don't get me wrong () prodigal son SLOW UPDATES

Fifty

Chapter Fifty:

Theodora wasn't expecting for Malcolm to be in his own apartment at this particular time, but there he was, pacing his living room. He stood by the window, moonlight washing over him.

"Hey." She gave him a smile, "I thought you were with the others working late."

He looked over at her, "Yeah, the meeting wasn't that long. We did what we could, Dani didn't want me there. Gil told me to go home for the night."

"Why?"

"Because I wouldn't stop asking him about that case you brought up. The Surgeon copycat."

She raised a finger, "The failed Surgeon copycat. By fail I mean he stopped trying to impersonate him after his third murder. To much fine detail, probably didn't have enough patience."

Malcolm pursed his lips as he watched her walk towards him, "Where did you hear about this?"

She shrugged, "I came across it in research, I told you."

"You're not telling me the truth."

Theodora sighed, He really wanted to get into this now? What did he know about the truth?

"Can we drop this, please?" She watched him, the feeling of dread bubbling in her stomach. "I don't want to—"

"Fight? Yeah, I guess we've never really done that before."

She nodded slowly, "I promise I'll tell you everything, just not now. I don't want you to worry about me."

"So you are keeping secrets." His brow raised, "Interesting."

Theodora rolled her eyes, "I can't believe I wanted to be friends with you all those years ago."

"And yet here we are." He flashed a smile, "I'm going back to the precinct. I can't take it anymore, I need to be working."

"What you need is a break. A break from this city, your father and this job. Stop working overtime. It's almost—" She quickly checked her phone clock, "Midnight."

He went for the door, but stopped as he turned to face her. His face was blank, "Huh?"

Oops, she thought, Maybe they were going to end up fighting tonight.

"What I need is work."

Theodora groaned, "You're gonna kill yourself, Malcolm! This is going to kill you— this isn't healthy, what you've been doing."

"What have I been doing?"

She closed her eyes, looking down at her hands. She picked at her nails, "I'm worried about you, Mal."

"I'm telling you, everything is good with me. I'm good— I'm great!"

"You don't sleep or eat and you're hallucinating now! You're not taking your pills— you still talk to your dad which isn't helping any of this and your job is solving murder cases!" She huffed, "You're going to lose your mind! You need to get out of this city, Mal. It's going to kill you."

"I am perfectly fine!" He yelled, his hands shook at his sides. "How are you not upset about any of this! How are you still happy all of the time when your mind is racing too?"

"Excuse me?"

"You don't drink, Theodora. And I found you wasted in your apartment surrounded by your parents belongings. Your father was killed as a police officer and your mother was murdered—"

"You don't know that!"

"They found her body!"

"That wasn't her." Theodora glared, "That woman that was found was not my mother. It was her friend, Anne Dawson."

He paused, giving her a weird look. "What?"

He was clicking together pieces, trying to figure out if what she was saying was true. But he didn't know the answer to this one, and the confusion was showing in his eyes.

"Edrisa called me and told me the DNA results were in and they did not match mine. She said it isn't her. I'm not supposed to know and he wasn't supposed to tell anyone because Gil wants to keep it on the down low."

"H-how did you know about it being her friend?"

"Hugo. That's what we were talking about when you dragged me out. I could've figured out more but no, god forbid someone that's not you speak to me."

"He likes you." He told her, "He's been flirting with you ever since he met you!"

"What are you so afraid of? I'm not going to run to the next guy who talks to me!"

Malcolm rolled his eyes, "Do you see the way he looks at you?"

What the hell is this fight? She thought, staring at him with an angry expression.

"Yes, I do. Because he's looking at me." She huffed, "You have nothing to worry about. You shouldn't even be worried, Mal! This isn't you—"

He ran a shaky hand through his hair, shaking his head. The circles under his eyes were deeper than ever and his hands only continued to shake. She walked over and grabbed them, holding onto them tightly.

"Take a deep breath." She told him, "It's okay."

"Theo—"

"Hey," She mumbled, pulling him into a hug. He gripped her tightly as he sighed, taking a deep breath. "You're fine."

"I told you I'm fine." He muttered.

Theodora stepped away staring at him, she held onto one hand as she lead him to his bedroom. She sat him on the edge of the bed and nudged him back.

"You need to sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"I don't care." She shoved him and he fell back onto a pillow, "You haven't slept in weeks. At least an hour, please?"

He sighed but crawled under the covers, "We're supposed to go to some event for the case—"

"Not tonight."

"Theodora—"

"Close your damn eyes." She huffed crossing her arms, "If you start freaking out I'll wake you up. Like always, alright?"

He sent her a glare but broke a smile, "Aw, our first fight."

"You're such a dork." She rolled her eyes.

Malcolm said nothing, only turned on his side and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would come.