Mighty Splash

Despite feeling so lethargic, somewhere in his mind, Garret knew the truth of Victoria's words. Spoken discontent of any kind could just be asking for a death sentence. Not that he'd mind right about now. He felt like crap. He'd been shot before. Usually while out on cases though. And usually just in an arm or leg - nothing too serious. The last time he'd been shot, he tied his own bandage around his arm, finished the mission and didn't get the sewed up until the next day. Tonight though... tonight he could tell he'd be out of commission for a little while. Which could be good or bad. And yet... despite the severity of his wound... there were other factors that made this so much more uncomfortable. He wanted more than a cool drink of water, and he blamed Medridge. But Victoria was unaware - as Garret preferred, so he wouldn't lead on.

With Victoria's help, he manages several long swallows of water and nods his content. "Thank you..." Resting his head back into his pillow, he gives her a glazed kind of stare. "I'm glad you're okay. I coulda... coulda cared less about that Harkins guy."

Sighing slowly, it hurts and he shakes his head. "Stupid though... We must have a leak somewhere, and it isn't me." Finding Victoria's hand with his once more, he just holds it for a moment, taking advantage of these few minutes alone. "Ask... Medridge. I couldn't tell if..." He pauses to cough again. "...if the guy was after Harkins or... or you."

Flipping open his phone again, Hunter reads Katie's last message and opts not to reply. Maybe she had just needed to vent a little bit. He'd leave any further action in her hands. 

Tucking away his phone, he sips his beer, opting to stay here a little while longer. He only lived three blocks from Micky's Bar, and he'd walked, knowing that by the time he left, he should probably not be driving. He didn't want to get too drunk... he was just bored and wanted to take off the edge enough that when he got home, he could sleep instead of sitting around and thinking about things he'd rather not.

Finally letting Beth go, Justin follows her gaze to the water. He had certainly not planned on this conversation today. On the contrary, he'd still been withholding any hints in that direction. But... having her talk about Zach... and thinking about what his mother had said the other day... If there was anybody he could take a chance on, it was Beth. Perhaps it really was time he trusted someone with his heart again. And maybe down the road they'd discover they were meant for something else. Maybe Beth would go out with Zach next week and decide to continue dating him. Justin didn't know. But while he felt a bit silly and a bit awkward now that he'd said what he had... he wasn't sorry. Surprisingly, it felt somewhat like a relief. Like this had been on the tip of his tongue for too long and he'd finally admitted that he felt more for Beth than he'd let on. 

Glancing to her out of the corner of his eye, he can't help a grin. She'd come so far. They had come so far. He suddenly feels the urge to lean a little closer, but he resists. He'd withhold any affection until she'd decided, and he didn't want to pressure her one way or the other. It was her choice, and he respected that. 

A clattering sound turns his eyes to where his one fishing pole a ways away still had a line in the water. He'd forgotten all about setting it up earlier The bobber had gone under, and the pole was being dragged through the grass. Justin's eyes widen and he jumps up to sprint the short distance. "No... no, no!" 

Seeing the rod go into the water and then the reel, Justin dives head first. And with a mighty splash, most likely every fish in this area was scared away. 

Coming up spitting and sputtering in the knee-deep water, Justin holds up his fishing pole. He'd saved it. However... he was now wet and muddy from head to toe. Blinking away some water, he looks over to Beth, not even knowing what a pitiful sight he made. "Well... I saved it..." 

"So what's up?" Con sits across from Jason at Mom and Pop's and cocks his head.

Jason quirks an eyebrow. "We decided to come here and have lunch?" It was the next day and he'd only seen Katie from a distance at work that morning. He hadn't dared talk to her, for fear she was still upset with him, so he'd just let things be for now. Wanting to get away from the office though, he'd convinced Con to have lunch with him.

Con smirks. "You think I can't tell something's bothering you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Isn't it always obvious to me?"

"Is it?"

"Are we gonna stop asking questions?"

Jason grins and shakes his head. "Aw I don't know. Just a rough day."

Con sits back and takes a sip of his pop as they wait for their pizza. "Well, I'm here if you wanna talk."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks. It's just... complicated."

Con chuckles. "Try me."

"Katie and me."

"Ah. Now that is definitely complicated." Con grins. "I've noticed things aren't so great between you two lately. Figured it was the whole thing with your emotions."

"It is... and it isn't. I don't know." Jason slouches in his seat and sighs. "We're just... having a hard time. I feel like we're... drifting."

"I'm sorry." Con studies Jason's face. "What's been going on?"

"Oh, I don't know. You know those friends I told you I hooked up with?"

"Yeah."

"Well apparently Katie is jealous..." Jason goes on to explain what had been happening and how both him and Katie had become frustrated. "...so I mean... was I right? Isn't Katie wrong to be seeing Hunter like that?"

Con chews his pizza thoughtfully, contemplating the whole situation. "Well... I don't think it's right. Although I think it could have been prevented."

Jason frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Well, on the one hand, I can see where it could potentially be a bad thing. I mean, Katie obviously feels left out of your life and when that happens, sometimes judgment is clouded. She isn't doing anything sinful but it isn't necessarily a good thing either." Con pauses in thought. "I can understand you not liking it, and it's not bad that you do. I wouldn't approve of Jamie spending time with another man either - even if we weren't married."

"So why can't-"

Con holds his hand to stop him. "However... if she went spending time with another man, I'd start trying to figure out what I did wrong and what I could do to keep her closer to me instead. I'd try to figure out what she was needing that I wasn't giving her."

Jason picks at his pizza crust. "So you think I drove Katie to it."

Con shrugs. "It's not wrong that you're spending time with your friends. You and Katie aren't joined at the hip, and it's not necessarily fair to you that she's gotten so upset about it. You're not married, and there are parts of your life that can be just yours and you two don't have to share. If you don't invite her to join in, that's up to you and she needs to accept that you're an individual with your own life."

Jason's brow furrows. "So... you don't think I drove her to it."

"Then again, there's always the side that says to be sensitive to your girlfriend and maybe compromise with extra special time with her or not quite as frequent time with your other friends - so Katie knows she's still important to you. She obviously needs something you're not giving her anymore."

"So you're saying it's my responsibility to change things."

"And yet, her going off and hanging out with Hunter is no way to solve anything. If she has any respect for you at all, she should probably try to change things on her end too since she knows it upsets you. Not that she has to give up that friendship, but perhaps it needs to be tempered a bit as well. She can have any guy friend she wants... but spending time alone with him like that just has too much potential for things to go wrong."

"So...." Jason shakes his head. "Who's responsible?"

"Both of you."

"Who's right?"

"Both of you."

Jason sighs. "You're not making any sense."

"Yes I am." Con reaches for another slice of pizza. "There's no cut and dry answer here, Hotshot. You're both hurting, you're both trying to feel again, you're both pulling away from each other and you're both trying to hang on to each other, all at the same time. Neither one of you is necessarily right or wrong." He catches a string of cheese before it falls in his lap. "She's not right to make you feel guilty about spending time with your friends. But you're not right for ignoring her. She's not right to go hang out with another man when she's lonely. But you're not right for leaving her lonely."

Jason's eyes rest on the table as he tries to process everything.

Con purses his lips in thought. "I think you two need time... you need time alone and you need time together. When was the last time you had a real date with Katie?"

Jason shrugs. "I don't know... other than lunches or supper at my place? It's been a while."

"So go take her out. Go somewhere nice and make her feel special again. She needs that. You've got your needs too, and that's okay. But don't forget about hers in the process."

Sighing, Jason nods. "Yeah... I guess you're right. All this time I've been trying to find somebody to blame but I guess it's both of us and none of us at the same time."

Con smiles. "Pretty much. Not that I'm an expert or anything."

A grin surfaces and Jason finally takes another piece of pizza. "Jamie's taught you well."

Con laughs, his eyes twinkling. "Maybe so... but I don't mind."