Hardly A Victim (Short Story)

Hardly A Victim: Part Five

             Esther opens the door shortly after they've left for the washroom, peering in to find her closest friend (She wasn't entirely sure what they were anymore, to be fairly honest. Whenever Daniels flirted, she returned it. She never bothered calling him her boyfriend; commitment always frightened the poor boy.) sitting at his desk, eyes closed, fingers forming steeples before his face. Daniels' cheeks and nose were tinged pink, and his dark eyebags were ever so prominent against his skin, even in the dim, fluorescent lighting.

            "Evening, dear. Brought Ellis in; They're signing her in now, so you ought to be preparing to send someone in for interrogation." She says, wading her way into the bullpen, eyeing the two coats that hung by the door. Both, clearly that of the two detectives she watched enter the building minutes ago via the cams.

            Daniels brings a hand up suddenly, eyes still shut. "No need, I'll be the one questioning her." His blue eyes flutter open as he sniffles into his tissue, before he smiles knowingly at her. "Esther, don't even think of offering me that sympathetic expression. You know I'm not one to reason with, especially not in this state." He stifles a rough cough against his wrist.

             The Criminologist sighs against his wits. "I know, darling. You're just so tired, and," She pasues as her partner gives yet another rather crackly cough. "And by God, if those boy's have set off your allergies with their-"

            "Scarcely. I've taken some pills for it. The symptoms are bound to slip away soon, I'd hope." It doesn't prove his point when he pitches to sneeze twice into the crook of his elbow.

            "Anything I could do to help?" Esther offers, shrugging her coat off and placing it on the hanger, where it shared a spot with two other jackets of matching likeness.

            Daniels raises a brow with amusement, searching her over. "Unless you're willing to hug me, or hold me until I fall asleep, I'm afraid I'm rather alright for the time being." He releases a heavy breath, though not without a twinge of an asthmatic wheeze. Esther's brow knits into a furrow.

           "Sorry, love, not while I've come into contact with Henry's- not one, but two- cats. The boys didn't tell me how many strays that guy owned." She pauses, using the hand sanitizer at her desk, ushering him on with a sideways nod.

            "Use your inhaler, darling; you've gone all wheezy." She points out calmly, wincing at his whistling cough. "Have I?" Daniels asks breathlessly, fumbling through his desk, pulling up his puffer inhaler, which he shakes vigorously.

            "Actually, I'm not entirely sure i-" "Save it, use the inhaler first, then we'll talk, Grey." Esther interrupts before he can even bother finishing. He inhales sharply, and holds his breath to follow after pressing down the buton. All while he waits for the relief, he makes eye contact with her. Lord, was she a sight for sore eyes. And by God, when she uses my first name-

          Daniels exhales slowly, closing his eyes. "Now, what were you saying, dear?" Esther coaxes, taking a strip of tape from her desk, and rolling it over her clothes, ridding it of any fur that may have bypassed her sight.

           "Nothing, Esa-" He pauses inhaling deeply, listening for any wheeze; he was alright. "You'll let me interrogate Ellis, then, won't you, love?" Daniels inquires, sitting upright, tucking the rescue inhaler away in his desk. She nods wearily, leaning on her desk, keeping safe distance from her partner.

            "I will. And, as soon as you're done, I'll be here in the bullpen waiting for you. And darling?" Esther waits until his eyes are on hers, switching the laptop off with a free hand.