(Untitled)

[wormholed]

There were a billion stars in the sky over the Gulf. His father had told him that - not to discourage his young son from counting them, but to remind him just how big the universe was, and how many dreams it took to fill it

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[thebonelady]

Temperance had spent longer today on the autopsy and cleaning up afterwards than she ever had. While she'd already begun to look for ways around being the island's coroner and medical examiner and in charge of funeral preparations (the body, anyway) to boot, she would never do it with anything but respect and professionalism.

Today, even though she'd never known Ginger, she'd been careful, almost caring in her work. Death was an introduction that always stuck, and Temperance had spent hours in autopsy, and then cleaning and dressing her in clean clothes.

After that, she'd scrubbed herself, trying to remember that she had a husband at home who might need her. She couldn't deny the anxiety of her walk home, knowing she'd had to take a role in this that many people didn't like. Found offensive and invasive.

"Hi," she said from the doorway, her hair mostly dry from the walk, but her skin rosy from being washed so hard. Temperance looked down at her feet.

[wormholed]

"Hey." The stars didn't disappear, the fantasy opening until Temperance stood among them, clean and composed, but obviously fatigued.

John held out his hand to her.

[thebonelady]

She took his hand, and curled up beside him, tentatively, her cheek resting lightly on his chest. "I did everything I could. The investigation is out of my hands at this point."

She had no idea how much he wanted to know.

[wormholed]

John stroked her damp hair, silent for a while. He probably ought to have showered himself, stinking of sweat and wet grass and probably a little of death, but after they'd taken Ginger's body he'd only been able to stumble home.

"Thank you," he murmured finally. "For what you did for her. She couldn't've had a better - " But he couldn't finish. Ginger couldn't have had anyone better than Temperance to examine her, but the fact that Ginger shouldn't have needed it at all was still too close to his heart to get the words out.