J’adoube Who: Archer and Adelaide, with an appearance by Jenkins (NPC) Where: Adelaide’s current ‘accommodations’ in the Department of Justice, the Capitol What: On the surface, it’s just about how the police chief goes to visit his friend and her baby boy in DOJ lockup to make sure they’re holding up okay under the strain of incarceration. Beneath that…? Through dint of patience and perseverance, two very guarded people have learned how to see what’s under the other’s armor; hopefully that will help in a place where both Arch and Ads must be very, very careful of what they say. When: backdated to evening of September 9th
As the afternoon drags its feet toward early evening, an unassuming gentleman in a grey suit presents himself in front of the bars of Adelaide’s cell and clears his throat in a quiet, self-conscious sort of way. “Hello, Mrs. Lansing,” he says politely, almost deferentially. It was the way he tended to greet her when they passed in the halls and he does so now as if the greeting’s recipient is not a cell in the Department of Justice.
This is Jenkins, a member of the Capitol shelter about as long as there has been a Capitol shelter, now a fixture among the rank-and-file. Archer Avery had brought him in back in the thick of things when the virus was spreading faster than wildfire and panic was spreading faster still, calling Jenkins solely by his surname and dubbing him a ‘consultant’ to the teams that worked the front lines (he’d previously been the guy who did Archer’s taxes every year since he’d gotten to Austin. Jenkins had just shown up one day while Archer was in the middle of dealing with some zombies, wanting to help, shotgun in hand). Jenkins was formerly in the Army Reserves, then the Retired Reserves, and a bit of the military is still in the older man’s posture as he stands placidly before the bars, hands tucked behind his back, gripping the pad of paper he carries.
If one has to pin him down to a single job now, he’d probably be labeled Archer’s admin, though Jenkins makes sure that any secretary, assistant, and numbers cruncher knows that they can come to him for help. Jenkins’ secret weapon is a photographic memory; he’d proven very useful indeed back when he worked with Archer, Brannon, Cal, and others that would have been called ‘first responders’ in the old days, and are really ‘only responders’ now.
He is a familiar face, and a friendly one, and Jenkins smiles a little as he continues past his greeting. “Chief Avery will be dropping by this evening, Mrs. Lansing, and wished to know if you or his ‘little buddy’ were in need of anything.” The smile twitches into something slightly more substantial as Archer’s words are clearly being parroted by Jenkins. Of course Archer would think to ask if Adelaide needs anything… and of course he’d be sure to ask the same for Charlie.
Archer’s choice of messenger probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to her either, logically. He didn’t send another cop, not even one she knows, not even one he knows she would trust, but someone technically outside the trappings of law and order. Archer isn’t involved in Adelaide’s incarceration, and he’s exercising caution every way he can today.
“I’ve been instructed to take a list,” adds Jenkins, reaching up to make a minute adjustment of the reading glasses he’s already put on. Bifocals, really, but his sight’s quite good, thank you; it’s such a mild prescription. “Archer said he’d bring whatever you require.” This is said with a look that conveys clear sympathy. He likes Mrs. Lansing. There’s a number of people at the Capitol that he’s extraordinarily fond of, not the least of which are the young people he worked alongside in the grimmest days of the apocalypse, and he knows Archer Avery (whom he counts among those young people, to Archer’s constant chagrin, and Jenkins tends to tune him out when Archer tries to point out that their age disparity isn’t quite as far apart as all that) has a number of friends among those comrades in arms. But Mrs. Lansing -- Adelaide -- manages to look after his more stoic compatriot with a lighter touch than some of the others seem to be capable of… and her young son in particular seems to bring out the humanity in him that Archer seems hell bent on trying to hide.
So Jenkins is more than happy to come over here and take down a list of things that Archer can bring with him when he comes by this evening to visit with mother and child and waits with pen poised over the pad for Adelaide to say what she might want. When they’ve finished, Jenkins gives her a cordial nod and a little wave for baby Charlie, and leaves to head back to the chief.