Perseverance (The Resident FF) by Frances51163

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: Jude Meets Alicia

Looking at the door as another knock sounded Conrad sighed as he rubbed his eyes.  This was going to be difficult. He'd put his friend off.  That was his only option.  He did not want his former Nanny revealing anything.  Putting up a hand to stop his visitor rising the young man walked over to the door and opened it slightly.

"Hey thought we could go down to the bar for a while," Jude suggested as he assessed his friend noting the pinched features confirming his eyes were getting bad, "then again if you need an early night I'll understand."
"He does need to rest," Alicia walked up behind Conrad and placed a hand around her former charges' shoulders as she smiled, "are you a friend?"
"Yeah," the tall man frowned, "I'm Jude."
"And I'm Alicia," the amused woman offered a hand ignoring the tensing of the shoulders in her embrace.
"Conrad speaks fondly of you," the Surgeon offered.
"Well I happen to think very fondly of this young man."
"Ah .....," Conrad struggled to think of how to deal with this unexpected situation he found himself in and spoke as he went to close the door, "Jude I'll give you a call tomorrow."
"No you won't," Alicia spoke firmly, "you'll take two tablets and then you'll go down to the restaurant with us and have a meal and then you'll go to bed young man."
"Alicia! You're not in charge of me any more," Conrad protested even as the Surgeon walked into the room around him.
"Where are they?" Jude asked looking around the room tossing a wink to Alicia when his friend remained at the door and ducked his head.
"What?"
"Your tablets."
"Don't need them," Conrad sighed as he turned to look at the pair, "look Alicia can't we talk tomorrow?"
"Honey I thought it would be nice to catch up," Alicia cut in as she walked over, "but I'll go if you'd rather not."
"No! It's not that," Conrad rubbed his aching forehead, "I just ........,"
"He's just tired," Jude interjected as he casually walked over and picked up the pill bottle from the dressing table, knowing if they referred to him being unwell too much the fair haired man would feel vulnerable, "but he needs to eat before he gets some rest so let's go buddy."
"I was going to order room service."
"Well a quiet meal in the restaurant sounds a bit more appealing," Alicia explained as she went to pick up the long coat she had taken off before sitting down and glanced at Jude giving a wink of her own, "but maybe next time you're in town we could meet up.  I've really missed you Sweetie."
"I .....," Conrad looked at the ground hoping it would open up beneath him but he had no such luck, "we could meet tomorrow."
"Sweetie I'm away tomorrow but don't you worry.  I understand."
"No!  We'll go downstairs," Conrad gave in as his final hope of keeping the pair separated died a quick death.
"Great," Jude grinned broadly, "Alicia would you like to meet us downstairs?"
"Jude! Where are your manners?"
"Sweetie it suits me.  I want to telephone Pedro and this will give me the chance to do so. Now ye get ready and I'll get us a quiet table at the back."
"Why would you pick a table at the back?" the Surgeon raised a brow, he was aware of his younger friends' penchant for picking tables at the back of restaurants and bars but assumed it stemmed from his time in the military.
"Conrad always liked being out of sight," Alicia explained as she headed out the door, "now I'll see ye down below shortly.

"She's a whirlwind," Jude turned ruefully to the quiet man when the duo were left alone.
"That's one word for her," Conrad smiled fondly before a sadness seemed to befall him.
"Hey what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Conrad turned towards the bathroom but found his path suddenly blocked.
"Tell me."
"Nothing.  She just said some things that's all."
"Well something tells me she didn't mean to upset you.  What did she say?"
"It's not important."
"It must be.  It's clear she looks on you as a son," Jude saw his friend tense and knew he had hit on something, "I could ask her."
"Jude!"
"Well?"
"It's just ..... she said she ..... taught of of me as a ..... son," Conrad spoke with his head down, as if making an admission of guilt.
"Yeah," Jude nodded not understanding his companions' discomfort, "isn't that a good thing?"
"It's just .... it doesn't make sense."
"I know I only just met the lady but she doesn't seem to me to be the type that would say something unless she meant it."
"I know.  That's what doesn't make sense.  I wasn't any good. It just doesn't make sense."
"I think it makes perfect sense," Jude stated firmly wishing he could press the other man for his reasoning but understanding this wasn't the right time so instead chided, "now get ready or she'll think her 'Sweetie' is standing her up!"
"Damn.  Was hoping you didn't notice that," Conrad went into the bathroom
and closed the door before any response could be given.

Looking at his double in the mirror as he stood in front of the sink after washing his hands the ill man wondered what Alicia saw in him.  All he saw was a thirty something broken person.  Shaking himself out of his musings he went out to find Jude holding a glass of water in one hand and two tablets in the other.

"I'm fine."
"I could ask Alicia to give them to you."
"Hell you're no fun," Conrad complained as he grudgingly took the offered items, swallowing the tablets quickly hoping they would indeed kick in for his eyes were getting worse, "come on. Don't want to leave Alicia alone too long."
"She's fine. She phoned to make sure we were on the way down," Jude didn't say anything about also getting her cell number for it turned out she was as eager to talk to him as he was to talk to her.
"Damn it! Well move it," Conrad strode towards the door ignoring the throbbing pain engulfing his head.

The meal, much to the Residents' surprise, went without any awkward questions being asked by either of his companions.  As he thought about the dinner lying in bed at ten after three in the early morning he pressed a cold facecloth to his eyes trying to relieve the excruciating pain dwelling in them.  His head an assistant in adding to the agony. Sighing he thought back to the times his eyes had been bad when his parents were away and Tom and Alicia minded him.  He remembered the kindness and gentle care they gave him, never once getting angry at him.  He recalled the times Tom had found him in his room banging his head against the wall to have something else to concentrate on other than the pain in his eyes.  When it felt as if his eyes had been scraped away banging his head he could concentrate on the different pain for a few seconds before the eye pain again reclaimed its' chief role as tormentor.  Tom had simply picked him up and sat down with him on his lap, rocking him gently, offering soft words of comfort and sympathy.  Even though he was young Conrad recognised that the adult was angry seeing him in pain.  But Toms' anger was the total opposite of the anger his father displayed.  Toms' anger was never directed towards him.  His fathers' anger however was always directed towards him.  Toms' anger was born of worry and concern.  His fathers' anger was born of one simple thing, hatred.  He hated weakness and to him being ill or hurt was a symbol of weakness.  Conrad would never voice such things but Tom and Alicia had been a great source of comfort to him, especially on the days when the physical pain and emotional pain seemed overwhelming.  Turning on the bed he decided to get up and take some more tablets.  He just wanted a break, a chance not to think.  The daylight hours would come soon enough.

tbc