They'd finally released him to go home.
Smokey had been a bit of a liaison between the four of them. Doctors had said at the four week mark that visitors would be acceptable, but it would still be in his best interest to keep those visits and the amount of people at a minimum.
It didn't matter anyway, Jesse had told his brother there was no point. Smokey was forced to repeatedly tell the others that with the medications they had him on, he slept most the day. Jesse didn't want them wasting their time.
He'd only shrugged when Scott protested, telling him he'd have to take it up with Jesse when he got home.
He'd been in the hospital ten weeks, which made it nearly three months since the last time she'd spoken with him. Louise stood in the garage as the group kept Smokey company. Having nothing else to do in the off season they were usually here anyway. She couldn't believe the amount of damage to the Hudson Hornet, or the fact they were attempting to salvage it.
"It's scrap metal, Smokey." Moon shook his head, eyeing the twisted and dented frame work. "Has he even seen it?"
"No." Smokey grunted, wrestling with the tire wrench in his attempt to remove the first of many lug nuts. Scott moved around the car to help him, and passed him the can of WD-40.
"How's he doin' anyway."
The elder Hudson brother hissed, scraping his knuckles on the red wheel rim. " 'bout as good as a cat on a hot tin roof."
"That good, huh."
He flexed his fingers and thanked Louise as she passed him a clean rag to wrap them in. He sprayed the lug nuts and waited a moment to see if the newly fabricated 'wonder spray' was actually worth it.
He shook his head. "Kid brother or not, he keeps snappin' at me the way he has been I'll send his scrawny hide back to the hospital."
Louise nearly snorted, knowing as well as the rest of them that he was all bark and no bite.
She'd pulled up to the farmhouse and sat silently in the car for a moment before gaining the courage to even open the door. By the time she reached the bottom of the steps, Smokey was leaning against the door frame, hidden somewhat by the screen.
He'd been staying in the old family house lately, afraid to leave Jesse on his own.
"Not a good day..."
"Surely can't be that bad, he's alive isn't he."
Smokey only shrugged, hard eyed and lead toned. "Just not a good day." He pushed the screen door open and passed her on the steps, heading toward the barn.
She watched him leave with a look of vague confusion and looked back toward the house, suddenly noticing one of those new air conditioners in a window around the side, she's surprised she hadn't heard it first for as loud as it is.
With a deep sigh she opens the door, making an attempt at levity as she enters the house.
"Air conditioning? Since when can you afford that luxury?"
She doesn't get an answer and her mouth forms a thin line as she walks through the foyer and peaks into each room, finally coming into the sitting room where he lies on the couch. The air conditioner has made the room fairly chilly and despite the fact that it's warm outside, he's huddled under a blanket.
"Oh, Jesse..."
His arm is out of the sling she'd been told he was forced to wear but she can't tell from where she's standing if he still has the brace around his chest. What she can see is that he still has an incredible amount of bruising to the right side of his head, the swelling is gone, but it looks incredibly painful. No wonder Smokey would seem so shaken when asked about him.
His eyes are closed, and she's not sure if he's asleep or not.
With another low sigh (she feels like she's been doing that a lot lately) she passed through the room and returned with a glass of water.
For him or her she doesn't really know.
"Why must you succeed so spectacularly at everything you do?"
Finally, his eyes do open slowly and she makes a light comment over having not seen those baby blues for a while but his expression is clouded, like he's trying to figure out why she's there.
She's struck by another comment of Smokey's and feels the room get colder.
He's dealing with what they're calling short term memory loss...
"Well." One side of his mouth rises in a lopsided grin. "If it isn' the First Lady of Piston."
Louise feels her shoulders relax and she gestures across to the window unit. "Since when can you afford air conditioning?"
His expression falls and he glances toward what she'd indicated. "Since they said I need it to breath. Something about taking the humidity out of the air."
She holds out the glass of water silently but he shakes his head, pushing himself up into a better sitting position.
"So how many of those ribs did you break?"
He looks up at her with a raised brow as he gets comfortable again. "Three. One of 'em in two places."
"You're incredible"
"No, fabulous."
"Have you seen that car?" She asked suddenly, pointing in a vague direction, not really caring if it's the direction toward Smokey's or not.
"No, and don't tell me it's not worth it. Everyone feels the need to tell me it's pointless."
"I don't think it'll ever be road worthy-"
"The car's fine."
""Why are you like this? Smokey says you've been-"
"Because it's my car, and I'll decide what to do with it."
Oh...
"Jesse, you're not-"
"You know that thing probably would've saved Ruth?" He's pointedly not looking at her, changing the subject as he stares at the air conditioner, his jaw set.
She stares too. "Maybe..."
"It would've."
Louise falls silent, suddenly realizing why it isn't a good day. Ruth Hudson had passed away two years ago, sometime this week, from the same illness that had taken their mother years before that. The two brothers were the only surviving family.
"Henry told me about the car."
"Why don't you ever call him-"
"It's not his name." He attempted a faint grin.
"Jesse..." She asked after a moment, studying his face when he finally looked at her straight on. "Are you alright?"
She couldn't help but notice how fantastically the purple bruise stood out against his blue eye as he hesitated to answer.
"Yeah, Lou. I'm alright."
