Numb3rs Fic- The Memories Remain (Colby Granger)
Title: The Memories Remain
Author: 1000traenen
Summary: Colby’s brought up the subject of Afghanistan one too many times for David’s liking.
Rating: FRT
Claim: Numb3rs- Colby Granger
Prompt: #5- the dark things you fear
Disclaimer: Since you don’t see stuff like this on TV, suffice it to say that they aren’t mine. And the title is a spin on “The Memory Remains” by Metallica, and no, I don’t own that either.
Spoilers: Seasons 2 and 3, especially 2x21 “Rampage”, 3x04 “The Mole” and 3x18 “Democracy”
A/N: For the 2x5obsessions comm. Link to my table. Not beta’d, so all mistakes are mine.
---
Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.
Michel de Montaigne
---
David got into his car, started the engine and shifted into drive. As he made his way through the maze of LA streets, he thought about what he was going to say to Colby. He knew he was picking up pizza and beer, after all, he couldn’t just show up empty-handed. And although Colby would know that David had ulterior motives, David couldn’t just come out and say “Hey, we need to talk about what happened today…” But as David parked the car and made his way to Colby’s door, he found his mind blanking on anything useful to say. And as he knocked on the door and waited for Colby to answer, he gave up on finding something profound or sneaky and opted to just wing it.
He first heard footsteps that paused at the door, a couple seconds of nothing, and then a chain being slid and locks being turned. The door slowly opened, and David saw Colby looking around the door.
“David?” Colby asked, “What’s up? Did I miss…”
”Didn’t miss a thing, man,” David smiled. “Just thought I’d bring dinner by. I can only imagine what a master chef like you is putting together.”
Colby rolled his eyes, then stepped aside so David could enter. Colby took the beer while David took a look around as he made his way into the kitchen. A quick look was all he had time for since Colby’s apartment was rather small. He put the pizza on the counter, and Colby put the beer nearby. He plucked two bottles out and set them on the counter, then opened a drawer and took out the bottle opener. After throwing the tops in the trash, Colby took out a pair of plates from a cupboard and David took them and put a couple slices of pizza on each.
They settled into the living room, the slightly awkward silence lingering on as neither knew what to say. Deciding that the silence was getting too heavy, Colby reached for the remote and turned the TV on, quickly changing the channel from CNN to ESPN. David noticed that, but said nothing. Setting the pizza aside, Colby concentrated on his beer until David spoke up.
“What’s going on, man?” David asked, having taken the remote from Colby and shutting the TV off.
“What do you mean?” Colby counter-asked, failing to feign naivety.
“Don’t even try it,” David warned. “I know you too well.”
“Look, I really don’t know what you’re after,” Colby replied, a little defensively.
David cursed to himself, he knew better than to come at Colby like that. Like he said, David did know Colby.
“Colby, something’s going on in that head of yours. You’ve been bringing up your time in Afghanistan a lot lately. And believe me, if I’ve noticed, Megan’s noticed.”
David saw Colby wince a bit, then recover quickly. “Remember how I told you it never really goes away. That it waits to come out when something reminds you?”
David nodded, having given that particular statement a great deal of thought. “Can’t say that’s something I can forget.”
“That’s the problem,” Colby said quietly. “I can’t forget.”
“Talk to me, man. Just talk to me,” David encouraged.
“You know some of the highlights. The RPG attack on the Humvee, the botched ambush…lately it just seems like it’s every little thing reminds me of something. I mean, seeing the beach on a TV commercial reminded me of Afghanistan.”
“But it isn’t just the highlights that are bothering you?” David guessed, and got a nod as confirmation.
“It’s pretty much everything,” Colby sighed, leaning back and resting his head against the back of the couch with his eyes closed. Then he sits up again and continues, “At night, cars drive by and all I can think of are Jeeps. A car backfiring is an RPG attack. It’s almost like I need something to focus on all the time or else my mind takes a trip down nightmare lane.”
“Nightmares too?” David asked, sighing, although he wasn’t surprised. “How long?”
“On and off ever since I got back. Lately...every night for the past few days.”
“Anything in particular?”
“Mostly the RPG attack,” Colby answered with a shudder. “I wake up and swear I can still feel it all…all over again.”
“Why haven’t you told me about this before? I’m your partner, man. And I’ve told you…you can talk to me.”
“Call it pride. I don’t know…I guess I just don’t want to bring it up.”
David nodded, accepting the answer at face value. Then he looked around for a minute and asked, “So why don’t you move somewhere quieter? It may help.”
“Like I want to deal with find a new apartment and moving. Anyway, I kinda do have a lease.”
David nodded, he hadn’t thought of that. “So, what are you gonna do?”
“Promise me you won’t mention this to anyone else?” Colby asked, his eyes wide and pleading.
David nodded, and Colby said, “I’m going to the VA, see someone there. Someone with experience in combat vets.”
“Good plan,” David replied. “Very good plan. And I won’t mention a thing. Just let me know when your appointments are, and you know I have your back.”
“Thanks, David. For everything, it really does mean a lot.”
“Anytime, man. You know that,” David said.
The two partners clicked bottles, and then David turned the TV back on. And they finished their pizza over football.
FIN
Author: 1000traenen
Summary: Colby’s brought up the subject of Afghanistan one too many times for David’s liking.
Rating: FRT
Claim: Numb3rs- Colby Granger
Prompt: #5- the dark things you fear
Disclaimer: Since you don’t see stuff like this on TV, suffice it to say that they aren’t mine. And the title is a spin on “The Memory Remains” by Metallica, and no, I don’t own that either.
Spoilers: Seasons 2 and 3, especially 2x21 “Rampage”, 3x04 “The Mole” and 3x18 “Democracy”
A/N: For the 2x5obsessions comm. Link to my table. Not beta’d, so all mistakes are mine.
---
Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.
Michel de Montaigne
---
David got into his car, started the engine and shifted into drive. As he made his way through the maze of LA streets, he thought about what he was going to say to Colby. He knew he was picking up pizza and beer, after all, he couldn’t just show up empty-handed. And although Colby would know that David had ulterior motives, David couldn’t just come out and say “Hey, we need to talk about what happened today…” But as David parked the car and made his way to Colby’s door, he found his mind blanking on anything useful to say. And as he knocked on the door and waited for Colby to answer, he gave up on finding something profound or sneaky and opted to just wing it.
He first heard footsteps that paused at the door, a couple seconds of nothing, and then a chain being slid and locks being turned. The door slowly opened, and David saw Colby looking around the door.
“David?” Colby asked, “What’s up? Did I miss…”
”Didn’t miss a thing, man,” David smiled. “Just thought I’d bring dinner by. I can only imagine what a master chef like you is putting together.”
Colby rolled his eyes, then stepped aside so David could enter. Colby took the beer while David took a look around as he made his way into the kitchen. A quick look was all he had time for since Colby’s apartment was rather small. He put the pizza on the counter, and Colby put the beer nearby. He plucked two bottles out and set them on the counter, then opened a drawer and took out the bottle opener. After throwing the tops in the trash, Colby took out a pair of plates from a cupboard and David took them and put a couple slices of pizza on each.
They settled into the living room, the slightly awkward silence lingering on as neither knew what to say. Deciding that the silence was getting too heavy, Colby reached for the remote and turned the TV on, quickly changing the channel from CNN to ESPN. David noticed that, but said nothing. Setting the pizza aside, Colby concentrated on his beer until David spoke up.
“What’s going on, man?” David asked, having taken the remote from Colby and shutting the TV off.
“What do you mean?” Colby counter-asked, failing to feign naivety.
“Don’t even try it,” David warned. “I know you too well.”
“Look, I really don’t know what you’re after,” Colby replied, a little defensively.
David cursed to himself, he knew better than to come at Colby like that. Like he said, David did know Colby.
“Colby, something’s going on in that head of yours. You’ve been bringing up your time in Afghanistan a lot lately. And believe me, if I’ve noticed, Megan’s noticed.”
David saw Colby wince a bit, then recover quickly. “Remember how I told you it never really goes away. That it waits to come out when something reminds you?”
David nodded, having given that particular statement a great deal of thought. “Can’t say that’s something I can forget.”
“That’s the problem,” Colby said quietly. “I can’t forget.”
“Talk to me, man. Just talk to me,” David encouraged.
“You know some of the highlights. The RPG attack on the Humvee, the botched ambush…lately it just seems like it’s every little thing reminds me of something. I mean, seeing the beach on a TV commercial reminded me of Afghanistan.”
“But it isn’t just the highlights that are bothering you?” David guessed, and got a nod as confirmation.
“It’s pretty much everything,” Colby sighed, leaning back and resting his head against the back of the couch with his eyes closed. Then he sits up again and continues, “At night, cars drive by and all I can think of are Jeeps. A car backfiring is an RPG attack. It’s almost like I need something to focus on all the time or else my mind takes a trip down nightmare lane.”
“Nightmares too?” David asked, sighing, although he wasn’t surprised. “How long?”
“On and off ever since I got back. Lately...every night for the past few days.”
“Anything in particular?”
“Mostly the RPG attack,” Colby answered with a shudder. “I wake up and swear I can still feel it all…all over again.”
“Why haven’t you told me about this before? I’m your partner, man. And I’ve told you…you can talk to me.”
“Call it pride. I don’t know…I guess I just don’t want to bring it up.”
David nodded, accepting the answer at face value. Then he looked around for a minute and asked, “So why don’t you move somewhere quieter? It may help.”
“Like I want to deal with find a new apartment and moving. Anyway, I kinda do have a lease.”
David nodded, he hadn’t thought of that. “So, what are you gonna do?”
“Promise me you won’t mention this to anyone else?” Colby asked, his eyes wide and pleading.
David nodded, and Colby said, “I’m going to the VA, see someone there. Someone with experience in combat vets.”
“Good plan,” David replied. “Very good plan. And I won’t mention a thing. Just let me know when your appointments are, and you know I have your back.”
“Thanks, David. For everything, it really does mean a lot.”
“Anytime, man. You know that,” David said.
The two partners clicked bottles, and then David turned the TV back on. And they finished their pizza over football.
FIN