[ it's hard to resist the urge to just hang up on the phone so he could gather his thoughts. Bigby's dealt with a lot and the accident still plays back in his mind every other ten minutes as if it just happened. not only that, but he hasn't been able to smoke cigarettes since close to a week ago, leaving him depraved of nicotine during a time where he would need it most. add the weird notes and secrets being passed around willy nilly and he just wants to sleep until Retrospec is no longer a thing.

but nope. Elizabeth is going to pile onto it, and worse yet, it's about something that's happened days ago. ]

Let me get this straight. This horrific-ass scar that has never once been seen on your back in the number of years I've been with you ― close to two fucking decades, Liz ― and you decide not to tell me because you were ― what did you say, scared?

[ Bigby takes a deep breath before he continues. ]

You gave me shit about getting involved in a car accident and not telling you the moment it happened. You yelled at me for walking into our house busted to all hell without so much as calling you. I felt like a dick and took my blows, but you apparently had this going on the entire time!?

[ there's bound to be other people in his office looking at him awkwardly, so he excuses himself to go outside. he needs some fresh air anyway. ]