One Day

Jeff turns his head to see Rosetta and quirks an eyebrow at her before shrugging. "Eh... I guess if being this tired is feeling better, then yeah." 

Sighing, he studies his bedsheets for a few moments before looking back up at his sister. He really didn't know what to say. He was miserable. Exhausted. Didn't want to be here. Didn't want others to be worrying about him. But he knew he needed to bite his tongue, too. 

"You going back to the ranch?" 

Turning, Luke smiles at Katie. "Hey, good morning, Katie." He nods as he turns off the nozzle on the hose. "Yeah, some help would be great, actually. I got some soap here and a couple brushes if you wanna work on one side of her and I'll take the other." 

Grabbing the necessary items, he goes around the other side of the sopping wet filly to begin scrubbing her. "Maybe with your help I can get these few horses done by the time my legs give out on me," he muses. 

...After wiping sweat from his brow, Hunter throws another pitchfork full of manure into the wheelbarrow. He didn't know how many times he'd already walked back and forth to the manure pile, and they were only on the second stall. He wasn't about to quit until told to though - if Mick could do all this work, then so could he. 

Mick watches Hunter as they work, every once in a while, a small smile slipping through. They had chatted just a little bit since working, but conversation could be difficult when trying to concentrate on the task, let alone talking while breathing heavily from the hot work. 

"So... you know how to ride a horse?" 

Hunter pauses his work just for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah. I know how to sit on a horse, make it go and stop and steer. But that's about it." 

Mick chuckles. "Most people think that is riding a horse." 

Hunter smirks and sets to work again. "Then they don't realize all there is to it. I don't pretend to know - it's safer that way." 

Mick just grins, secretly impressed with Hunter's honesty. Many a city-slicker who had ridden a time or two in their life, considered themselves knowing how to ride and wound up just making a fool out of themselves. "Who taught you what you do know?"

"An uncle of mine. He owned a little farm where I used to spend some of my summers. He had a couple horses so he taught me how to get on and go." Hunter smile a little at the memory as he throws more manure into the wheelbarrow. "Been quite a while though."

"Wanna ride while you're here?"

"Maybe, if there's time. I don't want to bother anybody."

Mick rolls his eyes. "As if. We like riders - it exercises the horses." He gives Hunter a sidelong glance. "I give riding lessons... got one happening tomorrow if you want to join in for a refresher course." 

Hunter lifts his eyebrows, unsure. And then... he really would like to get back in the saddle again. He'd always enjoyed it as a kid. And maybe if he was okay with it, he and Katie might get to ride together too, and that would definitely be fun. "Um... sure. If I'm not at the hospital with Katie, that is."

Mick nods. "If you are, we'll work something else out." 

...An hour later, Hunter was drenched in sweat, but still working hard, though by now his stomach was complaining that he'd had nothing to eat yet today. Somehow though, the physical work felt good. He wasn't just sitting around his apartment doing nothing. And while some would hate this kind of work... he was rather enjoying it, even when Mick went to do something else and he was left on his own for a while. It felt a little awkward, yet nice at the same time. 

Watching Grace and listening, Jared begins to see some of what made her so different. She was happy with the simple things. Most people weren't. But she not only was happy with the simple things, but she took the time to enjoy and embrace them. The clouds. Flowers. Her passing reference to God makes him wonder about her religious beliefs, but regardless, she definitely had an element of peace about her. 

Setting aside his plate too, Jared looks around for a moment, trying to figure out how he could do this. Finally using his arms to shift himself around, it was a bit awkward, and surely didn't look pretty, but he eventually gets himself turned around to lie on his back next to Grace. Aimed in the opposite direction, his shoulder was near her hand and vice versa. 

Staring up at the clouds, he sighs. "Maybe you're right... but if slow is the only pace, it gets old kinda fast." 

With eyes still searching, he grins and points to the sky. "I see a dragon." 

Hearing Victoria's voice, Garret's eyes open a bit groggily. Her voice was relaxing... her cool touch was soothing to his feverishly hot skin. "I'll be okay," he assures quietly. He didn't know if she knew what had happened or not. Did she know it was not a bullet wound or an accident? He wasn't sure.

Taking her hand in his, his palm is overly warm. Putting her fingers to his lips, he kisses them softly. "You shouldn't be in here," he warns. She knew better than to come to his quarters. Why had she? Had she been that worried about him? He hated it that they'd had so few quiet moments together lately. It was unfair.

Squinting at her in the dark, he lifts his free hand to cradle her face as his thumb runs along her cheek. "But I'm glad you are," he relents. A bead of sweat trickles down the side of his face and he swallows hard. "One day... one day we'll be able to see each other in the light."