Untitled Dexter Fanfic - M

[Prongs]

So this has been sitting in the notes section of my phone for far too long. It’s just the one part for now, unless people are absolutely dying for more (which in that case, tell me! Lol). 

 

Dexter Morgan sat in his dimly lit laboratory, finishing up the last details of a blood report. He wrote tiredly, having not slept well that night, but still in a neat handwriting that was his signature. Precise.

 

He hadn't been sleeping well for days, what with the baby and Rita and work and his...hobbies. He wanted to finish his work as quickly as possible so that he could leave early. The small, nagging headache he'd woken up with this morning was more painful now than just annoying, and he wanted to get some rest.

 

He set down his pen when finished and checked it thrice for errors. When he was satisfied with his work, he slipped the report into the case file he was working on, and rose from his desk to deliver it.

 

As he made his way to LaGuerta's office, he felt a prickle in his sinuses. He knuckled his nose irritably, but the sensation settled there, causing him to slow in step as his head tipped back in preparation. Brows knitting together, he brought the collar of his t-shirt over the bottom half of his face and attempted to stifle.

 

"Ngk-chaaah..."

 

It was quiet, but too powerful to stifle completely. Dexter waited for the second and third sneezes to come, as they usually did, but when they did not, he emerged from his shirt just as he passed Batiste's desk.

 

"Salud," Angel blessed him in Spanish, looking up from his computer for just a split second to identify the sneezer.

 

Dexter nodded his thanks and continued to LaGuerta's office. He knocked twice, then upon receiving an invitation in, he opened the door slowly and entered.

 

"Good morning, Dexter. Do you have that blood report?"

 

"It's right here, Lieutenant. All that's left is to match the DNA found at the crime scene to the sample taken from the suspect's apartment."

 

"Which will give us the go ahead to arrest this sonofabitch as soon as we can find him...if we're right." She smiled. "Nice work, Dexter. Be in the briefing room in five minutes so we can catch everyone up to speed."

 

He nodded and gave a tight-lipped smile, feeling the prickle suddenly intensify. He turned to leave, but was stopped by the lieutenant's voice.

 

"Wait."

 

He pivoted to face her mid-step, breathing carefully to avoid irritating his already twitching nostrils. 

 

"Yes, Lieutenant?" he asked, breathless from trying to stave off the inevitable sneezes.

 

"Could you keep these DNA samples in your lab for now? Just until we match them, tomorrow you can-"

 

"Hn'gcht! Hih'txch!" Dexter stifled twice, pinching his nose with his index finger and thumb.

 

"Salud." Another Spanish blessing.

 

"Thank you. Excuse me," he took the sealed bags of evidence from her desk and exited before she could say another word. 

 

Once back inside his lab, he shut and locked the door, and closed the shutters. He set the evidence in the mini-fridge.

 

Oh no. I do not have time for this. I can't be getting sick, not now.

 

But he already was. That first triple was a telltale sign of Dexter Morgan catching a cold. Along with the headache, the beginnings of a sore throat, and the general overall feeling of head-to-toe achiness. But he wasn't going to acknowledge it. He had too much work to do...after his day job.

 

His cell phone rang, pulling him from his thoughts. He checked the caller ID. It was Rita.

 

"Hey, you," he answered, trying to sound cheerful.

 

"Hey, Dexter," she greeted him sweetly with her smooth, flirty tone. "I was just wondering if you were still planning on taking the training wheels off Cody's bike before he gets home from school. If not, I can just take it to the shop and have them do it..."

 

"No, no, I'll do it. Yeah, I'll have plenty of time to get that done before he gets home." Dexter replied, running his free hand through his hair, looking through the shutters onto the case floor, watching for movement.

 

"Are you sure? Because if it's too much trouble I don't mind to take it into the shop-"

 

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll be there after lunch," he cleared his throat and sniffed, realizing his voice was starting to take on a lower, more nasal tone.

 

"Are you okay?" Rita asked, noticing the change.

 

Just then, LaGuerta emerged from her office.

 

"Everyone in the briefing room, now!" she called to the whole case floor.

 

"Never better," he watched as people quickly finished up at their desks and made their way to the briefing room. 

 

"Listen Rita, I gotta go. I'll see you in a few hours, ok?"

 

"Okay, Dexter. I love you," she assured.

 

"Me too."

 

He hung up the phone and, feeling the chills coming on, slipped on his lab coat, then joined his team in the briefing room.

 

"Hey, bro." Debra pulled up a chair and sat down next to Dexter.

 

"Hey, how's it going?"

 

"Can't complain. Although, it would be nice if we had any leads on where the fuck this asshole is hiding out. It's been three fuckin' weeks, and we have three fuckin' bodies. I mean, what the fuck?"

 

Dexter stifled a few coughs, chuckling darkly at his sister's profanity. "Yeah, well. Now we have more evidence linking him to the murder. LaGuerta wants me to-"

 

"Attention, everyone. We have new evidence linking Damian Morales to the botched car-jacking murders. Evidence supports that he wasn't planning to steal these cars, as nothing was taken from the three crime scenes. Two men dead, and one woman. Each found in different parking garages. But now we have a blood report to support that it was the same killer. Dexter, do you mind explaining it to us?"

 

"Not at all," he stood and walked to the screen on the wall that projected his blood report.

 

"Well, as you can see here, the saliva found on Charles Oakland, the first victim's shirt, matches the blood found on Marcus Alvarez, the second victim's pocket knife. He tried to fight...back-..." he trailed off, his voice raising in pitch. He quickly whirled around to face away from everyone.

 

"H'mtch! Eh'tchuh! Heh'NGKTCHOO!-ahh..." he caught the sneezes in the crook of his arm, bending at the waist with each one. 

 

A chorus of bless yous in both English and Spanish came from around the room.

 

"Whew, thanks. Don't know where that came from," he feigned surprise, chuckling to show that he was okay. He cleared his throat again before continuing. 

 

"As I was saying, Alvarez tried to fight back, so we have Morales's blood there. We also have blood and tissue under Michele Turner's fingernails. It matched the blood from the other crime scenes," he finished, sniffling quietly.

 

"Thank you, Dexter. Now, our next move is to-"

 

Dexter headed back to his seat as LaGuerta laid out what was to be the department's strategy to catch Morales.

 

God, that was awful. I almost wish it was humiliating, but I don't process that emotion. Not humiliating, just awful...I can't have anyone catching on, especially Deb.

 

"Way to go, brother," Deb grinned and slapped him on the back when he sat down, causing him to cough a little.

 

LaGuerta continued laying out the plan and Dexter found himself zoning out. He rested his head in his hands, almost dozing off at one point, until the lingering tickle in the back of his nose worked its way forward into his flaring nostrils.

 

"N'gtch! Hn'gtsh! Heh...eh, H'PTSCH!"

 

Dexter sneezed again, this time into a fist, too caught off guard to catch them in his sleeve.

 

"Bless you," Debra whispered absentmindedly, listening avidly to LaGuerta's orders.

 

Dexter mumbled his thanks, then when he was sure her attention was off him, he slipped out of the room to go wash his hands.

 

I have to do better. I can't let anyone know I'm sick. I have to pretend like I do with every other aspect in my life.

 

He exited the bathroom just as the meeting ended. People poured out of the briefing room to get back to work, and Dexter made a beeline for his lab to avoid-

 

"Dexter, wait!" Debra called across the room, waving to get his attention.

 

He froze, putting on his mask. He wasn't miserable, he was the picture of health.

 

"Wanna have lunch? I need your opinion on something. I'm buying," she offered.

 

He thought for a moment. He sure as hell wasn't hungry, but it would raise suspicion if he passed up an opportunity for free food.

 

"Sure," he sniffed. "I'm just gonna grab my stuff real quick."

 

"Why?"

 

"I told Rita I'd take Cody's training wheels off his bike today," he said with a hint of congestion in his voice. He sniffed again, harder, to keep it at bay.

 

"Holy shit," Debra laughed. "Look at you, making huge progress on a case AND being a good father. Someone's on a roll today," she punched him lightly on the arm and headed for the elevator.

 

Dexter went into his office and closed the blinds, locked the door. He plucked a few tissues from the box sitting on his desk and gave a good, wet blow. Once he was finished, he tossed the wad into the trash can under his desk and pumped a squirt of hand sanitizer into his hands, rubbed them together and let them dry before gathering his things.

[SneezyHolmes]

I really liked this! I've been jonesing for some Dexter content for a good while now! Would love to see where this goes!   

[sneezy_frnk]

OOOHHH yes yes please more!! I haven't even seen Dexter in years, I didn't expect to love this so much?? But I love it?? 

[sickprincess]

ooohhh boy howdy I cannot get enough of sick Dexter!!!

[AntheaHolmes]

I'm so late to the whole Dexter Fandom, as I just started watching the series just last Saturday but, wow I love it. Don't know why I haven't started sooner. Your fic is amazing. Beautiful sneezes. Wished it would have continued but thanks for writing what you did! Much appreciated.