This is how it started:
Tony'd made a habit out of hiding out in the lobby in the hopes of spotting a kid that could see him. Jason was the first in months.
He was a shy kid, and he was wary at first like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but Tony got him talking soon enough. Tony was good at that.
Jason wanted to show Tony his new Nintendo. They chattered all the way up to his room and took turns playing on it for hours. Jason liked books more than movies, but Tony was long past making distinctions like nerd or jock. He just needed someone to talk to.
This is how it should have ended:
They should have played till it got late, and Tony knew Jason's dad would be returning soon. Tony should have left and returned in the morning. They should have had a fun few days together, Jason relieved not to be bored, Tony relieved to have company. Jason should have left in good spirits. Tony should have gone back to the lobby to begin the cycle all over again.
This is how it actually ended:
Tony'd learned a lot about Jason because it was easier to get people talking about themselves than to make up a story about his own life. He knew Jason's dad was in the Navy and wasn't particularly high up, but that Jason's mother had been rich. He'd learned that Jason's dad hadn't been the same after she died, and he'd seen a look on Jason's face when he said it.
Tony knew that look, and he knew that story. If Jason started coughing, then it would be his story.
Tony planned to leave a bit early to avoid the possibility of running into Jason's dad, but early turned out to not be early enough. Jason's dad came stumbling into the room at three o'clock, and he was already drunk.
Not so drunk that he didn't notice his son talking to thin air, though.
This is what Ducky told Gibbs later:
Someone had hit Jason repeatedly. Three ribs had broken, and one had punctured a lung. He had also fallen and experienced severe trauma to his skull.
Someone had hit Jason's father over the head with a lamp. He had fallen and had hit his head again. The combined blows had been too much.
Based on the bruising on Jason's father's knuckles and the force behind the blows, Ducky was reasonably certain that Jason's death could be pinned on his father. He was less certain who had killed him in turn.
This is what the other guests told Gibbs:
They'd heard shouting. Most had heard two voices, one angry and one afraid. A few had heard three.
There had been a loud thump and then a crash.
They had not gone to investigate. They felt it wasn't their business.
This is what no one knew but Tony:
He hadn't known how else to stop the man, so he'd run for one of the hotel lamps. He'd yanked it out of the wall, cord and all, but he hadn't been tall enough to use it, so he'd jumped onto one of the beds. From there, he'd crashed it over Jason's father's head.
He didn't know his name. Jason, naturally, had always called him "Dad".
He hadn't expected the man to stay down long, so he'd run to Jason so they could get out of there before he got up.
Jason had been breathing funny. He hadn't looked good at all.
He had looked scared.
"You've got to get up, Jason, come on," he'd said frantically.
Jason's lips had looked kind of blue, but it was hard to tell with one of the lamps lying broken on the floor.
Tony had felt strange, energy coursing through him like adrenaline used to.
It had felt good.
"Jason! Jason, come on!" He'd glanced over at Jason's dad.
That was when he had realized there actually wasn't any hurry, and he had nearly panicked all over again.
"Okay. Okay, take your time. We've got time. You're gonna be fine." He had to be strong. Jason needed help.
He'd just killed somebody. This was bad, this was really bad, he hadn't meant to, but this was really, really, really bad, only bad people did something like this -
"Jason? Jason!"
This is what Tony figured out later:
He'd starting running in a blind panic. A few hallways down, he'd passed a maid, one he'd passed a dozen times before.
"Are you all right?" she'd called after him.
She'd never seen him before.
He'd curled up in one of his favorite hiding spots and sobbed. He'd killed someone. Only bad ghosts did that. Dangerous ghosts. He'd wished he could be someone, anyone, else.
His body had shifted without his quite meaning for it too. He'd started crying even harder, and it had slid back into its usual place.
Jason was dead, and it was his fault. He'd killed someone, he was a monster, and they would definitely be calling for hunters from the mainland now.
What kind of person was he that could even be thinking about that?
This is what Tony told the McGeek in his weekly email:
Something bad's happened. The police are checking out the hotel. Everything will probably be fine, but I just wanted you to know in case you had been thinking about coming back for a visit. I might not be able to talk for a while. They're looking into everything, and the last thing I want is for them to see a computer using itself and look into what it was doing.
Don't worry if you don't hear from for a while, okay? You know me, I can handle whatever they throw at me. I might have to leave, but I'll be fine wherever I end up, even if it's a place without a computer.
But, hey, you know all about that, right? I'm sorry you had to move out of the house, but if your family was hiring hunters, you made the right call.
Look, I know I don't normally say stuff like this, but just in case it's a while before we can talk again, I want to tell you that I know you can do it. Someday, your dad's going to tell you how proud he is of you.
Be safe, McGoo.
This is what Tony meant:
I've done something bad. I'm pretty sure they're going to salt me. I'm not ready to pass on, and I'm really scared, but I can't tell you that. Don't worry about me. That's not your job.
Be safe, McWhatever. It's been really nice to have a friend.
