Shades of Grey Chapter 23
Title: Shades of Grey Chapter 23
Author: TalliW
Characters: Stephen Hart, Tom Ryan, Nick Cutter, James Lester, Abby Maitland, Connor Temple, Jenny Lewis, Oliver Leek, Lyle, Finn, Helen Cutter, Ditzy
Rating: K+, T in later chapters
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle and Finn belong to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to the wonderful Fredbassett for beta duty.
Summary: Ryan has survived but he isn't the man he was. Can Stephen and Cutter manage to work together to help him? Perhaps Ryan has changed in more ways than it appears on first sight.
AN: I'm sorry for the irregular posting. My life is a little chaotically at the moment.
Chapter 23
Standing knee-deep in mud in a pit hadn't been on Stephen's agenda for Saturday afternoon. Neither had Ryan taking a mudbath with a little pig-like creature Cutter and Connor still were trying to identify. But things were never simple if you were working at the ARC.
What could have been a nice day, with pancakes for breakfast and hours of playtime with Ryan, had quickly turned into one of those days when you wished you had stayed in bed, starting with an anomaly alarm at 4.30 in the morning.
Ryan, seeing himself deprived of both, a cosy morning in bed and his pancakes, hadn't been very cooperative when Stephen had made him hurry up. In the end, Stephen had helped Ryan put his clothes on and had approved of him skipping brushing his teeth.
It was only a small consolation that his team-mates had been taken by surprise by the untimely appearance of the anomaly, as well.
Cutter had arrived with his jacket buttoned up the wrong way, Connor wore a rumpled teeshirt, probably the one he had slept in, his hair still standing askew, and Abby seemed to have pulled on the first thing that had tumbled out of her wardrobe, which, unfortunately, had been a mismatched lilac skirt and a bright green teeshirt.
Only the soldiers, apparently used to situations like this, were unaffected by having to get up at such an early hour. But Lyle's eyes looked so bloodshot that Stephen doubted he'd slept at all. As Lyle was a regular clubber it was likely he'd just come home when the alarm had struck.
Hastily, Cutter unbuttoned his jacket after Abby had called attention to his blunder then stared, bleary-eyed, over Connor's shoulder.
Connor cursed under his breath as he accidentally pushed the wrong key, making a loud bleep shrill through the speakers. It took a few seconds more until he'd cleared the cobwebs from his mind to operate the ADD properly. When he’d finally located the anomaly in New Forest it was decided not to wait for Lester and Jenny who hadn't yet arrived.
In all the confusion no one noticed that Ryan wasn't where he should be, under supervision of one of the staff members not accompanying the field team; in this case Leek, who was the only person beside the field team and the Special Forces who had come rushing to the ARC.
Earlier, Stephen had taken Ryan to Leek’s office and admonished him to behave. Then he had been occupied keeping Lester up-to-date by mobile as Cutter was busy barking orders at the soldiers not to take their standard munitions and was only just short of locking horns with Lyle.
Disappointed, Ryan had accepted that he would have to spend the next few hours with Leek and had made himself comfortable in the spare chair. His head bedded on his left arm, propped on the armrest, he'd closed his eyes tiredly. A couple of minutes later, Ryan had been startled out of a dream about strange creatures and had found himself alone in Leek's office. Leek had run off to the restroom, talking animatedly to someone on his mobile.
As though he was in a trance, Ryan had stood up and walked out of the office and down the ramp.
Instead of returning to Stephen's side and probably getting a scolding for disobedience, Ryan had slipped into the locker room. Purposefully, he'd gone to his old locker and changed into the black combat uniform he'd found in there. Afterwards, he joined the soldiers in the van.
Later, Lyle blamed it on his sleep deprivation that he had just nodded at his former captain before giving the okay to hit the road.
The soldiers had drifted in and out of sleep during the drive, Ryan among them. When the cars stopped they climbed out, grasped their rifles and took position in front of the anomaly.
Ryan had just emulated their behaviour and now stood with Lyle's spare rifle in his arms at Finn's side. Confusion written all over his face, he stared at the pulsing light in the air, the sound of his rapid heartbeat filling his ears.
"Captain Ryan?" Finn asked, astonished, just realising that the man shouldn't be there with them.
"Shit!" Lyle muttered as he came to the same conclusion.
"Oh God, that's Tom," Cutter gasped as his eyes drifted over the Special Forces men, whereas Stephen was already running towards Ryan.
"Tom, don't move. I'm coming."
Ignoring Stephen's fearful shout, and dodging Finn's attempt to disarm him, Ryan dropped the rifle to the ground and marched towards the anomaly. With childish curiosity, he reached his hand out to touch the dangerous, glittering shards with his fingertips. A second later he was lying on the ground while a group of small, grey-brown creatures took off through the undergrowth.
"Piggies!" Ryan squeaked in excitement whilst Stephen and Finn helped him to his feet. "Stephen, did you see? Lots of little piggies."
"That's just great," Lyle muttered, not looking forward to catching the horde with an enthusiastic Ryan around.
"My sentiment, exactly," Lester said from behind, his eyebrows lifted halfway up his forehead. "Can someone explain to me what Tom is doing here, especially in that attire?"
"He came in our vehicle. We didn't notice him until it was too late," Lyle declared quickly, fully aware that Stephen had been just about to claim responsibility for their mistake. "And I have no idea why he's wearing his combat uniform."
"Stephen?"
"Leek was keeping an eye on him. I don't know what happened."
"Note to myself," Lester mumbled. "Regular eyesight checks for all. And Leek is fired."
"Guys, Connor says the anomaly is already getting weaker. We’d better hurry up."
Abby's words reminded them of the current, more pressing, matters. Dealing with the Ryan problem would have to wait.
"All right, two men guard the anomaly." Cutter took charge. "The rest are coming with me. We have to shoo the horde back to the anomaly before it closes."
Ryan marched ahead in the direction the creatures had taken until Lester's sharp call stopped him in his tracks. "Tom, you stay here with me."
"But I want to go piggy-hunting with the others," Ryan whined.
"Too dangerous. We will wait by the cars."
Ryan looked pleadingly at Stephen in the hope he would decide otherwise. But Stephen shook his head. "Do what Uncle James says."
Disappointed, Ryan followed Lester to the clearing where the two ARC vans and Lester's car were parked. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the side of a van, his eyes turned wishfully towards the place Stephen and his colleagues had vanished amongst the trees.
Lester sighed quietly for what was now the third time in a row.
Bored out of his mind, Ryan had begun to explore the black uniform he was now wearing. Currently, he was fiddling with the thigh strap, which seemed to hold a special fascination for him.
Every swish of opening velcro was accompanied by Ryan mumbling, "Open. Close. Open..."
"For heaven's sake, please stop it," Lester finally snarled. The sound was grating on his nerves and adding to the slight pounding that had started behind his eyes a while ago.
"Why? This thingy is cool. Just like the whole uniform. It's great Stephen’s got me one."
Lester frowned, worried. Ryan's memory loss seemed to be getting worse rather than better. He couldn't even remember how he'd found the combat uniform and ended up in the van. They only could count themselves lucky that none of the holsters on Ryan's combat uniform currently held a weapon. Seeing Ryan with the rifle, still with its safety catch on, had already brought Lester close to a heart attack.
"All right, Tom, I understand you’re bored. So let’s go for a little walk. Just stay by my side."
Feeling relieved about the offered diversion, Ryan slipped his hand in Lester's and together they wandered in the opposite direction to the field team.
"Ugh, oink oink"
Lester knew the sound meant trouble the moment he heard it from behind a bramble bush. So he wasn't surprised when Ryan let go of his hand and ran towards the noise.
With all the squealing, grunting and shrieking that followed, Lester almost missed the ringing of his mobile.
"Sir, we have them surrounded and can now herd them back to the anomaly," Lyle informed him as he took the call.
"I think you missed some," Lester said with a suppressed chuckle as he spied Ryan sprawled out in a mud pool near to two little pigs who were eying the mud, and Ryan, with interest and weren’t showing the slightest inclination to flee.
Either the prehistoric pigs had not yet acquired any natural tendency towards fear or they regarded Ryan as one of their own. Almost entirely covered in grey mud, Ryan certainly had more resemblance to them at the moment than to a human being.
There was some ruckus on the line then Cutter's voice panted in Lester's ear, "Stay put. Don't startle them. We're on the way."
"Don't worry. I've no plans to ruin my suit."
One look at Ryan frolicking in the mud and Connor got his mobile out to take a photo. It would get a place of honour in the photo album of funny moments in the anomaly project he was putting together for Stephen's birthday.
Currently, Ryan had an arm looped around a piggy and was trying to roll it on its back into the mud, managing to get even more mud on his face and into his hair, while the animal tried to free itself from Ryan's grasp.
"Really, Tom, did you have to fraternise with the pigs?" Stephen asked with a sigh, whilst he was slowly moving towards the mud pool.
"Piggies," Ryan mumbled happily, his attention entirely directed at the amazingly strong little creature he was clutching.
"All right, lift it up and carry it out. I'm taking the other one. We have to take them back."
"To the light?"
"Yes."
"I can't keep it?"
"No, sorry. It has to go back."
"But it belongs to no one. Not like Kitta. And I found it first."
"You can't keep everything you see, Tom. The piggy almost certainly has a family who would miss it terribly," Stephen explained gently.
"Okay," Ryan said with unexpected understanding. Using his other arm he quickly pulled the pig backwards and trapped it against his chest. Bang full of pride, he then stalked out of the mud with the grunting animal in his arms.
Stephen had a lot less luck with the second creature. He had just stepped close to the mud pool when the pig decided to make a break for freedom. It dashed straight through the mud, effectively coating its body with the substance.
Stephen, who had taken another step forwards to get hold of the pig, found himself standing in the hollow with the thick grey mud flowing around his feet and up to his knees.
Handicapped that way, Stephen was too slow to stop the pig now heading towards Lester. By turning sidewards, Lester elegantly avoided a collision. The pig crashed against Cutter's right leg instead, bounced right back from there and propelled its backside against Lester.
Not prepared for the onslaught against his legs, Lester fell to the ground but had still enough presence of mind to twine his arms around the squeaking animal to keep it in place.
"You owe me a new suit, Cutter," Lester huffed as he scrambled to his feet and shoved the unruly piggy into Cutter's arms.
Cutter grinned all over his face when he noticed the condition of Lester's suit. The mud formerly caking the skin of the little pig was now gracing Lester's jacket and trousers. Only his mauve-coloured shirt and the matching tie had miraculously survived the mud attack.
"Don't make such a fuss. I bet you have a dozen more hanging in your wardrobe," Cutter replied good-humouredly while he rubbed the piggy gently behind its ears.
"Do you see that light, dead ahead?" Ryan said to the piggy in his arms. "That's called an anomaly and that will take you back home to your family."
Carefully, he lowered the animal to the ground and watched how it took off through the already strong, pulsing anomaly with the pig Cutter had carried.
Lester stepped behind Ryan and laid his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Tom, what do you know about anomalies?" he asked in a careful voice.
"They are gates into the past. Animals that have died out live there."
"And who told you that?"
Ryan pondered seriously over the question but came up with nothing. "No one. I just know. Is that bad?"
"No, everything's all right. I was only curious. Come on, time to go home."
"So it’s started," Cutter said with clear relief, as he walked alongside Lester to the clearing.
"About time too. Let’s just hope he doesn’t have more of those blackouts."
"You aren't planning to take action against him now he's remembered about the anomalies?"
"As long he doesn't blab, certainly not. It was bound to happen at some point, anyway. But we must monitor him more closely from now on. And, above all, we have to keep him away from any sort of mud."
Lester threw a meaningful look at Stephen, who was, relatively unsuccessfully, trying to remove the drying mud from Ryan's clothes, face and hair.
"At least you now have one thing in common with him."
In spite of knowing Cutter was probably baiting him, Lester felt compelled to ask, "Really? And what would that be?"
"It seems grey suits you both."
Pondering how Cutter had meant this remark, Lester looked irritatedly down at himself and his mud-covered suit while Cutter stalked towards the van, his stubble-covered face etched with a broad smile.
"Stephen, can I have pancakes when we get home?"
"Of course."
"And can I have icecream for afters."
"If you’re a good boy. Now sit down so we can set off."
"Cool."
Ryan got comfortable in the back seat that they had covered with a blanket for protection, closed his eyes and dozed off, pleased with himself and the world.
"Stephen, I don't think Tom really deserves a reward," Cutter whispered after they’d been driving for a while.
"He helped us catch the pigs."
"After running away from Leek and probably bringing the man to the brink of a mental breakdown.
Stephen cast a quizzical look at Cutter. "You worry about Leek?"
"Not really. I just mean... well, Tom hasn't been a good boy so far."
"That is all fine and good, Cutter. But do I have to remind you of his current condition? I doubt I'll get him out of his muddy clothes if he isn't cooperating.“
Abby snickered behind them, probably imagining how Stephen would try to undress a struggling Ryan.
"I see, raising kids is fun," Cutter said wryly.
"Of course it is," Connor dissented. "Now, I want kids.
"Me too," Abby said. "A boy and a girl."
"Yes, that would be nice."
"Then you’d better hope Caroline thinks the same," Abby muttered frostily.
The good mood in the van was broken immediately. The rest of the drive passed in uncomfortable silence.
Author: TalliW
Characters: Stephen Hart, Tom Ryan, Nick Cutter, James Lester, Abby Maitland, Connor Temple, Jenny Lewis, Oliver Leek, Lyle, Finn, Helen Cutter, Ditzy
Rating: K+, T in later chapters
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle and Finn belong to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to the wonderful Fredbassett for beta duty.
Summary: Ryan has survived but he isn't the man he was. Can Stephen and Cutter manage to work together to help him? Perhaps Ryan has changed in more ways than it appears on first sight.
AN: I'm sorry for the irregular posting. My life is a little chaotically at the moment.
Chapter 23
Standing knee-deep in mud in a pit hadn't been on Stephen's agenda for Saturday afternoon. Neither had Ryan taking a mudbath with a little pig-like creature Cutter and Connor still were trying to identify. But things were never simple if you were working at the ARC.
What could have been a nice day, with pancakes for breakfast and hours of playtime with Ryan, had quickly turned into one of those days when you wished you had stayed in bed, starting with an anomaly alarm at 4.30 in the morning.
Ryan, seeing himself deprived of both, a cosy morning in bed and his pancakes, hadn't been very cooperative when Stephen had made him hurry up. In the end, Stephen had helped Ryan put his clothes on and had approved of him skipping brushing his teeth.
It was only a small consolation that his team-mates had been taken by surprise by the untimely appearance of the anomaly, as well.
Cutter had arrived with his jacket buttoned up the wrong way, Connor wore a rumpled teeshirt, probably the one he had slept in, his hair still standing askew, and Abby seemed to have pulled on the first thing that had tumbled out of her wardrobe, which, unfortunately, had been a mismatched lilac skirt and a bright green teeshirt.
Only the soldiers, apparently used to situations like this, were unaffected by having to get up at such an early hour. But Lyle's eyes looked so bloodshot that Stephen doubted he'd slept at all. As Lyle was a regular clubber it was likely he'd just come home when the alarm had struck.
Hastily, Cutter unbuttoned his jacket after Abby had called attention to his blunder then stared, bleary-eyed, over Connor's shoulder.
Connor cursed under his breath as he accidentally pushed the wrong key, making a loud bleep shrill through the speakers. It took a few seconds more until he'd cleared the cobwebs from his mind to operate the ADD properly. When he’d finally located the anomaly in New Forest it was decided not to wait for Lester and Jenny who hadn't yet arrived.
In all the confusion no one noticed that Ryan wasn't where he should be, under supervision of one of the staff members not accompanying the field team; in this case Leek, who was the only person beside the field team and the Special Forces who had come rushing to the ARC.
Earlier, Stephen had taken Ryan to Leek’s office and admonished him to behave. Then he had been occupied keeping Lester up-to-date by mobile as Cutter was busy barking orders at the soldiers not to take their standard munitions and was only just short of locking horns with Lyle.
Disappointed, Ryan had accepted that he would have to spend the next few hours with Leek and had made himself comfortable in the spare chair. His head bedded on his left arm, propped on the armrest, he'd closed his eyes tiredly. A couple of minutes later, Ryan had been startled out of a dream about strange creatures and had found himself alone in Leek's office. Leek had run off to the restroom, talking animatedly to someone on his mobile.
As though he was in a trance, Ryan had stood up and walked out of the office and down the ramp.
Instead of returning to Stephen's side and probably getting a scolding for disobedience, Ryan had slipped into the locker room. Purposefully, he'd gone to his old locker and changed into the black combat uniform he'd found in there. Afterwards, he joined the soldiers in the van.
Later, Lyle blamed it on his sleep deprivation that he had just nodded at his former captain before giving the okay to hit the road.
The soldiers had drifted in and out of sleep during the drive, Ryan among them. When the cars stopped they climbed out, grasped their rifles and took position in front of the anomaly.
Ryan had just emulated their behaviour and now stood with Lyle's spare rifle in his arms at Finn's side. Confusion written all over his face, he stared at the pulsing light in the air, the sound of his rapid heartbeat filling his ears.
"Captain Ryan?" Finn asked, astonished, just realising that the man shouldn't be there with them.
"Shit!" Lyle muttered as he came to the same conclusion.
"Oh God, that's Tom," Cutter gasped as his eyes drifted over the Special Forces men, whereas Stephen was already running towards Ryan.
"Tom, don't move. I'm coming."
Ignoring Stephen's fearful shout, and dodging Finn's attempt to disarm him, Ryan dropped the rifle to the ground and marched towards the anomaly. With childish curiosity, he reached his hand out to touch the dangerous, glittering shards with his fingertips. A second later he was lying on the ground while a group of small, grey-brown creatures took off through the undergrowth.
"Piggies!" Ryan squeaked in excitement whilst Stephen and Finn helped him to his feet. "Stephen, did you see? Lots of little piggies."
"That's just great," Lyle muttered, not looking forward to catching the horde with an enthusiastic Ryan around.
"My sentiment, exactly," Lester said from behind, his eyebrows lifted halfway up his forehead. "Can someone explain to me what Tom is doing here, especially in that attire?"
"He came in our vehicle. We didn't notice him until it was too late," Lyle declared quickly, fully aware that Stephen had been just about to claim responsibility for their mistake. "And I have no idea why he's wearing his combat uniform."
"Stephen?"
"Leek was keeping an eye on him. I don't know what happened."
"Note to myself," Lester mumbled. "Regular eyesight checks for all. And Leek is fired."
"Guys, Connor says the anomaly is already getting weaker. We’d better hurry up."
Abby's words reminded them of the current, more pressing, matters. Dealing with the Ryan problem would have to wait.
"All right, two men guard the anomaly." Cutter took charge. "The rest are coming with me. We have to shoo the horde back to the anomaly before it closes."
Ryan marched ahead in the direction the creatures had taken until Lester's sharp call stopped him in his tracks. "Tom, you stay here with me."
"But I want to go piggy-hunting with the others," Ryan whined.
"Too dangerous. We will wait by the cars."
Ryan looked pleadingly at Stephen in the hope he would decide otherwise. But Stephen shook his head. "Do what Uncle James says."
Disappointed, Ryan followed Lester to the clearing where the two ARC vans and Lester's car were parked. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the side of a van, his eyes turned wishfully towards the place Stephen and his colleagues had vanished amongst the trees.
Lester sighed quietly for what was now the third time in a row.
Bored out of his mind, Ryan had begun to explore the black uniform he was now wearing. Currently, he was fiddling with the thigh strap, which seemed to hold a special fascination for him.
Every swish of opening velcro was accompanied by Ryan mumbling, "Open. Close. Open..."
"For heaven's sake, please stop it," Lester finally snarled. The sound was grating on his nerves and adding to the slight pounding that had started behind his eyes a while ago.
"Why? This thingy is cool. Just like the whole uniform. It's great Stephen’s got me one."
Lester frowned, worried. Ryan's memory loss seemed to be getting worse rather than better. He couldn't even remember how he'd found the combat uniform and ended up in the van. They only could count themselves lucky that none of the holsters on Ryan's combat uniform currently held a weapon. Seeing Ryan with the rifle, still with its safety catch on, had already brought Lester close to a heart attack.
"All right, Tom, I understand you’re bored. So let’s go for a little walk. Just stay by my side."
Feeling relieved about the offered diversion, Ryan slipped his hand in Lester's and together they wandered in the opposite direction to the field team.
"Ugh, oink oink"
Lester knew the sound meant trouble the moment he heard it from behind a bramble bush. So he wasn't surprised when Ryan let go of his hand and ran towards the noise.
With all the squealing, grunting and shrieking that followed, Lester almost missed the ringing of his mobile.
"Sir, we have them surrounded and can now herd them back to the anomaly," Lyle informed him as he took the call.
"I think you missed some," Lester said with a suppressed chuckle as he spied Ryan sprawled out in a mud pool near to two little pigs who were eying the mud, and Ryan, with interest and weren’t showing the slightest inclination to flee.
Either the prehistoric pigs had not yet acquired any natural tendency towards fear or they regarded Ryan as one of their own. Almost entirely covered in grey mud, Ryan certainly had more resemblance to them at the moment than to a human being.
There was some ruckus on the line then Cutter's voice panted in Lester's ear, "Stay put. Don't startle them. We're on the way."
"Don't worry. I've no plans to ruin my suit."
One look at Ryan frolicking in the mud and Connor got his mobile out to take a photo. It would get a place of honour in the photo album of funny moments in the anomaly project he was putting together for Stephen's birthday.
Currently, Ryan had an arm looped around a piggy and was trying to roll it on its back into the mud, managing to get even more mud on his face and into his hair, while the animal tried to free itself from Ryan's grasp.
"Really, Tom, did you have to fraternise with the pigs?" Stephen asked with a sigh, whilst he was slowly moving towards the mud pool.
"Piggies," Ryan mumbled happily, his attention entirely directed at the amazingly strong little creature he was clutching.
"All right, lift it up and carry it out. I'm taking the other one. We have to take them back."
"To the light?"
"Yes."
"I can't keep it?"
"No, sorry. It has to go back."
"But it belongs to no one. Not like Kitta. And I found it first."
"You can't keep everything you see, Tom. The piggy almost certainly has a family who would miss it terribly," Stephen explained gently.
"Okay," Ryan said with unexpected understanding. Using his other arm he quickly pulled the pig backwards and trapped it against his chest. Bang full of pride, he then stalked out of the mud with the grunting animal in his arms.
Stephen had a lot less luck with the second creature. He had just stepped close to the mud pool when the pig decided to make a break for freedom. It dashed straight through the mud, effectively coating its body with the substance.
Stephen, who had taken another step forwards to get hold of the pig, found himself standing in the hollow with the thick grey mud flowing around his feet and up to his knees.
Handicapped that way, Stephen was too slow to stop the pig now heading towards Lester. By turning sidewards, Lester elegantly avoided a collision. The pig crashed against Cutter's right leg instead, bounced right back from there and propelled its backside against Lester.
Not prepared for the onslaught against his legs, Lester fell to the ground but had still enough presence of mind to twine his arms around the squeaking animal to keep it in place.
"You owe me a new suit, Cutter," Lester huffed as he scrambled to his feet and shoved the unruly piggy into Cutter's arms.
Cutter grinned all over his face when he noticed the condition of Lester's suit. The mud formerly caking the skin of the little pig was now gracing Lester's jacket and trousers. Only his mauve-coloured shirt and the matching tie had miraculously survived the mud attack.
"Don't make such a fuss. I bet you have a dozen more hanging in your wardrobe," Cutter replied good-humouredly while he rubbed the piggy gently behind its ears.
"Do you see that light, dead ahead?" Ryan said to the piggy in his arms. "That's called an anomaly and that will take you back home to your family."
Carefully, he lowered the animal to the ground and watched how it took off through the already strong, pulsing anomaly with the pig Cutter had carried.
Lester stepped behind Ryan and laid his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Tom, what do you know about anomalies?" he asked in a careful voice.
"They are gates into the past. Animals that have died out live there."
"And who told you that?"
Ryan pondered seriously over the question but came up with nothing. "No one. I just know. Is that bad?"
"No, everything's all right. I was only curious. Come on, time to go home."
"So it’s started," Cutter said with clear relief, as he walked alongside Lester to the clearing.
"About time too. Let’s just hope he doesn’t have more of those blackouts."
"You aren't planning to take action against him now he's remembered about the anomalies?"
"As long he doesn't blab, certainly not. It was bound to happen at some point, anyway. But we must monitor him more closely from now on. And, above all, we have to keep him away from any sort of mud."
Lester threw a meaningful look at Stephen, who was, relatively unsuccessfully, trying to remove the drying mud from Ryan's clothes, face and hair.
"At least you now have one thing in common with him."
In spite of knowing Cutter was probably baiting him, Lester felt compelled to ask, "Really? And what would that be?"
"It seems grey suits you both."
Pondering how Cutter had meant this remark, Lester looked irritatedly down at himself and his mud-covered suit while Cutter stalked towards the van, his stubble-covered face etched with a broad smile.
"Stephen, can I have pancakes when we get home?"
"Of course."
"And can I have icecream for afters."
"If you’re a good boy. Now sit down so we can set off."
"Cool."
Ryan got comfortable in the back seat that they had covered with a blanket for protection, closed his eyes and dozed off, pleased with himself and the world.
"Stephen, I don't think Tom really deserves a reward," Cutter whispered after they’d been driving for a while.
"He helped us catch the pigs."
"After running away from Leek and probably bringing the man to the brink of a mental breakdown.
Stephen cast a quizzical look at Cutter. "You worry about Leek?"
"Not really. I just mean... well, Tom hasn't been a good boy so far."
"That is all fine and good, Cutter. But do I have to remind you of his current condition? I doubt I'll get him out of his muddy clothes if he isn't cooperating.“
Abby snickered behind them, probably imagining how Stephen would try to undress a struggling Ryan.
"I see, raising kids is fun," Cutter said wryly.
"Of course it is," Connor dissented. "Now, I want kids.
"Me too," Abby said. "A boy and a girl."
"Yes, that would be nice."
"Then you’d better hope Caroline thinks the same," Abby muttered frostily.
The good mood in the van was broken immediately. The rest of the drive passed in uncomfortable silence.