Spilling Guts

Part 20 - Fluff Therapy

Louis had come into the Watch a little rattled, and desperate for coffee. His normal coffee stop had closed their drive-through for repairs, and he wasn't about to stand in line for a cup of wake-the-hell-up and shake-it-off. He'd make a list of other local coffee-spots to test out until it was finished. He bypassed Main Tech for the break room. Someone had already started a pot of coffee and he poured a cup, spooned in his sugar and sipped. His shades blurred with steam.

He could finally... sip.

Wake... sip.

Up... gulp.

Ah, better.

In Main Tech Megan and Teegan's desks sat empty. Strange, the pair usually came in early. As for the disaster duo, only Reese was present, eating a small stack of doughnuts with a fork and a mountain dew chaser. The redhead acknowledged his presence with a saluting lift of his fork and a glance before going back to his stack of sugar.

And there on Louis' desk, like a bear trap, lay his inbox. Full.

He should stake out his desk with a NERF gun and take out the person who left the files. HR would hate him, but he would feel better.

He could bribe Beni and Reese to do his files again. That was an option.

No you will not, you dumbass.

He glanced over at Will's desk as he slung off his jacket, careful of the new arm brace. Still no sign of Will. The Star Wars mug on his desk sat empty and dirty.

Should he attempt to make a "tea apology" again? He might have better luck?

No, thought Louis. He had work to do. Files to go through.

Louis sat at his desk, prepped the computer for data entry, and opened the file on top of his inbox. The edges of the manila folder were fuzzy with multiple handlings. And the descriptive diagram on the second page made his eyes cross.

It was a patent for a tiny pressure cooker that cooked one macaroni noodle at a time.

Nope.

Louis got up from his desk, mug in hand. He needed more coffee for this.

After a moment he swung back and grabbed Will's mug. Just to clean it. Wasn't going to make him tea. Just clean the damn thing before it molded over and became sentient.

As Louis left Main Tech, Reese's cell buzzed at him. A text from Beni.

"driving fanboy. prep therapy"

Reese finished his breakfast and left Main Tech to pick up the "therapy".

***

Around two AM last night. Charlotte heard a disturbance downstairs. Thinking it was one of her houseguests, she went down to see what they needed to find. She had been leaning heavily on her cane after a long day. The dog, Tom, had gone down the stairs with her. The front door was open, and someone with a penlight was going through one of the file boxes that had been brought downstairs.

"Dad?" she had asked.

Tom, the fluffy gray cloud of a dog, knew better. Fangs bared, he growled like thunder.

Charlotte had reached for a light switch. The person in the dark lunged at her, kicking the cane out from her grasp. That's when Tom bit the intruder and then barked up a storm.

The person cursed; a male voice. He grabbed something off the table and ran out through the open door. The rest of the house was roused and found Charlotte on the living room floor, grasping Tom around his neck. The dog had blood on his muzzle.