Calming Centers ((7))

[victoriousscarf]

Sonya blew into the Walnut Cafe like a storm. He had dealt with far too much that day, and his entire life's goal of the moment was a warm, well brewed cup of coffee.

[Meadowlark]

Lou Page looked up as another cat entered the cafe. He raised a paw to signal the Police Commissioner over, glancing about for a waitress.

[victoriousscarf]

Sonya blinked when he saw the other tom and he made his way over to his table, sitting down heavily. "Hello," he said, voice a bit rough from disuse over the last couple hours.

[Meadowlark]

"Hello." The waitress came over, Lou requesting a fresh cup of coffee and--he glanced at Sonya--one for the other cat as well. The waitress left and the bandleader turned to the larger cat. "Long day?"

[victoriousscarf]

Sonya felt his shoulders sag a little with exhaustion at the promise of that warm coffee coming. "That's putting it lightly," he said. "I may have gotten five hours of sleep last night, and that was after not sleeping for two days, and then..." he sighed, tempted to bury his face in his arms on the table. "And then it's been a long day since then." He looked over at the other. "Thank you for ordering the coffee."

[Meadowlark]

Lou looked at the Commissioner in bemusement. "You looked like you could use it. Frankly you sound like you could use it. Are things over there really as bad as all of that?"

[victoriousscarf]

Sonya let out another long sigh. "It perhaps would not be, except the underworld has not let us catch our breath. A transition like this is hard as it is, but now, it seems like something's going on among the criminals. Shootouts are increasing, and this string of murders down by the dock..." he bit himself off. They were trying to downplay that in the newspapers. "I think something is happening that we don't know about. It worries me. And it means I don't get much chance to sleep." He shook his head. "I am sorry. I should not unload my problems on you."

[Meadowlark]

Lou shrugged. "Hey, I'm here and I asked. City like this won't let you sleep unless you actually take the time to do so."

[victoriousscarf]

Sonya hunched his shoulders. "Maybe. But how am I supposed to find that time when people are dying because I'm too slow?"

[Meadowlark]

Lou looked at the other cat for a long moment. "You do realize that it's not your fault cats die in this city, right?"

[victoriousscarf]

"Yes," Sonya said, a little hotly. "But if I do my job, I'll be able to prevent as much of that as possible."

[Meadowlark]

"True, but if you keel over from exhaustion you won't be able to help anycat." Lou reasoned quietly.

[victoriousscarf]

Sonya sighed again, and glanced up when the waitress came to set down the coffee. He took a long sip before turning back to the other cat. "You're probably right," he said, low still low and tired. "That does not always mean that I can reason why myself though."

[Meadowlark]

Lou thanked the waitress quietly, his paws circling his coffee cup as he thought for a moment. He nodded. "I suppose that's true. Do you have anycat you can trust to keep things running from time to time?"

[victoriousscarf]

Sonya considered as he took another drink before shaking his head. "None that I currently know of," he said, thinking briefly of his former partner. But he had been shot years ago, and it was of no use wishing he was still alive. "Most officers I know are corrupt, and the ones I do not know I cannot trust because I do not know them. And that damn Pinkerton had the gall to tell me it was a shame I did not trust my officers," he laughed, a little bitterly at the memory. "Of course I do not trust them."