Fic: The Art of Being Lost and Found (59/?), blue cortina, dakfinv
Title: The Art of Being Lost and Found (59/?)
Author: dak
Word Count: 1258 (this part); (86,903) in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: none for this part
Summary: Post 2.08. When the Guv goes missing, CID is saddled with an inept "interim" DCI. To find Gene, and the truth, Ray must team up with a hated enemy.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15
Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28
Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41
Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53 Part 54
Part 55 Part 56 Part 57 Part 58
Ray splashed water over his face, rinsing his cut and bruising cheek. He rested his wet hands on either side of the sink, letting the water continue to run as he hung his head over the counter. His cheek was still bleeding but he couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel anything. He ran water over his face once more then spun the sink’s knob, stopping the flow.
He dried his hands on a rough paper towel then dabbed the gritty paper over his face. The fluorescent lights flickered above his head as he tossed the used towel into the bin. Upon leaving the bogs, someone immediately called out to him.
“You should put a plaster on that.”
Ray looked up to see Cartwright standing in the corridor, purse slung over her shoulder and arms crossed tight against her chest.
“Thought you left,” he grunted, heading for the locker room.
“Forgot my purse.”
Ray nodded and continued for the locker room. Annie caught his arm as he passed.
“Let me put a bandage on it.”
“Don’t need it,” he shrugged her off.
“Then, least let me clean it properly.”
Without answering, Ray went inside the locker room. He heard her follow.
“Don’t give up, do you?” he grumbled, crossing the room.
“Wouldn’t be a detective if I did.”
“Wouldn’t be a detective if you hadn’t been sweet on Tyler. Probably would’ve got him into bed if he weren’t such a poof.”
Ray was abruptly grabbed by the arm and spun round. Even in the dim light he could see the fury in Annie’s eyes.
“I would smack you again if the Guv hadn’t already done a good enough job of it. Now sit down, shut up, and let me clean your face.”
She let go with a shove and Ray plopped down on the cold, wooden bench.
“Stay there,” she ordered and walked across the room, grabbing the first aid kit off the wall and carrying it back to the bench. She dropped the kit next to Ray with a loud clatter, then knelt down and flicked it open. Silently, she began to swab the cut area with an alcohol pad.
“Don’t you want to know what it were about?” Ray asked, trying not to hiss as the alcohol burned into the wound.
“Not my business, sir. But I’m sure you deserved it,” she continued to dab at his cheek. Finished with the swab, she set it aside and reached for a plaster.
“He never told me,” Ray whispered as her deft fingers ran over his cheek, smoothing the bandage into place.
“Told you what,” she sighed.
“You said it weren’t your business.”
“You’re the one brought it up,” she pulled her hands away and began closing up the kit.
“He never told me he don’t like the way I police.”
“Should he?”
“If he’s going to yell about it, yeah.”
“Course he wouldn’t,” she said, clicking the kit shut.
“Why not?”
“Because he doesn’t have a problem with the way you police. Not when it suits him,” she rose from the floor, picking up the kit. “Only when you get yourself into trouble and he has to deal with the consequences does he not like it.”
“Bollocks.”
“Think what you want,” Annie responded and carried the kit back to its place on the wall.
Ray sat there, staring at the ground, until he heard her open the door, preparing to leave.
“Why’s it different with Tyler?” he called out without looking up. There was a long silence and Ray thought she had left, until he heard the door close and footsteps return to his side. She sat down beside him.
“How’s it different?”
“You know...Guv hates his poncy Hyde methods. Always going off about ‘em, to his face even.”
“And?”
“And he still lets him use ‘em.”
“And?”
“And they bloody work! So what’s the difference? He lets Tyler use his gay-boy science even though he don’t like it, and Tyler knows he don’t like it. But, he lets me go on with what I do and tells me I’m doing a great job even though he hates how I do it.”
“Well...” Annie took a deep breath. “Sam’s methods generally don’t involve beating suspects to a pulp.”
“So that makes them alright? Why couldn’t he be like the rest of us? Police like the rest of us? No wonder he thinks he’s from the future. Everything he does...’s just bloody odd. Alien. That’s what he is. Maybe he’s not from the future. Maybe he’s just from Mars.”
Annie said nothing, just placed a hand on his back and let it rest there.
“He trusts him more than me and he’s a bloody nutter. It don’t make any sense.”
“The Guv still...he sees him as...an equal.”
Ray turned his head and glared at her. She kept her hand where it was.
“Me and Gene are more alike than he and Tyler will ever be.”
“I don’t...well, you are. In your interests, behaviors...”
“Don’t start that psycho-babble with me, Cartwright.”
“You and the Guv are more alike, but the Guv sees Sam as an...intellectual equal.”
Ray shot up from the bench.
“Intellectual? So the Guv thinks I’m thick.”
“No, but...”
“But not as smart as him...”
“Ray...”
“...not as good as him. And I never will be, will I?”
“That’s not what I meant. But don’t get angry with me. You shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want the answers.”
He sneered and stormed to the door.
“Where are you going?” Annie called after him.
“To get pissed!” he shouted back, and left the room, headed for the pub.
*
The Railway Arms was warm and raucous - the perfect escape. He didn’t bother to look where anyone in particular was, but went straight to the bar, ordering a double whisky and two pints of ale.
“Evening, Mr. Carling,” Nelson smiled. “Been a long while since I’ve seen your pretty face.”
Ray grunted in response then threw back the whisky, downing it in one. Without hesitation, he went for the first pint.
“Everything alright, mon brave?” Nelson asked, eyeing him cautiously.
“Brilliant, Nelson. Bloody brilliant,” he replied with a sick grin, and continued with his pint. In no time at all, the first glass was empty. He started on the second then wandered over to the darts board where Clive was making a horrid go of it.
“Come on, mate. Me blind auntie can throw better than that,” Ray belched. He drank down the pint. “Go on. Shift it. Let a real man show you how it’s done.”
Clive picked the darts off the board and tossed them over to Ray.
“Chris? Where are you, yeh div? Owe me drinks, don’t you?”
“Don’t you have one?”
Ray heard Chris shout over the noise of the pub. He couldn’t quite locate the lad but at least was in earshot. Ray chugged the rest of his pint and slammed the glass on the table.
“Not anymore, mate. Go on, get us a round. And a whisky chaser!”
Ray threw a dart on the board, hitting a bullseye. The men around him cheered. Ray raised up his arms in triumph and turned to face his admirers. In the far corner, he saw Gene sitting at a table, no one around him as Chris had left to get the drinks in. They made eye contact. Gene’s face remained impassive while Ray’s eyes narrowed.
Ray turned back around and plastered a smile on his face.
“Come on Chris! I’m dying of thirst over here!”
Author: dak
Word Count: 1258 (this part); (86,903) in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: none for this part
Summary: Post 2.08. When the Guv goes missing, CID is saddled with an inept "interim" DCI. To find Gene, and the truth, Ray must team up with a hated enemy.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15
Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28
Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41
Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53 Part 54
Part 55 Part 56 Part 57 Part 58
Ray splashed water over his face, rinsing his cut and bruising cheek. He rested his wet hands on either side of the sink, letting the water continue to run as he hung his head over the counter. His cheek was still bleeding but he couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel anything. He ran water over his face once more then spun the sink’s knob, stopping the flow.
He dried his hands on a rough paper towel then dabbed the gritty paper over his face. The fluorescent lights flickered above his head as he tossed the used towel into the bin. Upon leaving the bogs, someone immediately called out to him.
“You should put a plaster on that.”
Ray looked up to see Cartwright standing in the corridor, purse slung over her shoulder and arms crossed tight against her chest.
“Thought you left,” he grunted, heading for the locker room.
“Forgot my purse.”
Ray nodded and continued for the locker room. Annie caught his arm as he passed.
“Let me put a bandage on it.”
“Don’t need it,” he shrugged her off.
“Then, least let me clean it properly.”
Without answering, Ray went inside the locker room. He heard her follow.
“Don’t give up, do you?” he grumbled, crossing the room.
“Wouldn’t be a detective if I did.”
“Wouldn’t be a detective if you hadn’t been sweet on Tyler. Probably would’ve got him into bed if he weren’t such a poof.”
Ray was abruptly grabbed by the arm and spun round. Even in the dim light he could see the fury in Annie’s eyes.
“I would smack you again if the Guv hadn’t already done a good enough job of it. Now sit down, shut up, and let me clean your face.”
She let go with a shove and Ray plopped down on the cold, wooden bench.
“Stay there,” she ordered and walked across the room, grabbing the first aid kit off the wall and carrying it back to the bench. She dropped the kit next to Ray with a loud clatter, then knelt down and flicked it open. Silently, she began to swab the cut area with an alcohol pad.
“Don’t you want to know what it were about?” Ray asked, trying not to hiss as the alcohol burned into the wound.
“Not my business, sir. But I’m sure you deserved it,” she continued to dab at his cheek. Finished with the swab, she set it aside and reached for a plaster.
“He never told me,” Ray whispered as her deft fingers ran over his cheek, smoothing the bandage into place.
“Told you what,” she sighed.
“You said it weren’t your business.”
“You’re the one brought it up,” she pulled her hands away and began closing up the kit.
“He never told me he don’t like the way I police.”
“Should he?”
“If he’s going to yell about it, yeah.”
“Course he wouldn’t,” she said, clicking the kit shut.
“Why not?”
“Because he doesn’t have a problem with the way you police. Not when it suits him,” she rose from the floor, picking up the kit. “Only when you get yourself into trouble and he has to deal with the consequences does he not like it.”
“Bollocks.”
“Think what you want,” Annie responded and carried the kit back to its place on the wall.
Ray sat there, staring at the ground, until he heard her open the door, preparing to leave.
“Why’s it different with Tyler?” he called out without looking up. There was a long silence and Ray thought she had left, until he heard the door close and footsteps return to his side. She sat down beside him.
“How’s it different?”
“You know...Guv hates his poncy Hyde methods. Always going off about ‘em, to his face even.”
“And?”
“And he still lets him use ‘em.”
“And?”
“And they bloody work! So what’s the difference? He lets Tyler use his gay-boy science even though he don’t like it, and Tyler knows he don’t like it. But, he lets me go on with what I do and tells me I’m doing a great job even though he hates how I do it.”
“Well...” Annie took a deep breath. “Sam’s methods generally don’t involve beating suspects to a pulp.”
“So that makes them alright? Why couldn’t he be like the rest of us? Police like the rest of us? No wonder he thinks he’s from the future. Everything he does...’s just bloody odd. Alien. That’s what he is. Maybe he’s not from the future. Maybe he’s just from Mars.”
Annie said nothing, just placed a hand on his back and let it rest there.
“He trusts him more than me and he’s a bloody nutter. It don’t make any sense.”
“The Guv still...he sees him as...an equal.”
Ray turned his head and glared at her. She kept her hand where it was.
“Me and Gene are more alike than he and Tyler will ever be.”
“I don’t...well, you are. In your interests, behaviors...”
“Don’t start that psycho-babble with me, Cartwright.”
“You and the Guv are more alike, but the Guv sees Sam as an...intellectual equal.”
Ray shot up from the bench.
“Intellectual? So the Guv thinks I’m thick.”
“No, but...”
“But not as smart as him...”
“Ray...”
“...not as good as him. And I never will be, will I?”
“That’s not what I meant. But don’t get angry with me. You shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want the answers.”
He sneered and stormed to the door.
“Where are you going?” Annie called after him.
“To get pissed!” he shouted back, and left the room, headed for the pub.
*
The Railway Arms was warm and raucous - the perfect escape. He didn’t bother to look where anyone in particular was, but went straight to the bar, ordering a double whisky and two pints of ale.
“Evening, Mr. Carling,” Nelson smiled. “Been a long while since I’ve seen your pretty face.”
Ray grunted in response then threw back the whisky, downing it in one. Without hesitation, he went for the first pint.
“Everything alright, mon brave?” Nelson asked, eyeing him cautiously.
“Brilliant, Nelson. Bloody brilliant,” he replied with a sick grin, and continued with his pint. In no time at all, the first glass was empty. He started on the second then wandered over to the darts board where Clive was making a horrid go of it.
“Come on, mate. Me blind auntie can throw better than that,” Ray belched. He drank down the pint. “Go on. Shift it. Let a real man show you how it’s done.”
Clive picked the darts off the board and tossed them over to Ray.
“Chris? Where are you, yeh div? Owe me drinks, don’t you?”
“Don’t you have one?”
Ray heard Chris shout over the noise of the pub. He couldn’t quite locate the lad but at least was in earshot. Ray chugged the rest of his pint and slammed the glass on the table.
“Not anymore, mate. Go on, get us a round. And a whisky chaser!”
Ray threw a dart on the board, hitting a bullseye. The men around him cheered. Ray raised up his arms in triumph and turned to face his admirers. In the far corner, he saw Gene sitting at a table, no one around him as Chris had left to get the drinks in. They made eye contact. Gene’s face remained impassive while Ray’s eyes narrowed.
Ray turned back around and plastered a smile on his face.
“Come on Chris! I’m dying of thirst over here!”