CSI:NY fic: Kid Gloves (Flack, G)
Title: Kid Gloves
Fandom: CSI:NY
Character: Don Flack
Rating: G
Spoilers: Hints at something revealed in "The Box"
Word count: 1145
Summary: Don bonds with a young witness.
Author's notes: For awanderingbard. :D
"He's over there, Detective."
Don Flack looked where the firefighter pointed. A kid -- male, maybe ten years old -- was sitting on the back bumper of a fire truck. A paramedic was with him, looking him over. "Thanks." Don nodded to the firefighter and headed over to the boy. He didn't look as traumatized as a lot of kids Don met on the job, but he wasn't exactly happy. Don put on what he hoped was a reassuring expression as he reached the fire truck. "Hey, kiddo."
The boy looked up blankly.
Don gave him a small smile. "I'm Detective Flack. What's your name?"
The boy blinked a couple times. It took him a moment to respond. "Jason."
"It's nice to meet you, Jason. How are you feeling?"
He shrugged a little. "'M okay."
Don glanced at the paramedic, who nodded. "A little smoke inhalation, but otherwise he's alright."
"Alright, good. Thanks." He transfered his gaze back to Jason. He crouched down, getting on a level with the boy. "I hear you're the person who called 911." At the boy's nod, he told him seriously, "You did good. You saved a lot of people's lives tonight. The whole building owes you thanks."
Jason blinked again. For the first time his eyes seemed to focus on Don. "Really?"
"Really." Don needed to ask him what happened -- had he seen how the fire started, had he just smelled the smoke before anyone else, what -- but he needed the child's guardian or a child advocate to be there when he did or he'd catch hell. He glanced around. There were plenty of other tenants loitering around in various soot-covered states of shock, but none of them were hovering near the boy. Don looked back at him. "Are your mom and dad around here? Were they home?"
Jason shook his head. "Mom works nights. She always leaves after she tucks me in."
"And your dad?" Don asked softly.
He shook his head again. "It's just Mom and me."
"Alright. Do you have any family nearby, someone I could call?"
Another head shake. "I have Mom's cell phone number," he offered hesitantly. "I'm supposed to call her if there's an emergency."
"I'll call her," Don assured the boy. "Can you give me the number?"
He tried not to react outwardly when Jason pulled a cell out of his pocket and started punching buttons. Inside he was shaking his head. Even kids have cell phones these days. He couldn't deny that it was useful, though, when the boy held out the phone with his mother's number highlighted on the screen.
Don punched the number into his own phone. "Thanks. I'll be back, alright?" He glanced at the paramedic who was still standing beside them. "Can you keep an eye on him for a sec?"
"Sure thing, Detective."
"Thanks." He shot Jason another little smile and stepped away.
***
"Gin."
Don stared as Jason laid out his cards with a grin. "Again? You're a card shark." He laid down his own hand and leaned back in his chair.
Jason shrugged, gathering the cards. "Mom and I play a lot."
"Yeah?" Don nodded appreciatively. "Most kids these days seem more interested in playing Xboxes and Wiis than playing cards."
"I like that stuff, too, but Mom likes cards better." He broke the deck and began to shuffle.
Good kid, Don thought. He tapped the table with one hand. "I'm thirsty -- I'm gonna go grab a soda. You want anything?"
The kid's eyes lit up. "Coke?"
"Sure thing." Don grinned at him and left the room.
He was surprised to see Lindsay Monroe standing at the observation window. At his raised eyebrows, she smiled a little sheepishly. "I was interviewing a suspect in the other room. When I came out, I saw you in there, getting your ass handed to you by a ten-year-old. I had to watch."
"Thanks," Don said dryly.
She nodded at the glass, glancing at the boy in the room. "Who is he?"
"Witness at the Brookview Apartment fire. I can't question him 'til his mom gets here, so I'm keeping him company."
Her brows knitted. "Is he a suspect?"
"Nah, I don't think so. Mac says the preliminary evidence points to it being an accident. I just need to follow up."
"Right."
Don looked through the glass at Jason. He'd started playing a game of solitare. "He's a good kid."
Lindsay smiled, looking at him sidelong. "You're good with him."
Don shrugged, secretly pleased. "I like kids."
"Yeah?" She bumped his arm with her elbow. "So I can count on you as a babysitter, right?"
"Absolutely." At her raised eyebrows, he grinned. "I'm looking forward to spoiling your kids, Monroe." She groaned and he laughed. "Oh yeah, Uncle Don's gonna be their favorite. Toys, sugar, staying up late..."
"You're horrible." She was smiling when she said it.
"Detective Flack?"
Don turned. A blonde woman in a nurse's uniform approached them, worry writ on her face. Lindsay touched Don's arm, murmuring a farewell, and left. Don smiled at the nurse. "Mrs. Tunney?"
"Yes. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here." She gripped her purse tightly.
"No worries," he assured her.
"Where's Jason?"
"Right in here." He led her to the interrogation room door and let her go in. Before he followed her, he grabbed a passing uniform and asked him to get a can of coke for the kid.
The interview was short. Jason said he'd gotten out of bed for a drink of water, smelled smoke, and called 911. When it was clear he didn't know anything else, Don let them go. "If the investigation turns up anything, I may need to call you in again," he warned them as they stood.
Mrs. Tunney nodded tightly. "Of course. Anything we can do to help."
"Thank you." He led them to the door and opened it, following them out.
Mrs. Tunney paused when they reached the hallway. She turned bright eyes on Don, taking a breath. "I wanted to thank you, Detective. This whole night has been a nightmare, but you've made it a little easier."
"I'm glad I could help," he told her seriously. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. You have a place to stay tonight?"
She nodded. "One of my friends from work has a spare room for us. We'll be okay."
"Good." He looked down at Jason, standing at his mom's side. "The offer goes for you, too, Jason. If you need anything, call me, alright?"
"Okay." The boy smiled, a hundred times more relaxed now than he had been when they first met.
Don stood at the door and watched mother and son walk down the hall. He smiled a little, satisfied. There were some days, he reflected, when he really liked his job.
Fandom: CSI:NY
Character: Don Flack
Rating: G
Spoilers: Hints at something revealed in "The Box"
Word count: 1145
Summary: Don bonds with a young witness.
Author's notes: For awanderingbard. :D
"He's over there, Detective."
Don Flack looked where the firefighter pointed. A kid -- male, maybe ten years old -- was sitting on the back bumper of a fire truck. A paramedic was with him, looking him over. "Thanks." Don nodded to the firefighter and headed over to the boy. He didn't look as traumatized as a lot of kids Don met on the job, but he wasn't exactly happy. Don put on what he hoped was a reassuring expression as he reached the fire truck. "Hey, kiddo."
The boy looked up blankly.
Don gave him a small smile. "I'm Detective Flack. What's your name?"
The boy blinked a couple times. It took him a moment to respond. "Jason."
"It's nice to meet you, Jason. How are you feeling?"
He shrugged a little. "'M okay."
Don glanced at the paramedic, who nodded. "A little smoke inhalation, but otherwise he's alright."
"Alright, good. Thanks." He transfered his gaze back to Jason. He crouched down, getting on a level with the boy. "I hear you're the person who called 911." At the boy's nod, he told him seriously, "You did good. You saved a lot of people's lives tonight. The whole building owes you thanks."
Jason blinked again. For the first time his eyes seemed to focus on Don. "Really?"
"Really." Don needed to ask him what happened -- had he seen how the fire started, had he just smelled the smoke before anyone else, what -- but he needed the child's guardian or a child advocate to be there when he did or he'd catch hell. He glanced around. There were plenty of other tenants loitering around in various soot-covered states of shock, but none of them were hovering near the boy. Don looked back at him. "Are your mom and dad around here? Were they home?"
Jason shook his head. "Mom works nights. She always leaves after she tucks me in."
"And your dad?" Don asked softly.
He shook his head again. "It's just Mom and me."
"Alright. Do you have any family nearby, someone I could call?"
Another head shake. "I have Mom's cell phone number," he offered hesitantly. "I'm supposed to call her if there's an emergency."
"I'll call her," Don assured the boy. "Can you give me the number?"
He tried not to react outwardly when Jason pulled a cell out of his pocket and started punching buttons. Inside he was shaking his head. Even kids have cell phones these days. He couldn't deny that it was useful, though, when the boy held out the phone with his mother's number highlighted on the screen.
Don punched the number into his own phone. "Thanks. I'll be back, alright?" He glanced at the paramedic who was still standing beside them. "Can you keep an eye on him for a sec?"
"Sure thing, Detective."
"Thanks." He shot Jason another little smile and stepped away.
***
"Gin."
Don stared as Jason laid out his cards with a grin. "Again? You're a card shark." He laid down his own hand and leaned back in his chair.
Jason shrugged, gathering the cards. "Mom and I play a lot."
"Yeah?" Don nodded appreciatively. "Most kids these days seem more interested in playing Xboxes and Wiis than playing cards."
"I like that stuff, too, but Mom likes cards better." He broke the deck and began to shuffle.
Good kid, Don thought. He tapped the table with one hand. "I'm thirsty -- I'm gonna go grab a soda. You want anything?"
The kid's eyes lit up. "Coke?"
"Sure thing." Don grinned at him and left the room.
He was surprised to see Lindsay Monroe standing at the observation window. At his raised eyebrows, she smiled a little sheepishly. "I was interviewing a suspect in the other room. When I came out, I saw you in there, getting your ass handed to you by a ten-year-old. I had to watch."
"Thanks," Don said dryly.
She nodded at the glass, glancing at the boy in the room. "Who is he?"
"Witness at the Brookview Apartment fire. I can't question him 'til his mom gets here, so I'm keeping him company."
Her brows knitted. "Is he a suspect?"
"Nah, I don't think so. Mac says the preliminary evidence points to it being an accident. I just need to follow up."
"Right."
Don looked through the glass at Jason. He'd started playing a game of solitare. "He's a good kid."
Lindsay smiled, looking at him sidelong. "You're good with him."
Don shrugged, secretly pleased. "I like kids."
"Yeah?" She bumped his arm with her elbow. "So I can count on you as a babysitter, right?"
"Absolutely." At her raised eyebrows, he grinned. "I'm looking forward to spoiling your kids, Monroe." She groaned and he laughed. "Oh yeah, Uncle Don's gonna be their favorite. Toys, sugar, staying up late..."
"You're horrible." She was smiling when she said it.
"Detective Flack?"
Don turned. A blonde woman in a nurse's uniform approached them, worry writ on her face. Lindsay touched Don's arm, murmuring a farewell, and left. Don smiled at the nurse. "Mrs. Tunney?"
"Yes. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here." She gripped her purse tightly.
"No worries," he assured her.
"Where's Jason?"
"Right in here." He led her to the interrogation room door and let her go in. Before he followed her, he grabbed a passing uniform and asked him to get a can of coke for the kid.
The interview was short. Jason said he'd gotten out of bed for a drink of water, smelled smoke, and called 911. When it was clear he didn't know anything else, Don let them go. "If the investigation turns up anything, I may need to call you in again," he warned them as they stood.
Mrs. Tunney nodded tightly. "Of course. Anything we can do to help."
"Thank you." He led them to the door and opened it, following them out.
Mrs. Tunney paused when they reached the hallway. She turned bright eyes on Don, taking a breath. "I wanted to thank you, Detective. This whole night has been a nightmare, but you've made it a little easier."
"I'm glad I could help," he told her seriously. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. You have a place to stay tonight?"
She nodded. "One of my friends from work has a spare room for us. We'll be okay."
"Good." He looked down at Jason, standing at his mom's side. "The offer goes for you, too, Jason. If you need anything, call me, alright?"
"Okay." The boy smiled, a hundred times more relaxed now than he had been when they first met.
Don stood at the door and watched mother and son walk down the hall. He smiled a little, satisfied. There were some days, he reflected, when he really liked his job.