Topic: Wasted Days

Jake Duncan

Date: 2007-11-28 16:37 EST
The alarm clocks ringing jarred Jake awake. Reaching out he threw his hand over the bells, and clapper to silence the damn thing. Through bleary eyes he looked at the clock hands. Four thirty am, who the hell gets up at four thirty in the morning? Jake thought to himself. Just thirty more minutes, he pleaded with himself. Turning the switch on the back of the clock off he laid his head back down, unaware of just how truly exhausted he really was. Thirty minutes slipped away turning into an hour, and then two...and so it went till at last Jake stirred from his slumber. Reaching for the clock he stared at it blankly for a few minutes. twelve fifteen, that just couldn't be right. He was supposed to have met Erin and Ivy for lunch, and then a bit of Christmas shopping. Sitting up slowly he grabbed his jeans off the chair near his bed, and pulled them on. Rising up he yawned, and stretched scratching his head, and patting his belly as he ambled off to fix a pot of coffee. While he was waiting for his coffee the idea came to him that perhaps he should just take the day off. Spend some time here checking on everything, and just relaxing. The girls would forgive him being lazy this once, since they both told him often enough that he should take some time for himself. And so it was that Jake passed away his day doing a whole lot of nothing. The sun was just beginning to start its gradual decline into the western horizon when Jake settled into one of the rocking chairs on his porch, hot cup of coffee, and a cigarette in hand. The thought occurred to him that all in all it had been a pretty good day.

Ivy Forester

Date: 2007-11-28 18:17 EST
After assuring Erin that Lydia and Carley were fine, and they would come see her when they were healthy and ready, Ivy set out on the one errand that Erin was adamant about. ?Other than some cuts and scrapes, particularly on the palms of her hands, Ivy was untouched. ?Her tights had been long removed and discarded, and she was wearing an old pair of jeans they had at the hospital with an oversized sweatshirt. ?Ivy looked slightly silly in the clothes that were too big and entirely unlike her, but she didn't even notice, as she hurried through the streets.

Passing Elly's and making her way to the ranch, she stopped just short of Jake's front porch to smooth her hands over her clothes and compose herself. ?Done wrong, this could alarm more than reassure, and she wanted to make sure that it was clear everyone was alright. ?Her eyes landed on the man as he sat on the porch and she attempted a smile, it came slowly and she moved up the walk.

"Now Jake... don't want you to be alarmed or anything, but there's been a bit of an accident." ?The cuts on her face and bandages on her hands were a giveaway though. ?She hooked her arms behind her back in an attempt to hide them.

A smile graced Jake's lips as he watched Ivy moving up the walk towards his place. ?He moved from his rocking chair to stand, leaning against the railing. ?

"Evening Ivy. ?Now about this afternoon..." ?His words were cut short as he noticed the cuts on her face, and then heard her words. ?"Are you okay Ivy? ?What happened?" ?He tossed down the remains of his cigarette, and crushed out the cherry with a twist of his boot. ?Stepping away from the railing he moved towards the steps checking her over.

"There was a bomb of some sorts in the market when we were going to lunch today. ?We're all okay. ?All six of us." ?Lola had become one of them sometime during the day. ?Ivy didn't even question it. ?"But Erin's a bit laid up, and she wanted me to come get you..." ?Just then she got to the stairs and started up them slowly. ?Her body felt older than it was, and that caused her to purse her lips.

"A bit laid up?" ?Jake looked to her eyes a question in his own. ?"How bad is she hurt Ivy?" ?He reached out for her offering to help her to a seat. ?"Come on a sit a minute you look beat. ?Are you sure your alright?" ?He was of course concerned for Erin, but all of the girls at the Stitch were his friends, and most even like family to him.

"I'm okay, I'm okay... it was just... a long day." ?She let out a breath and bent at the waist a little in a slump in the chair. ?"There were a few minutes there when I thought..." ?She trailed off and shook her head, lifting it again to look at him.

"She broke her leg is all, Jake. ?She was out for a couple of hours, but it was just shock or something from the whole ordeal. ?No lasting damage or anything. ?The doctor seemed pretty sure. ?I didn't take her to a healer, though, the pain of healing a leg that crushed would be worse than ?just waiting it out..." ?Ivy looked over him to make sure he was okay. ?She couldn't turn off the maternal worrying no matter what happened. ?Jake was somewhat relieved at the fact that Erin was alright for the most part, but already the guilt had latched on, and was beginning to eat at his gut.

"Oh geez..I am so sorry Ivy." ?Squatting down in front of her. ?He placed his hands on her knees. ?"You want some coffee or something?" ?Everything was a mess in his head right now. ?He simply could not wrap his mind around everything.

"I uh... I could use some tea." ?Ivy blushed a bit at the weakness and set back against the chair, letting her eyes close. ?"But we shouldn't spend too long, Jake. ?Erin was... adamant I come and get you." ?Ivy paused to let out a long hiss of air in, and opened her eyes again to look down at Jake.

"I was really scared, Jakey. ?One minute she was right next to me, and the next..." ?Ivy shook her head at the thought. ?"The next she was just gone. ?Makes you think, I guess." ?She laughed wryly, the thought somehow ironic to her. ?Jake looked at the floor of the porch in front of Ivy's shoes he spoke softly. ?

"Yeah, I know. God Ivy, I am so sorry. ?I..I slept in this morning, and missed our lunch date." ?

"It's not your fault." ?Ivy answered immediately, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder. ?"There was nothing you could have done, anyway... if you'd been there, you could be hurt too, or, or worse..." ?She shook her head a little at the thought. ?

"Maybe but still I was supposed to be with ya'll. ?Not just laying about in bed." ?He shook his head as he stood. ?He took a step towards the front door. ?"You wanta come in and get this tea or you want me to bring it out here?" ?

"Forget the tea. ?Come on." ?Ivy stood and reached for Jake's hand. ?"Let's go see Erin, we can have tea there." ?Her smile was soft, and even welcoming. ?She could feel his burden from where she stood and it wasn't an easy one. ?There were so many regrets for the day... what if she hadn't let Erin wait for Lola, or what if she insisted they all stay in, or what if she had cooked like most days....

"Plus, she's probably got the nurses all hiding from her by now. ?She's the most testy sick person you ever saw, ordering everyone around, and not letting anyone touch her.." ?Ivy attempted humor, even smiling a little.

Jake seemed a little unsure at first teetering at the door. ?Taking a deep breath he nodded preparing to face his failure. ?"Can you ride Ivy?"

"Long as you don't go speeding off, I can stay on a horse fine enough." ?She nodded a bit. ?Being friends with George, the coachman, had its perks and she had been around horses for a few years now.

"Or we could always ride double, that might be easier." ? ?He was heading down off the porch towards the stables. ?"Well, come on."

"Allright." ?Ivy was worried that it would be a rough ride, and given her condition would hurt. ?But she figured he wanted to get there faster than her feet could take them, and so she didn't make a protest, just followed and rode. ?Ivy didn't mean to rush him, but she knew that Erin needed to see Jake. ?She didn't ask why, that was never Ivy's way, she just did what she was asked.

Erinalle Dunbridge

Date: 2007-12-01 12:52 EST
The door jarred Erin awake and she sat up slowly, blinking her eyes at the bright white room. She always hated hospitals, they reeked of death and change and other scary things that she hated thinking about. Ivy had left awhile ago, but it was a long walk from the Market District, so she didn't anticipate her too soon. Most coaches in the city were helping the injured, anyway, something Erin wouldn't begrudge them.

Blinking her eyes a few more times, she smiled lazily at Jake as he entered the room. Ivy had left him at the door. She had things to attend to, yes, and she knew that Erin and Jake needed some time. Erin smiled when she saw him, he looked good. Rested. Uninjured. And though he carried a heavy expression, it was a joy to see him.

"Jake..." Her voice was still scratchy, but it was there. With a wince, she pulled herself up more, the leg hanging in the sling in front of her swaying a little. Her face and arms were a bit scratched up, but other than that, she didn't look too bad. Just pale, tired and small. Very small. The bed was for an adult, and Erin? She was the size of a child. "You're here."

"Hey, dolly." Jakes voice was soft, caring. Erin recognized it from the last time she sat in a hospital, and it made her wince a little. It was the voice of guilt and concern. Uncertainty of what to do. "You okay?"

"Yeah, come here." She pushed herself over a little to make room on her bed for him. "I'm fine. I wanted to see you." Her smile was wide and easy as she waited for him to come in the room. Carefully Jake removed his hat and set it on the chair by the door. He left his coat there, too, and his boots clicked softly on the tile floor.

"I'm so sorry, dolly... I slept through our lunch date and I reckon that I had been there, maybe--"

"Oh, Jake..." Erin just shook her head a bit to stop him from speaking anymore. "It happens, and had you been there, you could have-- but, really, there was nothing anyone could have done, and you're here now, and that's all that matters." Her arms were held out, the wrist wrapped in nothing but an ace bandage. She wanted to put her arms around him and feel he was real. Softly he perched on the side of her bed and let her try to hug him. He leaned in a bit, reaching with a hand to brush some matted hair from her forehead. Jake's fingers lingered there, just at her temple, in a kind of caress.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He muttered it softly, just over a whisper, before he leaned in to hug her as gently as possible. His face was pressed into her hair, and though it had the faint scent of gunpowder and smoke, it also held the smell of her shampoo, and he breathed it in deep. "I thought for a moment, if you hadn't been, and I had slept through it.." he leaned back to look at her again, his eyes looking perhaps a little glassy.

"Shh, shh. I'm okay. We're okay... Jake." she paused after she said his name. "Jacob..." A touch of a smile at his real name. "I had a dream.. when i was down there, in the rubble... You mean a lot to me, you know that, right? That... I mean it, it's not--" Jake cut Erin off with a kiss. It wasn't anything passionate or needy, just a careful, sweet caring thing. It was as intimate as a moment between two people could get while they were still clothed.

"I know, dolly." There was a pause, then, and it even looked like her face may have fallen a touch. "You mean a lot to me, too." Though his jaw clenched a bit, and Erin could tell he was angry. Like when she showed him the mark she carried from her time with Anubis, he was trying to control his temper. "I'll come stay with you while you're healing. Or you stay with me."

"Come with me to Tabula Rassa? I don't want to abandon Charlie, but she can't take care of me on her own..." Erin smiled a little, pressing her forehead to his. "Stay here tonight? I can't close my eyes without seeing..."

"I'll be here." Again he ran his fingers over her forehead. "Long as you want me to, dolly." Erin smiled again, the pain in her eyes easing a little.

"Hold me awhile? Carefully... but... I just need another person there." Her eyes were pleading, and again, she looked like a small child in the large bed.

"Of course." Erin moved over the best she could, and Jake, after removing his boots, eased himself onto the bed and gently wrapped his arms around her. With his face pressed into her neck,and her lips on his temple, they slept that way for at least part of the night.