The weather did exactly as Marty said it would, and snowed furiously for the best part of a week. The city ground almost to a standstill – not that Taylor or Flack noticed. They spent the time at Taylor’s, content to spend the time with each other in the warmth of the apartment. The only time they left it was to take Flack’s SUV back to his so that they could pick some of his things and bring them back to Taylor’s.
It wasn’t until the 10th that either of them had to leave the apartment: time for Flack’s first check-up. Donning their long, thick coats, the two of them set off early, deciding that because it had actually stopped snowing, they would take the subway and walk.
The roads were a lot busier than the sidewalks. Most people had decided that it was far too cold to be out and about and as a result, the walk to the subway station was quick. The subway was just as empty. It wasn’t much warmer down there either. As they came up, just a few blocks from Trinity, Flack grabbed Taylor’s hand in his and thrust them both in his pocket.
“We should do something later,” he told her, his breath in the cold air making him look like a heavy smoker.
“What do you have in mind?” Taylor asked, peering up at him.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Have Lindsay and Danny round.” His eyes lit up. “We could play Monopoly.” Taylor choked back a giggle. “What are you laughing at?”
“Monopoly?” she blurted out with a snort.
“Well, we’ve spent the last week watching television, and it’s not like we… well, I, can drink, and we… I, can go out and do something.”
“Gee, you’re quite the party pooper, aren’t you,” Taylor moaned.
Flack glanced down and caught the twinkle in her eye that said she was only joking. “I’m the patient,” he shrugged at her.
Taylor rolled her eyes. “And I’m the nurse, and I make the rules in my hospital.”
“And why haven’t I seen this nurse’s outfit?” he smirked.
“Because it wouldn’t stay on for long,” Taylor shrugged.
“And that’s a problem how?” Flack asked her, still smirking at her.
Taylor just rolled her eyes. “Mind, gutter: out, Flack.”
Flack stopped and turned to face her. “Promise me I can see this outfit when I’m better.”
Taylor chewed on her lip, gazing at him thoughtfully. “Depends on if you’re good.”
Flack frowned. “What are you? My mother?”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “You want to sleep with your mother?”
Flack’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “Taylor!” he objected. “That is not an image I want in my head.”
Taylor stood on her toes to kiss him. “Well keep the thoughts of me in a nurse’s outfit out of your head until you’re better.”
Flack smirked: time for some payback. “Who said I had thoughts of you in a nurses outfit in my head. I was thinking more along the lines of Jessica Alba.”
Taylor smirked back. She knew exactly what he was doing. “Mmmm,” she licked her lips. “Jessica Alba in a nurse’s outfit.” Flack’s jaw dropped open. Taylor was back on her toes, whispering in his ear. “I win.” And with that, she carried on walking towards the doctor’s office.
“Hey!” Flack called after her. “That’s not fair!”
It wasn’t until the 10th that either of them had to leave the apartment: time for Flack’s first check-up. Donning their long, thick coats, the two of them set off early, deciding that because it had actually stopped snowing, they would take the subway and walk.
The roads were a lot busier than the sidewalks. Most people had decided that it was far too cold to be out and about and as a result, the walk to the subway station was quick. The subway was just as empty. It wasn’t much warmer down there either. As they came up, just a few blocks from Trinity, Flack grabbed Taylor’s hand in his and thrust them both in his pocket.
“We should do something later,” he told her, his breath in the cold air making him look like a heavy smoker.
“What do you have in mind?” Taylor asked, peering up at him.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Have Lindsay and Danny round.” His eyes lit up. “We could play Monopoly.” Taylor choked back a giggle. “What are you laughing at?”
“Monopoly?” she blurted out with a snort.
“Well, we’ve spent the last week watching television, and it’s not like we… well, I, can drink, and we… I, can go out and do something.”
“Gee, you’re quite the party pooper, aren’t you,” Taylor moaned.
Flack glanced down and caught the twinkle in her eye that said she was only joking. “I’m the patient,” he shrugged at her.
Taylor rolled her eyes. “And I’m the nurse, and I make the rules in my hospital.”
“And why haven’t I seen this nurse’s outfit?” he smirked.
“Because it wouldn’t stay on for long,” Taylor shrugged.
“And that’s a problem how?” Flack asked her, still smirking at her.
Taylor just rolled her eyes. “Mind, gutter: out, Flack.”
Flack stopped and turned to face her. “Promise me I can see this outfit when I’m better.”
Taylor chewed on her lip, gazing at him thoughtfully. “Depends on if you’re good.”
Flack frowned. “What are you? My mother?”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “You want to sleep with your mother?”
Flack’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “Taylor!” he objected. “That is not an image I want in my head.”
Taylor stood on her toes to kiss him. “Well keep the thoughts of me in a nurse’s outfit out of your head until you’re better.”
Flack smirked: time for some payback. “Who said I had thoughts of you in a nurses outfit in my head. I was thinking more along the lines of Jessica Alba.”
Taylor smirked back. She knew exactly what he was doing. “Mmmm,” she licked her lips. “Jessica Alba in a nurse’s outfit.” Flack’s jaw dropped open. Taylor was back on her toes, whispering in his ear. “I win.” And with that, she carried on walking towards the doctor’s office.
“Hey!” Flack called after her. “That’s not fair!”
* * *
Taylor sat outside the doctor’s office flicking through some tabloid magazines. Flack had been in for a while. Finally the door opened and he walked out. Taylor stood up and waited, his face was giving nothing away. “Eight days,” he told her.
“Eight days and you can go back to work?”
“No, eight days, and he’s back for a check-up,” said the doctor. “And if he passes that, then he can return to restricted desk duty.”
Flack turned. “Ah, come on,” he pleaded.
“No, detective. You can return in eight days and not a day sooner.”
Flack muttered something indistinguishable under his breath as he wrapped his scarf back around his neck. Taylor cast the doctor a sympathetic look and hurried after Flack. “Eight days isn’t that long,” she told him, grabbing his arm.
Eight days was long enough. Especially when you were sharing a bed with a woman you couldn’t do the things that were buzzing around his head on a nightly basis. He sighed. “Want to call in at the lab on the way back, see if Danny and Lindsay are free?”
Taylor nodded. She knew how frustrated Flack was feeling – it was in his blood to be doing something.
The lab was a welcome bustle of activity. The two of them headed wandered down the corridors looking for the two CSIs, finding them busy analysing some fibres in one of the labs. “So you two are alive, then?” smirked Danny as he looked up from magnifying glass.
At the sound of Danny’s voice breaking the quiet in the room, Lindsay put down her scalpel and looked over, a large smile on her face. “Glad to see you up and about, Don. When are you back at work?”
“Next week,” Flack told them.
“If he’s given a clean bill of health,” Taylor added.
“Course you will, won’t you?” Danny grinned, walking over to clamp his hand on Flack’s shoulder. “And what brings you to our neck of the woods?”
“What are you two doing tonight?” Taylor asked them.
“Nothing,” said Danny quickly. “What makes you assume we’d be doing anything?”
Taylor’s eyes widened. She hadn’t told Flack what Aiden and Maddy had told her, but she didn’t expect the two of them to still be keeping it quiet.
Flack frowned. “Chill, Messer. We were just wondering if you wanted to come around tonight and play some board games.”
Lindsay grinned. “We were wondering? So Marty was telling the truth. You have been staying at Taylor’s.”
“Got snowed in,” Flack shrugged, trying to fight back a smile.
“Is that what you call it these days,” Danny smirked, earning himself a smack upside the head from Taylor.
“Flack?” The four of them turned their attention to the door where Mac was standing.
“Hi Mac,” smiled Flack.
“I’m happy to hear you’re no longer in hospital. How are you feeling?”
“I’m good,” said Flack, “ready to be back at work.”
“I can understand that feeling,” Mac paused, “Taylor, could I see you in my office a minute?” Without waiting for a reply, Mac left.
“Ooooh, someone’s in trouble with the boss,” teased Danny.
Taylor rolled her eyes and simply smacked Danny again. “I don’t work here, doofas,” she told him. “How can I be in trouble?”
Danny glared at Flack and Lindsay who were laughing at him. “Well, the amount of time you spent in this building, it’s hard to remember that sometimes.”
Taylor sniggered. “I’ll be right back,” she told the three of them, before heading towards Mac’s office, wondering exactly what it was he wanted.
Mac was sat behind his desk waiting for her, “Taylor, have a seat.”
Taylor did as he suggested. “Hey Mac, what’s up?”
“How is Flack doing?”
“Erm, fine?” Taylor offered, confused as to why Mac was questioning her.
Mac sighed. “I have just received a phone call from his chief, who had had a phone call from Flack’s doctor. His doctor is worried about him,” Mac said, getting straight to the point.
“Oh,” said Taylor.
“Flack has shown no interest in going to see the departmental counsellor, or any counsellor, for that matter.” Taylor shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “He’s not been answering his phone, and I’ve just seen that he looks tired – exhausted.”
“That’s my fault,” said Taylor quickly informed him, jumping to Flack’s defence. “He’s been staying at mine since he was discharged.” Mac merely raised an eyebrow. “Oh my God, no, not like that,” Taylor gushed as she realised how that sentence sounded. “He turned up a week ago, and then it started snowing. He ended up staying, especially as he had no one at his to look after him.”
“Stella told me he’d had a pretty heated discussion with his parents,” Mac nodded.
“To be honest, I don’t know the ins and outs of it, because he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Taylor sighed. “That and the fact that I was the main cause of it.”
“Flack’s father was never the easiest of men to get along with,” Mac sighed.
“You worked with him?” Taylor asked in surprise.
“He secured a scene or two for me in the past,” Mac confirmed. “And I can understand Flack not wanting to talk about it. But what about the explosion? Do you talk about that? Is he suffering from it, and I mean emotionally, rather than physically.”
“In all honesty, Mac, he doesn’t remember it. The only bit he remembers is afterwards when he-” Taylor quickly stopped herself. She had been about to say, ‘when he had died’, but that wasn’t going to help anyone.
“When he…?”
“When he woke up in the hospital.” Taylor quickly continued. “To be fair, the only reason he seems so tired is because of me, and I don’t mean because… I don’t sleep much anymore.”
“Are you alright, Taylor?” Mac asked, studying her carefully. The dark patches under her eyes, and her pale skin hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Taylor nodded. “Well, yeah. I mean, this stupid cast is driving me mad,” she told him, flicking the pot in irritation.
“When is that due to come off?” Mac asked her.
“Hopefully, early next week. They had to keep it on longer because it broke where I broke it last time. They didn’t want it to be a weak heal, only for me to break it again as soon as the cast is off.”
“That’s understandable,” Mac nodded. “But I get the feeling that isn’t why you aren’t sleeping.”
Taylor sighed, “I’m getting better. I just keep having these dreams where Flack isn’t there when I wake up. And then I wake up and I find I have to watch him, just to make sure he is there. Which then wakes him up, and we end up just not sleeping.”
“Have you considered seeing someone?” Mac suggested.
Taylor let out a dry laugh. “I can honestly say I don’t think it would help.” It was the truth. Who could she possibly tell everything to, without them instinctively admitting her to a psychiatric hospital?
Mac grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something down on it. “This is the number for Cath Green. She’s the police psychiatrist. Don’t be afraid to give her a call, whether it be to talk about the bomb, the dead bodies, or even your new relationship.” Taylor’s hand froze as she grabbed the paper. Mac sighed patiently. “Taylor, you just told me that Flack has been staying at yours for the past week, and Stella has already informed me that the guy is crazy about you.”
“I, uh… I just hadn’t… it hadn’t dawned on me that we were actually in a relationship. We haven’t had that talk yet,” Taylor admitted, rolling the idea around in her mind.
“I must say, it came as a bit of a surprise. How is Danny taking it?”
Taylor’s hand dropped into her lap. “Danny?” It suddenly dawned on her that despite everything, Mac was still under the impression that something had been going on between them. “We… I…” She sighed. “He’s fine with it.” Mac clearly hadn’t picked up on Danny and Lindsay yet, either.
Mac stared at her before taking a deep breath. “Take care of yourself, Taylor. Even though you don’t work here, it’s strange not to see you in here on a daily basis. Flack needs you to stay strong. And there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.”
Taylor managed a weak smile, and still clutching tightly to the number Mac had given her, left his office. As soon as she left Mac’s eyesight, she glanced down at the number. With a sigh, she crumpled the paper up and dumped it in her bag, where it joined the other crumpled up number of the counsellor Horatio Caine had given her all those months ago.
She shook the fears and melancholy from her head and put on a bright smile as she re-entered the trace lab, “So, are we on for tonight?”
“Is everything ok?” Flack asked, watching her carefully.
“Of course,” said Taylor. “Mac was just concerned as to how we were both doing, that’s all.”
What did you tell him?”
“That we were fine, and that you were already sick of my company and itching to get back to work,” Taylor assured him.
Flack gave her a searching look, before nodding. “Thank you.”
“We’ll be around about as soon as we wrap things up here,” Lindsay told her. “Hopefully, it should be around eight, but we’ll call if there are any problems.”
“Eight days and you can go back to work?”
“No, eight days, and he’s back for a check-up,” said the doctor. “And if he passes that, then he can return to restricted desk duty.”
Flack turned. “Ah, come on,” he pleaded.
“No, detective. You can return in eight days and not a day sooner.”
Flack muttered something indistinguishable under his breath as he wrapped his scarf back around his neck. Taylor cast the doctor a sympathetic look and hurried after Flack. “Eight days isn’t that long,” she told him, grabbing his arm.
Eight days was long enough. Especially when you were sharing a bed with a woman you couldn’t do the things that were buzzing around his head on a nightly basis. He sighed. “Want to call in at the lab on the way back, see if Danny and Lindsay are free?”
Taylor nodded. She knew how frustrated Flack was feeling – it was in his blood to be doing something.
The lab was a welcome bustle of activity. The two of them headed wandered down the corridors looking for the two CSIs, finding them busy analysing some fibres in one of the labs. “So you two are alive, then?” smirked Danny as he looked up from magnifying glass.
At the sound of Danny’s voice breaking the quiet in the room, Lindsay put down her scalpel and looked over, a large smile on her face. “Glad to see you up and about, Don. When are you back at work?”
“Next week,” Flack told them.
“If he’s given a clean bill of health,” Taylor added.
“Course you will, won’t you?” Danny grinned, walking over to clamp his hand on Flack’s shoulder. “And what brings you to our neck of the woods?”
“What are you two doing tonight?” Taylor asked them.
“Nothing,” said Danny quickly. “What makes you assume we’d be doing anything?”
Taylor’s eyes widened. She hadn’t told Flack what Aiden and Maddy had told her, but she didn’t expect the two of them to still be keeping it quiet.
Flack frowned. “Chill, Messer. We were just wondering if you wanted to come around tonight and play some board games.”
Lindsay grinned. “We were wondering? So Marty was telling the truth. You have been staying at Taylor’s.”
“Got snowed in,” Flack shrugged, trying to fight back a smile.
“Is that what you call it these days,” Danny smirked, earning himself a smack upside the head from Taylor.
“Flack?” The four of them turned their attention to the door where Mac was standing.
“Hi Mac,” smiled Flack.
“I’m happy to hear you’re no longer in hospital. How are you feeling?”
“I’m good,” said Flack, “ready to be back at work.”
“I can understand that feeling,” Mac paused, “Taylor, could I see you in my office a minute?” Without waiting for a reply, Mac left.
“Ooooh, someone’s in trouble with the boss,” teased Danny.
Taylor rolled her eyes and simply smacked Danny again. “I don’t work here, doofas,” she told him. “How can I be in trouble?”
Danny glared at Flack and Lindsay who were laughing at him. “Well, the amount of time you spent in this building, it’s hard to remember that sometimes.”
Taylor sniggered. “I’ll be right back,” she told the three of them, before heading towards Mac’s office, wondering exactly what it was he wanted.
Mac was sat behind his desk waiting for her, “Taylor, have a seat.”
Taylor did as he suggested. “Hey Mac, what’s up?”
“How is Flack doing?”
“Erm, fine?” Taylor offered, confused as to why Mac was questioning her.
Mac sighed. “I have just received a phone call from his chief, who had had a phone call from Flack’s doctor. His doctor is worried about him,” Mac said, getting straight to the point.
“Oh,” said Taylor.
“Flack has shown no interest in going to see the departmental counsellor, or any counsellor, for that matter.” Taylor shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “He’s not been answering his phone, and I’ve just seen that he looks tired – exhausted.”
“That’s my fault,” said Taylor quickly informed him, jumping to Flack’s defence. “He’s been staying at mine since he was discharged.” Mac merely raised an eyebrow. “Oh my God, no, not like that,” Taylor gushed as she realised how that sentence sounded. “He turned up a week ago, and then it started snowing. He ended up staying, especially as he had no one at his to look after him.”
“Stella told me he’d had a pretty heated discussion with his parents,” Mac nodded.
“To be honest, I don’t know the ins and outs of it, because he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Taylor sighed. “That and the fact that I was the main cause of it.”
“Flack’s father was never the easiest of men to get along with,” Mac sighed.
“You worked with him?” Taylor asked in surprise.
“He secured a scene or two for me in the past,” Mac confirmed. “And I can understand Flack not wanting to talk about it. But what about the explosion? Do you talk about that? Is he suffering from it, and I mean emotionally, rather than physically.”
“In all honesty, Mac, he doesn’t remember it. The only bit he remembers is afterwards when he-” Taylor quickly stopped herself. She had been about to say, ‘when he had died’, but that wasn’t going to help anyone.
“When he…?”
“When he woke up in the hospital.” Taylor quickly continued. “To be fair, the only reason he seems so tired is because of me, and I don’t mean because… I don’t sleep much anymore.”
“Are you alright, Taylor?” Mac asked, studying her carefully. The dark patches under her eyes, and her pale skin hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Taylor nodded. “Well, yeah. I mean, this stupid cast is driving me mad,” she told him, flicking the pot in irritation.
“When is that due to come off?” Mac asked her.
“Hopefully, early next week. They had to keep it on longer because it broke where I broke it last time. They didn’t want it to be a weak heal, only for me to break it again as soon as the cast is off.”
“That’s understandable,” Mac nodded. “But I get the feeling that isn’t why you aren’t sleeping.”
Taylor sighed, “I’m getting better. I just keep having these dreams where Flack isn’t there when I wake up. And then I wake up and I find I have to watch him, just to make sure he is there. Which then wakes him up, and we end up just not sleeping.”
“Have you considered seeing someone?” Mac suggested.
Taylor let out a dry laugh. “I can honestly say I don’t think it would help.” It was the truth. Who could she possibly tell everything to, without them instinctively admitting her to a psychiatric hospital?
Mac grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something down on it. “This is the number for Cath Green. She’s the police psychiatrist. Don’t be afraid to give her a call, whether it be to talk about the bomb, the dead bodies, or even your new relationship.” Taylor’s hand froze as she grabbed the paper. Mac sighed patiently. “Taylor, you just told me that Flack has been staying at yours for the past week, and Stella has already informed me that the guy is crazy about you.”
“I, uh… I just hadn’t… it hadn’t dawned on me that we were actually in a relationship. We haven’t had that talk yet,” Taylor admitted, rolling the idea around in her mind.
“I must say, it came as a bit of a surprise. How is Danny taking it?”
Taylor’s hand dropped into her lap. “Danny?” It suddenly dawned on her that despite everything, Mac was still under the impression that something had been going on between them. “We… I…” She sighed. “He’s fine with it.” Mac clearly hadn’t picked up on Danny and Lindsay yet, either.
Mac stared at her before taking a deep breath. “Take care of yourself, Taylor. Even though you don’t work here, it’s strange not to see you in here on a daily basis. Flack needs you to stay strong. And there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.”
Taylor managed a weak smile, and still clutching tightly to the number Mac had given her, left his office. As soon as she left Mac’s eyesight, she glanced down at the number. With a sigh, she crumpled the paper up and dumped it in her bag, where it joined the other crumpled up number of the counsellor Horatio Caine had given her all those months ago.
She shook the fears and melancholy from her head and put on a bright smile as she re-entered the trace lab, “So, are we on for tonight?”
“Is everything ok?” Flack asked, watching her carefully.
“Of course,” said Taylor. “Mac was just concerned as to how we were both doing, that’s all.”
What did you tell him?”
“That we were fine, and that you were already sick of my company and itching to get back to work,” Taylor assured him.
Flack gave her a searching look, before nodding. “Thank you.”
“We’ll be around about as soon as we wrap things up here,” Lindsay told her. “Hopefully, it should be around eight, but we’ll call if there are any problems.”
Originally posted 01/08/2006