wheelsy_sheriff | [[thursday]]

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[[thursday]]

[And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off]

Bill is sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of Frosted Flakes, idly sifting through puzzle pieces. Only a small part of the puzzle is on the tabletop in front of him and the pieces are in the open box beside his elbow, his bowl on the other side.

After waking up it'd taken him awhile to get his bearings, and he was surprised when he discovered he'd slept right on through the day and night.

Kate was asleep and he'd been extra careful not to wake her when he slipped out of bed.

The phone was on the floor beside the bed along with the notepad with the messages she'd taken and he'd brought both with him to the kitchen; they're sitting on the table now, being ignored.

He's scooping up another spoonful of flakes when someone knocks. Turning his head towards the front door he glances at the hallway leading to the bedroom and gets up.

The knock sounds again and he picks up his step, moving quicker to get the door before whoever is on the other side wakes up Kate. Pulling it open he's ready to run off a reporter and instead finds himself staring at a deputy.

"Rudy?"

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He's nodding to what Rudy is saying and almost jumps when Kate's hoarse voice interrupts. His head snaps to look at her and his hardened features take a moment to change into something less severe.

"Kate. Mornin'."

He looks her over slowly, concerned, then turns back to Rudy.

"Thanks, Rudy. You tell Dave to call me if anything turns up an' I'll call him anyways in a bit. Ya'll watch out, tell Dave to keep you partnered an' don't let him go nowhere on his own either. Got that?"

"Got it," Rudy nods, already backing toward the door and nearly stumbling over his own feet. "And anything happens here, we'll be back lickety-split."

His back his the door and he offers a tight, apologetic smile.

"See y'all."

Stifling a yawn, Kate watches the front door close from the edge of the hall and hugs her robe to her torso. She leans one shoulder against the wall and glances at Bill, still seeing the look on his face when he'd turned to her.

"You're up early. Sleep okay?"

"I got an' appointment."

One he's been debating about all morning and won't be going to now.

His back is to her when he speaks, jaw still tight, and he locks the door before turning around.

"What did they say on the phone?"

She runs a hand through her hair, gathering it into a thick, messy knot at her nape.

"You tell that motherfuckin' pig next time he gets shot, it's gonna be in the heart."

"That if you get shot again, it'll kill you."

She presses her lips together for a moment, willing her chin not to tremble.

"It's stupid, just -- someone being stupid. I didn't want to wake you up for something like that."

He stills a moment when he hears what the caller said and then he forces himself to push down any shock or fear.

"You called Dave," He reminds her, an edge in his voice.

He moves back into the kitchen, grabbing his cereal bowl off the table and taking it to the sink.

Because I was terrified.

She walks into the kitchen, pausing on the other side of the counter.

"You don't think I should've?"

"I think you shoulda told me so I ain't sittin' here with no idea somethin's wrong."

He dumps out what's left of the cereal and starts washing the bowl.

'I asked you to get me up if you needed me."

"I -- Bill, you needed the sleep."

She tries not to wince when the bowl clatters into the sink.

"I was going to tell you this morning; I'm sorry I didn't hear you get up."

"I didn't need it that bad," He snaps, dropping the bowl and spoon into the dish drainer.

Taking a slow breath the flare of anger dies and when he turns he gives her an apologetic look.

Shaking his head at himself his tone and features soften and he asks, "You all right?"

Don't do this.

She nods and looks away.

"Fine."

Guilt and anger tangle in his chest and he doesn't let himself say anything for a minute.

"I didn't mean it."

He turns away from her and looks towards the back door.

"You never do."

The words are out before she can stop them, and she passes a hand over her eyes.

"I'm sorry -- I'm just tired. I didn't sleep so great, and -- I'm sorry."

He winces at her words, they hurt and he knows he more than deserves them.

"No, Kate, you're right."

Moving to the table he starts brushing the puzzle back into the box.

"Last night.... it's not like there's anything I coulda done if you'd gotten me up anyways. Dave's handlin' it same as I would've so... "

He shakes his head and drops the box on top of the table, glancing back at her.

"I can't be mad about that, an' I ain't. I just... I don't even know."

She doesn't know what to say, either.

Throat tight and eyes burning, she crosses the room and wraps her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

He turns to meet her and his arms go around her as soon as she's close. His head bows, cheek resting against her temple, and he frowns as he holds her tightly.

His lips press against her hair as he quietly hangs on.

Her eyes close and she leans into him, not trusting her voice while the caller's words ring in her ears.

At length, she swallows and lets out a shaky breath.

"You can argue all you want, but you did need the rest."

His eyes close and his hand begins the steady motion of smoothing up and down her back.

Not enough to leave you alone.

He's not going to argue, though. Instead he gives a faint smile and a small nod.

"Don't think I woulda slept so long if I didn't."

She nods against his shoulder before tucking her head beneath his chin; her fingers curl at his shoulder blades when his hand reaches the small of her back.

"I was going to tell you. I didn't mean to sleep this late, I -- "

Meant to be up before you. Meant to make coffee for Rudy and Kelly, talk to them about last night.

"I was going to tell you."

He feels a stab of guilt and shakes his head barely.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't've got upset."

It's not really funny but he breathes out a partial laugh.

"I was tryin' not to wake you up. You need rest as much as I did."

Her stomach clenches with guilt at the apology while her arms tighten around him.

"No -- you have every right to be upset, hearing that from Rudy instead of me."

"You were just lookin' out for me."

Like you've been doing this whole time.

"Really it just gets to me that someone would do that, an' you had to be the one to hear it."

She can still hear that voice in her ear, harsh and hateful and slightly slurred.

Better me than you.

"It's just what Dave said -- an idiot friend of the guy's or something," she says, her words muffled by his collarbone. "Nothing's going to happen."

He frowns and hesitates. He doesn't want to tell her what else Rudy said, but if he doesn't, and she finds out anyway...

"Probably."

Beat.

"They called Mrs. Hargrove, too."

She stiffens and pulls back just enough to look at him, her hands slipping to his sides.

"What?"

His eyes move away from hers and the anger creeps back into his voice.

"She got a call sayin' her husband got what he deserved."

There's a helpless feeling trying to settle in and he tries to force it down and ignore it, covering it bitterly.

"They're lookin' into who it was, but it's a private number so they gotta see what the phone company can do an' all of that."

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