Drowning in Blue (Part 3)
Stranded in Blue
Drowning in Blue (Part 1)
Drowning in Blue (Part 2)
Mike just couldn’t in good conscience leave Jesse alone with his state of mind, so he brought the Kid back to his place.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s home.”
Jesse looked around. His face was still wet with tears and his eyes were red and puffy. He still managed to speak in a quiet voice.
“Its nice, Mike.”
“Thank you, Kid. Let’s see if we can find you something to sleep in, ok?”
“…Kay.”
He picked out one of his T-shirts and a pair of shorts that might as well have been sweat pants on Jesse. He let Jesse stay in the guest room, where Kaylee slept whenever she stayed the night, but Mike was more than a little tempted to be in the same room. He barely slept himself because he was busy keeping an ear out most of the night in case Jesse tried to leave his room or hurt himself.
The next morning Mike checked the guest room and was relieved to find Jesse sleeping soundly under the covers. He didn’t wake the Kid up until breakfast was ready and they ate mostly in familiar silence. Then Mike had to leave for work and with Jesse banned from the business premises, he had no choice but to leave the Kid behind.
“I won’t be gone long,” Mike said, which was both a soothing reassurance and a warning, as he put on his jacket. “If you need anything, even if it’s just to find out where I keep the salt and pepper, you call me.”
Jesse nodded. Mike walked over and put his hands on Jesse’s shoulders.
“I’m trusting you to be safe while I’m gone.”
“Can I go to my house?”
“Why?”
“I don’t have any clean clothes here. I can pack to stay here and you can swing by after work and bring me back here.”
Mike gave Jesse a searching look. He had a bad feeling about this, but Jesse seemed stable at the moment. Besides, what was the difference between leaving Jesse alone here or leaving him alone at his house?
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “Pack for a nice long stay, Kid.”
“I will.”
So Mike dropped Jesse off at his house and sat in the car, watching Jesse go through the front door. His gut still turned at the idea of leaving Jesse alone for more than hour, so he called his guy Chris and ordered him to watch Pinkman’s house.
***
At the laundry, the chemical shipments all came in on time without a hitch, no trouble from Chow and no remnants of vengeful cartel members. Things were running pretty smoothly, so Mike called Jesse even though it had barely been two hours sense he’d left him. He was concerned when the phone just kept ringing and by the time it got to voicemail, Mike was already speed walking to his car. He called Chris.
“Has he left the house?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“He might have climbed the back fence.”
“He’s in the house Mike. Do you want me to go in and check on him?”
Mike hesitated. If everything was okay, he didn’t want Jesse to know that he was being watched
“No, I’ll do it. I’m on my way now.”
Jesse’s house wasn’t far after all. Yet a few minutes into the drive, Mike felt increasingly certain that seconds mattered here. I should have made Chris check, Mike thought, but he didn’t want to waste time calling him back when he could speed his way there.
He pulled up to the gate of Jesse’s driveway and knocked on the front door.
“Jesse?”
He rang the doorbell repeatedly.
“Jesse!”
This wasn’t any good. Mike didn’t waste time picking the lock, he kicked in the door and rushed inside.
“Jesse!”
There was the mutter of a running engine, Mike looked at theTV but it wasn’t on. Oh God!
He ran down the hall and opened the door to Jesse’s garage. Sure enough the place was filled with exhaust fumes. Covering his mouth with his sleeve, he ran to the car door and flung it open. Reaching inside he grabbed Jesse, who was slumped over the steering wheel, and dragged him to the garage door. As he pushed it up, he saw the fumes flood the open sky. Coughing, Mike carried Jesse’s limp body out and laid him flat on the ground.
“Kid,” Mike coughed. “Kid?!”
No response. Mike checked his pulse and breathing both of which were faint and slow.
“CHRIS!” Mike shouted, pulling Jesse towards the gate. He motioned for his guy to pull the car around.
***
Jesse felt softness beneath him. Feel…was he supposed to be able to feel? He couldn’t think that question through. His head was aching and thoughts fluttered just out of his reach. He had fleeting emotions and that was about it. Suddenly, he was aware of light, bright against his eyelids. Could he open his eyes? He tried to and shut them immediately. The light hurt. Bad light. There was a touch, warm rough skin against the back of his hand.
“Jesse.”
“Mmmm,” Jesse tried to speak.
“Shh, no Jesse. It’s okay. Don’t speak.”
Jesse turned his face towards Mike’s voice and opened his eyes. Everything was so blurry, but he could see Mike’s eyes and that was all he needed.
“Kid, you’re in the hospital.”
Jesse blinked, confused. More vague thoughts and dull feelings flooded him. He felt Mike’s hand close around his own, trying to guide his mind back.
“It’s okay. They have you on a lot of medication for your symptoms, but you’re gonna be fine. They don’t think you have brain damage.”
Jesse wrinkled his brow and shifted uncomfortably. He was having flashes, small pieces of what he had been doing before he passed out. He saw clothes dumped on his bed, then beer bottles everywhere, then belts and cords, then the bath tub and something about knives, but the car…he’d settled on the car because he’d read somewhere that he could pass out and not feel himself dying.”
“Am I dead?” Jesse croaked out, his voice ragged and quiet.
Mike looked hurt. Was Jesse supposed to know the answer to that already?
“No, Jesse, you aren’t dead.”
"Why not?"
“I got to you in time, that’s why not.”
“Why’d….why’d you?” Jesse started, but ran out of breath.
“Because-“ Mike snapped, scowling for a moment. Then he sighed. “It’s nothing, Kid….”
“Sorry…” Jesse rasped between breaths. “Didn’t mean to…make you…mad.”
“I’m not mad, Jesse. I’m scared for you.”
“Scared?”
Mike squeezed his hand.
“Settle down. We’ll talk about it later.”
Drowning in Blue (Part 4)
Drowning in Blue (Part 1)
Drowning in Blue (Part 2)
Mike just couldn’t in good conscience leave Jesse alone with his state of mind, so he brought the Kid back to his place.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s home.”
Jesse looked around. His face was still wet with tears and his eyes were red and puffy. He still managed to speak in a quiet voice.
“Its nice, Mike.”
“Thank you, Kid. Let’s see if we can find you something to sleep in, ok?”
“…Kay.”
He picked out one of his T-shirts and a pair of shorts that might as well have been sweat pants on Jesse. He let Jesse stay in the guest room, where Kaylee slept whenever she stayed the night, but Mike was more than a little tempted to be in the same room. He barely slept himself because he was busy keeping an ear out most of the night in case Jesse tried to leave his room or hurt himself.
The next morning Mike checked the guest room and was relieved to find Jesse sleeping soundly under the covers. He didn’t wake the Kid up until breakfast was ready and they ate mostly in familiar silence. Then Mike had to leave for work and with Jesse banned from the business premises, he had no choice but to leave the Kid behind.
“I won’t be gone long,” Mike said, which was both a soothing reassurance and a warning, as he put on his jacket. “If you need anything, even if it’s just to find out where I keep the salt and pepper, you call me.”
Jesse nodded. Mike walked over and put his hands on Jesse’s shoulders.
“I’m trusting you to be safe while I’m gone.”
“Can I go to my house?”
“Why?”
“I don’t have any clean clothes here. I can pack to stay here and you can swing by after work and bring me back here.”
Mike gave Jesse a searching look. He had a bad feeling about this, but Jesse seemed stable at the moment. Besides, what was the difference between leaving Jesse alone here or leaving him alone at his house?
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “Pack for a nice long stay, Kid.”
“I will.”
So Mike dropped Jesse off at his house and sat in the car, watching Jesse go through the front door. His gut still turned at the idea of leaving Jesse alone for more than hour, so he called his guy Chris and ordered him to watch Pinkman’s house.
***
At the laundry, the chemical shipments all came in on time without a hitch, no trouble from Chow and no remnants of vengeful cartel members. Things were running pretty smoothly, so Mike called Jesse even though it had barely been two hours sense he’d left him. He was concerned when the phone just kept ringing and by the time it got to voicemail, Mike was already speed walking to his car. He called Chris.
“Has he left the house?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“He might have climbed the back fence.”
“He’s in the house Mike. Do you want me to go in and check on him?”
Mike hesitated. If everything was okay, he didn’t want Jesse to know that he was being watched
“No, I’ll do it. I’m on my way now.”
Jesse’s house wasn’t far after all. Yet a few minutes into the drive, Mike felt increasingly certain that seconds mattered here. I should have made Chris check, Mike thought, but he didn’t want to waste time calling him back when he could speed his way there.
He pulled up to the gate of Jesse’s driveway and knocked on the front door.
“Jesse?”
He rang the doorbell repeatedly.
“Jesse!”
This wasn’t any good. Mike didn’t waste time picking the lock, he kicked in the door and rushed inside.
“Jesse!”
There was the mutter of a running engine, Mike looked at theTV but it wasn’t on. Oh God!
He ran down the hall and opened the door to Jesse’s garage. Sure enough the place was filled with exhaust fumes. Covering his mouth with his sleeve, he ran to the car door and flung it open. Reaching inside he grabbed Jesse, who was slumped over the steering wheel, and dragged him to the garage door. As he pushed it up, he saw the fumes flood the open sky. Coughing, Mike carried Jesse’s limp body out and laid him flat on the ground.
“Kid,” Mike coughed. “Kid?!”
No response. Mike checked his pulse and breathing both of which were faint and slow.
“CHRIS!” Mike shouted, pulling Jesse towards the gate. He motioned for his guy to pull the car around.
***
Jesse felt softness beneath him. Feel…was he supposed to be able to feel? He couldn’t think that question through. His head was aching and thoughts fluttered just out of his reach. He had fleeting emotions and that was about it. Suddenly, he was aware of light, bright against his eyelids. Could he open his eyes? He tried to and shut them immediately. The light hurt. Bad light. There was a touch, warm rough skin against the back of his hand.
“Jesse.”
“Mmmm,” Jesse tried to speak.
“Shh, no Jesse. It’s okay. Don’t speak.”
Jesse turned his face towards Mike’s voice and opened his eyes. Everything was so blurry, but he could see Mike’s eyes and that was all he needed.
“Kid, you’re in the hospital.”
Jesse blinked, confused. More vague thoughts and dull feelings flooded him. He felt Mike’s hand close around his own, trying to guide his mind back.
“It’s okay. They have you on a lot of medication for your symptoms, but you’re gonna be fine. They don’t think you have brain damage.”
Jesse wrinkled his brow and shifted uncomfortably. He was having flashes, small pieces of what he had been doing before he passed out. He saw clothes dumped on his bed, then beer bottles everywhere, then belts and cords, then the bath tub and something about knives, but the car…he’d settled on the car because he’d read somewhere that he could pass out and not feel himself dying.”
“Am I dead?” Jesse croaked out, his voice ragged and quiet.
Mike looked hurt. Was Jesse supposed to know the answer to that already?
“No, Jesse, you aren’t dead.”
"Why not?"
“I got to you in time, that’s why not.”
“Why’d….why’d you?” Jesse started, but ran out of breath.
“Because-“ Mike snapped, scowling for a moment. Then he sighed. “It’s nothing, Kid….”
“Sorry…” Jesse rasped between breaths. “Didn’t mean to…make you…mad.”
“I’m not mad, Jesse. I’m scared for you.”
“Scared?”
Mike squeezed his hand.
“Settle down. We’ll talk about it later.”
Drowning in Blue (Part 4)