OOM: Room 6620, #6

[the_gene_genie]

He knows he's probably in trouble as he drags himself up the stairs. He only went down to have a quick pint, and pick up some more wine. He's been gone about five hours now, he estimates, though it's really hard to care. Sitting on the garage floor after a scrap has left him stiff as a board, and freezing cold. The half bottle of Scotch - not to mention Guppy smacking him on the melon a few times - means his head's pounding. Everything aches, and he wants nothing more than to climb into a warm bed, and stay there forever.

But he can't do that. Enough of this. He's been trying so hard, but it's time to throw in the towel. He can't go through another encounter like that. All that's left is to tell her.

He lets himself into their room quietly, half hoping she'll be asleep but knowing he'd have to wake her up anyway.

Comments

[lady_bols]

She's sitting at the table, pen poised over a notebook, when she hears the door. The shock of seeing him takes her breath away.

'Where've you been -- Gene? Are you all right?'

She rises and crosses to him, taking in his battered state and the cant of his shoulders. Shaking hands touch his face, and her breath hitches.

'Oh, love. You're cold as ice. Come here and get warm.'

He hasn't left her without saying goodbye, and now she feels like a fool for even thinking it.

[the_gene_genie]

'I'm alright,' he mumbles, though is pretty sure the lie is obvious. He allows himself to be led over to the sofa, the limp more pronounced from cold and going stiff, and sinks into it with an audible sigh of relief.

'Order tea? And paracetamol.'

[lady_bols]

Okay, she can do that. But that means leaving his side, and it's obvious, there's a moment when that's the last thing she wants to do.

'Yes, of course.'

She settles, light as a bird, beside him for a moment, one hand brushing his hair out of his eyes, checking for other wounds. Just the mark on his jaw. Her gaze lights on the Security Badge, and things make a little more sense now. (He had tried to go home, just without leaving. And they both know that will never work.)

'It'll be quicker if I run down and fetch it myself. Sit here. I'll be right back.'

She can't help herself. She leans in and places a gentle kiss on his brow, and then tears herself away. She doesn't want him to see the tears forming in her eyes.

'Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back.'

She doesn't even bother putting on shoes, just darts out the door. She'll only be gone ten minutes and that's far too long for her liking.

[the_gene_genie]

He nods tiredly, and even drags up a tiny smile at the kiss on his forehead. When she's gone, he pulls his boots off, wincing at the effort of trying not to bend his injured knee. At least it distracts him from thinking about what he'll say when she gets back.

It's so bloody cold. Colder than it should be, surely? He summons enough energy to get up and get a fleece jumper from the wardrobe. She'll find him sunk into it when she comes back, back on the sofa with his arms wrapped around his middle and chin down to his chest.

[lady_bols]

She comes back in with a rat in tow, pushing a tea trolley behind her.

'Thanks, I'll take it from here.'

Paracetamol in one hand and a glass of water in the other, she sees the fleece and silently chastises herself for not thinking of that.

Again, she settles next to him. 'Here, love.'

Her voice is pitched low, quiet, not wanting to jar his nerves anymore than they have been.

[the_gene_genie]

'Ta, luv.'

He takes the pills - four of them - and knocks them back immediately. There's oil smeared on one of his hands, so she might be able to tell where he's been.

'Sorry.'

His head rests against the soft back of the couch.

'Got waylaid.'

[lady_bols]

She's quiet for a long moment, watching him, her heart in her throat.

No more secrets between them. Not if she can help it.

'I thought you'd gone back without saying goodbye.'

[the_gene_genie]

He turns his head towards her without lifting it.

'Why would I do that?'

[lady_bols]

'I don't know,' she says, her smile saying she's embarrassed she even mentioned it. 'I just saw -- the other you, again. I thought that was you -- saying goodbye. I thought maybe -- you'd think it was easier that way. Making a quick break of it.'

Her chin wrinkles, and she looks down at her hands again, trying very hard not to let her emotions overwhelm her.

[the_gene_genie]

'Oh.'

He looks away at once. He didn't think...he hates that he has no control over his own bloody other self. Real self. Whatever.


'I wouldn't do that, Alex.'

There's clearly more he wants to add to that. The hesitation is obvious, even to him. He tries to hide it by stretching forward to reach the tea trolley.

[lady_bols]

One hand swipes across her eyes. 'God, I'm sorry, let me do that for you.'

Her hand lights on his and she eases him back into the cushions, before turning back to the tea and the comfort of the ritual.

'Seven sugars.'

It's a quiet way to acknowledge what they both know is coming. It's a seven sugars day.

[the_gene_genie]

'Ta.'

He watches her spoon it in, feeling the reality settle heavy in his chest. He's not going to be able to talk properly until it's out of the way.

And she knows it's coming. She always has. He knows that.



'Alex, I have to go home.'

[lady_bols]

It hits her like a fist in the solar plexus, and even though she knew it was coming, it takes the wind out of her.

She finishes making his tea.

'I know.' And her voice breaks.

She tries to smile at him. Tries so very hard to look brave, and strong, and above all, hopeful.

[the_gene_genie]

Her attempt, even while her voice breaks, makes his heart hurt.

'Don't worry.'

He tries a smile, and eases an arm around her back. His other hand taps the badge he's wearing.

'It'll bring me back. I checked.'

He doesn't mention that there have been people it didn't bring back. She doesn't need to hear that.

[lady_bols]

Her lungs fill with air, a shuddering gasp, and she looks back and forth between his face and the badge. His arm goes around her and she hiccups almost.

'Oh thank God.'

The tea is utterly forgotten as she wraps her arms around his neck and holds on tight.

[the_gene_genie]

He smiles, and brings his other arm around her, keeping her close. He's glad she's happy with that, and of course he is too. But it doesn't change the fact of how hard it is for him to be here at all. He can only assume that all this will be waiting for him when he walks back in. And can only hope it'll be easier to deal with when things are squared away at home.

'Soppy mare,' he mutters, affectionately. Only if she's soppy, he is too, because he's holding on just as tight.

[lady_bols]

She holds tight for as long as he'll let her, trying not to let her tears get the better of her, even though they're streaming down her face. Of course he'll be back. Of course he'll be a mess when he gets here. She's not exactly in peak form either, she knows. But that doesn't matter, when they're together.

'I hung up your suit, but I couldn't find your tie. I don't know where it ended up. I don't remember if you were even wearing one.'

Her fingertips dig into the fabric of his shirt, trying to feel the flesh and bone underneath. He's real. After all they've been through, he still wants this. It feels good just to hold onto that simple fact for the moment.

[the_gene_genie]

'I'll find it.'

She prepared for this. That's good.

Prepared his suit, too. Bonus.



He has to shift after a while. His body hurts, and while having her near is helping him calm, he can't get the image of the ghost out of his head. It was the first clear look he's had at his own face for thirty years. And he hardly recognised himself.

'Tea, sweet'eart. Please.'

[lady_bols]

'Yes, of course. Of course.'

She disengages from him, smoothing the front of his shirt and moving to hand him his mug. That done, she pushes her hair back from her face, twisting it back into a knot that refuses to stay tied. Doesn't matter.

She goes through the motion of making her own mug, and limits herself to four sugars. Breathe, just breathe, Alex. A long sigh, and she closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, she's a bit more collected.

'So are you going to tell me what happened?'

Maybe she can figure out why she saw his ghost in the first place.

[the_gene_genie]

He looks down at his drink, before swallowing some of it. It burns all the way down, in the best way. Better even than the half bottle of Scotch he's had, and it's not often he thinks that.

'Guppy wanted a fight. So we had a fight.'

He snorts quietly, and touches his fingers to the back of his head. It seems like days ago that the bloke's fists were smashing into it.

'Think he was trying to prove something.'

[lady_bols]

'Guppy?'

Her eyebrows rise and her chin dips to her chest.

'What did you say to him?'

She's only heard the doctor mentioned in passing, but he doesn't seem like the kind of man who'd scrap just for the sake of scrapping.

While she talks, her hands unfold one of the tea towels on the trolley. It has a plastic packet of blue goo in it. She folds it up so there's only one layer of cloth around it, and hands it to him. It's as cold as an ice pack, but much more flexible.

[the_gene_genie]

He frowns at the stuff in his hand, squidging it experimentally.

'He takes pills. For...I can't remember. Stress. It went from there.'

It's probably no kind of explanation, and he's aware it certainly doesn't say a thing about why he would agree to a fight over it. But that's what he says.

[lady_bols]

Her lips thin, and she takes the ice pack from him, placing it behind his head with gentle hands.

'He's has a prescription, you mean?'

She knows how he feels about drugs, but she feels very strongly about the difference between medication and recreational drug use. Her tone tells him as much.

[the_gene_genie]

'Yeah. But that's not what-'

He pauses, and holds the gel pack so she doesn't have to. He doesn't normally bother icing injuries, but it's easier to acquiesce than face her disapproval.

'-I think he wanted to prove it didn't make him weak. I just wanted a fight. It's alright.'

Only it's not, because it went too far. It's one thing beating a scumbag until they need hospital, another to do it to a mate for no good reason. The difference might be obvious in the shame on his face, that he's trying to pretend isn't there.

[lady_bols]

Again, she gives him a long look, searching his face for some kind of explanation.

'Is he going to be all right?'

She can't imagine Gene would risk his security badge the very first day, especially since it's their only guarantee he'll be coming back through that door.




Then again, this is Gene she's talking to. The lines in her furrowed brow deepen.