Tamara Johansen (
stargatemedic) wrote in
nysalogs2018-08-06 07:17 pm
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Entry tags:
closed; a man walks into a bar
Who: TJ Johansen (
stargatemedic) & Brock Rumlow (
ukase)
What: Drinking and dares (maybe)
When: Several days after their first bar meeting
Where: The Frosty Tap Cantina
Warning(s): TBD
It was easier for TJ to tell herself that she was following up on a patient than it was to admit that she'd had enough of New and Exciting™ and needed a bit of a break. Where 'following up on a patient' didn't usually entail going to a bar, she felt justified in the fact that his bones had fallen out of his body at the bar, so she could reexamine his hand at the bar.
Maybe it was better to get a drink in her before she started talking dares or anything else.
Despite it being a night out, TJ had still dressed in something resembling her former uniform; absent the pants, she'd pulled on jeans instead, but the Air Force shirt remained. Hair stayed up and she'd even brought her small medkit, just in case anything inside it was needed.
Finding a (relatively) quiet table in the corner nearest the excitement, something that hadn't clearly started up just yet, she ordered something that appeared tame and waited for her new acquaintance to arrive.
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What: Drinking and dares (maybe)
When: Several days after their first bar meeting
Where: The Frosty Tap Cantina
Warning(s): TBD
It was easier for TJ to tell herself that she was following up on a patient than it was to admit that she'd had enough of New and Exciting™ and needed a bit of a break. Where 'following up on a patient' didn't usually entail going to a bar, she felt justified in the fact that his bones had fallen out of his body at the bar, so she could reexamine his hand at the bar.
Maybe it was better to get a drink in her before she started talking dares or anything else.
Despite it being a night out, TJ had still dressed in something resembling her former uniform; absent the pants, she'd pulled on jeans instead, but the Air Force shirt remained. Hair stayed up and she'd even brought her small medkit, just in case anything inside it was needed.
Finding a (relatively) quiet table in the corner nearest the excitement, something that hadn't clearly started up just yet, she ordered something that appeared tame and waited for her new acquaintance to arrive.
no subject
And at the notion of losing everything, he was quiet for a time and almost asked for a drink. He knew all about that; he came here with nothing and still had nothing. "No, but it's an opportunity to build up again, right?"
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"I know."
She's glad that her drink is gone and she refuses to order another one at the moment. "I suppose it is," she agrees. "I'm a sucker for new opportunities, be they in space or... weird planets suddenly covered in ice and snow."
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"So what's your opportunity in a place like this? You have a plan on where you want to go with yourself?" He watched her, taking a sip from his glass of water or whatever they called it here.
i actually changed tenses in the middle of that last tag, wow i'm sorry.
"In this place?" Trying to lighten the mood, she pretended to think about it. "Checking up on men who suddenly shoot bones from their hands," she told him as if it were The Most Important Thing. "Find out if there's a place where I can do it full time... not check on wayward men, but be a medic." She flashed him a grin. "But other than that? I'm utterly open to learning something new and seeing where all of this--" She motioned to the crowd. "Takes me. What about you?"
lol no worries
He flexed his hand and then slapped it down palm first on the table. Thankfully for them both, nothing shifted out of place this time. "Looks like you're previous medical treatment healed me." He nodded his head. "When we get out here - assuming that we do - there's a brisk Brit who has a clinic. You want to do medical stuff, you should go there. Claire Fraser."
He shrugged his shoulders, gazing off across the bar. "Not much. Maybe see a dragon sometime."
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"I don't know if I'd count it as treatment so much as being in the right place at the right time to," she shook her head. "Pull out the ones that came loose?" She huffed a laugh. "But Claire. I've met her. I'll have to look into it if it's something that I can do that's somewhat productive. As opposed to, I don't know. Looking for dragons."
Is that something people do? Sounds like a seven year old's dream job.
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He was certain he would have figured it out on his own without her help, considering there hadn't been much damage to him personally. He grinned at her all the same, leaning back in his chair now that the secretive stuff was over and done with. "Yeah, she's rough around the edges and will tell it to you straight, but she's a good person to have around as a healer. She always needs help."
Hey, don't mock his dreams! There was a story behind it anyway, not that it mattered because Jones was long gone, trapped back in cryo and no longer being a bitch to him. He could honestly say that he missed her on some level.
"Whatever, I have nothing else to do."
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"Nothing? There's nothing else to do?" She's still grinning at him like he's holding back. "Why a dragon, then? There has to be a reason that you want to look for a dragon, of all things. If medics need help, I'm sure there's something here that'll require your particular skill set and it doesn't involve dragons."
A pause. "Are you thinking like. A pet?"
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"A person who is now back in cryostasis full time challenged me to find and see a dragon. It's the only thing I have left of her," he said, his expression momentarily flickering with discomfort. A ruse really because at this point, finding a dragon would be the most entertaining part of it all.
"I did help in the clinic before, but I doubt I'm welcome there."
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Instead, she tries to focus on what he'd said regarding the clinic, her curiosity getting the better of her there.
"Why wouldn't you be welcome in a clinic, of all places?"
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He chuckled and drank down the rest of the water in his glass, leaning back into it as he regarded her. "Friends choosing sides I imagine," he said with a shrug. "I treated someone as I would treat all my soldiers when wounded, and they took offense like I was being sexist."
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It's curiosity that has her looking at him when he talks about sexism and soldiers and she makes a guess. "You gave an order and they didn't like it?" TJ furrows her brow. "What happened?"
She wants to know how that affects his being at the clinic.
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He set his arm across the back of his chair, looking casual and he nodded his head before shrugging. He shrugged a lot when he wanted to play not caring very much. "Mission with hostages, and a groups of people were sent to find them. I was invited by this person, so I went and we were all wounded in some capacity, some worse than others. It was a bad op with little information and even less ability to work our way through it in a timely fashion because the hostages were in danger. So, we took our knocks."
He rubbed his chin with his palm, looking beyond TJ's shoulder at nothing in particular. "This person was hurt, probably broken ribs and they wavered when standing. However this person's lover wasn't with the group we found, so I originally suggested we go and join another group. Once I realized how hurt they were, I told this person to stand down, that I would go and they should see to their wounds. They didn't take kindly to being told what they could or couldn't do, but it was a risk to the op. I stood my ground, treated them with the same respect I would treat all my people." He shrugged his shoulders. Again. "We haven't spoken since, and they are good friends with Claire, so I know how that situation goes."
no subject
Instead, she focuses on the story he tells, well aware of how dangerous missions can go awry quickly. She's also very aware how people react when they think the people they care about are in danger and she nods as he explains the reaction of the person he's talking about.
"I've been in situations where people, especially people who are trained to take orders, stop doing so when they think those they worry about most are in compromising positions," TJ says. "It's hard to admit that you're not the right person to take care of those you care about. Giving up that control is difficult." She takes a breath. "It's still not an excuse to disobey an order."
If Rumlow was in charge, he should have been listened to. Military to her core in that kind of setting, she understands. "I'm sorry to hear that you lost that relationship." Friendship? Whatever it was. "When I'm at the clinic, you can come see me and I won't let anyone say different." Fight her on it, she dares anyone.
no subject
"This person was someone I considered my equal, but apparently, they likely never saw it that way," he replied and leaned his cheek on his hand, looking as casual as ever about the whole story. It bothered him though. Carter had been someone that he had automatically respected and that was difficult for him. Hell, he respected her more than he respected Rogers.
"It wasn't meant to be. I'm used to it; my manner isn't easy for some people to swallow and I get it." He considered helping out with the clinic, offer to be the muscle again and assist with some aspects of patient care, but it was likely to cause a scene and he wasn't interested in that.
no subject
"Your manner isn't easy for some people to swallow?" Her eyes go wide as if this is absolutely untrue and she looks him over, suddenly enthralled. "This brusque, no-nonsense military type might rub people the wrong way?" She sits back, her grin sly. "I have no idea what might give you that idea." Mock seriously, she leans close. "I guess this is the point where I say something about your hidden soft side and promise not to tell anyone?"
Does he have one? She's not sure, but he'd been nice to her and, despite the story he'd just told, TJ had a feeling that he might not be all hard ass all the time.
no subject
"I don't have a hidden soft side," he replied, running his finger over the top of his glass. "So there are no secrets to keep on that end. I'm all stone over here." His smirk remained.
"After all, I'm not a medic. They're the ones with the soft sides."
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Maybe her sarcasm game isn't as on point as his is, but TJ likes the smirk and tilts her head to watch him, still deciding whether or not he actually has a soft side before turning her head and motioning for a refill.
She's just in time to roll her eyes at his comment about medics and soft sides, focusing her gaze on his as she shakes her head once. "Is that what you think, medics have soft sides? I'm only here because your bones came out of your hand and I wanted to see if they'd do it again."
TJ doesn't blink as she says it and neither do her lips twitch. Soft side, maybe, but she's also soldier. Tough is not new to her... but neither is having a soft side.
no subject
"You have to, what you helping men and women hold their guts in and tying off arteries in the field. You guys are tough as Hell, but you've got your head bent to keeping other soldiers alive." He leaned forward towards her, raising his eyebrows as he waited to see if she would contest him on that point.
"Do you want me to start punching the table to see if we can keep your professional interest?"
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"There's nothing soft about holding onto someone's insides or watching them bleed out. Anyone can fake comfort."
Only then does she lean in. "Since my interest is only professional, you don't have to worry about it, but please don't." She winks at him. "I'd rather not get kicked out."
no subject
He flexed his hand pointedly because he definitely was willing to entertain her by banging his hand on the table. "Why would you get kicked out? We're just drinking and then an accident happened!"
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He was right and while she could continue to argue the finer points and nitpick with him, she really didn't want to. It would bring up memories that she didn't want to explore on a night out when she could be having fun.
Her eyebrows went up when he flexed his hand and she watched him for a moment before she lifted her gaze to his again. Her amusement was obvious, and she goes for a healthy swallow of her new drink.
"Not if you start banging on the table. If we get rowdy, they're definitely going to kick us out."
Probably not, actually, given what she'd seen the last time, but she wasn't sure she was sober enough to pick pieces out of his skin again. She was, however, on the verge of laughter.
no subject
He knew that neither of them particularly wanted to deal with bones, blood or whatever else to come flying out of his body at this point. It might spoil the evening and so far it had been pleasant. A part of him was curious what her reaction would be to an up close and personal encounter with this strange ability he may or may not be developing.
"They definitely won't. You remember how we met, right? I was banging my hand on the table to encourage a dare." He grinned. It wasn't worth the risk all the same. He preferred to keep his bones in his body.
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"I'm pretty sure I'm never going to forget how we met," she said, eyeing his hand critically. "I was pretty sure that you were going to need surgery. " A pause. "And the dares--" She looked around the bar and then at him. "Okay, you first. I dare you to confess something no one else knows."
There was no way to know if he was going to tell the truth, tell her something everyone knew, or even play by the rules, but it was something.
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"I was pretty certain I was going to need surgery too," he said with a chuckle. "But I guess we just dodged that bullet. I mean, we can push our luck. I'm not afraid to take a risk."
He squinted at her for the request and then sat back in his seat as he contemplated something that no one else knew. On matters such as that, he had no problem being honest. There were aspects of his past which he knew was screwed up. "Okay, but no tears: when I was a kid, I found my mother's body after she committed suicide."
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