2019-08-05 - F.I.N.E.

There are 27 tiles behind the potting counter where they were moving seedlings in days previous.
27 very flat tiles in need of a sweeping.

Also Jen's ring is down here under the lip of the plywood support base and had Ignacio feeling in his fingers he'd continue being so inclined as to let her know. Right now he is busy.

Right now, the junior of the deSantos brothers, was laying on that floor with the side of his face against it which is how he became a field expert with one thought on his mind which might be something close to a test pattern as he lay there like a wet fish.

The gritty crunch of workboots on uneven gravel and dirt approaches. It stops, and there's a protracted pause. The steps are too fast and light to be August or Cy. Too energetic to be Thoma. It's Ully or Jendy.

Jendy's head appears over the edge of the counter, the longer front strands of her hair falling forward. She's in a Joan Jett tshirt, a pair of old but serviceable denim jeans, dark wash once upon a time now faded light blue in places, and her heavy boots. No doubt she's going up a tree today.

"de Santos?" she asks, frowning down at him. She looks confused. Really confused. "The hell are you doing out here, you're not on until noon."

Ignacio has been described by many as a good looking guy and historically he's done zero to dissuade people of this opinion of him being a suave smartass with some pretty damn good hair... this is not that look. This isn't a good look at all. Ona closer look his skin is damn pasty washing out the tan in his olive complexion under a light sheen of sweat that's making his Mets t-shirt stick to his back. His eyes remain unfocused with pupils the size of pinholes. That he murmurs in shallow breaths a response is at least to the positive. It's not English. It may not be Spanish. It is a sound.

Jendy blows out a breath that flips her hair. "Ho boy," she mutters. She's studying Ignacio critically. She doesn't like what she sees if the way her frown goes from puzzled to concerned is any indication. A voice drifts towards them--Cy or August by the pitch--and she calls back, "Be right there, just grabbing some extra pots."

She comes around the other side of the counter, crouches down next to Ignaico, her hands dangling between her bony knees. Yes, this is an expression of familiarity. "Okay, you've like five minutes before Roen comes in here, and I'm not covering for you. I'll tell it like I see it. But I'm not going to rat you out either. So. Can you get up?"

There's an excellent question. While his breathing is shallow he can at least form words. "His fingers curl into hands where he's there and it takes effort but he focuses enough to say "don'... botherum... Just got dizzy and...Ring." Fingers curl into a fist and one finger is left hanging out pointing. That a way. That there. That thing you lost. Let me bribe you with the only convenient thing down here.

His eyes quint shut and with a shallow breath murmurs, "Meds... already fuckin with me... don' need... em... disappointed too." Because the criticisim this month on small scale from all angles is enough. He's trying world. Oh... so very trying. In ever sense of that phrase. Pushing himself up is fraught with follow. He winces and as it pains him he murmurs, "Jus... help me it up. I'll be... I'll be fine. Sometimes happens." He's not really looking at anything and his jaw shivers a bit murmuring, "Least... I cant feel," He takes another breath with tired irony, "my leg."

Yeah, by overshooting the target by a half mile.

Jendy sighs, long and slow. "Yeah," she says, face tightening painfully for a second. "I know what you mean." She clears her throat, eyes tracking where he points. She sinks to her knees, laughs, sharp and loud. "How about that. You get wasted and find my ring."

She reaches into the narrow, flat space with one of her long and spindly arms. Good thing she has long fingers, too; she can just reach it. She drags it out--it's not much, just a little tungsten carbide piece her girlfriend bought her at a farmer's market in San Francisco, but Jen had been near to tears when she lost it. She smiles, wipes it off on her shirt, slides it back into her middle finger.

"Alright, de Santos, you're in luck. Unlike most of the rest of your coworkers, I have some experience with this shitt." She sighs, looks around. Another call from outside, definitely Roen. "Let me get them off our cases." She stands and pulls out her phone, heads back outside to fake an emergency call.

A faint, lop-sided smile forms. So sleeeepy. Stay awake. He knows he's supposed to. You do this enough times you know not to nap. Still the lethargy is just lie eeeh fuck it. Her laugh gets him though. Bemused he murmurs, "S'why you like me. Good luck charm."

He works on his job: Staying awake. Not throwing up. Trying to figure out how to feel warm again. For now he pushes himself to his side and pulls his face out of the small patch of potting soil that got clumped with tears leaving small muddy patches on the floor. He still corrects, "Not... wasted... it has a label. Not...recreation." Oh yeah, real pro here.

It's a few minutes before Jendy comes back. In the mean time Ignacio hears two of the trucks fire up and depart. "Okay. Normally I would never cover for someone. But you found my ring, that gets you one freebie. Next time, I call an ambulance and have you and them explain it to Roen." She arches an eyebrow to make sure this is clear. There's no anger in her tone, just matter-of-fact rules being laid down.

She snorts at his correction, leans down to help him up. Jendy's all sinew and muscle on bone, as wiry as a person can be, but she's as strong as Cy or Roen. "Hate to break it to you, de Santos, but that distinction's just window dressing. Underneath the core problems aren't all that different. Mind your leg, don't want to run it into something."

Yeah, Jendy's doing all the work here, but at least he's making himself as helpful as possible. His muscle tension is mostly shot but not gone. "You... are awesome. I can see why your girlfriend... is dating you. If I was your girlfriend I'd date you too." Which truly goes without saying. Once she can get him to a chair he murmurs "Phone. code... boobs." He pauses and says, "80085." He just looks at her letting his head fall to the side. "Same since middle school." Yeah what can one expect. "Call Raf. He'll... he's got me."

"Like hell you would, de Santos, there's not a man alive I'll suffer to fuck much less be in a relationship with. Not even that police captain who's hotter than Death Valley in summer." Jendy pulls out Ignacio's phone and taps in the phone code. She heads into his contacts, swift and precise, doesn't snoop or look at anything else. She's a professional at this.

She stops just short of clicking the handset icon. "He's got you, as in he knows this is a thing?" It's a subtle question of just how much she needs to cover for him. From Cy and August, okay. From his own brother?

Ignacio murmurs, "I know! He should be illegal...s'why... I said... if I was... tu girlfriend." So wise. But hey it gives him something to go on. Head lolling back it rests to the greenhouse brick. A laaaazy half smile forms "'s a pro. Taught me how t'survive this part" His eyes are still unfocused but she's able, with some effort to force him into conversation. She was probably right about hiding behind a cheap excuse.

(HINT: She's right, Ignacio.)

Closing his eyes he murmurs, "he's got me...should be fine in a lil bit." He pauses and flaps a hand and takes a deep breath. "Don'... tell Finch. Only freak her out. I'm... fine. Everything's ...it' fine."

Jendy hits the call button. While it rings, she says, "He should be," under her breath. She's not really even into men, hasn't been for over a decade. But she knows a hot ticket when she sees one.

A sigh when he asks her not to tell Finch. "That'll make shit worse. You know that right?" She studies him, listening to Raf's line ring. "If she asks, I'm not lying to her. I've been down this road. I won't seek her out to tell her. This time." She means business, though her tone's not unkind. Gentle, but firm. "Hiding isn't how you handle this."

Ignacio is starting to get a little more dilation in his pupils at least. He is ambitious if he thinks he's going to be ready in 3 hours. His eyes shut agai and he murmurs, "Tell er th'truth. Problem with my meds. Fell down. Is fine. " It's really that easy. He might also be skirting the truth so long he just can't fucking see it anymore. "Y...lo siento." Head resting against the brick still he just waits for his body to figure back wishing that was something he knew how to make glimmer do. "Jen..." His eyes crack open and there's a quiet hmmm to suffice for a thanks.

Somewhere across the west side of town Raf is receiving the news over the phone he doesn't get to sleep in today.
Great.

Jendy sighs, waits for Raf to pick up. "Yeah," she says, either in response to Ignacio's proposed 'truth' for Finch, or to his thank you. Maybe both. She brushes his hair out of his face. "God, kid, don't fuck this up."

"Hey, Raf. It's Jen Hall, I work with your brother down at the garden store."