(Untitled)

[mentalistjane]

It had been a long time since Patrick Jane had been to the tiny hut called home. So after he had spent time with both Daniel and Cole, and found out there were no more therapists left on the island to help him with his own particular 'issues', well, there really was nothing left to do but go home, and clean up what remained of his life

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[patriotqueen]

The tune was dismal by itself, but there was something in the way the notes were carried that made it sound more funerary than usual.

It was a surprise to Guy to find it being played by Patrick.

And it wasn't due to the dreariness, or due to the sadness in the long notes, the bowed head, but the fact that it was Patrick. This meant - in a very obvious way - that he was still on the island.

Somehow, not a fibre in Guy's body was extaticly pleased at the news. "Well, fuck me. He lives," he remarked sardonically instead.

[mentalistjane]

Patrick paused for a moment, recognizing that sarcastic, British voice anywhere. He pressed his lips together briefly, but kept playing the slow and lovely tune, gathering his thoughts. He picked up on the one that mattered, and stated simply.

"I hear I owe you an apology."

[patriotqueen]

Guy didn't quite see it that way. "You owe Daniel an apology and I do expect you have given it to him by now. Or have you come here to play in the hope to see him flood to your side?"

[mentalistjane]

"I've already spoken to Daniel, yes, and apologized. He's talking to me, nothing more." Patrick kept playing, and not turning around to look at the other man. He already knew Guy looked furious, and unless the man wanted to push it, Patrick was happy hiding behind the music for once.

[patriotqueen]

Guy couldn't quite let that go. He knew he was meddling with something he truly did not wish to be his business, but this was Daniel. "What did you expect? He thought you vanished off the island."

[mentalistjane]

"I ... was expecting him to punch me in the face, Guy. Or at least slam the door in my face. By all accounts, I got off light in terms of what Daniel could have done." Patrick stopped, before he started jangling keys, and put his hands down on his knees. "I wasn't asking Daniel to forgive me, and I didn't ask for it. I said I was sorry, and I explained what happened to me. You want to kick me a few times just to make sure Daniel's being well protected, be my guest. I'll curl up in a ball and then limp off to the infirmary."

[patriotqueen]

It would be a lie to say Guy wasn't the fighting type. When the situation required it, he was perfectly capable to throw a punch. But the situation only required it when he was drunk and in a pub and having offended someone who saw an easy target in the often smaller Brit. Truth be told, even though he could fight back, he rarely won. Whatever the case, he wasn't one to randomly beat someone in any physical sense.

"Daniel's perfectly capable to fend for himself. I'm just saying you might have given a sign of life somewhere in those weeks of undoubtedly deep inner turmoil," Guy retorted. He couldn't see why the man would have turned invisible after that day. They'd been thrown about a bit, and yes, it bore annoying consequences, but time healed all and if not time, then drink healed the rest.

[mentalistjane]

"Had I been able to get past my mental breakdown, Guy, I assure you, I would have let everyone know I was all right." Patrick continued to play. "I didn't chose to have a psychotic break. I just had one. Now, I'm getting myself help, so the next time I won't wander off into the forest and become the insane hermit who wears leaves as a hat."

[patriotqueen]

Perhaps Guy was just too curious for his own good. "I didn't know sex with Cole could be so traumatic."

[mentalistjane]

"It's not the sex with Cole that was the problem." That had been fantastic, actually, but not something he was going to bring up to Guy. He tickled the keys again, and switched to Rachmaninoff, going for one of his more thoughtful pieces. "It was the being passionately in love part that did me in."

[patriotqueen]

There was something there that didn't sit well with Guy, so it was just as well Patrick was facing the other way. "Really? It was a walk in the park for the rest of us."

[mentalistjane]

"Most people recover. Most people are normal that way. I lost my wife in a traumatic event that made falling in love, again, for me? To be utterly impossible." He trickled down the keyboard, staring off into space. "Then there I was, completely and totally over my head again. For a day, I was absolutely happy."

He looked down at the keys, his jaw tight. "And then, it was the next day, and I woke up."

[patriotqueen]

Guy had been absolutely miserable that very same day, and made him think that he must have never been in love before, but somewhere the concept was understood. "Most people here aren't normal," he therefore said and it served more as assurance than as an accusation.

[mentalistjane]

"No, it seems there are few normal people about." Patrick said slowly, letting his mind ruminate on it. He played long and slow, looking finally back at the other man. "But I suppose it's all relative."

[patriotqueen]

"I don't really think you suppose that at all," Guy replied bluntly. "Perhaps that's a remnant of the day as well; nothing was relative then."

[mentalistjane]

Patrick stopped playing at that, and turned towards Guy. His face was tight and his blue eyes were sharp. "What exactly are you looking for, Guy? You want something out of me - I just don't know what."