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It was too bright in the bullpen, so Jake snuck away to go hide in the evidence locker.
He screwed his eyes shut, sliding down where he was leaning against the wall until he was sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest. He hated it when he got like this, when it was all just too much and every sound was too loud and the lights were painful and his head hurt and he could feel everything.
He rocked back and forth slightly, rubbing his eyes, lapsing in and out of hyperventilation, trying to get his brain to stop screaming. He felt like his nerves were on fire. It was all he could do to keep from making sound, biting back little screeches and whines.
“Jake?”
Jake squinted up through bleary eyes to see Rosa standing in the doorway. His breath stuck in his throat.
“Jake, are you good over there?” she said cautiously, looking vaguely uncomfortable. Jake stood up quickly, steadying himself with the wall and ignoring how his head spun and his brain hurt.
“Uh, yeah, I just--it’s a lot, out there. I needed a break.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Rosa nodded. “Those fuckers can be really loud sometimes.”
Jake smiled a little. He picked at his nails, struggling to keep his breathing under control. “A-and the lights are too bright, and all that.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he couldn’t tell if it was the dangerous or concerned kind of eye narrowing. “The lights are too bright?”
“I cannot a-see, Rosa,” he said, lampshading with a jokey tone and a laugh.
Rosa lowered her voice in about as close to a display of tact as one ever got from her. “Do you need a moment?”
He pursed his lips and said nothing.
“I get it,” she said. “I get it. Those lights suck ass.” A pause. “Do you want some aspirin?”
Jake gave a silent nod, words not wanting to work anymore. His head really fucking hurt.
“Okay. I’m gonna go get you some aspirin. And I’m gonna go tell everyone to shut the fuck up” And with that, she left.
Jake almost smiled. He had really good friends.