DISCLAIMER: Dark Angel borrowed, no profits realized.
A/N: Continuing events of Asylum from Bling's point of view...
Thanks to everyone commenting so far, especially after my request for input in the last chapter. I know this little AU isn't for everyone, so I'll do my best to keep the others going while I indulge myself with this one. It's good to know, however, some of you are coming along with me...
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Asylum:
Book II
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May 2, 2023
Bling pulled in behind Sandra's car as dusk settled in, grabbing his bag and heading toward the small house he now shared with the sweet, lovely principal whose love drew him half way across the country into a life far removed from the one he'd led in Seattle. As he grabbed the door handle and slid his key in the lock, he paused a moment, looking out over the board-flat, tree rimmed skyline, noting how peaceful the image was, how quiet ... he heard a lone dog bark, heard birds still singing, even a couple children playing a few houses down. But the urban sounds of traffic and a city grinding through its day were missing. Even more, the scents drawn in at his deep breath were of clean air, of moist, rich soil and mid-spring blooms, not gas and diesel fumes, dirty streets and human waste in doorways and stairwells...
Bling sighed, still feeling a certain emptiness in the surroundings. He knew how fortunate he was to have training and skills in huge demand everywhere, given how drastically the Pulse had affected college enrollment for years afterward. After arriving in Indiana, he'd immediately found a PT job at a hospital in the town twenty miles over, a small city a dozen times larger than this place. Now, after only four weeks at that job, he'd been contacted by the local clinic, which, like so many small-town facilities, was desperate to round out its staff with medical personnel: upon hearing of Bling's time as a medic with the SEALs and his advanced first responder training, the clinic director begged him to sign on for as many hours a week as he would give them to help fill out the only after-hours medical facility in town. Anything a man could want, he reminded himself, a way to contribute to others in need ... a way to support himself and family with that contribution ... welcoming people, a loving woman, a place in this beautiful, peaceful town...
Anything a man could want, he repeated to himself as he let himself inside...
As he entered, he immediately took in the tempting aroma of dinner simmering on the stove, and came through into the kitchen to see Sandra cutting vegetables for the salad before her on the counter. "Hey, baby," her smile for him lit up the room. "Good day?"
He came up to offer her a soft kiss, his free arm circling her. "Mmm-hmm. How about you?"
"The best," she grinned, bubbling with her news. "We just got word that they've found more funding for us for next year, enough for another teacher and a full time librarian, along with the new texts we requested."
"Sandra, that's great," he nodded, impressed, even knowing what a powerhouse she had been in her work to keep pressing for her school and her kids to get every advantage they could. "After all those board meetings and proposals and telephone calls – you got through to them."
"Yeah, how about that?" Her smile grew as she looked back to the pepper she was paring, and agreed with a chuckle, "you'd think they'd figure out that it just means I'll be back for more." She finished the pepper and looked back up to him. "But what about you? What did they say at the clinic?'
He reached for a slice of pepper and shrugged, "I think I can help out. I can schedule myself as I like at the hospital, so if I take extended days there three days a week, I could do all my paperwork here, then cover a couple evenings a week at the clinic. I can be of help here in town and cut my gas cost by more than a third." He munched for a quiet moment before adding, "I might have an occasional Tuesday or Thursday at the hospital, though – and they'd want a Saturday once or twice a month at the clinic."
"So what did you tell them?"
"That I'd let them know tomorrow."
Sandra stopped her work to look back at him, as if looking for more behind his words. "I thought you were hoping it would work out," she tried, offering an encouraging look. "Sounds as if it will." He felt her eyes follow him as he nodded again and moved off, swinging his bag onto the chair at the breakfast nook, busying himself with its contents.
"Yeah, I think it will." As he had, fairly regularly since his arrival, he felt distracted – homesick, he realized, ruefully. With every additional connection to this place – to work, here – he felt his connection to Seattle fading... "I didn't know how you'd feel about the weekends," he tried.
"That's not it." Bling looked up as Sandra put down her knife and crossed over to him, turning him toward her gently and circling her arms around him, watching his handsome face as she pressed the issue. "Baby... c'mon, talk to me."
He glanced up toward her, bringing his hands up along her back, trying a light tone. "Only fair to let you have some input, since your weekends are usually free..."
"Yeah, but you worked weekends in Seattle all the time and it was never a problem, you know that..."
"I know. But that was how it was, when we met. Here, it's ... just us..."
"And just PT. Just a clinic." Bling looked up to the sympathetic dark eyes, and she went on, "you still miss your life out there, don't you – Logan, and Eyes Only, the work you did with him? Baby, I wish I could make it easier, and not so far away..."
"Sandra..." Bling shook his head, feeling guilty, "I don't regret being here, with you..."
"But it doesn't make you miss your friend any less." Before he could offer another well-intentioned protest, she insisted, "c'mon, BL, I've seen enough kids have their best friends move away to know what it looks like! Or have the new kids move to town, having left friends and teammates behind... I've watched a lot of kids with divorcing parents lose their mom or dad in a move. Baby, you look like every lonely kid I've ever taught..."
The big man looked into the understanding eyes and wavered, wanting to find words of denial but having none that would come honestly. He finally offered a small shrug with his haunted smile. "I'm sorry..."
"You have no reason to apologize – I just wish I could make things better for you." She tilted her head, considering. "Still no sign that they'd come out here too, as you suggested? When did you last hear from him?"
Bling drew a breath, remembering the last time he'd seen his friend, when he still had hope that Logan might be willing to move on, to face the fact that he couldn't continue with things as they were going now. "I get e-mails every other day or so, but he hasn't said anything about coming out ... I don't know if it's Eyes Only he can't leave behind ... or if Max isn't ready to leave ... or if it's just leaving Seattle. I think he'd see it as a final admission of failure." He looked back to the concerned face before him, and drew Sandra closer. "But we're here, and that's what matters. I just appreciate your being so supportive of getting them out here, too, if that's what they decide they want."
"They're good friends– and good people. They deserve better than what they have left to them in Seattle." Sandra rested against Bling's strong chest for the moment, and murmured, a familiar determination coloring her voice, "I just wish there was something I could do..."
Bling chuckled. "Sometimes I have to wonder who's more stubborn – you or Logan. You two are about the only people I know who would stay up nights trying to figure out how to move two towns closer together."
Sandra smiled, but her ever-active imagination wasn't dampened as she responded. "Harder things have been done," she mused. "If Max and Logan coming here would be so good for everyone ... we just have to figure out a way to make it happen."
May 10, 2023
Bling finished with the last session of his twelve hour day, feeling pleased with his patient's progress. As soon as the client's ride came to get her, the therapist grabbed his jacket and backpack to head out for the evening, digging in his bag as he walked for his small tape recorder into which he'd dictated notes of his earlier therapies. Talking into the small machine as he walked, recording the comments he wanted to be sure to include in his patient's notes while they were fresh in his mind, Bling nodded without breaking stride at the volunteer manning the reception desk, and went out through the parking lot, finishing off his notes just moments before reaching his jeep. Pulling out his mobile phone before tossing his backpack inside, Bling checked his calls. At the sight of a familiar number on his call list, his eyes lit up. He called for his messages as he started up the jeep and heard the familiar sound of the "last free voice" in Seattle...
"Hey, Bling, it's Logan. Sorry I missed you. Give me a call when you have a minute, okay? Day or night – just like always." There was a short pause, when he added, "later." The message ended there.
Bling pulled out into traffic, and as soon as he cleared the downtown area to swing onto the highway back home, he hit the speed dial for the familiar number and smiled wider when he heard Logan's voice – live, not a machine – in response. "Logan, hey..." he began. "Sorry I missed your call, man..."
"Bling –" the therapist could hear, in the voice on the other end, that his friend was happy to hear from him, too. "No, look, I forgot until I called that you work late on Wednesdays, so I figured I might hear back later." There was a brief pause, and Logan asked, "so how's everything out there, you doin' okay?"
"I'm good. What about you? You keeping up with things?" Things, he grinned to himself, waiting for Cale's reply. Just another way he picked at his friend, mothering him about his daily ROM routine and knowing Logan would know exactly what he meant. He chuckled when he heard the familiar grunt in reply.
"As if I dare let it slide – I have you and Max threatening me if I even consider a day off."
"Good." Bling laughed, feeling nostalgic for the pissy banter he was hearing from the other end of the line. "Speaking of Max – she's alright?"
"She's perfect, as always." Logan paused, and with a new sound in his voice – almost sheepish – began, "so, listen ... the reason I called ... "
Testing the waters, Bling suspected, his curiosity raised by his friend's manner. He waited for more...
"What would you think if ... we came out for a visit?"
"Are you kidding? That's great!" Bling grinned. "Whenever you want; as long as you can stay."
Logan's laugh in response was soft, and his voice sounded touched by Bling's enthusiasm. "Hey, look, if I need to give you time to think it over..." he drawled.
"I'm glad you're coming, man," Bling insisted. "I'm still holding out hope that you might like what you find out here."
There was another chuckle at the end of the line, and Logan said wryly, "yeah, well, this trip, I'm just along for the ride..." Logan's pause gave Bling time to frown slightly at the unexpected words. Just as the therapist had begun to suspect that his friend's hesitation was for dramatic effect, Logan went on. "Max got a job offer out there, Bling."
The words had to rate among the more surprising he'd ever heard from Cale, and as he blurted "what?" in reply, he heard Logan laughing, his own note of lingering surprise with events still there.
"The trip is for Max to check out a job offer."
"Where – Chicago?" Bling asked. What sort of job would Max be offered, he wondered, and by whom?
The voice on the other end of the line warmed even more, in affection and gratitude. "Nope. There. At the elementary school." Logan paused again, as much appreciation in his tone as Bling had ever heard. "The job offer is as teacher's aide," Cale continued, "and Max wants us to come out and take a look." With one more pause, one carrying the smile that must be on his face, he finally said, "I think you might know the principal there."
Bling felt like flying, the intensity of his reaction surprising him. "I thought I did," he grinned, "but just when you think you know how special someone is, she goes and raises the bar." Almost afraid to press his luck, he dared, "any chance that the offer bringing you here means that this might work out?"
"Well, the timing is pretty good ... " Bling could imagine the expression that went with the wryly drawn response. "I had been looking into ways I might... you know... keep things going, as we discussed. I have some ideas." Bling felt his grin split his face as he listened, daring to find some hope in his friend's response. "Maybe we can talk about them when we come out."
"Absolutely." Bling felt lighter than he had in weeks. "When is this going to happen? If you're only here for a day or two I'll reschedule my appointments..."
"No, don't do that!" Logan returned immediately in mock horror. "We can't be responsible for anyone missing their sacred ROMs..."
"Smart ass," Bling muttered, his voice warm with his feelings of friendship and anticipation.
"So we'll stay about a week. I understand there's even a hotel there in town that might let us in, so we don't have to be underfoot..."
"No one I'd rather have underfoot, man," Bling admitted. "When is this happening?"
"Next Tuesday too soon?"
"Tomorrow wouldn't be too soon. Next week, manageable."
"Bling – you know if we do this we have to work out some logistics – and probably need to fill Sandra on a few more things..."
"Before I even mentioned anything to you, I sounded her out about some of the security issues, mostly concerning the work, but implied that there might be more." Bling was careful, not knowing the level of privacy their line had, but knew Logan would understand. "So far, not a problem. We'll be okay," he promised, "and anything you want to see or check out – we'll fit it in."
"You got a hoop up anywhere out there?" Logan baited him.
"Are you kidding? This is Indiana, man. Try finding a garage that doesn't have one attached."
"Then put some one on one on the list," Logan said, then added, "I'll send the flight information tonight." His voice had gone soft again, now sounding resigned, but less pained by his likely withdrawal than he had weeks ago. "Bling... thanks for hanging in with me on this ... with us. And give Sandra a huge hug, from me..."
"After she gets mine," Bling smiled, still amazed by what the woman he loved had managed – for Max and Logan ... for him. "Just let me know if there's anything you want or need for your stay."
"Nothing you wouldn't have thought of first," Logan offered. "Thanks, Bling."
"Looking forward to this, Logan. I'm glad you're making the trip." Bling felt the wide smile linger on his face for many long minutes after he ended his call. He had never doubted that his friend – his friends – could be safer and happier leaving Seattle and all its risks behind, and now, finally, they would be coming out to take a look at the home Sandra had found.
Sandra. She had managed to pull Max and Logan closer to them, after all. Pulling out his phone again, Bling hit the speed dial to his home and when the call was answered, his smile lit up the road. "Sandra? Baby, you are one hell of a miracle worker..."
...to be continued...
