Work Text:
Eluned hunched over the kitchen counter, awkwardly holding onto the can opener with her left hand while turning it with her right. Bean twined around her ankles, meowing at the top of her lungs. “Cat. Cat, please. I’m almost done here.” She wasn’t supposed to use her left arm at all, but making anything more complicated than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich required two hands.
Her arm ached as she finished opening the can of tuna, reminding her why it was in a sling. She would start physical therapy in a few days, when the wound the bullet had left had healed up a bit more. You’re on medical leave for three weeks, the chief had told her over the phone when she’d called from the Denerim airport to report that she was on her way home. If I see you at the precinct, I’ll send you home.
Protests that she could do most of her job even with one bum arm had gone unheard. She had hoped to get back to work as soon as she’d gotten back. Distraction, if nothing else.
She drained the tuna off into a bowl and set it down on the kitchen floor for Bean, who fell to with a loud purr. She gave her a scratch behind one parti-colored ear and spooned the tuna into another bowl. Opening the jar of mayonnaise was a bit of an adventure, and she sniffed it suspiciously as the TV nattered from the other room. …predicted snowfall from this storm is five inches, with winds up to 50 kilometers per hour. Stay warm out there, folks!The mayonnaise was a bit elderly, but it was probably okay, she decided.
She listened to the news with half an ear as she stirred up the tuna salad, adding some relish and some celery seed and onion powder. If it weren’t storming tonight, she’d order some groceries delivered; as it was, she was probably going to have to wait a couple of days to get fresh food in the house. Winter storms always had inconvenient timing. I need to call Mom, she reminded herself as she put bread into the toaster. Let her know that I’m home and give her a chance to tell me how all of my life choices are awful.
She washed off the spoon as Bean bonked her head against her calf. “At least you approve of me,” Eluned told her. “No, you don’t want me to pet you right now, my hands are wet.” Bean meowed conversationally at her and sauntered away.
The toast popped up, and she rescued it and dropped it onto a plate, then overturned the small bowl of tuna salad onto it. Maybe I’ll walk down to the library tomorrow, if it’s open, she thought as she carried her sandwich into the living room and set it down on the coffee table while she got arranged. Her upper arm throbbed; she was going to need to take some of the painkillers she’d been given, once she ate.
“And in national news, the trial of Arl Rendon Howe has ended in a mistrial,” the television said.
Eluned froze.
“New evidence came to light that suggested that Arl Howe was directly guided into the central incident of the trial by a foreign terrorist. Arl Howe is currently in custody. No date has been announced for a retrial. In financial news…”
Elined reached for the remote and turned the television off with a savage jab at the power button. Bean jump up onto her lap and grumble-purred at her. Eluned petted her with one numb hand.
Mistrial.
All of her work, the testimony she had given after being shot…all of it had been for nothing.
She had been so sure that Rendon Howe would finally go to jail. The lawyers had been so optimistic, and she had been sure that the jury had been on the side of all of the innocent people the Howe had hurt and killed over the years.
I should have known better.
Powerful humans always got away with their crimes. She had wanted so badly for this time to be an exception. She had wanted everything she was going to go through because of this case to have been worth it.
There were whistleblower laws in Ferelden, but they just provided protection from lawsuits and prosecution for people who went public with corruption and wrongdoing within corporations and the government. They didn’t provide any protection from a workplace turning hostile because she had broken one of the central tenets of the Amaranthine PD: we protect our own.
Even if their own had been on the take. Even if their own were crooked cops and judges and who knew who else. Eluned was an elf, and a woman, and she’d risen to detective quickly despite those two things. Work had been difficult enough already.
Now, it was going to be impossible.
She suspected that medical leave would be followed by administrative leave. In the meantime, all of her cases and her responsibilities would be assigned to the other detectives. She’d seen it happen, before. Demotions didn’t always involve being busted back to patrol.
And that didn’t even take into account that she was pretty sure that Howe had hired the sniper who had shot her and Mrs. Ballard. If he was out of jail…well, it would make sense that he would want to eliminate as many people who could testify against him in a retrial as possible.
Bean bonked her head against Eluned’s hand. She shifted to curl up on the couch, ignoring her sandwich. Her stomach was too full of dread for her to think about eating.
Maybe I should call Cullen.
She laugh-sobbed a bit and curled around Bean, scratching her chin. Cullen was probably busy settling back in at home, with the people he so obviously loved. Maybe he was sitting and watching a movie with his son. He’d told her she could call him any time, but she didn’t want to disturb him. Maybe in a few days.
It had been seven years and she still had a crush. Not that it was ever going to come to anything. He was so obviously happy with Laica and Sebastian. He thought of Eluned as a friend, she thought. Nothing more. It’s better that way. He’s happy now. I would ruin that.
Bean licked Eluned’s chin. She laughed a little. “I missed you, cat. Glad you decided not to give me the silent treatment this time.” Bean meowed in response and butted Eluned’s neck with her head.
She got up after a bit and closed the blinds. The snow was falling thick and fast outside, piling up in the parking lot. She retreated to her bedroom, hauled her open suitcase off of her bed. She could unpack tomorrow.
As she turned back towards the bed, something in the suitcase caught her eye. She turned back and fished out the dark blue stuffed bear that Cullen had sent her when she’d been in the hospital.
You’re being silly.
Eluned curled up on the bed, her good arm wrapped around the bear. Bean draped herself across the top of her head, and purred.
She closed her eyes. Outside, the snow muffled the sounds of the world into silence.