Sam's Madness

It was worry... not worry, care. He cared about the younger man.
Each time that Sam had that wild-eyed expression, began to dart about looking for things that weren’t there, hearing things that hadn’t been said, he cared, in fact, even though he wouldn’t admit it, he was scared.
Gene couldn’t deny that Sam got the job done with worthy results, but he went about everything the wrong way, as though he didn’t belong and made it a point to be so. He stretched back in his chair, feet up on the desk, hands behind his head, watching through the window of his office as Sam sat at his desk, covering and uncovering his ears.
“Lost ‘is bleedin’ marbles.”
He muttered to himself, just watching the D.I. look around the office, expression bewildered and lost. He gave a sigh, a first it was amusing, the new D.I., apparently the best from Hyde, was off his rocker, but now... he didn’t bear thinking what could be in the man’s head.
Then Sam stood, looking about the rest of the office, his eyes searching, pleading for someone else to acknowledge what he’s just heard. At this point, Gene often wondered whether it would be the wiser thing to call Sam into his office and calm him down, he would tell himself it would be the caring thing to do, but then the slight fear for him wins out, and tells him just to watch.
So he watches, and Sam just stands, his mania seeming to have escalated as he whirls around on the spot, looking at all different places at once, covering his ears from an obvious volume of noise that no one else could hear.
His slight fear seemed to dissipate and his care took over, he got up from his chair just as Sam darted from the office. He opened the door too late.
“Tyler! Where’s he goin’?”
He received the usual shrug and look of bewildered amusment he always got when enquiring about Sam’s habits, he sighed and followed his path out the office,hearing him shouting from the gents’.
“The whole station can hear you, Tyler.”
Although it didn’t seem Sam could hear him, he stepped in closer, now in a room with the younger officer his fear came back. He could feel the madness burning from the D.I., and all he was doing was staring into his reflection.
“Tyler.... Sam.... Anybody ‘ome?”
Sam whirled around, grabbing Gene’s shirt hard in his hands, pushing him hard against the tiled wall, staring up at him, his eyes screaming for an answer, screaming everything that ever hurt the ma in his life.
“WHY AM I HERE?!”
Gene stayed quiet.
“Why can’t I go back home??”
“Tyler... if you want to go home...”
“NO! HOME! OUT OF THIS STUPID WORLD!!”
Gene felt a shake, his head sharply hitting the tiles, and the fear and the care was gone.
“Away from you...”
He didn’t quite know what came over him... maybe Sam’s madness was contagious and he caught it... he caught it good and knew hatefully that he would want it to overcome him as much as possible. He broke the kiss by pulling Sam’s hands from his shirt and pushing him back across the bathroom.
He felt slightly disappointed; the madness had faded from Sam’s eyes, giving way to confusion and surprise. He shrugged.
“You’re off your trolley, Tyler. Go ‘ome and get a rest. We’ll mention nothin’ o’ this to anyone, you hear me?”
Sam nodded and left the Gents’.
Gene straightened his shirt and went to the mirror to fix his tie and straighten his hair.
“Off his bleedin’ trolley.”
At least that was his excuse.