And Ted has been slowly reading the rest of A Christmas Carol, and woolgathering -- when he's not tending to Roland. Waking him up every few hours to get some soup in him, and the gunslinger seems to be sick of it, but too tired to protest.
Roland's complacency makes Ted nervous...but the gunslinger had told Death no, after all.
Ted puts the book down on his knee -- he's sitting in one of Roland's overstuffed, disgustingly plush armchairs -- and closes his eyes. He hasn't been getting much sleep, and a nap is welcome.
Ted looks down at the books, then looks up at Jake. "Thank you, Jake." And his smile grows a bit...easier. "I'd missed poetry, you know. And I had an interesting conversation with Joe about The Waste Land, the other day -- made me want to reread it."
Ted unrolls the paper, and his own face stares back at him.
Somehow -- Ted doesn't know how -- Jake managed to capture the young boy still there, deep down, inside the old man. Vaguely, Ted wonders if that's what he really looks like when he's reading a book, as he is in Jake's drawing.
He looks back up at Jake again. "Jake. Thank you."
"Ask when you're ready. If it's the poem I think you're thinking about." Ted's had a lot of time to think about 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came', over the years.
Simply, Ted says, "He's recovering. It'll take a while." A pause. "You beat him up pretty good."
He nods, thoughtfully...and then stands. "Jake, I want to get a few things from the Calla -- there are things I can use to tend Roland that Rosalita's got, I know. I'll be half an hour or so -- will you stay with him?"
The master isn't smiling, either. The master is actually kind of thirsty. "Brautigan had a glass of water sitting on the nightstand. Is it still there?" Roland still hasn't opened his right eye.
His eye opens, now, and he slides his right arm back. Roland pushes himself up, inhaling sharply -- he's got a few bruised ribs from where Jake whacked him with the flat of the blade.
He turns his head to Jake, looking pleased with himself. "Yar."
He doesn't mention that Ted is likely to be very irritated with him, if he finds out that Roland's been sitting up.
His wrist is swollen. A bruise the size of a small nation graces his shoulder. Bruised knuckles. And his vision still flip-flops every time he stands up.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 01:31 pm (UTC)Roland's complacency makes Ted nervous...but the gunslinger had told Death no, after all.
Ted puts the book down on his knee -- he's sitting in one of Roland's overstuffed, disgustingly plush armchairs -- and closes his eyes. He hasn't been getting much sleep, and a nap is welcome.
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Date: 2004-12-24 01:33 pm (UTC)"Long days and pleasant nights, Ted. How are you?" he says quietly, looking over at Roland.
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Date: 2004-12-24 01:35 pm (UTC)"May you have twice the number, Jake. I'm...better than he is." And he nods at Roland. "How are you?"
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Date: 2004-12-24 01:37 pm (UTC)"And these." The Eliot book and the Browning book.
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Date: 2004-12-24 01:43 pm (UTC)Ted unrolls the paper, and his own face stares back at him.
Somehow -- Ted doesn't know how -- Jake managed to capture the young boy still there, deep down, inside the old man. Vaguely, Ted wonders if that's what he really looks like when he's reading a book, as he is in Jake's drawing.
He looks back up at Jake again. "Jake. Thank you."
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Date: 2004-12-24 01:49 pm (UTC)"I enjoyed the Browning very well. I think you'll like it."
The gesture, however, says a little more than his casual speech.
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Date: 2004-12-24 01:57 pm (UTC)Casually, Ted says, "My degree from Harvard -- it's in English, you know."
Ted's rather familiar with Robert Browning. Ahem.
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Date: 2004-12-24 01:59 pm (UTC)His eyes are drawn back to the sleeping gunslinger and he sits down on the floor. "How is he?"
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:02 pm (UTC)Simply, Ted says, "He's recovering. It'll take a while." A pause. "You beat him up pretty good."
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:07 pm (UTC)His gaze is calm and composed. "He would have done the same to me had I not."
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:09 pm (UTC)And he sighs, and then it's his turn to look at Roland.
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:13 pm (UTC)"You understand better than most."
And leaves it at that.
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 02:29 pm (UTC)"People seem to enjoy it here."
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 02:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 02:44 pm (UTC)Ted smiles. It's wistful.
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:56 pm (UTC)"And the snow used to bother me a little until the year before."
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Date: 2004-12-24 02:59 pm (UTC)The chair is really comfortable, and if it weren't for the unconscious gunslinger lying on the bed Ted might actually call himself...content.
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:20 pm (UTC)"After I got back and before the mind split, there was a period where I actually liked it."
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 03:32 pm (UTC)Moving hurts.
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:40 pm (UTC)"Roland. Can you hear me?"
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 03:42 pm (UTC)"Good to see you awake."
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:44 pm (UTC)A pause.
"I spoke with Lady Death, did I not?"
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:46 pm (UTC)That's something he's not going to think about at the moment.
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:47 pm (UTC)And he's smiling.
"There are still things to do."
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:53 pm (UTC)"I would hope so." No amusement in there. Nope.
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Date: 2004-12-24 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 03:57 pm (UTC)"We are," he repeats. Fully.
Somehow it doesn't bother him as much as he thought it would.
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:01 pm (UTC)Roland's been floating in and out of consciousness, but he knows it's Ted who's been here.
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:10 pm (UTC)And Jake Does Not Smile. He's gotten better at doing that.
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:13 pm (UTC)The master isn't smiling, either. The master is actually kind of thirsty. "Brautigan had a glass of water sitting on the nightstand. Is it still there?" Roland still hasn't opened his right eye.
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-24 04:21 pm (UTC)He turns his head to Jake, looking pleased with himself. "Yar."
He doesn't mention that Ted is likely to be very irritated with him, if he finds out that Roland's been sitting up.
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:23 pm (UTC)Jake pushes him back down again.
"Nice try." And holds the glass up to his lips.
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:28 pm (UTC)"Say thankya." Roland looks up at Jake. "Did you have hurts that needed to be seen to, after?"
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:56 pm (UTC)But comparatively ...
"None bloody enough to merit bandages."
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Date: 2004-12-24 04:58 pm (UTC)Is he proud of Jake? Oh, yes.
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Date: 2004-12-24 05:02 pm (UTC)And, very quietly.
"Thank you. For the opportunity."
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Date: 2004-12-24 05:09 pm (UTC)Always.
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Date: 2004-12-24 05:13 pm (UTC)"And now you should rest. I will be here when you wake again."
"Merry Christmas, father."