A Tale of Time

Friday Night....Mostly everyone was gone...Dr. Hazel Hunter -Baylor was writing reports , finishing up her weeks work ,when a familiar face came through the door with two cups of coffee...She did a double take..This woman only came here when there was a big murder case....There wasn't one tonight Hazel thought.

"Sissy? What are you doing here?" she asked as Lt. Sissy Van Buren walked in and passed her a tumbler of coffee..

"Hey girlie...Just came to keep you company." she said.
"On a Friday night?? In the morgue??" said Hazel.

"I know, right?" said Sissy, who surprisingly just sipped her coffee and took a seat.

"I'm just finishing up some paper work...Then I'm out of here.." she said.

"Where is your hubby?" asked Sissy.

"Boys night out...ADA Wallace, Duke, Tyriq, Jimmy and Hop went to the Sixers game tonight..." she said.

"Oh they did? So all of the women are solo tonight?" eh said Sissy..

"Carlotta is over Tyriq and Sirena's house..Keith is going to pick her up there when he and Tyriq come back..." said Hazel.

''And Sharon and Angie went to Aqua Bar..They asked me to go, but I didn't feel like it."said Sissy.

"I guess that leaves me and you...You're here working..." said Sissy.

"Yeah...Sharon and Angie asked me to come with them too...but I wanted to get this last bit of work done..I'm nearly finished...Then I'm going home and take a nice hot bath, crack open a bottle of wine and listen to some music...Where is your fella Sissy?" asked Hazel.

''Eddie C? , He and Basil Robinson are at a youth leauge basketball game tonight...Coach Cock Robbins at the high school got them some tickets..." said Sissy.

Hazel looked at Sissy strangely...and then said-"Sissy can I ask you a personal question?"

Sissy smiled and looked at Hazel and then replied..."Why sure Hazel, we are pretty good friends now...You're not just our forensics person...you're family!" She said.

"This thing with Lt. Cantrell is kind of buggin you isn't it?" she asked..

II-

The mention of his name made Sissy jerk a bit...she tried to keep her composure, but she couldn't...

"Wha- What?" said Sissy.

''He's the one who got away isn't he?"said Hazel..

Sissy didn't answer...She just hung her head....Hazel sat next to her and put her arms around her...

"I know...I've been there...you don't have to say anything.."she said.

''Am I that obvious?" asked Sissy.

''Everybody noticed how you were giving LT. Cantrell the side eye during that case last week with the dead DEA Agent and the witness...and how you winced everytime he kissed Carol, which was way too much PDA if you ask me...It was almost like he was trying to rub it in your face that he had somebody, since you had turned him down." she said...

Sissy cracked up laughing...

''So everybody noticed it huh?"laughed Sissy.

"Sissy, you work with Detectives...Their job is to notice things...The guys noticed it...but they were too scared to ever bring it up to you...but they compared notes with their wives and significant others." she said.

"Scared? Scared of what?  Me?? " said Sissy..

"Even ADA Keith Wallace didn't bring it up.......and you know how you and him tease each other.."said Hazel.

"Keith Wallace is like my big brother, so are Duke and Tyriq...We go back aways...and Jimmy calls me his ''Black mama" and Hop loves me...Why would they be afraid?" she asked.

"Sissy..Even Carlotta and Angie noticed and they are the closest to you...Sirena and Sharon noticed ,but they didn't want to say anything..Do you  have feelings for Lt.Cantrell?" asked Hazel.

"YES!" said Sissy.

"Well why did you turn him down? Why didn't you tell him when you had the chance?" she asked.

"Because...I'm in a relationship....I love Eddie C.  ,I do..he's good to me.." she said.

"But he's not the one...He's not the guy who makes your heart go flutter,flutter..He doesn't make you feel tingly inside does he?" asked Hazel..

Sissy didn't answer...She hung her head.

III-

Hazel pulled the sheet off of a recently deceased woman......She looked at Sissy...

"See her Sissy???...She had plans...Things she was going to do....All of these cold,stiffs down here had plans...Things they were going to do...All of them thought they had time...and then time ran out..." said Hazel.

''What are you saying Hazel?" asked Sissy.

''Life is too short to be unhappy...Another minute isn't promised to anybody...All you have is right now Sissy.....We always think we got time...All of these people laying on these tables thought they had time..Then time ran out...If Lt. Cantrell is the man that makes you happy...You need to let him know." said Hazel..

"I'm too late...He's with somebody now...and so am I...Funny thing Hazel...When I went to talk to him at his office the last time...I told him to find himself somebody....and to stop wasting his time with me...and that's just what he did...It's not in the cards for us...First time he wanted me...I was married....and now..I'm living with my boyfriend....and he's dating Carol...I'm good with it." she said.

Hazel looked at Sissy...

"You sure?"

Sissy smiled...

"Yeah girl, I'm sure.."

Hazel smiled...

"Okay then...I won't say anything more." she said.

Sissy peered over at Hazel who was filing things away..

"You finished ?" she asked.

"Yeah"said Hazel..

"Come on...Two beautiful women like us shouldn't be in the morgue on a Friday night...How about we go to Josies and have a couple of drinks and then go home ,My treat.?" said Sissy..

Hazel smiled..

"Sounds like a plan Lieutenant." she said.

She shut the lights off ,locked up the place and the two of them walked out into the Philadelphia night.