Normal

Carson leans forward to rest his elbows on the counter, cocking his head at Jess. He wondered now if she'd reacted someway to Axel she regretted, or if he'd unintentionally scared her.

"It'll follow you around," he confirms. "But... give yourself time, Jess. It takes a while, ya know?"

Just listening, he's a bit confused about what she's saying, but opts not to ask too many questions. Receiving her comment about Dani and the milkshakes he can't help but chuckle. "I think I'm lucky too. With a bunch like you around me, how can I go wrong?"

Hearing a timer go off in the kitchen, he straightens. "I gotta get back to work." He throws Jess a wink and a small smile. "Don't try to be normal. You're fine just the way you are."


Reese flops down in his chair, groaning as a pile of papers teetered and slid across the desk. Picking them all up, he spots his cell phone, realizing he'd forgotten to take it with him. And just his luck, he'd missed a call.

Listening too it, he furrows his brow in concern. Quiet for several minutes, he thinks, staring into nothingness. A strange sort of emotions were bundled together and trying to emerge, and he just wasn't quite sure what they were.

Rolling his eyes at himself, he hits the keypad on his phone and dials Charlotte back.

"Charlotte, it's Reese. Got your message..." He pauses. "I don't have a number for your sister other than the one I've always had. She didn't pick up this morning though... I figured she was on the road, or in a meeting or something."

He moves back in his chair, cringing as he hears it roll over some papers that had fallen to the floor.

"Listen, do you know what days she was doing what? I might try to get a hold of her again, like... when that party or whatever was, or when she was going to go to the grave? I don't want to keep trying her phone at bad times."


Scott looks up, a little surprised to see Katie, but a faint smile surfaces. "Hero..." He gives a little shrug. "I'm doing alright. If you ask Rick though, I'm on death's bed." Though he'd attempted humor, when it comes out it isn't all that funny.

Looking down, he fidgets with a corner of the blanket. Small talk didn't come very easily anymore.

Receiving her invitation for a picnic lunch though, he glances back up at her. A fear flashes through his eyes. A picnic? Outdoors? Where there were people around?

"I think that's a fine idea," Rick interrupts them. He eyes Scott knowingly. "You'd like some fresh air, wouldn't you? And I bet Katie could swing by home and Domino could even join you." His suggestion is aimed more towards Katie than Scott, providing a tactic for getting him to accept.

Scott hesitates, then shakes his head. "I...I don't think so. I gotta go out later anyway, and..."

"Well it's already after noon," Rick persists. "By the time you're all done, maybe Katie can just take you over to see..."

"No." Scott's face reddens, his eyes drifting downward. He didn't need everyone to know where he was going that afternoon.

"Scott..." Rick softens his tone. "It's okay." He sighs and looks to Katie, then back at Scott. "It's her or me."

Scott pulls his legs up close to his chest, contemplating. He wanted so badly to get out in the fresh air and get away from the infirmary. He really would like to just spend time with another friend. He did want to see Domino, and he knew that no matter what, Rick would see to it that he went to the clinic today.

After a long pause, he finally shrugs and looks back up to Katie. "Okay," he agrees softly. "Just let me get my shoes on."


"No, hold it, I - " Axel's words were cut off as the jack shifted and the car dropped down several inches. He winced, feeling pressed underneath. "Miles! Crank it up!"

Working with as much haste as possible, Miles and Leo get the jack unjammed and within seconds, Axel is sliding out from underneath.

"Oh man, you alright?"

Axel just looks up at Leo a moment, catching his breath. "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine." Getting up a bit shakily, he moves about the car, moving past the incident. His whole morning had been like this. One thing after another, and it wasn't helping his mood any either.

Just as he takes a tool from the workbench, pain shoots through his hand and he drops the tool, muttering under his breath as his fingers no numb. Now was not the day for this. It hadn't been his day since the beginning. He felt almost as though he'd simply gotten up on the wrong side of bed this morning. Why couldn't he go back and start over?

Rubbing his hand, the annoying sensation passes and he takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. If he couldn't do anything else right, maybe he could at least fix one thing he'd broken today.

He heads to the office and closes the door after himself, going for the phone. He knew the number. He'd jotted it down once for some reason and it had been burned into his memory. He knew he'd get a voicemail box because of what time it was, but it didn't bother him. Maybe it was better that way anyway.

Leaning back against the wall, he hears the ringing, then the prompt to leave a message. "Hey, Stormy, it's Axel. Listen, I'm sorry." He sighs and shakes his head. "I didn't mean to be abrupt with you earlier. I didn't sleep well last night, I was in a bad mood and... I guess those aren't very good excuses, but they're all I got. I suppose I felt a little stupid too, not having realized what you were doing sooner, so I wound up getting mad at you instead of myself."

He knew that was the real reason for his surge of irritation. He was always so on top of everything, that taken by surprise like that wasn't a great feeling to him. But he knew Jess hadn't done it on purpose, and he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings.

He pauses, not really knowing what else to say. "I... well... yeah. Guess that's it. Don't want to keep you. Um...tomorrow Darrel will be gone. Don't know if you've got plans, but if not, you're more than welcome to come hang out at the shop again."

He hoped the invitation would be seen as the truce it was meant to be. "So... yeah. See ya later. Bye."