(no subject)
Dr. Schreber opens the door after a long minute, happily surprised to see them. Sarah isn’t home from work yet. Courtney explains why they’re there, and they are shown in to the living room and offered tea and baked goods.
Thorn sits carefully, quiet and polite in the unfamiliar setting.
Dr. Schreber has to fetch the other Thorn from the back porch, and takes the time to warn him. When he limps back in, the shorter man is shuffling along behind, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor.
“Hey,” Courtney says. “How are you doing?” She stands and comes to look him over, touching his wrist lightly.
“Um. ‘M all r-r-right.” He gives her a rather wan smile, and fidgets with suddenly shaking hands.
On the couch, Thorn watches his alternate with pity and mild horror.
Dr. Schreber clears his throat awkwardly, mumbles an excuse, and retreats.
Courtney nods and leads him to the couch, sitting between the two Thorns. “So… I’m sorry to spring this on you, but he seemed to think it was important, and you needed to meet each other. I don’t guess introductions are necessary.”
The middle-aged janitor’s gaze strays as far as his alternate’s shoes, but no farther. He nods but says nothing.
The younger Thorn looks a little uneasy himself. “I don’t want to bring up nothing bad, but there’s questions ‘ve got to ask.” He shuts his eyes briefly, as if bracing himself. “Ye can trust Courtney, ye know. There’s… things I ‘aven’t told ‘er, but…”
“I’ll leave you alone in a minute, too, if you want. I just thought you should give yourself some time.”
Again the janitor nods, but makes no attempt to speak.
Forging ahead, however reluctantly, Thorn continues. “Miss Courtney said there wos dogs, and I need- we, need to know… um… why?”
“No one’s accusing you of anything. No one’s angry.” Courtney clarifies, and offers him a hand again.
The older man seems to sink in on himself further, wrapping both arms around himself, but he leans closer to Courtney. “Th-they w-w-wos black, b-but I thought… o-of c-c-course I th-thought me f-father sent ‘em, but… b-but ‘m n-n-not sure. It b-being s-so close to Hallow e’en…” His lip bleeds where he bites it.
Thorn frowns, but turns away. “How not sure?”
Courtney puts her arm around him supportively, saying nothing.
Risking the briefest of glances at his alternate, his voice quavers. “I th-think maybe it w-w-wos M-middle A-a-area playing s-silly buggers? I… um… I-I ‘aven’t b-been r-r-right in the ‘ead f-for a w-w-while now. B-but ye d-did see ‘em?” He turns a desperate gaze to Courtney, searching her face.
Thorn relaxes slightly, relieved but wary.
“Yeah, I saw them, but they vanished pretty quickly.” She tries to look reassuring.
“A-and th-th-they wosn’t exactly r-real, maybe?”
Both turn to her for reassurance.
She turns faintly pink. “That would’ve been my guess, yeah.”
Still nervous, the janitor nods slightly and shivers.
Thorn gives a sigh and pushes back his hood. “’As it done that before?”
Again the janitor nods, hoping this is an end to the difficult questions.
“You should be safe from that here.”
“N-no c-c-carnivals w-wot t-turn ye… I-I-into th-things?” He gives a shudder.
“…Like LOL?” Thorn frowns faintly.
“Well… things like that happen, in the Nexus, but it’s usually avoidable.”
This does not seem to entirely comfort him.
“I’ve been in the Nexus years now, and dodged most of it.”
“You’ll be all right. People will look after you here.”
“Sh-shouldn’t need l-l-looking after…”
Thorn seems to approve of this. “We’ll get ye a job. Anyone can get a job in the Nexus.”
“A little help won’t hurt you.”
The janitor continues to fidget. “I ‘ad n-nice people, b-b-but they all w-went away. N-noy sure I d-d-deserved ‘em…”
Courtney frowns faintly, “Sometimes that’s just the way life is, whether you deserve it or not.”
“I d-deserve it. ‘M a f-f-failure.”
Fidgeting uncertainly, the younger Thorn can find nothing to say to this.
“You’re a person.” She squeezes his hand gently.
He gives her a slightly bewildered look.
“Ye’ll make friends, either way…” The younger man adds with a slow thoughtfulness.
“And I’ll do what I can,” Courtney adds. “I’ll… um. Listen, I know… you need energy other than food. I can help a little.”
His breathing quickens, but he gives a slow nod, unable to look at her now.
“She does for me, and Djehuty helps…” Thorn adds quietly, not without a trace of guilt.
“But you don’t have to let me. Just… please at least think about it.”
“S-sh-she did…” He whispers.
“The other me?”
Fidgeting desperately, he nods.
Thorn looks faintly embarrassed.
“Good. I don’t think… I’d like her. But at least we’d agree on something. Do you need me to let you talk about the things I don’t know now? I can go outside.”
“Um…” He shivers once.
“I’ll be nice.” Thorn murmurs, giving Courtney a nod and an intensely grateful look.
“You better be.” She scolds and beeps his nose before retreating outside to talk to Doctor Schreber.
They both watch her go a moment, one grateful and the other distressed.
((This is intended to have occurred Friday, November 2nd, and is a continuation from here. I intend to write up a piece with the two Thorns talking, but should Sarah wish to come home from work or should anyone else involved wish to play off of this post, I'm quite happy to do so.))