milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Jack's down in the bar, sitting at a booth with a cup of coffee to hand. He doesn't seem to be drinking it much, though; instead he's staring at the Observation window, his face blank. Nor does he seem to notice much of what else is going on in the bar.

Try not to startle him too badly.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He nods. "True. Though it's not exactly uplifitng either."

"No, it's not, but what I read doesn't affect how I really feel that much. How are you?"

"I'm okay," he says, moving his lips into a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm --," she starts, but something in his eyes stops her.

"Dad, are you positive you're okay?"

There's a moment before he nods in which he tries to think of a way he can answer so that she'll stop asking, and without telling her the whole truth. Though God, he hates himself for using the same tools he used back at CTU on her.

"It was just a rough night, last night. A number of us went up against the Other that was cursing people here in the bar. I didn't sleep well, either. I'll be okay, though, and I'm not hurt."

"You told me about the Other. But...if you didn't get hurt and I'm guessing you were successful, why aren't you..."

He sighs, closing his eyes for a moment, trying not to think about it, not wanting to break the numbness that he couldn't dispel. "We were successful. It was...it was just a rough night."

She puts down her book. Kim's seen her dad go through a lot and she can count the number of times she's seen this kind of reaction on one hand.

"Dad, what happened?" she asks softly.

He shakes his head. "Kim, please, don't...just don't."

She reaches out and places her hand on top of his. "From what I remember the Other was very...powerful." She looks up at him, concerned and determined. "What did he do to you?"

He can feel himself tensing, almost like the start of a fight-or-flight reaction, and when he speaks, his tone is slightly irritable. "He didn't do anything to me, Kim."

It's what I did to him, and what he looked like when I did it.

"I don't believe you," her voice is soft but she won't be stopped so easily.

"Well believe what you want, because I can't talk about this right now, Kim," he says, sternly.

"Why not?" She demands.

There's a small part of him that just wants to lash out and tell her about what happened, just to get her to back off. But he knows if he does, she'll back off by leaving, by staying away from him for good.

"Because I can't, Kim," he snaps, "Please, just do what I ask."

He feels cornered, slightly claustrophobic. He know he has to get away, has to calm down, because it's too much and if he doesn't walk away now, he's going to explode.

Before she can answer, he stands and walks quickly out of the bar.

Kim stares at him for a moment, suddenly more than concerned, verging into true worry, about what might have happened during his fight with the Other.

She opens her mouth to say something, but he leaves and she decides that following him would not be the best idea.

She's seeing signs of things she doesn't like at all.

Her dad's coffee mug is almost full and cool to the touch.

'What did the Other do to you?' she thinks and doesn't pick up her book again, but instead turns back to look at the universe ending.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only