Much to Conrads' relief upon waking he found the gnawing pain in his eyes had receded to a dull remnant and his headache although still present had also been reduced in its' ferocity. Moving slowly he sat up and pushed back the covers when a voice spoke out of the darkness.
"Should I ask how you're doing?" Jude got up from where he had been sitting by the window and turned on a lamp offering dim lighting in deference to pained eyes.
"What happened?" Conrad glanced at the bedside clock and noticed two empty syringes, two?
"You needed another shot," the Surgeon sat down carefully on the bed beside his all too pale friend, "you agreed I could give you another."
"Don't remember," the fair haired man admitted reluctantantly.
"Well I had gone out to the pharmacy and when I came back you were banging your head against the headboard," Jude explained gently, "you know yourself when an attack is at the full blown stage it is hard to gauge the right dose to give."
"I ..... I'm sorry. Didn't mean to be a hassle."
"You weren't and you never could be," Jude stood up and went over to the telephone, "figure by now you must be starving."
"We just ate."
"That was yesterday. It's almost dinnertime. You want a cheese omelette?"
"Yesterday!"
"You needed the rest. Your body kept you out longer than the morphine did. You needed a break from the pain. Now what do you want?"
Forty-five minutes later the two men sat at a table in the rear of the in house restaurant. Conrad had decided he needed to get out of his room so after he had a quick shower and shave and dressed in fresh jeans and a black denim shirt the pair went downstairs.
"Are you alright Honey?" the friendly Proprietress asked as she assessed the young man before her after taking the orders.
"I'm fine Ma'm," Conrad shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"You don't look it. You remind me of my youngest. You let your friend look after you," the middle aged woman instructed winking at the black haired man.
"Don't worry Ma'm I'm on the job," Jude assured with a smile.
"Good. Now give me a yell if there is anything you need Honey. Anything at all," the women addressed Conrad before walking away.
"Thanks Ma'm."
"Well you sure have a way with older women," Jude chided once they were alone.
"Very funny," Conrad blushed as he threw his cloth napkin across the table.
"Hey! I'm on your side," Jude protested as he caught the incoming missile before taking a pill bottle out of his pocket and handing it over, "so take a couple of DFs and they should knock the pain back more."
"I don't ......,"
"I could always ask Maria to give them to you," the Surgeon threatened as he looked over at the Proprietress innocently.
"You don't play fair," Conrad grumbled as he accepted the bottle taking out two tablets and swallowing them with a gulp of water.
"I do when I can."
"Ya ya. So what time you heading out tomorrow?"
"I'm not heading anywhere. I've decided to hang around. You could use the company and so could I."
"But we agreed you'd go back to Atlanta," Conrad argued as a Waitress walked over with their dishes, "thanks."
"Do ye need anything else?" the young girl checked after depositing the plates on the table, her gaze lingering on the pale man.
"No. We're fine, thanks," Jude noticed the Waitress seemed to be interested in his friend although Conrad was clearly unaware of it as they were left on their own again.
"You need to eat," Jude reminded as he plunged his fork into his steak.
"You need to stop giving me orders."
"Someone has to when you won't look after yourself."
"I'm a grown man," Conrad pointed out as he picked up his fork and took a bite of the plain omelette.
"I know but sometimes you neglect yourself. That's what I'm here for."
"You're going back to Atlanta."
"I am."
"Tomorrow."
"I'm going back when you are."
"I'm going back tomorrow."
"Thought you wanted to stay in Savannah for another while?"
"Changed my mind. I don't need to hang around any longer," Conrad spoke tiredly rubbing his eyes, "hasn't changed anything."
"How do you mean?" Jude asked around a mouth of mashed potato.
"Doesn't matter," Conrad shrugged, not about to go into the nightmares, which had not diminished since his trip to his childhood house.
"You sure you're ready to leave?"
"Yeah. Besides Nic and Devon probably think I'm lost."
"I told them you were fine."
"You spoke to them?"
"Had to tell them something. You weren't replying to their texts."
"I did. Told them I was taking some time off."
"One text to Devon did not stop them worrying. Besides I didn't tell them where you were or anything else. Just that I'm with you."
"Okay," Conrad said slightly mollified, "now eat up we've got travelling to do tomorrow and you need all the strength you have for the journey."
"Yes Doc," Jude chuckled at the words he was about to direct at his friend being spoken to him instead.
Downstairs in Reception the following morning Jude noted the teenage Waitress from the night before paying his friend attention once more. After paying his bill and as Conrad was settling his the tall man walked over to the young woman.
"Mind if I ask why you're so interested in my friend?"
"Oh sorry! I didn't mean to stare," the pretty brunette apologised, "it's just I've heard a lot about him from my boyfriend."
"Your boyfriend knows him?"
"Yes. Well no, not really."
"Now I'm confused."
"My boyfriends' name is Conrad. He was named after your friend. Mrs.
Hernandez told me he was staying here."
"Ah Alicia."
"You met Mrs. Hernandez?"
"Yes I had the pleasure."
"Conrad wanted to meet your friend but Mrs. Hernandez said he was feeling unwell at the moment so maybe next time. I can tell she was right. He does not look good."
"Well do me a favour when I introduce you don't mention that."
"Oh there's no need to .....,"
"Yes there is. Forgive me I forgot my manners. I'm Jude."
"Hi. I'm Lisa."
"Well Lisa come on over and meet your boyfriends' namesake and we can see about the two meeting."
Jude figured meeting the young man who had been named after him would be a good thing for his friend. He just hoped Conrad wouldn't fight him on the matter.
Fifteen minutes later the young man had been summoned to the Inn and was introduced by an excited Lisa to a quiet Conrad as they stood on the wraparound porch of the establishment. Jude found himself doing most of the talking after the two Conrads shook hands.
"So you must have been surprised when your parents told you who you were named after," Jude probed gently to start a conversation going.
"Not really. I had always known about him when I was growing up. Ever since I was a little boy my madre would speak of Conrad," the young Hernandez explained with an easy smile, "she told me of all your exploits."
"Exploits?" Lisa asked curiously.
"I was told he liked to play hide and seek."
"Most kids do," Jude nodded as his young friend blushed.
"Yes but apparently he found some really interesting places to hide, like a tree."
"You didn't!" Lisa looked at the older Conrad in shock.
"Well I was running out of hiding places and they were good at finding me."
"Yes. Padre told me of how you hid in trees when I tried to hide in a tree also. Problem is I fell and broke my ankle."
"Ouch," Conrad grimaced in sympathy.
"I'm guessing you were grounded after that stunt," Jude chuckled imagining Alicia punishing him.
"Don't remind me," the young man said wrily, "never climbed a tree again either. Mind you I did try to argue that Conrad had done it but the response I got was Conrad was younger when he did it and I was old enough to know better."
"How old were you?" Lisa asked the fair day haired man.
"Not sure."
"He was five," the teen offered, "I was eight."
"So what are you doing with yourself?" Jude decided to change the topic.
"Well I left school early so I could get an apprenticeship with my Uncle. I've always wanted to be a Mechanic."
"It's good that you have something you're passionate about," Conrad commented taking a liking to the teenager, "the best job is when you get paid to do work you love."
"Exactly," the youngest Conrad grinned broadly, "that is what I told my parents when I decided to leave school. Luckily they understood."
"Your mother is a very special lady," Conrad became serious as a cab pulled up, "she made my childhood worthwhile."
"Funny she says you made her job at the mansion worthwhile," the teen contradicted, "and she doesn't exaggerate."
"Take my card," Conrad ignored the implied compliment and handed over a card with all his details, "if ye ever need anything, anything at all let me know."
"I will," the teenager smiled and offered his hand, "I am so glad to meet you. I've spent years hearing about you."
"Yeah well sorry about that," Conrad shook hands as he picked up his gearbag.
"If ye're ever in Atlanta drop by Chastain Memorial," Jude instructed as he shook hands, "and you can tell me some more tales of Conrad as a kid."
"Jude!" Conrad rolled his eyes and nodded to the pair before heading down the steps.
"I might just do that!" the teenager shouted after the men, illiciting a thumbs up from the Surgeon and a groan from his namesake.
tbc
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Perseverance (The Resident FF) by Frances51163
FanfictionConrad Hawkins has to contend with a longstanding eye problem which he tries to hide from his friends and colleagues due to his father drumming it into him as a child that illnesses and injuries are proof of weakness. His friends try to teach hi...
