Need to talk

Mick gives Bolt one last look before patting his neck and leaving him in the stall for the night. Wandering down the barn aisle, he hangs up the halter and stops a moment to talk with Eric, who had just gotten home from being gone all week.

Checking on stall doors as he walks, Mick finally happens on Dan. Stopping, he watches the young man for a moment, studying him... contemplating. Maybe what he didn't trust was that there was something in Dan that reminded him of himself. There was a past behind his eyes, a hurt unshared. There was a want to thrive and get more out of life. Maybe Mick was hard on him because he wanted Dan to be able to make it on his own two feet... perhaps Mick sensed a vulnerable spot that he himself had once been in. Or maybe Rosetta was right... maybe he just hadn't given Dan enough time to trust him yet.

Sighing, Mick finally approaches Dan, stopping his work. "Dan..." Their eyes lock. "I want to talk to you... there's not much left here, the other guys can finish up. Let's take a walk outside." His expression wasn't happy, but it wasn't angry either. He needed to apologize for losing his temper, and he needed to set a few things straight about jobs and about Jade as well.


Gunner sighs and pushes his plate away. He'd had a few bites of the roast beef and mashed potatoes... but the meat was tough and the potatoes were basically tasteless lumps. Resting his elbows on the table, he sets his chin on his hands and stares around the room. He'd chosen the corner again... alone, away from the others. At least he was thinking straight. Whatever Hope had said had done the trick, and he hadn't had another dose of medication all day. He hadn't really wanted to put up a fight anyway... he still felt pretty numb. After his breakdown that morning, everything felt a little fuzzy, like there were a bunch of feelings he wasn't used to having to deal with.

Letting his arms slowly collapse, he puts his head down on them and closes his eyes. If he acted tired enough, they'd let him go back to his room maybe.