Awakening

7

Sheriff Bud Dearborne and Detective Andy Bellefleur stood in Dawn's living room, speaking with Morgan, Sookie and Jason.

"Now, I realize you've been through a lot" Sheriff Dearborne said, looking at the girls "and you're scared. But I need you to try and remember when you got here. Was the door open? Or just unlocked?"

"Uh . ." Sookie trailed off "open, I think"

"I'm sorry, I can't" Morgan said, tapping out

Without letting anyone respond, she walked out of the apartment, no longer being able to take the smell. No one stopped her, the group of people outside seeing her, concern forming in their eyes when they saw her. Morgan couldn't understand how she was the only one to smell the beginning of decomposition of Dawn's body, and she didn't care for the answer. The farther she walked from the apartment, the more faint the smell had gotten, allowing her to lower her sleeve from her nose, breathing in the fresh air with a deep sigh. No one approached her, just watching as she folded her arms over her stomach, looking down at the floor with an unreadable expression on her face. She had known Dawn for a while, they were friend's, so of course it would upset her to find her body, and all she wanted to do was erase the image from her mind, but she knew she wouldn't be able to.

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Andy led Jason to the police car, purposely bumping him into it. After opening the rear driver's side door, Andy threw Jason into the car as Sookie and Morgan watched from the front porch. The detective shut the door, and Jason raised himself up to a seated position, Morgan letting out a small sigh through her nose, her gaze moving to the floor. A truck approached the apartments, driven by Sam, Raven opening the passenger door as he slowed down, getting out and slamming it shut, quickly making her way over to Morgan, wrapping her arms around her. The white haired woman instantly took in a deep breath, smelling the light coat of perfume she wore, which was Moonlight Path,

"You okay?" Raven asked, pulling back slightly to look at her

"I just wanna get out of here, Rae" Morgan replied softly

"We will, okay?" assurance in her voice "we will"

"Thank you, Sookie" Sheriff Dearborne said "we'll be in touch"

"Bud!" Andy shouted from the police car "let's roll before I melt in here!"

Sam exited the truck, closing the door and walking past Hoyt and Maxine, heading toward Dawn's apartment, the older woman continues applying sunblock to Hoyt while Sam passes Bud as he entered the front passenger side of the police car. Andy starts the engine, sounding the siren and the sound of the car leaving filled Morgan's ears. Sookie was sitting on the porch, and looks up to see Sam, who has taken off his sunglasses,

"Came as soon as I heard" Sam said, sitting down next to Sookie "I'm sorry both of you had to be the ones to find her"

"It was gonna be somebody, right?" Sookie asked

"I guess" nodding slightly "oh, I tell you, Sook. Sometimes I don't even recognize this world we're livin' in. I mean, goddamn it!"

"Be careful, now!" a light teasing tone in her voice "god didn't do this" earning a light chuckle

"You think maybe I should . ." trailing off "shut down the bar for the day?"

"All that'd do is deny people a good, stiff drink on the day they could use it the most" Raven replied, staying close to her best friend

"Yeah, but . ." looking at his girlfriend

"I know it's supposed to be my day off and all, but the last thing I need right now is time alone with my thoughts" Sookie added

"All right, then" giving the girls a nod "we'll open"

"I may be late, though" looking at her boss "I gotta swing by home and tell Gran what's goin' on"

"It's Bon Temps, Sook" Morgan spoke up, giving her a sad smile "she already knows"

"Still, with . . Jason and everything . ." looking at her

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Merlotte?" A police officer asked

Both Sam and Sookie turn around to see a police officer standing behind them,

"Yes . . ?" Sam replied, looking up at him

"Detective in charge tells me you're the landlord" he said

"That's right" giving him a small nod

"We need to get in the victim's storage unit, but we don't have a key" gesturing in the direction of the storage unit "if you could find one, it'd be a big help right about now"

Sam gave him another nod, standing up to taking some keys on a key ring out of his pocket, gently placing a hand on Sookie's shoulder and giving it a small squeeze, releasing and following the police officer.

"Uhh, Miss?" A male voice asked

Sookie turned her head towards the front door to find a man, Neil Jones, wearing a navy blue work vest with Coroner in gray letters across the back shoulders, and a navy blue ball-cap with Coroner across the front, trying to exit the front door, but the blonde was in the way.

"Could you please let us by?" He asked

She moved out of the way, to allow him and the Coroner, Mike Spencer, to pass. Mike is wearing a similar vest and ball-cap and the two are carrying Dawn's body in a black plastic bag. They move awkwardly along the narrow porch,

"Neil Jones, my new apprentice" Mike informed "he's from Kentucky"

"Hi" Niel greeted

"Uh . .hi" Sookie replied

"Lift, kid" Mike instructed "come on, lift"

Sookie watched as Mike and Neil take Dawn's body to a sport-utility vehicle,

"You wanna walk back?" Raven asked, looking at Morgan

Morgan gave her a small nod, causing the black haired woman to look at Sookie, who gave her a small nod as well, silently telling her that it was okay, knowing the nature would calm her sister down and ease her mind, something she knew she needed. Raven led Morgan away from the scene, soothingly rubbing her arm, not even able to imagine what was going on through her mind. She just hoped Morgan would be okay after seeing Dawn. But something in her knew that the deaths were just going to continue.