Room 503, Saturday Evening

[exspeedydotcom]

Roy was having a weird day. It started out with some girl calling him about a coat. He'd returned her call, but then Bobby called about secret identities, and what was wrong with people in this place? Really. He'd called him back, but then Karla decided he needed her help or whatever, and possibly Roy was a little rude in telling her he didn't need or want her help right now. You know. Maybe just a little.

He'd promised Dinah, his Dinah, he'd call her today, but he was in no mood to do so whatsoever. Later, he would realize this had probably been a good thing.

((Establishy, but can be open!))

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[bitten_notshy]

"At home it's a new opiate they're giving it to morphine addicts," Jack said. "It's in our cough syrups, the good ones at least."

... Victorian drug laws were special.

"I know it's not quite the same here." He'd picked up enough odd references to understand it had been criminalized, which he didn't really feel one way or the other about. It was too far outside his experience. "You were -- dependent on it?"

[exspeedydotcom]

"No, it's--not the same at all. And yes. I was dependent on it. I spent every dime I had, and then I did stupid, stupid things for a hit. And when Ollie found out he flipped and threw me out." Roy was leaving out the part where Ollie punched him out, because people flipped out about that and Roy wasn't looking for pity. "I'm clean now. And I'm gonna stay clean." He shoved his hands in his pockets and lifted his chin.

[bitten_notshy]

"I believe you," Jack said evenly, noticing Roy's determination. "He still shouldn't have thrown you out, not unless he'd been through every other option, but that's --" he gestured, vaguely. "Bygones. Fresh start here, isn't it?"

[exspeedydotcom]

No, that had been Ollie's first reaction, actually. Because he was Ollie. "Right. Fresh start. That's the idea."

[bitten_notshy]

"I know it hasn't been an easy one," Jack said.

Somehow, he hoped this was vaguely encouraging. He just forgot to say encouraging words.

[exspeedydotcom]

"I don't--I don't think anything worth having is," Roy said, then laughed, short and harsh. "Look at me trying to be philosophical. Sorry, man, I know it's heavy."

[bitten_notshy]

"It's life," Jack said. "I'm glad you told me, and if there's anything I can do, that is why I'm here - and I will lock you in your room, if you need it."

He said it lightly, but he wasn't joking.

[exspeedydotcom]

"Yeah, I already did that part," Roy said, trying to be wry about it and mostly getting there. "I'm doing my best to not wind up back there, but--thanks, man."

[bitten_notshy]

"I figure it goes with being a sibling," Jack said. "I'll be checking in with you, though. I promise."

[exspeedydotcom]

"I don't know much about siblings, but...thanks, man."