Before...

Carson keeps his eyes lowered as Herb speaks. He wished he were right...he wished that soon people would look at him for who he was now. He was still making some stupid mistakes and making some bad decisions, but he really was trying... But was it enough? Was him finally turning around now really enough for people to look at him differently? Would he ever really shed his old reputation? At least he had a small group of people that accepted him as he was now.

At Herb's comment about work, his head jerks up and he only sees Herb walking away. His eyes are widened slightly. After all that...after his stupid move and the fight, and him getting arrested...he still had a job? He'd known Herb was on his side, but to let him keep his job...

Carson swallows hard and finally goes to sink down on the hard cot. It felt kind of strange...either had had enemies, or he had people who stuck with him no matter what. He wasn't used to that, even now.

Closing his eyes, he leans back against the wall again, his tongue running over the cut in his lip. Misty might come tonight...he wouldn't be surprised. Herb would tell her the true story and she wouldn't hold it against him. In a way, Carson hung on to that knowledge. With all the stupid things he'd done, Misty hadn't given up on him.


Jason swallows hard as he hears Katie humming his song…he knew good and well when she’d heard it, and it wasn’t a good memory. He’d been in prison.

Seeing her tears again, he wants to comfort her, but doesn’t know how. Why did this have to be so hard?

As she thanks him and runs her thumb over his hand, a tingle shoots up Jason’s arm. He can feel the heat rising to his face again. His response would have been, “I think I’m the lucky one.” His response would have been his own affectionate squeeze to her hand. His response would have been to lean down and give her a kiss. But he could do none of those…not now…

He slowly withdraws his hand to pat hers, and takes a deep breath, letting it out gradually. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m plum tuckered out. I guess I’ll…” He stops short. Had he still been dating Katie, he would have stayed in the spare bed in the hospital room. But that bed was made up nice and neat, showing that he had not slept in it, nor was he intending to. “…be calling it a night,” he ends lamely. “You be alright? Can I get you anything before I take off?”