Chapter Text
“Albert faxed over Leland’s autopsy report today. Brain death caused by head trauma. No organic abnormalities or drugs were detected. The psychiatric evaluation will have to take into account the interviews with the family later on.”
“I still can’t believe this.” Harry rubbed the lower half of his face and shook his head.
“There’s far more darkness hidden beneath the surface than we can imagine. That’s something we law enforcers have to face in this line of work, Harry.” Cooper tilted his head as he looked at Harry, reaching one hand toward Harry’s left hand resting on the table. “All we can do is do what we’re supposed to do. And that would be enough.”
“Cooper, I…” Harry paused. “I want to apologize for the things I said before.”
“I mean, I shouldn’t have judged you. You have your own methods of investigation… and I…” He lowered his head further. “I was just blinded by Ben Horne at the time. Tibet, meditation, giants, dwarves… well… you know what I mean.” By the end, he was looking down so sheepishly that he almost resembled a big dog that had just realized it had done something wrong.
“Like I said, Harry.” Cooper gave him that sincere, Dale Cooper-style broad grin. “We’re all just doing what we’re supposed to do. Nothing to apologize for.”
“And right now, what you and I are supposed to do is enjoy our pie.”
Cooper gazed almost reverently at the pie Shelly was bringing over as Harry watched and smiled.
“Oh, and there’s something else I wanted to say. Thank you. Really. You’ve helped us so much during all of this. You know, if you hadn’t been here, there’s no way we would have solved the case this quickly.”
“So, are you planning to do afterward? Go back to Philadelphia?” Harry asked with a smile, though Dale caught the brief flicker of disappointment in his voice.
“Once the case is completely wrapped up, I’m thinking about taking a few days off. I might stay in Twin Peaks and rest for a few more days. What about you?”
“Me? Just keep doing what a sheriff should do. ”
“In a beautiful town like this, there’s no happier thing you could be. I belive the people of Twin Peaks are grateful to have a sheriff like you.”
Harry lowered his head with a slightly bashful smile.
“All right, that’s enough. You’re making me blush.”
“Just telling the truth.”
Cooper dug his fork into the cherry pie and closed his eyes with a satisfied sigh.
“Damn good. Like always. Speaking of pie, Harry, do you know where the word ‘pie’ comes from?”
“I feel like I’m reading an encyclopedia.”
“Magpie, Harry.” Cooper said with complete absorption, a peculiar little smile at the corners of his mouth—the one he always wore when sharing some interesting bit of trivia. “It’s said that the Latin word pica is the source of the word pie. In the Middle Ages, the magpie was called pye, which was a shortened form of pica. And in modern French, pie still means ‘magpie.’ Some believe the connection comes from the magpie’s omnivorous habits, which are rather like the assortment of fillings inside a pie. Sometimes there are these hidden connections between things. Finding them is a little like solving a case. Fascinating, isn’t it?”
“I honestly have no idea where you learn all this stuff. You know…” Harry hesitated. “Sometimes I think you’re a little like Josie.”
“Josie?” Cooper couldn’t help laughing. “That’s a rather novel comparison.”
“Uh… I mean what you mean to me.” Harry struggled to put his thoughts into words.
“You and her… you’ve both brought me experiences and things I’d never encountered before. You both came from places completely different from Twin Peaks, and in many ways, you’ve changed my life. You both mean a great deal to me…” He sighed. “Damn, I’m terrible at putting things into words.”
“No, no. I understand exactly what you mean. Harry, you mean a lot to me, too.”
Harry nodded, then let his eyes drop for a moment.
“Everything’s happened so fast. Josie left… I never thought we’d be parting so soon, too. I think I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Harry. I will.”
A pause.
“Hey, don’t make it sound like we’re saying goodbye already. I’m going to be in Twin Peaks for several more days, remember？ Besides, we can still write to each other. And I can send you tapes.” Dale quickly changed the subject. “Oh, speaking of tapes, did I ever tell you what happened when I was lying on the hotel floor after I was shot?”
“The Giant? You’ve told me about that before.”
“No, not the Giant.” Dale interrupted him, raising a hand, “I was lying there, wondering if I was going to die. I remember I’d left the recorder on the table, so I told Diane that, all of a sudden, it felt like a shame to die just then. There were still things I wanted to do. I would like to climb a tall mountain, but not too tall. Lie down in cool grass, but not too cool. ”
“You know what?” Harry raised an eyebrow. “I think we can do that. If the weather’s good and there isn’t too much work to do, we could hike Blue Pine Mountain tomorrow. I’d bet there aren’t many people in this town who know its terrain better than I do. I can take you along the best trail for hiking. Besides, I still have a few days of vacation left.” The more Harry talked, his hands unconsciously gesturing as he spoke.
“I have complete faith in you, Sheriff. So… may I take that as an invitation?”
“Of course. If you’d like.”
—————————
The next morning, the two of them set out from Harry’s house, which was closer to Blue Pine Mountain, bringing along some basic hiking gear. Harry drove them to the foot of the mountain. The temperature was pleasant, and the light was subdued, with only a pale wash of sunlight filtering through the gray-white clouds.
“Looks like it’s going to rain.”
“Looks that way. Might even snow. We’d better hurry and make it back down before evening. I brought raincoats. We don’t usually get very heavy rain around here, so they should be enough.” Harry spoke as he checked the contents of his pack. “This is pretty typical Twin Peaks weather. These woods are covered in mist practically year-round. We local kids grew up hearing all sorts of ghost stories about this place.”
“Good Lord, I wish I’d been one of you.”
It had rained lightly the night before, and the earth was still damp. The air was filled with a mixture of moist vapor and the fragrant scent released by plants after the rain. Every now and then, they could hear birds calling overhead, and Harry would lift the binoculars hanging around his neck.
“I think I hear a magpie. Black-billed magpie.” Harry raised his binoculars and searched the trees, his entire upper body leaning forward in concentration. “They’re pretty common around here, though you probably wouldn’t see many of them back East… Little guy sure is noisy.”
“You really like birds, Harry.”
“Yep. I guess I’ve always had a natural affinity for these little creatures.” Harry lowered the binoculars and turned toward Cooper. “I seem to remember you’re not particularly fond of birds.8”
“That’s true. I suppose I can tolerate observing them from a safe distance. Fortunately, Blue Pine Mountain provides just the right amount of distance.” Dale smiled at Harry.
“That’s the spirit. Once you get into it, you’ll love bird-watching. Just enjoy yourself. I imagine you didn’t get many opportunities like this living in a big city.”
“Not really. The last time I was this deeply immersed in nature was when I was a Boy Scout.”
“You were a Boy Scout?”
“I was an Eagle Scout. I scored a hundred on my marksmanship test.”
“If it was you, I’m not surprised at all.”
“I was a Scout, too. Star rank, though. Not quite as impressive as yours.”
“Even so, you’re the senior man here. I’ll have to follow your lead.” Dale teased him.
“My pleasure, Agent Cooper.” Harry returned the tease.
The entire journey passed in this easy, ordinary rhythm of one remark following another. The woods were soaked in mist, making the distant scenery hazy. Every now and then Harry pointed out a bird he spotted—magpies, crows, and varied thrushes. They even came across two snowshoe rabbits, which reminded Harry of how Cooper had called them “cottontail rabbits” on his first day in Twin Peaks.
The only disappointment was that, with the grass still far too wet after the rain and the two of them needing to get down before the weather worsened, Cooper never got to fulfill his wish of lying down in a patch of cool grass.
Around noon, Cooper and Harry reached the summit of Blue Pine Mountain and began eating the sandwiches Harry had prepared in advance. The clouds had thinned somewhat since morning, and much of the mist had lifted.
“That’s Black Lake down there. If it’s a clear day, you’d be able to see it much better.”
“Wow, Harry.” Cooper held up the binoculars, almost completely transfixed. “It’s beautiful.”
The lake was slightly blurred by the thin mist, its boundaries fading into the distance. Trees surrounded it in layers upon layers, while the outline of Twin Peaks could just barely be seen to the southwest. Harry told Cooper that on a clear day, they could see almost the entire town from the here.
“Come on. We should start heading down, otherwise that cloud bank to the southwest is going to catch us. Judging by the look of it, the rain’s not going to be very light.” Harry held out his hand to Cooper, who was sitting on a rock. Cooper took it willingly and used the leverage to get to his feet.
Cooper’s hand was cooler than his, his fingers noticeably more slender. Somehow, the sensation of Cooper’s hand in his sent a strange feeling deep into Harry’s body, like a spark traveling down a fuse. Harry didn’t have the time—or the inclination, for the moment—to figure out what it meant.
The descent was considerably easier than the climb. For much of the way, they could even jog, although the slippery moss and muddy ground frequently forced them to slow down.
By the time they reached halfway down the mountain, a light rain had begun to fall.
“Looks like we’ve run into a passing shower. At this temperature, we might even get some snow.” Harry efficiently pulled the raincoats out of his hiking pack as he spoke. “Looks like they’re going to have to come in handy after all.”
“Do you come here often?”
“Of course. When Hank, Ed, and I were students, we used to come up here all the time to explore. Sometimes we’d go fishing at Black Lake, sometimes we’d camp out on the mountain. Hawk would join us now and then, too, and bring along all sorts of Native stories—stories about ghosts in the woods and places where mysterious spirits were said to dwell.”
“Harry, if I had a time machine, I’d go back and become one of you in a heartbeat.”
“Yeah. At that time things were really interesting. Hard to believe it was all so long ago. Everyone’s changed so much since then.”
“Time spares no one,” Cooper said knowingly.
“Whoa—”
Dale accidentally stepped onto a loose rock. His foot slipped, and his whole body lurched backward.
The words had barely left his mouth when Harry spun around. Acting on instinct, he reached out and caught Cooper by the left arm, pulling him back to safety. Only then did he let out the breath he had been holding.
“You all right?”
“Not a scratch.” Dale quickly regained his balance and straightened up, giving Harry a grateful smile. “Apparently I overestimated my sense of balance. Thank you for those quick reflexes, Sheriff.”
“You really have to be more careful, city boy. You scared the hell out of me.” There was still concern lingering in Harry’s voice, and he slowed his pace. “How are those injuries of yours, anyway? Still hurting?”
“Uh-uh. Not hurting at all. I suppose This wonderful town has activated some miraculous self-healing capacity hidden within my body.”
“Or adrenaline.” Harry had gotten to the point where he looked back at his partner every three steps or so, just to make sure he was all right. “Sometimes I suspect that you’re practically made of iron, Coop. Nobody should be able to work for ten hours after getting shot. Except you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
The rest of the journey took them about an hour and a half. At first, it was only a soft drizzle, but before long the rain began to mix with snow, and the sky grew considerably darker. By the time they were nearing the foot of the mountain, the rain had almost stopped again.
“Harry, I’ve just made a discovery.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s a hole in the back of my raincoat.” Cooper turned slightly to show Harry. A large tear ran diagonally from his right shoulder down toward the left, obviously ripped by some sharp object. Through the opening, Harry could see Cooper’s black jacket underneath.
“Wha—? How did that happen?”
“I probably caught it on a branch when I almost fell.” Dale said it calmly. “And because I was concentrating all my attention on the trail, I failed to notice the rain seeping through.”
“You didn’t feel it?”
“Actually, after such a thorough encounter with nature, I feel positively energized. I’m quite warm. My breathing is remarkably clear, and my mind feels sharper than usual.”
“That’s because we just finished aerobic exercise,” Harry pointed out matter-of-factly. “Come on. We need to get to my car before you catch a cold. Then we’ll go to my place and get you into some dry clothes. It’s a lot closer than the Great Northern.”
“Achoo—”
Not a particularly good sign.
“Bless you, Coop.”
“Thanks, Harry. Sniff. I guess your plan is the right one.” Cooper replied somewhat sheepishly.
—————————
They reached Harry’s car soon enough and took off their raincoats. The back of Cooper’s jacket was almost completely soaked through, and the dampness had seeped into the sweater underneath. As soon as he settled into the passenger seat, Cooper sneezed several times in a row. Harry reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out a handkerchief.
“Thank you.” Cooper said gratefully as he blew his nose, his voice already taking on a nasal quality. “Probably just the change in temperature.”
Harry shook his head helplessly, though there was a smile on his lips.
“All right, Agent Cooper. Whether it’s the temperature or not, you’re going to my house first. Take a hot shower, then change into some dry clothes. No kidding.”
It didn’t take long to get to Harry’s house. Once they got out of the car, they hurried into Harry’s little cabin with their hiking packs still on their backs.
“Harry… your house has a very distinctive woody smell.”
“Yep. It’s all made from genuine local timber. Looks like your sense of smell hasn’t completely deserted you. That’s good news. All right, Coop, I’m going to find you some clothes.”
Harry turned on the heat and went to look through his closet. A few minutes later, he came back carrying a brand-new gray flannel shirt, a pair of black fleece pants, and a bath towel.
“I haven’t worn this one yet. Looks a little small on me, so it should fit you pretty well.”
“Thanks, I—”
Another sneeze interrupted him, this one considerably more forceful. Cooper quickly covered his face with his elbow.
“Bless you.” Harry’s expression immediately became sympathetic.
“Sorry. I think I’m a little out of sorts.” Cooper sniffed again. The tip of his nose had turned slightly red from wiping it with the handkerchief, and there was a flush across his cheeks.
“You all right?” Harry asked, though he realized the moment the words left his mouth that it was a rather pointless question.
He instinctively raised a hand toward Cooper’s forehead, intending to feel his temperature with the back of his hand. Cooper didn’t pull away.
“Coop, you’re burning up.”
“Maybe your hand is too cold.”
But when Cooper gently placed his hand over Harry’s and pushed it away, Harry could clearly feel that Cooper’s hand was warmer than his own—nothing like the cool touch he had felt at the mountaintop.
“Thanks for the clothes. Now I’m gonna take a hot shower and get my immune system working again. You should warm yourself up, too. I’d hate to pass this on to you.”
As he spoke, he took the clothes and towel from Harry and headed toward the bathroom. His voice sounded a little airy and distant.
“Go ahead.”
Harry went into the kitchen and put some water on to boil, planning to make some chamomile tea. His cabin was small; it took only a few steps to get from one end to the other. So he could hear the sound of the water running in the bathroom, along with Cooper’s sneezes, perfectly clearly.
Harry let out a quiet sigh.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, the warmth of the shower and the steam made Cooper’s head feel considerably less congested. His nose was clearing up, too.
He stepped out of the shower and dried himself off, and then sneezed again. He wasn’t sure whether the bathroom was simply too hot and humid or his nose was becoming congested again, but he suddenly felt that breathing was a little difficult.
He quickly grabbed the clothes Harry had given him. Their soft, dry texture made him feel a little more at ease. Then he pressed down on the door handle.
“Coop? Hey! …You all right?”
Harry practically sprang toward him. Only then did Cooper realize that he was standing unsteadily, and Harry was already gripping his elbow.
“Sorry… I might be a little short of breath.” Cooper’s voice was weaker than he had expected. This wasn’t good.
“Could be a little dehydration, too. Okay, okay. You need to sit down, drink some water, and let’s take your temperature.”
“Actually I feel fine…”
“And you said the same thing when you’d been shot and had two broken ribs.”
Cooper fell silent.
He obediently allowed Harry to help him over to the bed, where he sat down. The bed frame creaked beneath him. Outside, the rain had grown heavier, accompanied every now and then by flashes of lightning and distant, muffled thunder.
“Chamomile tea.” Harry brought over two cups of hot tea. “Might be a little hot, so be careful.”
“Mmm…”
Cooper closed his eyes contentedly. The apple-scented steam warmed his face, and the hot liquid felt soothing against his dry throat.
Harry crouched beside the nightstand, rummaging through a drawer for a thermometer. At some point, he seemed to knock something over.
“Here it is.”
Harry shook the mercury thermometer a couple of times before handing it to Cooper. At the same time, he took the half-finished cup of tea from Cooper and set it on the nightstand.
Cooper took the thermometer and held it under his tongue.
The cabin settled into a soft, peaceful silence. The only sounds were raindrops tapping against the roof and windowpanes, accompanied by the low rumble of thunder.
Three minutes later, Cooper removed the thermometer. Harry took it from him. He barely needed to look at the reading; even from a short distance, he could almost feel the heat radiating from Cooper.
“102.1 degrees Fahrenheit.” Harry read the number aloud, unable to conceal the concern in his voice. “You’ve got a fever, Coop.”
“I suppose I’ll be dreaming about another entity at the Great Northern tonight.” Dale joked softly.
“You’re seriously thinking about going back there and staying by yourself in this condition? Coop, I can’t go through being scared half to death by the scene of you lying on the hotel floor again. There’s no way I’m letting you go back to the Great Northern.”
And then He contemplated for a second.
“What if you stay here tonight? I can sleep on my cot. Besides, the rain’s too heavy for driving right now, and you need someone to look after you.”
“You’ll catch it.”
“Better than having you alone at the Great Northern, coughing hard enough to break your ribs or passing out, and then having both of us get an earful from Dr. Hayward. After all, I’m the one who took you up Blue Pine Mountain and made you sick.”
At last, somehow, the stubborn agent gave up resisting. Or perhaps his mind still wanted to argue, but his body had surrendered first.
Harry noticed that Cooper’s right hand was pressed against his forehead. His entire upper body had gone somewhat limp, and his eyes were closed, perhaps from sleepiness, perhaps because he simply didn’t feel well.
“Come on. Lying down might make you feel better.”
With Harry’s help, Cooper sank back into the bed. His congested nose had almost completely dulled his sense of smell, but the moment his head touched the soft pillow, the faintest trace of scent stirred his senses. It was familiar. A mixture of musk and soap. And for some inexplicable reason, it made Cooper feel safe. And even sleepier.
Harry carefully pulled the blankets up over his shoulders.
Cooper lay on his side, arms bent with his hands resting near his cheeks. His lips parted slightly, probably to thank Harry, but his bronchi seemed to have other ideas. The breath he had just drawn immediately turned into a fit of coughing, making his whole body tremble. The bed groaned beneath him.
Cooper’s brows drew together slightly, his eyes squeezed shut as he coughed. His body was considerably more rigid than before, and one hand pressed against his chest.
“Sorry… Uh, one of the boards must be loose.” Harry awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Your ribs hurting?”
Harry instinctively moved a little closer and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, despite the faint creak that came from the frame.
“A little. I think those sneezes and coughs probably aggravated them.” Dale managed a weak smile, his voice sounding as though it were trapped somewhere deep inside his lungs. “Speaking of which, I just realized I haven’t taken my pain medication today. Could you get it for me? It’s in the inside pocket of my jacket.”
Several weak coughs interrupted him before he could finish the last word. A bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead as the pain in his ribs flared.
Harry retrieved the damp jacket from the laundry basket and, sure enough, found a blister pack of pills inside the inner pocket. He then went to the bathroom cabinet, found a bottle of fever medicine, and brought back a glass of water.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks, Harry.” Dale spoke quietly. He slowly pushed himself upright, his voice soft and languid with illness.
As soon as he swallowed the pills, Dale started coughing again and nearly choked. It wasn’t particularly violent, but the pained expression on Cooper’s face made it obvious that the pain was still there.
Something occurred to Harry.
He searched through the closet and pulled out an old pillow.
“Here. Take this.”
Harry sat down on the edge of the bed again.
“Hold it against your chest when you cough. It should help with the pain.”
“You sound like a doctor.” Cooper hugged the soft pillow and grinned again, though in his current state the smile looked rather pitiful.
“Maybe I am.” Harry played along. “I told you on the very first day we met that I was going to be Dr. Watson. Don’t you remember?”
Dale tried to laugh, but the moment the air passed through his bronchi, an itch caught in his chest again. This time, before his rib cage could shake, he pressed the pillow firmly against his ribs until the fit subsided.
“That really does help. Thank you, Dr. Harry.”
“All right, patient. Don’t get too excited.” Harry’s expression relaxed a little, too. “Now I’m going to get you a cool washcloth. Then you should sleep for a while before dinner and let the medicine take effect.”
This time, Dale abandoned words altogether. He simply raised a weak thumbs-up in agreement, the rest of his body still buried beneath the pillow and blankets.
After the sound of running water and footsteps, Harry returned with a basin of water and a cool washcloth.
By then, Dale’s eyes were already closed.
Harry sat down on the edge of the bed as gently as he could. He placed the cool cloth against Cooper’s forehead. Because Cooper was lying on his side, Harry could only reach half of his face, but he carefully wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead and neck.
He could feel Cooper’s body heat quickly warming the cloth. Dale let out a soft sigh of relief, almost like some small animal. The coolness of the cloth eased the torturous pressure throbbing inside his skull.
“Thank you, Harry.”
His voice was so quiet that it was almost muffled by the pillow, but it made Harry’s heart tighten.
He looked at the man lying in the bed. His face wasn’t entirely peaceful, to be precise. His brows were drawn together almost imperceptibly from discomfort. His lowered eyelashes occasionally trembled with pain, and the dark circles beneath his eyes made it clear that this was hardly the restful sleep of someone who was truly at ease.
Harry sighed again.
Half of it was worry. Half of it was relief. And mixed in with it was a deep feeling he couldn’t quite put a name to.
“Sleep, Coop.”
And then the room was left with nothing but the sound of rain and breathing.
Harry gently brushed a strand of hair away from Cooper’s forehead before standing up.
All those troubling matters came rushing back into his mind—the case files, Josie, Catherine still missing. The whole town of Twin Peaks was waiting for him to worry about it.
But for the moment, his world seemed to have contracted to the size of this one bed, and the man lying in it. And that would be enough.