Power of Will, a SAW Fanfiction

Ch.13 Pre-Saw: Jonas Singer

Wilhelmina Maddox

She walked with a slight limp. She pressed on, up the stairs to the Homicide floor. Despite her crutch at her good arm's side, her opposite arm in plaster, and a bulking medical boot strapped to her leg, she made it up with no problem. Things hadn't changed the two weeks she was away. People looked up as they walked by, some giving sympathetic smiles, while some gave warm greetings laced with pity.

The worst was the occasional predatory stare, an almost lecherous hunger on some of the more problematic colleagues. It seemed word got around about her dirty laundry. Everyone knew. Already, she had to turn down lunch invites.

She didn't care. She forced herself to just get to her desk with a stiff upper lip. The clicking of the crutches was echoing off the cracked walls of the hallway. She hated how slow she was and her casted wrist itched. This was going to be a long few months.

The snow outside didn't help but thankfully the sidewalks were salted and the painkillers cut the sharp cold from being felt on her skin. She felt like her spine was buzzing and had an artificial pleasance warming her insides.

She made it to her desk, frowning at her partner's empty seat across from it. A styrofoam cup of coffee was still steaming on it, indicating he had been there recently. Dropping her bag onto the tabletop, a familiar male voice cleared behind her.

She turned to her supervisor. "Captain Grissom."

"Good to have you back, Detective," Grissom held out his hand and shook it firmly. "If there's anything you need while you're healing up, let me know. I'll make sure you're taken care of."

"Thanks, sir. I hope to get back to the field as soon as possible."

Grissom nodded, a tight smile pulled below his mustache. "All in due time. Glad to hear your go-getter attitude is still there."

She forced a smile back. Not like it was going anywhere. "Of course."

Grissom nodded over to Hoffman's desk. "Hoffman's falling behind on his paperwork."

"I'll get on it," she resisted letting her smile widen from amusement.

"And - I'm serious, Maddox. If you need some personal time, let me know."

"Will do." She was eager to pretend everything was back to normal. Finally, her boss left her and she sat in her chair with a low breath. She wanted to see Hoffman. To talk to him. She hadn't seen him since the night it all happened. He hadn't visited her after that one time.

She figured it was hard to see her in that state. She self-consciously pulled out her compact and studied her face. The swelling was all gone. The bruising had faded to green blushes. She angled her reflection and caught a glimpse of blue eyes staring back.

She flinched, dropped her mirror, and spun in her chair to glare at her partner. "Mark."

"Will." He put a coffee cup on her desk and went to retrieve her compact. "Welcome back. What did Grissom say?"

He had gone to his seat, rifling in his inbox. Something was off. He avoided her gaze.

"To finish your paperwork. Desk duty until I'm off the crutches, I'm assuming."

With that, he shoved folders over to her side of the desk. "Have at it."

She let out a frustrated groan at how easily he threw them at her. "Gee, thanks." She flipped through pages. "Can you look at me for just a second?"

He did. She couldn't read his stoic expression but she felt him study every inch of her face. This lasted longer than she liked, his gaze penetrating. "Okay, thanks, that's enough."