[ He's sitting on the floor, his back to Roman's door, knees pulled up to his chest. It's weird in there. The idea of sticking around with Roman so asleep he almost looks dead – yeah, Kendall's not sticking around for that. ]
[Hat left at home, but still overall put together - jeans, a grey tshirt under an orangeish red neatly pattered flannel, wingtip boots - Raylan doesn't take long in getting to Roman's floor. The text is left unanswered for the whole three minutes it would take Raylan, elevator dinging his arrival but he walks out into that hallway with Kendall's answer.]
You ask what happens when they're asleep. [He was glad the hall was otherwise empty, but he wanted to give Kendall plenty of time to get himself together if the man needed.] It's like they're put into suspension. No bodily functions. No brain function outside what's required to keep the machine of it all goin'.
How'd you find him? [That could be taken in a couple of ways. Did it happen in front of Kendall or did he walk into it? Was Roman in the middle of beating it? A total possibility.]
[ Kendall looks like the dictionary definition of concerned, pinching his forehead with his fingers, one leg jumping up and down restlessly. His gaze doesn't shift to Raylan even when he starts speaking; he'd rather look at the opposite wall. ]
He was like, weirdly quiet. You know, no messages. Nothing. So I came to see if he was okay. He was, like, on the floor? So I moved him to his bed.
[ His hand shifts, and he chews his thumbnail for a moment. It's halfway between reassuring and unreassuring to know that it's common here, and that he's just kind of on pause, but. ]
I read something about... this. I was searching back through the – network thing, for stuff about this? And, like, apparently sometimes people come back and, uh, they remember more stuff from home? [ He sounds anxious, even to his own ears, so he clears his throat and adds something else. ] And, I mean, is it, like, standard to tell everyone about it? That he's – asleep?
[It was interesting to watch all the signs of high anxiety and recognize them as things that Roman does too - Raylan would bet five dollars that their sister was the same kind of fidgety when they were properly scared or worked up.
Not wanting to loom, Raylan squats down where he is, elbows resting on his knee. He had no reason to doubt Kendall, which meant there was no use in rushing in. If anyone was going to keep Roman safe in that state, it was his brother. But Kendall was out here. Suggested he had an issue with bodies looking like that. Roman looking like that.]
It is. As I'm his Warden, that would normally be somethin' that I do, but if you wanted to let folks know, I'd let you have it. He has friends. People who will care and want to know.
As far as rememberin' things - yeah. Sometimes that happens. Like pieces of us gettin' stitched into the fabric. [Kendall was obviously worried about what Roman might learn. Raylan kept his voice and tone understanding and soft. Camp Dad.]
[ Raylan's a sharp guy, clearly, which means Kendall has to keep his guard up. Except that's harder than it might have otherwise been, because despite every bit of research he's done that tells him this is, if not normal, then at least not unusual on the Barge, it's still scaring the shit out of him. He can sort of sense that Raylan's looking at him, even without looking back; Kendall has the uncomfortable feeling that he's being seen and very easily read. He inhales, and the breath comes out almost like a laugh, humorless and awkward. ]
You know him pretty well at this point, right? You think he's ever gonna go back there and have a good time?
I think it's probably going to be a few long years before he figures out what havin' a good time really means at home, no matter what happens. But if you're worried about him learnin' somethin', I'd rather be aware before he comes back so I can help talk him down.
[Raylan takes and lets out a deep breath as he looks at Roman's door.]
He can't stay here unattended. [His eyes move back to Kendall.]
Help me get him down to my cabin? You look like you could use a drink, and I got a bottle of high shelf whiskey downstairs that sometimes helps.
[ Kendall's "king of the hospital" gene kicks in before he's even aware he's doing it, and he finally looks at Raylan, eyebrows raised, looking defensive. He definitely heard that first part, about what Roman might be going home to, but it's better to talk about the immediate thing first. ]
He's gonna stay here. I'm fine. I don't need a drink.
[ He does. Desperately. But he's staying. He's not even gonna get up. ]
[He lives! The pushback was a good thing to see and Raylan took it evenly with a blink or two, letting Kendall finish before he bothered choosing where to start.]
No, you're not movin' him - that's right. I am. But we can negotiate terms and rules. You're welcome to keep watch over him, if that's somethin' you wanna do. But he can't stay here alone, we got no idea how long this will last, you're gonna have to sleep sometime and the hallway isn't the best place to be doin' that.
[Raylan stands up then and wait so see how the drawn lines are taken.]
He's not staying here alone. I'm staying here. And my cabin is right there. [ He points, right next door, to a glass door through which a corporate office is visible. That's not how it looks on the inside, which is finally starting to get slightly less disconcerting. ]
He's my brother. I don't actually give a fuck if you're his warden, he's staying here. Okay?
[The Marshal takes his time, looking over Ken and weighing how much of a fight he should put up. Perfect world, there wouldn't be any stopping Raylan from doing his duty.
Finally, he speaks up and there's no mistaking the edge of challenge in his voice.]
You're new and in somethin' of an emotional position, so I'm gonna let that slide. Shit starts goin' down and I'm movin' him to my cabin where I can assure he's safe, and it won't matter if you're brothers.
I'm gonna go in and see him. [He doesn't hesitate in stepping forward and opening Roman's door, fully helping himself to the inside.]
[ Great. Fine. Whatever. Kendall's not going to let any shit go down, so he can stay right here. He pushes up to stand, following Raylan close by. He'd managed to get Roman to his bed without much incident, and tucking the blanket over him kind of just makes it look like he's asleep. Regular asleep, not fucked-up asleep. ]
What kind of shit do you think is gonna go down?
[ Kendall asks it like he'd be in any position to stop it himself. He's only ever shot a gun on hunting retreats, when the animals have nowhere to go, and even then he hadn't been good at it. He's about as good at physical fighting as the average guy on the street. But he imagines there'd be some supersonic ability to protect that would come out of nowhere in the moment, if it was necessary. ]
And – like, how long is this supposed to last? Does he need to eat? Drink? How is he getting, like... nutrients? Vitamins? What about his muscles? Can't they, like, atrophy if you don't use them enough?
[He makes his way into Roman's room, looking Roman over with a little nod before he looks back over his shoulder at Kendall, noting how close the man felt he needed to be, like Raylan might do something and Kendall was ready to stop him.]
There's never any telling. Last time some random shit went down, it was hell in the hallways and Roman got his arm both bit and broken by a monstrous dog. I had to shoot my way to him.
[His eyes drop back down to Roman.]
So leavin' him up here makes me itch. But you don't hav'ta worry about all that stuff. We don't know how long it'll last. Sometimes it's a week, sometimes it's a month, sometimes its a few days. And the body maintains itself - I don't know how. But when he comes back up- [When, not if-] we don't want him being alone.
[If Kendall was going to stand guard, he was going to be doing it with Raylan's help, regardless of if the elder Roy wanted it or not. Kendall felt like a Doer, so Raylan might as well use that energy.]
[ Kendall bites the inside of his cheek, staring at Roman for a long moment. It's weird that he looks peaceful like this. That's also a weird thing to think, the kind of thing people think about dead bodies in novels. Kendall shakes his head. ]
Look, I'm – not trying to be an asshole about this. Seriously. I'd just rather not move him like this. I don't want him to... to wake up somewhere he didn't fall asleep. You know?
[Raylan gives him a level, patient look. It wasn't Kendall's call in the slightest, but Raylan's ego didn't need that to be screamed from the rooftops.]
So long as some shit doesn't go down, we can respect that. Either way, I'll be down here daily to check up on him, and you.
I think he'll be more weirded out by this Sleeping Beauty gig than waking up somewhere he didn't expect and frankly, I owe him one of those but- That's somethin' else entirely.
[He lifts his chin towards the living room area.]
C'mon, I'll pour you a drink and you can tell me when you're from or ask whatever questions you might have.
[ Kendall's not gonna say no to a drink, so he heads over to the living room and drops into the space on the couch that he usually ends up on anyway. It really sounds like Raylan's not going to drop the 'where he's from' thing, considering what Roman might wake up knowing. But Kendall's – well, he's fucking scared, is the thing. Scared of saying anything about it, scared of having to actually utter the words, scared of what it'll do to Roman to find out, whether he's catching up now or not. Maybe he's gonna come back with the exact same memories as he left with, except Kendall got strong-armed by a US Marshal into sharing the things he's keeping secret and then he'll have to tell Roman, who, if he doesn't know, doesn't actually need to know. One of them will have to tell. Kendall doesn't want to do it. But he also doesn't want someone else to do it. He'd need to do damage control.
He's a little angry at Roman suddenly, for falling so heavily asleep that Kendall's having to actually think this through. It's irrational, he knows; it's not Roman's choice, or even his fault. It's just that he thought he'd have more time like this, more time to be normal with him, the way it used to be.
He's in his head. Hard to get out of it, there's so much space in there. Easy to get lost. He doesn't say a word. ]
[Raylan knows his way around Roman's cabin, and a couple of tumblers are collected to be set on the coffee table. Raylan pours from his flask, two fingers for each of them and he lets the silence linger as he moves around. The silver bottomed, wood wrapped flask is recapped and tucked back into his back pocket and he sits down in one of the chairs across from Kendall.]
Here- might help take the edge off.
[Raylan might be lowkey strong arming, but he wasn't going to rush it. Showing up here is always a lot. Finding out that you're ahead of your brother is also a lot.]
[ He sounds genuinely grateful, and looks up just enough to offer a very small smile as he takes the glass and has a sip. Swallowing it in one go is probably a little gauche, considering the circumstances. God, he wants a line right now. ]
Sorry. It's just – when our dad got sick, we were in the hospital a lot. And it's... Yeah, it's bringing up some pretty shitty memories.
I can imagine so. You guys love your dad a lot. [For some reason. But Raylan had already hashed that differing opinion with Roman and he didn't, couldn't hold it against the Roy Boys that they loved their daddy.]
And I know that seein' Roman in this state is.. worryin' to say the least. Disconcerting at best. [Hard, either way.]
He's happy you're here, you know. Damn near over the moon when he came to tell me.
[ There's an edge of doubt in that, even if Kendall doesn't really doubt him. It's just a standard Roy response to anything remotely positive. ]
It – really messed him up, I think. More than me and Shiv. When my dad did that to us. Because, I mean, Roman... he's kind of, um... Sensitive's not the right word. I guess he can kind of fold under pressure, but like, whatever, we all do that. But it's like, he really beats the shit out of himself over it, when it happens.
[Sensitive was close enough - Raylan understood what Kendall was describing, and nods gently.]
It did. He and I have talked about Logan. Not so much about the deals y'all got burnt out of but. [the deals themselves weren't really that important. It was set dressing for the emotional tragedy that was the Roy family.]
I dunno. I guess, we were all together so it was like... I had them to focus on. Roman and my sister. I think it kind of mattered less that it happened to me.
[ Kendall frowns, looking distant for a moment. ]
It's pretty rare that we're all on the same side, you know? And I'm the eldest, so I guess I kind of felt like I had to help them first.
[The eldest of that group. The erasure of Connor was known to Raylan but no one needed him to be pedantic. Wouldn't help shit around gaining trust either.]
That's good of you. Important that family sticks together like that. [To some people. To most people.]
And how'd Shiv handle it? Just so I can.. get a clear understandin' of your dynamics. Hard to gain tone sometimes, off a file paper that only reads in facts, not intent and emotion.
I mean, I don't wanna be dramatic, but it kinda ruined her marriage.
[ Privately, Kendall had never really been fully convinced by Shiv and Tom's relationship, and he doesn't think his father was entirely wrong when he told Shiv that she'd invested in Tom because she thought he'd never have the stones to betray her. Which just makes that whole thing so much fucking worse. And now, of course, he wants to poke Tom's eyes out with his thumbs, so. ]
Her husband ratted us out, to get in our dad's good books. That's... pretty much how it goes with us. Either you're smart enough to get the fuck out of dodge when you realise what a shitshow our family is, or you stick around long enough to fuck us over to get props from the patriarch.
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So Roman's asleep. Coma thing, whatever. Apparently it happens here all the time.
But what actually happens when he's asleep?
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I'm on my way. Where are you at?
[He's got no issue answering the question, he'd just rather to it en route.]
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[ He's sitting on the floor, his back to Roman's door, knees pulled up to his chest. It's weird in there. The idea of sticking around with Roman so asleep he almost looks dead – yeah, Kendall's not sticking around for that. ]
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You ask what happens when they're asleep. [He was glad the hall was otherwise empty, but he wanted to give Kendall plenty of time to get himself together if the man needed.] It's like they're put into suspension. No bodily functions. No brain function outside what's required to keep the machine of it all goin'.
How'd you find him? [That could be taken in a couple of ways. Did it happen in front of Kendall or did he walk into it? Was Roman in the middle of beating it? A total possibility.]
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He was like, weirdly quiet. You know, no messages. Nothing. So I came to see if he was okay. He was, like, on the floor? So I moved him to his bed.
[ His hand shifts, and he chews his thumbnail for a moment. It's halfway between reassuring and unreassuring to know that it's common here, and that he's just kind of on pause, but. ]
I read something about... this. I was searching back through the – network thing, for stuff about this? And, like, apparently sometimes people come back and, uh, they remember more stuff from home? [ He sounds anxious, even to his own ears, so he clears his throat and adds something else. ] And, I mean, is it, like, standard to tell everyone about it? That he's – asleep?
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Not wanting to loom, Raylan squats down where he is, elbows resting on his knee. He had no reason to doubt Kendall, which meant there was no use in rushing in. If anyone was going to keep Roman safe in that state, it was his brother. But Kendall was out here. Suggested he had an issue with bodies looking like that. Roman looking like that.]
It is. As I'm his Warden, that would normally be somethin' that I do, but if you wanted to let folks know, I'd let you have it. He has friends. People who will care and want to know.
As far as rememberin' things - yeah. Sometimes that happens. Like pieces of us gettin' stitched into the fabric. [Kendall was obviously worried about what Roman might learn. Raylan kept his voice and tone understanding and soft. Camp Dad.]
What's waitin' back there for him?
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You know him pretty well at this point, right? You think he's ever gonna go back there and have a good time?
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[Raylan takes and lets out a deep breath as he looks at Roman's door.]
He can't stay here unattended. [His eyes move back to Kendall.]
Help me get him down to my cabin? You look like you could use a drink, and I got a bottle of high shelf whiskey downstairs that sometimes helps.
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[ Kendall's "king of the hospital" gene kicks in before he's even aware he's doing it, and he finally looks at Raylan, eyebrows raised, looking defensive. He definitely heard that first part, about what Roman might be going home to, but it's better to talk about the immediate thing first. ]
He's gonna stay here. I'm fine. I don't need a drink.
[ He does. Desperately. But he's staying. He's not even gonna get up. ]
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No, you're not movin' him - that's right. I am. But we can negotiate terms and rules. You're welcome to keep watch over him, if that's somethin' you wanna do. But he can't stay here alone, we got no idea how long this will last, you're gonna have to sleep sometime and the hallway isn't the best place to be doin' that.
[Raylan stands up then and wait so see how the drawn lines are taken.]
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He's my brother. I don't actually give a fuck if you're his warden, he's staying here. Okay?
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Finally, he speaks up and there's no mistaking the edge of challenge in his voice.]
You're new and in somethin' of an emotional position, so I'm gonna let that slide. Shit starts goin' down and I'm movin' him to my cabin where I can assure he's safe, and it won't matter if you're brothers.
I'm gonna go in and see him. [He doesn't hesitate in stepping forward and opening Roman's door, fully helping himself to the inside.]
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What kind of shit do you think is gonna go down?
[ Kendall asks it like he'd be in any position to stop it himself. He's only ever shot a gun on hunting retreats, when the animals have nowhere to go, and even then he hadn't been good at it. He's about as good at physical fighting as the average guy on the street. But he imagines there'd be some supersonic ability to protect that would come out of nowhere in the moment, if it was necessary. ]
And – like, how long is this supposed to last? Does he need to eat? Drink? How is he getting, like... nutrients? Vitamins? What about his muscles? Can't they, like, atrophy if you don't use them enough?
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There's never any telling. Last time some random shit went down, it was hell in the hallways and Roman got his arm both bit and broken by a monstrous dog. I had to shoot my way to him.
[His eyes drop back down to Roman.]
So leavin' him up here makes me itch. But you don't hav'ta worry about all that stuff. We don't know how long it'll last. Sometimes it's a week, sometimes it's a month, sometimes its a few days. And the body maintains itself - I don't know how. But when he comes back up- [When, not if-] we don't want him being alone.
[If Kendall was going to stand guard, he was going to be doing it with Raylan's help, regardless of if the elder Roy wanted it or not. Kendall felt like a Doer, so Raylan might as well use that energy.]
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[ Kendall bites the inside of his cheek, staring at Roman for a long moment. It's weird that he looks peaceful like this. That's also a weird thing to think, the kind of thing people think about dead bodies in novels. Kendall shakes his head. ]
Look, I'm – not trying to be an asshole about this. Seriously. I'd just rather not move him like this. I don't want him to... to wake up somewhere he didn't fall asleep. You know?
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So long as some shit doesn't go down, we can respect that. Either way, I'll be down here daily to check up on him, and you.
I think he'll be more weirded out by this Sleeping Beauty gig than waking up somewhere he didn't expect and frankly, I owe him one of those but- That's somethin' else entirely.
[He lifts his chin towards the living room area.]
C'mon, I'll pour you a drink and you can tell me when you're from or ask whatever questions you might have.
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He's a little angry at Roman suddenly, for falling so heavily asleep that Kendall's having to actually think this through. It's irrational, he knows; it's not Roman's choice, or even his fault. It's just that he thought he'd have more time like this, more time to be normal with him, the way it used to be.
He's in his head. Hard to get out of it, there's so much space in there. Easy to get lost. He doesn't say a word. ]
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Here- might help take the edge off.
[Raylan might be lowkey strong arming, but he wasn't going to rush it. Showing up here is always a lot. Finding out that you're ahead of your brother is also a lot.]
cw drug addiction
[ He sounds genuinely grateful, and looks up just enough to offer a very small smile as he takes the glass and has a sip. Swallowing it in one go is probably a little gauche, considering the circumstances. God, he wants a line right now. ]
Sorry. It's just – when our dad got sick, we were in the hospital a lot. And it's... Yeah, it's bringing up some pretty shitty memories.
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And I know that seein' Roman in this state is.. worryin' to say the least. Disconcerting at best. [Hard, either way.]
He's happy you're here, you know. Damn near over the moon when he came to tell me.
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[ There's an edge of doubt in that, even if Kendall doesn't really doubt him. It's just a standard Roy response to anything remotely positive. ]
It – really messed him up, I think. More than me and Shiv. When my dad did that to us. Because, I mean, Roman... he's kind of, um... Sensitive's not the right word. I guess he can kind of fold under pressure, but like, whatever, we all do that. But it's like, he really beats the shit out of himself over it, when it happens.
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It did. He and I have talked about Logan. Not so much about the deals y'all got burnt out of but. [the deals themselves weren't really that important. It was set dressing for the emotional tragedy that was the Roy family.]
How did you handle it?
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[ Kendall frowns, looking distant for a moment. ]
It's pretty rare that we're all on the same side, you know? And I'm the eldest, so I guess I kind of felt like I had to help them first.
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That's good of you. Important that family sticks together like that. [To some people. To most people.]
And how'd Shiv handle it? Just so I can.. get a clear understandin' of your dynamics. Hard to gain tone sometimes, off a file paper that only reads in facts, not intent and emotion.
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[ Privately, Kendall had never really been fully convinced by Shiv and Tom's relationship, and he doesn't think his father was entirely wrong when he told Shiv that she'd invested in Tom because she thought he'd never have the stones to betray her. Which just makes that whole thing so much fucking worse. And now, of course, he wants to poke Tom's eyes out with his thumbs, so. ]
Her husband ratted us out, to get in our dad's good books. That's... pretty much how it goes with us. Either you're smart enough to get the fuck out of dodge when you realise what a shitshow our family is, or you stick around long enough to fuck us over to get props from the patriarch.
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