Log: Bobby and Angelo, Tuesday at lunch

[x-coldhands.livejournal.com]

Bobby goes to visit Angelo, taking him a Lorna-made lunch. Several subjects are avoided, while others are broached cautiously, but the important thing is, Angelo eats something, right?


Angelo hadn't left the suite since Amanda went to work that morning. He didn't see much point, really. He had his dog, flopped out almost pinning him down on the couch, and at some point he had college homework to deal with. He couldn't quite get up the energy to start on that yet, though. Soon, but not yet.

Bobby had wanted to see Angelo as soon as he heard they were back, but he knew well enough that in the aftermath, well-wishers could get overwhelming. So he'd waited a day, but wasn't patient enough to wait longer than that.

He'd visited the kitchen as soon as he got some time for lunch, asking Lorna to whip up a little something for the two of them, and came bearing a covered tray, the contents of which he had no clue. "Angelo?" he called softly through the door, rapping softly. "It's Bobby." Just in case he didn't know.

There was a brief silence, then, "Door's open. Come in." There was still a flat, tired note in his voice, but a little more life than before, perhaps.

Bobby juggled the tray and opened the door, nudging it closed with his hip. He surveyed the room, setting the food down on the table before heading toward Angelo. "....Hey." He didn't know what to say. There really wasn't anything to say. "How are you holding up?"

The food got a slightly startled look before he remembered to answer the question. "Uh... survivin'", was the eventual response. It was about the best he could manage, just at the moment.

Bobby nodded, chewing on the inside of his cheek. It was about the answer he'd expected. "I'm sure you've been asked this twenty million times already, but--anything I can do for you, man?"

"Nothin' more than you'd do anyway", Angelo told him quietly. "Be around, like you would be."

...Yup, definitely not bringing up Ireland just yet. "You got it," he replied with a faint smile. "If you want to talk, or anything else," Please, something else, though he'd listen if Ange needed to talk, "You know where to find me."

"Right down the hall", he said with a nod, mustering a slight smile of his own from somewhere. "...thanks for the food."

Bobby shrugged, glancing at the covered tray. "Sure. I just figured you might not want to mingle with the masses to hit the lunch rush, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat a good lunch." Whatever that lunch may be. "Should we see what Lorna made?" He injected a little more enthusiasm into the words than he was feeling. God, he hated not being able to fix things.

"Another one wantin' to feed me", Angelo said dryly, but he wasn't refusing the food. "You don't know what it is?"

Bobby laughed, heading toward the table. "If there's one thing people know how to do around this place, it's keep people well-fed, no matter what the situation." He pulled the lid off and peered at the steaming food. "Enchiladas, some kinda rice thing..." He poked at the last dish with a finger. "And I think tamales. Smells good, anyway."

It really did, and he hadn't eaten since... lunchtime yesterday? Maybe. He pushed at the dog, trying to move her enough to let him sit up. "Sounds good, too."

Bobby glanced over and laughed softly. "If you let him up, you can eat too, Joyita," he commented, patting his thigh.

Joyita thumped her tail and finally consented to move, but only to jump up at Bobby.

"Whoa! Yes, hello to you too," Bobby said with a grin, pushing her to the floor and scratching behind her ears. "There. Now come and eat," he commanded Angelo, as he went to get Joyita some food.

"Okay, okay..." It was only mock-grumbling, though, really, as Angelo pushed himself up to go in search of plates.

After making sure the dog was fed, Bobby joined him at the table, scooping up the food enthusiastically. "I knew Lorna'd come through for us," he said around a bite of enchilada. "S'fantastic."

"She always does", Angelo agreed. He didn't have all that much of an appetite, still, but he was at least making an effort to eat. He could always keep the rest for other meals.

The effort didn't go unappreciated, either. If nothing else, seeing Angelo eating the food he'd brought made Bobby feel like he was making a difference, no matter how small. "So how long are you off?" he asked.

"Off from what?" Angelo asked carefully, pausing between mouthfuls. "I mean... work, or the team, or...?"

"Work," Bobby said immediately. The team didn't matter quite as much to him--well, it did, but he wouldn't notice the absence there, now that he wasn't on the team. "Well...all of it, I guess," he amended after a moment, because that was another topic he didn't want to get into.

"Don't know", was the answer - to all of it, really. "Work, probably sooner'n anythin' else. But we'll see."

Bobby nodded. "Fair enough." He'd have to talk to Terry--Bobby couldn't leave Elpis now, not like this, at least not until Angelo was feeling up to returning.

"I want to come back", he said quietly. "Elpis, it's... it's the only reason I didn't leave a long time ago. But it's like I told Jennie... it's a reminder, too."

Bobby had actually read as little of the conversations taking place on Jennie's journal as possible. He had his hands full enough keeping Terry from storming off to scream at the girl without getting himself all worked up, too. "I understand, man. Just...ease yourself back into it. You know no one's gonna rush you."

"I know." He smiled faintly, not even remotely amused. "Just don't want to put more of the work on you guys, if you need me. Food's gettin' cold." In other words, he'd done as much serious talking as he thought he could stand, today.

It was a pretty blatant hint, and Bobby nodded, letting it drop without further comment, for now. They'd stick to light, meaningless subjects for the rest of the meal.