[DM] Future
His chest burned. He doubled over on the side of the path, hands on his knees, breathing hard. He knew his physical therapist said not to push himself, but he had barely gone a half a football field before he was winded. That was not pushing himself. That used to be nothing.
“You alright?”
He looked up at Cassavelli, who was bouncing up and down next to him, jogging in place. But from this view, it was starting to make him dizzy.
“Please-stop bouncing,” he panted heavily looking back down at the ground again. So instead of jogging in place, she started pacing. Once she passed him again he grabbed her arm, “Stop-stop moving.”
He felt her stop, and then she reached for his shoulder, “You don’t look so hot. Wanna sit?”
“No,” he shook his head, starting straighten slightly, “No, I’m fine.”
Cassavelli took him by the shoulder and placed her fingers against his neck, searching for a pulse. When she found it, her eyes widened and she started pulling him forward, “C’mon, start walking.”
He started to move with her, but his legs felt like lead. “I can’t,” he shook his head.
“Gotta start moving, Flack,” she shook her head, “At least until your heart rate slows down. Don’t need you having a heart attack on me, alright?” His breathing was starting to even out, and he straightened more, starting to move forward. She gave him a small smile before taking his arm, “We’ll go slow, alright?”
He nodded and took slow steps, having her keep in step next to him. “Shouldn’t be this hard,” he muttered, moving slowly, trying to get his arms and legs to feel normal again, and the pain in his chest to subside.
“Flack-some wannabe marine shrink case blew you up,” she replied, giving him a look, “That blew your stomach open. You were in the hospital for weeks. I don’t think you’re gonna be running the New York City marathon anytime soon.”
“Thank you for sugarcoating that for me, Resa,” he shook his head, “Makes me feel so much better.”
She smirked before turning back to the road, “Just gotta take it one day at a time, Don. You’ll get back to where you were. Before you know it you’ll be back to running all over creation for Bonasera, like nothing had ever happened.”
“I resent that implication.”
“What implication?” she said, looking innocent.
“The implication that I’m Stella’s whipping boy.”
“Oh, honey, that’s not an implication,” Cassavelli shook her head, “That’s a fact.”
“Hey,” he said giving her a look, “Stella does not have me whipped.”
“Flack, she says jump, and you don’t even ask how high, you just do.”
“She’s the senior detective,” Flack replied, “I’m just following orders.”
“Then you shouldn’t enjoy it so much,” Cassavelli shook her head, “I’ve seen that giddy look you get when she tells you that you did something right. You’re like a happy little puppy. It’s cute, but it doesn’t help your situation any.”
He chuckled slightly at that, then winced, feeling the pull in his side. His hand moved there and she frowned, “You alright?”
“I think I need to sit now.”
“OK, OK,” she nodded before leading him over to one of the benches on the side of the trail, and helping him into the seat, before settling in next to him. They watched the joggers run by for a while before he spoke up again.
“This all feels kinda weird.”
“Weird in a bad I-need-a-doctor way or weird in an confusing emotional way?”
“Weird in a confusing emotional way,” he replied, giving her a grin, “Don’t worry-I’m not going to die on you anytime soon.”
“Good,” she nodded, “Because you almost did there for a minute, and frankly-if you had died, I would have had to kill you.”
“That sentence is slightly illogical.”
“Take the sentiment for what it is, Flack,” she sighed, and he laughed.
“I know,” he shook his head, “You do realize that you’re not the first person who’s told me that.”
“Yes, and I doubt I will be the last,” Cassavelli sighed, “But what’s the emotional weirdness? My attention span is only so long, you know this.”
He gave her a look before continuing, “Things feel like they’re supposed to be back to normal and they’re not. I mean, I’m out of the hospital. That should mean I’m better. But I can’t run more than fuckin’ thirty yards without having to catch my damn breath. That’s not normal.”
“I know, I know,” she nodded, starting to rub his back softly, “But you’re not super hero, alright? Things aren’t going to just snap back overnight. Look-after the bombing, it looked like you weren’t going to have a future. But you do. So just take the time and enjoy it, OK?”
He looked up at her, a bit of surprise and amusement rolled together, “Wow, Resa. That was actually-nice and supportive. I didn’t know you were capable of that.”
She glared at him before looking away and running a hand over her face, “You know, I try and do something nice, and you had to go and ruin it with that.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he laughed, and she shook her head before turning back to him.
“You rested enough?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Alright-get up. We’re walking again.”
He groaned slightly before letting her pull him to his feet and start down the trail again. There was silence for a moment as Flack looked up the trail ahead of them, “You jog this every day?”
“Every day that I don’t just go home and collapse into bed.”
He nodded, “Maybe once I’m back up to speed we could have a little race. Let me kick your ass at something for once.”
“Hey-just because you have longer legs doesn’t mean you’re faster,” she replied, smacking him lightly on the arm, “Besides-you’re still an invalid at this point.”
“I am not an invalid.”
“Says the man who’s out of breath after thirty yards.”
“You’re just mad because I’m prettier than you are,” he smirked.
“Oh, that’s it,” she nodded dryly, “That’s the root of my anger, right there.” She shook her head before muttering, “Cocky bastard. Still doesn’t mean you’re going to beat me in a foot race.”
“Oh, I think I can. I’m Superman, remember? Faster than a speeding bullet and all that.”
She laughed slightly before giving him a light punch on the shoulder, “Whatever you say, Superman.” They lapsed into silence again before she turned back to look at him again, “It’s good to have you back, Flack.”
“Its good to be here.”
1117 words
“You alright?”
He looked up at Cassavelli, who was bouncing up and down next to him, jogging in place. But from this view, it was starting to make him dizzy.
“Please-stop bouncing,” he panted heavily looking back down at the ground again. So instead of jogging in place, she started pacing. Once she passed him again he grabbed her arm, “Stop-stop moving.”
He felt her stop, and then she reached for his shoulder, “You don’t look so hot. Wanna sit?”
“No,” he shook his head, starting straighten slightly, “No, I’m fine.”
Cassavelli took him by the shoulder and placed her fingers against his neck, searching for a pulse. When she found it, her eyes widened and she started pulling him forward, “C’mon, start walking.”
He started to move with her, but his legs felt like lead. “I can’t,” he shook his head.
“Gotta start moving, Flack,” she shook her head, “At least until your heart rate slows down. Don’t need you having a heart attack on me, alright?” His breathing was starting to even out, and he straightened more, starting to move forward. She gave him a small smile before taking his arm, “We’ll go slow, alright?”
He nodded and took slow steps, having her keep in step next to him. “Shouldn’t be this hard,” he muttered, moving slowly, trying to get his arms and legs to feel normal again, and the pain in his chest to subside.
“Flack-some wannabe marine shrink case blew you up,” she replied, giving him a look, “That blew your stomach open. You were in the hospital for weeks. I don’t think you’re gonna be running the New York City marathon anytime soon.”
“Thank you for sugarcoating that for me, Resa,” he shook his head, “Makes me feel so much better.”
She smirked before turning back to the road, “Just gotta take it one day at a time, Don. You’ll get back to where you were. Before you know it you’ll be back to running all over creation for Bonasera, like nothing had ever happened.”
“I resent that implication.”
“What implication?” she said, looking innocent.
“The implication that I’m Stella’s whipping boy.”
“Oh, honey, that’s not an implication,” Cassavelli shook her head, “That’s a fact.”
“Hey,” he said giving her a look, “Stella does not have me whipped.”
“Flack, she says jump, and you don’t even ask how high, you just do.”
“She’s the senior detective,” Flack replied, “I’m just following orders.”
“Then you shouldn’t enjoy it so much,” Cassavelli shook her head, “I’ve seen that giddy look you get when she tells you that you did something right. You’re like a happy little puppy. It’s cute, but it doesn’t help your situation any.”
He chuckled slightly at that, then winced, feeling the pull in his side. His hand moved there and she frowned, “You alright?”
“I think I need to sit now.”
“OK, OK,” she nodded before leading him over to one of the benches on the side of the trail, and helping him into the seat, before settling in next to him. They watched the joggers run by for a while before he spoke up again.
“This all feels kinda weird.”
“Weird in a bad I-need-a-doctor way or weird in an confusing emotional way?”
“Weird in a confusing emotional way,” he replied, giving her a grin, “Don’t worry-I’m not going to die on you anytime soon.”
“Good,” she nodded, “Because you almost did there for a minute, and frankly-if you had died, I would have had to kill you.”
“That sentence is slightly illogical.”
“Take the sentiment for what it is, Flack,” she sighed, and he laughed.
“I know,” he shook his head, “You do realize that you’re not the first person who’s told me that.”
“Yes, and I doubt I will be the last,” Cassavelli sighed, “But what’s the emotional weirdness? My attention span is only so long, you know this.”
He gave her a look before continuing, “Things feel like they’re supposed to be back to normal and they’re not. I mean, I’m out of the hospital. That should mean I’m better. But I can’t run more than fuckin’ thirty yards without having to catch my damn breath. That’s not normal.”
“I know, I know,” she nodded, starting to rub his back softly, “But you’re not super hero, alright? Things aren’t going to just snap back overnight. Look-after the bombing, it looked like you weren’t going to have a future. But you do. So just take the time and enjoy it, OK?”
He looked up at her, a bit of surprise and amusement rolled together, “Wow, Resa. That was actually-nice and supportive. I didn’t know you were capable of that.”
She glared at him before looking away and running a hand over her face, “You know, I try and do something nice, and you had to go and ruin it with that.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he laughed, and she shook her head before turning back to him.
“You rested enough?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Alright-get up. We’re walking again.”
He groaned slightly before letting her pull him to his feet and start down the trail again. There was silence for a moment as Flack looked up the trail ahead of them, “You jog this every day?”
“Every day that I don’t just go home and collapse into bed.”
He nodded, “Maybe once I’m back up to speed we could have a little race. Let me kick your ass at something for once.”
“Hey-just because you have longer legs doesn’t mean you’re faster,” she replied, smacking him lightly on the arm, “Besides-you’re still an invalid at this point.”
“I am not an invalid.”
“Says the man who’s out of breath after thirty yards.”
“You’re just mad because I’m prettier than you are,” he smirked.
“Oh, that’s it,” she nodded dryly, “That’s the root of my anger, right there.” She shook her head before muttering, “Cocky bastard. Still doesn’t mean you’re going to beat me in a foot race.”
“Oh, I think I can. I’m Superman, remember? Faster than a speeding bullet and all that.”
She laughed slightly before giving him a light punch on the shoulder, “Whatever you say, Superman.” They lapsed into silence again before she turned back to look at him again, “It’s good to have you back, Flack.”
“Its good to be here.”
1117 words