Author/pseudonym: MonaCK and Cathy Roberts
Email address: monaCK2@yahoo.com and huntersglenn@yahoo.com
Rating: NC-17
Status: Finished
Pairing: John Carter/Luka Kovac/Dave Malucci
Date: February 22, 2004
Archive: Please ask first
Series: 41/?
Category: "E.R."
Disclaimer: "ER" and all its characters belong to Warner Bros. No infringement of their copyright is intended. This story was written for the enjoyment of "ER" fans everywhere, and may be downloaded for your own pleasure. The title of the story was inspired by the Jimmy Buffett song of the same name, and no infringement is intended. The story can be found on the following web sites: http://www.heresmona.com/fanfic.html
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Boutique/7087/, and
http://www.errealmofslash.com
Summary: It's a slashy A/U story about how Season 8 might have been and contains no spoilers for the current season.
"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes, Part 41"
By MonaCK and Cathy Roberts
Having made the journey to the Carter estate back when John's grandfather had died, Abby was mildly surprised to find herself still awed at the houses she passed as her car drew nearer to the house. This was definitely 'money' country, she mused, and yet all that money wasn't keeping something from happening with John. And that bothered her, not just that something *was* happening with John, but that she had no idea what it was. That morning, when she had asked Luka how John was feeling, he had been distant, simply telling her that John was probably much better, so she had to accept that answer at face value. But when Luka had left early, rushing out after receiving a call from Mrs. Carter, Abby began to worry. Especially since Luka's rushed explanation of 'Something's come up at the house...it's too much to explain now', coupled with the worry, and, yes, fear, in his eyes, chilled her to the bone.
As Abby pulled onto the long drive that led to the Carter house, she mused that she could have called to find out what was going on with John. But then she wouldn't be able to actually see him and determine for herself if he was okay. Or Luka, for that matter. And then there was Dave Malucci. Trouble making bastard, she bitterly thought. Why the Hell did he have to show up and screw up what was happening between John and Luka? Or was he not quite the threat that Luka had made him out to be? That was something Abby hoped to discover for herself.
She parked her car, then made her way to the front door, where she rang the bell and waited. She was sure it would be a butler, but would it be the same one that had admitted her on the day of the funeral? John had often mentioned 'Henry, the night butler', so Abby reasoned that meant there was a day butler around somewhere. Hell, maybe there was a 'morning butler' and 'afternoon butler', too? And of course, maids to go along with them. All those people just for Carter and his grandmother. It staggered the mind.
The door opened and Abby found herself facing the same man who had admitted her into the house before, an older African-American gentleman, yet Abby had no idea if he was "Henry' or someone else and she sure as Hell wasn't asking. Pushing away her curiosity, she smiled warmly at the man, who seemed to have to force himself to smile back at her. That wasn't good. If the staff was upset, then there most definitely was something unpleasant going on. Had John relapsed? Tried to kill himself? Her heart in her throat, Abby finally managed to speak. "I'm Abby Lockhart. I work with John Carter and Luka Kovac at County General. Are they in?"
The man slowly nodded, then stood aside to let Abby into the house. "If you'll wait in the music room, I'll inform Dr. Kovac that you're here." He escorted her to the doorway of the music room, then disappeared into the bowels of the house. Nervous and worried, Abby wandered around the room until she found herself in front of a painting of two little boys, one of whom was obviously John. The other one she assumed to be his brother, Bobby. It obviously wasn't a painting that they had posed for, as John was fishing and Bobby was doing something else. Painted from memory or a photograph, she imagined.
Luka wasn't sure how long he had been asleep for, but when he finally woke up the lighting in the room had changed, which indicated to him that the hour was much later. He had gotten up, and taken a quick shower. Afterwards, he felt much better, and he was intending on going in, and apologizing to John for running out on him earlier. He was also curious as to exactly what had occurred after he had left.
He tapped lightly on John's slightly open door, and when he didn't answer, Luka cracked the door open a bit further, and then quickly shut it when he looked at the scene on the bed in front of him. Dave & John -- sleeping together, their arms wrapped around each other. Well, that was very interesting indeed. Luka felt not quite as sad as he thought that he would, though it was quite evident to him who John felt most comfortable being with.
Luka made his way down the long staircase, and was about to walk into the kitchen to see about some food when he heard Millicent Carter's voice call to him from the study. Thankfully, John's parents were nowhere to be found, and the doctors seemed to have left for the evening. Millicent updated Luka on the situation, including letting him know that they had been unable to arrest and hold Jenny because the length of time that had passed since the crime had been committed meant that John was the only one who could press charages against her, and right then, he obviously wasn't able to do so.
That had boggled Luka's mind. And he was sitting with Millicent, trying to figure out what might be the best course of action, when the butler interrupted them.
"An Abby Lockhart to see you, Dr. Kovac; in the music room," the butler informed him, and then disappeared from the study. Luka bid Millicent goodbye, and then headed off towards the music room to find Abby.
Standing in the doorway, he observed her for just a moment before speaking, noting how nervous she seemed just being here. Luka's exit from the hospital earlier had been rather abrupt, and Luka was sure that Abby was curious as to the situation. "You look like you are lost in thought," he finally said, stepping into the room. As she turned around to look at him, his smiled softly. "I have to say...I'm surprised to see you here."
Abby's gaze took in Luka's appearance with even more worry than she had felt before. The man looked like Hell, and that made her even more afraid about whatever it was that was going on with John. But, she knew Luka and knew that he wasn't going to just stand there and tell her everything that was going on -- not at first, anyway. She smiled back at him. "What you said when you left worried me, and I didn't think I could get any straight answers about John if I called, so here I am." She gestured at the painting behind her. "I was just looking at the painting. Hard to believe John was ever that young, isn't it? How old do you think he is there? Ten, eleven?"
"You're a smart woman," Luka said, smiling once more as he walked over closer to her. His eyes took in the painting that Abby indicated. "Well...his brother was still alive, and not looking very sick, so John was probably nine or ten years old. There are some days when John seems to *be* that very age," Luka found himself saying as he looked away. Hard to believe that it was at around that age that the man had lost his virginity...to that...that maid that Luka wanted to kill. That maid who had gotten away with child abuse.
Abby shook her head. "I think he's older. They didn't pose for this painting. See?" Abby pointed out the different backgrounds behind the two boys. "This is from photographs. I'd bet it was commissioned after Bobby died, or even later. Wasn't John's cousin an artist of some type?" Abby had thought that John had told her that Chase not only took photographs but also painted. She began to look for the artist's signature, but when she found it, it wasn't Chase Carter. Oh, well, maybe she'd remember to ask John about it.
Shaking his head, Luka turned towards Abby once more. "Why don't you have a seat? Can I get you anything to drink? Eat?" Luka knew he was avoiding the topic for now. He would talk soon, but at that moment, Luka was still processing everything.
Abby wasn't sure about sitting on anything in the room -- it all looked fragile, and she didn't want anything to eat. She did want a beer or some other form of alcohol, but she beat that desire down. She had thrown away six years of sobriety over nothing and wasn't going to compromise her new start. "If you're hungry, then I'll sit with you while you eat, but if not, then maybe we can take a walk outside? It's a nice evening out there, and it looks as if the sunset will be magnificent." Getting Luka out of the house would definitely make it easier for her to get him to talk with her and tell her just what had been going on.
Luka thought about this for only a moment, before nodding. "I think going for a walk is a very good idea." Luka needed to get out of the house for a little while. He literally felt like the walls were closing in around him, and he would suffocate if he had to stay in for much longer. Turning towards Abby, he hesitated for one more moment, and then extended his hand so he could guide her outside.
Luka wanted to hold her hand? Where had that come from, Abby thought with surprise, but she let him envelope her hand within his and they went out the front door. "Which way? I know where the garden is, because that's where I found John when I came here after his grandfather's funeral, but that's the only place I know. Hey, did they ever repair that birdbath? The one his grandfather hit?" Abby asked, intent on filling Luka's mind with unimportant chit-chat so he'd relax. As much as she wanted to know what was wrong with John, or going on with him, Abby knew that she had to be patient if she wanted the full answers.
Luka chuckled. "Well...does me saying that I never knew that the bird bath was broken answer your question?" he asked as he gazed towards Abby. They began to walk in the direction of the lake that was on the Carter property, slowly, as Luka turned everything over in his mind.
"John...is not in very good shape," Luka finally said, when they were some distance from the house. "But, I think that he's going to be alright. At least I hope so. He's got a lot of...demons that he's faced...but he's got a good support system around him now. I...I think that Dave is going to be the central part of his recovery..."
They stopped at a bench, and Luka motioned for Abby to sit down, and then he took his place by her side. "The...the more I think about it, I...I'm not patient enough, or well equipped enough to handle some of his problems. But Dave...I..I don't know how he does it. I'm beginning to realize more and more, that Dave really *really* cares for John...in ways that I don't think that I'm capable of doing. I'm wondering if what I've felt for John is really love for him, or just a need to take care of him, to protect him like a parent protects a child...
Once Luka began to speak, things came out of his mouth that he hadn't intended on saying. For some reason, even though they were no longer together, Luka trusted Abby. He trusted her very much.
Abby supposed she should have felt sad for Luka that the love he thought he had felt for John wasn't the romantic kind after all. But she didn't. Instead she found herself somewhat relieved that Luka had reached that conclusion, despite the fact that she had been a supporter of them as a couple. It pained her to see Luka ruthlessly assessing himself and she gently squeezed his hand. "John's got that aura about him that makes people want to take care of him. He tries so hard to come across as competent and able, and totally in control of everything around him, but inside he's just a scared little boy looking for approval and love. I saw that about him a long time ago," Abby admitted.
She looked out over the lake. "You said that John faced a lot of demons...does that mean he relapsed or worse?" Abby was still afraid that John had tried to kill himself, and, so far, Luka hadn't really said anything to take away that particular fear. Knowing that John was in bad shape, but going to be okay, didn't exactly relieve her fears.
Luka shook his head. "John had a nervous breakdown. He didn't hurt himself, not purposely...he did not relapse, though I'm sure he wanted to. He's under the care of doctors...and he's going to be okay. But it's going to take a lot of time," Luka said as he stared straight out over the water. He squeezed Abby's hand once more, feeling comfort from holding it. "And I'm not the one who is strong enough to stand by his side..."
"There's nothing wrong with not being strong enough, Luka," Abby said. "What's wrong is when people claim to be strong enough and then disappear." She turned her head to look at him. "Despite what you said yesterday, I just can't see how this situation with you and Dave would be enough to make John have a breakdown of any kind. There's got to be something else bothering him, something he isn't telling anyone. I know John well enough to know that just being torn between two lovers wouldn't do that to him." If Luka knew that John was under the care of doctors, which she figured was Luka-speak for psychiatrists, then perhaps Luka could urge them to delve deeper until they found all the answers.
Luka looked over towards Abby, and then back out towards the water. "There is...are other...details...other things, but I really can't talk about them," he said as he watched a bird swoop down onto the water to fish for it's dinner. "I can't talk about them, but suffice it to say that his doctors know about them...and they are going to help him in any way that they can. The problems between Dave and myself were only the...uh...how do you say...topping of the cupcake..?"
Abby smiled sadly. "The icing on the cake," she gently corrected him. Inside though, she was raging against Luka's ethics and how they were keeping her from knowing what was going on with John. If she pushed Luka to confide in her, Abby knew he'd only get angry and upset, so that option was out of the question. She struggled to think of everything she knew about John, and what might be bad enough to make him have any kind of a breakdown. If it was related to the stabbing, then Luka would have said so, and he didn't. By keeping quiet, Luka was basically letting Abby know that it was something very personal, and probably quite harsh.
Then her mind stumbled over something John had said a few months back, when they were all at a sexual harassment seminar and discussing how they lost their virginity. John had said he had been eleven and that it had happened with the maid, who he thought might have been twenty-five. Abby remembered how her and Susan had laughed at that idea, knowing that John was kidding around. But now...now, she wasn't so sure, and she decided to see if she and Susan had been wrong that day.
"It's that maid, isn't it? The one he mentioned in the seminar? The one we all thought he was joking about when we were talking about how old we were when we lost our virginity?" Abby looked intently at Luka, looking for a sign of confirmation or denial of her theory and hoping that if would be denial. "He wasn't joking, was he?"
"I never thought he was joking," Luka said, his voice quiet as he turned away from her once more. "And no...he wasn't." Abby had basically nailed it right on the head, but how much should Luka disclose? "There...was a bit of a confrontation today...about the...incident, and John's latest breakdown was a result of it...and I can't really share any more than that, Abby. I think I've already said too much..."
Abby's hand tightened around Luka's as the reality of what he was saying hit her. Her mind immediately called up the image of that boy in the painting, looking so young and innocent. And some pervert tried to take that away from John. As tears began to sting her eyes, Abby got to her feet, abruptly letting go of Luka's hand as she took a few steps toward the water. "I guess he really is just a scared little boy inside, isn't he?" she said, not really caring if Luka could hear her or not. She wasn't going to turn around to face him, wasn't going to let him see her crying over something she couldn't do anything about.
Luka watched her for a moment, realizing that her mind was only beginning to absorb what had taken Luka weeks to assimilate into his head. And as Abby spoke, he could hear in her voice just how upset this news had made her. He stood then, and walked up behind her. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, he spoke once more. "That is very, very much what he is like, like a scared little boy. John grew up before his time, and when he has these...breakdowns, he regresses to age eleven..." Luka's eyes were drawn back towards the water then. "My own children...had they survived...Marko wouldn't have been far from the same age as John when...when it all took place..."
Abby nodded, but she didn't trust herself to say anything else. Instead she found herself turning around and burying her face in Luka's chest as sobs overtook her.
Luka was quite surprised when Abby burst into tears, emotion was not something that she showed a lot of -- especially to him. Those types of feelings had in the past been saved for John...but John was no longer an option for her.
His arms went around her, and Luka found himself drawing her in. And out of instinct he planted a soft kiss on the top of Abby's head. "It's going to be all right," he said, his voice soft and soothing. "Everything is going to be alright..."
Abby shook her head. "I don't have the right to cry about this. John's the one who was hurt, not me. I just...feel so helpless, Luka. I know you said that he's got a support system around him, and Dave's there and all, but there's nothing I can do to help him," Abby sniffled as she tried to pull herself together.
Luka pulled back slightly, and used his thumb to wipe a stray tear off of her face. "I'm feeling helpless myself. I'm on the inside, as they say, and I can see the writing on the wall...that John has already made his decision to be with Dave, and honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've...I've been thinking of a lot of other things lately...why I made the decisions that I made, why I said the things that I did, things that I regret..."
Luka shook his head, unsure if this was the time or place, but it did seem like a good time to be disclosing things. "I'm sorry for all those awful things I said to you last year when...when we broke up."
Abby looked up at Luka and gently smiled. "I knew back then that you were sorry, even though you couldn't say it. I'm sorry, too. We both said some pretty ugly things. Do you know what John said when I tried to ask him out after that? He told me that I wasn't over you. Maybe he saw more than we did. Of course, he was also with Dave back then, or, rather, at the end of that relationship, so that might have had something to do with him turning me down." Abby suddenly looked down at her feet and chuckled. "I remember you said that John could have me, not in those exact words, but...who would have ever thought it would have been John having you, even for a little while?"
A smile flickered over Luka's lips. "I've often thought about the irony of all of that, that I was fighting him for you...and it turned out that I was the one who ended up being with him for a while. But, I..." Luka turned away again, focusing his eyes across the water as he spoke. "I'm reasonably sure that it's over now between myself and John. And...maybe...I don't know if this is jumping into things, but I would very much like to try to be friends with you again, Abby...and see if maybe if we can try to rebuild what we had before, only better this time? Maybe, I can convince you to talk to me when you are worried about something...?"
He looked down towards Abby once more, his hands still wrapped around her. It was quite comfortable being there with her in that way.
Abby looked back up at Luka. The intensity she saw in his eyes almost took her breath away, and she found herself wanting the same things. "That would be nice, although I think we have been friends this past year, Luka. I think that's where we messed up the first time. We just jumped into bed and into a relationship without building a friendship first. I think we've shared more with each other as friends than we ever did as lovers, but I have to admit that at times I miss being your lover," she said with a smile.
Luka bit his lip as his eyes swept over her body. "I have to admit...it was very nice being in your bed. Things...nice things happened when we were in bed together, and maybe you are right, maybe if we try to work towards something...we *can* have something special. When I haven't been thinking about John, my thoughts have been on you. Wondering how you were, things like that."
Abby nodded and her smile turned into a knowing grin. "Oh, I've thought quite a bit about you...wondering if there was something wrong with me that made my ex-boyfriend and would-be boyfriend turn from me and to each other. Glad to know that my female attributes haven't gone to waste after all."
Luka quickly shook his head. "I never stopped being attracted to you, Abby. When things were really ugly between us...I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking, but now, maybe everything is a little bit different. I..." Luka decided to stop thinking so much, and he delicately brought his lips down onto hers, kissing Abby softly. "That was something I missed, your kisses."
Abby felt that old familiar thrill run through her body as Luka's lips met hers. "I've missed yours, too," she replied, and then she wrapped her arms around Luka's neck, holding him in place while she kissed him back. It seemed terribly ironic that the two of them could finally come to their senses on a day when John's world was falling apart, but Abby hoped that, as his friends, she and Luka together could do more to help John than they could ever do separately.
***************
Dave wasn't sure how long he was laying there awake, but it must have been hours. He had to use the bathroom, but he didn't want to move or disturb John in any way. John was sleeping so nicely, nestled in his arms, that Dave didn't dare disturb him for something as unimportant as bodily functions. Though, need was going to outtake want if the man didn't awaken soon.
He had witnessed Luka opening the door, and shutting it again. As soon as Dave realized the door was opening, he had shut his eyes, hoping that whomever it was would get the hint that they shouldn't be disturbed, and leave. And that was just what had happened, only Dave had caught a glimpse of the person trying to enter the room as he shut the door. Dave was happy that Luka had left -- maybe the man would get the hint -- but that really wasn't Dave's decision to make, he knew that now.
Dave shifted a bit uncomfortably in the bed, but did not dislodge himself from John's embrace. His bladder would just have to wait.
John slowly became aware of the warm body next to his, and he snuggled closer to that warmth, secure in the knowledge that it was Dave he was nestled against. Dave hadn't left him once he had fallen asleep and that meant a lot to John. It was there in the back of his mind that his grandiose scheme of using a coin toss to choose between Luka and Dave was no longer needed because the instant he had asked for Dave and not Luka, John knew in his heart that his choice had been made.
It was still going to be difficult to tell Luka that, though. On the other hand, it was something that Dave needed to hear as soon as possible. Opening his eyes, John blinked a few times, letting himself get used to being awake and making note of the diminishing light in the room. It was evening and the whole messy scene with Jenny had happened before noon, meaning John had been asleep for quite some time.
John moved carefully as he pulled slightly away from Dave's body, not wanting to awaken the man if he was asleep, but needing to reposition himself so he could see if Dave was awake. He smiled as he saw Dave's brown eyes looking at him, still full of concern, and, most importantly, full of love. "Hey." John's voice was just barely above a whisper, and he cleared his throat to try again. "You're a fine sight to wake up to."
A smile flickered on Dave's lips, and he couldn't help but reach out and brush a stray tuft of hair off of John's forehead. "Thank you," he said, as words mulled around his head. "I must say, I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours, layin' here, you in my arms..,gotta say, it was a mighty fine feelin." Dave was fully aware that he was going to have to get up sooner rather than late,. but he didn't want to run out of the room on John just yet.
"I wish it could have been under better circumstances," John said. "Still, I'm glad you stuck around." He reached out and ran his finger along Dave's jaw, outlining it. "I woke up with a revelation. Want to hear it?"
"A revelation, huh? Yeah, I'd be curious to see what's on your mind," he said, as reached his own fingers up to catch John's. "But, uh, as much as I wanna hear it...can it wait for just one minute while I run to the bathroom? If I don't take a piss, my eyeballs are gonna be swimmin' yellow," he said with a half smile as he quickly kissed John's hand. Bolting up in bed, he cast John an apologetic smile before running into the bathroom.
John couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Dave run around the bed and into the bathroom. He decided to get comfortable while Dave was gone so he sat up, fluffed the pillows and placed them against the headboard, then he sat back, making sure there would be plenty of room for Dave once he returned.
"Need any help in there or do you have everything under control?" John playfully asked since it seemed to him to be taking Dave a long time just to pee.
As Dave stood in front of the toilet, he made a mental note never to wait that long before going ever again. It seemed like he was pissing forever, and when John spoke, he laughed before answering. "Well, you know you're always welcome in here with me, but I *am* almost done," he said, as his bladder finally emptied.
After flushing the toilet, he washed his hands, and only then did the words that John had said sink into his head. A revelation? Well...John seemed to be in a good mood...it couldn't be a bad revelation. Dave couldn't help but feel a little hopeful, but he refused to get his hopes totally raised. What if it was something like him deciding that he was really attracted to Abby or something?
Forcing his thoughts away from that line of thinking, Dave headed back out into the bedroom, a smile of relief on his lips as he climbed back into bed. "Now, where were we?" he asked, as he put an arm around John's shoulders once more. "You were about to tell me somethin'?"
John looked intently into Dave's eyes. "I believe I was, yes. When Dr. DiLeo decided that he'd had enough of raping my mind today and was willing to finally leave me alone, he asked me if I wanted anything before going to sleep. The first thing that popped into my head was you. It's you, Dave. I love you and I want to be with you, to stay with you. The question now is whether or not you're up to dealing with me right now." John wanted nothing more than to duck his head and hide until Dave spoke, so he wouldn't have to see it if Dave's eyes showed that he wasn't up to the task. But John knew he had to be done with hiding, so he kept his gaze firm and steady as he waited for Dave's answer.
It was as if every bit of doubt left Dave's body as John's words washed over him. And one look into John's eyes told him that he was sincere.
Those words.
Those were the words that Dave had been hoping to hear since this nightmare began. "Only...me? You want to be with only me?" His voice was laced with curiosity. Dave just wanted to make sure that what he was hearing was true, and not just what he was hoping. "I...of course I wanna be with you, and, of course I wanna stay with you...there is nothin' that I want more in the world...and...I...I think I'm up for the task. I've made it this far..."
Dave reached out, brushing his hand against John's cheek. "I'm far from perfect, John, but I wanna do my best to do right by you. I love you so much."
John smiled as he reached up and took Dave's hand in his own. "That's good, because I love you, too. And, yes, I only want to be with you. But, you have to understand that what's ahead of me...ahead of us, is going to be...difficult. There might be times when I won't even want to be touched, not even by you. Can you handle that without feeling rejected? Can you handle just holding me sometimes and not doing anything else?" It was still difficult for John to acknowledge to himself that he had truly been abused, but he was trying, and, he had taken what Dr. DiLeo had said to heart. Getting past the PTSD wasn't going to be easy, not with there being so many instances of trauma in his past, but John was determined to do whatever had to be done, even though he knew too that a person never fully recovered from PTSD. All you could do was learn how to handle it, and handling it would be much easier with someone standing there beside him.
Well, considering that he'd had just held John for somewhere around six hours without anything else happening pretty much answered that question for Dave. As for the rest of it... "I...I'm gonna help you through this any way that I can. If that means I haveta do handstands, then I will. If it means that I haveta leave you alone, and let you be for a bit...if I'm no longer afraid that you're gonna push me completely away...like as in forever...I won't fight so hard to make you let me in, you know what I mean? I...I'll do anythin' and everythin' to help you through this, John..." Dave knew it wasn't going to be an easy road. He knew that John had many, many demons in his closet -- but at least John was trying to come to terms with it, and beginning to slowly face them.
John slowly smiled and he gave Dave's hand a squeeze. "I was hoping you'd say that. Now, is there any possibility of me getting a kiss to celebrate this revelation?"
"Oh, I think that that can be arranged," Dave muttered, just before he covered John's lips with his own. It was almost like kissing him for the first time, and maybe in a way it was. The two of them had been through so much together that this kiss sort of sealed where their future was headed, and Dave was now confident that his future was in the arms of John Carter. Never before had he surrendered his heart to anyone else. And never before had he been as hurt as this man had managed to make him. But Dave now knew that it was all worth it.
As the kiss pulled back, Dave smiled, his eyes sparkling with life and hope. "So, does this mean that you'll be spendin' *all* of your nights with me now?"
John nodded, as he grinned at Dave. "Well, all of them except when I have to work overnight. And speaking of work...it looks like I've done it to you again. Losing you your job, I mean," John said, suddenly feeling sad over the fact that Dave couldn't continue to work at the house. It just wasn't ethically right.
Dave furrowed his brow. Lost his job...? "I...was I fired for some reason? I...your grandmother never said anythin' to me. Man, what did I do wrong...?"
Dave looked away, a frown forming over his lips. Where had he fucked up this time?