I wrote today, for the first time in weeks. Not much, but something I was looking forward to.
Here you go. (Anna’s last name is Jäger now.)
***
“Excuse me?” A tall, lean man rose from the chairs in the waiting area, as we were about to leave the lobby.
He had tan skin, a sharp nose and a perfectly trimmed black beard, in an odd contrast to his crumpled clothes and the dark shadows underneath his eyes. It seemed he hadn’t had enough sleep recently. I felt a foreign sense of compassion flash through me. Fatigue. I knew that feeling all too well, now.
“Captain Hayati?”, he asked, when we slowed down. “Detective Jäger?”
Shirin sized him up with raised eyebrows. Washed out jeans, black tee with bleached Star Wars logo under a sports jacket. A small travel bag rested on the ground next to him. “Indeed. And who are you?”
He put his hand to his heart and bowed his head. “You asked for my counsel on a case, Madam. Khaled Al-Tahir, of the British Museum.”
“The assyriologist”, I prompted Shirin, who still stood baffled by his appearance. Professor Tahir. I had expected a distinguished old man with an odd posture and a tweed jacket. Not a 30-year old nerd.
“Professor. I… hadn’t expected you to show up in person”, Shirin said eventually. It was clear to everyone that this was not what she meant.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of black-rimmed glasses. “I deemed your request urgent”, he replied, as he put them on. He did look slightly more academic now, at least, yet still very out of of place. “I took the first train out of London.”
“Train?” Shirin eyed his luggage. “Wouldn’t there be more convenient ways to travel?”
“Train rides are very convenient, I think. Us Humans are not meant to fly.” His smile was charming, as he gestured back to the elevators we had come from. “Well then. Is it possible I see the victim?”
There had been the tiniest pause before the last word. Victim. Sacrifice.
Shirin frowned, that distinct pursing of her lips that preceded a rejection.
I was faster than her. “Of course”, I said. “Your expertise is highly appreciated.”
Tahir seemed almost as surprised at my reaction as Shirin, but he caught himself quickly. “Thank you, detective. Lead the way.”
@pertinax–loculos thank you for your ask!! This is one answer, to the question how Khaled and Anna meet… and probably something that’ll stay mostly as is, even in the rework! More answers will be coming shortly ;)
Okay but Jackson!! Jackson! I missed him so much. And I missed him and Meredith so much. Just seeing them in that one brief scene together makes me mourn that he ever left.
Especially with how the sister-dynamics took over the role of Cristina. Meredith and her half-sister and her sister-in-law. I always wanted Jackson to be a part of that, as Richard’s son. Because in this dysfunctional found family, Richard is Meredith’s dad and Meredith and Jackson always had a kind of easy banter that lends itself for brother-sister dynamic.
Please bring him back for next season. Especially with the way April took over the pit and with how Owen seems to be written out, that smells to me like they both are going to return to the show. I need Jackson back so badly, please.
I didn’t have any classes with you today. I didn’t see you, not for a second, during school hours. It wasn’t ideal, but I know you and I both had things to do.
After a long day of testing and missing your class, the bell rang for dismissal. I headed to the band hall. Passing through small crowds of people, I wondered about what time my ride would arrive. That was when I turned the corner.
Across the hall, sitting on some bright stairs in an empty hallway through the corridor, was none other than you. You looked absolutely beautiful, as always. Your outfit was on point, and you presented it stunningly, even at the end of the day. Almost makes me disappointed that I wouldn’t have gotten to see it had I not caught you right then.
You sat on the steps idly as you’ve done many times before, looking down at your phone, doing whatever you willed. It was the bare minimum of everything you could be doing, and yet my heart still lurched to say a simple hello, talk to you, maybe even give you a hug. Anything at all, as long as I got to interact with you, at the very least, briefly.
Not very long after I spotted you, without a warning, your head shot straight up from your phone. I don’t have a clue why, but the action led your eyes to fall right on me. Standing across the hall, band binder in one arm, gazing right back. My eyes widened a little bit. My heart began to race. You did nothing but stare since you first saw me. Your phone was now resting loosely in your relaxed arms, which now laid on your lap.
There was no expression on your face. Neither was there on mine. We just looked at each other for the first time in what felt like a long while. I hesitated slightly, lingering just beside the corner to get one final look at you, before getting timid and taking the turn. Your head never moved once since it came up. The interaction never left my mind since.
Maybe it’s my brain playing tricks on me, but I can’t help but ask myself whether you were just as invested in seeing me as I was seeing you. It was only a day, of course, but it felt like ages to me. It’s funny what love does to people.
