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[unpavemypaths]

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[twistoffate]

[By the time he gets a chance to call, she’s already been informed of what’s been going on. The moment Isaac went into surgery he called her to briefly explain, not being able to do much aside from telling her the basics and letting her know he’d keep her updated. And they’ve had a steady stream of texts since then, generic updates, nothing really specific, just the facts. When he got out of surgery, when he woke up, when he fell back asleep.

Dagny still hasn’t left the room, he’s sitting by Isaac’s bedside, making sure he’s really asleep, the nurse finally had to come in and give him a sedative when the pain medication wasn’t doing enough to drag him under. He’ll need his rest to recover, they said, and Dagny wanted to tell them “good luck, he barely gets more than a few hours a week, let alone a night” but it does seem like the sedation is doing it’s job.

He’s exhausted, he’s still frustrated and upset, and scared and covered in Isaac’s blood and he doesn’t really know how to fix any of that when the one person he wants to talk to is basically passed out, with a bullet hole in his hip. So he calls the next best person —

The line has barely picked up before Dagny is already pleading with her, feeling like a complete asshole after he promised he would do the exact opposite of the very thing that happened tonight.]

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I told you I’d keep him safe. I didn’t — fuck, I didn’t know he would do that. I’m so sorry. [He’s not crying, still doesn’t have the tears for it, but he sounds like he might be hyperventilating, everything hitting him like a truck as soon as Imogene picks up the call.]

[unpavemypaths]

[Imogene's been a wreck ever since the first call, calling out from work even though there's nothing she can do from here, because she doesn't think she can focus on anything else right now. At least Dagny's there and kept her updated, because if she had to wait until Isaac was coherent enough to tell her himself, she thinks she'd be climbing the walls right now. She doesn't think she even sat down until she got word he got out of surgery alright. Every update is a relief, read and replied to immediately.

She's still keeping a close eye on her phone even though she's not really expecting anything new for a while. There probably won't be any changes for a bit. She keeps telling herself that, that no change is probably better news right now. So her heart's in her throat when Dagny's number flashes up on the screen, and she barely gives it one full ring before she answers.

For a moment she's absolutely terrified, convinced the worst has happened, so it's a guilty relief when she realizes he's not telling her anything new. Just freaking out, and she can't really blame him for that when she's feeling the same way.]

Shh, shh, hey. [Soothing. Her voice is a little rough from crying on and off and she's not trying to hide that, but the comfort sounds genuine despite that.] I don't think anyone would've expected that. It's okay.

[twistoffate]

No, I should've -- I should've stopped it. I should've known.

[Eventually he will let rational thought take over again, but right now he's still too distraught for that. Still to close to it all, replaying it over and over in his mind as if he could change the course and make something different happen.]

I'm supposed to protect him. Why wouldn't he let me protect him? [The tears do come after that. The rest of his anxiety and sadness coming out with them, not longer feeling like he has to hold back his emotions for Isaac, he lets himself feel the full weight of it all.

After a minute or so of just crying, his breathing levels out slightly,] Sorry. Fuck. I'm sorry. He's your brother. You should be the one crying. [His voice still has a slight waver to it, his breathing hitched but he seems more composed. Just emotionally exhausted now that he's expended the last of his energy on that.]

[growingsideways]

[A soundbite comes through on her phone in the middle of the night that is using the sound of Eminem's "Without Me" song, just the part that says "Guess who's back, back again, Shady's back, tell a friend, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back."

Followed by --]

Maybe that isn't relevant enough for me to use here...does anyone listen to that song still?

[unpavemypaths]

Nope. But I'll allow it just for you.

[growingsideways]

Thanks.
I can't believe you moved out

[growingsideways]

[It’s only after he’s knocked on the door of her apartment that he feels like he might have acted a little bit rash —-

When he woke up this morning, he knew immediately he was at some point in the future. For one thing, an alarm clock woke him up instead of someone yelling or a police officer shaking him. Also, he was in a bed, not on the park bench he remembers falling asleep on. The biggest tell was that instead of waking up to notes, hastily scribbled in napkins or receipts and shoved into his jean’s pocket, he woke up in pajamas, a fancy new cellphone on the bedside table. He scrolled through it briefly, a lot of information about someone named Lyn that he couldn’t care less about, a few things about his living arrangements, instructions to contact “Pops” for emergencies and the very last instruction, the one he vehemently ignores, “Stay away from Imogene.”

He didn’t really start to get anxious until he realized Imogene wasn’t in the house anymore, that Isaac wasn’t either. It was full of people he didn’t know who talked to him like he should understand what was going on. Instead of answering, he retreated to his room again, searching the phone for some kind of address for Imogene and discovering that she wasn’t in town anymore, she wasn’t even in the state.

That’s when he started to get anxious.

True to the note, “Pops” was more than happy to provide money for the plane ticket, even offered to buy it for him, technology not really being his strong suit, and didn’t ask any questions about why he needed it or make any comments about being paid back. After that it was simple. A quick plane ride, he was seated next to a nice lady who took a sleeping pill and was out for most of the journey(once she fell asleep it was easy to grab the pills from her bag and take one too. For his nerves) and then a cab drive(Pops told him to use the credit card he had in his wallet for anything he might need) to finally get to Genie’s place.

He usually has no concept of what time it is but that’s even more fucked after all the travel so he has no idea if Genie would be asleep or not when he pounds on her door, all he knows is that for him it’s been way too long since he’s seen her, he’s not going to waste an opportunity now.]

[unpavemypaths]

[It's not late, but it feels late. She's been busy all day, chores, studying, then hospital rotations. It's honestly a wonder she even bothered to change out of her scrubs. She's not tired, exactly, just drained, and the last thing she's expecting this evening is for anyone to show up at her door.

Most evenings, most of the time, really. She keeps to herself for the most part lately, it's easier.

Whoever it is, they sound insistent. She's going through things in her head as she crosses the small apartment to the door: no packages on their way, she doesn't think she's done anything to piss off the neighbors lately. Almost sure she didn't leave anything behind at the hospital. That's basically the list of reasons she can imagine someone turning up out of nowhere, so she's just baffled when she swings the door open.

She has to hold on tighter for a second when she sees him, shock written all over her face. A text is one thing, and even that is more than she expected right now, honestly. She'd started assuming he'd only meet them again in the far future at some point.]

What are you doing here? [It doesn't manage to sound remotely normal, hope and nerves and grief all too easy to read.]

[growingsideways]

Genie.

[It’s probably obvious the moment he speaks if it wasn’t beforehand, her name spoken in awe, accent bleeding through, his eyes getting impossibly wider as he takes her in. She’s the same Gene he remembers but different, older, more beautiful. She looks…sad.

He moves forward, his hand reaching out for her, he means to cup her cheek but instead tangles it in her hair. It’s so much longer than he remembers. He combs through the strands, playing with it like he used to. He’s still a little high from the pill, it feels euphoric to be with her again.]

You weren’t at the house. No one was. I didn’t —- why did you leave? [It’s supposed to sound more curious but his tone betrays him slightly, the intention clear, “why did you leave me?” He assumes it’s soulmate related. He wonders if she’s found hers. He realizes very quickly that he doesn’t care even if she has, he wants her regardless, as long as she’ll still have him.]

[rightinfront]

[Start of the new month means start of a new rotation, he sighs when he opens the computer and sees that he's set for pediatrics this round, not horrible, but one he's been dreading. Kids generally like him so that isn't a problem, he's mostly just concerned about the content of the cases he'll be seeing and the fact that most people either love or hate peds, he feels he'll be the latter.

There is one bright spot though, seeing Imogene's name further down the list, knowing she'll be right there with him. He's surprised when he beats her to the hospital their first day, the two of them are usually always the first ones there. Nearly half the class has arrived when he finally shows up, still ahead of time, but not as early as she normally is. He slides into place beside her, still staring ahead as he addresses her.]

You're late. I thought maybe you got scared off by the thought of working with me; couldn't handle the pressure of being second best...

[unpavemypaths]

[She's so tired. She's barely sleeping; every time she closes her eyes she's 19 and back in the morgue again, and more than anything it just makes her angry, frustrated that it can still hit her like this even though everything's fine, she knows everything's fine. It's a struggle just to get out of bed when her alarm goes off, and she takes longer than she wants to finally get herself out the door.

So this is the last thing she needs to start her day. Physically she at least managed to make herself look reasonably together, but she can't bother to try to sound any less exhausted then she feels, staring blankly at the wall across from her.]

Can you just go bug someone else for like an hour? Or a month? [It's shorter than she'd normally be right off the bat, especially when they haven't seen each other in a few days, between her weekend away and the fact that they were working in separate places before.]

Tfln - 5/2 continued

[rightinfront]

Well I don’t know about your support system, but mine certainly doesn’t understand.

[Mostly because he doesn’t have one. His parents don’t want to hear about what he’s doing and any friends he does have just end up being more like acquaintances than anything serious.

It’s possible he’s projecting.

He motions the bartender for another round of shots. Thanking him when they arrive and pushing another one towards her.]

Okay, prove me wrong. Why’d you want to be a doctor?

[unpavemypaths]

[She hesitates for a second, shrugging a shoulder.] I guess I -- always liked helping people. Seemed like the best way to go if I wanted to do that.

[And it sounded like a challenge, something interesting enough that she'd never get tired of it. A field where there's always new things to learn and keep up with. But that makes her feel a little guilty to say out loud, even if both are true. It's people's lives, after all.]

[growingsideways]

[The call comes through a little after two am and if he had more presence of mind, he would feel bad about it. He knows that it's likely chilling, getting a call at two, knowing that it can never be good news. He just doesn't know who else to call -- no, that's not true, there are plenty of people for him to call, but he's only interested in hearing one person's voice.

He knows things are still a little awkward between them, he's not a later enough version to understand yet how things end up but he knows enough to know that no matter what is going on, Imogene is always there for him, no questions asked.

Before she picks up the line, he tries to calm himself down, not make it seem like he's been crying or frantic, he doesn't want to scare her anymore than he probably already will. He very nearly succeeds, even if his voice sounds just a little strained.]

Hey Genie...sorry, I know it's late, I -- Gene, it's my mom. She...she fell, they think she hit her head. She...She's...I didn't know who to call. I don't --

[He doesn't know what to do, doesn't even know how to fully say that she didn't make it. Doesn't know what's supposed to happen now or what needs to be arranged, Genie's a doctor, she's probably dealt with this before, will understand the steps. She'll know what he needs to do.]

[unpavemypaths]

[It's late, but the worry that shoots through her when the phone rings is enough to wake Imogene up quickly, pulling her out of a light sleep. She tries not to feel too nervous until she picks up, tells herself it might be because of the time difference, nothing to worry about--

That goes away as soon as she hears Sasha's voice. She knows him well enough to pick up that something's off, even if she can't tell everything immediately.]

It's okay. You know you can call any time. [Things have been a little strained between them a lot of the time lately, but there's no sign of that in her voice now; if Sasha needs help with something like this, she's not going to let that get in the way. There's a rustling in the background, sitting up and turning on the light.] She fell? [Gentle prompting. It can't be good, but she's trying to figure out how bad it is.]

@twistoffate -- tfln 6/20

[unpavemypaths]

[ << ]

Do you really?

[She's not doubting him so much as looking for reassurance, trying to feel more optimistic about everything.]

[twistoffate]

Yeah, I think it's been really good.
And you seem happy.
At least our phone conversations have less tears.
If we don't count the ones I caused.

@rightinfront -- tfln 6/20

[unpavemypaths]

[ << ]

I guess arguing about that would probably be pretty hypocritical.
But I still don't need to be taken care of all the time. You can take a break.

[rightinfront]

I'm not in there right now. [Not that he doesn't want to be, clearly, since he's texting her.]

In current sad times timeline

[twistoffate]

How difficult do you think it would be to keep Isaac occupied for a few hours? Preferably away from me, and the backyard?

[unpavemypaths]

For that long? It won't be easy, but I could try.

What's your plan? I'm assuming you don't just need a break.

[twistoffate]

You up for a movie night?

[unpavemypaths]

Yeah, sounds great.
Family event, or are you inviting everyone else?

Just putting this here to make it easier

[howtheworldbleeds]

[The phone was Imogene's idea and although he fought them over it, not wanting to be a bother, not wanting to make them spend money, they still got it for him anyway. Said he probably needed it when they went back to work, just so he could keep them informed about anything going on.

This feels like the kind of thing they would want to know about.]

I'm going to Georgia for a few days.
With Thomas and Claire

[unpavemypaths]

[She's never discouraged Ethan from using the phone whenever he wants, even if technically it's for emergencies -- it's more like having it there in case of emergencies, not only. But he still doesn't get in touch much, so when she checks after her appointment only to see Ethan's name, there's a rush of concern.

The actual messages she doesn't even know what to say to. At least it's not something terrible, but... what? It takes a minute to come up with a question that doesn't sound too aggressive, completely baffled, before she settles on:] Why Georgia?