Part V

While Johnny was right about Roy being exhausted, he wasn't sleeping yet. He was sitting, sharing coffee with Joanne while he tried to express the mess he found himself in. Part of him just wanted to keep it all inside, but after the strides he and Joanne had made overcoming the lack of straightforward communication between them, he didn't want to backslide into old habits.

"Poole had me so irritated that I didn't even try to find Johnny to tell him goodbye. I was afraid I'd say something wrong after Poole yelled for so long about how I needed to be more like Johnny. Don't get me wrong, I mean, you know I love John like a brother, but having him held up to me as someone that I need to pattern myself after?"

Joanne got up to stand behind Roy, laying her hands on his shoulders and trying to kneed them. It felt like she was trying to massage a block of marble.

"Roy, I don't think I've ever felt you this tense. This is more than a bruise to your ego."

"You think this is about my ego, Jo?"

There was an undertone to Roy's voice and she knew that had hurt him. Still, she pressed a bit more.

"I'm sure that's nowhere near all of it, Roy. But you've always been the senior partner. You were one of the one that taught Johnny, for goodness sake. It's perfectly natural that it would bother you that Poole is suggesting that Johnny's better than you are."

She gave up trying to loosen his shoulders and leaned over to kiss his head.

"What else is going on, Roy? You couldn't even eat more than a bite or two."

"It's . . . everything, Jo. You barely even know Chet's around. I thought Mike was quiet before, but now he's almost non-existent and even Marco is keeping all to himself. We aren't even a team any more. We're five guys that are working in the same place at the same time. How could that all fall apart so fast? I'm dreading when we have to go back in."

The last sentence made Jo catch her breath. She'd envied the way Roy was always anxious to head to work. Seeing that spark trying to die tore at her. It also made her realize something.

"Roy? Sweetheart, maybe it's because I'm on the outside looking in, but I don't think you guys have fallen apart. It sounds more like Poole is deliberately tearing you all apart. Do you know what Poole said to the others?"

The cup stopped part way to Roy's mouth as her words hit a chord.

"No. Nobody came out of that office in the mood to talk to anyone else. Oh, I ended up venting to Johnny, but come to think of it, he didn't tell me hardly anything about what he and Poole talked about."

Nodding to herself, Joanne went over to the living room phone, unplugged it and then replugged it into the jack near the table where they were sitting.

"Call Mike. I'll bet no-one else on your shift is getting any sleep either. Reach out, Roy. If Mike tells you that you're imagining things, then we can relook at things and see if maybe you're taking some things too personally. But I don't think that's what Mike is going to tell you."

He only hesitated for a minute before pulling out his wallet where he kept the contact numbers for everyone in their crew. It only took two rings before the phone was picked up.

"Hello?"

"Mike, this is Roy. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, not at all. What's up?"

"I guess I'll get right to the point. Captain Poole has me uneasy and - well - I was wondering if you might tell me what you and he talked about. If you want to, of course."

There was a long pause. Long enough that Roy began to worry that he might have said something the wrong way. But then Mike spoke again.

"I want to. But not over the phone. I'm too wiped to drive safely right now though."

"I know. I'm too tired to drive safely myself. Wait a minute."

Picking up on what Mike must have said from Roy's end of the conversation, Joanne had motioned to get his attention.

"Both of you might have a better chance of sleeping after you talk. If Mike doesn't mind, I could drive you to his apartment."

Roy relayed Joanne's offer over to Mike and Mike agreed immediately.

"Roy? Do you think we should see if the other guys want to talk? I'm alright with being the meeting place."

"That sounds good actually. I'll give Johnny a call before we leave if you don't mind calling Marco and Chet."

"Will do. See you when you get here."

After finishing his call with Mike, Roy dialed Johnny's number. He let it ring for awhile before giving up. Johnny was either soundly asleep or out in a park perched on one of his favorite 'thinking rocks'. Hanging up the phone, Roy went to get ready while Jo made a quick call to make arrangement for the kids.

Just before she picked up the car keys, Joanne found herself captured in a hug from behind. The 'thank you' that was softly whispered in her ear made her realize just how much this meeting was needed.