Slamming the door behind him Jack headed through the house and straight to the beer cabinet. The noise startled Kim and she found him just as he began to pour himself a glass of whiskey.
"Dad, what happened, are Carol and Casey ok? Casey said nothing happened when I rang her earlier but you know Case, she'd say that if the house was on fire? Are they okay?"
Looking down at the bottle Jack tore his glare away and smiled at Kim. "They're fine." He looked down at his watch and saw the time, it was late. She was clearly upset. "I guess you can use one too?" He asked, smiling at Kim's reaction as he poured her a drink, pretending not to hear her tut as he added lemonade to her drink, his stayed straight.
"So what happened?" Kim asked eagerly, her eyes widening as her father stepped from the darkness of the kitchen into the hallway handing Kim her drink. "What the hell happened to you!"
Remembering the scuffle with Mark and the few hits he had taken Jack thought quickly for an excuse, he'd not even thought about his current appearance.
"I fell. Slipped on the path coming out of Carols. Don't laugh," he added, hoping it would ease the tension, make Kim believe him.
"I bet you looked so silly," she said, giggling to herself as they moved to the living room. Kim sat next to him on the couch, her eyes widening again as she saw the blood which specked his shirt and hands.
"Did you hurt yourself, look at the blood, are you okay?"
Jack looked embarrassed as he spoke. "I felt right over the step, caught my side and hands. Its fine though, just a scratch."
"Dad your hands look sore," she began in a motherly tone, but Jack quickly shut her off.
"Its no big deal Kim, what hurts is my pride, I felt like an idiot," he said, forcing a laugh.
Kim laughed too before sipping at her drink, loving the taste and wondering if she should pretend that she wasn't accustomed to drinking at all. Jack was too focused on his thoughts to notice as he drank the shot in one and got up to pour another.
"Casey and Carol are fine. It was a misunderstanding," he said, "between her and Mark," he added, raising his eyebrows in a gesture which told Kim he didn't believe it was true.
"So… are they coming to stay?"
Jacks head shot round, some of the drink overflowed from the short glass and began to trickle down his bare arms.
"Why would they do that?"
"Well, I don't know, it just makes sense."
Sitting down again Jack shook his head, "that's the last thing Carol wants, to be here with me," he said bitterly, swallowing another shot, the bottle already in his hand to refill it. Before doing so he stood up, suddenly aggravated. "You know," he said , clearly worked up, "if she wants space then why the hell does she call me so much? I didn't think she was so two faced, but then, who am I to judge anybody? I can't tell a mole from an agent so how the hell do I know what my sisters thinking?" He asked, his face ashen and disappointed.
"I'm going to bed," he muttered, the bottle in his hand as he turned and left the room.
Kim watched, too stunned to say anything. What did he mean when he spoke about Carol, why wouldn't she want to come here? It was clear that this was one of the few moments when he was partially open, although he had only voiced his confusion, it was still something, despite the content she felt some comfort from it.
Picking up the phone Kim closed the door to the living room, hoping her father would catch her. It was almost 1 am. She hesitated calling Carol for a moment, sure she'd wake them, but then she herd her fathers depressed ramblings echo from before and called the number.
It rang out to the answering machine, so Kim ended the call and then dialled again. The phone was snatched up this time.
"Yeah," her aunts groggy voice answered.
"Carol, its Kim," she said quietly, her eyes darting to the door as though her father would barge through it. She was sure he'd be furious if he knew what she was doing.
"What's the matter?" She asked, more alert, worry creeping into her voice.
"We need to talk."