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The Dogs of War:
Delicate Sound of Thunder: Pink Floyd
Invisible transfers, long distance calls,
Hollow laughter in marble halls
Steps have been taken, a silent uproar
Has unleashed the dogs of war
You can't stop what has begun
Signed, sealed, they deliver oblivion
We all have a dark side, to say the least
And dealing in death is the nature of the beast
Seth slowly made his way out of the courthouse. Amazingly for him, he didn't even notice the stairs and ramps outside-perfect for 'boarding. To not notice such a paradise of structures indicated how upset he was. Reaching temporary safety inside the car, he broke down. His whole world had become distorted, changed. The magnetic poles of life had shifted, no longer was there just Seth in one direction and his parental units in another. Another person had an impact on his everyday life. Not just an exciting occasional whirlwind like his grandfather, but an everyday force that somehow altered his perceptions of how to see the world and react to life. And now he was gone. Locked up, taken away. And Seth was powerless to help him.
Kirsten sighed and groaned. Finally done with meetings with contractors she was on her way home. The last set of contractors required a meeting at their current site- in the foothills of San Bernadino county. They were doing a good job at that site, they looked like the best choice. Worth the trip to the outlands. Good thing coming out was against traffic, she wasn't sure if she could handle rush hour tonight. She reached for her cell phone- that site had been in a dead spot, time to catch up on calls, give Seth a heads up for dinner and see if Sandy needed a ride home. She was sure the office had more work set up for her, maybe she'd try calling home before getting the messages off the phone. Punching in the home number, she was slightly surprised. Seth was supposed to be home. Maybe he'd taken Ryan to work. Her and Sandy had driven in together this morning to continue yet another *what to do with the boys* talk. If Seth was already out, she'd have him pick up dinner. That would give her a chance to drop the latest figures off at work. Now, to see if Seth remembered his cell phone, that boy sure had a hard time keeping in contact sometimes. Absently she wondered if maybe she should get Ryan a cell phone too- just for emergencies of course. That might give them a better idea where they both were sometimes. But to get him to accept it, that would take some maneuvering. Maybe if she said it was for her to keep track of Seth. Taking care of Seth was the best way to reach Ryan. Trying Seth's cell, she was disappointed when the voice mail came on. Trying not to sound upset, she left a please call me message.
Now to reach Sandy, or messages first? This was Sandy's first week at the new law office, he might need cheering up- Sandy it was. Kirsten almost dropped the phone at the explosion answering Sandy's phone.
"Kirsten! I've been trying to reach you. Where are you? Have you heard from Seth? Are you home yet?"
Puzzled, Kirsten tried to answer each of Sandy's questions. "The last meeting was in a dead space, I'm still on my way home."
Sandy however gave her no chance to answer before he started in with explanations. "Kirsten, Seth called today. He couldn't reach me- but the police picked up Ryan. He's down at juvenile hall. I haven't been able to reach Seth. Have you heard from him? Are you at home yet?"
"Oh, God. When did this happen? I haven't picked up my messages yet. Why did they pick Ryan up? Another fight? You can get him out tonight, right?"
Kirsten heard a long sigh come down through the phone. Her heart sank. That did not sound good.
"No, I didn't get the messages from Seth or the court in time. I'll explain more later. Can you pick me up, Seth still has the car."
Arriving at Partridge, Savage and Kahn, Kirsten stared at the office building. Seth's words came back to her. Yes, somehow, it did remind her of Wolfram and Hart from that TV show. Too many late nights working, now she was seeing reality in TV shows. She prayed the building wouldn't suck the soul out of Sandy- God, now she was sounding like a TV show. Then Sandy slid into the passenger seat and reached across to kiss her.
"Thanks, do you mind stopping off at the Juvenile Center? I want to see if I can get some answers in person."
Kirsten nodded. "Have you heard from Seth? How did he find out about Ryan? What did happen anyway?"
Sandy stared ahead at the traffic. "Seth was there when Ryan was arrested, his messages were a bit frantic, even for him. The last one just said he was going to the Center, no messages since then. I checked caller ID, he was using his cell phone so I don't know why we can't reach him now." Sandy paused, the explanations were getting more difficult. The blame was on his shoulders.
I was in a meeting, his calls weren't forwarded to me. Apparently company policy is no family calls during meetings. They also didn't allow in calls from Ryan's Probation officer. He's not a P,S and K client yet, so they weren't allowed to *interfere* with business. The meeting took too long, I missed his court time for today. They had to send him over to the Juvenile Center. He'll be there for at least tonight. Aahhh Kirsten, he might have to do his full time, he was arrested on multiple Probation Violations. His new PO was upset we hadn't kept him up to date. We may not get him out." Sandy turned to Kirsten "I'm worried about both boys."
Kirsten's heart fell as Sandy talked. Ryan was in the last place he needed to be and Seth was there when it happened.
Sandy pointed across the dash, "Turn into here. Court is over, parking should be easier on this side."
As she turned into the parking lot, Kirsten felt dread again. The first time she was here, Ryan had just burned down the model home. She was still upset that Sandy had brought him home, worried that he might cause trouble for her family. Seth had talked her into the visit. Even if she didn't want anything to do with him, he had still tried to save her from another inmate, knowing it could only cause him problems. The last visit was applying to be Ryan's guardian. One bad trip, one good. She was sure this one would end up on the bad trip column.
"Sandy?"
"Hmmm?"
"Sandy, isn't that our car?"
Sandy's head came up from shuffling through his briefcase. As they pulled up next to the car, they could see Seth in the driver's seat, head against the steering wheel. Sandy jumped out before the car stopped. "Seth, Seth. Answer me, Seth." He opened the door, reaching in to hold his son. "Seth, son, it's OK. Don't worry, we'll do all we can. It's not over yet."
Kirsten reached the car, she knelt down to look into Seth's face "Darling, I know you did all you could. All of us will do all we can to help Ryan. Let's go home now." Seth's body shuddered, his eyes closed. He didn't answer either parent, but allowed them to manipulate him out of the car.
Kirsten looked over at Sandy "I'll take him back in the SUV, you take the car. Seth, you come with me. Let's get you home."
At the words *home* Seth shuddered again, his mind was still stuck in his thoughts, his self blame. It was all his fault. None of this would be happening if he hadn't made Ryan go along with his plans. He had pulled the *brother* card and it had worked. For Seth. It only got Ryan in more and deeper trouble.
The ride home was silent. Kirsten tried once to talk to her son, but knew it was a lost cause. Seth was usually a talkative person, his mind and his speech didn't always seem connected- making sense in the long run, but if you only heard one or two sentences you were lost. The few times he was quiet though, nothing could get him to open up until he was ready.
Several hours after arriving home, Kirsten walked into the darkened poolhouse. "Seth, are you in here?" Dinner had been a disaster, Seth wouldn't eat, wouldn't talk, wouldn't even look at her or Sandy. Sandy had given up on conversation after a few unsuccessful attempts. Food had been left uneaten, just pushed around on plates. It seemed more humane just to let the family retire to lick their wounds than to continue the meal. Kirsten reached over and flicked on a light, startling a bit as the light allowed her to see Seth sitting in a chair.
She knelt in front of him "Seth, come on sweetheart, talk to me. You have to talk to someone. Give us a clue here. I know you're upset, but talking really will help. Sitting in the dark won't bring him back."
Seth handed Kirsten his cell phone. His voice wavered "I left it off, I forgot to turn it back on after going into the courthouse. I got your messages, but I also got one from Ryan. He blames me too, he doesn't want to see me anymore. I got him into all this trouble. All his *violations* were my fault. I couldn't let him be, I made him come with me."
Kirsten stared at the phone, hitting the keys for messages, she passed through hers and Sandy's, finding one from an unknown number.
"Hey, Seth, they let me make a call. I don't feel like talking to your parents right now. Anyway, don't worry, I got this covered. I'm fine. Seth, I can't let you visit me here. It's not gonna work out. I. I. well, anyway, I said no visitors. It'll just be easier."
Delicate Sound of Thunder: Pink Floyd
Invisible transfers, long distance calls,
Hollow laughter in marble halls
Steps have been taken, a silent uproar
Has unleashed the dogs of war
You can't stop what has begun
Signed, sealed, they deliver oblivion
We all have a dark side, to say the least
And dealing in death is the nature of the beast
Seth slowly made his way out of the courthouse. Amazingly for him, he didn't even notice the stairs and ramps outside-perfect for 'boarding. To not notice such a paradise of structures indicated how upset he was. Reaching temporary safety inside the car, he broke down. His whole world had become distorted, changed. The magnetic poles of life had shifted, no longer was there just Seth in one direction and his parental units in another. Another person had an impact on his everyday life. Not just an exciting occasional whirlwind like his grandfather, but an everyday force that somehow altered his perceptions of how to see the world and react to life. And now he was gone. Locked up, taken away. And Seth was powerless to help him.
Kirsten sighed and groaned. Finally done with meetings with contractors she was on her way home. The last set of contractors required a meeting at their current site- in the foothills of San Bernadino county. They were doing a good job at that site, they looked like the best choice. Worth the trip to the outlands. Good thing coming out was against traffic, she wasn't sure if she could handle rush hour tonight. She reached for her cell phone- that site had been in a dead spot, time to catch up on calls, give Seth a heads up for dinner and see if Sandy needed a ride home. She was sure the office had more work set up for her, maybe she'd try calling home before getting the messages off the phone. Punching in the home number, she was slightly surprised. Seth was supposed to be home. Maybe he'd taken Ryan to work. Her and Sandy had driven in together this morning to continue yet another *what to do with the boys* talk. If Seth was already out, she'd have him pick up dinner. That would give her a chance to drop the latest figures off at work. Now, to see if Seth remembered his cell phone, that boy sure had a hard time keeping in contact sometimes. Absently she wondered if maybe she should get Ryan a cell phone too- just for emergencies of course. That might give them a better idea where they both were sometimes. But to get him to accept it, that would take some maneuvering. Maybe if she said it was for her to keep track of Seth. Taking care of Seth was the best way to reach Ryan. Trying Seth's cell, she was disappointed when the voice mail came on. Trying not to sound upset, she left a please call me message.
Now to reach Sandy, or messages first? This was Sandy's first week at the new law office, he might need cheering up- Sandy it was. Kirsten almost dropped the phone at the explosion answering Sandy's phone.
"Kirsten! I've been trying to reach you. Where are you? Have you heard from Seth? Are you home yet?"
Puzzled, Kirsten tried to answer each of Sandy's questions. "The last meeting was in a dead space, I'm still on my way home."
Sandy however gave her no chance to answer before he started in with explanations. "Kirsten, Seth called today. He couldn't reach me- but the police picked up Ryan. He's down at juvenile hall. I haven't been able to reach Seth. Have you heard from him? Are you at home yet?"
"Oh, God. When did this happen? I haven't picked up my messages yet. Why did they pick Ryan up? Another fight? You can get him out tonight, right?"
Kirsten heard a long sigh come down through the phone. Her heart sank. That did not sound good.
"No, I didn't get the messages from Seth or the court in time. I'll explain more later. Can you pick me up, Seth still has the car."
Arriving at Partridge, Savage and Kahn, Kirsten stared at the office building. Seth's words came back to her. Yes, somehow, it did remind her of Wolfram and Hart from that TV show. Too many late nights working, now she was seeing reality in TV shows. She prayed the building wouldn't suck the soul out of Sandy- God, now she was sounding like a TV show. Then Sandy slid into the passenger seat and reached across to kiss her.
"Thanks, do you mind stopping off at the Juvenile Center? I want to see if I can get some answers in person."
Kirsten nodded. "Have you heard from Seth? How did he find out about Ryan? What did happen anyway?"
Sandy stared ahead at the traffic. "Seth was there when Ryan was arrested, his messages were a bit frantic, even for him. The last one just said he was going to the Center, no messages since then. I checked caller ID, he was using his cell phone so I don't know why we can't reach him now." Sandy paused, the explanations were getting more difficult. The blame was on his shoulders.
I was in a meeting, his calls weren't forwarded to me. Apparently company policy is no family calls during meetings. They also didn't allow in calls from Ryan's Probation officer. He's not a P,S and K client yet, so they weren't allowed to *interfere* with business. The meeting took too long, I missed his court time for today. They had to send him over to the Juvenile Center. He'll be there for at least tonight. Aahhh Kirsten, he might have to do his full time, he was arrested on multiple Probation Violations. His new PO was upset we hadn't kept him up to date. We may not get him out." Sandy turned to Kirsten "I'm worried about both boys."
Kirsten's heart fell as Sandy talked. Ryan was in the last place he needed to be and Seth was there when it happened.
Sandy pointed across the dash, "Turn into here. Court is over, parking should be easier on this side."
As she turned into the parking lot, Kirsten felt dread again. The first time she was here, Ryan had just burned down the model home. She was still upset that Sandy had brought him home, worried that he might cause trouble for her family. Seth had talked her into the visit. Even if she didn't want anything to do with him, he had still tried to save her from another inmate, knowing it could only cause him problems. The last visit was applying to be Ryan's guardian. One bad trip, one good. She was sure this one would end up on the bad trip column.
"Sandy?"
"Hmmm?"
"Sandy, isn't that our car?"
Sandy's head came up from shuffling through his briefcase. As they pulled up next to the car, they could see Seth in the driver's seat, head against the steering wheel. Sandy jumped out before the car stopped. "Seth, Seth. Answer me, Seth." He opened the door, reaching in to hold his son. "Seth, son, it's OK. Don't worry, we'll do all we can. It's not over yet."
Kirsten reached the car, she knelt down to look into Seth's face "Darling, I know you did all you could. All of us will do all we can to help Ryan. Let's go home now." Seth's body shuddered, his eyes closed. He didn't answer either parent, but allowed them to manipulate him out of the car.
Kirsten looked over at Sandy "I'll take him back in the SUV, you take the car. Seth, you come with me. Let's get you home."
At the words *home* Seth shuddered again, his mind was still stuck in his thoughts, his self blame. It was all his fault. None of this would be happening if he hadn't made Ryan go along with his plans. He had pulled the *brother* card and it had worked. For Seth. It only got Ryan in more and deeper trouble.
The ride home was silent. Kirsten tried once to talk to her son, but knew it was a lost cause. Seth was usually a talkative person, his mind and his speech didn't always seem connected- making sense in the long run, but if you only heard one or two sentences you were lost. The few times he was quiet though, nothing could get him to open up until he was ready.
Several hours after arriving home, Kirsten walked into the darkened poolhouse. "Seth, are you in here?" Dinner had been a disaster, Seth wouldn't eat, wouldn't talk, wouldn't even look at her or Sandy. Sandy had given up on conversation after a few unsuccessful attempts. Food had been left uneaten, just pushed around on plates. It seemed more humane just to let the family retire to lick their wounds than to continue the meal. Kirsten reached over and flicked on a light, startling a bit as the light allowed her to see Seth sitting in a chair.
She knelt in front of him "Seth, come on sweetheart, talk to me. You have to talk to someone. Give us a clue here. I know you're upset, but talking really will help. Sitting in the dark won't bring him back."
Seth handed Kirsten his cell phone. His voice wavered "I left it off, I forgot to turn it back on after going into the courthouse. I got your messages, but I also got one from Ryan. He blames me too, he doesn't want to see me anymore. I got him into all this trouble. All his *violations* were my fault. I couldn't let him be, I made him come with me."
Kirsten stared at the phone, hitting the keys for messages, she passed through hers and Sandy's, finding one from an unknown number.
"Hey, Seth, they let me make a call. I don't feel like talking to your parents right now. Anyway, don't worry, I got this covered. I'm fine. Seth, I can't let you visit me here. It's not gonna work out. I. I. well, anyway, I said no visitors. It'll just be easier."