Inner Workings

Inner Workings - Part 61

Milton promised himself another thirty minutes on the report, and then he'd reward himself with the last of the curry from the break room fridge. Writing wasn't his forte and he needed a little joy. His day had started off with locking his keys in the apartment, fretting at his door as if he could unlock the latch by frustrated will alone. And then Jazzy brunette had walked past on the stairs. He had probably looked like an idiot. It had taken five minutes to entice the landlady from her fantasizing of a perfect cigarette to unlock the door.

Milton stretched his hands until the knuckles cracked and leaned back from his hunched over pose over the keyboard. He occupied an empty desk in the corner of Main Tech. He glanced over the grey partition into Main Tech where a few of the agents had held a silent battle until the time to go home.

Rowe had been sullen and snappish, Patriarch had been self isolating, nursing his coffee, the tall ginger agent with the sticky fingers had put a few cookies on Rowe's desk, and Chang had sent silent glares to Patriarch like flaming arrows. The rest of Main Tech had ignored them and continued their work. The only other agents of notice were Shiloh and Carry who were constantly moving and rearranging papers at their pushed together desks, muttering and taking notes as if studying for a college exam. They were the only two that stayed after 5, dedicated to their work.

The problem was, Milton didn't know what Cetz wanted to hear. If Watch Two had entertained multiple shrinks over the last few weeks, than Cetz had probably heard it all before. Milton wasn't assigned at Watch Two permanently. Once he finished the report he'd take up his suitcase and wait in the temporary apartment for the next assignment.

Aye, there's the rub. Watch Two was just a vacation from the sponsored clinics. Which he didn't mind, going from clinic to clinic. He helped people, he did good work. The traveling shrink. The gypsy psychologist with his beat up suitcase. His mother would be disappointed. His uncle Telov, the original carnival "Mind Reader" of the family, would be proud.

At least his ex had stopped texting him dirty names.

Milton smiled. He had until 6PM to get the report done and he was already ahead. He'd be on time for once.

At least he thought it had been 6pm. He looked back at the margins in his notes where he had written down the time.

Was that a 5 or a 6?

He glanced worriedly at the clock. 5:15.

***

Tuesday afternoon, most of Main Tech had gone home, but Cetz didn't expect to see his bed for another few hours. Neither did Rachel, still catching up from the last weekend at home. She had new calibrations for the BT-10 and wouldn't see daylight for another 10 hours. Which meant Cetz would be the one getting "breakfast" for them both. Not Chinese this time. He needed something calming after the tense day.

Main Tech had been like a kettle threatening to whistle into a boiled over mess for most of Tuesday. After their talk on Monday, Will had looked properly humbled as he walked out of Cetz's office, but Cetz believed most of it was exhaustion. Will had said he had understood the situation with Sandra and Retten, but looked defeated. Cetz would have to talk to Rachel about arranging a full physical for Will. He didn't want one of his people to keel over while doing paperwork.

Tuesday, Will didn't look much better. Between sips of tea, the agent worked at his desk like a toy on its last battery. When Louis, who had been mostly silent since the broken coffee mug incident, had asked Will for a folder that had been moved, Will responded with a distracted grunt.

"I'm not your housekeeper."

Reese and Beni had avoided Louis, but had left little concessions to lift Will's mood. A doughnut placed on Will's desk when he wasn't looking. Cans tossed quietly into the recycle bin instead of the trash. Walking out with him when he left early. Louis had silently sulked at his desk, sucking down coffee like a black hole. Cetz was amazed how quickly the former thief and getaway driver had picked sides.