Открыть фик целиком в отдельном окне
“Doyle was a good man and it was clear he and my son were close friends, I was unaware he was having problems. Was Peter in any way responsible for his death?”
“No sir, he wasn’t. There was nothing he could have done to save him, however, it doesn’t make it any easier that others believed he could.”
“Are you suggesting that I come for a visit?” Dr. Axon carefully weighed the odds of the discussion and waited.
“No sir, not at the moment, I have some issues that I need to clear first. Perhaps you could call him, and sir, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention my name.”
There was a rich chuckle from the other end. “I see, well I won’t but I do appreciate your concern for my son, Mr. Praeger. Is there a number you can be contacted at?”
Matt rang off after giving his cell phone number to Ray and drew a deep breath. He wasn’t certain if the old man knew that his son was gay and didn’t think that Peter could handle that particular issue right now. He’d been rejected often enough and loud enough lately that to be cut down by his father could well be the end of him. It was a dangerous game, one he was prepared to play in order to bring Elsinger down and exonerate his friend.
The next call would be easy compared to his recent meddling. He opened the ever-present laptop on his desk and keyed in a secure line. The teleconferencing interfaced opened and he spoke into the comlink.
The phone answered and he spoke directly. “Praeger, Matthew. OSIR Zebra Charlie six three four five.”
“Verifying sir, please hold.” There was a brief pause before the computer-generated voice spoke; Matt drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “How can I connect your call?”
“Kelly, Michael, Baltimore.”
Mike Kelly’s smiling face answered with the usual prompted message. Matt rang off and closed the connection.
~~~****~~~
OSIR Central Lab: Lindsey Donner had had many occasions in her life to regret her actions, most of them, she mused had come about in the last two years. Her pretty features softened as she remembered the cherished gift that Peter had presented her with for her birthday and hoped he would give her another chance.
She’d loved Connor, that much was true, but somewhere she knew he loved another. Lindsey knew that Connor’s lover was everything to him and recalled a conversation over coffee a week before the ill- fated assignment to Russia.
“I never see you with a pretty lady.” Lindsey joked over her coffee as Connor nearly choked on his.
“And I never see you date either.” Conner smirked, it was a lovely expression, rarely seen but full of mischief and delight as she reddened under his intense stare.
“I date, mostly strange men who have difficulty in believing in female equality.”
“Maybe you’re just too strong for them Linds.” Connor put his coffee down and laughed, his voice was always soft, even when he was yelling his head off. Nothing was ever personal; nothing ever was taken to heart. It was as if he could forgive others of anything, but there was a chink in that armour. He would never allow another person to die under his command; it was something he took very seriously.
“Maybe you’ve got a secret lover.” She drew back and his eyes for a moment softened, an almost dream like quality came over his face and he smiled.
“Maybe I do.”
“Damn, and I thought I’d stand a chance.” Lindsey joked before heading out to a briefing. With a deep intake of breath she knocked on the door; it spoke of how far they had come in the last few months. There was a time when she would never have had to knock, knowing full well she’d be welcome. Now she was as uncertain as she had ever been.
“Come.” Peter’s voice sounded hollow from inside the room and Lindsey opened the door and peered inside.
His head was bent down over the desk, broad shoulders hugged by thin cotton as he looked up. For the first time ever she considered him an attractive man, strong and intelligent with a gentleness that would melt any heart.
“Hello Lindsey.” There was no ire in his voice, no derision, only that aching hollow pain that she had helped leave open to wound him as often as she could.
“Peter?” she stepped fully inside and closed the door before she sat opposite him.
“Something up?” he closed the file he was working on and leaned back.
“I came to apologize.” She began and seeing his eyes narrow she held up her hand. “Please let me finish I don’t think I could start again.”
He nodded.
“I was wrong, horribly wrong and wanted someone to blame. I came to realize that it was Elsinger’s doing all along but when you came out without him Peter I broke. I saw the pain in your face, your inability to say the words and how we clung to each other all the way to the hospital with Coop dying at our feet and I couldn’t forgive you for leaving him behind. I can’t forgive myself for leaving him behind.” Tears streamed freely down her face as she spoke quietly.
“It’s okay Linds. How could you have known?” Peter kept all emotion from his voice, freezing her out as she had done to him.
“I did know. I just didn’t want to see.” Resolutely she wiped at her eyes and looked up.
“What?” Peter’s voice became cold and distant and she was intimidated.
“Not that it was you, but I knew Connor had someone he loved very much, we used to tease each other over it.”
“And flirt.” Peter still remained impassive in his chair.
“Yes. But it was harmless, you knew that.”
“Yes I did, but you loved him Lindsey, he gave you what you needed and you lost that, I understand your hurt and your pain.” His hand clutched at his chest. “I had thought we were friends, that you would understand too what Connor asked us both to do. I was wrong.” The first fire of pain in his face, the first anger was the last; he became impassive and resigned as he sat back.
“No, you weren’t, I want us to be okay, for things to be good between us again. Peter please, forgive me.” She pleaded gently.
“They say time heals all wounds Lindsey, but I don’t know if that’s true in this case. What I do know is that I’ll be damned if I suffer another day because of your perceptions or anyone else’s. Elsigner may be playing games to keep me here, but even he will run out of options sooner or later, and I will not look back. I suggest,” His voice dead level and colder than she could have imagined as he bent his head back to his work. “That when you leave you don’t either.”
Страница 11 - 11 из 23
Начало | Пред. | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 | След. | Конец
