Text Overflow: It's just a flesh wound

[tinstar]

[Continued from: here]

[Raylan took advantage of having several hours to bring his hotel room back into something resembling tidiness, as well as taking a shower and grabbing a nap - Sleep wasn't something anyone got a lot of around Malcolm Whitly, but he'd long learned how to live and work on smaller amounts of sleep.

Dressed but with his button up open and no shoes on his feet, Raylan answered the door with a pull of a smile.] Managed to make it one piece I see. C'mon in. [ He shut the door behind him as he continued.] Flight okay?

Comments

[abrightboy]

Yeah, I dropped by an ER on my way home.

[He twisted around to watch Raylan move around the room.]

They said it couldn't be stitched; just to keep it clean and covered.

[tinstar]

They're right. Edges aren't clean enough or close enough together. You'll be alright. Might have a scar though. [ Yeah, he's done this... a lot.]

So- [Returning with the cream, a fresh bandage and a small roll of tape, Raylan turned Malcolm a fraction so he could get the light and started applying.]

Who was shooting at who?

[abrightboy]

The badguy was shooting at everything that moved. But I figured out where he was hiding.

[tinstar]

What was the case? [After the cream, it was the gauze, the paper cast mindlessly on the floor before he started tearing tape and securing the edges. He pat Malcolm's shoulder in silent 'you're done', and leaned himself on the dresser.]

[abrightboy]

Someone was murdering the members of a rec league volleyball team. Turned out to be a guy who tried out and never made it and he thought being on the team would get him his girlfriend back. [He reached for his shirt and pulled it back on, starting to button it up.] He was hiding in his mother's apartment. When Gil knocked on the door, he started shooting through the door.

[tinstar]

Volleyball team? [Raylan scoffed.] Jesus, was this a kid?

[He shook his head.] Kid like that isn't ever gonna survive a divorce.

Everyone else come out alright?

[abrightboy]

The suspect was forty-three years old. But nobody on the team got hurt. He was just sort of firing wildly. Gil shot him in the leg and he went down crying.

[Malcolm gestured around.] Can I have a glass of water? I have to take my pills.

[tinstar]

[Raylan's distaste was clear in the drawback of his head, expression twisting in a passing disapproval before Malcolm's request had him pushing off the dresser to fish around for a sleeve of red solo cups that he pulled a fresh one out of.]

Lotta trouble for someone who oughta know better but I'm glad y'all got him with only that to show for it. [The bathroom faucet turned on for a few long seconds before turning off again.]

So Gil knows you're injured, you just didn't want to admit you needed help with it or that you were worried. [He guessed at that as he handed over the 'glass' of water.]

[abrightboy]

Um, no. No. Gil was very busy and I sort of snuck out, suggesting I had some other sort of obligation to rush to.

[He took the cup and set it on the table, then took out four pill bottles, lined them up in a row and opened each one by one.]

It was only a very little white lie.

[tinstar]

[Raylan openly laughed.]

You're a very strange kinda man to not trust your most trusted person with somethin' completely reasonable.

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm tossed the pills in his mouth and chased them down with a couple swallows of water.]

Gil stopped telling me to wait in the car. I can't jeopardize that.

[tinstar]

[Raylan watched the line of Malcolms shoulder's and the man's profile as he swallowed down the pills.]

You worried that he's going to leave you behind or something? [It was a tentative ask - he'd been a little off the mark before and he wanted to understand.] Leave you with nothin' to do?

[abrightboy]

[He looked down at his pill bottles, straightening the row.]

What if he did stop calling me? It's not like anyone else will give me a job.

[tinstar]

They will. [Raylan sounded sure of it.]

Your record? The paperwork has gotta be shining. You've never not gotten your man, right? Trust me, Malcolm, that counts. There's plenty of agencies around the US that could use your skills.

[abrightboy]

[He looked up at Raylan. His tone was matter-of-fact. Surely a giveaway that he was hiding some of his worst pain under it at this point.]

The FBI fired me for assaulting a sheriff and potential latent psychopathy. That's what my paperwork looks like.

[tinstar]

If only you could see what's on my file..

Sheriffs, on general purpose, need a healthy assault now and then.

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm couldn't help a delighted smile at that.]

He really, really asked for it. I can't stress that enough.

[He picked up each pill bottle and put them back in his bag one by one.]

They caught me off-guard at the disciplinary. Bringing my father into it. I don't know why I wasn't expecting that after I was... outed, as it were. But I wasn't. [He looked at Raylan again.] I'm usually good at anticipating what's going to happen in... bureaucracy. Not that time. I lost my temper.

[tinstar]

[Raylan huffed a half laugh and a smile, arms folding over each other as his ankles crossed.]

I don't doubt it. You don't seem like a guy that gives into his temper that often. Guy musta been a real asshole.

[He nodded again.]

I've been sent to three different anger management classes due to how I've reacted to different situations. The only reason Art was willing to take me was because of my roots - everyone else takes a lot of convincing that I'm not more trouble than I'm worth.

We all lose our tempers from time to time. I bet you'd be hard pressed to find someone in our line of work that hasn't punched someone they're not supposed to.

[abrightboy]

A cavalier attitude about the value of human life justifying violence towards the vulnerable is usually my trigger.

[He was reasonably self-aware.]

Probably because of what my father did. He used his position to prey on people he considered... inferior.

[tinstar]

It's not a bad impulse, [he assured.] even if the suits upstairs don't agree. Some things just need doing. [Some mouths just needed closing.]

But Gil's not going to stop calling you. Not unless you decide to punch him out..

He gonna have any issue with you disappearing out of state? [For however long Malcolm planned on staying.]

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm wasn't sure he could punch Gil, even if the man did something uncharacteristically deserving of it. He wasn't even sure he could punch Dr Whitly, and Gil meant more to him.

He shook his head at Raylan's question and smiled weakly.]

He's always trying to get me to take a few days off. He might be suspicious of why I suddenly would, but I expect he'll just take the win.

[tinstar]

You've got some crazy good timing, I'll say that. Art decided that it was time I take a few days weather I liked it or not. Just long enough to make going to Miami not worth it but just long enough to make me itch.

I'm going to be driving out to Harlan today. It'd be a shame for you to come all the way down here and go right back. Why don't you come out with me. Maybe you'll get to enjoy the quiet of the countryside this time instead of us having to rush it.

[abrightboy]

[He perked up a little bit.]

To Arlo's?

[tinstar]

[ Raylan smiled at the way Malcolm perked up. ]

Yeah, Arlo's. I still haven't sold it and there's a list of things to do that I probably oughta take care of at some point.

[Pushing off the Tv stand, Raylan went to sit on the bed so he could put his shoes and socks on.]

How long you plan on stayin'?

[abrightboy]

Three or four days, if that's okay. It should be healed enough by then that nobody will notice.

[He turned in his chair to look at Raylan.]

We could give the place a little curb appeal. Help you sell it.