Aftermath - Part II
“Hey, was that the mayor? Damn, he looks pissed.”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah.”
“You okay, partner? You look distracted?”
“Sorry, Hitomi. Yeah. I think I might be part of the reason that Mayor Todd is annoyed.”
“Ah. It doesn’t take much to set him off when it comes to Buck, though.”
CJ looked over, and slightly up, at Hitomi. “True. Still, can’t help feeling a bit guilty.”
“Nah.” Hitomi waved a hand. “I’m pretty sure Buck would be the first person to tell you to stop. Now. You see Jerry bail out earlier?”
CJ nodded, her expression darkening. “I asked him why, but he told me to mind my own business. In fact, he was quite rude about it.”
Hitomi made an indelicate sound, “Sounds like he was nicer to you than to me.” She stopped and looked down, “He hurt Alana deeply with what he said to her back at the sheriff's office. I almost wish I had interrupted just so I could slug him.”
“It’s his choice, Hitomi. We may not agree with him. And the way he did it was,” she paused, “questionable, but it is his choice.”
“I know. Still, makes me want to slug him. He’s been really unfair to Alana. I mean, we always knew he had problems with people, but this is crazy.”
CJ gave a small grunt. “I guess it’s not our problem anymore.” They sat in silence for a little while. “You have any thoughts about rebuilding?”
Hitomi shrugged, “Maybe. I was thinking that we might take a cue from Anubis on that. Build underground.”
CJ chewed on that for a moment, “Could work. Wonder what kind of permits we’d need.”
“Probably the kind we can’t get if Mayor Todd has his way. Unless of course he kicks us out of town. Then we can search around for someplace a little more friendly.” She gave a snort. “I might recommend that anyway.”
CJ smirked. “One would think you don’t like him either.”
“He’s a tool. Every time he came to the Institute and saw me, he’d treat me like a damn servant.”
Nodding, CJ stood up. “Yeah, he did that to everyone. I’ll catch up with you later. I’m going to make sure Mitchell ate something today.”
Hitomi chuckled. “You need a shock collar on that boy.” CJ just rolled her eyes and went off to Mitchell’s room. Hitomi sat for a few minutes, then got up and went up a floor to Alana’s door.
She hesitated for a second before knocking, then did softly. A muffled “It’s open,” drifted out.
“Hey. You doing okay?”
Alana looked up and smiled a little, and shut off the the television. “I suppose. Time heals and all that.” She paused, “It’s probably for the best. Maybe he just needs to figure out where his life is going. This life isn’t for everyone.”
“How can you be so nice about this?”
She shrugged, “Because when it comes down to it, life is too short.”
“He hurt you. Several times.”
Now Alana smiled. “Hitomi,” she stood and walked over. “I can spend all my time hating or regretting,” She reached over and took her hand, “or I can take the time and appreciate what I have.”
Hitomi looked at her, not sure what to say. Thankfully she was saved by Alana.
“Come. Let’s get some lunch. We can talk about happier things. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah.”
“You okay, partner? You look distracted?”
“Sorry, Hitomi. Yeah. I think I might be part of the reason that Mayor Todd is annoyed.”
“Ah. It doesn’t take much to set him off when it comes to Buck, though.”
CJ looked over, and slightly up, at Hitomi. “True. Still, can’t help feeling a bit guilty.”
“Nah.” Hitomi waved a hand. “I’m pretty sure Buck would be the first person to tell you to stop. Now. You see Jerry bail out earlier?”
CJ nodded, her expression darkening. “I asked him why, but he told me to mind my own business. In fact, he was quite rude about it.”
Hitomi made an indelicate sound, “Sounds like he was nicer to you than to me.” She stopped and looked down, “He hurt Alana deeply with what he said to her back at the sheriff's office. I almost wish I had interrupted just so I could slug him.”
“It’s his choice, Hitomi. We may not agree with him. And the way he did it was,” she paused, “questionable, but it is his choice.”
“I know. Still, makes me want to slug him. He’s been really unfair to Alana. I mean, we always knew he had problems with people, but this is crazy.”
CJ gave a small grunt. “I guess it’s not our problem anymore.” They sat in silence for a little while. “You have any thoughts about rebuilding?”
Hitomi shrugged, “Maybe. I was thinking that we might take a cue from Anubis on that. Build underground.”
CJ chewed on that for a moment, “Could work. Wonder what kind of permits we’d need.”
“Probably the kind we can’t get if Mayor Todd has his way. Unless of course he kicks us out of town. Then we can search around for someplace a little more friendly.” She gave a snort. “I might recommend that anyway.”
CJ smirked. “One would think you don’t like him either.”
“He’s a tool. Every time he came to the Institute and saw me, he’d treat me like a damn servant.”
Nodding, CJ stood up. “Yeah, he did that to everyone. I’ll catch up with you later. I’m going to make sure Mitchell ate something today.”
Hitomi chuckled. “You need a shock collar on that boy.” CJ just rolled her eyes and went off to Mitchell’s room. Hitomi sat for a few minutes, then got up and went up a floor to Alana’s door.
She hesitated for a second before knocking, then did softly. A muffled “It’s open,” drifted out.
“Hey. You doing okay?”
Alana looked up and smiled a little, and shut off the the television. “I suppose. Time heals and all that.” She paused, “It’s probably for the best. Maybe he just needs to figure out where his life is going. This life isn’t for everyone.”
“How can you be so nice about this?”
She shrugged, “Because when it comes down to it, life is too short.”
“He hurt you. Several times.”
Now Alana smiled. “Hitomi,” she stood and walked over. “I can spend all my time hating or regretting,” She reached over and took her hand, “or I can take the time and appreciate what I have.”
Hitomi looked at her, not sure what to say. Thankfully she was saved by Alana.
“Come. Let’s get some lunch. We can talk about happier things. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Comments