From Your Wires to Your Core

Please Don't Leave Me

As soon as Gavin left the room, he pulled on his jacket and headed for the roof, taking his coffee with him. He barely noticed as he bumped into a vaguely familiar redhead in the corridor. Her voice followed him as he headed upstairs. He kicked the door open as he reached the top, swearing as he headed for the barrier and slumped against it. Somehow, he managed to balance his coffee and get out a cigarette at the same time. There was a bit of a struggle with the lighter before he finally took a long drag, one foot bouncing restlessly as he set it on the lower rail.

"Detective Reed? You haven't replied to my email yet." Gavin sighed as he remembered both his session the other day and the voice he'd heard a few moments ago in the hall. She'd followed him all the way up to the roof. "It seems I caught you just in time." Dr Sanders ambled over and joined him at the barrier, leaning on the rail as the wind whipped her hair. It was quite a view. She'd never been up there before, but she could see the appeal. It was airy and calming, and it certainly seemed to have cooled Gavin's seething temper.

"Just in time for what, Doc?" He wasn't in the mood to humour her, but he also wasn't in the mood for more fighting. He glanced at Sanders, taking in her cascading red locks and pale makeup. She was wearing a neat pencil skirt and blazer, only her ID card identifying her as a psychologist. She fixed him with one of those analytical stares. It was like the ones Connor gave him sometimes, only sharper. It was a look that told him she could see right through him.

"Just in time to curb your destructive rampage." He knew from her light tone that she was teasing him, but she also wasn't wrong. He felt numb. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Perhaps he should be angry. He was on some level, but it wasn't coming out. He was just done. So phcking done. "I believe a lot has happened since our last session." She may not know the details, but news got around, and Gavin's disappearance the other day hadn't gone unnoticed. The sigh he let out didn't refute the fact, either.

"You got a week?" he joked tonelessly, huffing out a stream of white smoke. Sanders smiled despite their mutual lack of amusement.

"If that's what you need," she replied in a gentler tone, with a sincerity that Gavin wasn't used to. "Why don't we focus on what happened just now though? Something happened that upset you a great deal." Gavin nodded his agreement as he took another drag from his cigarette. He was polite, blowing the smoke away from her despite her lack of lungs. He wasn't good at talking, and he hated the way he'd just spout out his problems when someone showed an interest like this. This doctor lady was as infuriating as Tina! She wasn't quite as good at reading him, but she still knew when something was wrong.

"I just needed a break...I'm on a tough case." He sipped his lukewarm coffee to avoid saying anything else. Sanders nodded her agreement. They'd covered this a little before, but she had the feeling it was more than just frustration with the case. She waited a little longer until the silence got to him. "I'm arguing with Nines...My partner." He was sure she'd remember him. She nodded her understanding. He wasn't the first detective to argue with his partner, and he wouldn't be the last. People disagreed. They had different ideas and opinions. That was perfectly natural. What mattered was how it was dealt with later.

"What was the argument about? Maybe I can help." She'd been a mediator in many disputes so far. Gavin scoffed at the suggestion. He was worried. Worried she wouldn't take his side, that his feelings were invalid somehow. Without knowing the problem, It was possible she wouldn't agree, but she'd never say his feelings were invalid. No one's feelings were invalid. Sometimes they just needed to be reasoned out.

"He wants to lead an op. A dangerous one...He wants to put himself out there to be abducted by the gang we're chasing, offer himself up as a victim. I told him it wasn't an option, but he won't let it drop...Now he's got Connor and Hank in on it!" Gavin was clearly stressed and upset, glancing at her constantly, looking for validation. Am I crazy for wanting to keep my partner safe? His green eyes were wide and earnest as they asked the silent question. Sanders nodded finally, working through the situation in her head.