Stir crazy

Left alone once again, Gunner just sits for a long while. Refusing supper, he eventually drifts into a restless sleep, depressed and without much hope for tomorrow. He felt weak... he felt embarrassed... he felt guilty.


Once Con returns to TJY with Hope, he goes to let Reese know what happened. It's agreed to keep the whole thing quiet for now. Unless someone asked where Gunner was, they would work around it until a better time, or until they knew more.


The next day was a dark and gray one. Rain poured down, odd for such a dry land. The air was warm, but damp, making it seem chillier than it was.


Leo wanders down the hospital hall, having turned around twice, then come back. He wasn't sure why he was here. He was still upset. But a part of him must have cared... at least he figured that was the only reason he'd shown up here today.

Sighing, he tucks his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants and heads to the room again. This time he gets to the door and knocks lightly, cocking his head so he can see inside. Spotting Ryan sitting up in bed, he eyes her a little warily. "Safe to come in?"


"...so I don't know. I can't pay for surgery and even if I could, it might not do any good." Axel shrugs and leans back in the booth at the diner, looking across at Jess. "But I'm running out of money without having a job... so I gotta either find a solution or go looking for work I can do, bu even that's gonna be hard to find."

A mid-morning breakfast had brought them together today, even though they'd just had supper together the evening before.

"I guess it's not bad I haven't been in the shop anyway though... sounds like that whole Ryan and Leo thing is going around and I'm just as glad I don't have to listen to it."


Gunner picks at the toast on his plate and finally shoves it away. Getting up, he paces, his bare feet sounding on the tile floor. Giving a groan of frustration, he turns, increasing the circles he walked. He felt like a caged animal. He wanted his astronomy books. He wanted a window. He wanted his laptop. He wanted to write. But for now, silence was the only thing keeping him company, and he felt as if he would go insane... and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours.

Running his hands through his hair, he finally drops to the floor to do some pushups, trying to spend his energy.


"Helloooo." Jade pokes her head into the barn, looking around, but sees no one but the horses. Smirking, she wanders in, leaning into one of the stalls to talk to a mare. "Did they all leave, or what, hmm?" She reaches out to stroke the velvety cheek. "Yeah, you're a pretty girl, aren't you. Seen my dad around, or do I have to go hunt him down?"

Obviously not receiving a response, Jade sighs and aims down the dirt-floored aisle. "Dad?" she calls. No answer. She hadn't checked the dining hall yet but it was after lunchtime, so she'd assumed someone would be out here.

Almost giving in to go to the main house, she looks in one more spot. Finding the tackroom door open, she looks in. "Anybody home?"