2007-05-29: Scottish For No

Starring:

Lachlan_icon.gif Benjamin_icon.gif Cass_icon.gif

Summary: Benji goes to see Cass with a get-well-present, and upsets a Scotsman.

Date It Happened: May 29th, 2007

Log Title Scottish For No


Cass's Hospital Room

They say bad news travels fast. However, in this case, news was a little slow to get to Benjamin. He's on friendly terms with Cass, surely not friendly enough to warrant a hospital visit, but that's just the kind of guy Benji is. Taking the time out of his work day, he makes his way up to Cass's hospital room, a bouquet of colorful gerbera daisies in hand. Hospital visits warrant flowers, chocolates or get well cards. Right? He'd feel bad if he came empty handed, so here he is. At the door to Cass's room, he knocks softly and waits for permission to enter.

The permission is granted by a voice that is very much /not/ Cass'. Lachlan managed to talk a nurse into hooking up the TV in this room, so now he's watching some sort of action movie while the bookseller lays passed out in the bed next to him. "C'm in," he calls to the knocker, not bothering to look up. There are plenty of get-well cards and a few balloons and flowers already set up on the side table, but there's room for more. The chair occupied by Lachlan is starting to get a lived-in feel. There's a bag next to him that holds a few goodies from home, and right now there's a cheeseburger on his knee.

Benjamin recognizes that voice! No surprise the Scotsman is here! That's a weird relationship he would have a hard time wrapping his head around.. if he were to sit and contemplate. At the all clear to enter, he opens the door slowly, poking his head in first, before the rest of his body following suit. "Hi, uhm, I heard about what happened.. Is it true she was gunned down by the mafia in a mistaken hit?" Cause.. wow. Then again.. "'Cause my daughter has a tendancy to exaggerate when she gets excitable.. that's who I heard about this from."

It takes a moment of squinting for Lachlan to recognize Benjamin, but then he frowns a bit. What the hell is this guy doing here? The Scotsman clicks off the TV and peers at the other man with a bit of distrust. Cass said he was good and she trusts him, but Cass trusts a lot of people — like that crazy blonde woman that tore Peter apart in the store. "Nah, wasna the mafia," he grunts. "Was just a mugger." He nods his head toward the woman in question. "She's sleepin'." Duh.

"Oh good.. Not that being /shot/ is good.." Realizing he's about to start babbling, the bouquet of flowers is held out for Lachlan to take, "Oh, ah, I got her these. Don't know where you want them. I can see she's got lots of gifts already." Benji glances over at Cass, seeing that she is indeed, sleeping, and asks, "How's she doing? She's really nice, and I hate that something bad happened to her." If Lachlan distrusts his presence here, Ben's clueless.

Maybe it's best that Benji remain clueless. Lachlan certainly doesn't /hate/ the man, but he's definitely wary. The Scotsman wraps his cheeseburger again and stands to take the offered flowers, examining them with a lifted eyebrow. He's never understood the sentiment of flowers, but hey. Whatever makes a woman happy, right? "Yeah." He moves to the side table to place the flowers in an open spot, steps back to view it (read: make sure nothing is going to fall off), then returns his attention to Benjamin. "She's a'righ'. Docs dinna think she was gonna make it fer a bit there, but she'll be fine."

Benjamin's eyes widen and he looks even more concerned at the initial dire prognosis. "So.. she's.. gonna be okay then? No danger of y'know.. dying or anything bad like that? And what about the jerk that shot her? Have they been found? I hope they get found. The nice people always seem to get hurt."

"Yeah, she'll be a'righ'. Down fer a bit, but she'll live an' she'll no' have any permanent pro'lems 'r nothin'." The important thing is that she'll live, though. Lachlan glances over at the sleeping Cass again, then rolls his neck. "Nah, they've no' found 'im yet, but they will." 'They' not necessarily meaning the police, but he doesn't give any indication to the contrary.

Benjamin phews, and looks relieved. He genuinely likes Cass. "She's a nice lady, I'm glad that she'll recover fine. Have the police got any leads?" It doesn't even occur to Ben to even suspect that Lach would exact vigilante justice. In his happy little world, people go to the authories and trust them to handle the situation!

In Lachlan's happy little world, vigilante justice is the /only/ justice. But people like Benji and their happy little worlds make it possible for the Lachlans of the /real/ world to do their vigilante thing without getting caught. "Nah, I've no' heard nothin'." Things like this, it's rare for the police to find anything. That's why vigilante justice is the /only/ justice. But getting away from the subject: "How's yer mum?"

"Man.. that's just.. awful. You guys got a description right? The police should find something soon. It's like been a week, or close enough." Benjamin looks over at Cass, frowning with concern at the woman. He really doesn't like seeing people hurt. At the question of his mother, he blinks and looks over at Lachlan. Was that a joke or something? "Uh, she's alright. She hasn't been sat on by anyone else if that's what you mean."

Well, that's not what Lachlan meant, actually, but. "Yeah, got a description." Which he'll use for his own purposes, of course. "S'good ta hear she's a'righ'. Tell 'er I'm sorry 'bout tha'. Sittin' on 'er." Even though /she/ should be apologizing to /him/ for beating him with a gigantic purse. He totally didn't do anything to warrant it. Sitting on her and using her boobs as pillows was a form of compliment.

"She knows you were drunk, just y'know, she tends to act first, ask questions later.." That's obviously where Rose gets her temperament. From Grandma Winters. Benjamin doesn't think mama owes Lach an apology, but oh well, water under the bridge! "We kinda just laugh about it now. Your sister thought it was funny too.. Oh! Yeah, how is she? I got to meet her a couple of weeks ago. Very nice and likeable."

Benjamin was doing good, up until the mention of his sister. Instantly, any genial feelings Lachlan was starting to have toward the man vanish. It's not that he doesn't /like/ his sister — it's that he loves her and no man should ever be speaking about her ever. His expression becomes very stony and cold. "Fine," he states bluntly. "Yeah. She is." You stay away from her.

Benjamin is clueless. He's sort of a modern thinking man. He did the whole meet and greet thing with his ex-wife's family before marrying, but never y'know, had to do the whole ask for permission thing. Folks just really don't do that these days. So, Ben just figures Lachlan's touchy cause someone shot his girlfriend, which is understandable. The accountant goes forth, "I realize this isn't the best time to ask this.. but while I'm talking to you.." In a slightly nervous fidget, he raises a hand to scratch at his ear, "But I was gonna ask her for her number at the time, but kinda lost my nerve .. uh .. could I get it from you? Or I could give you my number to pass on to her?"

He … he … /what/? He /what/? HE /WHAT/? Lachlan is utterly dumbfounded. He stares at Benji as if the man just asked him to drop his drawers, turn his head, and cough. There's nothing but dead silence for several awkward seconds, during which time Lachlan considers his options, not the /least/ of which is knocking Benjamin's teeth down his throat and hurling him out the door. After all that, however, the Scotsman can think of only one thing to say: "Y— ye want wha' now?"

Benjamin does seem to have the presence of mind to realize he made a faux pas. "I'm sorry, this is obviously a bad time. I should have waited for a more tactful time to ask." So instead of asking again, he pulls out a small notepad from the pocket of his suit jacket and scribbles down his phone number. "For your sister, if she wants to call me that is." There. More polite to offer and then wait, rather than make a call that she may not want.

The faux pas was not the timing; it was the asking in the /first place/. This … it … /what/. Lachlan is still completely floored by this sudden revelation. Completely. /Utterly/. /Floored/. And he doesn't seem to snap out of his trance until Benjamin's handing him a piece of paper with his number on it. Then? Then the slack-jawed Scotsman suddenly springs to life. Because Benjamin is Company, that makes him even /less/ suited to be giving his number to Megan. The fact that he's male already put him at a disadvantage. Lachlan's hand suddenly snaps out to slap the piece of paper away, while the other comes up to poke Benjamin in the chest. The dog trainer takes a step or two forward to put himself right up in the other man's face as well. "Who the /bloody fuck/ d'ye think ye are?!" he demands angrily. "Ye think yer just gonna waltz in here an' start passin' yer number ta m'sister like mebbe yer /good enough/ fer 'er? /Piss off/, ye bloody /ponce/!"

Benjamin thought he was rather polite and humble about asking. Despite the bad timing.. cause well, that's what he thought this was about.. until Lachlan's slapping the paper away, he's getting poked in the chest and there's a livid Scotsman in his face. WHAT. "Uh… what.. Sorry.. I… Okay.. maybe.. look.. I just wanted to maybe ask her out for coffee or something.. so I thought while you're here, and she was mentioned.. and maybe I'm not good enough.." Cause he certainly wasn't good enough for his ex-wife, then there was Angie.. whom he's second guessing himself about, cause she left too. "Sorry, I just thought.. if she didn't want to, then she wouldn't call.. I'm not sure what you meant by the last bit, but I guess it's not good.. and you're gonna wake up Cass.." Meaning, you're getting loud and scary sir. And he's stammering, and babbling. Help! Scary Scotsman!

As far as Lachlan can tell, Cass is out cold with painkillers. He /can't/ wake her up. And his sister's honor is at stake here. "/Yer bloody RIGH' yer no' good enough/!" he bellows. "Askin' 'er out ta coffee! The /fu— … fu— …" Whoa. Suddenly Lachlan's feeling a bit groggy. Woozy. He blinks, shakes his head roughly, and rubs at his eyes. Bloody— ! What the hell? Did he get injected accidentally or something? "Yer … yer no' seein' m'sister. No' when yer werkin' with /them/."

Benjamin blinks and backs away, hands up in a defensive gesture. He doesn't wanna get hit by pissed off brother! .. then at the sudden onset of the sleepies, oh honey bunches of oats. "Sorry! I didn't mean to lose control just now, but you're scaring me!" What? Wait. *blink* "Working with who? You don't like accountants? Well I can't blame you much.. but I work for a good firm! Been there since college!" Or is Lach babbling with the sleepytime feeling?

Lachlan is too groggy to be exasperated that Benjamin is not understanding who /they/ are. Accountants? No. He doesn't give a damn about them. "Nah, the … the bloody /Company/," he growls. "Dunna try ta play dumb with me. Heard wha' ye said 'bout Cass' dad." And he knows what Cass' dad does. He's met the man. Cass has told him.

Benjamin keeps his distance from Lachlan. Yeah. Best course of action next to running from the room and for his life. Or rather to keep the babymakers intact. ".. Company? I don't work for them!" Is /that/ why Lachlan doesn't like him? Huh. "Who said I did? Her dad was my doctor when they took me in." Nah, it wasn't kidnapping exactly.. it was for his own good! He's better off for it!

… wait. What? Once again, Lachlan can only stare, eyes lidding as he fights back the sleep. He's starting to grow a little more aware, but it's a difficult process. After a beat, he frowns a bit. "Oh." That's all he says. At least for another few moments. Then he clears his throat and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans, scowling. "/Well ye migh' o' mentioned tha' b'fore/." Because it is clearly all Benjamin's fault that he had this misconception. Huff. Now he's not quite sure /what/ to think. It's not like Benjamin's a bad guy in and of himself. It's the Company stuff the Scotsman was wary about.

".. I don't go around telling folks that I got taken to a hospital cause I have an ability.." OBVIOUSLY.. Lach knows about abilities, cause otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned the Company. RIGHT? Remaining wary, Benjamin keeps his distance, throwing looks over at Cass every so often to make sure she isn't being disturbed. "So why would I have mentioned that.. look sorry about the whole sleep thing.. It should wear off shortly.. so.. I guess I still can't talk to your sister then?"

Well … well. Well. Lachlan frowns deeply, obviously quite conflicted. But. Benjamin didn't say anything /lewd/ about his sister, and he doesn't seem to have bad intentions. Hell, he acts like he's some sort of middle schooler. If the guy didn't have a daughter, the Scotsman would bet money he didn't know what tab goes into what slot. So after several moments' consideration, he rolls his shoulders a gruffs out, "'F she wants ta talk ta ye. But ye better no' fuck with 'er 'r hurt 'er."

Benjamin does in fact know what goes where! He's just.. shy, and a little too proper. "Okay, well.. the number's there.. when you knocked it out of my hand so.. uhm.. I'm gonna be going now. Sorry again about making you sleepy. I haven't lost control in awhile and you scared me.. I've been trying to reverse it, but.." Still. Too nervous. "So.. it'll wear off after a bit I'm sure." Baaacking up for the door, he reaches it, opens 'er up and ducks out into the hallway. Wow. Uncomfortable now!

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