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31_days2012-05-11 02:49 am
insaneladybug.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2012-05-11 02:49 am
[May 11th] [Perry Mason] Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet?
Title: Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet?
Day/Theme: May 11th - One heartbite after another
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Paul Drake, Hamilton Burger
Rating: K/G
Part of the "Missing Scenes from The Broken Ties" series.
Takes place over chapters 10 and 11.
By Lucky_Ladybug
Hamilton had always been well-known as someone who could not or at least did not hide his feelings well. Sometimes he might lay on a bit of the overly friendly façade Lieutenant Tragg was so noted for (and people had long forgotten whether Tragg had taught it to him or vice-versa), but in general, if he was happy, angry, bewildered, or excited, it was obvious to everyone.
Perhaps that was why Paul did not really grasp how badly hurt Hamilton was by the way most of their friends had been acting while under this spell. Perry and Mignon were cold, Tragg was angry, and Steve was in parts unknown. Della and Andy were congenial, but had total amnesia where all of the others were concerned.
Hamilton tried to get through to all of them, talking and pleading and backing off when he was concerned he was pressuring too much, but he never lost his cool. He was aloof and reticent, and to Paul that meant that Hamilton was handling it all just fine and was probably not that bothered.
He did not see the pain in Hamilton’s eyes. It was gone before he ever had the chance.
But it was after Tragg was hospitalized from a murder attempt by the woman pretending to be his deceased wife that the dam broke. Both Hamilton and Paul had been pushed to their absolute limit. They were equally agonizing over being the only ones to know the truth and wondering how to get through to the others. Paul, however, did not have the extra weight of everyone bearing false and unkind memories of him as they did Hamilton. Nor did he know of the angry and grief-stricken words Tragg had said to Hamilton right before lapsing into unconsciousness. Hamilton was teetering on the very edge of his patience and tolerance while they waited for news of Tragg’s condition.
It was Paul who snapped first as they conversed. At the very indication of Hamilton having kept something back from him, regardless of what it was, his temper flared and he lashed out with the accusations he had kept simmering inside. And that was all the push Hamilton needed to completely break. He screamed right back.
His words were true, really. Their alliance was horrible, one of necessity. Neither of them wanted to work with the other. Paul did not trust Hamilton and Hamilton was not happy being around someone who could not trust him. And, he bitterly added, the only things he had not told Paul were some of the harsh lies people were thinking about him. It was not something he wanted to confide in someone who, he felt, would not care at all.
Paul was stunned. Now the pain in Hamilton’s eyes was obvious. He was angry right now, yes—but he was hurting more than anything else. He had laid his soul bare. And he had forced Paul to realize something Paul had not consciously accepted—his distrust of Hamilton. At last Paul confessed it was true, and more. After years of keeping them locked away, Paul revealed all of the dark feelings and suspicions he had held about Hamilton since they had first met. And Hamilton finally admitted that he had thought of Paul as his friend for a long time.
Out of all of Hamilton’s revelations, that was the one that shocked Paul and left him awash with more guilt than anything else. He did not think of Hamilton as a friend. Hamilton was the enemy. He usually always had been.
Paul did not know that perhaps there were still other feelings of his own that he had not discovered yet.
But with all of their hurt finally out in the open, at last they began to calm down and try to repair the damage. They called a truce and shook on it. Who knew how long it would last, but at least it was in place for now.
The night in the hospital continued to drag on. Tragg awakened briefly, speaking to Hamilton and Andy. Larry Germaine was brought in badly beaten and, out of fear for his life, Mignon refused to continue helping Hamilton try to break the spell. She also could not seem to shake the false memories of how Hamilton had hurt her, despite how Hamilton repeatedly tried to show and tell her they were not true. She believed there was a spell, yet those memories had such a strong hold over her that she could not fully believe they were not true as well.
Hamilton disappeared from the scene at some point during the long night. Paul frowned when he heard the news after briefly stopping in again following a vain search for Mr. Vann. Where had Burger gone? From all accounts, he had not left the building. Curious, and perhaps worried although he would not admit it, Paul sought him out.
Paul had not expected to find him back in the lounge where they had quarreled. But he was there, on the couch. When Paul came farther into the room and leaned over the back of the furniture, he found the district attorney lying asleep. He looked beyond weary. And while slumbering and unable to control the emotions that flickered across his face, unease and hurt were very prominent.
Paul hesitated. He did not want to wake the guy up. But there was something Paul wanted to say, something he had not said after their altercation had at last died down. He rested his hand very lightly on Hamilton’s shoulder.
“Sorry,” he said, barely above a whisper. “I didn’t really get how torn up you’ve been. You hid it, better than I thought you would. I’m sorry.”
Hamilton did not stir. Paul turned and crept out.
Later, the fact that he had not told Hamilton when he was awake would deeply haunt Paul.
Day/Theme: May 11th - One heartbite after another
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Paul Drake, Hamilton Burger
Rating: K/G
Part of the "Missing Scenes from The Broken Ties" series.
Takes place over chapters 10 and 11.
Hamilton had always been well-known as someone who could not or at least did not hide his feelings well. Sometimes he might lay on a bit of the overly friendly façade Lieutenant Tragg was so noted for (and people had long forgotten whether Tragg had taught it to him or vice-versa), but in general, if he was happy, angry, bewildered, or excited, it was obvious to everyone.
Perhaps that was why Paul did not really grasp how badly hurt Hamilton was by the way most of their friends had been acting while under this spell. Perry and Mignon were cold, Tragg was angry, and Steve was in parts unknown. Della and Andy were congenial, but had total amnesia where all of the others were concerned.
Hamilton tried to get through to all of them, talking and pleading and backing off when he was concerned he was pressuring too much, but he never lost his cool. He was aloof and reticent, and to Paul that meant that Hamilton was handling it all just fine and was probably not that bothered.
He did not see the pain in Hamilton’s eyes. It was gone before he ever had the chance.
But it was after Tragg was hospitalized from a murder attempt by the woman pretending to be his deceased wife that the dam broke. Both Hamilton and Paul had been pushed to their absolute limit. They were equally agonizing over being the only ones to know the truth and wondering how to get through to the others. Paul, however, did not have the extra weight of everyone bearing false and unkind memories of him as they did Hamilton. Nor did he know of the angry and grief-stricken words Tragg had said to Hamilton right before lapsing into unconsciousness. Hamilton was teetering on the very edge of his patience and tolerance while they waited for news of Tragg’s condition.
It was Paul who snapped first as they conversed. At the very indication of Hamilton having kept something back from him, regardless of what it was, his temper flared and he lashed out with the accusations he had kept simmering inside. And that was all the push Hamilton needed to completely break. He screamed right back.
His words were true, really. Their alliance was horrible, one of necessity. Neither of them wanted to work with the other. Paul did not trust Hamilton and Hamilton was not happy being around someone who could not trust him. And, he bitterly added, the only things he had not told Paul were some of the harsh lies people were thinking about him. It was not something he wanted to confide in someone who, he felt, would not care at all.
Paul was stunned. Now the pain in Hamilton’s eyes was obvious. He was angry right now, yes—but he was hurting more than anything else. He had laid his soul bare. And he had forced Paul to realize something Paul had not consciously accepted—his distrust of Hamilton. At last Paul confessed it was true, and more. After years of keeping them locked away, Paul revealed all of the dark feelings and suspicions he had held about Hamilton since they had first met. And Hamilton finally admitted that he had thought of Paul as his friend for a long time.
Out of all of Hamilton’s revelations, that was the one that shocked Paul and left him awash with more guilt than anything else. He did not think of Hamilton as a friend. Hamilton was the enemy. He usually always had been.
Paul did not know that perhaps there were still other feelings of his own that he had not discovered yet.
But with all of their hurt finally out in the open, at last they began to calm down and try to repair the damage. They called a truce and shook on it. Who knew how long it would last, but at least it was in place for now.
The night in the hospital continued to drag on. Tragg awakened briefly, speaking to Hamilton and Andy. Larry Germaine was brought in badly beaten and, out of fear for his life, Mignon refused to continue helping Hamilton try to break the spell. She also could not seem to shake the false memories of how Hamilton had hurt her, despite how Hamilton repeatedly tried to show and tell her they were not true. She believed there was a spell, yet those memories had such a strong hold over her that she could not fully believe they were not true as well.
Hamilton disappeared from the scene at some point during the long night. Paul frowned when he heard the news after briefly stopping in again following a vain search for Mr. Vann. Where had Burger gone? From all accounts, he had not left the building. Curious, and perhaps worried although he would not admit it, Paul sought him out.
Paul had not expected to find him back in the lounge where they had quarreled. But he was there, on the couch. When Paul came farther into the room and leaned over the back of the furniture, he found the district attorney lying asleep. He looked beyond weary. And while slumbering and unable to control the emotions that flickered across his face, unease and hurt were very prominent.
Paul hesitated. He did not want to wake the guy up. But there was something Paul wanted to say, something he had not said after their altercation had at last died down. He rested his hand very lightly on Hamilton’s shoulder.
“Sorry,” he said, barely above a whisper. “I didn’t really get how torn up you’ve been. You hid it, better than I thought you would. I’m sorry.”
Hamilton did not stir. Paul turned and crept out.
Later, the fact that he had not told Hamilton when he was awake would deeply haunt Paul.