His eyes were already open, but Abner still seemed to snap awake as Anderson reentered the room. His focus immediately locked on the lunch pail, and he dug in with his bare hands, finishing off the food in a matter of minutes. Normally he'd control himself better in front of superiors, but it had been over a day since his last meal. If intravenous nutrition even counted as a meal.

"Sorry. Hungry," he panted, wiping his mouth on his arm. The detective's instructions had taken a backseat to his ravenous hunger, but he'd still managed to understand most of them. "I got it, sir. Noon tomorrow?" A curious head tilt. "You're...letting me go? Just like that?"

Apparently he was. Abner carefully got to his feet as soon as he was freed, grimacing at the pins and needles in his legs as he made his way around the table. He paused for a moment at the door, glancing back at the lieutenant before he left the room.

"I want to figure this out as much as you do, sir. I'll see you tomorrow. I promise."

-----

His superiors hadn't been...thrilled...with his new assignment. Still, Abner stood stiffly in front of the police station at noon sharp, sporting a bruise near his good eye and what looked to be a fresh burn mark on the side of his throat. At least they'd given him his jacket back. Minus DePleur's blood, of course.