Perseverance (The Resident FF) by Frances51163

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT:

Conrad couldn't risk things dragging on and hoped he was reading the gunman right. His anger seemed to have dissipated in the last few minutes as the full gravity of his situation sank in.

"Reckon now would be a good time to end this don't you think?"
"You anxious for a killing?"
"I'm anxious for you to get some sort of closure so that you can move on from this," Conrad gestured to the patient referring to all the hurt he had caused, "becoming like the person you hate isn't going to help you."
"This is the first time I have ever gotten physical with him," John glanced down at his sibling, "it was just the final straw. I've had to sell my house twice over him and yet he goes around and tells people lies about me. Making me out to be the bad guy."
"I don't know what that's like but I do know that people who know you will know the truth and as for anyone else who cares?"
"Easy for you to say!"
"Maybe," Conrad conceded as he stepped forward folding his arms, "but it's also the truth. If you really wanted to kill him he wouldn't have made it here."
"He never accepts responsibility for his actions," the gunman sighed as he relaxed his hold on the weapon, "and now I'm going to have to deal with mine."
"Guess that's the difference " the fair haired man noted holding out a hand cautiously, careful now to make any sudden movements, "let me take the gun."
"You're going to get me arrested," John pulled the weapon back towards his body as he spoke gruffly.
"I'm going to get you out of here alive."
"Guess you're being honest. You didn't say I wouldn't be arrested," John sighed heavily with a final look at the figure on the gurney, "okay. I'll trust you."
"Good," Conrad gratefully accepted the weapon with a sigh of relief knowing things could have turned out much worse.

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Two hours later Conrad found his relief had been trodden underfoot by friends and co-workers. Instead of expressing their gratitude that the matter had been dealt with without any loss of life he had spent time arguing that he had no choice but to talk with the distressed man. He glossed over the comments of suicidal tendencies and lack of self preservation which Mike and Thorpe both threw at him during a forty minute debriefing session he had been compelled to attend after giving a Witness Statement to the Police. After that he had dealt with Nics' fuming silence and Devons' concern in equal measures by firmly assuring both that everything was alright he had merely talked to the man and had not been threatened at any time. Nics' argument that the man had a gun which meant Conrad was under threat the whole time was brushed aside by the weary man and he decided to head off early, especially in view of the fact that Thorpe had told him to and he did not want to antagonize her any further. In all the commotion the Third Year Resident had forgotten about the Actor so when he stepped out of the locker room with his backpack in place he was surprised to see the handsome young man waiting for him.

"So you're heading home?"
"Had enough people yelling at me for one day," Conrad admitted quietly as he walked along the hallway.
"You want to finish our conversation?" Hills asked hopefully as they reached the foyer.
"Maybe another time. Besides haven't you got some kids to see?"
"Actually I've been to visit the wards. They're great kids," the Actor pulled off to the right of the glass entrance, "unfortunately people know I haven't left yet."
"How do you live like that?" Conrad looked out at the gathered Photographers.
"Make you a deal I'll tell you what my life has been like under the spotlight and you tell me something about your life."
"Look Steve you seem like a good guy but I don't want anyone using bits of my life to make a tv show. No offence."
"None taken," the Actor stated without rancour, "would still like to finish that chat though."
"Well you're persistent I'll say that for you," Conrad said around a yawn as he handed over his card, "if you're in town a few days give me a ring the day after tomorrow. I'm off then."
"Will do," Hills grinned as he turned around to head back in the opposite direction, "I'll take a side exit. Talk soon."
"Yeah," Conrad shook his head and was about to move for the door when a hand on his shoulder stayed his move, causing him to cringe internally.
"You really think I'm letting you go home by yourself?" Jude demanded with a knowing look.
"I'm a grown man!"
"Who's fit to fall down," the Surgeon observed as he pulled up the collar of his coat, "come on I'm driving."
"There's no need .......,"
"Shut up!"

In his apartment half an hour later the Third Year Resident sat on his couch holding a facecloth filled with ice cubes to his eyes as he leant his head back gratefully. Presently his eyes were beginning to get bad but he had taken some painkillers on arrival, ignoring his friends' watchful gaze, and hoped the frozen liquid would banish the impending episode. Mike no doubt would say it was brought about as a result of the stressful situation he had been in but as far as he was concerned it was just bad timing, one of those things. Conrad had found that one of the the worst things about having a physical ailment should could not be diagnosed and therefore treated, was that people in the medical professional tried to offload the condition into the sphere of psychological rather than physical pain. Problem was however Conrad knew the condition was organic in nature. His eyes had been mangled during good times and bad. The episodes didn't only occur during times of stress they occurred when he was having good times. A sigh left him as the coolness penetrated his eyelids and forehead. The couch dipping beside him reminded him he was not alone, although he had done a good job of ignoring his friend on the way here. He sighed this time in despair. He just wanted to be by himself. What was so wrong with that?

"You need to eat something with the meds," Jude said patting his friends' left shoulder gently to get his attention.
"It's okay ...... I ....,'
"Come on the food will get cold," the black haired man stood up and tugged his friend, albeit gently.
"Food?" Conrad reluctantly took the cold compress from his eyes and squinted at his friend.
"Yeah pizza will have to do I'm afraid," Jude kept pace with the pale man on the way to the kitchen counter, "it's all you had in the fridge."
"Right," Conrad took a stool cautiously as he lowered himself down eyeing the hot cheese and tomato concoction before him, he hadn't heard the microwave, maybe he wasn't as with it as he thought.
"I'll go to the grocery later," Jude stated as he munched on a mouthful of pizza.
"Jude I can do a shop when I need to."
"Humour me."
"Damn I don't know why you waste your time on me," Conrad confided eyeing his glass of milk rather than his friend.
"Hey being with you is not wasting my time," Jude insisted firmly as he frowned, "tell me this if I was unwell would you consider it a waste of time being with me?"
"Course not!" Conrad put a hand up to his head as he spoke too loudly for the throbbing in his skull.
"Well then it's the same for me buddy," Jude sipped from his bottle of beer wondering just how many times they would have to rehash this conversation, "now eat up, then you can lie down for a while."
"Yes Pa!"

The Surgeon looked across at his squinting young friend wondering if he was ever going to succeed in getting him to accept that he was worthy of friendship and being looked after. Even after the past few months of relevations he knew his friend still held secrets locked inside. Jude just hoped his constant presence and that of his other friends would eventually unleash some if not all of those secrets and allow Conrad to move on without their chains dragging him down.

tbc