Perseverance (The Resident FF) by Frances51163

CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE: A Peaceful Day

By the time Jude had explained Conrads' condition to Bronson and persuaded the cautious Doctor to give him two ampules of morphine thirty minutes had passed, thirty minutes in which thoughts of Wilson on the loose had been on replay in the background of his thoughts. If the Police couldn't predict the mans' actions to any degree it meant the fugitive was an unknown danger. The quick trip to the grocery store down the street had not eased his mind any as he overheard locals discussing the fugitive in hushed tones. One more stop to pick up essential items for the unexpected trip and he headed back to his vehicle. The trip back up the mountain was made in much quicker fashion than the sedate trip down. Retrieving the two brown paper bags from the boot he hurried inside as a fresh deluge began to fall. Quickly depositing the bags on the kitchen island he headed down the hall and quietly opened the door, smiling in relief when he found his friend still sleeping. Chiding himself he returned to the kitchen/living area and decided he was being over protective. This was a big place to get lost in and Wilson would be keeping well out of the way if he had any sense. He decided to make a coffee and then settled down to read a John Grisham thriller he had plucked from a well stocked shelf as the rains battered the windows. The forecasters were now saying the heavy rain would stay for another couple of days. They also expected high winds and cautioned against travelling outside unless really necessary. The tall trees surrounding the secluded property, at a safe distance, were already swaying as the winds picked up.

It was four hours later that Conrad emerged slowly from his room in stockinged feet wearing jeans and a new thick jumper Jude had picked up for him while out. His hair was wet after a shower and he still looked pale, his eyes bruised from pain despite the second morphine shot.

"Thanks for this," the fair haired man clutched the warm dark green jumper in gratitude, "where did you find it?"
"There's a few shops down past the clinic. I picked up some underwear and other stuff," Jude rose watching his companion noting he was still clearly in a lot of pain.
"Yeah, found the boxers," the Resident walked over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator squinting from the light escaping from the cold storage area.
"Take a seat," Jude placed a hand on one shoulder and guided the surprisingly unresisting man over to a stool on the outside of the marble island, "you feel like a proper meal or something light?"
"What are you having?"
"Figured I'd do a Caesars Salad, still plenty of chicken left and I picked up anchovies, luckily Tom had nearly everything else in," the Surgeon walked back over to the still open refrigerator, "you fancy that?"
"Ah .... yeah thanks," Conrad fisted his eyes as if trying to rub out the pain, a futile effort obviously as he took his hands away with a sigh.
"You mentioned sometimes an episode can last longer than usual," Jude spoke as he took out a tray of icecubes and then rinsed out a facecloth he had ready before wrapping several of the mini freezing blocks in the material and taking out a dish, "here this might help a bit. At least until you get some food in your stomach for tablets. So how long does a normal episode last?"
"What's with all the questions?" Conrad accepted the cold relief gratefully and wasted no time in pressing his eyes to the soaked material, pulling the dish closer to catch any drips.
"Tell me," Jude began taking out the required ingredients, "I'd like to know."
"Didn't I tell you before?"
"Nope, maybe you told Mike," the older man suggested as he pushed a small plastic container full of croutons he had already made out of the way to give him room to concentrate on the salad dressing.
"Guess maybe 24-72 hours. There's no set time frame," Conrad walked over, still using the cool cloth over his left eye, and leant against the counter by his friend, "you really know what you're doing?"
"Hey I haven't poisoned you yet," Jude shook his head in mock chagrin as he quickly mixed the garlic, anchovies in a bowl before adding salt and then mashing the lot.
"What can I do?" Conrad had walked over to retrieve the dish and placed the wet cloth and cubes into it as he spoke as he took in the preparations, surprised to note two eggs already coddled.
"If you're sure you're up to it you can grate the cheese," Jude nodded to the block of parmesan cheese waiting on a chopping board, "so when an episode lasts longer what are we talking?"
"Four-five days ......... straight," Conrad shrugged nonchalantly as he began his task.
"You mean 24/7?" Jude paused as he reached for the lemon juice with a frown.
"Yeah."
"Hell Conrad I'm sorry."
"I don't need pity!" Conrad put down the knife he held and went to walk away but found his path blocked.
"Hey man it's not pity!" Jude hastily explained as he wiped his hands on a kitchen towel before placing a hand on the other mans' shoulder to ensure he had his full attention and knew he was speaking the truth, "you know me well enough buddy so don't insult our friendship. I meant I was sorry just like I said. You're my friend and I hate that you have had to live with that kind of pain since you were twelve and that you are still living with it. I'm allowed to say that aren't I?"
"Guess so," Conrad replied looking away from his companions' scrutiny, "sorry I just ....... don't want people pitying me."
"Well I can assure you I'll never pity you," Jude affirmed seriously before smiling, "now get back to chopping we have food to prepare."
"Hell this had better be good," Conrad groused and returned to his job.
"If it's not I'll blame your part," Jude grinned as he poured Worcestershire sauce into bowl before him and mixed it in, "bet you don't know where Caesars Salad emanated from?"
"I have a feeling I'm about to," Conrad spoke as he picked up the plate with the two eggs and passed it to his friend.
"Thanks," the Surgeon accepted the plate and emptied in the coddled eggs before picking up a whisk, "it's named after a Chef in Mexico, Caesar Cardini. He created it in his restaurant in Tijuana back in 1924 on a weekend when he was short of food. You know the saying, necessity is the mother of invention."
"How do you know all that?"
"Dated a Restauranteur once," the black haired man paused in his whisking with a dreamy expression, "she taught me a lot."
"I don't think I want to know," Conrad stated ruefully, "is there any black pepper?"
"Nope, have to do without."

"So when can we head off?"
"Head off?" Jude had assumed the other man was reconciled to staying where they were until his eyes calmed down and/or the weather cleared.
"Have you forgotten home?"
"Not at all," Jude insisted readily as he began to drizzle olive oil over his concoction while continuing to whisk, "but have you looked outside? It's too dangerous to head out today. Should clear up by tomorrow evening if we're lucky."
"Damn," Conrad cursed quietly as he eyed the rains coming down, he actually hadn't noticed due to the eye pain.
"Ran into the Officers we met yesterday," Jude put in as he stopped while his friend dropped in two tablespoons of cheese to the thick mixture, "turns out the guy from the clinic, John Wilson, he escaped."
"How did he manage that?" Conrad asked tiredly as he went back over to his stool and and sat down availing of the wet cloth again.
"He was being transported but there was an accident," Jude explained as a crack of thunder sounded in the distance, "anyway he's probably long gone by now."
"I don't know," Conrad rubbed his forehead and took the material away from his eyes to look over at his friend, "there was something going on with him."
"You think?"
"I mean I don't think things were quite as they seemed," Conrad made a face at his companions' sarcasm, "look at the way he treated me."
"Well it's not something we have to worry about," Jude chided even as he recalled his earlier worry, hopefully he was just suffering from an over active imagination.

tbc