ꜰʟᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴘᴀꜱꜱɪᴏɴ | ᴛᴏᴍ ʜᴀɴꜱᴏɴ

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖: 𝟑.𝟑 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

MARCIE SAT AT HER DESK, LOOKING OVER AT HANSON'S EMPTY one, which sat across from hers. It had been a while since anyone had seen him. No one knew exactly what happened, but apparently, him and his girlfriend, Amy, had been at a convenience store, when an armed perpetrator showed up, trying to rob the place. He took the money, but Amy came up to the register as well, not knowing what was going on. The guy turned around and shot her dead, and Hanson witnessed the whole thing.

Marcie was shocked when she heard about it. It was...so sad. Amy was an innocent victim, the guy shot her senselessly.

She turned around and tried to focus on her paperwork, but things at the chapel have felt so off lately. No one's heard from Hanson in a week. They tried to contact him, but he doesn't seem to want to talk to anyone. Even Doug has been quieter lately. He told Marcie and the others that he tried to go to Hanson's apartment and knock at his door, but Hanson wouldn't see him.

Marcie remembers that things had been a little weird between Marcie and Hanson after the Weller Hospital case. A few days after that incident, he was to meet with a review board and discuss his experiences and observations while he was in the program. Captain Fuller had accompanied him for support. When Hanson got back, he and Marcie had a bit of an awkward encounter...

━ •❃°•°❀°•°❃• ━

Three Weeks Ago:

Hanson had just walked out of the meeting, looking a bit high on adrenaline. Marcie was pouring herself a cup of coffee (her third one that day), when he came up to her. She really didn't want to talk to him after he had fallen asleep on her lap that day. And she had touched his hair! What had she been thinking?! They weren't even close like that. At all, actually. She wondered if he remembered and he was going to confront her about it.

Oh God, please, no...

"Hey," he said, seeming pretty normal.

"Um...hi..." She had said, wondering where this was going to go.

He looked at the coffee in her hand.

"Do you drink anything except coffee?" He asked with that annoying little smirk of his.

Marcie simply looked at him.

"Hanson, is there a reason you have initiated conversation with me today?"

Hanson chuckled a little, obviously finding this funny. He suddenly looked a bit serious. Marcie felt herself start to get anxious again.

"Yeah, actually...I um, I heard from Fuller, after I woke up on his couch, that you and Hoffs were with him when you guys found me at State Hospital, all doped up?"

Marcie's eyes widened a bit, but she didn't say anything.

Hanson continued. "I just...I wanted to...thank you. For being there. Um, that was cool of you."

Marcie still wasn't sure if he remembered what happened in the car. But she half-smiled in response.

"Oh, you're...you're welcome. It was no big deal..."

He smiled again. Marcie couldn't help but think he had a nice smile.

"Well...I'll see you around, Roberts." He said, as he walked away.