As Rosetta tells Katie about the bunkhouse, Hunter is glad - he had forgotten that he didn't even know yet where he was staying on the ranch. In a way, he was impressed - even here with all this going on, Rosetta hadn't forgotten about him.
He gives her a little nod. "Thanks, Rosetta. And if Katie needs to come back, I can bring her again, no problem." He knew the protective aunt wouldn't want Katie driving in the middle of the night, and he'd have no problem coming back here again if it would help.
After saying goodbye to the three siblings, Hunter walks with Katie back down and outside, returning to her car. It was late in the evening by now, and the sun had already set. Sliding back behind the wheel, Hunter gives Katie a sidelong glance, but he doesn't ask how she is. He knew she probably couldn't answer that anyway. He just... felt so badly for her, and helpless, wishing there was something he could do.
Driving down the lit streets, Hunter thinks he remembers how to get
back to the main road to the ranch again. Though paying attention to
traffic, his eyes do wander just a little. Getting to a stop light
preparing to go straight, he spots a familiar sight.
"Oh,
hey, look." When the light turns green, he veers into the turning lane
to make a sharp unplanned turn. "We can't pass that up." Steering into
the drive-through of a latenight fast food restaurant, he stops the car
at the large menu to talk into the microphone.
"Hey, I need a couple mocha shakes, please. Oh, and.... a large order of fries."
It's
only minutes before they're back on the road again, this time with a
cold treat and the mouth-watering aroma of fresh french fries. Keeping
one hand on the wheel, Hunter sips his shake through a straw and nods
his approval. "Not bad." Setting the cup down in a holder, he snitches a
french fry, giving his hungry stomach something to work on. "Don't make
me eat all these alone," he warns. "I'm watching my figure."
"...yeah, he's not too happy about being here." Eric rolls his eyes and thumbs Rosetta towards the room. He and Trent had taken their turns, and Katie had been right. They knew part of it was Jeff just being tired, but he was quite definitely grouchy as well.
Trent smirks a little. "When you go in there, watch it. He's not happy you're staying."
Eric sighs and pats Rosetta's shoulder. "We'll head home then somebody will be here again in the morning so you won't be stranded here."
Jared manages a grin. "Grass, huh? Sounds fun to me, if you really have time."
He tried his best not to be grouchy the rest of the session, but once Grace was gone for the day, he just felt all the more depressed. He hadn't heard from Justin in days. He'd seen too much of the nurses here. He could tell his mother was growing weary of making trips here even though she'd never complain. And he was beginning to wonder if all this work on his legs really was worth it.
Regardless, by the time morning rolls around, he's looking forward to Grace's company again and getting outside.