Pool

Carson rolls his eyes at the muffled shouting in the locked room and gives Katie a nod. "Hang in there."


"What do you think you're doing, Jason?!"

"Me? I'm not the one walking around like I own the place!"

"What happened? Did you give up so early?"

"Yes." Jason's eyes blaze with anger, his tone raised. "I did give up. I gave up on you a long time ago, Austin. And don't you ever insult me like you did a few days ago. I'm glad now you gave me the chance to crash and burn because I chose not to. But you take advantage of me one more time and you'll be sorry."

"Are you threatening me?"

"What if I am?"

"You have no right!" Jason's anger boils over and suddenly a hinge on the door explodes, sending little bits of debris in and out of the room.


Carson whirls around, seeing a small hold in the side of the door. "Hey! Cut it out in there! We can't afford new doors around here!"

He turns back around and eyes Katie. He didn't understand her connection with Jason, but he knew good and well that Jason's outbursts of anger would not only be uncomfortable for her, but painful as well.

"Hey, Kat..." He wanders closer and reaches down to pull her up out of her chair. "How about a game of pool?"

Ambling to the table, he grabs a cue stick off the wall, trying to provide a distraction for Katie. "I'll show you how a real pro plays." Though his tone was bragging, the spark in his eye proved the teasing behind it. He knew Katie didn't know how to play pool, but he convinces her to come over anyway, and sets up the balls.

"This is how you hold the stick and you just aim and..." Carson glances to Katie again, seeing her rigid. He could feel his own nervousness growing, and knew it was from her tension. He could call Jason and Austin out, but he didn't want to. Not yet. He had to keep things together.

"... here... let me show you." Bringing Katie closer, he doesn't ask, but puts his strong arms around her, not hesitating, and placing the stick in her own hands. "Steady on, mate," he urges gently. "It'll be over soon."


"You helped put me in prison! You have torn apart the insides of TJY! You tortured a man who was half-dead because of your selfish pride and your stupid ideas of how people work and who keeps their loyalty where!"

"I didn't want to get you in prison!"

"But you did!"


Reese looks between the closed door and Carson. "For pete's sake, Carson, is this necessary?"

Carson pauses at the pool table. "You put me in charge," he answers calmly, but firmly. "I want my team to have their heads on straight, and if getting Jason's danged anger out is the way to do it, then so be it. We can't get out of here until late tonight anyway."

"But..."

"Leave it be," Carson warns. "Or do you want someone else?"

Reese sighs. He didn't like hearing the shouting. He didn't like seeing Katie hurting. But he didn't have much of a choice. "Call me when you need me back." Making an exit, he slips out into the hall.

Carson concentrates back on Katie again, trying to keep up the distraction. "Alright, pool shark, where were we?"


"I did it to save your life!" A new desperation fills Austin's voice. "Don't you know I care about you?"

Jason's wall wavers. "You do not."

"Yes I do!" Austin dares to step closer. "From the minute I saw you, Jason, I cared! You've been dealt a rough hand, I know, and I know that I haven't helped any! But you can't go around blaming people for everything, and you can't go around acting like an immature brat!"

"Who's the immature one, Austin?" Jason's voice rises again. "You're the one turning people away and treating us all like dirt!"

"I know how to run this place!"

"Well you certainly didn't show it! No one wants you here anymore! Or haven't you noticed?!"

"They just don't like change."