Company

Jeff just sighs and shakes his head, retrieving an old towel to rub down Hawk. "I know the accident wasn't my fault - but taking a novice up that trail was." 

Leaning against his horse, he looks to his sister. He was exhausted and knew that today had not been good for him in more ways than one. But he really didn't care. What he cared about was Hunter - a young man - Katie's man - who had almost died... because he'd suggested a rougher trail. 

"I should have known better. I know Hunter rode when he was a kid, but he's been riding here, what? A week? Ten days? Anybody else wouldn't have let him ride that trail. I don't know what I was thinking."

Hunter nods gratefully, sliding off the bed and standing on one leg as he adjusts the crutches under his arms. "Alright... I think I'm ready. Just catch me if I fall." Locking eyes with Katie, perhaps his gaze revealed that his words were not only meant for the trek to his bunkhouse. 

Glancing away again, he slowly heads for the door. It wasn't a comfortable journey to the bunkhouse. By the time they arrived, Hunter's knee felt like it was on fire and all he wanted to do was lie down again. Getting inside, he carefully eases down on his bed, setting his crutches aside. Lying on his back, he sighs deeply. He felt utterly drained... for more than one reason. 

Looking up at Katie, he gives her a sleepy grin before patting the space next to him on the bed. "Keep a cripple company for a while?" He knew she'd have other things to do before supper, but he wouldn't mind her sticking around at least a few minutes. It would postpone anything else he didn't want to think about right now, too.

A curse slips out as the wrench comes down on Alec's finger. Lying on his back, he was staring up at the kitchen sink pipes, his legs sprawled across the floor. Without a list of things to do today, he'd first tackled the dripping sink in the bathroom and now had spent the last two hours trying to unclog the kitchen sink. He'd tried drain cleaning chemicals, he'd tried going from the top down, and nothing was working. His last resort was to take apart the pipes and see what was going on. Unfortunately, the pipes were being stubborn.

In all reality though, he didn't mind that it was taking a while - at least it used up part of his day. He usually had plenty to do though. He was finally caught up on sleep, completely over his cold and getting used to having regular meals again. He'd stopped thanking Misty after she'd warned him to, but he wished there was more he could do to repay her. At least she made sure to keep him busy. He'd cleaned out the garage, tidied the front yard, fixed the kitchen table, gone grocery shopping a couple times and rearranged the living room. Each task he took seriously and he made sure everything was done before Misty got home at night - which wasn't hard on the evenings she spent out with Jason. One ongoing task was the shed, but since it was such a big project, Alec spread it out between the other odd jobs and Misty didn't seem to mind. He was looking forward to it being his and was meticulous about his work on it.

Sometimes though, the days did get long. He still hunted for work, but there were times he sat around with nothing to do but sit and be... lonely. At least Misty was home every night and sometimes Jason for a while too, so he did have some company.

Banging around on the pipe some more, the one he was working on suddenly gives way and his face his met with a downpour of water that had been backed up above the clog. Coughing and sputtering, he sits up too soon and hits his head on the underside of the counter before he slides out on the floor groaning.

After cleaning himself up, he sighs, leaning against the kitchen counter and picking up the phone. Dialing from memory, he waits to hear Misty's voice. "Hey, Misty. I gotta run to the store to pick up a piece of..." He looks at the mess on the floor. "...pipe. Anything you want me to get while I'm out?"

"Nothing." Reese sighs before setting his hands on his hips as he stands by Angelica's desk. "Dalton can't find a thing that Carson might have been doing on the computers here. Which can only mean one thing - he's covered his tracks for some reason. Otherwise, something would have shown up. Anything! But not even Dalton can find it, which means not only has Carson covered his tracks, it was severe enough for him to work really hard at it."

Flopping down in an extra chair, Reese looks at Angelica with desperation. "What do I do? I've had Pete tail him. So far that hasn't proven anything, although it hasn't been too long. I'm just... I'm worried. I'm worried that Carson's into something bad, and if he is, that could mean something even worse for the Elite."