This isn't weird.

Out of Service

"Call Walt!" Ben demanded. "I need a phone! I need to talk to Walt!"

"Woah now, take it easy," said Hoyt, equal parts relieved and alarmed by his sudden presence of mind. "I'll call'em right now, okay? But you gotta calm down just a little. Can you do that for me, Ben?"

"Yes!" Ben shouted, then, finding a sliver of self-awareness, he drew in a slow breath and swallowed down his agitation. "Yes," he repeated softly.

"Attaboy," Hoyt said. He produced his phone from his pocket, swiped the screen a few times, and brought it up to his ear. "Hey, W—hold on, time out, listen. I'm here with Ben... Yeah, he had a little run-in with Caleb Buckner. No, no, no, he's fine, lost his phone and he's kind of shook up, but he ain't hurt or nothin'. Actually, you're not gonna believe—no, wait, no, that's not important right now, I'll have Uncle Roy fill you in later. He needs to talk to you. Says it can't wait. Here he is."

Forgetting his newfound calm, Ben all but lunged for the phone. "Walt!" he said. "Did you call me? Did you try to call me?"

"Not today, no—"

"Where's Millie's phone? Do you still have Millie's phone?"

"Yeah, it's just in my drawer—"

"Get it! Can you get it? Is it still there? Is it working?"

"Woah, hold on, son, slow down. Are you okay?"

"I need to know if it's working!"

"Okay, okay, I've got it powerin' on right now... Really? How does this girl not have any kind of a lock screen?"'

"Does it say anything? What does it say?"

"Looks like it's out of service."

"Oh my god. It was her. It was really her."

Walt's voice grew excited. "She called you?"

"She tried. I missed it. Fuck, I missed it. Fuck, fuck, fuck—"

"Well, call her back!"

"But my phone—"

"You got a phone in your damn hands! Do you remember her number? Here, I'm textin' it to you right now. Tell Hoyt I love him and his husband says he has to lend you his phone for a little while longer," Walt said, and promptly hung up.

"Um—" Ben looked up awkwardly. "Your husband says he loves you, and that you have to lend me your phone for a little while longer."

There were mixed emotions on Hoyt's face, but he settled at last on a patient smile. "Welp, he's the boss, I reckon. Go on, then."

Ben dialed the number, his heart thumping loudly in his chest at the sound of the first ring. He waited, eager and hopeful, through a second ring, a third, a fourth, a fifth, sixth, seventh—

I'm sorry, said a robotic voice. The person you are trying to reach has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet. Please try again later.

No. No, he must have typed it wrong. He tried again.

I'm sorry. The person you are trying to reach has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet. Please try again later.

He was calling from an unfamiliar number. Maybe she assumed it was a spam call. If he called again, she would realize it was a person calling, that it was him.

He tried again.

I'm sorry. The person you are trying to reach has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet. Please try again later.