Day 3 - no more Robert Church

[patrick_koster]

Robbie's second visit finally had Patrick making the decision he'd been tossing around in his mind for the past few weeks. Brendan had left them alone for a few minutes to answer a call, and some - to Robbie - innocuous comments followed which had Patrick, mid-sentence, falling silent. There it was again, the sign that for some reason, Robbie

Comments

Jason visits

[mark_kosik]

Jason had gone to all the people he knew to talk to; asking if anyone had anything against Patrick Barry, or Robert Church, and as he expected the former was an unknown and the latter was non-existent on the underworld radars. Jason was out of touch with the majority of the crime regime now and he knew it. No longer working for Caspian, or having his place in Essex he was again person non grada. Stepping away from his previous existence had brought him to this.

Loving Eddie Boone had begun him on the journey and now he was considered legitimate and damn it, he now wasJason hadn't seen Patrick since he was attacked but he had thought about him. He didn't like that someone had hurt his friend nor did he appreciate being impotent to do anything to find the filth that had beaten him. Reaching the hospital floor where Robbie had directed him Jason felt his stomach clench; he hated hospitals; the smell, the sounds, the people-it made him want to vomit. He felt caged, helpless and his brow held a fine sheen of sweat. He knew it was a

Re: Jason visits

[mark_kosik]

Jason laughed and shook his head. "No, the shite feed they give y'in hospital isn't fit f'rats." He reached out and poked Patrick's pillow near his head but didn't touch him.

"So does that mean Brendan's been smuggling y'in food from the pub?"

Re: Jason visits

[patrick_koster]

"Yeah, he has," Patrick said, absently wondering what was taking Brendan so long.

"So, what has kept you this busy lately, Jason?" Patrick asked as he recalled Robbie complaining good-naturedly about Jason during that last meeting they'd had together. He hadn't bothered to ask what Robbie had meant, after all he'd never been one to talk about other people behind their back and apart from that he'd merely wanted to get things done with as quickly as possible.

Re: Jason visits

[mark_kosik]

"Erm, I adopted two more sons, bought a house and I-I met someone. His name's Roy and, I love him." Jason relaxed fully at this confession and the irony of his good fortune mirroring Patrick's ill one hardly lost on him.

"Aside from laying up in hospital, what you been up to y'self?"

Re: Jason visits

[patrick_koster]

"Well, that's nice," Patrick said, not quite sure what he was referring to. Some of that definitely seemed rather fast but he reckoned it wasn't his place to comment on it. Feeling almost relieved himself when he heard the sound of a toilet being flushed, Patrick sighed and gave another small shrug. "Suppose I haven't been up to an awful lot lately to be honest. Perhaps that's because I was sitting by the phone waiting for your call."

A smirk accompanied his last words, but the smirk soon turned into a genuine smile when the bathroom door opened and Brendan walked in, a car magazine in his hand which caused Patrick's smile to widen: that certainly explained why it had taken Brendan so bloody long.

Re: Jason visits

[mark_kosik]

Jason waved to Brendan, greeting him and once pleasantries were exchanged he turned back to Patrick, chuckling.

"Well that will teach y'to tell me you're setting your hair next time I knock round t'see you." He winked at Patrick. "I meant to ring," He continued teasing. "But y'know; spread a bit thin with all the excitement."

Re: Jason visits

[stormybrendan]

Brendan was surprised to see it was Jason who owned the voice he'd heard while 'reading'. He returned the greeting and walked up to the armchair that had his tea sitting next to it, cooling. He had no idea what the two men had been talking about and sat, listening, as Jason continued.

Re: Jason visits

[patrick_koster]

Patrick nodded. "I suppose one can only handle so much excitement, yeah." His gaze kept drifting toward Brendan, feeling more at ease now that the man had returned.

He forced himself to look back at Jason and asked, "So where did you find this Roy bloke then?" Part of him a little curious as to how Jason could possibly get involved with someone else this fast, and even claim to loving him, but mostly he asked because it was simply easier to focus on someone other than himself.

Re: Jason visits

[mark_kosik]

Jason blushed a little, a grin appearing as he thought of Roy. "Erm, the market actually. We're having a bit of a special on lovers few isles in from produce." Jason glanced at Brendan and then looked back to Patrick.

" We've our differences but not so many that it won't work y'know? Love is a start and m'just fucking grateful I've him." Jason nodded a couple of times in final emphasis and drew his gaze up Patrick's body, appraising with a critical eye. "Loose any teeth? Or just jaw fractures?"

Re: Jason visits

[stormybrendan]

Not a muscle moved in Brendan's face, nothing to indicate the surprise he felt. His fingers flicked quietly along the edge of the pages of the magazine he still held as he sat silently taking in what Jason said.

Re: Jason visits

[patrick_koster]

Patrick snorted, once again foregoing any possible comments on what Jason had told him about his new lover and focusing on the man's following questions instead. "Jaw fractures? I think I'd be far less eloquent if I'd have a fractured jaw, mate, let alone multiple fractures." He smirked and gestured toward his injured arm. "That's all that's fractured - and I think it's more than enough, really."

Re: Jason visits

[mark_kosik]

"Yeah I know." Jason winked hearing Patrick's explanation about the jaw. "Been on the giving end more then the receiving with blows that fracture the face. S'good you didn't loose any teeth, or have t'have your jaw wired. No fun that." A glint sparked behind Jason's gaze. "Or so I've heard."

He shrugged and glanced back at Brendan before looking at Patrick once more. The type of man he was, and knew Patrick had been; the infliction of bodily injury to others as well as enduring the same pains, had been common place. Perhaps their lives had changed; but rough and tumble street lives were not easily forgotten.

"You in good hands now. Think I'll leave you two to it." He reached out and tapped the back of his hand lightly against Patrick's uninjured shoulder. "Glad your on the mend, and if y'need anything from me, just ring. I don't care what time it is, m'phone's on. Right?"

Re: Jason visits

[patrick_koster]

"Right," Patrick said curtly, absently wondering what had made the man think he was on the mend. Yet that question was soon replaced by many others: the question why Jason had come to visit him in the first place - other than his misguided feelings of guilt - hadn't been answered and then there was Jason just about ignoring Brendan something Patrick didn't understand - or liked - either. "Don't wait by the phone, Jason," he added with a smirk and, after a polite goodbye from all sides, Patrick watched Jason leave the room, his hand already reaching for Brendan's as he did.

After Robbie's visit earlier that day, which had aggravated him beyond words, and now this, Patrick had really had enough. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he'd made the right decision by quitting his job, nor was there much doubt about this being the last time he'd seen either man: because if Jason wasn't capable of finding the people that had put him in here, he didn't see what else the man could possibly do for him.