OOM: Here I am
Jan. 15th, 2018 04:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sunbaked_bakerRae saw Jesse waiting for her while she received a list of prescriptions from a member of the infirmary staff. They had already been called in at the pharmacy, and just needed to be picked up. She could feel Jesse's attention on her, taking in her visible injuries and guessing at those her clothes hid from view, reacting privately so that when he came over to her, he could offer a smile and look at her without seeming like it was costing him.
Jesse had heard what had happened that morning, or a version of it, from Theo and Director Misra. Pat was still recovering, he explained with a vagueness that was almost as definite as a straight subject-change at saying checking in on Pat was not an option. He had brought her little recording device back, and said Theo had been able to make a copy of the recording from that morning without too much issue, though - and Jesse raised an eyebrow at her as he told her this - the device's interface was advanced enough that it had barely been able to communicate with SOF's own best comboxes.
Rae could see the question on his face, and had the good grace to look apologetic, but did not offer an answer.
"Did they say whether or not I'm free to go?" she asked, instead, her voice still cracked and hoarse.
Jesse frowned mildly. "We're not detaining you, Sunshine."
She shook her head very slightly, so as to not pull on the burned skin of her neck. "Sometimes it's hard to tell."
Especially when by all technical accounts the organization would have ample reason to detain her.
"It doesn't mean there won't be questions," he allows.
Rae's smile was faint and short-lived. "There always are."
"But we're sending you home for today," he said, and touched her shoulder lightly. Solidarity, with accommodations for extensive bruises. "C'mon. I've got a car waiting. Do you want me to drive you by the pharmacy on the way?"
As much as she wanted to be home, she saw the sense in the suggestion. "Yes, thank you. I... doubt I'll be up to going out again for a while." In more ways than one.
Jesse looked at her, nodding. "You'll need to rest while you recover. Give yourself that time."
"I'll do my best," she replied, grimacing as he helped her into the car - a ride in the front seat of SOF vehicle this time, how sweet - and then fastened her seatbelt once he had gotten in, as her hands did not want to cooperate. "Worst risk will be me driving my apprentice up the wall until my hands heal."
"Think they're up to the task? Yours are some big shoes to fill."
She didn't like the idea of someone taking her place at the coffeehouse, her bakery, her domain, becoming theirs. "They'll have to be, for now," she allowed.
Jesse could sense he had inadvertently hit a nerve, and glanced at her while he drove. "Hey, you'll be back. The coffeehouse needs its cinnamon roll queen."
She smiled despite herself, though it was faintly bitter. "So... apart from healing and resting and knowing there'll be questions, do we have any sort of plan?"
"So far today our track record with plans isn't too hot, Sunshine."
"Oh, I don't know," she said, watching her city pass by the car windows. "I figured the plan was this morning was to let Director Misra know what the Goddess had been up to, and hopefully get her off our backs without... compromising other things, or making our lives more difficult. Three out of four isn't terrible. The only secrets compromised were my own, and that was my choice. Because pretending they didn't exist wasn't working."
"Fair enough," Jesse said, after a long moment.
They drove in silence for a long while, and said little while they drove through at the pharmacy to pick up Rae's prescriptions.
As they neared Yolande's house and Rae felt the anticipation of relief tighten in her chest, she said quietly, "I've got you guys' back, too, you know," thinking of him and Pat and Theo, of Jocasta and the faces of the Other SOFs she had seen this morning, and of Director Misra as well. "All that... 'to the last gasp' stuff. It goes both ways."
Jesse glanced over at her, putting the car in park. There was a faint smile on his weathered face. "If we all have each others' backs, then maybe there's a chance we can pull off this whole 'changing the world' business. We have the best chance we could hope for."
Not much of a chance was still better than no chance, if you were willing to take it.
"I hope so," she smiled faintly, and pressed her elbow against his. Normally she would have touched his shoulder, but her painkillers were wearing off and her hands hurt enough that opening the car door - and then unlocking her own apartment door - was going to be rough. "... Keep me in the loop, okay? Any questions or things... and tell Pat to heal quick."
"Will do, Sunshine," Jesse nodded. The soreness and stiffness from having been in a car, plus the pain of the car door handle's pressure on her hands, must have shown on her face as she opened the door to get out. "Need any help getting up to your door?"
"No, thanks," she smiled a tight smile and tried to sound reassuring, feeling slightly woozy from the pain. "I'll be fine. Gonna sleep for a week once I get inside."
"You're a terrible liar, you know that," Jesse remarked, dry.
"So they tell me," the shrug was there in her tone, if not in her movement. "Be safe, Jesse."
"Be safe, Sunshine."
Jesse had heard what had happened that morning, or a version of it, from Theo and Director Misra. Pat was still recovering, he explained with a vagueness that was almost as definite as a straight subject-change at saying checking in on Pat was not an option. He had brought her little recording device back, and said Theo had been able to make a copy of the recording from that morning without too much issue, though - and Jesse raised an eyebrow at her as he told her this - the device's interface was advanced enough that it had barely been able to communicate with SOF's own best comboxes.
Rae could see the question on his face, and had the good grace to look apologetic, but did not offer an answer.
"Did they say whether or not I'm free to go?" she asked, instead, her voice still cracked and hoarse.
Jesse frowned mildly. "We're not detaining you, Sunshine."
She shook her head very slightly, so as to not pull on the burned skin of her neck. "Sometimes it's hard to tell."
Especially when by all technical accounts the organization would have ample reason to detain her.
"It doesn't mean there won't be questions," he allows.
Rae's smile was faint and short-lived. "There always are."
"But we're sending you home for today," he said, and touched her shoulder lightly. Solidarity, with accommodations for extensive bruises. "C'mon. I've got a car waiting. Do you want me to drive you by the pharmacy on the way?"
As much as she wanted to be home, she saw the sense in the suggestion. "Yes, thank you. I... doubt I'll be up to going out again for a while." In more ways than one.
Jesse looked at her, nodding. "You'll need to rest while you recover. Give yourself that time."
"I'll do my best," she replied, grimacing as he helped her into the car - a ride in the front seat of SOF vehicle this time, how sweet - and then fastened her seatbelt once he had gotten in, as her hands did not want to cooperate. "Worst risk will be me driving my apprentice up the wall until my hands heal."
"Think they're up to the task? Yours are some big shoes to fill."
She didn't like the idea of someone taking her place at the coffeehouse, her bakery, her domain, becoming theirs. "They'll have to be, for now," she allowed.
Jesse could sense he had inadvertently hit a nerve, and glanced at her while he drove. "Hey, you'll be back. The coffeehouse needs its cinnamon roll queen."
She smiled despite herself, though it was faintly bitter. "So... apart from healing and resting and knowing there'll be questions, do we have any sort of plan?"
"So far today our track record with plans isn't too hot, Sunshine."
"Oh, I don't know," she said, watching her city pass by the car windows. "I figured the plan was this morning was to let Director Misra know what the Goddess had been up to, and hopefully get her off our backs without... compromising other things, or making our lives more difficult. Three out of four isn't terrible. The only secrets compromised were my own, and that was my choice. Because pretending they didn't exist wasn't working."
"Fair enough," Jesse said, after a long moment.
They drove in silence for a long while, and said little while they drove through at the pharmacy to pick up Rae's prescriptions.
As they neared Yolande's house and Rae felt the anticipation of relief tighten in her chest, she said quietly, "I've got you guys' back, too, you know," thinking of him and Pat and Theo, of Jocasta and the faces of the Other SOFs she had seen this morning, and of Director Misra as well. "All that... 'to the last gasp' stuff. It goes both ways."
Jesse glanced over at her, putting the car in park. There was a faint smile on his weathered face. "If we all have each others' backs, then maybe there's a chance we can pull off this whole 'changing the world' business. We have the best chance we could hope for."
Not much of a chance was still better than no chance, if you were willing to take it.
"I hope so," she smiled faintly, and pressed her elbow against his. Normally she would have touched his shoulder, but her painkillers were wearing off and her hands hurt enough that opening the car door - and then unlocking her own apartment door - was going to be rough. "... Keep me in the loop, okay? Any questions or things... and tell Pat to heal quick."
"Will do, Sunshine," Jesse nodded. The soreness and stiffness from having been in a car, plus the pain of the car door handle's pressure on her hands, must have shown on her face as she opened the door to get out. "Need any help getting up to your door?"
"No, thanks," she smiled a tight smile and tried to sound reassuring, feeling slightly woozy from the pain. "I'll be fine. Gonna sleep for a week once I get inside."
"You're a terrible liar, you know that," Jesse remarked, dry.
"So they tell me," the shrug was there in her tone, if not in her movement. "Be safe, Jesse."
"Be safe, Sunshine."
