Thirty Two - Final Entry

[bob_fraser_rcmp]

[Bob is reading a book in the common room on level five, Liberising the mind: Two Centuries of Liberal Education at Franklin & Marshall College.]

Comments

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

[Ray tries Bob's room first, but when he doesn't get an answer, he wanders down to the common room. And sure enough, Bob's there, absorbed in a book with a long title that Ray can only recognize one or two words of; Bob's fingers are obscuring the rest. Ray raps his knuckles against the door frame to catch the Mountie's attention and enters.]

Hey. You got a moment?

[bob-fraser-snr.livejournal.com]

[Bob looks up at him in closed-face curiosity and slips his reading glasses off, letting them hang off his neck before putting the book down open beside him. He pulls himself up off the chair.]

I do.

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

No, don't-- [Ray pulls up a chair and sits on it backwards, resting his elbows on the backrest.] Don't get up. I need to talk to you. 'bout, y'know. 'bout this Barge thing.

[bob-fraser-snr.livejournal.com]

[He sits back down. He nodded to him to continue, his expression still blank.]

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

I've been here for a month now, right? Like, getting settled in and figuring out what's what on this boat. It was keeping me busy, and the other day, I kinda figured, hey. I came here for a reason, right? So I started to keep an eye on you, tried to see if I could, y'know, do anything. To get you outta here, I mean.

[Ray shifts a little, then shrugs.]

Truth is, I couldn't see anything. Like, anything I coulda done. Other inmates are giving me more trouble than you, and they're not even my inmates. So I talked to, y'know, I talked to the Admiral. Turns out that you're, y'know. You're good to go. Graduate. If you want.

[bob-fraser-snr.livejournal.com]

[He's quiet for the moment, before reaching over and pushing the book closed.] Understood. [He stood up and offered Ray his hand.]

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

[Ray looks up at Bob and doesn't take the hand. He's . . . well, surprised at the lack of reaction.]

That's it?

[It's really just surprise, not aggression or anything. Bob just got a surprise release from prison. In Ray's world, that warrants more of a reaction than a simple "understood".]

[bob-fraser-snr.livejournal.com]

[He drops the hand, to answer the question with some frustration.] What were you expecting, Yank?

I have things to do.

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

[Ray raises his eyebrows and then shrugs, getting up from his chair as well.] Fair enough. Don't let me keep you.

[And then he does hold out a hand. Here, handshake. He can do a handshake.] Good, y'know. Good luck.

[bob-fraser-snr.livejournal.com]

[He shakes his hand.] You'll need it more than I will.

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

[That makes Ray give a dry chuckle.] You're a real cheerful guy.

[And he's a bit sorry that he didn't get to know Bob any better. He knows that Bob means a lot to Fraser, and he would have been sort of curious to see what's underneath the cold and dismissive Mountie surface. But Bob's clearly out of place on the Barge; keeping him here would not be fair, so Ray doesn't actually say anything. Some of this may be vaguely recognizable in his expression, though.]

[bob-fraser-snr.livejournal.com]

[He has vague sense of anger that's hidden under his.] I doubt you'd know. [He doesn't want to stay and chit chat so he heads off, towards his room.]

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

[The cold dismissal puts Ray off, a little, so he doesn't react quickly enough to stop Bob from leaving.]

Have a good time-- [He's raised a hand, but Bob's out the door already, so Ray just sighs, drops his hand at his side and finishes his sentence in a resigned murmur.] --wherever you're going.

[Right. So that was him graduating his first inmate. Somehow, he feels less accomplished than he should.]

[bob-fraser-snr.livejournal.com]

[But Bob heard him and what he says next, he means.] Be careful.

[imjustpretty.livejournal.com]

[Ray hears it, but doesn't answer. He does realize that this is good advice on the Barge, though. Being careful seems like a good idea, around here.]

[He'll putter around some in the common room, poking at a book someone left lying around and being thoughtful, and then he'll leave and head up to the mess hall. He wants a cup of coffee.]