath, but I decided not to press it under the circumstances." He gave half a grin. "They're asleep now."
Jean was looking around, taking in the dozen cigarette butts on the step next to Harry, one still smoldering. "Why were you sitting in the stairwell?" Jean asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
SAVOIR FAIRE:This is the downside of having detectives as friends.
HALF-LIGHT:They're not friends. Colleagues, at best.
ESPRIT DE CORPS:Brothers. Sister.
VOLITION:Theyarefriends. They trust you, you trust them.
"Uh…" said Harry. He rubbed his forehead, eyes flicking back at the apartment door.
ESPRIT DE CORPS:Do not lie to your fellow officers.
"I…spilled some rum in the sink. I mean, I dumped it there. On purpose. Sorry," he said, glancing at Judit.
Judit covered her mouth. "Harry, I'm sorry, I should have–
"Are you fucking drunk right now?" Jean cut across her, stepping forward. Hard lines of disappointment, fear, anger, and other unreadable emotions formed on his face.
ESPRIT DE CORPS:Not again. Please, he thinks. I can't do this shit again.
Kim quickly stepped between them, putting a hand on Jean's chest. "If he is, it's understandable. It's been a hard night on all of us, but it's just one night." He met Harry's eyes. "This doesn't have to turn into a full relapse."
Harry, touched by this support, felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He blinked repeatedly, trying to banish them. "I'm not. I'm not. It was close. But no." His gaze slid over each of the others, too uncomfortable to make eye contact. He pulled out his lighter and fiddled with the cap. "I had the bottle open, and I probably could've just put the cap back on and put it away, but I wasn't thinking clearly…" He rubbed at a spot on the lighter with his thumb. "So I dumped it down the sink, but then the smell was…" he trailed off, waving a hand vaguely. "So I came out here. I left the door cracked," he added quickly, glancing at Judit again, "so I could hear the kids if they woke up, but I couldn't–" he swallowed, turning the lighter over in his hands.
Judit stepped forward, and he closed his eyes, waiting for her to yell at him for endangering her kids, but she hugged him instead.
"Thank you, Harry," she whispered. "I'm glad you were here taking care of them."
"Oh," he said, surprised. "I mean, you're welcome. Any time." As Judit stepped back, he rubbed a tear out of an eye with the heel of his hand.
Jean put a hand on Judit's shoulder. "Go to bed. You're exhausted."
Judit nodded, then turned to hug Kim, too. "Thank you again," she said.
Kim's ears turned pink as he awkwardly returned the hug. "I-you're welcome. Though, again, I didn't really do anything."
"You spent hours driving around looking for him. You were still there when he found you. And you half-carried him into the station. You did a lot." She stepped back. "Well, good night," she said, giving them a watery smile. A tear ran down her cheek.
"Are you sure you're okay on your own?" Harry asked. "I can sleep on the couch if–"
"No." said Jean. "You–" he pointed at Kim "-are going to take you–" he pointed at Harry "-home to an apartment that doesn't have a booze in it."
ELECTROCHEMISTRY:Well, onlyonebottle of booze.
"Do you want me to sleep on your couch?" Jean asked Judit.
"I don't want to make you–" Judit started, but Jean cut her off.
"No. Stop. That's not what I asked. You've had a fucking traumatic night. I don't think you should be alone, or alone with the kids I guess. But it's up to you. Do you want me to sleep on your couch or not?"
Judit hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Jean."
"Great. See you inside, then."
Harry passed Judit her keys and she went inside, shutting the door. Jean clapped Kim on the shoulder. "Excellent work, as always, Kim." He stared at Harry for a moment, then grabbed the back of Harry's head and pressed his forehead to Harry's.
"I'm proud of you, Shitkid. Keep it up," he said gruffly. He clapped Harry on the shoulder, too, and followed Judit into her apartment.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY:Go after him. Kiss him on the mouth.
VOLITION:What.
ESPRIT DE CORPS:Stop thinking about kissing your fellow officers.
RHETORIC:Wait, are we actually attracted to Jean and Judit? Or are we just horny and starved for affection?
ELECTROCHEMISTRY:I don't understand the question.
VOLITION:Okay. Well. That's a mind project for another time.