keeper (d. Hale)

we don't lie here.

Delilah tried to keep a straight face as she knocked on the door to Coach's office, but the simple task was becoming almost too much for her to handle.

The man that she could only describe as a slow growing fungus had well, grown on her since she started her position at the school. Sure, he usually smelt like a locker room, and he had the humor of a sadistic 10 year old, and yet she wouldn't trade it for anything. 

Bobby had his head scrunched down close to his chest as he looked over the pages upon pages scattered chaotically across his desk. If she was being honest with herself, he was just missing the red string and the cork board as he shuffled pieces of papers like players across a game board. Maybe she would consider getting him one if only to watch his manic energy unfold into a magnificent game plan.

She watched as he dipped his pen into his coffee cup tucked close to his hand before sucking the end into his mouth. Come to think of it, she had never seen him drink a cup of coffee before and she hoped this wasn't how he enjoyed this particular beverage as it was pretty revolting. When he finished sucking the coffee of the pen he then used it to scratch at an itchy spot against his scalp. He repeated the process again and Delilah held back her gag.

Delilah knocked again, maybe a bit louder and watched as Coach grumbled under his breath.

"Go away, this is my thinking time."

"If you insist," Delilah shrugged and backed away from the door with a click of her heeled boot.

His head snapped up and his brown eyes almost looked owlish as he blinked at the nurse he had been waiting months for. His mouth moved like an over grown carp as it opened and closed.

Delilah leaned her hip against the door and smiled.

"I've been here too long," coach smacked his lips and returned to his mumbling with his head down. "Seeing shit and people... of course she isn't back... too good for this place..."

He went back to dipping his pen and sucking on the end.

"You know that really isn't hygienic," Delilah scowled as she pulled out the chair across from him and cleared a spot on the desk to put down her basket.

Coach didn't look up but his nose started to wrinkle as he caught a whiff of the treats she had brought just for him.

Peanut butter cookies, strawberry pie and honey ham sandwiches.

His absolute favourite.

He looked at Delilah again. Really looked at her as he leaned halfway across his desk.

Delilah raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to say something. 

Instead, he curled his arm back and moved to throw his pen at her face. She caught it before it made contact before she dropped it with a scowl.

"Okay, real person," he nodded to himself.

"Seeing ghosts again, Bobby?" Delilah asked with her chin resting on her fist.

"Thought I was!" He exclaimed. "They told me you were back this semester and I said I would believe it when I saw it but seeing isn't always believing because the eyes lie, you know? Optical illusions and what's that when you see in desert...?"

"Mirages?"

"That's the one!" He picked up his pen again and closed one eye to better his aim.

"If you throw that pen at me again, I will go back on leave and you'll have to deal with one of the nurses at the hospital. And between you and me, I know they don't like you."