We keep behind closed doors
Every time I see you, I die a little more
Stolen moments that we steal as the curtain falls
It'll never be enough

September 19th, 1890 — St. Mungo's
Jesse Hatchitt

Armed with a basket filled to the brim with a collection of snacks and writing supplies, Fallon discreetly made her way towards JP's room. She stopped once to chat with Malou about the various chores that needed to get done around the flat. That they were all already done wasn't a fact the nearby listeners needed to know, but she had to do keep up appearances somehow.

Gabe informed her that a suspect had been arrested nearby her home. He'd been armed with a poison that if uncapped could have killed her by scent alone. Once learning that, Fallon knew it was time for her promised visit to JP. Her skin crawled at the thought of a stranger once again being so close to her personal space, her mind raced with the what if possibilities. While such energy wasn't great to bring into an injured person's room, she knew he'd understand. Probably moreso than most.

Fallon knocked only once before opening the door and letting herself in. Just as he'd done for her, she set about unpacking the basket before moving to sit near the foot of the bed and held out a plate of cookies. "Chocolate chip cookie? Malou made them fresh this morning."

  

Jesse was a terrible patient. He had no patience for being cooped up and bed-bound and he was bored to tears. He'd even somewhat enjoyed his mother's visit simply for someone to talk to, even if all she did was repeat what she'd told him yesterday and fret. She had brought snacks and gone to his room at the boarding house to get a few books from his shelf to read.

Thankfully whatever pain potion they had him on also knocked him out, so he was napping like a champion. Jess hadn't gotten this much good sleep in a long while. Unfortunately he didn't look much better when Fallon made her way in, but he was feeling marginally more human. The bruises on his face were already yellowing, so as soon as he could stand without pain, he was making a break for it. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you." He grinned when she perched herself on the end of his bed. "And with cookies no less." Snacks and a pretty face, what more could a guy ask for?

"Yes, Miss Skovgaard is my only other saving grace these days." It was nice to have a friendly face at the hospital most of the time.

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Fallon returned the smile easily. Being alone in a hospital room was a lonely experience, one she was initimately familiar with. By now, Jesse would likely extend the same greeting to anyone. "Couldn't come empty handed," she shrugged. He had brought her gifts and chocolate frogs when she was in his shoes. And, even if he hadn't it was still rude not to offer some kind of proof of life from outside the hospital.

Settling onto her corner of the bed, Fallon took a small bite of her cookie. Merlin, Malou had outdone herself this time. "She's pretty amazing, isn't she?" If Fallon was at all jealous of how highly Jesse seemed to regard Malou, she didn't show it. She did, however, wonder just what transpired between her roommate and him. "A no-nonsense healer, though. Watch out for her."

  

Content for the first time today, Jess unceremoniously stuffed the entire cookie in his mouth and rifled through what else she had brought with his free hand. "I get the no-nonsense vibe from Miss Skovgaard quite well. I will not mess with her." Miss Skovgaard had done quite right by him so far, so he wouldn't even try.

"Tell me something good that happened today." He requested as he plucked something else from the basket. Oddly all of this sitting was tiresome and all of the healing his body was doing was leaving him starving for both sustenance and company. He was quite pleased Fallon had made her way back to visit. He felt like they were sitting on a precarious precipice and he didn't know which way things would fall.

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"Very good," she chuckled. Malou was a frighteningly dedicated healer. The incident with her toes had confirmed that. "She'll appreciate it, I'm sure."

Despite the frustration that accompanied the revelation that a man was attempting to force his way into her home, Fallon knew Jesse would consider it as a positive. She would no longer be looking over her shoulder constantly or afraid to sleep for Malou's sake. The case would be closed, and, finally, her life could go back to normal. She hoped.

Taking a deep breath, Fallon kept her gaze trained on him as she announced, "they think they caught him." How many other men would try to enter her flat building with potent poisons? "He was outside my building. Gabe was part of the team, I think. It only just happened, so I don't have many details for you."

  

Her announcement did not quite bring the expected response. While Jess had asked for good news, he'd been leaning toward something trivial, not something that heavy. "Well, that is good news." He agree carefully, watching her for any sort of additional reaction, but she seemed quite contained on the matter.

He'd get the details out of Gabe later, one way or another.

"You must be relieved?" Jess swallowed the bit of his snack and put the next bite down. There was a mix of emotions running through his brain right now, but he could sort those later, right now he was worried about her.

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"Yeah, of course." Relieved was the natural reaction, wasn't it? Instead, all she felt was bubbling frustration and anger. "I'll be relieved to go back to work, that's for sure." She took a bite of her cookie and shrugged. Relieved, anyone else in their right minds would feel that way.

Knowing he picked up on her mood, Fallon released a breath and dropped her gaze down to her hands. A piece of melted chocolate had already stained her finger. Damn it. "I'm more ... I don't know. I don't know what I am. All I know is, he's lucky he didn't make it into the flat. My reaction wouldn't have been kind." No, Fallon would've decapitated him on sight. "But at least it's over with, right?"

  

There it was. He knew there had to be more to it. Jess was not so cocky to say he could read people well, he'd proved that wasn't the case already with Fallon, but despite the brevity of their acquaintance he was slowly starting to get the hang of it.

"Unsatisfactory though, I'm sure." Jess acknowledged with a nod. Even he'd plotted out some detailed revenge on Fallon's behalf over the last couple days of being stuck in the hospital. It couldn't be anywhere near what she would have done in retribution for all of the pain and suffering that had been caused.

"At least it's over with." He echoed as he reached out to her and patted the spot next to him on the bed, inviting her to get more comfortable if she wanted.

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Unsatisfactory still felt wrong, but that was besides the point. She had come today to enjoy her time with him, not wallow in her frustrations. Later, when Malou was home maybe, she'd unleash it all.

Fallon accepted the invitation with a skeptic look at all his bandages. While she wanted to be closer (and held!) she was afraid to make any sharp movement and cause him pain. Thus, her shifting into position besides him was a cautious, slow process that she hoped didn't hurt him any. "Is this okay?" She asked once settled. "I can go back to the chair..."

  

It wasn't particularly comfortable, but he could suck it up for her. Everything kind of hurt, but he kept it from his face and settled back against the pillows, having accommodated for her as best he could. It was nice to have human contact that wasn't poking or prodding him or wrapping him up somehow. "All good." He assured her, just to be safe.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, knowing that couldn't really be the end of it. She looked downright pensive over it and if it were him, he'd need the vent to get it all out.

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The reassurance didn't do much to comfort her, but Fallon had to trust he would ask her to move if he wanted her to. She knew more than most now the value of physical contact, as already her nerves were beginning to calm. She handed him a second cookie and took one for herself. Cookies made everything better.

"I haven't made sense of it yet, to be honest." Fallon didn't know how to explain her rage to him, not when he didn't — and could never — fully grasp why she would be so angry. "Tell me something good about your day. Did your mom bring you snacks too?" She asked instead, hoping to change the topic into something lighter.

  

Now it was Jesse's turn to be unsatisfied, but he could handle. It wasn't so hard to tuck it away to unpack later when he had nothing to do but think. He knew better than to push any more than he already had.

"Oh yes, she stopped by, all in a tizzy that I'm going to be stuck in here for my birthday next week. She's apparently very upset about it." Twenty-eight wasn't exactly something worth celebrating. All they did was a family dinner anyway, it wasn't like they were having some huge party or anything like that. "I remember why I moved out now." He laughed carefully, more like a sarcastic exhale than anything that actually involved his diaphragm.

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"Your birthday next week?" Fallon repeated, her shock evident in her tone. Merlin, was he just going to allow it to fly past without allowing her the opportunity to celebrate it with him? She looked up at him and wished he wasn't so injured so that she might playfully nudge him. "When were you going to tell me? I'm great at birthdays."

  

Oh. He'd said the wrong thing again.

"Yes? The 23rd. I wasn't aware you were good at birthdays." Truthfully he'd never been super into them, but he was getting the feeling that she was. "This is the part where I have to let whatever comes next, happen, isn't it?" He looked down at her carefully, trying not to jostle either one of them.

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The 23rd, that was less than a week away! Managing the planning she normally put into her birthday gifts would be difficult, but at least she didn't have work to contend with. That would free up a massive amount of time and, fortunately, provide a much needed distraction.

She grinned mischievously and nodded. "Yep, but you'll love it. Trust me. Even my most birthday hating friends enjoy the days I arrange for them." Fallon turned Malou's birthday into a birthday week long ago. She'd fallen short a few times over the years, but had a solid positive trend. "I'll be allowed to visit you that day, yes?"

  

"I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you'll totally disregard this, but I am not much of a birthday person. I will however, let it happen and look forward to whatever it is you can come up with." With a little apprehension on the side, but he wasn't about to tell her that. He rather thought it might be a good distraction for her, which was why he wasn't going to put up a big stink about anything.

"I don't see why not, but you will have my mother to contend with." Beatrice Hatchitt was a force to be reckoned with in the best of times. When one of her boys was in the hospital it was a totally different story. "And assuming Miss Skovgaard allows it." Two very no-nonsense women when it came to times like this.

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