smallhobbit | New Year's Eve (Reply)

Title: New Year's Eve
Rating: White cortina
Word Count: 1,075 words.
Notes: Beta-ed by

jinxed100 for which my usual thanks

Sam Tyler woke up on New Year’s Eve and thought about going into work. He still felt slightly light-headed but knowing how much needed doing he knew he ought to be getting up. He then remembered the Guv’s instruction from the previous day, “Go ‘ome Tyler until I come and get you. You’re less use than a dying swan.” Gene had persuaded Phyllis to take Sam home. That would have been okay, but Phyllis had insisted that she see him into his flat and make him a hot drink. Even that would have been alright if she hadn’t also insisted that he couldn’t have his drink until he was actually in bed wearing his pyjamas. The sheer embarrassment of having to walk from the bathroom to his bed in his pyjamas whilst Phyllis watched was sufficient to ensure that he was not going to risk a repetition because he had disobeyed the Guv’s instruction.

So, Sam considered getting up and doing some chores in the flat instead, but at least he was warm in bed. He lay back and promptly fell fast asleep.

Later, when he woke again he felt a lot better. He lay in bed and remembered previous New Years. He thought about when he was little and they used to go to Auntie Heather’s. His mother would put him to bed in Auntie Heather’s bed and then go and join the other grown ups who were partying downstairs. At midnight she would always come up and give him a kiss and promise him that the New Year would bring everything that they hoped for. He never understood why she would have tears in her eyes.

He remembered the New Year’s Eve after he’d become a DI. At the time he’d been going out with a nurse. She’d had to work over Christmas but had the New Year off. He’d arranged to pick her up at 9 o’clock as they were going to a party. She’d texted him at 9.30 asking him how long he’d be. He’d been so engrossed in the case file he was reading that he hadn’t even noticed. She’d texted him again at 10.30 and this time he’d read it and had really meant to reply. Her final text at 11.30 told him not to bother as she’d made her own way to the party.

Mind you, New Year’s Eve 2005 with Maya hadn’t been much better. Of course she had understood his desire to get as much as possible cleared up so that they could have a good start to the New Year. He had bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate the beginning of 2006. They’d sat on the settee together, waiting for Big Ben to sound the arrival of the New Year and he’d promptly fallen asleep. Maya woke him up and the tears in her eyes reminded him of those of his mother: although there was a promise of good times for this New Year, there was the very real worry that they would not be fulfilled.

At that point Sam felt so despondent that he curled up in a ball, pressed his face into his pillow and started to cry. Suddenly there was a loud banging on his door. He tried to ignore it, but on hearing “Oy, Tyler, you dead yet?” decided that for the sake of his door hinges he would have to answer it.

Gene entered and looked at Sam. “Well, at least you’ve more colour to you. Your eyes are a bit blotchy – I assume that’s your cold,” he raised an eyebrow. “And Phyllis was right, you do have appalling taste in pyjamas.” Sam blushed. “Right, if you want to join us in seeing in 1974 you’d better get dressed.”

#####

Annie Cartwright sighed when she looked at the pile of witness statements she still had to read through. It was New Year’s Eve and already Ray and Chris were packing up. The Guv was in his office, no doubt reading the paper. She wished Sam was in, she really wanted to discuss the case with someone who would listen to her opinions. But then he’d looked really rough yesterday and she’d been glad the Guv had asked Phyllis to take him home. Annie smiled as she recalled what Phyllis had told her on her return to the station, “The Boss must ‘ave been totally knackered. He’d fallen asleep before he’d finished the drink I’d made him. If he’d had a teddy bear, he’d have looked just like a small boy.”

Well, if Sam couldn’t be there to help her, she’d do as much as she could in his absence. She drew three columns on her paper and started to collate all the information they’d got. Part way through she realised that a pattern was starting to emerge. Gene came out of his office, glanced her way and muttered something about going out for a bit, but he’d see her when he came back. She felt she ought to be annoyed that everyone else had finished, but at the same time was reluctant to stop when she felt she was finally getting somewhere. She looked back through the pile and pulled out two of the folders she’d been reading earlier. She was so engrossed in what she had found that she didn’t notice Gene’s return until he suddenly spoke.

“You were right about one thing, Tyler, that Cartwright does have something going for her apart from her tits.”

Annie started and looked up to see not only Gene, but also Sam, looking slightly paler than usual but much better than he had done the day before.

Sam reached down and picked up the paper Annie had been working on. “Annie, this is excellent. We’ll just need to follow up a few of your points and if we can get confirmation then we’ll have all we need to charge Baxter and Gibbs.”

Gene agreed, adding that there was nothing more that could be done that evening and therefore it was time they all headed out for the pub. “And WDC Cartwright, since DI Tyler is still slightly unsteady on his feet I suggest you put your arm around him in case he falls.”

Annie did as she was told. She felt Sam put his arm around her waist and she smiled as he said softly to her “I think this New Year’s Eve is one I shall be happy to remember.”