Having Tal tuck the strand of hair behind her ear Ryan leans her head into his hand a little bit. Tal's hands really were pretty soft and they felt nice, to her the roughness was normal she it really didn't feel rough. Looking up into his eyes Ryan smiles at him.
"Well I think you for trying to help me. It feels much better now. You have magical hands."
Leaning up and pressing her lips to Tal's for a quick kiss Ryan pulls away her eyes sparkling. Looking up into his eyes Ryan just studied them. There was a look deep in them that maybe said there was still a lot about Tal she didn't but but searching his eyes without fear of what she might run into was nice.
Listing to Rick talk with Jason Katie sat next to him her hand clasped with his. As Jason finishes what Rick was going to tell him Katie couldn't help but be surprised that he was rather calm about it all. In a way it kind of freaked her out and it was a good way to be able to tell something wasn't right. Giving a strange look to Rick Katie is quiet till she left though her eyes said a lot.
"It's gonna be ok J."
Once Rick was gone Katie looked to Jason and just study him for a long moment. She could see the slight worry in his eyes and it caused her to worry even more. She hated seeing him like this almost defeated.
"I don't mind being your nurse. I rather like the pashent."
Slidding off the bed Ryan stands and holds her arm out to Jason with a smile. She just wanted to be there for him. To let him know she was there. Maybe once they got home she could talk a little more.
"Not sure about you but I think I'm ready to get out of here already."
Hearing that her brother was back Rosetta perks up a little bit. Looking to Mick at the mention of him being alone she wondered. Did Eric leave Dana some where else so nothing would be started? Rosetta couldn't help but he a little concerned. Hearing that he wasnt coming inside set up a red flag as well. Was he really that upset with them still?
"I'll be back."
Getting up from the table and heading outside Rosetta made her way to Eric's bunk. She didn't know if it was smart or not to come see her brother when he apparently didn't want to see them. But she at least wanted him to know she new he was there and cared enough to come and say hi.
Knocking on the door Rosetta waits. She didn't want to just barge in. She did still respect her brother privacy even if there last encounter had been anything but pleasant.
"Eric...I just wanted to say welcome home."
Coming across the lawn and stumbling across Dylan's bunk Ashlee gives a smile as she stops at the bottom of the steps. Just watching him eat for a moment she cocks her head before giving a little cough to let him know she was there.
"Hey Dylan. Havn't see you in a few days."
Ashlee gave Dylan a smile. She hadn't gone to eat yet she had been to busy exploring. Every turn she took seemed to take her to a new place and she was really enjoying it.
"Hows everything going?"
3/9/11
Talented
Having Ryan turn around, Tal smiles down at her almost sheepishly. Not many people knew this about him. "Oh..." He shrugs. "My sister is a massage therapist. I got interested in it a while back 'cause of her - even started training, but money got tight and I had to quit. So I know just enough to make your neck feel better, but not enough to tell anyone about it."
His smile turns to a wry grin and he reaches down to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "And now I paint over dings in cars. Go figure."
There were more things about him that no one else knew. More things about his past... his upbringing. Perhaps a faraway glint in his eye unintentionally revealed a rougher life than one might guess. But his smile hid it well.
Rick nods and gives Katie's arm a final pat before he stands up. "Atta girl. Try to finish your juice there and then rest some more..."
...It had been several days, and Jason was still in the infirmary at TJY. Though not having fallen prey to unconsciousness, he had been sleeping a lot and had been under Rick and Misty's monitoring. Medication helped his pain but he still hurt all over, and battling nausea was a constant. He did his best not to complain, and overall remained quieter than anyone expected him to be.
"Well... think I can let you out of here?" Rick sits on the edge of the bed, checking Jason's vitals again.
Jason sighs and pulls himself up to sit straighter, having been kept company by Katie this morning. "Sure would be nice. Getting kinda tired of seeing these four white walls."
Rick chuckles. "Welcome to my world." He pauses, collecting his thoughts. "Listen, Jase..." He glances to Katie. She knew what he wanted to say to Jason, and both knew he wouldn't take it well. He hoped her presence would at least thwart Jason from losing his temper. "...there's something I want to talk to you about."
Jason shifts and lets a hand slide off the bed to be met with Trooper's wet nose as the dog came in to visit his master. "What? Reese complaining this brute is running around loose?"
"Nah. He's been too busy to notice, and so far Trooper hasn't gone around biting anybody."
"I always said it wasn't his fault in the first place."
Rick shakes a finger at the big dog. "Learn to control your temper, and you'll be around here for a while." He turns his attention back to Jason. "About you going home..."
"Yeah, I know."
"You know what?"
Jason's eyes drift to Katie for a moment before he responds to Rick. "You want Katie to stay with me at my place and you're taking me off work."
Rick quirks an eyebrow. "Well, your hearing seems to be working fine."
Jason manages a rueful grin. "I guess so."
"So you're... alright... with all of that?" Rick couldn't help his surprise. He'd really expected an argument.
Jason shrugs. "Figure I don't have much of a choice. No point in trying to fight you over it."
Rick was still surprised though. Honestly, this wasn't like Jason, to just take this lying down. Any other time Rick had tried to take him off work, it had been like pulling teeth. Let alone telling him to be babysat by Katie. And he wasn't even complaining? It was strange enough that it almost concerned Rick and he couldn't help tossing Katie a bewildered look. "I guess I'm glad to hear that. And this is just temporary... once you start feeling better again, we'll reevaluate and go from there."
Jason looks down and fiddles with a loose thread on the bedsheets.
Rick furrows his brow. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Jason lifts his gaze and forces a smile. "Does this mean I get to go home today?"
"I told Katie she can take you home after work."
"Okay." Jason watches Rick leave before he turns back to Katie, the same forced smile on his lips. "Well, I guess you get to play nursemaid." He reaches up and tugs a stray lock of her hair playfully. "Elite Agent... bodyguard... nurse... you're pretty talented."
Days at the ranch seemed to go by fast. After several days had passed, everyone was familiar with Stacy and Ashlee, making sure they had everything they needed and already getting used to them being around. Many made the extra effort to interact with them, getting to know them better and learning more about them.
After the first day, Dylan retreated some. He still didn't like the thought of Stacy being there, and though Ashlee made him a little intrigued, he withdrew, sticking to his barn chores, doing his schoolwork in his bunk or outdoors, and eating supper on his bunk porch like he used to do. He'd be back in the dining hall sometime... just... not right now. He did keep an eye on Ashlee though - if nothing else, simply out of curiosity about what made her tick.
Mick had noticed his son drawing back but hadn't said anything. If he did, he'd probably just make things worse. He'd just let this thing run its course, confident that Dylan would come around. At the very least, at least he was staying away from Ashlee for the most part...
...Evening. The sun was sinking low towards the horizon, spreading color across the clear sky. The ranch was relatively quiet, with most people gathered inside for dinner. The only one not accounted for was Dylan, who sat on his porch, slowly eating supper alone.
It didn't used to be unusual to see the red semi cab pull into the ranch. But this time, there had been several weeks of silence from the driver, which was a rare enough occurrence that his arrival would cause curiosity.
The engine sputters and gives a loud pop, followed by a hiss as it pulls to a halt. Eric looks out to see a thin trail of smoke leading from the hood. At least he had made it back. Unfortunately, he didn't know when he'd get to leave again. The temporary fix from the auto shop on the way here looked like it had worn out, and he knew there would be no second "band-aid." It would have to be totally fixed for him to drive anywhere now... and that might be some time away, seeing as though he couldn't afford the work that would need to be done on the old engine.
After parking in his regular spot, Eric doesn't get out of the cab right away. He had envisioned all of the "I told you so's" that he could, and dreaded every single one. He'd almost not come at all. Maybe he wouldn't have, had all his belongings not been here. He wasn't sure. But as it was, he was here, and he was here alone. His eyes drift to the passenger seat. It was just as empty as it had been since his wedding day, and just as empty as his heart.
Taking a deep breath, he finally exits his truck. It was evening and he could see activity through the window of the dining hall. His guess was that guests and ranch hands were finished with supper and that it was the family's turn now. He wasn't going to make an entrance though. He'd rather not. Someone had most likely heard his truck as he'd pulled in, but he would greet people later.
Easing down from the truck, he favors his leg that had grown increasingly sore the last couple days. Retrieving his duffel bag, he slings it over his shoulder and slowly heads towards his bunkhouse, head bent and limping slightly. His worn boots crunched on the gravel and he remembered the last time he'd had a stopover here. Dana had been on his arm and he'd been happier than any other time before. So much for that. Everything had only gone downhill from there.
Getting to his bunk, he unlocks the door and slips inside for the night.
In the dining hall, the sound of the sick engine had not escaped Clint's ears. Tilting back in his chair, he moves aside one of the curtains on the windows and quirks an eyebrow as he sees a familiar figure head to one of the bunkhouses. It was odd for two reasons - one, because Eric always came in to say hi, and two, because he was evidently alone. Clint was fully aware of the family tension though, so maybe it really wasn't that strange not to see Dana - perhaps she'd opted not to come or he'd put her up nearby, planning to leave again right away. Though the way the truck sounded, Clint had his doubts that Eric was going anywhere any time soon.
"Hey, what is it?"
Clint looks back to the table and to Jim. He lets his chair fall back onto all fours and shrugs. "Eric's back."
"Really? Is he coming in?"
"Nope. Headed to his bunk."
His voice his heard at the next table over, and Mick lifts his head, throwing Rosetta a sidelong glance. They'd both been rather concerned after not hearing from Eric for several weeks, but Mick had tried to be positive, suggesting the honeymoon lasted longer than planned, or they were just busy and Eric was content and had simply forgotten to call. But now that he was here... and sine he hadn't come inside... did someone need to go check on him?
His smile turns to a wry grin and he reaches down to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "And now I paint over dings in cars. Go figure."
There were more things about him that no one else knew. More things about his past... his upbringing. Perhaps a faraway glint in his eye unintentionally revealed a rougher life than one might guess. But his smile hid it well.
Rick nods and gives Katie's arm a final pat before he stands up. "Atta girl. Try to finish your juice there and then rest some more..."
...It had been several days, and Jason was still in the infirmary at TJY. Though not having fallen prey to unconsciousness, he had been sleeping a lot and had been under Rick and Misty's monitoring. Medication helped his pain but he still hurt all over, and battling nausea was a constant. He did his best not to complain, and overall remained quieter than anyone expected him to be.
"Well... think I can let you out of here?" Rick sits on the edge of the bed, checking Jason's vitals again.
Jason sighs and pulls himself up to sit straighter, having been kept company by Katie this morning. "Sure would be nice. Getting kinda tired of seeing these four white walls."
Rick chuckles. "Welcome to my world." He pauses, collecting his thoughts. "Listen, Jase..." He glances to Katie. She knew what he wanted to say to Jason, and both knew he wouldn't take it well. He hoped her presence would at least thwart Jason from losing his temper. "...there's something I want to talk to you about."
Jason shifts and lets a hand slide off the bed to be met with Trooper's wet nose as the dog came in to visit his master. "What? Reese complaining this brute is running around loose?"
"Nah. He's been too busy to notice, and so far Trooper hasn't gone around biting anybody."
"I always said it wasn't his fault in the first place."
Rick shakes a finger at the big dog. "Learn to control your temper, and you'll be around here for a while." He turns his attention back to Jason. "About you going home..."
"Yeah, I know."
"You know what?"
Jason's eyes drift to Katie for a moment before he responds to Rick. "You want Katie to stay with me at my place and you're taking me off work."
Rick quirks an eyebrow. "Well, your hearing seems to be working fine."
Jason manages a rueful grin. "I guess so."
"So you're... alright... with all of that?" Rick couldn't help his surprise. He'd really expected an argument.
Jason shrugs. "Figure I don't have much of a choice. No point in trying to fight you over it."
Rick was still surprised though. Honestly, this wasn't like Jason, to just take this lying down. Any other time Rick had tried to take him off work, it had been like pulling teeth. Let alone telling him to be babysat by Katie. And he wasn't even complaining? It was strange enough that it almost concerned Rick and he couldn't help tossing Katie a bewildered look. "I guess I'm glad to hear that. And this is just temporary... once you start feeling better again, we'll reevaluate and go from there."
Jason looks down and fiddles with a loose thread on the bedsheets.
Rick furrows his brow. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Jason lifts his gaze and forces a smile. "Does this mean I get to go home today?"
"I told Katie she can take you home after work."
"Okay." Jason watches Rick leave before he turns back to Katie, the same forced smile on his lips. "Well, I guess you get to play nursemaid." He reaches up and tugs a stray lock of her hair playfully. "Elite Agent... bodyguard... nurse... you're pretty talented."
Days at the ranch seemed to go by fast. After several days had passed, everyone was familiar with Stacy and Ashlee, making sure they had everything they needed and already getting used to them being around. Many made the extra effort to interact with them, getting to know them better and learning more about them.
After the first day, Dylan retreated some. He still didn't like the thought of Stacy being there, and though Ashlee made him a little intrigued, he withdrew, sticking to his barn chores, doing his schoolwork in his bunk or outdoors, and eating supper on his bunk porch like he used to do. He'd be back in the dining hall sometime... just... not right now. He did keep an eye on Ashlee though - if nothing else, simply out of curiosity about what made her tick.
Mick had noticed his son drawing back but hadn't said anything. If he did, he'd probably just make things worse. He'd just let this thing run its course, confident that Dylan would come around. At the very least, at least he was staying away from Ashlee for the most part...
...Evening. The sun was sinking low towards the horizon, spreading color across the clear sky. The ranch was relatively quiet, with most people gathered inside for dinner. The only one not accounted for was Dylan, who sat on his porch, slowly eating supper alone.
It didn't used to be unusual to see the red semi cab pull into the ranch. But this time, there had been several weeks of silence from the driver, which was a rare enough occurrence that his arrival would cause curiosity.
The engine sputters and gives a loud pop, followed by a hiss as it pulls to a halt. Eric looks out to see a thin trail of smoke leading from the hood. At least he had made it back. Unfortunately, he didn't know when he'd get to leave again. The temporary fix from the auto shop on the way here looked like it had worn out, and he knew there would be no second "band-aid." It would have to be totally fixed for him to drive anywhere now... and that might be some time away, seeing as though he couldn't afford the work that would need to be done on the old engine.
After parking in his regular spot, Eric doesn't get out of the cab right away. He had envisioned all of the "I told you so's" that he could, and dreaded every single one. He'd almost not come at all. Maybe he wouldn't have, had all his belongings not been here. He wasn't sure. But as it was, he was here, and he was here alone. His eyes drift to the passenger seat. It was just as empty as it had been since his wedding day, and just as empty as his heart.
Taking a deep breath, he finally exits his truck. It was evening and he could see activity through the window of the dining hall. His guess was that guests and ranch hands were finished with supper and that it was the family's turn now. He wasn't going to make an entrance though. He'd rather not. Someone had most likely heard his truck as he'd pulled in, but he would greet people later.
Easing down from the truck, he favors his leg that had grown increasingly sore the last couple days. Retrieving his duffel bag, he slings it over his shoulder and slowly heads towards his bunkhouse, head bent and limping slightly. His worn boots crunched on the gravel and he remembered the last time he'd had a stopover here. Dana had been on his arm and he'd been happier than any other time before. So much for that. Everything had only gone downhill from there.
Getting to his bunk, he unlocks the door and slips inside for the night.
In the dining hall, the sound of the sick engine had not escaped Clint's ears. Tilting back in his chair, he moves aside one of the curtains on the windows and quirks an eyebrow as he sees a familiar figure head to one of the bunkhouses. It was odd for two reasons - one, because Eric always came in to say hi, and two, because he was evidently alone. Clint was fully aware of the family tension though, so maybe it really wasn't that strange not to see Dana - perhaps she'd opted not to come or he'd put her up nearby, planning to leave again right away. Though the way the truck sounded, Clint had his doubts that Eric was going anywhere any time soon.
"Hey, what is it?"
Clint looks back to the table and to Jim. He lets his chair fall back onto all fours and shrugs. "Eric's back."
"Really? Is he coming in?"
"Nope. Headed to his bunk."
His voice his heard at the next table over, and Mick lifts his head, throwing Rosetta a sidelong glance. They'd both been rather concerned after not hearing from Eric for several weeks, but Mick had tried to be positive, suggesting the honeymoon lasted longer than planned, or they were just busy and Eric was content and had simply forgotten to call. But now that he was here... and sine he hadn't come inside... did someone need to go check on him?
3/8/11
Learn
As Tal comes up behind her Ryan relaxed a little as his hands go to her shoulder and than up her neck. As he starts to rub a little Ryan can't help the chill that ran down her spin giving her a good tingly sensation. Continuing to just relax trusting Tal she lets him bring his arm around her next as she doesn't tighten like he said.
Hearing the pop in her back Ryan gives a groan but feeling Tal's hands on the spot again she continues to relax before moving her head back and forth again. Surprisingly there was only a dull throb now.
"Wow...that feels much better. It's only a dull throb now."
Turning around to come face to face with Tal Ryan cocks her head a little bit as she smile up at him. He'd really worked that kind out and it surprised her a bit, but definitely felt good.
"Where did you learn how to do that?"
Trying to give the best smile she could to Rick Katie gives a small nod looking up at him. She new there was a light even if it was far away. No matter how this turned out there was a light...she just wish she new what waited on the other side for them both. A life on the antidote, without Jason...was not a life she wanted.
"I'll do all everything I can to convince him to let me stay with him."
Katie lets out a long sigh before she looks over at Jason again. Giving a little shake of her head she new she had to be strong. For Jason's sake she had to hold it together. God would let everything work out. She just had to have faith.
Hearing the pop in her back Ryan gives a groan but feeling Tal's hands on the spot again she continues to relax before moving her head back and forth again. Surprisingly there was only a dull throb now.
"Wow...that feels much better. It's only a dull throb now."
Turning around to come face to face with Tal Ryan cocks her head a little bit as she smile up at him. He'd really worked that kind out and it surprised her a bit, but definitely felt good.
"Where did you learn how to do that?"
Trying to give the best smile she could to Rick Katie gives a small nod looking up at him. She new there was a light even if it was far away. No matter how this turned out there was a light...she just wish she new what waited on the other side for them both. A life on the antidote, without Jason...was not a life she wanted.
"I'll do all everything I can to convince him to let me stay with him."
Katie lets out a long sigh before she looks over at Jason again. Giving a little shake of her head she new she had to be strong. For Jason's sake she had to hold it together. God would let everything work out. She just had to have faith.
3/7/11
Pop
Tal grins as he chews on his carrot. He probably wouldn't stop thanking Ryan, but he'd lay off for a little while at least, to keep her happy - his main goal was still to be here for her. The returned friendship from both her and Eli sure felt nice too though. Being able to help Ryan plus gain friends... maybe he hadn't thought he'd find both in the same place, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. And maybe... maybe until the last few days he hadn't realized what he'd been missing out on by not having any real friends.
Noticing Ryan rolling her neck, then hearing her comment about it killing her, he puts the rest of his carrot in his mouth and wipes his hands on his jeans. "Aw, well that's no good. Here." Coming up behind her, he places his hands on her shoulders and slides them up towards her neck, letting his thumbs find the knot. Massaging the area softy, he digs just a little bit, but carefully. After a few minutes, he slips one arm over her shoulder and around her front, careful to not let his forearm cut off her air, while his other palm remains on the knot at the base of her neck. "Relax for just a second..." Without much warning, he gives her a slight jerk. A pop is heard and he nods with satisfaction. "There ya go."
Sliding his hands back again, he rubs the spot gently to ease any soreness. "Feel better?"
Dylan quirks an eyebrow at Ashlee's statement about being lost. He wasn't sure why he sensed a deeper meaning. Personally, he'd rather not be lost in the first place - heading in the right direction to begin with seemed a whole lot better than wandering aimlessly, wasting time until one could find the right path again - especially if it was stupidity that got him lost in the first place. He supposed he could see some validity in Ashlee's perspective though... if one wound up lost, using it to find the right way again was probably the best outlook in the long run.
Realizing she's just waved, he stops thinking and returns a little wave and a nod. He wasn't so sure about doing schoolwork together, but he knew they'd see each other - it would be awfully hard not to around here.
Sighing, he aims for the door as well, but pauses just long enough to glance over his shoulder and realize that Mick was staring at him. The stare was a strange look... disapproval? Curiosity? Dylan couldn't be sure. He furrows his brow as if to ask, "What?" but the only response is a slight nod before Mick turns away. Dylan shrugs it off and keeps his route to the door. He'd given up on trying to read his father. Finding his tells in poker was one thing - in real life, Dylan still felt lost in a mystery.
Rick wasn't surprised Katie agreed to his request, though her saying yes to staying with Jason was still a relief. Her question though brings on a helpless expression that is hard to hide.
He sets a hand on her shoulder and looks her kindly in the eye. "There is always light at the end of the tunnel, Katie... always." He didn't have any other answers. He wished he did. But he didn't. So right now, hope and faith in God were all that they had. Otherwise, he and Misty were working blind.
"The biggest thing now is convincing him to take off work and let you stay with him - but I won't broach that subject for a few days at least, when he's stronger. I may need you to help convince him." Rick offers the best smile he can. "It'll all work out."
Noticing Ryan rolling her neck, then hearing her comment about it killing her, he puts the rest of his carrot in his mouth and wipes his hands on his jeans. "Aw, well that's no good. Here." Coming up behind her, he places his hands on her shoulders and slides them up towards her neck, letting his thumbs find the knot. Massaging the area softy, he digs just a little bit, but carefully. After a few minutes, he slips one arm over her shoulder and around her front, careful to not let his forearm cut off her air, while his other palm remains on the knot at the base of her neck. "Relax for just a second..." Without much warning, he gives her a slight jerk. A pop is heard and he nods with satisfaction. "There ya go."
Sliding his hands back again, he rubs the spot gently to ease any soreness. "Feel better?"
Dylan quirks an eyebrow at Ashlee's statement about being lost. He wasn't sure why he sensed a deeper meaning. Personally, he'd rather not be lost in the first place - heading in the right direction to begin with seemed a whole lot better than wandering aimlessly, wasting time until one could find the right path again - especially if it was stupidity that got him lost in the first place. He supposed he could see some validity in Ashlee's perspective though... if one wound up lost, using it to find the right way again was probably the best outlook in the long run.
Realizing she's just waved, he stops thinking and returns a little wave and a nod. He wasn't so sure about doing schoolwork together, but he knew they'd see each other - it would be awfully hard not to around here.
Sighing, he aims for the door as well, but pauses just long enough to glance over his shoulder and realize that Mick was staring at him. The stare was a strange look... disapproval? Curiosity? Dylan couldn't be sure. He furrows his brow as if to ask, "What?" but the only response is a slight nod before Mick turns away. Dylan shrugs it off and keeps his route to the door. He'd given up on trying to read his father. Finding his tells in poker was one thing - in real life, Dylan still felt lost in a mystery.
Rick wasn't surprised Katie agreed to his request, though her saying yes to staying with Jason was still a relief. Her question though brings on a helpless expression that is hard to hide.
He sets a hand on her shoulder and looks her kindly in the eye. "There is always light at the end of the tunnel, Katie... always." He didn't have any other answers. He wished he did. But he didn't. So right now, hope and faith in God were all that they had. Otherwise, he and Misty were working blind.
"The biggest thing now is convincing him to take off work and let you stay with him - but I won't broach that subject for a few days at least, when he's stronger. I may need you to help convince him." Rick offers the best smile he can. "It'll all work out."
3/6/11
Neck
Watching as Dylan stands Ashlee just watches him for a moment before standing again herself. Maybe she shouldn't have sat so soon. Did it make him leery and scare him away? She was hoping for a longer conversation that that but at least it was a start. Hearing his offer about going back into the night she is broke her thought and a smile slips to her lips. It was a nice offer.
"I think I can find my way and if not thats ok. Getting lost is not so bad, because the only way to really find ones way is to be lost first. Thanks though that was very nice of you."
Taking her own papers she had set on the table and turns to head to the door. Stopping though Ashlee turns around and looks at Dylan again before cocking her head. Lifting her free hand she gives a wave. She'd be seeing more of Dylan and she couldn't help but be excited about it. He was cute, and seemed like a pretty cool guy.
"I'll see you around Dylan. Maybe we can sit and do some school work together sometime. Have a good night."
Standing at the stove and string the pot of spaghetti sauce Ryan smiles a little that was followed by a little laugh. She really didn't think cooking was anything special, she just picked up on different things here and there through he life. But she was pleased it made Tal happy and if he didn't mind watching her cook that it was ok.
"You can stop thanking me all the time. You are more than welcome here anytime you want to be and its nice to not be alone on the cold nights when Eli is out."
There was so much truth to that statement that Ryan really hadn't thought about until after she said it. The nights had been pretty lonely the last few weeks since when Eli was gone there was no one else around.
Moving on through she moves her neck from one side to the other as she lets the sauce simmer for a moment. Since this morning her neck had been killing her, but she hadn't noticed it again till a little while ago. Maybe when she did her dive bomb it aggravated it again.
"Man, I think I slept on my neck wrong. Its killing me."
Looking at Rick and listing to what he said Katie lets him talk taking in everything he said. As he continued though her gaze glanced to Jason and she just watched him sleep. He looked...peaceful right now yet on the inside a terrible war was raging what would win in the end was uncertain and maybe thats what scared Katie the most. Turning her attachen back to Rick Katie gives a nod.
"Yeah I'll stay with him at night. I'd like that...than I know he's doing ok myself and it would put me at ease too."
Looking down at her lap for a moment Katie fingers one of the crackers for a long moment. Lots of thoughts ran through her mind. No one had to say anything but she already new that Jason was fading fast. It was something she could feel even without there emotional connection, just one of those gut feeling.
"Any break troughs on how to help Jason? Or at least some time of light at the end of the tunnal?"
"I think I can find my way and if not thats ok. Getting lost is not so bad, because the only way to really find ones way is to be lost first. Thanks though that was very nice of you."
Taking her own papers she had set on the table and turns to head to the door. Stopping though Ashlee turns around and looks at Dylan again before cocking her head. Lifting her free hand she gives a wave. She'd be seeing more of Dylan and she couldn't help but be excited about it. He was cute, and seemed like a pretty cool guy.
"I'll see you around Dylan. Maybe we can sit and do some school work together sometime. Have a good night."
Standing at the stove and string the pot of spaghetti sauce Ryan smiles a little that was followed by a little laugh. She really didn't think cooking was anything special, she just picked up on different things here and there through he life. But she was pleased it made Tal happy and if he didn't mind watching her cook that it was ok.
"You can stop thanking me all the time. You are more than welcome here anytime you want to be and its nice to not be alone on the cold nights when Eli is out."
There was so much truth to that statement that Ryan really hadn't thought about until after she said it. The nights had been pretty lonely the last few weeks since when Eli was gone there was no one else around.
Moving on through she moves her neck from one side to the other as she lets the sauce simmer for a moment. Since this morning her neck had been killing her, but she hadn't noticed it again till a little while ago. Maybe when she did her dive bomb it aggravated it again.
"Man, I think I slept on my neck wrong. Its killing me."
Looking at Rick and listing to what he said Katie lets him talk taking in everything he said. As he continued though her gaze glanced to Jason and she just watched him sleep. He looked...peaceful right now yet on the inside a terrible war was raging what would win in the end was uncertain and maybe thats what scared Katie the most. Turning her attachen back to Rick Katie gives a nod.
"Yeah I'll stay with him at night. I'd like that...than I know he's doing ok myself and it would put me at ease too."
Looking down at her lap for a moment Katie fingers one of the crackers for a long moment. Lots of thoughts ran through her mind. No one had to say anything but she already new that Jason was fading fast. It was something she could feel even without there emotional connection, just one of those gut feeling.
"Any break troughs on how to help Jason? Or at least some time of light at the end of the tunnal?"
3/5/11
Missing
Dyaln's eyes don't move from Ashlee's face as she talks. He wondered if "a little trouble" meant she knew all the details or not. He figured not. Otherwise, he doubted she'd be sitting here talking to him. She seemed the type to be turned off by a guy doing drugs and having girls, not intrigued by it. It was just as well that she didn't know everything. Not that she appeared too naive to handle it, but Dylan was tired of his life being displayed to the world.
Her question brings an answer, but it was several moments in between. "Yeah... it was the Agency." He wasn't sure he could call it a "run in" it was more like him being manipulated and abused without even realizing who it was. Those feelings cause his gaze to drop for the first time and he leans back, gathering his school books. "Hopefully your mom's job will be a boring one with no one around here to cause trouble. Then maybe one day I can actually have a normal life."
He stands up, books under his arm, and turns to leave, but stops. Looking back over his shoulder, he gives Ashlee a look of question. It was dark out now. "You know the way back to your house alright?"
Tal moves his head around to see Ryan, while he remained on the floor. She was inviting him to stay? With just her? A little smile curls his lips. "Something other than a tv dinner or fast food sounds great."
Eli grunts as he gets himself up and brushes off his jeans. "You can use whatever you want, Speedy, I don't care." He wanders to the hallway. "I'm gonna shower then take off. You two have fun."
Tal's eyes follow Eli before he manages to sit up too, heaving a sigh. "Well... I think that went quite well." He throws Ryan a look, followed by a grin. "Pulling one over on Eli is the best entertainment I've had in a long time."
...It wasn't too much longer before Eli was cleaned up and gone to meet Scarlet, and the aroma of supper was wafting from the kitchen. Tal leans back against the counter and chews on a raw carrot that was leftover from making the lettuce salad. He watches Ryan fixing their meal and cocks his head. "I'm always impressed with people who can cook. Eli's right - all I do is make burnt crispies, so I usually wind up with fast food for my meals." A new smiles surfaces... one that said perhaps while he was trying to be a friend, receiving friendship in return was something he'd been missing. "Thanks for letting me stay."
Rick smiles warmly and helps Katie eat and drink a little, glad to see a little bit of color returning to her face. "Jason's okay... he's just sleeping." He reaches out to feel Katie's forehead. "I think you're gonna be okay too."
Sitting back a little, he sighs wearily, but still manages to keep a soft expression on his face. "I... wanted to talk to you, Katie. I've already spoken to Reese, and he's agreed to take Jason off work for a while. I think it's best that Jason not have that stress - antidote or not - and Reese agrees. But... I worry about leaving him alone, too."
Cocking his head, he studies Katie's face. He was pretty sure he knew what her response would be, but discussing it anyway was a must. "If you'd be willing, I'd feel best if you could stay with Jason at night for a while."
If it had been anybody else, Rick would have thought his suggestion inappropriate. But he knew these two too well to worry about anything like that. As far as he was concerned, if anybody thought it looked wrong, it was their problem - Jason's health was at stake, and Rick wouldn't suggest this for any other reason.
"I don't want you taking off work completely... you worrying about Jason twenty-four/seven wouldn't do either of you any good. But if he's got you there at night at least to make sure he's doing alright, that would ease my mind, keep him from going too stir crazy while not working, and if anything happened, you'd be there. I'd make him stay here, but I know he wouldn't go for that and I'm tired of upsetting him."
Rick looks down a moment, contemplating what else he wanted to say. "If this goes like last time, I'd give him a week or so to recover, then after that, we can reevaluate what needs to happen. If the antidote helps, I might let him come back to work, but... I don't think it's wise for you guys to go back off of it again until we have a permanent solution."
He pats her arm gently. "What do you think? Would you be willing to stay with him for a little while?"
Her question brings an answer, but it was several moments in between. "Yeah... it was the Agency." He wasn't sure he could call it a "run in" it was more like him being manipulated and abused without even realizing who it was. Those feelings cause his gaze to drop for the first time and he leans back, gathering his school books. "Hopefully your mom's job will be a boring one with no one around here to cause trouble. Then maybe one day I can actually have a normal life."
He stands up, books under his arm, and turns to leave, but stops. Looking back over his shoulder, he gives Ashlee a look of question. It was dark out now. "You know the way back to your house alright?"
Tal moves his head around to see Ryan, while he remained on the floor. She was inviting him to stay? With just her? A little smile curls his lips. "Something other than a tv dinner or fast food sounds great."
Eli grunts as he gets himself up and brushes off his jeans. "You can use whatever you want, Speedy, I don't care." He wanders to the hallway. "I'm gonna shower then take off. You two have fun."
Tal's eyes follow Eli before he manages to sit up too, heaving a sigh. "Well... I think that went quite well." He throws Ryan a look, followed by a grin. "Pulling one over on Eli is the best entertainment I've had in a long time."
...It wasn't too much longer before Eli was cleaned up and gone to meet Scarlet, and the aroma of supper was wafting from the kitchen. Tal leans back against the counter and chews on a raw carrot that was leftover from making the lettuce salad. He watches Ryan fixing their meal and cocks his head. "I'm always impressed with people who can cook. Eli's right - all I do is make burnt crispies, so I usually wind up with fast food for my meals." A new smiles surfaces... one that said perhaps while he was trying to be a friend, receiving friendship in return was something he'd been missing. "Thanks for letting me stay."
Rick smiles warmly and helps Katie eat and drink a little, glad to see a little bit of color returning to her face. "Jason's okay... he's just sleeping." He reaches out to feel Katie's forehead. "I think you're gonna be okay too."
Sitting back a little, he sighs wearily, but still manages to keep a soft expression on his face. "I... wanted to talk to you, Katie. I've already spoken to Reese, and he's agreed to take Jason off work for a while. I think it's best that Jason not have that stress - antidote or not - and Reese agrees. But... I worry about leaving him alone, too."
Cocking his head, he studies Katie's face. He was pretty sure he knew what her response would be, but discussing it anyway was a must. "If you'd be willing, I'd feel best if you could stay with Jason at night for a while."
If it had been anybody else, Rick would have thought his suggestion inappropriate. But he knew these two too well to worry about anything like that. As far as he was concerned, if anybody thought it looked wrong, it was their problem - Jason's health was at stake, and Rick wouldn't suggest this for any other reason.
"I don't want you taking off work completely... you worrying about Jason twenty-four/seven wouldn't do either of you any good. But if he's got you there at night at least to make sure he's doing alright, that would ease my mind, keep him from going too stir crazy while not working, and if anything happened, you'd be there. I'd make him stay here, but I know he wouldn't go for that and I'm tired of upsetting him."
Rick looks down a moment, contemplating what else he wanted to say. "If this goes like last time, I'd give him a week or so to recover, then after that, we can reevaluate what needs to happen. If the antidote helps, I might let him come back to work, but... I don't think it's wise for you guys to go back off of it again until we have a permanent solution."
He pats her arm gently. "What do you think? Would you be willing to stay with him for a little while?"
3/4/11
Can't feel
Standing again and than flopping down in the chair so she could still face both guys Ryan gasps from air herself. From laughing and trying to hold her own she was out of breath. Panting and just trying to get it together the smile on Ryan's face did not remove itself and the glitter in her eye remained as well. She felt....good.
Hearing Tal talk about leaving Ryan sits up straight on the couch. He wanted to leave already? Thinking fast Ryan new Eli was going out with Scarlet and there was no race tonight. So that meant she would be alone. That was not something she really wanted to look forward to. Time alone, allowed time to think and she didn't want to think. She had felt good today and she wanted it to continue. Maybe...he'd like to stay.
"I've got nothing going on tonight and Eli is going out on a date. If you want to stay Tal I'll cook dinner and maybe we can watch a movie or Eli will let us play his play station."
Ryan gives a smile to Tal she did want him to stay. His presence was welcomed and the comfort that seemed to come along with it. Not to mention he was really cute and he was nice.
Lost deep in sleep Katie feels the shake to her shoulder, Ricks voice softly following. Moving a little and squinting to open her eyes a little Katie just looks at the ceiling for a long moment letting her eyes adjust to the light.
She still felt tired, but better than a few hours before..doing what she could to tilt her head and makes sure Jason was still there Katie trys to sit up a little bit and look at Rick. She new she had to eat something now to keep her own strength up.
"Yeah...I...I think I can."
Taking the crackers and the oj Katie takes a few bits and a few sips before letting them settle a little in her stomach before trying to eat a little more. Looking back over at Jason worry ran though Katie's eyes. She couldn't feel him again...so was he ok?
"Is...is J ok I can't feel him?"
Pulling out the chair at the table Ashlee sits down and holds her hands on the table before leaning into them a little bit. Looking over at Dylan as he leans back in his chair Ashlee can't help but let her mouth hang open a little bit. He really did look good, and he was older too.
"I know you've been in a little trouble and people are after you. So they called in my mom to keep a look after things around here and keep everyone safe. It was the Agency you had a run in with...wasn't it?"
Hearing Tal talk about leaving Ryan sits up straight on the couch. He wanted to leave already? Thinking fast Ryan new Eli was going out with Scarlet and there was no race tonight. So that meant she would be alone. That was not something she really wanted to look forward to. Time alone, allowed time to think and she didn't want to think. She had felt good today and she wanted it to continue. Maybe...he'd like to stay.
"I've got nothing going on tonight and Eli is going out on a date. If you want to stay Tal I'll cook dinner and maybe we can watch a movie or Eli will let us play his play station."
Ryan gives a smile to Tal she did want him to stay. His presence was welcomed and the comfort that seemed to come along with it. Not to mention he was really cute and he was nice.
Lost deep in sleep Katie feels the shake to her shoulder, Ricks voice softly following. Moving a little and squinting to open her eyes a little Katie just looks at the ceiling for a long moment letting her eyes adjust to the light.
She still felt tired, but better than a few hours before..doing what she could to tilt her head and makes sure Jason was still there Katie trys to sit up a little bit and look at Rick. She new she had to eat something now to keep her own strength up.
"Yeah...I...I think I can."
Taking the crackers and the oj Katie takes a few bits and a few sips before letting them settle a little in her stomach before trying to eat a little more. Looking back over at Jason worry ran though Katie's eyes. She couldn't feel him again...so was he ok?
"Is...is J ok I can't feel him?"
Pulling out the chair at the table Ashlee sits down and holds her hands on the table before leaning into them a little bit. Looking over at Dylan as he leans back in his chair Ashlee can't help but let her mouth hang open a little bit. He really did look good, and he was older too.
"I know you've been in a little trouble and people are after you. So they called in my mom to keep a look after things around here and keep everyone safe. It was the Agency you had a run in with...wasn't it?"
No idea
Seeing Ryan coming, Tal braces himself, while Eli, unprepared, gets the wind knocked right out of him. Something between a grunt and an "Oomf!" is heard and Eli lets go of Tal, though is still piled on top of him. "Ryan!" Eli squirms around to tickle her by means of getting her off.
As the two wriggle around though, Tal starts to run out of breath, especially when someone's elbow winds up in his gut. Laughing though, it's hard to regain any control at all. "Would you two carry on your tickle match somewhere else?" he hollers teasingly. Mustering up his strength, he gives a mighty heave and hefts both Eli and Ryan off of him so he can roll away and into the clear. His face was beet red by now, but it was still nearly impossible to catch his breath in between his laughing.
Eli winds up sprawled out on the floor too, giving up on wrestling anymore with anyone, totally worn out and trying to catch his breath too. "So what were we talking about?"
Tal grins as he lies on his back and stares up at the ceiling. "You were trying to get me to leave."
"Oh yeah." Eli looks around for his bandanna and finds it, but remains lying on the floor. "So what are you still doing here?"
"I have no idea. But now that we figured out no one wins, I probably should go."
Jason's eyes fall shut again - it took too much energy to keep them open. But his fingers curl a little around Katie's. He felt her touch. He heard her voice. He knew she was okay. Not well at the moment, but okay nonetheless. "I love you too," he whispers.
It would only be a short while later that Jason would feel another prick of a needle in his arm and he knew that it was the full dose of the antidote. And even though he wanted to fight it, he knew that this time, he wouldn't be able to go off of it.
At least an hour and a half later, Rick leans back against the infirmary counter and watches Jason and Katie sleeping. By this evening, Katie would probably be up and functioning again and then by tomorrow, Jason would be well enough to complain about the whole thing and want to get out of here even though he'd be too weak. Rick could see the whole thing already and knew these two well enough that it took most of the guesswork out of it. But that only served to make him think about what his response would be to all of this. And he knew that Jason would be upset with him.
Returning to the blood analysis that Misty had helped him with, he compares samples from last week and now, and finds only more deterioration. This thing, whatever it was, was not slowing down. A visit to Reese's office, a phone call to Cindy, and he was back again, growing more weary as the day dragged on.
Going to Katie's bed, he sits down beside her to rouse her gently while he let Jason continue to sleep. "Hey, Katie." His hand rests softly on her shoulder. It was evening and he wanted to make sure she was doing alright, then talk to her about a few things. "Got some orange juice and crackers here... think you can handle a little bit of it?"
Dylan's eyes don't leave Ashlee's face as she talks. Was it disinterest on his face, or was he just studying her? It was hard to tell.
Her request to sit makes his eyebrow quirk again. "I don't care. You can sit wherever you want."
He pushes on the floor with his feet, making his chair rock on its back legs while he kept his hands behind his head. "Me an' school never did get along. I dare say the teachers back home are glad to be rid of me. Now it's Rosetta that has to put up with my D minuses since she's too nice to give me Fs." And all that did was put him under supervision, which made him cringe just thinking about it. At the moment, he was struggling to do well enough on his next set of tests to avoid having to do all his work in the office with Rosetta's help.
Letting his chair flop back down again, he leans forward, putting his elbows on the table and continuing his stare at Ashlee. "So how much did they tell you about me?"
As the two wriggle around though, Tal starts to run out of breath, especially when someone's elbow winds up in his gut. Laughing though, it's hard to regain any control at all. "Would you two carry on your tickle match somewhere else?" he hollers teasingly. Mustering up his strength, he gives a mighty heave and hefts both Eli and Ryan off of him so he can roll away and into the clear. His face was beet red by now, but it was still nearly impossible to catch his breath in between his laughing.
Eli winds up sprawled out on the floor too, giving up on wrestling anymore with anyone, totally worn out and trying to catch his breath too. "So what were we talking about?"
Tal grins as he lies on his back and stares up at the ceiling. "You were trying to get me to leave."
"Oh yeah." Eli looks around for his bandanna and finds it, but remains lying on the floor. "So what are you still doing here?"
"I have no idea. But now that we figured out no one wins, I probably should go."
Jason's eyes fall shut again - it took too much energy to keep them open. But his fingers curl a little around Katie's. He felt her touch. He heard her voice. He knew she was okay. Not well at the moment, but okay nonetheless. "I love you too," he whispers.
It would only be a short while later that Jason would feel another prick of a needle in his arm and he knew that it was the full dose of the antidote. And even though he wanted to fight it, he knew that this time, he wouldn't be able to go off of it.
At least an hour and a half later, Rick leans back against the infirmary counter and watches Jason and Katie sleeping. By this evening, Katie would probably be up and functioning again and then by tomorrow, Jason would be well enough to complain about the whole thing and want to get out of here even though he'd be too weak. Rick could see the whole thing already and knew these two well enough that it took most of the guesswork out of it. But that only served to make him think about what his response would be to all of this. And he knew that Jason would be upset with him.
Returning to the blood analysis that Misty had helped him with, he compares samples from last week and now, and finds only more deterioration. This thing, whatever it was, was not slowing down. A visit to Reese's office, a phone call to Cindy, and he was back again, growing more weary as the day dragged on.
Going to Katie's bed, he sits down beside her to rouse her gently while he let Jason continue to sleep. "Hey, Katie." His hand rests softly on her shoulder. It was evening and he wanted to make sure she was doing alright, then talk to her about a few things. "Got some orange juice and crackers here... think you can handle a little bit of it?"
Dylan's eyes don't leave Ashlee's face as she talks. Was it disinterest on his face, or was he just studying her? It was hard to tell.
Her request to sit makes his eyebrow quirk again. "I don't care. You can sit wherever you want."
He pushes on the floor with his feet, making his chair rock on its back legs while he kept his hands behind his head. "Me an' school never did get along. I dare say the teachers back home are glad to be rid of me. Now it's Rosetta that has to put up with my D minuses since she's too nice to give me Fs." And all that did was put him under supervision, which made him cringe just thinking about it. At the moment, he was struggling to do well enough on his next set of tests to avoid having to do all his work in the office with Rosetta's help.
Letting his chair flop back down again, he leans forward, putting his elbows on the table and continuing his stare at Ashlee. "So how much did they tell you about me?"
3/3/11
Defenseless
Ryan can't help but laugh more as she see the confusion on Eli's face and the humor he really did find in the whole thing in his eyes as well. It was funny, and having the oppertunity to pull one over on Eli didn't come along every day so when it happened it was even better.
"Ah man I wish I had a camera this is priceless really."
As Eli and Tal start to wrestle Ryan can't help but laugh more her eyes twinkling, and a small spark that had been lost for a few days now seemed to flicker again. It was good to see Eli laugh as well, and Ryan just couldn't help that strange sense of peace like she had the other day.
Ryan's train of thought comes to a complete stop at Eli's comment of Tal being her boyfriend. It took it off guard for a moment and she had to think about it. Her jaw hanging open just a little bit. She almost felt speechless but tried to recover quickly not wanting anyone to feel strange.
"Pst, if he was my boyfriend there is no way I'd call him off. This is to funny."
Continuing to watch the two men Ryan laughs continue again as she shakes her head and a few times has to move her own position on where she was standing so she didn't get run over too. Hearing Tal call out Ryan just shakes her head again before feeling a little bad.
"How could I leave a defenseless man calling for help?"
Getting a little running start Ryan comes and jumps right on Eli forgetting Tal was under him but just laying on top of them both her laughter just ringing through the air.
"Ah man I wish I had a camera this is priceless really."
As Eli and Tal start to wrestle Ryan can't help but laugh more her eyes twinkling, and a small spark that had been lost for a few days now seemed to flicker again. It was good to see Eli laugh as well, and Ryan just couldn't help that strange sense of peace like she had the other day.
Ryan's train of thought comes to a complete stop at Eli's comment of Tal being her boyfriend. It took it off guard for a moment and she had to think about it. Her jaw hanging open just a little bit. She almost felt speechless but tried to recover quickly not wanting anyone to feel strange.
"Pst, if he was my boyfriend there is no way I'd call him off. This is to funny."
Continuing to watch the two men Ryan laughs continue again as she shakes her head and a few times has to move her own position on where she was standing so she didn't get run over too. Hearing Tal call out Ryan just shakes her head again before feeling a little bad.
"How could I leave a defenseless man calling for help?"
Getting a little running start Ryan comes and jumps right on Eli forgetting Tal was under him but just laying on top of them both her laughter just ringing through the air.
Wrestling
"Ouch!" Eli flinches as he receives Ryan's whack. He rubs the back of his head and looks up at her with annoyance, but a sheepishness that revealed he knew he deserved it.
Her change of tone and smile though, throw him off and his expression grows slightly confused. And when she mentions Tal, his eyes go wide and his mouth hangs open. Catching movement by the hallway, his eyes dart in that direction.
Tal's entrance is less than elegant, for by now, he'd started to laugh so hard, he could barely move. Leaning back against the wall, he holds his sides as he laughs and he shakes his head. "That was... brilliant."
"Brilliant?!" Eli stands up and looks between Tal and his sister and back again. "You mean to tell me this whole thing was a setup?"
Tal tries to calm himself and breathe. "Only after I did go and make a fool of myself, thanks to you."
Eli blinks and finally sets his hands on his hips. Though his eyes narrow, they start to twinkle with something that gave away he was beginning to find humor in this now too. Glancing to his sister, he gives her shoulder a shove before sauntering over to Tal and giving him a deliberate once-over. "Think you're pretty funny, tough guy, eh?"
Tal bites his lip and nods. "Actually I... think I do."
"Leaving me alone in the shop, thinking that I completely destroyed a good friendship."
"You were the one that let me think I'd done something wrong."
"So?" Eli steps closer. "You two hardly know each other and you're already a dangerous team." He glances back at Ryan then returns to Tal. "Eliminating one of you is only fair." Grabbing Tal in a sloppy chokehold, he starts to drag him towards the door.
Tal lets out a shout and chokes on a laugh as he's dragged along. Planting his feet, he manages to wriggle out of Eli's grasp, and the wrestling match begins. It really wasn't clear who tripped first, but somehow both men wind up on the floor, first Eli on top, then Tal, then back again as they grappled. Both were out of breath and laughing but neither one was going to give up.
"Ryan!" Eli tries to breathe as he looks up at Tal from his back. "Call off your boyfriend!"
Tal's eyes widen and his shock is his downfall as he gives Eli too much slack and winds up on the bottom again with his face planted on the carpet. "I even brought your t-shirt back to you!"
"Ah yes, the infamous..." Eli's words are lost as he gets flipped over and pinned.
"Infamous." Tal laughs as he struggles to keep the upper hand. "Bet you wish you woulda let me go home early, eh?"
"What? And miss all this?" Another swift move and Eli is back on top.
"Help!" Tal starts to laugh again as he calls out to Ryan. "Your brother weighs a ton!"
"So tell me about Yvette."
Alec spins on his heel as he paces in the small room and throws Justin a less-than-pleased look. "Off limits."
Justin quirks an eyebrow. After finally getting Alec to talk to Reese, sessions had been pretty frustrating and he was having a hard time getting into Alec's inner thoughts - but right now, he'd obviously struck a chord. "What - you think you got something I haven't heard before?"
"I wouldn't want to shock you."
"Try me."
Alec rolls his eyes. "What do you care about Yvette anyway? What difference does it make?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just wondering why you'd ditch your girlfriend for her." Justin straddles his chair backwards and leans his elbows on the backrest. "Seems a little out of character."
"Then you don't know me very well."
Justin cocks his head. "The guy that helped me with Scott... isn't who I'm seeing today."
Alec sets his hands on his hips and looks up at the ceiling for a moment. "What do you want, Justin? Why are you even here?"
"Because I want to help you."
"Help me what?"
"Cope."
"With what? Getting shot? Getting dragged back here against my will? Being interrogated? Being thrown into a little cell with the only future as one behind bars?"
"Nah... more like... cope with yourself."
Alec scoffs. "That's a bunch of crap."
"Well if all it is, is crap, then what's the problem? Humor me."
"I don't do humor." Alec wanders in circles for a few more moments, only to see Justin still staring at him. "Alright, fine. Yvette... is an old colleague. We already knew each other... this time, it just so happened we got hooked up again."
"Mm-hmm. So when you say 'colleague,' what exactly do you mean?"
Alec throws him another look. "You got an imagination - use it."
"Okay, so you two had a relationship. So when you two got together this last time, Ryan just went out the window, huh?"
Alec flops down on the cot, growing weary. Each time Justin came, it felt like someone was taking a pickax to the wall around his heart - it wasn't comfortable, but ironically, the more that was torn down, the harder it became to resist just giving in and tearing down the wall himself. Today was no different, and Justin had intentionally brought up a subject that would bother him. And yet... he really had no defense on this one, and he was tired of fighting. "Every time I..." He stops and chooses different words. "Every time Yvette and I... when we were together... All I could think about was Ryan."
"You imagined her?"
"Not like that." Alec swings his gaze around, a disgusted look on his face. "I'm not that perverted."
Justin shrugs. "Then what were you thinking about her?"
Alec chews on the inside of his lip. "It's private."
"Okay." Justin makes a note. "But you're the one who said you weren't perverted."
Alec shoots him a glare. "I hate myself enough the way it is. Why do you insist on making it harder?"
"Who's making it harder? Me or you?"
It didn't seem like a fair question. Alec rubs his sore shoulder. "I thought about Ryan... and how she must feel with me walking out on her. I pictured the look on her face right before I'd kiss her and how I would feel like I never wanted to let her go. I thought about the damage I was doing and how I'd never be able to hold her again."
Justin looks at him thoughtfully. "So why did you give in to Yvette? It doesn't make sense."
"It does if your life depends on it... and the lives of the people you actually care about. If I hadn't slept with Yvette, she would have known something wasn't right. I had a bad reputation in the Agency...it's just... a given when you're there. No one's faithful to anybody. If I would have resisted, Yvette would have known immediately that something was wrong. She would have blown the whistle, and right about now my friends and family would be dead."
Justin sighs deeply. "But you still feel guilty."
Alec swallows hard. "I felt guilty every time I got near her. I still feel like I need a scalding shower."
Justin couldn't relate, but he did have an understanding and he felt badly for Alec. "Well, we know that won't help. Do you think you could have handled things differently?"
"I don't know. Everybody else seems to think so."
"But at the time, you felt what you did was best?"
Alec shrugs. "I had to think fast. It was all I could come up with and it was the only thing I figured would save lives."
"But do you think it was best?"
"I don't know anymore. The best decision I made was to walk in front of a bullet." Alec glances at Justin with displeasure. "But no one would even let me have that."
The tone had shifted - the open door was gone. Justin leaves the subject of Yvette and Ryan be for now. "Suicide is never the way, Alec. You know that."
"Do I?"
"Keep talking like that and they'll put you in a hospital."
"Maybe I deserve it."
Justin stands up. "I think we're done for today."
Alec scoffs. "You like to walk away, don't you?"
"On bad attitudes? Yeah, I do. Bad for my health." Justin gets to the door but turns once more. "I'll see you tomorrow, Alec. In the meantime, think about how it would feel to forgive yourself."
Forgive himself? Alec scoffs as he's left alone. Forgive himself for what? That was a ridiculous statement. Everything he did, he wanted to. So he thought about Ryan... so what? He still wouldn't change anything he did. It was his choice and he would have chosen to stay with the Agency. He'd wanted to. It's what he'd wanted. Yes... what he wanted. So why couldn't he get rid of this irritating guilt complex that haunted him day in and day out?
Her change of tone and smile though, throw him off and his expression grows slightly confused. And when she mentions Tal, his eyes go wide and his mouth hangs open. Catching movement by the hallway, his eyes dart in that direction.
Tal's entrance is less than elegant, for by now, he'd started to laugh so hard, he could barely move. Leaning back against the wall, he holds his sides as he laughs and he shakes his head. "That was... brilliant."
"Brilliant?!" Eli stands up and looks between Tal and his sister and back again. "You mean to tell me this whole thing was a setup?"
Tal tries to calm himself and breathe. "Only after I did go and make a fool of myself, thanks to you."
Eli blinks and finally sets his hands on his hips. Though his eyes narrow, they start to twinkle with something that gave away he was beginning to find humor in this now too. Glancing to his sister, he gives her shoulder a shove before sauntering over to Tal and giving him a deliberate once-over. "Think you're pretty funny, tough guy, eh?"
Tal bites his lip and nods. "Actually I... think I do."
"Leaving me alone in the shop, thinking that I completely destroyed a good friendship."
"You were the one that let me think I'd done something wrong."
"So?" Eli steps closer. "You two hardly know each other and you're already a dangerous team." He glances back at Ryan then returns to Tal. "Eliminating one of you is only fair." Grabbing Tal in a sloppy chokehold, he starts to drag him towards the door.
Tal lets out a shout and chokes on a laugh as he's dragged along. Planting his feet, he manages to wriggle out of Eli's grasp, and the wrestling match begins. It really wasn't clear who tripped first, but somehow both men wind up on the floor, first Eli on top, then Tal, then back again as they grappled. Both were out of breath and laughing but neither one was going to give up.
"Ryan!" Eli tries to breathe as he looks up at Tal from his back. "Call off your boyfriend!"
Tal's eyes widen and his shock is his downfall as he gives Eli too much slack and winds up on the bottom again with his face planted on the carpet. "I even brought your t-shirt back to you!"
"Ah yes, the infamous..." Eli's words are lost as he gets flipped over and pinned.
"Infamous." Tal laughs as he struggles to keep the upper hand. "Bet you wish you woulda let me go home early, eh?"
"What? And miss all this?" Another swift move and Eli is back on top.
"Help!" Tal starts to laugh again as he calls out to Ryan. "Your brother weighs a ton!"
"So tell me about Yvette."
Alec spins on his heel as he paces in the small room and throws Justin a less-than-pleased look. "Off limits."
Justin quirks an eyebrow. After finally getting Alec to talk to Reese, sessions had been pretty frustrating and he was having a hard time getting into Alec's inner thoughts - but right now, he'd obviously struck a chord. "What - you think you got something I haven't heard before?"
"I wouldn't want to shock you."
"Try me."
Alec rolls his eyes. "What do you care about Yvette anyway? What difference does it make?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just wondering why you'd ditch your girlfriend for her." Justin straddles his chair backwards and leans his elbows on the backrest. "Seems a little out of character."
"Then you don't know me very well."
Justin cocks his head. "The guy that helped me with Scott... isn't who I'm seeing today."
Alec sets his hands on his hips and looks up at the ceiling for a moment. "What do you want, Justin? Why are you even here?"
"Because I want to help you."
"Help me what?"
"Cope."
"With what? Getting shot? Getting dragged back here against my will? Being interrogated? Being thrown into a little cell with the only future as one behind bars?"
"Nah... more like... cope with yourself."
Alec scoffs. "That's a bunch of crap."
"Well if all it is, is crap, then what's the problem? Humor me."
"I don't do humor." Alec wanders in circles for a few more moments, only to see Justin still staring at him. "Alright, fine. Yvette... is an old colleague. We already knew each other... this time, it just so happened we got hooked up again."
"Mm-hmm. So when you say 'colleague,' what exactly do you mean?"
Alec throws him another look. "You got an imagination - use it."
"Okay, so you two had a relationship. So when you two got together this last time, Ryan just went out the window, huh?"
Alec flops down on the cot, growing weary. Each time Justin came, it felt like someone was taking a pickax to the wall around his heart - it wasn't comfortable, but ironically, the more that was torn down, the harder it became to resist just giving in and tearing down the wall himself. Today was no different, and Justin had intentionally brought up a subject that would bother him. And yet... he really had no defense on this one, and he was tired of fighting. "Every time I..." He stops and chooses different words. "Every time Yvette and I... when we were together... All I could think about was Ryan."
"You imagined her?"
"Not like that." Alec swings his gaze around, a disgusted look on his face. "I'm not that perverted."
Justin shrugs. "Then what were you thinking about her?"
Alec chews on the inside of his lip. "It's private."
"Okay." Justin makes a note. "But you're the one who said you weren't perverted."
Alec shoots him a glare. "I hate myself enough the way it is. Why do you insist on making it harder?"
"Who's making it harder? Me or you?"
It didn't seem like a fair question. Alec rubs his sore shoulder. "I thought about Ryan... and how she must feel with me walking out on her. I pictured the look on her face right before I'd kiss her and how I would feel like I never wanted to let her go. I thought about the damage I was doing and how I'd never be able to hold her again."
Justin looks at him thoughtfully. "So why did you give in to Yvette? It doesn't make sense."
"It does if your life depends on it... and the lives of the people you actually care about. If I hadn't slept with Yvette, she would have known something wasn't right. I had a bad reputation in the Agency...it's just... a given when you're there. No one's faithful to anybody. If I would have resisted, Yvette would have known immediately that something was wrong. She would have blown the whistle, and right about now my friends and family would be dead."
Justin sighs deeply. "But you still feel guilty."
Alec swallows hard. "I felt guilty every time I got near her. I still feel like I need a scalding shower."
Justin couldn't relate, but he did have an understanding and he felt badly for Alec. "Well, we know that won't help. Do you think you could have handled things differently?"
"I don't know. Everybody else seems to think so."
"But at the time, you felt what you did was best?"
Alec shrugs. "I had to think fast. It was all I could come up with and it was the only thing I figured would save lives."
"But do you think it was best?"
"I don't know anymore. The best decision I made was to walk in front of a bullet." Alec glances at Justin with displeasure. "But no one would even let me have that."
The tone had shifted - the open door was gone. Justin leaves the subject of Yvette and Ryan be for now. "Suicide is never the way, Alec. You know that."
"Do I?"
"Keep talking like that and they'll put you in a hospital."
"Maybe I deserve it."
Justin stands up. "I think we're done for today."
Alec scoffs. "You like to walk away, don't you?"
"On bad attitudes? Yeah, I do. Bad for my health." Justin gets to the door but turns once more. "I'll see you tomorrow, Alec. In the meantime, think about how it would feel to forgive yourself."
Forgive himself? Alec scoffs as he's left alone. Forgive himself for what? That was a ridiculous statement. Everything he did, he wanted to. So he thought about Ryan... so what? He still wouldn't change anything he did. It was his choice and he would have chosen to stay with the Agency. He'd wanted to. It's what he'd wanted. Yes... what he wanted. So why couldn't he get rid of this irritating guilt complex that haunted him day in and day out?
3/2/11
I love ya!
Sitting on the couch and watching the badly made movie on tv Ryan doesn't even move when her brother comes into the room. She was sitting, salking...sipping her beer and doing the best she could to hold her smile in now that Eli was home.
Having Eli come into the living room and sit down right in front of her Ryan found it still hard not to laugh right then and there knowing Tal was close by. But she did a good job masking the smile as she sipped the beer. Just listing to him rattle off about him setting up Tal to come and say he was sorry she just looks at him. Lowering the beer a little and letting her mouth hang open a little more Ryan just gives a blink at her brother.
Once he was done talking Ryan sat up on the couch and puts the beer on the table. Leaning her arms on her knees for a long moment she lets out a long sigh before looking up at him. Standing and just pacing for a moment she covers her mouth with her hand trying to hide the smile that wanted to make itself known but give the impression she as trying to think. Stopping behind Eli Ryan only takes one swift movement before waking him over the back of the head and than putting her hands on her hips.
"Elijah McKade of all the dumb things you have done...your lucky I love you as my brother you know that. You really could of ruined something good."
Giving a shake of her head and not being able to hold the smile in any longer is spreads across her lips. She couldn't torcher her brother anymore. Enough was enough and she figured he'd learned his lesson by now.
"Tal you can come out now. You're also luck that Tal here didn't make himself look to much like an idiot and you just assumed it and that I gave him a chance to at least explain himself to me before ripping him a new one. Sorry Eli...I love ya Bro."
Seeing the little grin on Dylan's face she own grows just a bit more. He might be trying to hide it but he looked cuter with even a little smile that spread across his lips. Still not sitting down she just looks over at him thinking for a moment. He almost had her right.
"An A student yes, and books I do like but I would rather be more hands on and go out to explore and see things with my own eyes. Visuals seem to work so much than just reading something in text."
Letting her hand run over the back of the chair that was at the table Ashlee gives a small nod to it. She'd like to sit and get to know Dylan a little better maybe even help if he wanted it but she wouldn't offer that right away.
"Mind if a sit?"
Laying down on the cot with the help of Misty Katie felt like she had been hit with a train. Though she didn't feel like Jason did this to her was exhausting in itself anyways. Trying to not fall asleep yet till she new Jason was ok Katie did what she could to at least keep her ears open for any sound. Rolling onto her side to face where Jason was she prayed he was ok.
Hearing him call her name softly and cracking her eyes open a little to see his hand Katie raised her own to meet his and link her fingers together. They couldn't feel each other again but she wanted to know he was there, and for him to know she was.
"I'm here J. I'm ok, we are ok. It's going to be ok. Try to get some rest. I'll be right here when you wake again...I promise."
Katie's eyes drift shut again as her mind trys to relax. She could feel Jason's skin against hers and for not this would be enough. She only hoped Misty and Rick could find a cure soon. She couldn't live without feeling Jason ever again. Even if it meant only a physical feeling of his skin on hers at least it was something.
"I love you J!"
Having Eli come into the living room and sit down right in front of her Ryan found it still hard not to laugh right then and there knowing Tal was close by. But she did a good job masking the smile as she sipped the beer. Just listing to him rattle off about him setting up Tal to come and say he was sorry she just looks at him. Lowering the beer a little and letting her mouth hang open a little more Ryan just gives a blink at her brother.
Once he was done talking Ryan sat up on the couch and puts the beer on the table. Leaning her arms on her knees for a long moment she lets out a long sigh before looking up at him. Standing and just pacing for a moment she covers her mouth with her hand trying to hide the smile that wanted to make itself known but give the impression she as trying to think. Stopping behind Eli Ryan only takes one swift movement before waking him over the back of the head and than putting her hands on her hips.
"Elijah McKade of all the dumb things you have done...your lucky I love you as my brother you know that. You really could of ruined something good."
Giving a shake of her head and not being able to hold the smile in any longer is spreads across her lips. She couldn't torcher her brother anymore. Enough was enough and she figured he'd learned his lesson by now.
"Tal you can come out now. You're also luck that Tal here didn't make himself look to much like an idiot and you just assumed it and that I gave him a chance to at least explain himself to me before ripping him a new one. Sorry Eli...I love ya Bro."
Seeing the little grin on Dylan's face she own grows just a bit more. He might be trying to hide it but he looked cuter with even a little smile that spread across his lips. Still not sitting down she just looks over at him thinking for a moment. He almost had her right.
"An A student yes, and books I do like but I would rather be more hands on and go out to explore and see things with my own eyes. Visuals seem to work so much than just reading something in text."
Letting her hand run over the back of the chair that was at the table Ashlee gives a small nod to it. She'd like to sit and get to know Dylan a little better maybe even help if he wanted it but she wouldn't offer that right away.
"Mind if a sit?"
Laying down on the cot with the help of Misty Katie felt like she had been hit with a train. Though she didn't feel like Jason did this to her was exhausting in itself anyways. Trying to not fall asleep yet till she new Jason was ok Katie did what she could to at least keep her ears open for any sound. Rolling onto her side to face where Jason was she prayed he was ok.
Hearing him call her name softly and cracking her eyes open a little to see his hand Katie raised her own to meet his and link her fingers together. They couldn't feel each other again but she wanted to know he was there, and for him to know she was.
"I'm here J. I'm ok, we are ok. It's going to be ok. Try to get some rest. I'll be right here when you wake again...I promise."
Katie's eyes drift shut again as her mind trys to relax. She could feel Jason's skin against hers and for not this would be enough. She only hoped Misty and Rick could find a cure soon. She couldn't live without feeling Jason ever again. Even if it meant only a physical feeling of his skin on hers at least it was something.
"I love you J!"
3/1/11
Typical
Eli couldn't believe what Ryan was saying. How could this have happened? How on earth had Tal apologized in order to make Ryan so mad?
"Wait you... how..." He runs a hand over his bandanna on his head, wracking his brain. "I guess... maybe I'd think it was weird if someone apologized to me for kissing them when I thought they enjoyed it... or something." He scrunches his nose, not really wanting to think about his sister and Tal making out. "Kinda... make 'em seem a bit... odd... or annoying or... something." A severe lack of confidence at the least, and to someone like Ryan, that would probably be a turn off. But to tell Tal not to come back? Maybe something he said really had given her the creeps. So did that mean Tal and Ryan were a bad fit anyway, or did it mean it was Eli's fault for sending Tal in the first place? He swallows hard. Tal wouldn't have apologized like a geek if Eli hadn't sent him.
Suddenly realizing he's still on the phone, he snaps out of it. "Um... maybe... you should sit on it a while?" He glances over his shoulder as he hears the clanging of some dropped tools. "Speedy, I gotta go. Just, um... I'll talk to you later."
Flipping his phone shut, he goes back into the garage but can't find Tal. Grabbing Paul, he stops him before he starts a paint job. "Paul.... where's Tal?"
"Oh... he just left like two seconds ago. Said he was having a bad day and was gonna take the rest of the day as sick leave." Paul quirks an eyebrow. "Why do I get the strange feeling this has something to do with him going to see Ryan?"
"Crap." Eli starts for the door. "Crap, crap, crap." Breaking into a sprint, he gets outside just to see Tal's car driving away. "Oh this is good... real good. Way to go, Eli, biggest dingbat on the planet. Now what are you gonna do?" Growling, he turns to go back inside and finish out the day. He'd think of something... right?
Tal grins as he drives down the street, seeing Eli in his rearview mirror. He hadn't planned on taking the rest of the day off - he wouldn't have, but Brian had come in, thinking he needed to work today, so Tal had made a quick decision to let him have the hours instead. And besides... it worked out perfectly.
..."Ryan?" Eli gets into the apartment, glad he'd seen her car out front. "Ry? You-" He spots her in the living room. Coming in, he doesn't even take his jacket off. He'd been stewing all day long. Scarlet was getting back in town tonight and he was supposed to meet her, but he couldn't, when he was still wrestling with what had happened earlier. Tal was his friend... and he'd messed things up.
Sighing, he slips between Ryan and the television and sits on the coffee table to face her and block her view so she'd have to pay attention to him. His leather jacket creaks and he hadn't bothered taking his bandanna off his head after work. "Look. It's a long, stupid story, but I sent Tal over to you this morning and told him to apologize. I was just being dumb, but he wouldn't have acted like such an idiot if it hadn't been for me. So please - at least let him come back. I didn't think you'd get so riled, and and and...." He he groans and rolls his eyes. "Just... give him another chance."
Around the corner in the hallway, Tal leans against the wall out of sight, trying so hard not to laugh aloud. He'd gone back to J&Js right when Ryan was getting off work and they'd decided to come back here together for when Eli showed up. Now it was awfully hard to stay quiet and let Ryan let Eli down slowly... or like a ton of bricks - however she decided.
Dylan was busy reading when Ashlee approached, so he didn't see her until she was standing at the table. Looking up, he was a bit surprised, shown by a quirked eyebrow. For several moments, one might think he didn't even hear what she said, as he only eyes her without saying anything.
Finally though, he shuts his book and leans back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "Hate it. But that goes for just about every subject."
He continues to study Ashlee's face. She really was kinda cute. Stepping into his space a bit, but not too badly.
"You, on the other hand, look like a typical A-student that likes to keep her nose in a book." Maybe a little grin was tugging at one corner of his mouth... maybe.
Though Jason was losing consciousness, somehow he knew Katie was talking to him and it was comforting. As his body revolted against the overabundance of emotions, his mind tries to stay in focus. But it's all just one big vortex of swirling blackness - emotions that can't even be deciphered they're so mixed and muddled.
Rick works as fast as he can. Seeing Misty was taking care of Katie, that was one less thing he had to worry about, and he knew that Misty knew what she was doing. Doing all he can for Jason, he gets their new injection into him, hoping that it would calm Jason and give him a slight bit of the antidote as well until he could settle down and handle a full dose. At the same time, Rick pumps him full of other meds to counteract the seizure and try to keep Jason from falling into a coma like before.
Though it felt like an eternity, really it was only a matter of minutes before Jason was laid out on the table and the cot was pulled over beside it for Katie to lie on as well. Though not in as much physical danger as Jason, Rick knew that she would be utterly exhausted from the trauma and he wasn't about to take her condition lightly. This was dangerous for her as well.
Once the seizure ceases, Rick tries to rouse Jason. "Jase... Hotshot... can you hear me?"
Stretched out on the bed and sweaty from head to toe, Jason tries to open one of his eyes. Everything seemed so blurred and distorted... he felt terrible. A bright light meets his pupil and he scrunches his eye back shut tightly and gives a little groan.
Rick breathes a sigh of relief that Jason hadn't remained unconscious. He looks over to Misty, his eyes showing the inner torment he felt. He goes back to Jason though, determined to see this thing through. He checks his young friend's vitals first. "You're gonna be okay, Jason... just try to relax."
"It hurts," Jason mumbles.
"What does?"
"Everything."
"It's okay. It'll get better."
Jason swallows hard. He felt like he'd been hit by a train and when he'd wanted to just pass out into blissful unconsciousness, he'd been yanked back to reality. "Katie?"
"She's right beside you, Jase."
Jason rolls his head over a little and lets one hand flop down from where he laid to where Katie was. His scarred palm itched and burned but his flared emotions were no longer causing damage. Without much strength to open his eyes, Jason tries to find Katie's touch. "You okay?" he mumbles softly.
Rick leaves him be for now and goes to the counter, leaning heavily on it. He closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths. It was a miracle Jason was halfway alert and responsive. It was a miracle he was still alive at all, what with these attacks. It had to stop. It had to.
"Wait you... how..." He runs a hand over his bandanna on his head, wracking his brain. "I guess... maybe I'd think it was weird if someone apologized to me for kissing them when I thought they enjoyed it... or something." He scrunches his nose, not really wanting to think about his sister and Tal making out. "Kinda... make 'em seem a bit... odd... or annoying or... something." A severe lack of confidence at the least, and to someone like Ryan, that would probably be a turn off. But to tell Tal not to come back? Maybe something he said really had given her the creeps. So did that mean Tal and Ryan were a bad fit anyway, or did it mean it was Eli's fault for sending Tal in the first place? He swallows hard. Tal wouldn't have apologized like a geek if Eli hadn't sent him.
Suddenly realizing he's still on the phone, he snaps out of it. "Um... maybe... you should sit on it a while?" He glances over his shoulder as he hears the clanging of some dropped tools. "Speedy, I gotta go. Just, um... I'll talk to you later."
Flipping his phone shut, he goes back into the garage but can't find Tal. Grabbing Paul, he stops him before he starts a paint job. "Paul.... where's Tal?"
"Oh... he just left like two seconds ago. Said he was having a bad day and was gonna take the rest of the day as sick leave." Paul quirks an eyebrow. "Why do I get the strange feeling this has something to do with him going to see Ryan?"
"Crap." Eli starts for the door. "Crap, crap, crap." Breaking into a sprint, he gets outside just to see Tal's car driving away. "Oh this is good... real good. Way to go, Eli, biggest dingbat on the planet. Now what are you gonna do?" Growling, he turns to go back inside and finish out the day. He'd think of something... right?
Tal grins as he drives down the street, seeing Eli in his rearview mirror. He hadn't planned on taking the rest of the day off - he wouldn't have, but Brian had come in, thinking he needed to work today, so Tal had made a quick decision to let him have the hours instead. And besides... it worked out perfectly.
..."Ryan?" Eli gets into the apartment, glad he'd seen her car out front. "Ry? You-" He spots her in the living room. Coming in, he doesn't even take his jacket off. He'd been stewing all day long. Scarlet was getting back in town tonight and he was supposed to meet her, but he couldn't, when he was still wrestling with what had happened earlier. Tal was his friend... and he'd messed things up.
Sighing, he slips between Ryan and the television and sits on the coffee table to face her and block her view so she'd have to pay attention to him. His leather jacket creaks and he hadn't bothered taking his bandanna off his head after work. "Look. It's a long, stupid story, but I sent Tal over to you this morning and told him to apologize. I was just being dumb, but he wouldn't have acted like such an idiot if it hadn't been for me. So please - at least let him come back. I didn't think you'd get so riled, and and and...." He he groans and rolls his eyes. "Just... give him another chance."
Around the corner in the hallway, Tal leans against the wall out of sight, trying so hard not to laugh aloud. He'd gone back to J&Js right when Ryan was getting off work and they'd decided to come back here together for when Eli showed up. Now it was awfully hard to stay quiet and let Ryan let Eli down slowly... or like a ton of bricks - however she decided.
Dylan was busy reading when Ashlee approached, so he didn't see her until she was standing at the table. Looking up, he was a bit surprised, shown by a quirked eyebrow. For several moments, one might think he didn't even hear what she said, as he only eyes her without saying anything.
Finally though, he shuts his book and leans back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "Hate it. But that goes for just about every subject."
He continues to study Ashlee's face. She really was kinda cute. Stepping into his space a bit, but not too badly.
"You, on the other hand, look like a typical A-student that likes to keep her nose in a book." Maybe a little grin was tugging at one corner of his mouth... maybe.
Though Jason was losing consciousness, somehow he knew Katie was talking to him and it was comforting. As his body revolted against the overabundance of emotions, his mind tries to stay in focus. But it's all just one big vortex of swirling blackness - emotions that can't even be deciphered they're so mixed and muddled.
Rick works as fast as he can. Seeing Misty was taking care of Katie, that was one less thing he had to worry about, and he knew that Misty knew what she was doing. Doing all he can for Jason, he gets their new injection into him, hoping that it would calm Jason and give him a slight bit of the antidote as well until he could settle down and handle a full dose. At the same time, Rick pumps him full of other meds to counteract the seizure and try to keep Jason from falling into a coma like before.
Though it felt like an eternity, really it was only a matter of minutes before Jason was laid out on the table and the cot was pulled over beside it for Katie to lie on as well. Though not in as much physical danger as Jason, Rick knew that she would be utterly exhausted from the trauma and he wasn't about to take her condition lightly. This was dangerous for her as well.
Once the seizure ceases, Rick tries to rouse Jason. "Jase... Hotshot... can you hear me?"
Stretched out on the bed and sweaty from head to toe, Jason tries to open one of his eyes. Everything seemed so blurred and distorted... he felt terrible. A bright light meets his pupil and he scrunches his eye back shut tightly and gives a little groan.
Rick breathes a sigh of relief that Jason hadn't remained unconscious. He looks over to Misty, his eyes showing the inner torment he felt. He goes back to Jason though, determined to see this thing through. He checks his young friend's vitals first. "You're gonna be okay, Jason... just try to relax."
"It hurts," Jason mumbles.
"What does?"
"Everything."
"It's okay. It'll get better."
Jason swallows hard. He felt like he'd been hit by a train and when he'd wanted to just pass out into blissful unconsciousness, he'd been yanked back to reality. "Katie?"
"She's right beside you, Jase."
Jason rolls his head over a little and lets one hand flop down from where he laid to where Katie was. His scarred palm itched and burned but his flared emotions were no longer causing damage. Without much strength to open his eyes, Jason tries to find Katie's touch. "You okay?" he mumbles softly.
Rick leaves him be for now and goes to the counter, leaning heavily on it. He closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths. It was a miracle Jason was halfway alert and responsive. It was a miracle he was still alive at all, what with these attacks. It had to stop. It had to.
Best right now
Pacing a little bit Ryan rapidly thinks as her brother talks. Her mind coming up with things to say to keep the joke going along a little more. She thought it was funny and she only hopped Tal was close by to enjoy the look on her brother's face for her.
"Well...last night we got to kissing. How I don't remember but it happened and it was nice. It got my mind of everything and just something about him that felt calming and nice. I thought everything was ok and we were good."
Ryan pauses for a moment taking in a deep breath and just letting the first little bit of the conversation sink in before starting up again.
"Anyways I guess I was wrong because he came in today ranting about how he was sorry, and he didn't mean to make me mad, and it was his fault so on and so forth. Completely embarrassed me and wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise. I don't know who put that idea into his head but they should be waked good for ruining something that could of been nice and to have him believe it. Ha...I'd rather not have to reassure someone ever day things are ok. So...Tal isn't welcome to our place anymore."
Using her matter of fact tone Ryan nods her head even though Eli can't see her but the smile on her own face was so big now. This whole thing was completely funny.
Feeling the rush of Jason's emotions Katie goes her best to keep it together. Thought the pain she tried to be strong though at some points she couldn't help but gasp herself and grab onto the table just to anchor herself for the moment. Doing what she could to continue taking in Jason's emotions as fast as she could.
Hearing Rick call to her Misty was to her feet in seconds and at the counter mixing a few different thing together that they had used before. Prepping another needle Misty works quickly knowing right now time was not on there side.
Keeping her had tight in Jason's Katie does as Rick says and positions herself better to try and keep Jason still along with his head up. It was hard with her own self growing weaker from the emotions being pumped in and out, and the mentile exhaustion that came along with it. But she did her best knowing she had to stay strong for Jason.
It ok J...I'm here. I'm not going to leave you.
Quickly giving the one needle to Rick for Jason Misty goes around the other side of the table and takes Katie's arm as well prepping it for the injection. She felt bad having to do it but she new it was best and that Katie did understand but still she felt bad.
"I'm sorry Kate but its for the best right now."
Giving a stretch Stacy looks up at the clock. Though adrenalin was still running high about being in a new place she new tomorrow would come early for her so she could set up a few things she needed too along with taking her first patrol around. Looking around the table at the other that were still awake Stacy gives a smile.
"Well, thank you for the nice welcome and the nice night but I think bed is calling. Tomorrow is going to be an early one, but than again for you guys I am sure thats normal right?"
Letting a small chuck out she new soon she would get use to the early life too even if right now it seemed so much different. Adjustments would be made and everything would be find in a few weeks or so. Looking to Ashlee she gives a little nod.
"How about you Ash? Ready to call it a night?"
Taking her attachen away from Dylan who was still sitting over by himself she looks to her mother and gives a smile. She'd always been a night owl no matter what the next day was to hold going to be early was just something she hardly did.
"I think I am going to stay awake a little while longer if thats ok. I'm still way to excited and full of energy to even think about sleep."
Giving her daughter a nod and a hug Stacy says her good nights to everyone else before taking her coffee up to the kitchen and than slipping out of the dinning hall. Taking in the night air she slowly makes her way to her bunk.
Once her mom was gone Ashlee just sat at the table for a long while taking in everything around her. Listing, watching the way everyone moved just getting a feel for this whole new setting. She liked watching people and observing them to see how they moved and guessing about them just from the smallest of things.
Finally letting her sight fall on Dylan again she just studys him. He was hard to read that was for sure. A cold outside shell, but his eyes seemed so much like they wanted to break free and just live. Maybe his life was rough and thats why he tryed to be hard on the outside but Ashlee hardly new him to come to that desition. Maybe it was time to change that.
Standing from the table Ashlee wonders to where Dylan was. Giving him a soft smile she didn't want to bother him to much if he really did want to be alone so she didn't sit down not yet. She'd wait...feel him out a little bit first.
"History huh? One of my favorite subjects in school. How are you liking it?"
"Well...last night we got to kissing. How I don't remember but it happened and it was nice. It got my mind of everything and just something about him that felt calming and nice. I thought everything was ok and we were good."
Ryan pauses for a moment taking in a deep breath and just letting the first little bit of the conversation sink in before starting up again.
"Anyways I guess I was wrong because he came in today ranting about how he was sorry, and he didn't mean to make me mad, and it was his fault so on and so forth. Completely embarrassed me and wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise. I don't know who put that idea into his head but they should be waked good for ruining something that could of been nice and to have him believe it. Ha...I'd rather not have to reassure someone ever day things are ok. So...Tal isn't welcome to our place anymore."
Using her matter of fact tone Ryan nods her head even though Eli can't see her but the smile on her own face was so big now. This whole thing was completely funny.
Feeling the rush of Jason's emotions Katie goes her best to keep it together. Thought the pain she tried to be strong though at some points she couldn't help but gasp herself and grab onto the table just to anchor herself for the moment. Doing what she could to continue taking in Jason's emotions as fast as she could.
Hearing Rick call to her Misty was to her feet in seconds and at the counter mixing a few different thing together that they had used before. Prepping another needle Misty works quickly knowing right now time was not on there side.
Keeping her had tight in Jason's Katie does as Rick says and positions herself better to try and keep Jason still along with his head up. It was hard with her own self growing weaker from the emotions being pumped in and out, and the mentile exhaustion that came along with it. But she did her best knowing she had to stay strong for Jason.
It ok J...I'm here. I'm not going to leave you.
Quickly giving the one needle to Rick for Jason Misty goes around the other side of the table and takes Katie's arm as well prepping it for the injection. She felt bad having to do it but she new it was best and that Katie did understand but still she felt bad.
"I'm sorry Kate but its for the best right now."
Giving a stretch Stacy looks up at the clock. Though adrenalin was still running high about being in a new place she new tomorrow would come early for her so she could set up a few things she needed too along with taking her first patrol around. Looking around the table at the other that were still awake Stacy gives a smile.
"Well, thank you for the nice welcome and the nice night but I think bed is calling. Tomorrow is going to be an early one, but than again for you guys I am sure thats normal right?"
Letting a small chuck out she new soon she would get use to the early life too even if right now it seemed so much different. Adjustments would be made and everything would be find in a few weeks or so. Looking to Ashlee she gives a little nod.
"How about you Ash? Ready to call it a night?"
Taking her attachen away from Dylan who was still sitting over by himself she looks to her mother and gives a smile. She'd always been a night owl no matter what the next day was to hold going to be early was just something she hardly did.
"I think I am going to stay awake a little while longer if thats ok. I'm still way to excited and full of energy to even think about sleep."
Giving her daughter a nod and a hug Stacy says her good nights to everyone else before taking her coffee up to the kitchen and than slipping out of the dinning hall. Taking in the night air she slowly makes her way to her bunk.
Once her mom was gone Ashlee just sat at the table for a long while taking in everything around her. Listing, watching the way everyone moved just getting a feel for this whole new setting. She liked watching people and observing them to see how they moved and guessing about them just from the smallest of things.
Finally letting her sight fall on Dylan again she just studys him. He was hard to read that was for sure. A cold outside shell, but his eyes seemed so much like they wanted to break free and just live. Maybe his life was rough and thats why he tryed to be hard on the outside but Ashlee hardly new him to come to that desition. Maybe it was time to change that.
Standing from the table Ashlee wonders to where Dylan was. Giving him a soft smile she didn't want to bother him to much if he really did want to be alone so she didn't sit down not yet. She'd wait...feel him out a little bit first.
"History huh? One of my favorite subjects in school. How are you liking it?"
2/28/11
Hang in there
Eli stares blankly at the wall as he hears his sister's tone and what she has to say. What on earth was going on? "You mean you... wait... I don't understand. Why... why are you so upset with Tal? I thought you two were getting along. After last night..."
He realizes that he had yet to tell his sister he'd seen her making out with Tal. Though Tal may have told her. But Eli didn't know if he had or not. "I mean... what did he do??"
Knowing Katie was coming only serves to frustrate Jason more. He had to stop this. There had to be a way. If he could just hold this off a little while longer... keep Katie safe... keep himself from getting worse.
But the emotions had already reached their boiling point. Having been held back, shoved around, and finally intensified by the stressful day, they were going to come out one way or another. Seeing Katie come into the infirmary, it barely even registers.
Rick looks up, grateful she's there. "I'm sorry, but we need to put you two back on the antidote. This is getting out of control and we need to slow things down so we have more time to-"
Jason doubles over as a new wave of pain washes over him and he rocks back and forth, tears starting to stream from his eyes. He'd tried so hard... this couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. A scream slips out. "Katie!"
Everything becomes a blur and he can't tell who is with him or who's not. The room spins and nothing makes much sense. It was worse than a nightmare. Worse than a flashback. His senses grow dim and numb and he fights to stay conscious, needing to be laid down on the table so he doesn't fall to the floor. He balls his fist tightly, not seeing the lights flicker and not hearing the nearby vials burst, throwing glass everywhere.
He feels Rick prepping his arm and he yanks it away. "No!" he resists. "No, leave me alone!"
"Jason... settle down." Rick fights with his arm while holding the syringe with the antidote. "Just stop and let me help."
"No!" Jason's eyes roll back in his head as he fights and thrashes. "Too much... too much... no, don't." He hits Rick's arm, knocking the syringe to the floor.
It's only then that Rick realizes that Jason might have just saved his own life. It's only then that he remembers the night he and Katie had been brought in with burning hands and uncontrolled emotions. And it's in this moment that Rick feels the most helpless and useless. Grabbing the syringe again, he moves to the counter to prep something else instead. He wipes sweat from his brow and works in haste. "The antidote will hit him like a freight train... he needs to settle down first. Misty!" He gestures for her help. "We need to make our own cocktail and make it fast. We need to get a sedative in him and a mild dose of the antidote to start him off before giving him the full dosage. He needs something to calm his body and something to take the edge off his emotions."
Feeling the only light that existed, Jason knows Katie is near, even if he can't manage to speak to her. His fingers lock hers in a vice grip, unwilling to let go. He was slipping and he knew it. But without warning, his whole body starts to shake uncontrollably and his consciousness is lost.
His grip on Katie's hand grows limp.
Rick whirls around and leaves Misty with the needles. "He's having a seizure. Katie, help hold him still and keep his head up," he orders. "Misty, get the antidote in Katie too." He couldn't have both of them go down... not now... not like this. "Hang in there, Hotshot... hang in there."
Mick smiles and nods at Stacy. "I have a feeling you're right. I think you and Ashlee are going to do just fine here." A part of his smile is given to the girl as well.
Throughout the rest of the meal, small talk is offered. Some of the others come and go, talking a little bit with Stacy and Ashlee both, being friendly and making an effort to let them know they were willing to welcome them here. A few people start to drift out for the evening and the crowd becomes less and less...
...Dylan still sits at the same table, struggling to finish up his schoolwork before he went back to his bunk. There were only a few people left in the dining hall now. His eyes glance up to see Mick talking with Stacy... Ashlee was there... Becky was in the kitchen washing dishes... and a couple other people were starting a card game it looked like. But that was about it. He'd been alone since he'd sat down here, but that was the norm.
He sighs and looks back at his book. Almost done.
He realizes that he had yet to tell his sister he'd seen her making out with Tal. Though Tal may have told her. But Eli didn't know if he had or not. "I mean... what did he do??"
Knowing Katie was coming only serves to frustrate Jason more. He had to stop this. There had to be a way. If he could just hold this off a little while longer... keep Katie safe... keep himself from getting worse.
But the emotions had already reached their boiling point. Having been held back, shoved around, and finally intensified by the stressful day, they were going to come out one way or another. Seeing Katie come into the infirmary, it barely even registers.
Rick looks up, grateful she's there. "I'm sorry, but we need to put you two back on the antidote. This is getting out of control and we need to slow things down so we have more time to-"
Jason doubles over as a new wave of pain washes over him and he rocks back and forth, tears starting to stream from his eyes. He'd tried so hard... this couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. A scream slips out. "Katie!"
Everything becomes a blur and he can't tell who is with him or who's not. The room spins and nothing makes much sense. It was worse than a nightmare. Worse than a flashback. His senses grow dim and numb and he fights to stay conscious, needing to be laid down on the table so he doesn't fall to the floor. He balls his fist tightly, not seeing the lights flicker and not hearing the nearby vials burst, throwing glass everywhere.
He feels Rick prepping his arm and he yanks it away. "No!" he resists. "No, leave me alone!"
"Jason... settle down." Rick fights with his arm while holding the syringe with the antidote. "Just stop and let me help."
"No!" Jason's eyes roll back in his head as he fights and thrashes. "Too much... too much... no, don't." He hits Rick's arm, knocking the syringe to the floor.
It's only then that Rick realizes that Jason might have just saved his own life. It's only then that he remembers the night he and Katie had been brought in with burning hands and uncontrolled emotions. And it's in this moment that Rick feels the most helpless and useless. Grabbing the syringe again, he moves to the counter to prep something else instead. He wipes sweat from his brow and works in haste. "The antidote will hit him like a freight train... he needs to settle down first. Misty!" He gestures for her help. "We need to make our own cocktail and make it fast. We need to get a sedative in him and a mild dose of the antidote to start him off before giving him the full dosage. He needs something to calm his body and something to take the edge off his emotions."
Feeling the only light that existed, Jason knows Katie is near, even if he can't manage to speak to her. His fingers lock hers in a vice grip, unwilling to let go. He was slipping and he knew it. But without warning, his whole body starts to shake uncontrollably and his consciousness is lost.
His grip on Katie's hand grows limp.
Rick whirls around and leaves Misty with the needles. "He's having a seizure. Katie, help hold him still and keep his head up," he orders. "Misty, get the antidote in Katie too." He couldn't have both of them go down... not now... not like this. "Hang in there, Hotshot... hang in there."
Mick smiles and nods at Stacy. "I have a feeling you're right. I think you and Ashlee are going to do just fine here." A part of his smile is given to the girl as well.
Throughout the rest of the meal, small talk is offered. Some of the others come and go, talking a little bit with Stacy and Ashlee both, being friendly and making an effort to let them know they were willing to welcome them here. A few people start to drift out for the evening and the crowd becomes less and less...
...Dylan still sits at the same table, struggling to finish up his schoolwork before he went back to his bunk. There were only a few people left in the dining hall now. His eyes glance up to see Mick talking with Stacy... Ashlee was there... Becky was in the kitchen washing dishes... and a couple other people were starting a card game it looked like. But that was about it. He'd been alone since he'd sat down here, but that was the norm.
He sighs and looks back at his book. Almost done.
2/27/11
Joke
Seeing Tal off Ryan goes back to work on her car finishing up what needed to be done before pulling it out of the bay and driving the next car in. She wondered if Eli would call her once Tal talked to him or not.
Right one que like Eli was almost reading her mind Ryan's cell phone goes off. Looking and seeing it was her brother a little sly smile forms on her lips as she walks over to Axel's work bench for a moment.
"It's my brother I gotta take this call. I'll only be a moment."
Going outside and around the corner Ryan compose herself slipping into a role like she was angry and disgusted. Over the phone it would be pretty easy to do but she made her body language match it just to make sure it was convincing.
"Hello...Eli. Yeah I wondered if you would call or not. Yeah Tal was here. Of all the dirty...I mean the nerve of that guy. Coming here to my work and begging to be forgiven. I looked like a complete idiot, and I though I could trust him but I guess I was wrong. I don't want him at our place anymore. I am totally disgusted."
Ryan tried her best to hold her laughter in though now she was happy Eli wasn't face to face with her. She just couldn't help the smile on her face. This was just to priceless.
Sitting at her desk Katie can feel Jason's emotions rise and fall even if he was trying to hide them. Little bits and peaces were coming through and she new he was upset. Looking up as Jason and Rick came inside Katie could feel her own insides twist. She hated having Jason upset with her and she new he was. But what else could she have done? He was sick and didn't want anyone to know. This was for his own good...right?
Just staying quiet in at her desk Katie takes the waves of emotions that come at her from Jason. She wanted so bad to go into the infirmary to see what was going on and to try and calm him but she new Rick had said not to so all she could do was sit and wait.
Finally though as Rick's voice cracks over the intercom Katie was to her feet and heading there. Stopping at the infermary door though she hesatates for a moment. Would Jason be mad at her? Did he even want to see her? Katie new she had to go in no matter what the outcome was.
Pushing the door open and entering Katie looks to Rick and than Jason trying to give a little smile before coming in more and going over to Jason before looking back to Rick once again.
"Hey Rick. Whats up?"
Sitting at the table with her mom and the other Ashlee can't help but let her eyes drift to Dylan every now and than just watching him for the longest of moments. Today she wanted to talk to him more but time just didn't allow it. Now at dinner she was stuck sitting with everyone else but Dylan was alone. Why did he sit by himself? Did he not like being with the others? Ashlee had so many questions about Dylan and she wasn't even sure why. He just seemed to interest her. Maybe later or tomorrow she could talk with him more.
Trying to take in everything being told to her and leaning about the two different family's Stacy enjoyed knowing this was going to be a challenge. Learning and trying to remember everything. There was so much to learn here that would help her grow it was in a way refreshing.
Hearing about Rosetta's one brother Eric Stacy stops for a moment. The names like one she had heard somewhere else but that was almost imposable. She'd never been here before. Giving a shrug she thinks nothing of it. Maybe it was just something close to that she had heard.
"Wow that was alot to take in at once. But...I think I like it. Its quite the little community you guys have built here and I think its really great. To see you all pull together is just comforting that there are places like this still in the world. It is very obvious that God has his hand in this all."
Taking another sip of her soup Stacy savers the taste as she though a little. It was funny how God worked things out. Sometimes not how we wanted at all but in the end he always did work it out that was for cretin.
"I am very happy to be here to help you guys out. So far from what I can tell we are going to have no problem fitting in."
Right one que like Eli was almost reading her mind Ryan's cell phone goes off. Looking and seeing it was her brother a little sly smile forms on her lips as she walks over to Axel's work bench for a moment.
"It's my brother I gotta take this call. I'll only be a moment."
Going outside and around the corner Ryan compose herself slipping into a role like she was angry and disgusted. Over the phone it would be pretty easy to do but she made her body language match it just to make sure it was convincing.
"Hello...Eli. Yeah I wondered if you would call or not. Yeah Tal was here. Of all the dirty...I mean the nerve of that guy. Coming here to my work and begging to be forgiven. I looked like a complete idiot, and I though I could trust him but I guess I was wrong. I don't want him at our place anymore. I am totally disgusted."
Ryan tried her best to hold her laughter in though now she was happy Eli wasn't face to face with her. She just couldn't help the smile on her face. This was just to priceless.
Sitting at her desk Katie can feel Jason's emotions rise and fall even if he was trying to hide them. Little bits and peaces were coming through and she new he was upset. Looking up as Jason and Rick came inside Katie could feel her own insides twist. She hated having Jason upset with her and she new he was. But what else could she have done? He was sick and didn't want anyone to know. This was for his own good...right?
Just staying quiet in at her desk Katie takes the waves of emotions that come at her from Jason. She wanted so bad to go into the infirmary to see what was going on and to try and calm him but she new Rick had said not to so all she could do was sit and wait.
Finally though as Rick's voice cracks over the intercom Katie was to her feet and heading there. Stopping at the infermary door though she hesatates for a moment. Would Jason be mad at her? Did he even want to see her? Katie new she had to go in no matter what the outcome was.
Pushing the door open and entering Katie looks to Rick and than Jason trying to give a little smile before coming in more and going over to Jason before looking back to Rick once again.
"Hey Rick. Whats up?"
Sitting at the table with her mom and the other Ashlee can't help but let her eyes drift to Dylan every now and than just watching him for the longest of moments. Today she wanted to talk to him more but time just didn't allow it. Now at dinner she was stuck sitting with everyone else but Dylan was alone. Why did he sit by himself? Did he not like being with the others? Ashlee had so many questions about Dylan and she wasn't even sure why. He just seemed to interest her. Maybe later or tomorrow she could talk with him more.
Trying to take in everything being told to her and leaning about the two different family's Stacy enjoyed knowing this was going to be a challenge. Learning and trying to remember everything. There was so much to learn here that would help her grow it was in a way refreshing.
Hearing about Rosetta's one brother Eric Stacy stops for a moment. The names like one she had heard somewhere else but that was almost imposable. She'd never been here before. Giving a shrug she thinks nothing of it. Maybe it was just something close to that she had heard.
"Wow that was alot to take in at once. But...I think I like it. Its quite the little community you guys have built here and I think its really great. To see you all pull together is just comforting that there are places like this still in the world. It is very obvious that God has his hand in this all."
Taking another sip of her soup Stacy savers the taste as she though a little. It was funny how God worked things out. Sometimes not how we wanted at all but in the end he always did work it out that was for cretin.
"I am very happy to be here to help you guys out. So far from what I can tell we are going to have no problem fitting in."
Uh oh?
Tal laughs and shakes his head. "I'd say we were terrible, if it weren't for the fact that Eli started this. I just want to see the look on his face when he thinks he's really messed something up."
Rolling his eyes, he turns, one arm slung around Ryan's shoulder to head back around the corner of the shop. "In the meantime, I need to let you get back to work and I need to get back too." He stops her right before one of the open bay doors. "I'll um... be in touch about that date."
Smiling, he runs a thumb down the side of her face before backing away and heading to his car. Getting in and going back to work, his mind bounced from one thing to another. First, Ryan wanted to go on a date? A real date? He'd honestly had no intentions to date her - he'd just wanted to be her friend. That didn't mean he wouldn't go along with it though. He certainly liked her, and if this would help her, then by all means. If going out with her would bring back her smile, then it was worth it.
And second, his mind was on Eli and how to get him back for the stunt he'd pulled...
...Parking at the body shop, Tal sits for a moment, the smile fading from his face. He glances at himself in the mirror, seeing misery in his own eyes. Embarrassment.... disappointment... a tinge of pain. More disappointment than anything though - he wouldn't want to be over dramatic.
Finally getting out and going inside, he heads for the back garage. Entering, he sees Eli working on a pickup with a scratched door. He approaches with a downcast expression, his shoulders slouching slightly. "Working on this truck already? Thought it was fifth on the lineup."
Eli looks up and quirks an eyebrow. "Got bumped up..." He studies Tal's face, even though his friend wouldn't look at him. Something didn't feel right. "You okay?"
Tal studies the pickup door for a moment, then finally turns to Eli, his brow furrowed. "Sure, if you wanna keep our hanging out to my place or the local bar."
Eli blinks. "What?"
"Look, you were right, okay? Your sister doesn't want to have anything to do with me. I didn't mean to upset her, but I'm the jerk of the year and I'm not welcome at hers and your place anymore." Tal frowns and turns back to the truck. "Can we just finish this job so I can quit feeling like an idiot?"
"I... um... sure?" Eli was totally confused. Tal had gone to Ryan to apologize? And she really had been upset with him? But... why? How? Had somehow Tal going there confused things? Had he apologized and Ryan took it the wrong way? "I'll... be right back. You can start sanding."
Exiting the room, Eli grabs his cell phone and dials quickly. What on earth had happened? Was it because of what he'd let Tal believe this morning? Hearing Ryan answer her phone, he stops walking, right near an exit. "Ryan? It's me. Was Tal just to see you? Did you say you didn't want to see him again?"
Rick sees the look on Katie's face, and he knows that probably there was a part of her who disliked coming to him about Jason. But it wasn't her fault. He reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll go get him. I was... going home early anyway, right?" He gives her a wink then takes his lab coat off and dons his own jacket, grabbing his keys. "If you want to go back to your desk, I'll give you a holler when and if you should come back in here."
Heading out, he exits the building and aims for his car, throwing a few sidelong glances around the parking lot to find Jason's pickup. Thankfully, it was close by, so he takes his route past the pickup on his way. As he nears, he sees Jason leaned back in the driver's seat with his eyes closed. Even from here, Rick could see he looked pale and his heartbeat quickens. Stopping at the door, he taps his knuckles on the window. The only response is Trooper eying him suspiciously and growling. Even with that, Jason doesn't move.
Rick decides to risk Trooper's interference, and opens the door. Thankfully, all the big dog does is growl some more. "Jase?" Rick shakes Jason's shoulder. "Jason..."
Jason's eyes fly open, though it takes him a moment to focus on anything. Glancing to the side and seeing Rick, he's too lethargic to wonder what he was doing there. "Hmm?"
"You alright?"
"Mm-hmm. Just... heading home." Jason puts his hands back on the steering wheel drowsily.
"How about you come back inside instead?"
Jason is waking up now, and he wishes to be alone again. "What for? I'm fine."
"I noticed you limping earlier. If the pain killers aren't enough, I've got something else to give you. Come on back inside and I'll get you set up, okay?"
Jason throws him an annoyed look. "Nice try. I'm fine, Rick. Leave me be."
Rick sighs. He'd tried to do it the nice way, but it was obviously not going to work. "You're not fine," he states flatly. "Now please... just come inside and let me have a look at you."
"No."
Rick reaches around and takes Jason's keys out of the ignition, moving quickly enough to not be stopped. There was no way he'd let Jason drive in his condition. "Now you have a choice. You can stay out here for no good reason, or come with me."
Jason glares at him. "Why can't you just let it go, huh? You're as bad as Katie."
"I doubt it. But you know why? She cares the most about you than anyone, save your mother, probably. So she's the last one you should be upset with." Rick was stern, tired of the silly games. "Now I'll only say this one more time before I go and get Con to drag you - come back inside."
Jason would like to refuse. But even as irritated as he was, he simply didn't have the energy to fight, and he knew Rick wasn't kidding about Con. So minutes later, he was limping back into the building, using Rick for support. Making their way to the infirmary, Jason doesn't look over to Katie's cubicle - not this time. He had a feeling she had something to do with this - it seemed like too big of a coincidence that Rick had been leaving when he had. But he couldn't prove it, so he'd keep his mouth shut.
Getting to the infirmary, Rick points Jason to the table and he grudgingly obeys. He glances over to Misty, almost as if asking for help out of this, but he knew it was no use. So he sits lamely as Rick starts to look him over, checking this, checking that, drawing blood and taking his temperature.
"What are your symptoms?" Rick questions as he shines a light in Jason's eyes.
"I told you, I'm fine."
"You have a fever. Your eyes don't look good. And you say you're fine." Rick shuts off the light and looks at Jason sternly. "You better start leveling with me, Jase. You promised."
"I don't care!" Jason raises his voice but then regrets it, putting a hand to his head as the pain worsens. "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"
"Because I care! We all care!" Rick was beginning to grow more angry than anything - angry at Jason's insistence on not wanting help. "You're being pigheaded and stupid!"
"I'm doing the best I can!" The light above Jason starts to flicker and he immediately clenches his fist and puts a tighter lid on his emotions. He knew Katie had probably felt a nice jolt with that one. "Don't make this harder than it is," he hisses. "For once, let someone die in peace instead of trying to fix it until their last breath is gone."
Whether Rick wanted it to or not, that statement hurt... and hurt a lot. His tone lowers again, though his eyes burn. "I'm sorry that I care that much about my friends that I want to save them." Taking a deep breath, he turns around for a moment to try and regain his composure.
Jason keeps talking to him anyway. "I did this for Katie and you know it. You told me not to keep things from her, but how can I knowingly put her in pain? How can I knowingly allow her to feel the way I feel, putting her through this... this sickness? It may not be real for her, but she'd feel it and that's just as bad. She might not die from it because it's not in her body, but she'd feel like she was dying just like I do and I cannot - will not allow her to go through that." Without warning, the tears are back, stinging his eyes as he tries to hold them back. His voice wavers though, and his emotions start spurting out against his will, sending the feeling of him crying in Katie's direction. He wraps his arm around his stomach as another wave of nausea hits him.
Rick turns around, and though he's pained to suddenly see the fear and anguish in Jason, his anger for stupidity remains. "You should have come to me," he emphasizes. "How long have you been feeling like this?"
Jason looks at the floor. "It started a day or so after we stopped the antidote. But it wasn't bad, just... minor, so I ignored it. When it got worse, I -"
"Why didn't you tell me so you could go back on the antidote?!"
"Because I-"
"Do you have a death wish?!" Rick's voice is raised again. "You're killing yourself, Jason! I told you for a reason to not hold back your emotions! Did you think I was joking?! Did you think I just thought it would be a fun experiment to see what would happen if you let Katie feel everything?!"
"Of course not!" Jason clenches his fist shut tighter as his palm feels as though it were on fire. At this point, his emotions were so heightened that they were bubbling and boiling through the cracks and crevices, surely taking Katie for a ride at this point. "If it were you, you'd do the same thing! If it were Janet who felt every ache and pain and hurt and emotional trauma you did, do you think you'd let it go on like that on purpose?!" Wincing, he doubles over as his pain spreads, feeding off of his emotional fireworks.
Though Rick was still upset, he sees that this is not only not helping, but hurting Jason, and it needed to stop. No matter how much he wanted to argue and make Jason understand how stupid he was being, the fact of the matter was that riling up Jason only made things worse. Heaving a sigh, he reaches out to put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Why didn't you just opt to get back on the antidote?" he questions more calmly.
Jason's eyes were scrunched tightly against his pain and he shakes his head. "Because... a part of Katie gets lost and... and I can't stand seeing that."
"But if you're going to refuse to share your emotions, you have to take the antidote... otherwise, we're going to lose you." Rick grits his teeth. "And whether you like it or not, I can't just stand back and watch you die without trying to help." Spinning on his heel, he goes for the phone and punches the intercom to Katie's direct phone. "Katie... please come to the infirmary."
Dylan sits in the same old corner of the dining hall, a perfect vantage point to see everyone else in the room, but back far enough that he could go unnoticed. Jade had invited him to sit with her and Dan, but he just hadn't felt like it tonight. He usually didn't... but once in a while he accepted, so that was good enough, right? Maybe tonight, his mind was just too preoccupied with everything else. He was still feeling leery about the newcomers and just wasn't quite sure yet how to handle that whole thing. He'd seen them come in earlier but hadn't made eye contact with either one of them.
Dipping a piece of soft garlic bread into his vegetable soup, he takes a bite then looks down at the side to his history book. As predicted, he hadn't gotten all of his schoolwork finished today because of his stupid hangups during math earlier in the day. History wasn't exactly interesting... he hated all the reading he had to do - it was hard for him to retain the information, but at least he didn't have to figure out any equations or enormously long division. If he could just skim through his history book and pick out the answers he'd need for his quizzes, then he should be okay.
A round of laughter at one of the tables brings his head up and he wonders what the joke had been. Part of him wishes that sometimes... just once in a while... that he could be in on some of that laughter. But choosing to sit back in his own little corner had a price.
Mick sits with his family at one of the tables in the big dining room. It might have been an evening to eat at home, but tonight was a night he'd asked everyone to be there so they could all meet Stacy and Ashlee and he could make sure she could put faces to names and they could recognize her as well. He'd made formal introductions to just about everyone, but now wanted to fill in some of the gaps.
"... So, most of the two families are almost always here." He eats slowly, speaking mainly to Stacy across the table, but including Ashlee as much as she wanted so she would be familiar with the people as well. "Myself, Rosetta and BJ here..." He reaches over to catch some runaway soup with his napkin before it dribbles off the table into BJ's lap. "Angel runs the doctor's office every day and Luke - they're the ones you first met tonight - he doesn't get around very well on his own on account of a back injury, so they're always here..." He goes on to explain more about some of the people there and what their jobs were - details that weren't included in the reports Reese had given Stacy.
"...Jeff is here most of the time - he's the one sitting over there with Trent." Mick pauses to point. "Though he does take off to visit his daughter, Katie, in Nevada - she's an Elite agent herself..." A few more explanations of the family was due and Mick doesn't mind sharing while they continue to eat. "...so I expect Trent will come and go more often too, on trips to Nevada to see his daughter as well."
There was a lot of information but Mick presents it in such a way that it wouldn't feel too overwhelming, and he makes sure Rosetta can add anything she wants as well. He had everything written up in his own report he would give Stacy later anyway, so she could go back over it and get to know people and routines quickly.
"Then there's Eric Pent - one of Rosetta's brothers. He, um..." Mick pauses, not wanting to sound too negative, but knowing he should fill Stacy in. He glances at Rosetta, then back to Stacy and looks at her for a moment, his eyes revealing that it was a fairly touchy subject. He would be careful in front of BJ and Ashlee too. "He's a truck driver, so he's on the road a lot. He keeps this as his home base though and helps support the ranch. He... recently got married though, so... his routine might change." He gives Stacy a wry grin. "We're not sure that his new wife would... well... fit in very well into ranch life." His eyes give away that there was more to the story, but perhaps it would be best to keep some of it just in the family for now.
"And I guess that's really just about everybody. The only other one not here is Cindy's husband Wes - my brother. He's the one that's overseas right now."
Rolling his eyes, he turns, one arm slung around Ryan's shoulder to head back around the corner of the shop. "In the meantime, I need to let you get back to work and I need to get back too." He stops her right before one of the open bay doors. "I'll um... be in touch about that date."
Smiling, he runs a thumb down the side of her face before backing away and heading to his car. Getting in and going back to work, his mind bounced from one thing to another. First, Ryan wanted to go on a date? A real date? He'd honestly had no intentions to date her - he'd just wanted to be her friend. That didn't mean he wouldn't go along with it though. He certainly liked her, and if this would help her, then by all means. If going out with her would bring back her smile, then it was worth it.
And second, his mind was on Eli and how to get him back for the stunt he'd pulled...
...Parking at the body shop, Tal sits for a moment, the smile fading from his face. He glances at himself in the mirror, seeing misery in his own eyes. Embarrassment.... disappointment... a tinge of pain. More disappointment than anything though - he wouldn't want to be over dramatic.
Finally getting out and going inside, he heads for the back garage. Entering, he sees Eli working on a pickup with a scratched door. He approaches with a downcast expression, his shoulders slouching slightly. "Working on this truck already? Thought it was fifth on the lineup."
Eli looks up and quirks an eyebrow. "Got bumped up..." He studies Tal's face, even though his friend wouldn't look at him. Something didn't feel right. "You okay?"
Tal studies the pickup door for a moment, then finally turns to Eli, his brow furrowed. "Sure, if you wanna keep our hanging out to my place or the local bar."
Eli blinks. "What?"
"Look, you were right, okay? Your sister doesn't want to have anything to do with me. I didn't mean to upset her, but I'm the jerk of the year and I'm not welcome at hers and your place anymore." Tal frowns and turns back to the truck. "Can we just finish this job so I can quit feeling like an idiot?"
"I... um... sure?" Eli was totally confused. Tal had gone to Ryan to apologize? And she really had been upset with him? But... why? How? Had somehow Tal going there confused things? Had he apologized and Ryan took it the wrong way? "I'll... be right back. You can start sanding."
Exiting the room, Eli grabs his cell phone and dials quickly. What on earth had happened? Was it because of what he'd let Tal believe this morning? Hearing Ryan answer her phone, he stops walking, right near an exit. "Ryan? It's me. Was Tal just to see you? Did you say you didn't want to see him again?"
Rick sees the look on Katie's face, and he knows that probably there was a part of her who disliked coming to him about Jason. But it wasn't her fault. He reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll go get him. I was... going home early anyway, right?" He gives her a wink then takes his lab coat off and dons his own jacket, grabbing his keys. "If you want to go back to your desk, I'll give you a holler when and if you should come back in here."
Heading out, he exits the building and aims for his car, throwing a few sidelong glances around the parking lot to find Jason's pickup. Thankfully, it was close by, so he takes his route past the pickup on his way. As he nears, he sees Jason leaned back in the driver's seat with his eyes closed. Even from here, Rick could see he looked pale and his heartbeat quickens. Stopping at the door, he taps his knuckles on the window. The only response is Trooper eying him suspiciously and growling. Even with that, Jason doesn't move.
Rick decides to risk Trooper's interference, and opens the door. Thankfully, all the big dog does is growl some more. "Jase?" Rick shakes Jason's shoulder. "Jason..."
Jason's eyes fly open, though it takes him a moment to focus on anything. Glancing to the side and seeing Rick, he's too lethargic to wonder what he was doing there. "Hmm?"
"You alright?"
"Mm-hmm. Just... heading home." Jason puts his hands back on the steering wheel drowsily.
"How about you come back inside instead?"
Jason is waking up now, and he wishes to be alone again. "What for? I'm fine."
"I noticed you limping earlier. If the pain killers aren't enough, I've got something else to give you. Come on back inside and I'll get you set up, okay?"
Jason throws him an annoyed look. "Nice try. I'm fine, Rick. Leave me be."
Rick sighs. He'd tried to do it the nice way, but it was obviously not going to work. "You're not fine," he states flatly. "Now please... just come inside and let me have a look at you."
"No."
Rick reaches around and takes Jason's keys out of the ignition, moving quickly enough to not be stopped. There was no way he'd let Jason drive in his condition. "Now you have a choice. You can stay out here for no good reason, or come with me."
Jason glares at him. "Why can't you just let it go, huh? You're as bad as Katie."
"I doubt it. But you know why? She cares the most about you than anyone, save your mother, probably. So she's the last one you should be upset with." Rick was stern, tired of the silly games. "Now I'll only say this one more time before I go and get Con to drag you - come back inside."
Jason would like to refuse. But even as irritated as he was, he simply didn't have the energy to fight, and he knew Rick wasn't kidding about Con. So minutes later, he was limping back into the building, using Rick for support. Making their way to the infirmary, Jason doesn't look over to Katie's cubicle - not this time. He had a feeling she had something to do with this - it seemed like too big of a coincidence that Rick had been leaving when he had. But he couldn't prove it, so he'd keep his mouth shut.
Getting to the infirmary, Rick points Jason to the table and he grudgingly obeys. He glances over to Misty, almost as if asking for help out of this, but he knew it was no use. So he sits lamely as Rick starts to look him over, checking this, checking that, drawing blood and taking his temperature.
"What are your symptoms?" Rick questions as he shines a light in Jason's eyes.
"I told you, I'm fine."
"You have a fever. Your eyes don't look good. And you say you're fine." Rick shuts off the light and looks at Jason sternly. "You better start leveling with me, Jase. You promised."
"I don't care!" Jason raises his voice but then regrets it, putting a hand to his head as the pain worsens. "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"
"Because I care! We all care!" Rick was beginning to grow more angry than anything - angry at Jason's insistence on not wanting help. "You're being pigheaded and stupid!"
"I'm doing the best I can!" The light above Jason starts to flicker and he immediately clenches his fist and puts a tighter lid on his emotions. He knew Katie had probably felt a nice jolt with that one. "Don't make this harder than it is," he hisses. "For once, let someone die in peace instead of trying to fix it until their last breath is gone."
Whether Rick wanted it to or not, that statement hurt... and hurt a lot. His tone lowers again, though his eyes burn. "I'm sorry that I care that much about my friends that I want to save them." Taking a deep breath, he turns around for a moment to try and regain his composure.
Jason keeps talking to him anyway. "I did this for Katie and you know it. You told me not to keep things from her, but how can I knowingly put her in pain? How can I knowingly allow her to feel the way I feel, putting her through this... this sickness? It may not be real for her, but she'd feel it and that's just as bad. She might not die from it because it's not in her body, but she'd feel like she was dying just like I do and I cannot - will not allow her to go through that." Without warning, the tears are back, stinging his eyes as he tries to hold them back. His voice wavers though, and his emotions start spurting out against his will, sending the feeling of him crying in Katie's direction. He wraps his arm around his stomach as another wave of nausea hits him.
Rick turns around, and though he's pained to suddenly see the fear and anguish in Jason, his anger for stupidity remains. "You should have come to me," he emphasizes. "How long have you been feeling like this?"
Jason looks at the floor. "It started a day or so after we stopped the antidote. But it wasn't bad, just... minor, so I ignored it. When it got worse, I -"
"Why didn't you tell me so you could go back on the antidote?!"
"Because I-"
"Do you have a death wish?!" Rick's voice is raised again. "You're killing yourself, Jason! I told you for a reason to not hold back your emotions! Did you think I was joking?! Did you think I just thought it would be a fun experiment to see what would happen if you let Katie feel everything?!"
"Of course not!" Jason clenches his fist shut tighter as his palm feels as though it were on fire. At this point, his emotions were so heightened that they were bubbling and boiling through the cracks and crevices, surely taking Katie for a ride at this point. "If it were you, you'd do the same thing! If it were Janet who felt every ache and pain and hurt and emotional trauma you did, do you think you'd let it go on like that on purpose?!" Wincing, he doubles over as his pain spreads, feeding off of his emotional fireworks.
Though Rick was still upset, he sees that this is not only not helping, but hurting Jason, and it needed to stop. No matter how much he wanted to argue and make Jason understand how stupid he was being, the fact of the matter was that riling up Jason only made things worse. Heaving a sigh, he reaches out to put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Why didn't you just opt to get back on the antidote?" he questions more calmly.
Jason's eyes were scrunched tightly against his pain and he shakes his head. "Because... a part of Katie gets lost and... and I can't stand seeing that."
"But if you're going to refuse to share your emotions, you have to take the antidote... otherwise, we're going to lose you." Rick grits his teeth. "And whether you like it or not, I can't just stand back and watch you die without trying to help." Spinning on his heel, he goes for the phone and punches the intercom to Katie's direct phone. "Katie... please come to the infirmary."
Dylan sits in the same old corner of the dining hall, a perfect vantage point to see everyone else in the room, but back far enough that he could go unnoticed. Jade had invited him to sit with her and Dan, but he just hadn't felt like it tonight. He usually didn't... but once in a while he accepted, so that was good enough, right? Maybe tonight, his mind was just too preoccupied with everything else. He was still feeling leery about the newcomers and just wasn't quite sure yet how to handle that whole thing. He'd seen them come in earlier but hadn't made eye contact with either one of them.
Dipping a piece of soft garlic bread into his vegetable soup, he takes a bite then looks down at the side to his history book. As predicted, he hadn't gotten all of his schoolwork finished today because of his stupid hangups during math earlier in the day. History wasn't exactly interesting... he hated all the reading he had to do - it was hard for him to retain the information, but at least he didn't have to figure out any equations or enormously long division. If he could just skim through his history book and pick out the answers he'd need for his quizzes, then he should be okay.
A round of laughter at one of the tables brings his head up and he wonders what the joke had been. Part of him wishes that sometimes... just once in a while... that he could be in on some of that laughter. But choosing to sit back in his own little corner had a price.
Mick sits with his family at one of the tables in the big dining room. It might have been an evening to eat at home, but tonight was a night he'd asked everyone to be there so they could all meet Stacy and Ashlee and he could make sure she could put faces to names and they could recognize her as well. He'd made formal introductions to just about everyone, but now wanted to fill in some of the gaps.
"... So, most of the two families are almost always here." He eats slowly, speaking mainly to Stacy across the table, but including Ashlee as much as she wanted so she would be familiar with the people as well. "Myself, Rosetta and BJ here..." He reaches over to catch some runaway soup with his napkin before it dribbles off the table into BJ's lap. "Angel runs the doctor's office every day and Luke - they're the ones you first met tonight - he doesn't get around very well on his own on account of a back injury, so they're always here..." He goes on to explain more about some of the people there and what their jobs were - details that weren't included in the reports Reese had given Stacy.
"...Jeff is here most of the time - he's the one sitting over there with Trent." Mick pauses to point. "Though he does take off to visit his daughter, Katie, in Nevada - she's an Elite agent herself..." A few more explanations of the family was due and Mick doesn't mind sharing while they continue to eat. "...so I expect Trent will come and go more often too, on trips to Nevada to see his daughter as well."
There was a lot of information but Mick presents it in such a way that it wouldn't feel too overwhelming, and he makes sure Rosetta can add anything she wants as well. He had everything written up in his own report he would give Stacy later anyway, so she could go back over it and get to know people and routines quickly.
"Then there's Eric Pent - one of Rosetta's brothers. He, um..." Mick pauses, not wanting to sound too negative, but knowing he should fill Stacy in. He glances at Rosetta, then back to Stacy and looks at her for a moment, his eyes revealing that it was a fairly touchy subject. He would be careful in front of BJ and Ashlee too. "He's a truck driver, so he's on the road a lot. He keeps this as his home base though and helps support the ranch. He... recently got married though, so... his routine might change." He gives Stacy a wry grin. "We're not sure that his new wife would... well... fit in very well into ranch life." His eyes give away that there was more to the story, but perhaps it would be best to keep some of it just in the family for now.
"And I guess that's really just about everybody. The only other one not here is Cindy's husband Wes - my brother. He's the one that's overseas right now."
Lesson
Smiling up at Tal Ryan couldn't help the joy in her eyes. Would this feeling last? Or was it just the need to feel cared for she wasn't sure, but something told her it was more than that. It was a peace she was lacking, a comfort, something that even with Leo she didn't feel. If it lasted that would be cool, if not at least they had this moment, and the moments that were to follow.
"I do really want to get together again. Maybe we can have a real date or something away from the eyes of over protective brothers."
Giving another giggle Ryan couldn't help it. Though she was upset with Eli at the same time she though it was kind of funny too. Getting back at Eli sounded even better and hearing Tal wanted to do the same thing it was even better.
"Oh that would be so great and if he ends up calling me I am just going to play right along. I'm a pretty good actor he'll never know."
Scrunching her nose at him Ryan's eyes still sparkled with excitement for trying to pull one over on her brother. She'd always been good at playing she was angry, and if it would teach her brother a lesson that would be even better.
"I do really want to get together again. Maybe we can have a real date or something away from the eyes of over protective brothers."
Giving another giggle Ryan couldn't help it. Though she was upset with Eli at the same time she though it was kind of funny too. Getting back at Eli sounded even better and hearing Tal wanted to do the same thing it was even better.
"Oh that would be so great and if he ends up calling me I am just going to play right along. I'm a pretty good actor he'll never know."
Scrunching her nose at him Ryan's eyes still sparkled with excitement for trying to pull one over on her brother. She'd always been good at playing she was angry, and if it would teach her brother a lesson that would be even better.
Good fun
Hearing Ryan laugh, Tal begins to feel a little less embarrassed and a grin starts to form. This really was silly and come to think of it, it really was pretty funny once he got past feeling mortified.
Letting her take his hand from his face, he scrunches up his nose and gives her a funny look. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I don't want to get hit by you. I have a feeling it would hurt."
At least she was glad he'd have the guts to apologize should he ever really make a mistake, right? That was good. Maybe at the very least, if he took away how silly he was being, it did prove he had self-respect, along with respect for Ryan.
He's about to reply when he's tugged a little closer and feels Ryan come in for a kiss. It felt just like last night, and he knew now without a doubt that his assumptions had indeed been wrong. His arms slip around her as he returns her kiss. He couldn't help it. She was so warm and passionate and she felt so good in his arms... to deny kissing her back would be to deny everything in this moment. He knew she was on the rebound. He knew she missed Alec. He knew that this might never mean anything more than a brief physical attraction. But he wouldn't deny her the pleasure either. If she needed to be held, he would hold her. If she needed to be shown affection, he would show it. She deserved so much more than she'd been dealt.
When she pulls away he looks down at her, finally smiling and the redness fading from his cheeks. "Thanks... for not thinking me too much of a fool. And if... you really do want to get together again... I think I'd like that too."
Still smiling, he shakes his head. "But first, I think I'm gonna go back to work and tell Eli that you said you never want to see me again. Let him chew on that guilty thought all day." He winks at her. "All in good fun, of course."
Letting her take his hand from his face, he scrunches up his nose and gives her a funny look. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I don't want to get hit by you. I have a feeling it would hurt."
At least she was glad he'd have the guts to apologize should he ever really make a mistake, right? That was good. Maybe at the very least, if he took away how silly he was being, it did prove he had self-respect, along with respect for Ryan.
He's about to reply when he's tugged a little closer and feels Ryan come in for a kiss. It felt just like last night, and he knew now without a doubt that his assumptions had indeed been wrong. His arms slip around her as he returns her kiss. He couldn't help it. She was so warm and passionate and she felt so good in his arms... to deny kissing her back would be to deny everything in this moment. He knew she was on the rebound. He knew she missed Alec. He knew that this might never mean anything more than a brief physical attraction. But he wouldn't deny her the pleasure either. If she needed to be held, he would hold her. If she needed to be shown affection, he would show it. She deserved so much more than she'd been dealt.
When she pulls away he looks down at her, finally smiling and the redness fading from his cheeks. "Thanks... for not thinking me too much of a fool. And if... you really do want to get together again... I think I'd like that too."
Still smiling, he shakes his head. "But first, I think I'm gonna go back to work and tell Eli that you said you never want to see me again. Let him chew on that guilty thought all day." He winks at her. "All in good fun, of course."
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