Reward 1/2
well, on a Miami Vice tangent. There will be more to the other series I'm writing, but this little post-ep thing had to be written before the plot bunnies would let me sleep.
Post-Milk Run. If you need an episode synopsis go here.
Reward
Rico was still sitting next to his partner when he heard Castillo's low voice question one of the uniforms. He turned and the lieutenant caught his eye.
"I'll be right back," he said to the silent man beside him. Sonny didn't even look up.
Lt. Castillo waited by the door. He was studying Sonny's bowed back with that piercing look that meant he knew the score without being told. Rico bit down on a sudden surge of anger and waited for Castillo to acknowledge him.
"Make sure he gets home," Castillo said, eyes never leaving Sonny. "Don't leave him alone until your sure he's okay."
"Lieutenant-"
Castillo glanced at Rico sidelong. "There's a restroom across the hall. Get him cleaned up before you take him outside. Switek has a car waiting in the back."
Rico sighed. The man never gave an inch. "There press out front?"
Castillo nodded. "File your reports tomorrow. I don't want to see either of you before noon." He looked like he wanted to say more. Rico waited but nothing came until he started to go back to his partner.
"Rico," Castillo rubbed his eyes. "Call me if he gives you any trouble."
Now what the hell did that mean? Rico shook his head and picked his way through the broken glass to where Sonny sat. Rico crouched down, taking it slow, nervous without quite knowing why. What had rattled Sonny about this one? Things had gone bad before, and he hadn't blinked. Now, it was like he was drifting away inside himself. The anguish had left Sonny's face, leaving him washed out and blank in the flourescent light.
"Sonny."
His partner just sat, staring into nothing. "Sonny, man. Let's get out of here."
When he still got no reaction, Rico nudged his shoulder. Sonny flinched, hard, and sucked in a breath. His head came up, eyes wide and startled.
"Let's go, partner." Rico repeated gently.
Sonny blinked, then looked down at his bloody hands.
"The choppers here?"
"No, Sonny. It's time to go home." Rico's throat clenched. Choppers? What the hell was he talking about?
"Yeah. Okay."
Rico helped him stand. Castillo was watching them, watching Sonny, real close. Call me if he gives you any trouble. Yeah. Right.
In the men's room Rico had to lead him to the sink like he was a kid. Once there, Sonny seemed to get the idea. He washed up his hands, stripped off the stained jacket and dropped it to the floor. Braced both hands on the basin, head down, his face hidden.
"The kid get on the plane?"
Rico leaned against the wall next to the sink. Tried to remember which kid they were talking about. Right. The one who hadn't got blown away.
"Yeah. Back to Alphaville."
"Safe and sound," Sonny muttered. "Castillo got you on guard duty?"
Rico ignored the question and Sonny let it drop.
"Comeon. I'm beat." Rico pushed off from the wall. "Stan's got a car out back."
"Lucky me," Sonny straightened. When he turned his face was hard, his voice dripping with contempt. "Full service escort."
Rico kept his face impassive. He knew the signs. Sonny was trying to pick a fight. Another time, he might have obliged. But tonight there was a smear of dried blood on Sonny's neck and his hands were shaking ever so slightly. And he was so far gone he hadn't even noticed. He still had a grip on normal, but if he held on any tighter he'd strangle it dead.
Rico just nodded and left the room, knowing Sonny would follow.
might be more, but I'm going to bed now...
ETA: part two
Post-Milk Run. If you need an episode synopsis go here.
Reward
Rico was still sitting next to his partner when he heard Castillo's low voice question one of the uniforms. He turned and the lieutenant caught his eye.
"I'll be right back," he said to the silent man beside him. Sonny didn't even look up.
Lt. Castillo waited by the door. He was studying Sonny's bowed back with that piercing look that meant he knew the score without being told. Rico bit down on a sudden surge of anger and waited for Castillo to acknowledge him.
"Make sure he gets home," Castillo said, eyes never leaving Sonny. "Don't leave him alone until your sure he's okay."
"Lieutenant-"
Castillo glanced at Rico sidelong. "There's a restroom across the hall. Get him cleaned up before you take him outside. Switek has a car waiting in the back."
Rico sighed. The man never gave an inch. "There press out front?"
Castillo nodded. "File your reports tomorrow. I don't want to see either of you before noon." He looked like he wanted to say more. Rico waited but nothing came until he started to go back to his partner.
"Rico," Castillo rubbed his eyes. "Call me if he gives you any trouble."
Now what the hell did that mean? Rico shook his head and picked his way through the broken glass to where Sonny sat. Rico crouched down, taking it slow, nervous without quite knowing why. What had rattled Sonny about this one? Things had gone bad before, and he hadn't blinked. Now, it was like he was drifting away inside himself. The anguish had left Sonny's face, leaving him washed out and blank in the flourescent light.
"Sonny."
His partner just sat, staring into nothing. "Sonny, man. Let's get out of here."
When he still got no reaction, Rico nudged his shoulder. Sonny flinched, hard, and sucked in a breath. His head came up, eyes wide and startled.
"Let's go, partner." Rico repeated gently.
Sonny blinked, then looked down at his bloody hands.
"The choppers here?"
"No, Sonny. It's time to go home." Rico's throat clenched. Choppers? What the hell was he talking about?
"Yeah. Okay."
Rico helped him stand. Castillo was watching them, watching Sonny, real close. Call me if he gives you any trouble. Yeah. Right.
In the men's room Rico had to lead him to the sink like he was a kid. Once there, Sonny seemed to get the idea. He washed up his hands, stripped off the stained jacket and dropped it to the floor. Braced both hands on the basin, head down, his face hidden.
"The kid get on the plane?"
Rico leaned against the wall next to the sink. Tried to remember which kid they were talking about. Right. The one who hadn't got blown away.
"Yeah. Back to Alphaville."
"Safe and sound," Sonny muttered. "Castillo got you on guard duty?"
Rico ignored the question and Sonny let it drop.
"Comeon. I'm beat." Rico pushed off from the wall. "Stan's got a car out back."
"Lucky me," Sonny straightened. When he turned his face was hard, his voice dripping with contempt. "Full service escort."
Rico kept his face impassive. He knew the signs. Sonny was trying to pick a fight. Another time, he might have obliged. But tonight there was a smear of dried blood on Sonny's neck and his hands were shaking ever so slightly. And he was so far gone he hadn't even noticed. He still had a grip on normal, but if he held on any tighter he'd strangle it dead.
Rico just nodded and left the room, knowing Sonny would follow.
might be more, but I'm going to bed now...
ETA: part two