Numb3rs: Oh, But Be Prepared To Bleed - Loss of Consciousness
Numb3rs drabble.
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs.
Books and papers laid scattered all over the coffee table along with thick markers, multi-colored sticky notes and about half a dozen laptops that Don was intent on snapping shut. Charlie had almost died today, a thought that wasn't settling well inside of him.
"Charlie, you're done with this. End of discussion." He managed to pull one laptop away and close another, only to have Charlie reopen it right behind him.
"Stop trying to tell me what to do. You can't force me to stop, I can't just stop! It's in my head, I need to get it out!" Charlie practically begged, his voice still cracking hours after a suspect had him in a choke-hold long enough to stop his breathing for a few seconds.
"You lost consciousness!" Don cried.
"Yes," Charlie rasped, grabbing the laptop out of Don's hands, "and now that I've regained it, I need to take a look at these algorithms-"
Don had heard enough. "Charlie!" he yelled close to his brother's face. Charlie's whole body shook at the force of it and he snapped his head up. They stared at each other for a minute.
Charlie spoke up first. "I have to," he whispered. His eyes were pleading, a look Don had given in to so many times before.
So many times that hadn't almost ended in his brother's death.
He rubbed his thumb and forefinger along his eyes and sat down on the couch with a defeated sigh. "I can't let something like this happen to you again, Charlie, you have to understand that." Don looked up with the same plea in his own eyes. "I can't live with that."
Charlie walked slowly over to the edge of the couch and sat down next to Don. His eyes were searching something unknown, rapidly moving back and forth, as Don waited to hear his brother's thoughts.
Charlie opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking up. "I know," was all he said.
Don shook his head. "You almost died, you know? What would happen to Dad?" He could see Charlie thinking, and he swallowed hard. "Or me? I can't let you risk your life like that."
Charlie huffed and half-grinned. "That's exactly how I feel about you every day."
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs.
Books and papers laid scattered all over the coffee table along with thick markers, multi-colored sticky notes and about half a dozen laptops that Don was intent on snapping shut. Charlie had almost died today, a thought that wasn't settling well inside of him.
"Charlie, you're done with this. End of discussion." He managed to pull one laptop away and close another, only to have Charlie reopen it right behind him.
"Stop trying to tell me what to do. You can't force me to stop, I can't just stop! It's in my head, I need to get it out!" Charlie practically begged, his voice still cracking hours after a suspect had him in a choke-hold long enough to stop his breathing for a few seconds.
"You lost consciousness!" Don cried.
"Yes," Charlie rasped, grabbing the laptop out of Don's hands, "and now that I've regained it, I need to take a look at these algorithms-"
Don had heard enough. "Charlie!" he yelled close to his brother's face. Charlie's whole body shook at the force of it and he snapped his head up. They stared at each other for a minute.
Charlie spoke up first. "I have to," he whispered. His eyes were pleading, a look Don had given in to so many times before.
So many times that hadn't almost ended in his brother's death.
He rubbed his thumb and forefinger along his eyes and sat down on the couch with a defeated sigh. "I can't let something like this happen to you again, Charlie, you have to understand that." Don looked up with the same plea in his own eyes. "I can't live with that."
Charlie walked slowly over to the edge of the couch and sat down next to Don. His eyes were searching something unknown, rapidly moving back and forth, as Don waited to hear his brother's thoughts.
Charlie opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking up. "I know," was all he said.
Don shook his head. "You almost died, you know? What would happen to Dad?" He could see Charlie thinking, and he swallowed hard. "Or me? I can't let you risk your life like that."
Charlie huffed and half-grinned. "That's exactly how I feel about you every day."