The Day It Happened

It comes completely out of the blue. They're in the office for a writing day, not shooting, so Damien, Courtney and Shayne are all sitting at their usual desks and tapping away at their laptops much like the writers and other team filling the rest of the office. Courtney's phone starts buzzing against her desk in the quiet of the afternoon – not long after lunch – and Shayne glances over at the noise from his seat beside hers as she leans over to check who it is.

"Who's calling?" he asks, casually.

"Kari," she answers, hitting accept and lifting the phone up to her ear in the same fluid motion as she stands from her seat to walk towards the hallway for some privacy. "Hey Kari, what's up?"

Courtney makes it all of four steps from her desk to the wall of their office just up from the hallway before she freezes, almost collapsing as she slumps down against the wall and falls to sit on the floor with knees pressed up against her chest.

"Courtney? Are you okay?" Shayne rushes out, leaping from his own chair as he watches it happen to move over and crouch beside her. She doesn't reply, voice entirely silent as tears stream down her face and her body shakes in a continuous shiver.

"Courtney, are you there?" Kari's voice comes through the phone, evidently raised, as she dangles the phone almost precariously in her hand draped messily over her knees against her chest. Shayne watches her, waiting for her to do something, but when she doesn't say a word or move a muscle and Kari's voice grows louder and noticeably distressed as she repeats her name, he carefully pulls the phone from her hand and brings it to his own ear.

"Kari, it's Shayne, Court's here, I'm not sure why but she kind of just fell to the floor and she isn't saying anything," he explains, his own voice rushed and concerned. He isn't prepared for what Kari says next.

"Dad died. I just told her. Heart attack. So that's probably why she... yeah," she explains, her own voice lower and more monotonous than Shayne has ever heard it. It makes his heart sink and tears press at his own eyes. Fuck.

"Shit, Kari, I'm so sorry, that's so- I'm so sorry Court," he replies, sympathetic, directing his words to both sisters and keeping his voice quiet as he reminds himself they're literally sitting on the floor of their very open plan office full of coworkers. He briefly glances around, seeing a handful of people looking their way with concern.

"Is Court okay? What happened?" Kari asks, a little desperate.

"I think she's in shock, but she'll be okay. I'll look after her. Do you- were you just calling to tell her, or does she need to go somewhere or do something? I can give her phone back to her or..." Shayne suggests, feeling helpless as he glances up again to see Courtney staring at him with wide, scared eyes. She shakes her head softly at the suggestion of giving her the phone back, the first semblance of communication she'd managed in a few minutes, before shifting to lean against his side. He shuffles around to make it easier for her. "I don't think she wants the phone back."

"I don't know what to do," Kari replies, sighing heavily, "it was sudden and out of nowhere, one of the fire station guys went around to visit him and... yeah. They're trained, they couldn't help because he was already- but- they knew what to do and we don't have to do anything right now. I think I need to meditate and just be with myself for a bit and maybe I'll call Court back later if she's able to talk then but I- but if she decides she wants to be with me then that's okay too. But can you look after her, Shayne?"

"Sure, Kari. You do what you need to do, I'll look after Court. You going to be okay too?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Shayne," she answers, sighing softly before she ends the call. He carefully sets Courtney's phone to the side out of the way before turning himself towards Courtney.