Numb3rs drabbles: Countdown, Sweat, Uncertainty, Reckless (x2)
Series: In Conscious Thought (March Rewind Series)
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pairing/Characters: David, Colby, Megan, Don, Charlie
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 100 per drabble
Summaries:
1) Prologue. David deals with the aftereffects of The Janus List.
2) Colby knows his team is coming.
3) Childhood memories keep the drugs at bay.
4) David's not sure Colby is still alive.
5) Inexplicably, he still cares.
Reckless
“David!” Don yelled. “Wait for t-”
For the first time in his life, David ignored an order from a superior officer. Taking a step back, he kicked in the door.
*
David’s heart was pounding as he gripped the steering wheel tightly enough for the synthetic material to threaten to buckle under his hands.
“Maybe I should drive,” Megan said diplomatically. “Adrenaline…caffeine…they don’t really go.”
“I’m fine.”
“You look fine,” Megan offered.
“I am.”
Megan hesitated.
“Have you ever thought about talking to someone…?” She let the sentence hang.
David gritted his teeth and swerved around a minivan.
“Guess that’s a no.”
Countdown
One.
Two.
Three.
Colby could feel his heartbeat pulsing in his temple.
There was a game he and his brother used to play when they were little. How many minutes until Daddy got home?
I bet six.
I bet nine.
They counted the seconds ticking by, sprawled on the rug in front of the clock, and every sixtieth second marked another minute.
Four.
Five.
Six.
His father wasn’t coming. His father was dead.
His mouth was dry from the drugs. He swallowed, feeling his throat contract and release.
His father was dead, but he was alive.
I bet seven, Charlie.
Sweat
He could feel the sweat trickling down his back.
C’mon, Charlie.
He’d been conditioned to resist torture in the Special Services.
Not like this.
It was like fire in his veins, burning through his arms, up into his chest, every fiber of his being begging him to move, to do something.
Colby closed his eyes.
When he was nine, his father had taken him on a roller coaster at an amusement park. Don’t scream, he’d told Colby, as he buckled him securely into the seat. All it does is make noise-it doesn’t help the fear.
I won’t, Colby promised.
Uncertainty
David stared at the chart of the freighter tacked up on the wall.
“You sure about this, Charlie?”
The professor fumbled with his armful of blueprints, one cardboard casing clattering to the ground. “Well, of course, it’s never entirely certain with probabilities, I mean…”
“Best estimate.” Don tore his eyes away from the intelligence report to look up at his brother.
“Ninety-four percent.”
“That’s good enough for me.” Don pushed himself off the desk, grabbing the manila folder.
“What’s the probability…” The words stuck in his throat. David cleared his throat and tried again. “What’s the probability he’s still alive?”
Reckless Again
Reckless. It was reckless and stupid to enter an unsecured room, and David didn’t care because his best friend was broken under his hands and wasn’t waking up, and he was furious with him.
“Dammit, Colby, don’t you dare leave me again, you hear me? You hear me, man?”
There was a snap and a wet sound from Colby’s chest and David knew he’d broken a rib.
“David…” Don’s voice was strangely gentle.
“Where are the damn medics!”
“David…”
David’s throat was dry as he bent down, forcing air into Colby’s lungs.
Colby’s chest rose.
Inexplicably, David’s knees folded in pure relief.
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pairing/Characters: David, Colby, Megan, Don, Charlie
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 100 per drabble
Summaries:
1) Prologue. David deals with the aftereffects of The Janus List.
2) Colby knows his team is coming.
3) Childhood memories keep the drugs at bay.
4) David's not sure Colby is still alive.
5) Inexplicably, he still cares.
Reckless
“David!” Don yelled. “Wait for t-”
For the first time in his life, David ignored an order from a superior officer. Taking a step back, he kicked in the door.
*
David’s heart was pounding as he gripped the steering wheel tightly enough for the synthetic material to threaten to buckle under his hands.
“Maybe I should drive,” Megan said diplomatically. “Adrenaline…caffeine…they don’t really go.”
“I’m fine.”
“You look fine,” Megan offered.
“I am.”
Megan hesitated.
“Have you ever thought about talking to someone…?” She let the sentence hang.
David gritted his teeth and swerved around a minivan.
“Guess that’s a no.”
Countdown
One.
Two.
Three.
Colby could feel his heartbeat pulsing in his temple.
There was a game he and his brother used to play when they were little. How many minutes until Daddy got home?
I bet six.
I bet nine.
They counted the seconds ticking by, sprawled on the rug in front of the clock, and every sixtieth second marked another minute.
Four.
Five.
Six.
His father wasn’t coming. His father was dead.
His mouth was dry from the drugs. He swallowed, feeling his throat contract and release.
His father was dead, but he was alive.
I bet seven, Charlie.
Sweat
He could feel the sweat trickling down his back.
C’mon, Charlie.
He’d been conditioned to resist torture in the Special Services.
Not like this.
It was like fire in his veins, burning through his arms, up into his chest, every fiber of his being begging him to move, to do something.
Colby closed his eyes.
When he was nine, his father had taken him on a roller coaster at an amusement park. Don’t scream, he’d told Colby, as he buckled him securely into the seat. All it does is make noise-it doesn’t help the fear.
I won’t, Colby promised.
Uncertainty
David stared at the chart of the freighter tacked up on the wall.
“You sure about this, Charlie?”
The professor fumbled with his armful of blueprints, one cardboard casing clattering to the ground. “Well, of course, it’s never entirely certain with probabilities, I mean…”
“Best estimate.” Don tore his eyes away from the intelligence report to look up at his brother.
“Ninety-four percent.”
“That’s good enough for me.” Don pushed himself off the desk, grabbing the manila folder.
“What’s the probability…” The words stuck in his throat. David cleared his throat and tried again. “What’s the probability he’s still alive?”
Reckless Again
Reckless. It was reckless and stupid to enter an unsecured room, and David didn’t care because his best friend was broken under his hands and wasn’t waking up, and he was furious with him.
“Dammit, Colby, don’t you dare leave me again, you hear me? You hear me, man?”
There was a snap and a wet sound from Colby’s chest and David knew he’d broken a rib.
“David…” Don’s voice was strangely gentle.
“Where are the damn medics!”
“David…”
David’s throat was dry as he bent down, forcing air into Colby’s lungs.
Colby’s chest rose.
Inexplicably, David’s knees folded in pure relief.