Fic: Gray Matter (3/4), green cortina, dak and culf

[dakfinv]

Title: Gray Matter (3/4)
Authors: dak and

culf
Word Count: 2146 this part, 9551 overall so far 
Rating: green cortina
Warnings: angst, a bit of slighly disturbing imagery
Spoilers: set after 2.08
Pairing: Sam/Gene
A/N: Sorry for the delay. You know how RL can get in the way some times. And there's still going to be one more part after this.

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4

He didn’t know who to be more furious with - Morgan for implicating Tyler in the death of that Hyde DI or Sam for letting himself get dragged back into that cesspool of a division. DS Turner was blabbering something about how Tyler wasn’t in trouble. If only the Sergeant knew.
Sam may not have to worry about the law but he certainly had to worry about Hunt, especially if the little bastard thought he could get away with it, with that little retard trick he’d pulled over on those thick doctors in Blackpool.

Sam had wanted to leave for ages. Leave Manchester, the team, Gene, but the traitor hadn’t had the courage. So, he’d pulled a Mr. Floppy to make Gene think he was the problem, instead of the coward himself. Made Gene think it was his idea to send Tyler on holiday. If it weren’t for the accident, Sam could’ve been gone, disappearing scot-free.

Now Tyler thought he could use some sort mind trick, escape consequence simply because he “couldn’t remember.” The whole disgusting charade was going to crash down around him now, as Gene stormed through the doors of South Shore Hospital. How dare that tart think he could pull the same trick on the Gene Genie twice.

I didn’t know I was undercover, Guv, he’d said. It must have been the accident. I didn’t know! I didn’t remember.

Sam had seemed so open and honest with him then. He had seemed completely ashamed that he’d allowed Morgan to manipulate him the way he had. The trick had worked then, but now Tyler had tried it one time too many, the conniving bastard.

Gene was going to tell him this, every single of word of it. He was going to holler it so the entirety of England could know what a cheat, a fake, a liar Sam Tyler really was. Except, Sam wasn’t there. There was a flurry of nervous nurses and worried doctors, but no body in the bed.

“Where the bloody hell is he?” Gene bellowed, hands clenched on his hips. His voice boomed through the room, causing all activity to cease momentarily.

“DCI Hunt,” Dr. Mitchum responded in surprise. “We were just about to ring you.” He signalled to the staff to return to work.

“Is he dead or did he do a runner?” Gene nodded to the empty, but still disheveled, bed.

“I’m afraid Sam has left the hospital,” he adjusted his tie.

“And gone where?” Gene snapped.

“Well, he simply, that is to say...”

Hunt glared down at the stuttering doctor.

“We don’t know, sir. One minute he was in bed, doing his crossword, the next he was gone. We’ve scoured the entire hospital but seen hide nor hair of him.”

“Don’t say ‘Hyde,’” Gene grumbled as he strode around the bed and examined the contents of Sam’s bedside table.

“Sorry, sir?”

“When’d he slink off?” He changed the subject, carelessly flipping through Tyler’s note pad, then picking up the crossword he’d been working on.”

“It was about a half hour ago. Like I said, we were just about to call you.”

Gene’s expression softened ever-so-slightly as he folded up the crossword and slipped it in his picket. “I’ll ring up the team. Let ‘em know Tyler’s given us the slip. Turner...”

DS Tuner, who’d followed Hunt silently into the hospital, stepped forward.

“You know what he looks like. Go back to your station and get some plod searching the streets for him.”

“Mr. Hunt,” Dr. Mitchum cut in. “Need I remind you of Sam’s mental state?”

“You leave his noggin to me. Anyone knows how Tyler thinks, it’s his Guv.” His orders in place, Gene hurried out of the hospital and into the Cortina. He turned the key in the ignition but waited before putting her into gear.

He took the crossword from his picket and carefully unfolded it. The boxes, written in with Sam’s neat script, were filled with words like “I’m sorry, Gene,” “I’m so sorry,” “I was wrong.” Even more worrying were the insults Sam seemed to be hurling at himself. Prat. Ponce. Twat. Traitor. Liar. Bastard. Worthless shit.

Gene shoved the paper back into his pocket and threw the Cortina into gear.

“What d’yeh mean he’s gone?” Chris leapt from his chair, anger brewing behind his wide eyes.

Ray offered him a fag to try and calm him, but Chris refused. “Guv said he walked right outta hospital,” he shrugged, trying to remain calm.

“With no one seeing him?” Chris’ eyes were watering now.

Ray swallowed hard. “ ‘Parently. Look, Chris, if anypone can find ‘im, the Guv can.”

“An’ if he don’t?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor.

“I--”

“I knew I should’ve gone to see ‘im. Should’ve made Dad let me borrow the car. Now he’s gone, an’ I never saw him. Never told him...”

Ray stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to shake a bit of strength into him. “The Guv’ll find ‘im. ‘Sides, Tyler’s tough. Always comes back.”

“Yeah?” Chris sighed, attempting to regain his composure.

“Yeah. Really...what’s the word? Resilient. That’s it. Like those rats at the Arms. No matter what Nelson does, he can’t get rid of ‘em,” Ray smiled but dropped it as Chris suddenly yanked his shoulder back.

“The Boss ain’t a rat,” he glared at Ray, then hurried out of CID.

“I don’t mean--!” Ray called after him but Chriw was already gone. “Bloody hell,” he sighed to himself and stared around the empty office, not knowing what to do.

*

“You’re so close, Sam. Just a few more steps,” she stood on the pier, beckoning him closer, a siren on the rocks. It all looked safe but something inside was holding Sam back.

“I’m not sure,” he told her. “If he’s here, shouldn’t I be able to see him by now?”

“He’s here,” she smiled. “He’s just down there,” she pointed to the end of the pier. “He’s waiting for you. He can’t wait to see you.”

Sam took a tentative step closer. When did it get so cold? He hugged his jacket tight. It didn’t seem to do much. “Can’t he come here?” He asked.

“You always make him do all the work,” she scolded. “Can’t you ever do anything for him, except make him hurt?” Her cold voice twisted inside his chest like a knife and he climbed onto the pier.

“That’s it, Sam!” She cheered. “You’re so very close now.”

“Sam!” A voice shouted from behind. He turned sharply towards the sound.

“You shouldn’t listen to strangers,” she told him coldly. “Didn’t your mummy teach you anything? Now hurry up. You don’t want to keep him waiting.” She skipped down to the end of the pier. He took another step forward.

“Sam stop!” The stranger called again and Sam stopped and turned. The man looked so strange, familiar and unfamiliar all at once, but worried all the same.

*

“Sam!” Gene ran to the edge of the cordoned off ruins that used to be The Wave Club pier. The part closest to the shore was still intact, but ready to crack and fall at any moment. Sam glanced at him quickly, then kept walking forward. He was only a few feet from the sharp edge. A few feet from tumbling onto the debris below.

“Sam stop!” He shouted again, praying this time that he would stop. With the pier being completely unsound, Gene was afraid that the combined weight of both men would send it tumbling into the sea.

Sam did stop and turn, but stared at his Guv in confusion. “Do I know you?” he shouted over the sound of the waves.

Gene could see him trembling in his rain-soaked hospital gown. “Sam, it’s Gene. Gene Hunt. Your DCI.” He felt ridiculous having to say it but Sam’s inability to acknowledge him hurt worse.

“No,” Sam laughed nervously. “Gene’s down there,” he pointed the broken end of the pier. “He’s waiting for me.”

“No, Tyler,” he shouted sternly. “I’m here. Right here.”

“He’s there!” Sam argued. “And if you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to him.” He took another step forward and Gene’s heart dropped as he watched the pier shake with the movement. Sam was serious. This wasn’t some game he was playing. He wasn’t faking.

“What about?” Gene called after him.

“Sorry?” Sam partially turned.

“What do you have to tell him?” Gene hoped he could stall him with more conversation. Tyler was always good at conversation.

“Don’t see that it’s any business of yours, Mr...” Sam trailed off, but didn’t move.

“Turner!” Gene thought quickly. “DS Turner. I spoke to yeh in hospital. I, er, I need to know why you were here, for me report.”

“Report?” Sam tilted his head to the side.

“Yeah. Me report on the accident. The pier. I need summit to show me guv an’ you’re...you’re the only one what remembers anything.”

Sam looked from the end of the pier to the supposed DS. “But Gene...”

“He’d told me he’d wait for you. We get this outta the way, I’ll be outta your hair. Now, tell me, son. What were yeh doin’ in Blackpool?”

Sam hesitated and Gene feared that he’d lost his attention but, slowly, he began to speak. “I...I came to see someone.”

“Who?” Gene inched as close to the cordon as he dared.

“An officer...A detective...from Hyde,” he looked away, and Gene could see he was well and truly ashamed.

“What were you doin’ with a bloke from Hyde?”

“I used...they said I worked there. I...there’d been a bit of bother, as to how I left.” Sam mimed stuffing his hands in jacket pockets he didn’t have and scuffed his feet. Gene noticed they were torn and bloody from his barefooted travels. “I like where I am now, but...I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” Gene kept one eye on the swaying pier and another on the increasingly agitated Inspector.

“That they’d still come after me. After Ge...after my guv. DI Bowman, he was new to the department. Said he’d be willing to talk to me about what was going on. Long as we did it away from Hyde and Manchester.”

Gene tried not to feel guilty over assuming the worst about his DI. There were too many other thoughts to worry about at the moment. “Why didn’t you just tell him?”

Sam lowered his head. “He doesn’t trust me anymore. Not since...if I told him who I was meeting, I thought he wouldn’t believe me.”

“You think he don’t trust you?” Gene swallowed hard.

“How could he?” Sam shouted. “After what I...He said he forgave me, but how could he? I couldn’t. I can’t!” He shouted and threw up his hands, causing the pier to shake ominously.

“Easy, Sam,” Gene warned.

“How can he we even bear to look at me! To work with me? To be with me?” He was crying now and starting to pace, unaware of the danger around him.

“Sam, stay still.”

“I’m disgusting! A liar, a traitor. I don’t deserve him. I don’t deserve any of them. I let them down. I let everyone down, everywhere.” The pier was groaning louder now and Gene knew it would collapse underneath Sam’s feet at any moment.

“You’re not disgusting, Sam. You made a mistake but you owned up to it. You apologized for it an’ it’s in the past now. It’s over.”

Sam shook his head. “That’s what you might think. But not Gene.”

“How’d you know? Did you ask him?”

Sam looked at the end of the pier.

“Tyler! He’s not there,” he shouted before Sam walked to the edge. “He...he left. Said it were too cold out here. Went down to the pub.”

“He went to the pub?”

“Yeah. Told me I should pick you up. Take you down there. Said if you two were goin’ to have a girly chat, he’d need a drink.”

“That...that sounds like Gene.”

“Come on, then. Best not keep ‘im waiting.”

Slowly, Sam limped back to the shore, Gene holding his breath every step of the way. As soon as he was under the cordon, Gene grabbed him and pulled him close. “You stupid bastard. Comin’ out here in the rain with your arse an’ todger hangin’ out. They commit people for that, you know, Sammy-boy,” he sighed and held him tightly.

“Gene?” Sam pushed back and looked up.

“Sam?” He asked cautiously, unsure if Tyler recognized him or not.

“Gene. You’re here,” he smiled. “I’ve been trying to reach you. There’s been an accident. I--”

“I know, Tyler, and you can tell me about it in a bit.” Gene bundled him into the Cortina and drove them both back to the hospital. By the time they were there, Sam had forgotten he’d ever left.
_________

Part 4