Fic: Dream Awake - Pt. 5 [Eli Stone]
Title: Dream Awake
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Eli, Nate, others
Summary: After the fight with his brother, after the nosebleed, Eli wakes up in hospital. He's not prepared for what happens next. Post episode 209
Eli was still brooding over the Beutel settlement when he made his way to the staff kitchen to fill an oversized mug of coffee. Patti had left a fresh stack of documents on his desk for him to deal with but he couldn't concentrate on work. His head had started throbbing again from the sheer weight of the situation he was in - the puzzle he was trying to solve. After his first sip he knew the coffee wasn't going to help matters, so he dumped the rest.
He wandered back to his office, head bowed. It wasn't until he heard a familiar laugh that he looked up sharply. He saw a flash of red and the flick of a brown bob as a small group of associates crossed the office. Eli's breath caught in his throat.
"Maggie. Maggie!" He suddenly yelled across the office. He ignored the looks from everyone else as he sped forward and skidded to a stop in front of her.
"Mr. Stone?" She tried to cover her surprise, glancing quickly between her colleagues.
"Er, have you got a minute?" He gestured towards his office with both thumbs, trying not to appear too eager.
A line creased the middle of her forehead. "Is there a problem, sir?"
"No. No problem." He touched a hand to her elbow to encourage her to go with him. "I just... um, I need your help with something."
"A case?" she asked hopefully as they walked to his office. "I know I haven't been here long and technically I haven't been in court yet, but I'm ready, Mr. Stone. I'd be honored to work with you. I mean, obviously that's what I'm here for. You're a senior associate and I'm a first year associate - I'll do whatever you need me to do. Research, filings, anything." She smiled apologetically. "I talk a lot when I'm nervous. You should probably know this going in."
"Why are you nervous?"
"Probably because I didn't even realize you know who I am. I mean I know who you are, of course. I followed every day of the Griffin trial - you were amazing. That cross on Angela Simons? Wow. I mean, you nailed it, getting her to admit to the leak. Then when opposing counsel couldn't even decide how to object? Really, it was inspiring… and I'm talking too much, aren't I?"
Eli smiled indulgently as he shut his door behind them and waited until she took a seat. He walked around behind his desk but didn't sit down. His expression grew more awkward as she looked up at him expectantly.
"I don't want to talk to you about a case. At least, I don't think it's a case. If it is, it's overkill having this go on so long. I need your help to… What I mean is, I want you to..." Eli stopped when he realized he had no idea what he was actually going to say to her. If he explained what was going on, like he had done with Frank, he still didn't know how Maggie could possibly help him. He doubted she would even believe him - she didn't know him yet or trust him. They hadn't worked together on any pro bono cases that were so dear to her heart. He had never worked with her before, period.
Eli didn't know why he thought she could help him. He suspected he just craved her support, maybe her empathy, because she had always believed him when it came to his visions. But there were no visions anymore, he was stuck in a reality where they had never happened. He ended up just staring blankly at her, completely lost for words.
Maggie tolerated this for a long minute, growing increasingly bewildered.
"So, um, how's it going?" Eli stammered eventually. He cringed at his own words.
"It's going fine, thank you," she replied slowly. "Mr. Stone, are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"
"No, I was just... you know, checking in. Something I do with um, the junior associates from time to time."
"Okay…" He could tell she didn't believe him.
"What are you working on?" he asked as casually as he could. He took a seat.
Maggie didn't relax and was perched on the edge of her chair. She was momentarily perturbed, as if she was being tested. "Mr. Posner has a few of us researching contract law for his automotive case."
Eli nodded, lost for words again.
"If you don't need my help on anything, I was wondering if I could run something by you?" Maggie said earnestly. "It's something I've been working on in my spare time - collecting precedent, scientific studies. It hasn't interfered with my work, I promise."
He nodded for her to go on.
"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez v. Gro Plus. The case was left on my desk along with a bunch of other pro bono requests. I know I was supposed to return them with a rejection letter, but this is one we can win." She smiled, hoping her enthusiasm might move him.
Eli's words were out of his mouth before he considered the implications. "We don't win, but they get to go and try to find her son."
"Sir?" she asked, puzzled.
"Don't call me sir. It's Eli."
"What do you mean 'we don't win'?" Maggie's frown deepened. "I think you must have this confused with another case. Oscar and Blanca don't have children, that's the point. The chemical Gro Plus forces them to use has made her sterile - that's why they're suing. I really think we can prove a causal effect..."
Eli looked down. The last thing he needed was Maggie thinking he was crazy too. "You know what, never mind. I'm sorry I dragged you in here. You should go back to work."
Maggie stayed where she was, looking confused. Eli had to motion for her to get up before she got to her feet.
"I've collected all the paperwork. If maybe you had a spare half hour..." she said hopefully.
His response was non-committal which disappointed her, but she didn't linger. Eli felt bad that he'd mentioned anything at all, but knowing what would happen to the Ramirez couple made it hard to keep silent. He wondered if maybe it was worth sounding a little crazy if it meant saving them from a court case they would ultimately lose.
Maggie's hand was on the doorknob before he called her name. She turned, looking no less uncertain than she had when she came in.
"Yes, sir?"
"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez. The complaint against Gro Plus is a loser. You'll get your day in court some other time."
"How do you know it's a loser? If I could just show you the file..."
He pressed on, ignoring the look of protest on her face. "Tell them to contact the Immigration Department about their citizenship. Their notario was a fraud... I mean, in case he was."
"How do you know this?" she asked. Her frown was back. "This isn't some sort of hazing ritual, is it?"
"No..." Eli let out a breath. "I've seen this before… this sort of case before."
He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner while Maggie pondered his words. There was no use mentioning the other more important part of the Ramirez case. Eli decided he would send the couple an anonymous letter later about where they could start searching for Blanca's son. Maggie never had to know.
She stared at him then finally nodded slightly. "Thank you, sir."
"Maggie," he said, stopping her again. "It's Eli."
"Eli." She smiled faintly and left.
He sat back in his chair, his eyes glazing over as he surrendered to his thoughts once more. Eli realized he felt even more alone having seen Maggie. She wasn't a magic elixir that could transport him back. He couldn't even confide in her. He wasn't prepared for how his world felt without Maggie as a friend. But now he knew.
0 0 0 0
He emerged from his office a couple of hours later to drop off some completed documents for Patti. Despite his headache and distracting ponderings, Eli thought he was catching up on his work quite well until she perfunctorily handed him back an even larger pile of folders that needed his attention. His shoulders sagged at the sight of them. Eli was tired. He knew the concussion he'd suffered probably had a lot to do with it, but he mostly felt exhausted from the sheer effort it was taking to keep himself together.
"Are you feeling okay, Eli?" Patti asked, actual concern in her voice.
"I'm fine, Patti."
"Maybe you should take it easy your first day back. Go home early."
Eli smirked at her. "I thought I wasn't allowed to take a lunch break until I was all caught up."
"Well, I suppose I could reschedule a couple more meetings. Just this once," Patti said, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Honestly, Patti, I'm okay..." Eli glanced up and spotted Jordan bidding some clients farewell near the elevators. He quickly turned his back on the managing partner before Jordan saw him. He wasn't sure if Taylor had told him everything yet, and he really didn't want to find out.
"You know, maybe it is a good idea if I go home," he said, lowering his voice though Jordan was too far away to hear him. "Head's still a bit sore."
"Do you need a ride?"
Eli grimaced - Patti's voice sounded much louder than usual, potentially drawing unwanted attention. "It's fine, I'll take a cab."
He handed back the files and, after a swift glance in Jordan's direction, he slipped back inside his office to collect his briefcase. Eli used the cover of his colleagues to cross the lobby. Jordan's attention was now focused on one of the partners, but Eli wasn't taking any chances. The elevator seemed to take an interminable time, then when the doors opened he had to wait while a stream of people exited. Eli shifted his weight impatiently from one foot to the other until the last of them were out, before ducking inside the elevator and punching the button for the ground floor. The doors were almost shut when a hand slapped between them, forcing them to reopen. Eli looked up to see an impassive Jordan staring at him.
"Mr. Stone. Leaving so soon?" he said.
"Yes, Jor- um, Mr. Wethersby, sir. I'm still feeling a little..." Eli twisted his hand near his head, trying to think of a suitable descriptor, then gave up and smiled apologetically instead.
"A shame. I hope you feel better."
"Thank you, sir." Eli surreptitiously pressed the ground button again, but Jordan did not release the elevator doors.
"A moment of your time before you do," he said
Eli winced.
"Do you recall what I told you when you started dating my daughter?"
"That if I ever hurt her you'd hunt me down and… you know, sir, I think I repressed that next part." Eli laughed soundlessly.
Jordan leaned inside the elevator, his voice even but his stare deadly. "Consider the hunt to be on, Mr. Stone."
Eli gulped as Jordan stepped back and the elevator doors closed smoothly. At least that answered the question of whether Taylor had spoken to her father yet. Eli didn't know how his day could get any worse.
0 0 0 0
He was thankful to be back in his own apartment after staying at Nate's. He noticed how little had changed from the apartment he knew now - saw how little he'd let Taylor into his life when it came to their living space. He punched a button on his answering machine to discover more than a dozen messages. He skipped through them quickly, only listening in full to one from St. Vincent's trying to schedule a follow up visit with Dr. Fields. Eli decided to worry about that later.
He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, thinking to rest for a moment - hoping it would help clear his head. When he heard a knock on his door he blinked awake, and was surprised to discover that it was dark out and he must have slept for hours. Eli struggled to his feet when the heavy knocking continued, calling out grouchily that he was coming. His limbs weren't cooperating fully and his eyes were bleary. The last thing he wanted or needed was to find Nate on his doorstep.
"You're checking up on me already?" he said ungraciously.
"I knew you'd forget," Nate replied with a shake of his head. "It's game night."
"It is?" He stood back as his brother barged in. Eli scratched his head then figured it was best to play along for now, as if he knew what game night was. "Already?"
Nate dumped a bag of groceries in the kitchen and began unpacking them. "You feeling up to it? How did it go today?"
"Okay, I guess. I've got a lot of work to catch up on."
"Did you talk to Taylor?"
Eli's spirits sank at the remembrance. "Yeah."
"And?"
"I guess I've got a lot to catch up on there, too."
Nate shook his head again, grinning. "You'd better. I can't believe she dated you in the first place."
Eli took the rib good naturedly. He watched as Nate deposited a six pack of beer in the fridge and emptied out a packet of chips into a bowl.
"I knew you'd forget to cater, as usual," he said.
"Sorry."
Nate heard the half-hearted reply and appraised him with a concerned look. "Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"
"Game night? Sure, why not." Eli forced himself to smile.
"Good, because you know how much this means to him."
Eli barely had a moment to realize who he meant when there was another knock and their father opened the door that had been left unlocked.
"Game night!" he bellowed happily. "It's that time of the week again, boys."
Nate was already turning on the TV and selecting a recording on Eli's DVR. Eli found himself gazing at his father again. Aaron had also brought food and was pulling out plates in the kitchen. Eli instinctively gravitated towards him, watching him curiously. Rarely had he seen his father so lucid when he was excited or happy. That was usually when he was in an almost manic state during a vision. He also wasn't used to his appearance, and couldn't help but stare. He managed to look away before his father caught him.
"You okay, son?" Aaron asked as he served some wings.
"Yeah, Dad. I'm fine."
"Good. I know you've had a strange few days."
"Yeah." Eli wished he knew the half of it.
"Something familiar is good then. Game night!" Aaron draped an arm around Eli's shoulder and led him to the couch where they took a seat beside Nate.
Game night, as it turned out, wasn't baseball or basketball or even out of season football. It was cricket - Twenty20 cricket, as Aaron explained. Eli sat feeling bewildered while Nate fast-forwarded through some pre-game commentary until the action began. He had no idea what was going on and had to cover his ignorance as both Nate and Aaron were immediately absorbed in the game.
He tried to follow it, to show excitement when one of the players hit the ball into the stands (something called a 'six', apparently), and commiserate when one was given out (through a bizarre number of different ways it could happen). In the end he settled for surreptitiously watching his father and brother and enjoying the fact that they were having a good time. Eli even managed to swallow his uneasiness when Nate handed Aaron a beer, which he proceeded to nurse for over an hour, rather than downing it quickly and moving onto countless more.
Everything was so... normal. It was the only way Eli could describe it. When Nate got a call on his cell which he ignored when he saw the caller ID, their father proceeded to inquire about his eldest son's love life. He mentioned that it wouldn't hurt for him to settle down, rather than avoiding his latest conquest when she called.
"Oh, I'm saving myself for Beth," Nate said dryly, giving Eli a wink.
"Ha ha," Eli replied. Only he knew that since Beth settled her case with Beutel she probably had no desire to talk to him. And there wouldn't be an engagement party for Nate and Beth to meet at anyway, now he had broken up with Taylor.
A few hours later when the cricket match came to a tie-breaking finish, Aaron announced that the next game night would be the World's Strongest Man mini-marathon at his house. Eli wondered how long these evenings had been going on. From the indulgent way Nate agreed it made him think they had been their father's idea - a way to keep in touch with his sons.
Eli didn't mind, at least while he was stuck where he was. He wasn't about to give up trying to get back, but for now he could tolerate time with his father. He could pretend it was real.
Eli hugged his dad goodbye and almost didn't let go.
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Eli, Nate, others
Summary: After the fight with his brother, after the nosebleed, Eli wakes up in hospital. He's not prepared for what happens next. Post episode 209
Eli was still brooding over the Beutel settlement when he made his way to the staff kitchen to fill an oversized mug of coffee. Patti had left a fresh stack of documents on his desk for him to deal with but he couldn't concentrate on work. His head had started throbbing again from the sheer weight of the situation he was in - the puzzle he was trying to solve. After his first sip he knew the coffee wasn't going to help matters, so he dumped the rest.
He wandered back to his office, head bowed. It wasn't until he heard a familiar laugh that he looked up sharply. He saw a flash of red and the flick of a brown bob as a small group of associates crossed the office. Eli's breath caught in his throat.
"Maggie. Maggie!" He suddenly yelled across the office. He ignored the looks from everyone else as he sped forward and skidded to a stop in front of her.
"Mr. Stone?" She tried to cover her surprise, glancing quickly between her colleagues.
"Er, have you got a minute?" He gestured towards his office with both thumbs, trying not to appear too eager.
A line creased the middle of her forehead. "Is there a problem, sir?"
"No. No problem." He touched a hand to her elbow to encourage her to go with him. "I just... um, I need your help with something."
"A case?" she asked hopefully as they walked to his office. "I know I haven't been here long and technically I haven't been in court yet, but I'm ready, Mr. Stone. I'd be honored to work with you. I mean, obviously that's what I'm here for. You're a senior associate and I'm a first year associate - I'll do whatever you need me to do. Research, filings, anything." She smiled apologetically. "I talk a lot when I'm nervous. You should probably know this going in."
"Why are you nervous?"
"Probably because I didn't even realize you know who I am. I mean I know who you are, of course. I followed every day of the Griffin trial - you were amazing. That cross on Angela Simons? Wow. I mean, you nailed it, getting her to admit to the leak. Then when opposing counsel couldn't even decide how to object? Really, it was inspiring… and I'm talking too much, aren't I?"
Eli smiled indulgently as he shut his door behind them and waited until she took a seat. He walked around behind his desk but didn't sit down. His expression grew more awkward as she looked up at him expectantly.
"I don't want to talk to you about a case. At least, I don't think it's a case. If it is, it's overkill having this go on so long. I need your help to… What I mean is, I want you to..." Eli stopped when he realized he had no idea what he was actually going to say to her. If he explained what was going on, like he had done with Frank, he still didn't know how Maggie could possibly help him. He doubted she would even believe him - she didn't know him yet or trust him. They hadn't worked together on any pro bono cases that were so dear to her heart. He had never worked with her before, period.
Eli didn't know why he thought she could help him. He suspected he just craved her support, maybe her empathy, because she had always believed him when it came to his visions. But there were no visions anymore, he was stuck in a reality where they had never happened. He ended up just staring blankly at her, completely lost for words.
Maggie tolerated this for a long minute, growing increasingly bewildered.
"So, um, how's it going?" Eli stammered eventually. He cringed at his own words.
"It's going fine, thank you," she replied slowly. "Mr. Stone, are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"
"No, I was just... you know, checking in. Something I do with um, the junior associates from time to time."
"Okay…" He could tell she didn't believe him.
"What are you working on?" he asked as casually as he could. He took a seat.
Maggie didn't relax and was perched on the edge of her chair. She was momentarily perturbed, as if she was being tested. "Mr. Posner has a few of us researching contract law for his automotive case."
Eli nodded, lost for words again.
"If you don't need my help on anything, I was wondering if I could run something by you?" Maggie said earnestly. "It's something I've been working on in my spare time - collecting precedent, scientific studies. It hasn't interfered with my work, I promise."
He nodded for her to go on.
"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez v. Gro Plus. The case was left on my desk along with a bunch of other pro bono requests. I know I was supposed to return them with a rejection letter, but this is one we can win." She smiled, hoping her enthusiasm might move him.
Eli's words were out of his mouth before he considered the implications. "We don't win, but they get to go and try to find her son."
"Sir?" she asked, puzzled.
"Don't call me sir. It's Eli."
"What do you mean 'we don't win'?" Maggie's frown deepened. "I think you must have this confused with another case. Oscar and Blanca don't have children, that's the point. The chemical Gro Plus forces them to use has made her sterile - that's why they're suing. I really think we can prove a causal effect..."
Eli looked down. The last thing he needed was Maggie thinking he was crazy too. "You know what, never mind. I'm sorry I dragged you in here. You should go back to work."
Maggie stayed where she was, looking confused. Eli had to motion for her to get up before she got to her feet.
"I've collected all the paperwork. If maybe you had a spare half hour..." she said hopefully.
His response was non-committal which disappointed her, but she didn't linger. Eli felt bad that he'd mentioned anything at all, but knowing what would happen to the Ramirez couple made it hard to keep silent. He wondered if maybe it was worth sounding a little crazy if it meant saving them from a court case they would ultimately lose.
Maggie's hand was on the doorknob before he called her name. She turned, looking no less uncertain than she had when she came in.
"Yes, sir?"
"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez. The complaint against Gro Plus is a loser. You'll get your day in court some other time."
"How do you know it's a loser? If I could just show you the file..."
He pressed on, ignoring the look of protest on her face. "Tell them to contact the Immigration Department about their citizenship. Their notario was a fraud... I mean, in case he was."
"How do you know this?" she asked. Her frown was back. "This isn't some sort of hazing ritual, is it?"
"No..." Eli let out a breath. "I've seen this before… this sort of case before."
He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner while Maggie pondered his words. There was no use mentioning the other more important part of the Ramirez case. Eli decided he would send the couple an anonymous letter later about where they could start searching for Blanca's son. Maggie never had to know.
She stared at him then finally nodded slightly. "Thank you, sir."
"Maggie," he said, stopping her again. "It's Eli."
"Eli." She smiled faintly and left.
He sat back in his chair, his eyes glazing over as he surrendered to his thoughts once more. Eli realized he felt even more alone having seen Maggie. She wasn't a magic elixir that could transport him back. He couldn't even confide in her. He wasn't prepared for how his world felt without Maggie as a friend. But now he knew.
0 0 0 0
He emerged from his office a couple of hours later to drop off some completed documents for Patti. Despite his headache and distracting ponderings, Eli thought he was catching up on his work quite well until she perfunctorily handed him back an even larger pile of folders that needed his attention. His shoulders sagged at the sight of them. Eli was tired. He knew the concussion he'd suffered probably had a lot to do with it, but he mostly felt exhausted from the sheer effort it was taking to keep himself together.
"Are you feeling okay, Eli?" Patti asked, actual concern in her voice.
"I'm fine, Patti."
"Maybe you should take it easy your first day back. Go home early."
Eli smirked at her. "I thought I wasn't allowed to take a lunch break until I was all caught up."
"Well, I suppose I could reschedule a couple more meetings. Just this once," Patti said, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Honestly, Patti, I'm okay..." Eli glanced up and spotted Jordan bidding some clients farewell near the elevators. He quickly turned his back on the managing partner before Jordan saw him. He wasn't sure if Taylor had told him everything yet, and he really didn't want to find out.
"You know, maybe it is a good idea if I go home," he said, lowering his voice though Jordan was too far away to hear him. "Head's still a bit sore."
"Do you need a ride?"
Eli grimaced - Patti's voice sounded much louder than usual, potentially drawing unwanted attention. "It's fine, I'll take a cab."
He handed back the files and, after a swift glance in Jordan's direction, he slipped back inside his office to collect his briefcase. Eli used the cover of his colleagues to cross the lobby. Jordan's attention was now focused on one of the partners, but Eli wasn't taking any chances. The elevator seemed to take an interminable time, then when the doors opened he had to wait while a stream of people exited. Eli shifted his weight impatiently from one foot to the other until the last of them were out, before ducking inside the elevator and punching the button for the ground floor. The doors were almost shut when a hand slapped between them, forcing them to reopen. Eli looked up to see an impassive Jordan staring at him.
"Mr. Stone. Leaving so soon?" he said.
"Yes, Jor- um, Mr. Wethersby, sir. I'm still feeling a little..." Eli twisted his hand near his head, trying to think of a suitable descriptor, then gave up and smiled apologetically instead.
"A shame. I hope you feel better."
"Thank you, sir." Eli surreptitiously pressed the ground button again, but Jordan did not release the elevator doors.
"A moment of your time before you do," he said
Eli winced.
"Do you recall what I told you when you started dating my daughter?"
"That if I ever hurt her you'd hunt me down and… you know, sir, I think I repressed that next part." Eli laughed soundlessly.
Jordan leaned inside the elevator, his voice even but his stare deadly. "Consider the hunt to be on, Mr. Stone."
Eli gulped as Jordan stepped back and the elevator doors closed smoothly. At least that answered the question of whether Taylor had spoken to her father yet. Eli didn't know how his day could get any worse.
0 0 0 0
He was thankful to be back in his own apartment after staying at Nate's. He noticed how little had changed from the apartment he knew now - saw how little he'd let Taylor into his life when it came to their living space. He punched a button on his answering machine to discover more than a dozen messages. He skipped through them quickly, only listening in full to one from St. Vincent's trying to schedule a follow up visit with Dr. Fields. Eli decided to worry about that later.
He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, thinking to rest for a moment - hoping it would help clear his head. When he heard a knock on his door he blinked awake, and was surprised to discover that it was dark out and he must have slept for hours. Eli struggled to his feet when the heavy knocking continued, calling out grouchily that he was coming. His limbs weren't cooperating fully and his eyes were bleary. The last thing he wanted or needed was to find Nate on his doorstep.
"You're checking up on me already?" he said ungraciously.
"I knew you'd forget," Nate replied with a shake of his head. "It's game night."
"It is?" He stood back as his brother barged in. Eli scratched his head then figured it was best to play along for now, as if he knew what game night was. "Already?"
Nate dumped a bag of groceries in the kitchen and began unpacking them. "You feeling up to it? How did it go today?"
"Okay, I guess. I've got a lot of work to catch up on."
"Did you talk to Taylor?"
Eli's spirits sank at the remembrance. "Yeah."
"And?"
"I guess I've got a lot to catch up on there, too."
Nate shook his head again, grinning. "You'd better. I can't believe she dated you in the first place."
Eli took the rib good naturedly. He watched as Nate deposited a six pack of beer in the fridge and emptied out a packet of chips into a bowl.
"I knew you'd forget to cater, as usual," he said.
"Sorry."
Nate heard the half-hearted reply and appraised him with a concerned look. "Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"
"Game night? Sure, why not." Eli forced himself to smile.
"Good, because you know how much this means to him."
Eli barely had a moment to realize who he meant when there was another knock and their father opened the door that had been left unlocked.
"Game night!" he bellowed happily. "It's that time of the week again, boys."
Nate was already turning on the TV and selecting a recording on Eli's DVR. Eli found himself gazing at his father again. Aaron had also brought food and was pulling out plates in the kitchen. Eli instinctively gravitated towards him, watching him curiously. Rarely had he seen his father so lucid when he was excited or happy. That was usually when he was in an almost manic state during a vision. He also wasn't used to his appearance, and couldn't help but stare. He managed to look away before his father caught him.
"You okay, son?" Aaron asked as he served some wings.
"Yeah, Dad. I'm fine."
"Good. I know you've had a strange few days."
"Yeah." Eli wished he knew the half of it.
"Something familiar is good then. Game night!" Aaron draped an arm around Eli's shoulder and led him to the couch where they took a seat beside Nate.
Game night, as it turned out, wasn't baseball or basketball or even out of season football. It was cricket - Twenty20 cricket, as Aaron explained. Eli sat feeling bewildered while Nate fast-forwarded through some pre-game commentary until the action began. He had no idea what was going on and had to cover his ignorance as both Nate and Aaron were immediately absorbed in the game.
He tried to follow it, to show excitement when one of the players hit the ball into the stands (something called a 'six', apparently), and commiserate when one was given out (through a bizarre number of different ways it could happen). In the end he settled for surreptitiously watching his father and brother and enjoying the fact that they were having a good time. Eli even managed to swallow his uneasiness when Nate handed Aaron a beer, which he proceeded to nurse for over an hour, rather than downing it quickly and moving onto countless more.
Everything was so... normal. It was the only way Eli could describe it. When Nate got a call on his cell which he ignored when he saw the caller ID, their father proceeded to inquire about his eldest son's love life. He mentioned that it wouldn't hurt for him to settle down, rather than avoiding his latest conquest when she called.
"Oh, I'm saving myself for Beth," Nate said dryly, giving Eli a wink.
"Ha ha," Eli replied. Only he knew that since Beth settled her case with Beutel she probably had no desire to talk to him. And there wouldn't be an engagement party for Nate and Beth to meet at anyway, now he had broken up with Taylor.
A few hours later when the cricket match came to a tie-breaking finish, Aaron announced that the next game night would be the World's Strongest Man mini-marathon at his house. Eli wondered how long these evenings had been going on. From the indulgent way Nate agreed it made him think they had been their father's idea - a way to keep in touch with his sons.
Eli didn't mind, at least while he was stuck where he was. He wasn't about to give up trying to get back, but for now he could tolerate time with his father. He could pretend it was real.
Eli hugged his dad goodbye and almost didn't let go.