| Weighted Decisions Episode 4 |
| ** "I'll go check on Nick," says Rachel as she looks at a half-asleep Nash. He turns over to find Rachel sitting on the end of his bed with her hand on his leg. "When did you get here?" he pushes his pillow back, looks up and smiles. He isn't really sure if she just came in or never left from the night before. Nash looks out the window, "what time is it anyways?" "It's 7:15," she pauses,"I figured I would stop by before work." Rachel hands him a cup of coffee she picked up on her way over after he sits up. "Looks like you need this more then I do." "Thanks." He drinks a few sips and then sets it down on his nightstand. "Rachel, I just want to..." Rachel cuts him off. "Nash, don't worry about it." She smiles brilliantly and gets up off the bed. Nash waits a few ore seconds to get up himself. He walks up to the short set of stairs leading to Nick's room. Peering through a half-open door, he watches Rachel checking Nick's stats and smiles --- knowing Nick is enjoying every moment of the special attention. ** "Hey, Joe --- is Nash here yet?" Harvey calls from upstairs as Joe passes through the SIU doors. "Not yet. He went to go check out a lead on the Van Guard case, I think." Harvey comes down the stairs and walks with Joe. "Why, what's up?" "I wanted to run some info I got on the brother's business by Nash and Rachel" he pauses, "but she's not here either." "She went to check on Nick again, for Nash. She should be back soon." "Okay, I'll hook up with her then." Harvey is a bit disappointed, Antwon's gossip seemed to have some merit after all. Harvey walks back to his own desk, to find Antwon there sitting on the corner of it. "So? What did she say?" "She's not here, she's with Nash." Harvey doesn't know that for sure, but he assumes. Antwon smirks with a very *I told you so* type of grin. "I'll check them with her later." "Oh." Harvey looks a little disappointed, he takes the folder and goes to sit down. Antwon sits there a moment, waiting for Harvey to say something more. ** Nash and Joe are in front of the town hall to check Van Guard's business records. Nash is calling someone on his cell, frustrated he hasn't gotten an answer yet. Joe is waiting to confer his findings with Nash, who is a little preoccupied with the call. "Nash..." Joe waits. "Damn it! Where is she?" "Calling Cassidy? She was at the SIU when I left..." "No, I'm calling Rachel and she's not answering her phone." Nash angrily presses the power button on the phone and shoves it into his pocket. "That woman..." "Hey, settle down. I am sure she has a logical reason for not answering. Anyways, back to Van Guard..." They walk back over to the 'Cuda, Joe gets in but Nash hesitates a moment. "We're taking a detour, Bubba." Nash gets in, starts the car and pulls out. "Nash, what are we going to do about Van Guard? We can't prove *illegal* activities if we can't get those papers from Smith, " Joe waits. "should I take this case with Harvey and Antwon?" "What?" Nash thinks a moment, "take Rachel." "Rachel?" asks Joe, surprised since Nash hasn't had her working on too many cases at the SIU since Nick became ill and Nash had her checking on him. "Yes, Rachel. Give her the information and let her lead this one." "Are you serious?" Not that Joe doubted Rachel or her abilities to lead a case, but Nash giving her something like this was huge. "Yes!" Nash pulls over and parks by his building. He gets out and leans into the car "I'll be out in five." Nash walks into the building. Joe sits there, wondering about Nash and Rachel. ** Nash walks in to find Nick comfortably lounging on the couch. Nick hears him and turns around. "Son, what are you doing home so early?" Nash looks around for Rachel. "Is Rachel here?" "Nah, I sent her back to work. You know, she's a real good woman, Nash. I like her..." Nash interrupts him. "Do you know if she went anywhere else? I've been calling her but she hasn't answered." Just then, a phone rings. It isn't Nash's home phone or the cell. "She left this here though, noisy old thing." Nick hands Nash Rachel's cell phone. Nash puts the phone in his other pocket and says "I've got to get going, I'll call you later." "I'll be fine, son. Don't worry about me." Nash smiles and walks back out the door. ** Later on, Harvey is reading over Rachel's shoulder as she is searching the internet for information about U.S. sweatshops. They haven't found anything useful yet and it is getting to be past hours. "Think we should call it quits for the night. McCabe?" "Let me try one more search." Rachel types something in an advances to the next screen, waiting. "Here we go..." She points the name out to him, Van Guard's brother owns a similar operation just on the border of Arizona and Mexico. "Damn woman, you got the touch." He finds his hands on both her shoulders, a little surprised that when she gets up --- she doesn't shrug them off. "I'll print this out and we're done. I don't know about you, but I am starving. Want to go get something to eat?" "I really should, oh, what the hell. What do you have in mind?'' Harvey was planning on a quite evening at home with King, but this offer seemed much better. He wondered about Nash, but he certainly wasn't about to bring that up again. "The Bistro, on 43rd Avenue." "Let's go." She grabs the papers out of the printer and gets her keys from her desk. Harvey grabs his jacket and walks out behind her. ** Late the next morning, Nash is looking through some papers in his "office" upstairs. Harvey comes upstairs to discuss the Van Guard case with him, trying to avoid the topic of Rachel. "Nash, here's the info McCabe and I got last night." "Thanks. I'll check this out." Nash sits back more relaxed in his chair, and waits for Harvey to say something else. Instead, wanting to avoid asking or saying something he might later regret, Harvey walks back downstairs. ** Later on, Antwon and Joe are outside, on the pier walking back towards the SIU. "Antwon, what's been with Harvey recently?" "Huh?" They stop as the approach the building and walkover closer to the railing. "He's not himself these days. Did he ever go out on that date, with, umm... Margie?" Antwon laughs, "he did, but that's not it." Antwon pauses a moment, before asking "what's going on with Nash and Rachel? Are they, you know, together?" "Beats the hell out of me." Joe smiles, "with those two, you never know. One minute they are at eachothers' throats and the next they are out for beers." He laughs "not even a good detective can follow his love life." Antwon smiles back at him and they both walk inside the SIU. ** Later that evening, Nash and Rachel are alone at the SIU aside from two officers who remain there every night. Nash is sitting at his desk, looking over the papers that Harvey had brought him earlier. His phone rings, he hesitates to answer. "Hello, this is Bridges... I see... can't you run more tests?... what if you are wrong? I'll have to think about that... I can't just sign papers and be done with it...I'll get back to you soon." Nash doesn't notice as Rachel comes up the stairs and sits down in the chair infront of his desk. His head is in his hand, as he tries to deal with the news. She remains silent. "I can't just make this decision overnight --- its a weighted decision. Thanks for calling, I'll be in touch." He hangs up the phone and he raises his head, he sees Rachel. "I just came up to see if you wanted me to get you something to eat before I left." She doesn't want to come out and ask him about the phonecall, so she waits for him to brig it up. "No, thanks. I'm not that hungry," he stops a moment, "you were right." He leans back into his chair. "About what?" "About Nick. The tests they ran at the hospital show that the Alzheimer's is progressing rapidly, so... so... they suggested I look into long term care for him pretty quick." "Nash, I'm so sorry." "It's not your fault, I should have listened to you from the beginning and started considering my options." "What are you going to do?" Rachel asks, as she gets up from her chair and leans on the desk. "I'm going to make some calls tomarrow morning, talk to Cassidy and my sister. But for now, I just want to get home. Let's go..." Nash gets up from his chair and pushes it in, he puts his arm around Rachel's waist and then they walk downstairs hand in hand. ** |
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