Unca Uke

Accused of lying, Clint really had no defense, and he knew it. He also knew it had been stupid to even try. Angel could read him far too well for him to be able to get away with something like this.

With slouched shoulders, he stands and wanders to the window with his back to Angel. Lowering the ice pack, his fingers fiddle with it nervously. Eventually he turns back around to reveal his gaze that bore an incredible amount of suffering... suffering that was being locked inside and not allowed to be released. There were no tears, but only because he willed them not to surface.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes quietly. "It's just, um... the truth is something I don't feel comfortable sharing. I shouldn't have lied though." He shrugs lamely. "Please, just... don't say anything to anybody, okay? I can't let Rosalyn find out."

Dr. Harvor sighs and purses his lips as he thinks. He trusted Grace - she had an unblemished record, she worked well with people, she was honest, and it was obvious that she had done good work with Jared's physical therapy. That's why this whole thing felt odd.

"Hmm... well, I suppose that's a possibility." He really had no idea of the young man's emotional state, let alone feelings about any kind of rocky past. "Do you think I should try reasoning with him - when he's pulled through this current situation, of course - or do you think he would benefit more from some other kind of psychiatric help? Or do you think you should speak to him directly? You know him better than I do... If what you say is true, do you believe he simply needs to talk about it? I'd really hate to reassign a different therapist - one, if you're right, and two, because you already have made so much headway with him, it would be hard for someone else to pick up where you left off."

Standing beside her, he leans back against the wall too, and nods as a nurse walks by, pausing until she was out of earshot again. "I'm willing to act on your recommendation before filing his complaint."

"Yeah, well... Reese has been giving me more and more work lately with less and less information." Jason shakes his head. "I think he's just too busy to keep up with it all. I'm not even sure he's been taking any days off at all, and I'm sure that hasn't done anything good for him and Angelica." 

Capping his Mountain Dew, he sets it aside for later. "He said something recently that gave me the idea he was thinking about making some changes at TJY but he hasn't said anything more. Only thing I know is he's had a lot of contact with the other Elite chiefs at other locations lately, but he's tried to keep it quiet." 

Still keeping an eye on the house they were watching, Jason realizes that's about as much as he'd said to Katie all at once in quite a while. Maybe this whole being friends thing really could work. It felt rather unnatural, but... it did feel better than being at odds. 

"Nooooo!" Kaylee squealed with laughter as she took off across the yard with Luke in hot pursuit. He couldn't move very fast, but it was at least fast enough to keep up with Kaylee's toddler-sized legs. 

"Aha!" Luke snatches her up around her waist and swings her high in the air. "Gotcha!" 

"Unca Uke! Pu' me down!" Kaylee shrieked as he swung her around before falling into another fit of giggles. Finally set down, she reaches up to him again. "More! Again!" 

Luke laughs and shakes his head. "I'm afraid you're wearing me out, Junebug."

Kaylee giggles again, her face flushed red from playing, and her pigtails all askew. She'd been passed between several people since last night, but she took it in stride. As far as she was concerned, everyone here was her family, and she was used to being taken care of by any of them. Besides home, her favorite place to stay was with Clint and Wendy though, and Luke and Angel were a close second.

"Come on." Luke takes Kaylee's hot little hand and starts back to the dining hall. "How 'bout some chocolate milk!" 

"Yes!" Kaylee nods her agreement. "Choc ilk." 

"Chocolate milk."

"Choclee ilk." 

Chocolate milk."

"Yes!" 

Luke laughs and shakes his head as they slowly walk. Stopping near the porch though, he and Kaylee spot Cindy at just about the same time. 

"Mama!" Kaylee lets go of Luke's hand and takes off running for Cindy. Tripping halfway there, she sprawls in the grass, just to pick herself up and keep going like nothing happened. 

Luke's smile widens as he sees Cindy is not alone. He'd been looking forward to seeing Wes again... and just laying eyes on him now and seeing for himself that he was not dead... it was a good feeling. 

Kaylee doesn't stop until she's been picked up by Cindy. Giggling, she gives her mother a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Hi, hi." 

Cindy laughs and hugs her tight. "Hey, you. Looks like you've been wearing out poor Uncle Luke." 

Kaylee scrunches up her nose as she gives her a silly grin. "Yes." 

Cindy just grins and rolls her eyes. Turning towards Wes, she catches his eye, giving him reassurance. "Look who's here, Pumpkin."

Kaylee hadn't been paying any attention, and had been so focused on Cindy that she hadn't noticed the man with her. Studying him now, her sparkling eyes roam his face. Her hand clutches Cindy's shirt tightly, to make sure she stayed with her mother. "Who da?" 

"This is Daddy... do you remember him? Daddy's home now, Sweetheart." 

"Daddy?" Kaylee tries out the word as her brow furrows while trying to figure all this out. 

"That's right," Cindy encourages. Did her daughter even remember at all? 

Kaylee's expression remains inquisitive, almost confused as she reaches out with her hand and touches Wes' face. Her finger gently feels his cheek, and her eyes continue to study each little detail. Then all at once, without any warning, she lets go of Cindy and throws herself at Wes, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Daddy!" 

Cindy almost drops her before she's safely in Wes' arms, and a laugh sticks in her throat, mixed with overwhelming emotions. 

Kaylee giggles as she hugs Wes' neck. "Yes. Daddy." Pulling back a little she points to the dining hall, perfectly content in the new perch of his arms. "Choc ilk." 

Cindy wipes away a tear as she laughs. "Did Luke promise you chocolate milk?" 

"Yes." Kaylee nods, making her messy pigtails bob all over. "Daddy." She taps Wes' shoulder. "Go wif." She points to the dining hall again. "Choc ilk wif us?"