trigger_man | (no subject)

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The next morning, Jack doesn't wake easily. Mired in disturbing dreams, he tosses slightly as sleep eases its grip and as the dream fades and reality replaces it, he has a growing realization that he's not alone in the bed.

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"True. Still looks pretty bad, though. Do you need to keep taking any antibiotics?" Jack asks.

The sight of the sutures and wounds isn't helping Jack's stomach any, but he still forces himself to pick up a tube of antibiotic ointment and start slathering it on.

"I've got a bottle back at my place."

The corner of Carl's mouth twitches at the contact of the ointment to his skin, but he doesn't wince outright.

"When are you planning to go back?" It's not going to do Carl much good back at his place if he's not planning to go back anytime soon.

"Not sure. I haven't decided."

Part of him wants to go and get the briefings and questions over with. The other part of him doesn't want to go back at all.

"Does Bar give out medication, do you know?" Jack asks. Considering aspirin and things just appear in his medicine cabinet, he'd think she'd give out something like antibiotics.

He hasn't asked her about other kinds of drugs, as much as he's been tempted.

Edited 2010-04-21 03:16 (UTC)

"If I couldn't get it from her, I'm sure I could get some in the infirmary."

He's watching the progress being made on his arm, as Jack places the gauze pad against the skin. His eyes are still a little distant.

"Kind of just want to get it done with."

"Yeah. I can't really say what your best option is."

On the one hand, he's not sure Carl's in the best frame of mind to do a debriefing, particularly one about this type of situation. On the other hand, putting it off isn't going to help.

He scrubs his other hand over his face.

"Probably could use some time to get my thoughts together. Put things down so I've got the story solid before I head in."

"Yeah, especially if they're going to have questions," Jack says, tearing off a strip of adhesive tape.

Carl laughs, sarcastically.

"If they didn't have any questions, I'd wonder what the fuck was wrong."

"Yeah. Some of the questions might be pretty pointed, though. Maybe it's better if you stay in here a while, then."

"A break won't kill me."

What happens when he goes back, might.

He exhales sharply as Jack tightens the bandage around his arm, wishing he had another drink -- no, painkillers -- to take the edge off.

Jack makes sure the bandage is secure, then moves back.

"Okay, you're done, unless there's some other injury I don't know about," he says, starting to pack up the first aid supplies.

Carl shakes his head.

"No, just that. My hearing is better than it was yesterday, too."

There's less of a static threatening to steal the words away, now.

"Thanks," he adds.

"Any time. You know that," Jack says, keeping his head down.

He scrubs his free hand over his eyes.

"You feel like you've been hit by a truck too, yeah? It's not just me?"

"Fuck yes. Think it's been a while since I drank that much."

Usually because he didn't have the excuse of being with someone else, and because he still had to get himself up to his room. Not that he hadn't been waking up with a hell of a lot of hangovers since he came into the bar.

"Good."

Carl bows his head and wills the throbbing behind his eyelids to disappear. He doubts it's going to anytime soon, but it's worth a shot.

"Been...long time since I've had to do that. Wanted to do that...drink that much, I mean. Christ. I don't want to know what my tab looks like right now."

He also doesn't give a shit.

"I don't know. How much did we drink?" Jack remembers the first couple shots, and after that things get fuzzy. He's not sure he wants to know if they killed more than one bottle.

"Think we split a bottle between us? I had already started before you got there."

He moves further onto the bed, in an attempt to stretch out and not end up on Jack's lap.

"I have a feeling we ran out and called it a night."

"Hope so. But then if we didn't, we'd probably be in the infirmary with alcohol poisoning right now."

Jack's tempted to lie down again, but he has the feeling if he does, it's going to take him even longer to get back up again. Instead, he leans back against the headboard and tries to will the thumping in his head away.

"Kind of feel like I should be."

Carl winces as he gets comfortable.

"Though I think that's the grenades talking."

"Should be in the infirmary, or should have alcohol poisoning?" Jack asks, looking at Carl carefully.

He has to wonder if there's a little survivor guilt talking in there.

For a long few moments, Carl doesn't answer.

Eventually:

"At the least, in the infirmary."

"You said yourself your injuries weren't that bad," he says, pretty sure that's not what Carl means.