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31_days2013-11-17 06:03 am
insaneladybug.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2013-11-17 06:03 am
[November 17th] [The Rockford Files-related] Chronicles of a Friendship, 17
Title: Chronicles of a Friendship, scene 17
Day/Theme: November 17th - Downpour
Series: The Rockford Files (using characters from The Queen of Peru episode)
Character/Pairing: Ginger Townsend, Lou Trevino
Rating: K/G
Sort of an epilogue to the last two pieces....
By Lucky_Ladybug
The break in the storm hadn’t lasted long. But, Ginger thought as he listened to the rain pounding once again, at least it had held off long enough for him to get Lou first to the hospital and then back home. Now it was night again, twenty-four hours or so since they had been in the cathedral, and Lou was gratefully sleeping.
Ginger was sitting up in the living room with a book, but he wasn’t reading. Instead he was staring off into the distance, not really looking at anything but definitely listening to the rain.
Lou could have been hurt much worse. And even with what had happened, it could have been serious if he had gone to sleep before morning. Ginger was both amazed and grateful that he had managed to keep Lou awake all that time, not to mention that Lou had managed to stay awake and not go to sleep in spite of Ginger’s efforts.
They never had found the nun at the church, even after trying on their way home, so Ginger had quickly composed a note to thank her for her hospitality.
He stood, closing the book. He was not going to be able to concentrate. He was exhausted and aching himself, having only slept for a tiny bit at the hospital while waiting for the doctor to say it was alright to bring Lou home. Lou was out of danger now and Ginger should really sleep himself. Taking the book with him, he headed for the stairs and slowly began to ascend.
At the top, he walked straight ahead instead of turning to his right. Pushing open the half-closed door, he looked in on Lou, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Nodding in approval, Ginger turned and went to his room next-door.
Soon he had undressed and was easing his exhausted body into the soft mattress and sheets. Relaxing in the pleasant bed, he pulled the pillow to him and was soon asleep.
It was still raining when he awoke in the middle of the night, sensing that someone was standing over his bed. “What is it?” he mumbled, rolling half onto his back to look up.
“I think the power went out,” Lou’s voice informed him.
Ginger grunted in annoyance. “There should be some emergency lights and a torch in my desk,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“Great. Still kind of tired, though. I’m gonna go lay back down. But first I wanted to check in on you.” Lou bent down to be more at Ginger’s eye level. “Thanks, for everything you did for me last night,” he said in all sincerity. “I guess I didn’t always act grateful, and maybe I wasn’t when you tried to get me up, but I know you were saving my life.” He laid a hand on Ginger’s shoulder.
“You would have done the same for me,” Ginger returned. “Just tell me this, for my own curiosity—do you remember what we talked about all night?”
Lou rocked back, considering the question. “I think so,” he said. “At least . . . parts of it. You told me to say anything, even stuff you’d told me in private, just so I’d stay awake.” That deeply moved him; he knew how Ginger liked to keep his secrets. But he also knew that he meant more to Ginger than any of those secrets, even without Ginger having said it the previous night. “I remember talking a lot about our childhoods, and when we met, and . . . wow.”
“What?”
“I think I started talking about my feelings on marriage.” Lou shook his head. “I’ve never told that stuff to anyone before.”
“I’m glad you told me,” Ginger said. “I suppose some part of me feared that we would drift apart if you married. Now, I’m not nearly so concerned anymore.”
“Good.” Lou sat on the edge of the bed. “You and me, we’re a family. I don’t really think I will get married, but if I do, that’s not gonna change. You’d be just as much my family after me getting married as you are now.”
Ginger smiled slightly in the darkness. “I believe you.”
“You’d better.” Lou got up, still moving slowly. “Do you want me to bring one of the emergency lights over to you?”
“Yes,” Ginger nodded. “I meant to get one, just in case the power would go out, but then I was so anxious to lie down that I didn’t remember. Go ahead and take one of them back with you too, if you want.”
Lou felt around and found the desk. “Which drawer is it?” he wondered.
“The second one,” Ginger directed. “I believe.”
Lou pulled it open and drew out a circular light. “Yeah, here it is.” He clicked it in the middle and a welcome beam filled the room. Removing a second light, Lou shut the drawer and brought the first light to Ginger’s nightstand.
“Thank you,” Ginger nodded in acknowledgment.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Buddy,” Lou said.
“You will,” Ginger said. “Goodnight.”
“Night.” Lou headed for the door, then paused. “Ginger . . .”
Ginger frowned, recognizing the sickened tone to Lou’s voice. Suddenly he knew what Lou was about to say. “Don’t,” he said.
“But . . . Ginger, I remember I pushed you,” Lou said sadly.
“You already more than made it up to me by staying awake the rest of the night,” Ginger said. “I’m alright. You didn’t seriously harm me.”
“I hope not. But would you tell me if I did?”
“If I was seriously hurt, you wouldn’t be able to help but know,” Ginger answered. “You stunned me for a few minutes. That’s all.”
Finally Lou nodded. “I’m still really sorry, Ginger.”
“I know you are. I knew you were last night.”
“I don’t really know my own strength when I’m not feeling well,” Lou sighed. “I guess it could’ve been a lot worse, but that doesn’t take away the guilt.”
“It wouldn’t,” Ginger agreed, “but there’s no need for it. Go back to sleep. Perhaps you’ll be feeling better in the morning.”
“Yeah, maybe. I’d better let you get back to sleep. Goodnight again, Buddy.”
“Goodnight.”
The lights in the hall suddenly flickered and flooded on. Both Lou and Ginger looked to the glow in surprise. Then, taking it in stride, Ginger reached over and clicked off the emergency light.
“Go ahead and keep the one you’re holding,” he told Lou. “The power could always go off again.”
“That’s true,” Lou acknowledged. “Okay, I’ll bring it back in the morning.”
Ginger settled back into the bed as Lou headed down the hall. Outside, the rain was still coming down with ferocity, but perhaps not as strongly as before. Ginger heard it echoing in his mind as he burrowed into the pillow and slipped into sleep.
Day/Theme: November 17th - Downpour
Series: The Rockford Files (using characters from The Queen of Peru episode)
Character/Pairing: Ginger Townsend, Lou Trevino
Rating: K/G
Sort of an epilogue to the last two pieces....
The break in the storm hadn’t lasted long. But, Ginger thought as he listened to the rain pounding once again, at least it had held off long enough for him to get Lou first to the hospital and then back home. Now it was night again, twenty-four hours or so since they had been in the cathedral, and Lou was gratefully sleeping.
Ginger was sitting up in the living room with a book, but he wasn’t reading. Instead he was staring off into the distance, not really looking at anything but definitely listening to the rain.
Lou could have been hurt much worse. And even with what had happened, it could have been serious if he had gone to sleep before morning. Ginger was both amazed and grateful that he had managed to keep Lou awake all that time, not to mention that Lou had managed to stay awake and not go to sleep in spite of Ginger’s efforts.
They never had found the nun at the church, even after trying on their way home, so Ginger had quickly composed a note to thank her for her hospitality.
He stood, closing the book. He was not going to be able to concentrate. He was exhausted and aching himself, having only slept for a tiny bit at the hospital while waiting for the doctor to say it was alright to bring Lou home. Lou was out of danger now and Ginger should really sleep himself. Taking the book with him, he headed for the stairs and slowly began to ascend.
At the top, he walked straight ahead instead of turning to his right. Pushing open the half-closed door, he looked in on Lou, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Nodding in approval, Ginger turned and went to his room next-door.
Soon he had undressed and was easing his exhausted body into the soft mattress and sheets. Relaxing in the pleasant bed, he pulled the pillow to him and was soon asleep.
It was still raining when he awoke in the middle of the night, sensing that someone was standing over his bed. “What is it?” he mumbled, rolling half onto his back to look up.
“I think the power went out,” Lou’s voice informed him.
Ginger grunted in annoyance. “There should be some emergency lights and a torch in my desk,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“Great. Still kind of tired, though. I’m gonna go lay back down. But first I wanted to check in on you.” Lou bent down to be more at Ginger’s eye level. “Thanks, for everything you did for me last night,” he said in all sincerity. “I guess I didn’t always act grateful, and maybe I wasn’t when you tried to get me up, but I know you were saving my life.” He laid a hand on Ginger’s shoulder.
“You would have done the same for me,” Ginger returned. “Just tell me this, for my own curiosity—do you remember what we talked about all night?”
Lou rocked back, considering the question. “I think so,” he said. “At least . . . parts of it. You told me to say anything, even stuff you’d told me in private, just so I’d stay awake.” That deeply moved him; he knew how Ginger liked to keep his secrets. But he also knew that he meant more to Ginger than any of those secrets, even without Ginger having said it the previous night. “I remember talking a lot about our childhoods, and when we met, and . . . wow.”
“What?”
“I think I started talking about my feelings on marriage.” Lou shook his head. “I’ve never told that stuff to anyone before.”
“I’m glad you told me,” Ginger said. “I suppose some part of me feared that we would drift apart if you married. Now, I’m not nearly so concerned anymore.”
“Good.” Lou sat on the edge of the bed. “You and me, we’re a family. I don’t really think I will get married, but if I do, that’s not gonna change. You’d be just as much my family after me getting married as you are now.”
Ginger smiled slightly in the darkness. “I believe you.”
“You’d better.” Lou got up, still moving slowly. “Do you want me to bring one of the emergency lights over to you?”
“Yes,” Ginger nodded. “I meant to get one, just in case the power would go out, but then I was so anxious to lie down that I didn’t remember. Go ahead and take one of them back with you too, if you want.”
Lou felt around and found the desk. “Which drawer is it?” he wondered.
“The second one,” Ginger directed. “I believe.”
Lou pulled it open and drew out a circular light. “Yeah, here it is.” He clicked it in the middle and a welcome beam filled the room. Removing a second light, Lou shut the drawer and brought the first light to Ginger’s nightstand.
“Thank you,” Ginger nodded in acknowledgment.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Buddy,” Lou said.
“You will,” Ginger said. “Goodnight.”
“Night.” Lou headed for the door, then paused. “Ginger . . .”
Ginger frowned, recognizing the sickened tone to Lou’s voice. Suddenly he knew what Lou was about to say. “Don’t,” he said.
“But . . . Ginger, I remember I pushed you,” Lou said sadly.
“You already more than made it up to me by staying awake the rest of the night,” Ginger said. “I’m alright. You didn’t seriously harm me.”
“I hope not. But would you tell me if I did?”
“If I was seriously hurt, you wouldn’t be able to help but know,” Ginger answered. “You stunned me for a few minutes. That’s all.”
Finally Lou nodded. “I’m still really sorry, Ginger.”
“I know you are. I knew you were last night.”
“I don’t really know my own strength when I’m not feeling well,” Lou sighed. “I guess it could’ve been a lot worse, but that doesn’t take away the guilt.”
“It wouldn’t,” Ginger agreed, “but there’s no need for it. Go back to sleep. Perhaps you’ll be feeling better in the morning.”
“Yeah, maybe. I’d better let you get back to sleep. Goodnight again, Buddy.”
“Goodnight.”
The lights in the hall suddenly flickered and flooded on. Both Lou and Ginger looked to the glow in surprise. Then, taking it in stride, Ginger reached over and clicked off the emergency light.
“Go ahead and keep the one you’re holding,” he told Lou. “The power could always go off again.”
“That’s true,” Lou acknowledged. “Okay, I’ll bring it back in the morning.”
Ginger settled back into the bed as Lou headed down the hall. Outside, the rain was still coming down with ferocity, but perhaps not as strongly as before. Ginger heard it echoing in his mind as he burrowed into the pillow and slipped into sleep.