rules. You could always come back to visit you foster family
whenever you wanted, but you had to be sober.
“We’ve
missed you.”
Jin
didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing for a while. He sipped his
tea, his thumb stroking the edge. “So… how’re the kids doing?”
“Good.
Better than I would’ve thought, since food is even more scares than normal.” He
was silent for some time. “By the way, Jin. You haven’t seen Tim around, have
you?”
“No. I
haven’t.”
“He’s
usually not gone this long.” He shook his head before bringing the cup to his
lips. “He’s probably doing just fine, but let me know if you see him, okay?”
Jin
nodded. Tim, that little rascal. Tim was
much like him when he had been a boy. Running around were he shouldn’t, talking
to people he shouldn’t bee talking to. “So you’ve got enough food, then?”
Father
Patrick grunted. “If only she would listen to what others told her once in a
while.”
Jin
smiled a crooked smile at the table. “Yeah, she’s something, eh?”
Father
Patrick smiled and nodded. “She truly has a big heart, but I keep telling her
not to put herself in danger! She won’t listen. I know the risks she takes,
that daredevil.”
Jin
chose not to enlighten Father Patrick on exactly how she had gotten most of the
food. Better not to. “So you’ve heard from her?” He sighed in relief, not
waiting for a response. “I’ve looked everywhere for days. Where is she?”
Father
Patrick shook his head with a frown. “I haven’t seen her... And she hasn’t been
with you?”
Jin
leaned back. “Ah, no, I thought… I thought I she might have passed through
here.” His thumb pressed against the chipped edge and he bit his lip. “She’s
bond to be helping some poor bugger somewhere.” He didn’t voice his worries. He
could see Father Patrick was worried already. “Don’t worry. She’s off doing
another mission somewhere. You know how she is. I’ll go look at the scrap
yard,” Jin said, preparing to put his tea down, shuddering at the thought at
pulling his wet clothing back on.
Father
Patrick held up a hand to stop him. “You’re not going anywhere in soaked
clothes and shuddering from cold. Stay the night, in the morning they’ll be dry
and you won’t go get sick, and I won’t have to worry that you have.” He poured
another tea for Jin and he relaxed, the warmth stretching to every corner of
his body.
Jin
couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this…
He felt dry and
warm. He felt better than he had in a very long time. He suspected there had
been something in the tea. His headache was almost gone, and for the first time
in weeks he didn’t feel the burning longing for the Yellow Pill that had always
been his constant companion since a while back.
Jin
walked down the narrow street, wrecked cars lining the sidewalk. A couple of
hunching shapes squatted beyond them. Other than that, it was unusually quiet.
He strolled past a broken doorway and sidestepped the waterfall escalating down
the broken drainpipes.
When
he reached the outskirts of the scrap yard, he paused, looking out over the
waves of trash littering the vast space, but saw no sign of her. He worked his
way to the top of the closest pile, wanting to get a better view. But there was
nothing to see. Jin yelled up at anyone he passed. “Hey! You’ve seen a girl
around here? Short? Dark hair?” No-one had. Jin walked
through the whole yard, asking after Frey with no success.
As he
was walking up the spiraling road to the floor to their Volvo, he tried not to
get his hopes up. It didn’t work. When he finally reached their car and pulled
the door open it was only to find it empty.
It was
well into the night and the wariness hit him like it had been lying in wait. He
slid into the car and closed the door softly, resting his forehead against the
steering wheel.
Frey…
where the hell are you ?!
“You
sure? About this tall…”
whenever you wanted, but you had to be sober.
“We’ve
missed you.”
Jin
didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing for a while. He sipped his
tea, his thumb stroking the edge. “So… how’re the kids doing?”
“Good.
Better than I would’ve thought, since food is even more scares than normal.” He
was silent for some time. “By the way, Jin. You haven’t seen Tim around, have
you?”
“No. I
haven’t.”
“He’s
usually not gone this long.” He shook his head before bringing the cup to his
lips. “He’s probably doing just fine, but let me know if you see him, okay?”
Jin
nodded. Tim, that little rascal. Tim was
much like him when he had been a boy. Running around were he shouldn’t, talking
to people he shouldn’t bee talking to. “So you’ve got enough food, then?”
Father
Patrick grunted. “If only she would listen to what others told her once in a
while.”
Jin
smiled a crooked smile at the table. “Yeah, she’s something, eh?”
Father
Patrick smiled and nodded. “She truly has a big heart, but I keep telling her
not to put herself in danger! She won’t listen. I know the risks she takes,
that daredevil.”
Jin
chose not to enlighten Father Patrick on exactly how she had gotten most of the
food. Better not to. “So you’ve heard from her?” He sighed in relief, not
waiting for a response. “I’ve looked everywhere for days. Where is she?”
Father
Patrick shook his head with a frown. “I haven’t seen her... And she hasn’t been
with you?”
Jin
leaned back. “Ah, no, I thought… I thought I she might have passed through
here.” His thumb pressed against the chipped edge and he bit his lip. “She’s
bond to be helping some poor bugger somewhere.” He didn’t voice his worries. He
could see Father Patrick was worried already. “Don’t worry. She’s off doing
another mission somewhere. You know how she is. I’ll go look at the scrap
yard,” Jin said, preparing to put his tea down, shuddering at the thought at
pulling his wet clothing back on.
Father
Patrick held up a hand to stop him. “You’re not going anywhere in soaked
clothes and shuddering from cold. Stay the night, in the morning they’ll be dry
and you won’t go get sick, and I won’t have to worry that you have.” He poured
another tea for Jin and he relaxed, the warmth stretching to every corner of
his body.
Jin
couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this…
He felt dry and
warm. He felt better than he had in a very long time. He suspected there had
been something in the tea. His headache was almost gone, and for the first time
in weeks he didn’t feel the burning longing for the Yellow Pill that had always
been his constant companion since a while back.
Jin
walked down the narrow street, wrecked cars lining the sidewalk. A couple of
hunching shapes squatted beyond them. Other than that, it was unusually quiet.
He strolled past a broken doorway and sidestepped the waterfall escalating down
the broken drainpipes.
When
he reached the outskirts of the scrap yard, he paused, looking out over the
waves of trash littering the vast space, but saw no sign of her. He worked his
way to the top of the closest pile, wanting to get a better view. But there was
nothing to see. Jin yelled up at anyone he passed. “Hey! You’ve seen a girl
around here? Short? Dark hair?” No-one had. Jin walked
through the whole yard, asking after Frey with no success.
As he
was walking up the spiraling road to the floor to their Volvo, he tried not to
get his hopes up. It didn’t work. When he finally reached their car and pulled
the door open it was only to find it empty.
It was
well into the night and the wariness hit him like it had been lying in wait. He
slid into the car and closed the door softly, resting his forehead against the
steering wheel.
Frey…
where the hell are you ?!
“You
sure? About this tall…”
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