Participants:
| Scene Title | Dreams Like Nightmares |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Cassidy finally returns with food, but she's still thinking about Mortimer, which gives Coren a dream featuring that one-armed bastard. He thinks what he saw was just a nightmare. When he finds out it's not, well … |
| Date | June 1, 2009 |
Cassidy is gone longer then she should be, but eventually she returns and she seems in a much better mood then she left with. The trip to see Mortimer had been worth the stop over.. thought meeting his two top men was a bit of a surprise. She steps off the elevator, a bit distracted as she goes over the conversation in her head. She flashes her badge and moves her way back to her partner, with a couple of plastic bags in her hands. Seeing him still snoozing she approaches quietly, setting the bags on the bed table.
It's nearly a quarter hour before Coren begins to stir, and stirring brings about a grimace, and then he's really awake. He opens his eyes with a somewhat pained expression and sees Cassidy sitting at his bedside. "You know," he starts to say, until he remembers what he was dreaming before he was so rudely interrupted by the pain from his back. Then his expression is one briefly of confusion before he shakes his head. No, he's not one to analyze the meanings of dreams. "You don't have to live here by my bedside all day," he finishes.
When she noticed him starting to wake, Cassidy starts to pull out items out of the bag. A plate wrapped in foil condensation collecting lightly on the outside of it. "Hey, partner." She says quietly. A thermos is the next thing to come out of the bag along with a tea cup and Earl Grey tea. She looks rather smug as she pulls those items out. Some silverware and he's set to go. She rolls the table across his bed top. "Yeah… strangely enough I feel like I do." She reaches out to give his arm a squeeze and affectionate smile. "Can't explain why.." Then she looks like she remembered something. "Oh… " She pulls a legal size pad of paper. "Figured you'd want to write down stuff you remembered from that night. She plucks a pen out of her coat and sets it with the pad. "So… I do good?"
Coren raises himself into a sitting position with the bed controls as he watches Cassidy set things onto a tray for him. "I told Miss Nakano you'd probably get me some tea despite my not calling and asking," he says. "Food first, then writing. And can you possibly do anything but good? No." And like that, he removes the foil and starts to devour the food. Why? Because for crying out loud, he hasn't eaten in over twelve hours. The word famished doesn't quite cut it anymore. He does, however, pause every once in again and look Cassidy over, but then shakes his head and continues eating. No, best not let that dream considered anything but that — a dream. Probably drug-induced to boot.
Then why is he still getting flashes of Mortimer now and then? And of two men.. with numbers on their helmets. Cassidy looks thoughtful as she makes sure he has everything."Well.. I know how much you like your tea.. it was the logical choice." Her cheeks actually color a bit at his compliment and a small sense of guilt. She moves to drop into the chair and sighs. "So did the doctor come by while I was gone?"
"I have no idea," Coren says. "I fell asleep shortly after Miss Nakano left." He continues to eat and to be disturbed by images he thinks are from his dreams, or more like nightmares. It's almost enough to make him lose his appetite. If he hadn't gone so long without food, he may well lose it completely. He's still famished, though.
"Well… damn. I was hoping to hear when you can go home." Cassidy moves to prop her feet on the other chair and slumps down in it. She studies him for a long moment. "You look a bit… disturbed." She frowns slightly looking concerned. "You okay? Food not setting well on your stomach?"
"A doctor will probably be around at some point, we'll just have to be patient," Coren says as he works more at his food while she makes her observation and asks the question. "No no, the food's fine," he says, finishing up with the eggs and working on the last bit of the steak and toast. "It's just…." He pauses and then shakes his head, "Really, it's nothing."
Frowning lightly, Cassidy studies him thoughtfully. "Doesn't look like nothing." She holds up her hands and smiles a bit. "But I'm not going to pry. But I can't exactly read minds… so if you have something you need to say.. say it." There is of course irony in those words, since she is unaware of what Coren does or doesn't know.
"So it's not nothing," Coren says, finishing the steak. "But the mere idea of you and Mortimer together is too satiric to even give a single serious thought to. Aside from the fact that he escaped in a rather brutal fashion, if he showed himself to you…" He finishes the toast and finally takes a sip of his tea. "He ought to be in a padded room."
It's like someone just dumped her in a pool of ice water, fears lances through her and her face pales. How did he….? She drops her gaze to her lap as the glow of her moment with Mortimer seems to fade away. "That… would be rather absurd wouldn't it." She knows it is.. but something.. Her memory flashes to the pitiful wreck of a man on the bed pleading with her to forgive him.. to know he'd never hurt her. His promise to not kill anymore. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "So what did Rebecca have to say?"
Coren narrows his eyes slightly at Cassidy, but then settles back to drink his tea. He'll let it slide and then reintroduce the topic at a later time. He shakes his head, "Not much. Just that she'd heard what happened before she got into the lab and wanted to make sure I was alright and if there was anything she could do. I told her I figured everything was probably waiting to be processed, so she went back to the lab to get on that. Not rightly sure what there is to process other than the bullets they got from me and the phone." That's right, he doesn't know about the other victim, despite having heard the two other gunshots.
Cassidy nods slowly her eyes still gazing down at her lap. "That was nice of her to come by. At least it meant you didn't have to sit around twiddling your thumbs." The guilt she's feeling doesn't let up, she fiddles with her coat a bit. "There was a second guy dead further down.. so there maybe something there to." She looks up and give him a grin, though it doesn't reach her eyes. "She say anything about going to the scene? I'd like to get in on that." Noticing he's done, she climbs to her feet to start clearing dishes.
"Another victim? Well, bugger," Coren says. "That just figures, doesn't it? Well, now I know what those other two shots were." He lets out a sigh as he shakes his head. His eyes flick over Cassidy. See, when a person grins and it doesn't reach the eyes, it's not genuine. Real smiles always wrinkle the corners of the eyes. "Yes, as a matter of fact, she did. She figured you would want to be in on it, but I informed her you'd only be there to spectate, nothing more. Just remember that you're on administrative leave."
"I know I'm on leave, Coren.. Part of the job I hate, is being benched." A touch of anger leaks into her tone. She is angry about it. Upset she was too slow. Pissed off that he didn't wait.. and really mad that he got away. She glances at Coren and then back down at bag that she's place the everything leaving out his tea stuff. And mixed and confused feelings about two men. "But yeah… I'll go with her, hear what she has to say. Keep you up to date on it all since I'm not the one laid up."
Coren nods, "That would be appreciated. Then they can send whoever is on the case to pick my brain if they need to. I am a profiler, after all, and since this seems to have been somehow targeting me…" Yes, the thought of having protection had crossed his mind. Especially with how easily Mortimer escaped. If someone wanted to kill him, they wouldn't have to escape, themselves.
"I hold your life in my hands…" Cassidy says suddenly, her expression thoughtful. "I heard that when I came out of the bar." She glances at Coren laying there, that cold feeling creeping in her stomach. "You.. don't think…this is the last of it?" Her stomach suddenly feel ill, her hand grip the bed rail. "I'm going to order more protection here at the hospital.. and then I'm moving back in 'til this asshole is in custody. I won't be seconds too late again."
"You heard him too?" Coren asks. He shakes his head, "I don't think that's going to be necessary at all. After he shot me, I lowered myself to the ground. Got a look at his silhouette. Bald, I think, around my height maybe, but a bit stockier, and wearing some kind of short jacket if he was wearing one at all. Too dark to tell. But I'm sure he saw me still very much alive. If he wanted me dead, I would be. He could have shot more than twice." His hand reaches to grip Cassidy's and ease it off of the poor bed rail. "We'll get him. One way or the other."
"And what if he was just toying with you." She snaps out without thinking. Grimaces at her own anger, she tries to think calming thoughts. "Sorry Coren… but next time…" She shakes her head, even as he takes her hand off the rail. "I'd rather safe then sorry. I'd rather we get him with you still alive."
"I suppose that's another possibility," Coren says. He shakes his head, "With how easily Mortimer escaped, security could become a concern. Two cops dead thanks to whoever broke him out. Somebody's trying to kill me. I don't like that."
'He didn't want to escape because of me, but once he was out…' That thought runs through her mind, before she can stop it. She glances at Coren and reaches out to take his hand in both of her, watching out for the IV. She needs the comfort. "Yeah, I don't either. And I want my partner safe. It's partly why I want you out of here. I mean, I know that your place probably isn't any safer… or even mine. But it seems the better choice then here." She shrugs. "And if your like me.. you wouldn't want protective custody."
"Oh Christ no," Coren says. The mere idea of any protection makes him moody, but the last thing he wants is a guard detail. Not that he imagines himself defending himself particularly well while doped up on painkillers and recovering from surgery and multiple gunshots wounds. He takes his other hand and places it on Cassidy's, making it so they're both cupping one of each other's hands. "I don't intend on going anywhere anytime soon. And that includes the grave."
There is a small twist in her chest, when his other hand covers hers and she has an overwhelming feeling of wanting to hug him. But those are brushed away, put aside and pushes deep. She allows herself to think of Mortimer, she can have feeling for him… he's not her partner. She shakes her head once she's finally reigned into her feelings again. "Even the best laid plans…. But fine.. No upping of protection.." She hates herself for saying it, but she even continues. "But.. I'll be staying with you 'til he's caught."
Why the hell is he thinking of Mortimer? Coren gives a slight shake of his head before looking back at Cassidy. "I never said I wouldn't approve of an increase in protection. I was just saying hell no to protective custody. That's insane." He rubs his eyes, "The last thing I need is being protected by some rookie cop who will make the same mistake I did and get us both killed instead of just one of us. You'll do just fine. I'm just wondering if we shouldn't seek other living arrangements. We don't know if whoever shot me has gone near my home or not."
Cassidy looks thoughtful at that, her expression turning serious. "You mean staying at my place? Or finding another apartment temporarily?" Fingers tap on the bed rail, and she kind of stares off at nothing. "I only live in a one bedroom, but I can sleep on the couch easily. It's a nice couch." She nods a bit. "I think I that's a better idea then your place."
"Your place has already been compromised. I mean a new place altogether," Coren says. "God knows what the condition of my place is in, whether it's been compromised or not. Nobody's been there since I was there last." He looks at her, "And I'm not about to let you sleep on a couch."
"And there is no way I'd be having you on the couch. Besides, It's a comfy couch. " Cassidy reassures him with a more genuine smile. "But your right. Not to mention I would bet money this guy has done his homework. There has been plenty of time." She presses her lips together thoughtfully and then says. "I'll bring a paper next I go out to get you food."
"If he knew to go after Abigail to attract my attention, he has to know where we both live, work, drink, eat. Otherwise it would be incredibly stupid to do what he did. And the fact that he let Abigail see his face is what disturbs me the most," Coren says. Because there are very few reasons criminals will let themselves be seen. Very, very few.
Cassidy pushes down the the fear that rises at his words. "I've actually thought of that. I had a car put at her place of residence and the bar, 'cause of that." She frowns a bit. "She's pretty much defenseless, makes her a perfect target." She reaches up to rub fingers across her forehead. "I'm worried he'll actually go after her next. Since she means a lot to you.. it's logical. Especially, if he's playing games."
"Another thought I wish had not sprung to mind," Coren says, his eyes closing tightly. "If some twisted bastard is screwing with me, I'd rather him just off me than start going after people close to me." He finishes his tea, which has almost gone cold through their slow exchange of words, fears, and emotions. One of his hands leaves Cassidy's as he grasps the bed controls and lowers it back down. "I'll probably sleep the rest of the afternoon. God knows once the last of the anaesthetic wears off I'm going to go completely insane with sitting awake in this bed twenty hours a day."
"Hey, no talking like that." Cassidy says firmly. "I don't need a new partner. Besides, I'm sure they will keep an eye on her." She really wishes she believed those words, but some faith is needed sometimes. She reaches back with a foot to pull one of the chairs closer, so that she can sit and not let go of his hand for the moment. "Yeah, get some rest. I'll be here, ready to take your dinner order." She gives him an affectionate smile and squeezes his hand, letting him rest, her thoughts turning inward. He may have more 'nightmares' but he'll also have good dreams about that dinner and breakfast with Cassidy.