Murder of the 15th VI

Laboratory- Guy's Hospital

Janet felt her phone vibrate in her lab coat pocket, she took a peek and read the message.

Received:

Sender: Dr. Marco Evans

'Levi just left, where is Sam?', it read.

Janet subtly looked at the Director, she was examining a victim's brain under the light, oblivious to everything around her. They were the only two left for the night, the men had left to their homes to rest. Soon she too will have to leave the redhead by herself.

Almost 15 minutes later, Janet flinched at her seat when she heard the door swing open. She looked up from her microscope and saw Levi standing at the entrance, shrugging his coat and hanging it on the rack. His eyes were trained at the back of the Director's head.

Janet vacated her seat, grabbed the chart with the compiled test result in it. "Levi?" she whispered, catching his attention, his head snapped towards her and he looked at her. As if seeing her for the first time.

"Ahhh...I have Dr. Gray's results here if you need to look at it." she fumbled with her words, unsure what to say. She felt the atmosphere turned heavy at the blond's entrance, it was thick enough to choke her.

She handed the results to Levi, and the blond took it from her hand and started skimming through it. His hazel colored eyes bouncing a few times at the back of the Director's head was not left unnoticed by the mousy morgue technician in the room. And Janet quietly felt sad, she hoped that the two would make up soon. It felt unusual for her to see the two acting that way.

Levi scanned the file, he processed the information fast and took notes on important details.

There was no need for him to stay there in the lab if he was honest. He had what he came for, information.

But, she wasn't looking at him, and that bothered him. She didn't look at him, and he genuinely knew she wasn't even aware of his presence in the room.

How completely focused she was in her task both amazed and infuriated him to his core.

Sam was looking at the crime scene photos from the latest victim, Izaz Connor. She was trying to figure out if they missed anything in the crime scene.

Hours passed, and she still hadn't found anything relatively relevant that could crack the case. A tired sigh escaped her lips, she massaged the back of her neck, whilst closing her eyes for a few moments to reduce the burning sensation.

She felt exhausted, drained.

After Sam was done examining the crime scene photos, she started to collect it. "Janet, can you hand me the crime scene video, please?" she said,

Whilst placing the photos inside a brown paper evidence bag.

Sam heard the mousy technician search through the evidence box for the flash drive containing a copy of the crime scene video. Then she heard footsteps approaching her and a hand reached towards her with the flash drive in hand. She shifted to take it, only to realize that the hand in front of her wasn't Janet's.

The hand was bigger and far more masculine.

She could never forget those hands, she could identify that hand any day...not in a romantic way.

It was for a fact that everything Sam sees remains seen, and stored in her mind.

What she sees, she can never forget.

Something that hunts her in her sleep.

Sam looks up from her seat, and her eyes locked with Levi's.

One question in mind,

What is he doing here?

Levi stared back to her surprised green eyes, it held a question in them; which he was more than happy to answer.

"Janet went home 47 minutes ago, she informed you," he said matter of factly.

Sam frowned in confusion, she did somewhat recall someone telling her something that wasn't that important, and she just said something like 'yes'.

Her brain must've automatically stored it in the 'not related to case box' or to put it plainly 'the useless box'.

Levi took note that it wasn't just him, who had a habit of filtering people out.

Sam nodded in understanding, "Did you see the Results?" she asked, accepting the flash drive from his hand, Levi nodded.

"I still haven't found anything that could tell us who the killer is or who will be killed next. I'm on the same page as I was since this started." Sam admitted, waiting for him to share anything that might be useful in the case, rather, she wants him to just tell her something....anything.

The air in the Lab felt heavy, somewhat, or was it just Sam's imagination? He had been there for... only god knows how long, and she wasn't aware of it and she didn't mind then.

Now she did, yet she pretended to remain unruffled. Put on her work face and let him join her as she reviewed the crime scene video on her computer. The two kept quiet as they did, eyes remained glued on the screen. This went on till Sam's phone vibrated in her pocket. It was her alarm; telling her she needed to go home and get some sleep.

Sam subtly turned it off and continued to watch, whilst Levi vacated his seat and walked towards the door.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, putting his coat on. Sam turned to him, tilted her head in wonder.

"You have to get some rest, your alarm just went off. Let's go, I'll drive you." Levi said, walking out the Lab before she could answer.

Sam shut her computer and stored the flash drive back to the evidence box, then she ran after him after removing her lab coat and grabbing her red jacket and purse.

The lab door locked automatically and the lights dimmed after she walked out. She catches up to Levi in the Hallway, and they walked side by side like they usually did, not talking.

Levi led her to the parking lot where his car was parked, he opened the door for her like he usually did. Sam clenched her jaw at this, parts of her wanted to break. He was pretending nothing was wrong, and she went along with it.

The ride was silent, his eyes were glued on the streets, and hers was on the side of the road.

Levi mentally sighed, she wasn't at fault, he realized that.

He did not expect her to tell him everything about her, nor does it involve the cases she worked on before or in the future.

He did not expect her to divulge her life and be open with him completely, it was too much to ask and he wouldn't dare.

He did not expect her to share everything with him, they were 'colleagues', 'friends' even, and he couldn't expect that from anyone. He has his fair share of secrets, stories of his past he'd rather not speak of; his childhood, the violence, the killing, the people who died because he wasn't quick enough to save them.

And Sam was not at fault, she did every precaution involving the case. And she did not know him well enough when she discovered it.

Why did she keep it that long? He wondered,

Why did she ask for someone else's help instead of his?

It hurt him, he felt betrayed for reasons he doesn't understand. He just couldn't admit it, even to himself.

It's just a case, he reminded himself. It's just a case.

It wasn't that Sam felt the need to apologize, she didn't see the fault in her actions. It was a case she had before she really knew him. She had a number of those in her busy life.

Serials in every form, from different corners of the World, even Time. He had his own cases before too, and she never asked him to share them. She never asked him about anything he didn't want to share himself.

She never pushed.

Never asked for anything that would make him uncomfortable

She didn't expect anything from him.

Nothing.

Yet, she felt the need to make him feel at ease.

She felt the need to fix whatever caused the ripple in their friendship. It was a need that even she did not understand.

She could care less about most people, she'd rather be by herself than with complications; like her relatives, the family business, her grandmother, even her own brother. She liked everything simple, she'd rather be alone in her lab, with her peace than be troubled with trivial relationships.

But if that was the case, she'd have to leave him on his own.

He wasn't really alone, was he? He had the boys, Mrs. Whitehall, Anna, Davies, and Marco.

But that's not the alone she was imagining, it was him alone in his kitchen lab, alone during Saturday evenings when Marco and the Boys had gone home. And him alone in his flat building card towers or whatnot.

She couldn't take the thought of it, Levi, alone.

The car stopped in front of her flat. Levi opened the door and stepped out, walking her to her door as per usual.

It hurt her. Were they supposed to pretend nothing happened? Was that how their relationship would always be like?

Rationality?

Calculations?

Logic?

He stopped by her door, leaning a bit, expecting his routine kiss on the cheek. Sam almost lost it, almost broke. She did hurt him, didn't she? Unaware, not in purpose, truly…

Levi expected a kiss on his cheek, he did offer it. But it wasn't a kiss she gave, instead she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. He tensed, surprised with her gesture. Her grip was strong as if she was afraid he'll pull away, that he'll reject her.

"I'm sorry." she started, face buried against his long neck, and he listened.

"I'm sorry, Levi. Please know I never intended to hurt you in any way." She whispered to him, voice cracking, she was holding her tears.

Levi relaxed in her arms, he knew she meant every word, and letting his own arms wrapped around her waist in a gentle embrace was his reply.

Sam felt relieved, she slowly released him nodding in understanding. They were okay.

He stared back at her glassy eyes, nodding back, and giving her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said turning to leave, not waiting for her reply.

Of course, she'll see him tomorrow. Tomorrow is the 15th.

And there's going to be another body.