Struggle

Jason leans back in the kitchen chair, taking another swig of orange juice. A grin spreads on his face.

You're welcome.

He lazily glances to the clock, not having worried about getting up at any certain time. One hand absentmindedly strokes Trooper, who was sitting next to him, his head resting in his lap.

Yeah... I doubt I'll hear anything from Brown today. I'm not expecting any more news until after the meeting in a few days. You're right though... we might hear about it from Austin first.

He rolls his eyes and stands to finish his juice and put the glass in the sink.

Mm... lunch sounds good. I gotta take Clint's bike down to the shop and.... oh... I didn't tell you about that, did I. Long story. Anyway, want to meet at Mom and Pop's around noon? Maybe I can get Wyatt to come along... not that he needs an excuse to see Aerith. I'd like to find out what's up at work today without showing my face there if I can.


Bret's eyes start to dance before his lips begin to smile. He shifts his hand to curl his fingers around Charlotte's. "First off, I'm always careful. And second..." He locks eyes with her. "I would expect nothing less than to see you there whenever you can make it."

His smile remains as excitement starts to build. "I'll call Kirk back today and go from there."


Axel lifts his eyebrows at Jess' stuttering, unable to get a word in before she's already hung up. Blinking, he can't help a little chuckle, and shakes his head as he hangs up the phone. In the back of his mind, something warned him to tread lightly, but he knew he'd be skipping lunch today, just in case Jess had been serious.


Rick sits at his desk working, when he receives Misty's reply. Heaving a weary sigh, he knows that she is right. Scott had to want to go... They could all force him all they wanted to, but unless he wanted to be there, it wouldn't do any good anyway. He needed it, no doubt... but how would he see it for himself?

Scott sets his breakfast plate aside, having eaten only half, and hoping that Rick wouldn't bother him about it this morning. Domino perks up at his movements and hops off the bed, skittering to the door where she stops, turns around and looks back at him. She gives a little whine.

Scott bites his lip. The last couple days, other people had been available to help take care of Domino and take her outside for him. But he was getting tired of asking, and he knew that even though the others didn't mind, he also knew it was an inconvenience for them, and he hated asking.

Looking around, he sees both Rick and Misty busy with work. Domino whines again. Scott knows he's torturing the poor dog, and finally swings his feet over the side of the bed. Not really thinking about the fact that he's in his bare feet, he heads to the door. The tiles are cold, but he doesn't notice. He was all too used to that feeling.

Rick looks up from his desk. "Scott?"

"What?"

"Heading out?"

"Domino."

"Okay." Rick nods. He wanted to offer to help, but he knew that every time he did, it made Scott feel less and less capable, and that wasn't good either.

Scott hesitates at the door, but finally opens it, letting Domino out into the hall, then slipping out behind her.

Down the hall and to the main floor, he keeps his eyes down, not wanting to see all the people that were there this morning. He'd just as soon go unnoticed. He spots Susanne out of the corner of his eye, then Laura, but keeps on walking. If he stopped, he knew he'd want to turn right around and go back to the safe confines of the infirmary.

Once to the exit, he hesitates again, but he doesn't have much of a choice. Stepping outside with his dog, he stuffs his hands in his hoodie pockets, waiting impatiently. As he stands, the sound of a car catches his attention, and he looks up in time to see a vehicle park and Austin emerge. A fear immediately comes over Scott, and he backs up a step to the door. His heart racing, he looks around for Domino, almost frantic for her to be finished so he could go back inside. The outdoors were overwhelming enough without this too.

Not seeing the dog anywhere, but suddenly feeling paws on the back of his legs, he jumps in surprise. Not waiting though, he quickly scoots back inside the building to make his way back across the floor, this time faster than on his way out.

Just as he's reaching the corner near Nate's cubicle, he meets Susanne. Unfortunately, neither were paying attention. The collision is over in a matter of seconds, but the results make several other people cringe. Papers go flying, coffee splatters onto the floor, and Domino yelps as she's tripped over. Scott somehow winds up on the floor after trying to catch several papers and then avoiding stepping on his dog, while Susanne frantically tries to clean up.

"Ohhh, Scott, I'm so sorry," she apologizes.

"It was my fault," he mumbles. Sitting on the floor for a moment, he grabs some of her papers, noting that several are now stained with coffee. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing a copy machine won't fix." Susanne tries to make light of it, even though she now had to redo a whole stack of work.

"What is going on?!" Austin's voice makes everyone look up.

Scott slowly rises to his feet, backing up against the cubicle wall.

Susanne looks at Austin and shakes her head with a laugh. "We just ran into each other is all. No problems."

Austin's eyes widen slightly as a frown forms. "It hardly looks like no problem," he retorts. Spying Domino, he points at her. "I want that dog out of here. She does not belong in this building."

Scott blinks, putting another step of room between him and Austin. "She was just..."

"Look, I know she keeps you company," Austin retorts. "But get her out of here before she causes any more trouble."

"It wasn't her, it was.."

"I mean it!" Austin's voice is raised sternly. "Either you take her out, or I will."

Scott can't even bring himself to look Austin in the eye. Anger, frustration and hurt boil up inside of him, and he lowers hie head to quickly leave the scene, heading back down the hall.

Susanne frowns at her boss. "That was a little harsh," she mentions quietly.

"If harshness is what it takes to get the job done, so be it." Austin shoulders past her, on his way to his office. "See me in ten minutes for a list of records I need to see."

Only when his back is turned does Susanne throw up her hands and roll her eyes, muttering under her breath. Squatting down, she picks up the rest of her mess, then goes to get something to sop up the coffee too.

Scott pads down the hallway, the hot tears returning to his eyes. Entering the infirmary, he heads straight to the bed where he sits down, putting on his shoes and socks.

Rick looks up and eyes him with confusion. "Everything okay?" No answer. "Scott?"

Scott still doesn't answer him, and finishes tying his sneakers. Grabbing Domino's leash, he snaps it to her collar then heads to the door again.

Rick stands up. "Scott? Where are you going?"

"Home."

"But Scott! I said I'd take you tonight. What..." The door falls shut against his words. He looks to Misty with wide eyes, clueless about what had happened and now not knowing what to do. Desperate, he spins around and follows after Scott. He only catches up to him out on the main floor, in the same spot the accident had happened. "Scott, wait." He reaches out and puts a hand on Scott's shoulder.

Scott skids to a stop and sidesteps out from under Rick's hand. "Just leave me alone," he begs.

"I don't want to leave you alone. I want to help you."

"You can't." Scott winces as a salty tear forms in his blind eye, making it sting. "Just let me go."

"But I wanted you here for one more day. Just stay. Tell me what happened." Rick's desperation is evident in his voice as he tries to convince his younger friend to stay. But it did no good.

Scott turns back around, aiming once more for the exit. The outdoors were terrifying, but staying here was worse.

As a last resort, Rick steps forward and takes Scott's arm in a firm hold. "Don't go yet."

It was the wrong move. As Scott is physically held back, a wave of panic hits him. "No!" Ripping his arm loose, he trips and almost falls again. Rick reaches out to help him, but the more restraint he puts on Scott, the more Scott fights, and the more he fights, the more restraint Rick applies to try and stop him.

Seeing her master in what she considered danger, Domino starts to whine and bark, bringing even more unwanted attention to the scene.

Rick tries to hold Scott still, but to no avail. In an attempt to restrain him so he doesn't hurt anybody or himself, Rick tightens his hold and steps forward. But in doing so, he accidentally hooks Scott's foot.

Struggling blindly, Scott loses his balance and falls to the floor once more.

Rick is on his knees instantly. "Scott... calm down... please... I'm sorry, are you alright?"

Scott tries to get his bearings, his shoulder hurting from the fall. Backed up against the cubicle, he rights himself, bringing his knees up to his chest to wrap his arms around his legs and bury his face. He felt stupid, embarrassed and frustrated. Rocking slightly, he wills the tears not to come, and tries to banish the insistent fear.

"Scott," Rick repeats. "Are you alright?"

"Now what?!"

Rick looks up to see Austin with his hands on his hips. Rising to his feet again, Rick's face turns to one of irritation. "It's nothing. I'm taking care of it."

Austin sighs in disgust at seeing Domino again. "I said to get that dog out of here. She's caused enough damage!"

Seeing absolutely no mercy, and now wondering if that was what had set Scott off in the first place, Rick straightens, looking boldly up at Austin. "As Scott's physician, I authorized Domino's presence as therapy." He hadn't really, but he could have, and Austin was being ridiculous. "She's caused no trouble, nor has Scott."

"You call this no trouble?" Austin gestures to all the people who had stopped working to see what was going on. "You get your patient under control and get rid of his dog. I've said it for the last time!"

"So help me, Austin!" Rick's voice raises with a righteous anger. "This 'patient' is your agent! He's a human being! Stop treating him like a burden and try to understand! You're the one that has caused the damage around here. You are the one responsible for the well-being of those in this building, or have you forgotten that?"

Trembling at all the shouting, Domino tries to find comfort in Scott, but she can't get his attention, and finally she scoots around the corner into Nate's cubicle, searching for a place to hide.

Austin's eyes narrow, his jaw tightening. "How dare you," he hisses to Rick. "Stand down, or Scott won't be the only one here without a job."

Rick's fingers curl to form fists at his sides. There were so many things he'd like to say right now. So many things Austin deserved to hear. But now he couldn't. He had been warned... he had been threatened. For his own sake, and others, he could argue no more. Rick takes a deep breath. "I will handle this situation," he response coolly.

"Good." Austin points to the end of the main floor. "I want to see you in my office about some policy changes. Now."

Rick's eyes widen and he gestures to Scott. "I'm trying to..."

"Now! He'll have to pick himself up. He's a grown man, not a little kid."

"But I..."

"One more time, Rick!" Austin glares at the physician. "Follow me now, or you won't have a reason to come back tomorrow."

A curse is on the tip of Rick's tongue, but he resists. "I'm right behind you," he mutters. "Let me at least grab a notepad."

"Fine. You have one minute." Austin spins on his heel and stalks back towards his office.

Rick is seething, with no way to express it. He was angry at Austin, and he was desperate to help Scott. Nothing was going right. Nothing was turning out for the best. Was he doing a bad job? Was he doing something wrong? If he just would have been paying closer attention this morning...

Groaning, he tries one more time to get Scott up. He kneels next to him, speaking gently. "Scott... please... come back to the infirmary, okay?"

Scott keeps his face buried, his words muffled. "I wanna go home."

"I know you do. But I can't take you right now." Rick waits for a response, but receives none. Sighing, he stands back up at a total loss. He didn't have any choice but to go see Austin and leave Scott here.

Looking in to Nate's cubicle, Rick's eyes show he's at his wit's end. "I'm sorry," he apologizes quietly. "Stay here a minute with Scott, would you?"

Trusting Nate, Rick turns around and takes a detour before heading to Austin's office. Stopping at another cubicle, he leans over the wall, tapping on it lightly. "Sapphire?" He looks at her with seriousness, knowing she'd probably heard half of the ruckus already. "I need your help. We have to get your brother out of here before Austin can cause any more damage. I didn't want Scott going to an empty house, but there's not much of a choice left. I'm asking you... would you see if you can get him up and take him home? I'll deal with the fallout from Austin if he finds out."

Scott remains on the floor, tightening his grip around himself. All of this was his fault. People were risking there jobs, all because of him. Why did he have to keep making mistakes? Why did he have to feel so stupid and continue to embarrass himself? He wanted to get up... he wanted to do what Rick asked... but something inside had such a strong hold on his will, that he couldn't. He was so emotionally drained, that the effort of simply getting up and walking to the infirmary was too big of a battle to face. He rocks a little more as if hoping if he could just stay here a little longer that soon all of this would just go away on its own. He just wanted it to go away... he just wanted to stop the pain... stop the fear.