One Long Day

I'm just on a roll this week, or really month I guess, with just pounding out stories. Here's a one-shot but let me set it up for you a bit. I'm basically adding a scene to "Fault Lines." (Speaking of which: SPOILERS for "Fault Lines," and "I'd Do Anything.") Think, sometime after Wordy's psych evaluation and before the rest of the events we see. Okay, Hopefully you'll see what I'm getting at. I don't own Flashpoint and I'd love to hear what you think. This is the first time I'm actually playing with the dynamic of an episode so let me know how I do.

He sat in shock for a moment as Wordy stood and left the briefing room. He had not expected any of that. Toth's questioning was harsh and he wasn't happy about the way that it seemed the day was going to be heading but that was actually the furthest thing from his mind.

"I'm going to need a few minutes to write some notes Sergeant if you'd like to take a break form the blood pressure cuff." Toth motioned towards the wires Greg was hooked up to as he nodded and unhook himself from the machines he was growing to hate.

"You mind if I stretch my legs?" Greg asked as Toth nodded.

"Sure, we'll call for Scarlatti in fifteen minutes." He said as he turned to his notes and Greg left the room. He stood in the middle of the gym for a moment before turning and heading towards the locker rooms. He didn't know if Wordy would be there, he wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but he knew that he needed to find him. His instinct was right as he walked into the darkened room and saw Wordy sitting on a bench, his head in his hands as he seemed to be taking deep breaths.

"Wordy," Greg called out, his tone a bit harsher than he'd intended. He shot up and wiped his face with his shirt sleeve before speaking quickly.

"Sorry Boss, I just needed to grab..." He closed his eyes for a moment before taking a breath and revising his words. "...I just needed a minute before I went back out there." He stood stiffly, his eyes glassy as Greg took a few steps closer and nodded.

"It's okay, sorry to startle you, Wordy." He said softly. Greg was angry when he came into the locker room at first but he instantly transformed and softened his features and tone. He sat on the bench and Wordy hesitantly did the same, not looking at Greg. The room was silent as Greg rubbed his temples and glanced towards Wordy. His gaze was fixed on the locker in front of him as Greg saw him taking some deep breaths. "You want to tell me what that was about, Wordy?" He asked gently as Wordy wiped his face again.

"You want to tell me why there's an outsider running the re-qualify?" He asked bitterly before shaking his head and putting his face in his hands. Greg nodded and spoke calmly but with a sympathetic tone.

"We've had a lot of really tough calls the past few years Wordy." He explained vaguely. He didn't want to let on that it was his idea, not yet, even though he was regretting that decision with each passing moment. Silence fell again as Wordy took a few more deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, Boss." He said quietly, almost a whisper. Greg could have read a lot into that statement and it took all he had not to jump to conclusions.

"Sorry about what?" Greg asked calmly. Wordy seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking.

"I should have told you that my shooting scores were going down..." He shook his head and seemed to bite his lip. "especially a couple of weeks ago when you put me on Sierra One." Greg felt his heart stop for a moment as he realized what Wordy was implying. He had forgotten that afternoon at the airport when he shook things up and had Ed and Sam on the perimeter and put Wordy on the rooftop. He didn't know that Wordy's scores were going down, that his hands were shaking and making it difficult to shoot, he didn't realize what he could have been setting into motion by making that simple move.

"Wordy..." He couldn't help but let a slight tone of judgment sneak through. He was trying hard to keep calm despite his rapidly beating heart.

"I know Boss, I know I screwed up." He said harshly, though the tone was directed towards himself. Greg shook his head slightly as he placed a hand on Wordy's shoulder.

"No Wordy, it's not that..." He said vaguely as he tried to figure out what he was trying to say. "Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" He almost sounded hurt as Wordy shrugged.

"I don't know..." He said softly, frustrated at first before he wiped his eyes again. "What was I supposed to say? I can't shoot, I can't sleep, I'm blanking out on words I use every day...my hands..." Greg saw the tears in his eyes but looked away and allowed him to calm down, knowing that he was hating feeling so vulnerable. He didn't really have an answer for Wordy, there was definitely some truth in his words, only further compounding his own guilt.

"I should have noticed that something was wrong." Greg said softly. "But Wordy, this is serious stuff." He was trying to be sympathetic but he couldn't believe how badly things had gotten and that he hadn't noticed any of them.

"I know Boss, I know. I'm sorry." He apologized again but with a tone of closure that Greg wasn't ready for.

"How long?" He asked calmly. Wordy bit his lip for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't know...it wasn't obvious at first...maybe a few months ago I noticed a little quiver in my hand and then it just got harder to remember stuff. My shooting hasn't really been affected until a few weeks ago." He added quickly as Greg nodded.

"And the insomnia?" Greg asked knowingly. He saw Wordy tense for a moment before closing his eyes.

"A pretty long time." He glanced at Greg and saw that the answer wasn't really sufficient. "Almost a year." He whispered as Greg's eyes widened inadvertently.

"Wordy..." He couldn't help but let the surprise show. Wordy was definitely one of the most put together members on Team One, in all of the SRU. He had a family that loved him and his job, he was strong and solid in any position, he was a good negotiator, and he somehow maintained his sensitivity and his sense of humor; before today Greg would have said that he was the example of perfection but now...He was shaking his head again as he leaned forward and put his face in his hands. Greg glanced at his watch and knew that Toth would be looking for him to start Spike's evaluation...oh god, he was going to tear Spike apart at this rate...

"Wordy..." He said again softly as he squeezed his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay." He said the only thing he could think of, something to offer the slightest comfort. He sat up and wiped his face again before looking at Greg.

"What's gonna happen to me, Boss?" His voice was somewhere between pleading and innocence as another tear came to his eye. Greg thought hard for a moment about what to say but he was at a loss. He tried to apply the same rules of negotiation to his daily interactions: he didn't lie, he listened with an open mind, and he didn't make promises that he couldn't keep. That was the issue though, he couldn't promise anything, he didn't know how things were going to pan out and he didn't have any recourse.

"I can't tell you for sure." Greg said cautiously as he saw desperation in Wordy's eyes.

"This is all I know how to do Boss, this is all I have." Tears were running down his face again and it irked Greg to see him this emotional, this vulnerable.

"We'll figure something out, Wordy." He said confidently as he again patted his back. He nodded, though it only seemed half-hearted.

"Boss?" Winnie's voice carried into the men's locker room as she called from the hall.

"Yeah, Winnie?" He said as he kept his eyes on Wordy.

"Dr. Toth's looking for you. Says he's ready to start Spike's psych evaluation." She said again as Greg felt his heart skip a beat.

"I'll be there in a minute." Greg said as he heard her walking away. "You good?" He asked Wordy, realizing how meaningless those words really were in this kind of a situation. He shrugged.

"As good as I'm gonna get right now, I guess." He said with a slight smile as he wiped his face again. Greg nodded.

"Take another couple of minutes if you need them." Greg said as he got up.

"Will do Boss." He said as he went over to the sinks. Greg took one more look over his shoulder before walking back towards the briefing room, evening his breathing as he did. He liked to think that the day could only get better after that but he knew that would inevitably not be the case. This is going to be one long day. He thought bitterly as he put a smile back on his face and looked at Dr. Toth.

"You ready, Sergeant?" Toth asked as he turned and looked over his shoulder.

"Ready to go."

I've had this idea in my head since I saw "Fault Lines." I mean Wordy was really surprised in "I'd Do Anything" to hear that he was Sierra One (rightfully so) but after seeing "Fault Lines" I think that that scene has some new meaning. Do you guys agree? Do you like what I did here? Please tell me...pretty please...