InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Whoever smelt it dealt it"

Owen D. Reese (owenreese) wrote in mckinley_high,
@ 2010-12-14 21:31:00

Entry tags:

! thread, # character: owen reese, * status: incomplete

Who: Owen and Burt
Where: Park
What: Late night wanderings into the park after this post
When: December 15th, about 2:30 AM
Rating: SFW

Owen had no idea how long he had been wandering the quiet residential streets of Lima. He had left his house a little while ago, putting on his winter coat and creeping out of the house. It was cold, freezing even, and the ground was covered in snow as the rest of the world slept. His parents had no idea he was out, they were asleep ~~lucky them~~, and while Owen normally followed all the rules, he wasn't all too concerned about breaking this one. If it had been warmer and there had been less snow, he would have just meandered around the roof, but that was dangerous at the moment so he turned to the only alternative he had left.

His head pounded, the migraine getting worse as he continued to be deprived from his sleep. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had hoped that all his activities would have tired him out by now and they did, but he still couldn't sleep. With a sigh he walked on, hoping the walk would suddenly cure him of his insomnia.

No such luck, he was still stuck in this seemingly never ending phase of complete awakeness. And he hated it. He hated it so much. His sleep hadn't been this bad in a while. Sure, he slept late sometimes and got up rather early, but at least he got some sleep, now he wasn't getting any at all.

He was so tired that he had even considered getting someone to sedate him in a moment of frustration. But there was several things wrong with that. The first and most important fact being, where the hell was he going to find someone to sedate him?

He continued to listen to th soft music on his Ipod as he found himself wandering into the park.

Owen sat down on a nearby bench, not really sure what he would do next. Return home before sunrise surely, but it still didn't solve his problem

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hummel_senior
2010-12-16 02:47 am UTC (link)

Late night runs were part of the job. Jason had been doing most of them lately, since the heart attack, but he was home with a bad cold, and that meant Burt was on call. It was good, because it meant thongs were edging a little more towards normal. But it was a little harder now, because he wasn't leaving an empty bed behind.

The run had proven uneventful (a very tired ER nurse with a flat, and a broken jack), and he was on his way home, driving past the park, when he spotted a familiar figure walking under a street light. He had to admit, he did a double-take as he slowed, and once he was sure, he pulled over and rolled down the window of the tow truck. "Owen?"

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owenreese
2010-12-16 02:56 am UTC (link)

Owen didn't notice the car behind him, he actually didn't think anyone would be out at this time of night, so he didn't bother paying attention to the roads. He certainly didn't hear the car creep up behind him due to the music in his ears, and he jumped when the headlines approached him.

Surprised, Owen quickly tore an earbud out, and greeted the man. "Mr. Hummel?"

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	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 03:14 am UTC (link)
	"Hey, Owen," Burt greeted him. "It's three am, kiddo. What are you doing out here?" Lima wasn't New York or anything, but still, three am was no time to be out strolling alone, especially in the snow. "You ok?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	owenreese 2010-12-16 03:20 am UTC (link)
	Owen shrugged, for some reason, social interactions were a lot easier for him at night. They felt almost, natural, and he had been spending a lot more time with Mr. Hummel than he had before so he was getting used to the man's company. "Couldn't sleep" he said simply. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

hummel_senior
2010-12-16 07:47 pm UTC (link)

"Still?" Burt couldn't keep a note of concern out of his tone. Kid was really starting to worry him. Especially if his insomnia drove him out into the dark like this. Lima was still small-town, but that didn't necessarily mean "safe." He put the truck into park. "You need a lift, or anything? Or, there's an all night diner down a ways, we could grab a bite." Late night calls, especially in the cold, always made Burt hungry. He'd just have to be careful what he chose to eat.

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	owenreese 2010-12-16 07:56 pm UTC (link)
	Owen gave another shrug "Sixty-three hours and counting" he said, peeking at his watch. He was no stranger to midnight walks. He used to do this a lot when his sleeping problems were worse. "I'm kind of used to it" At the mention of food, his stomach began to growl, "I could eat". (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 08:03 pm UTC (link)
	Reaching over to unlock the passenger door and move the clipboard with paperwork on it off the seat, Burt turned back to Owen. "Hop in, then", he told the boy. At least the truck was warm. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	owenreese 2010-12-16 08:15 pm UTC (link)
	Owen nodded and did what he was told, shivering a little as he enetered. He didn't realize how cold he was until he got a sense of the warmth. "Thanks Mr. Hummel" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 08:20 pm UTC (link)
	"No problem, Owen. I was just headed back from a call, was going to grab a coffee anyway." Putting the truck back into gear, Burt checked the mirrors and eased the big vehicle back out into the empty street. "Been out here long, then?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	owenreese 2010-12-16 08:31 pm UTC (link)
	Coffee sounded good but he probably shouldn't have any caffine. He was having enough trouble as it is. "Not really, I left at like midnight. So...two hours ago?". His perception of time was a lot different than everyone else. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 08:41 pm UTC (link)
	Well, Burt thought, the cold hadn't really bothered him all that much when he was younger, either. Even now, if he was busy, like on a call like tonight's, he didn't really feel it too much until he was done. Still... He pulled into the parking lot and found a large enough space for the truck. "Come on, my treat," he said as he shut off the engine. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	owenreese 2010-12-16 08:53 pm UTC (link)
	Owen climbed out and followed Mr. Hummel into the diner. "So what's it like to be woken up in the middle of the night for a call?". Assuming he had been sleeping at least, but Owen kind of grouped people together in two categories, people who sleep and people who don't. He shoved his hands in his pocket. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

hummel_senior
2010-12-16 09:01 pm UTC (link)

"It takes some getting used to and I didn't do it for a long time when Kurt was little; didn't want to leave him alone in the house. I'm lucky, I wake up pretty fast and alert, but sometimes it's rough to leave the warm house and head out into the dark." He shrugged, sliding into a both and giving the waitress a friendly nod as she approached with a steaming cup of decaf already poured. They knew him here,and knew what he liked... they even knew what he was allowed to have, now.

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owenreese
2010-12-16 09:24 pm UTC (link)

Owen declined the coffee, decaf or not, he really should not be having any stimulants in his system if he ever hopes of getting to sleep. Instead he ordered some apple juice before turning back to Mr. Hummel.

"I can imagine," he said shrugging, "It can get pretty chilly in the winter."

He glanced out the window where the snow had layered the ground. He didn't mind winter, but it definitely wasn't his favorite season

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	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 09:28 pm UTC (link)
	"You want anything at all? Cocoa? Something to eat?" Burt sipped at the coffee, but it was too hot still. "Yeah, I always figure the guy --gal, tonight-- stuck waiting for me is probably more unhappy about it than I am." He looked the menu over briefly. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

owenreese
2010-12-16 09:33 pm UTC (link)

"Um, sure, anything will do," Owen said shrugging, he wasn't particularly picky and he didn't want to pick something that Mr. Hummel couldn't eat because that just seemed...taunting. "I'll have what you have."

He considered the hot chocolate for a little bit, but figured that his juice was just fine, he didn't want to take advantage of Mr. Hummel's hospitality.

"Yeah, car breaking down on a cold winter day at three AM doesn't sound very fun."

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	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 10:01 pm UTC (link)
	"You sure you don't want something hot to drink? It's pretty cold out." He ordered an egg-white omelet and whole-wheat toast, safest choice on the menu except for oatmeal. "Order what you like, Owen, please. don't hold back on my account." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	owenreese 2010-12-16 10:04 pm UTC (link)
	"A hot drink will be nice..." He finally decided, looking up at the waitress and ordering a hot chocolate, his hands were still frozen. He scanned over the menu, wondering what would be good at this hour in the night. "Scrambled eggs and bacon." He said, thanking the waitress. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 10:30 pm UTC (link)
	Burt grinned at him. "That's better." He sat back and regarded the young man across from him. "our folks know you're out?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	owenreese 2010-12-16 10:37 pm UTC (link)
	Owen shook his head and avoided Mr. Hummel's gaze. They never knew when he went out for his late night wanderings. "They were asleep." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hummel_senior 2010-12-16 11:10 pm UTC (link)
	Burt studied him for a moment. He really should let Owen's parents know. But...he supposed sometimes a walk was just what a guy needed to clear his head. "I'll let it slide this time, Owen. Just be careful, ok?" He sipped at his coffee again -- it was cool enough to drink now. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

owenreese
2010-12-17 01:57 am UTC (link)

"Thanks Mr. Hummel" Owen said sincerely. It really did mean a lot. He didn't want to tell them he wasn't sleeping, not yet at least, not until it was completely necessary. "Sometimes taking a walk helps me sleep," He admitted, "But uh, it's not really working this time..."

He looked down and fiddled with his fingers as his hot chocolate arrive at the table. He gave a quiet thanks to the waitress before he cupped his drink. The warmth was already spreading through his system despite never having drunk the beverage.

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	hummel_senior 2010-12-17 02:43 am UTC (link)
	Burt nodded again, though he'd never really had much trouble sleeping... well, except for the first year or so after his first wife's death. "Anything I can do to help?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

owenreese
2010-12-17 02:49 am UTC (link)

Owen shrugged, he was pretty much used to his insomnia. It still sucked, but he could deal with it. "Nah, I usually get to sleep one way or another." He didn't usually stay up for days at a time though, he was more of a late sleeper, 3 hours a night is enough, kind of guy. That's how he got so much done, the days were long and he always seemed to have time left over to do whatever he wished to. It's how he was able to start so many projects, busywork to keep him entertained.

"I um, eventually tire out, so we'll see."

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	hummel_senior 2010-12-18 03:15 am UTC (link)
	Burt poked at the eggs for a few moments, and finally nodded slowly. There didn't seem to be anything much he could do, really. He did have to wonder if it was related to the anniversary, though. It still bugged him, the date of Kurt's mom's death, too, and this was still... new, raw. "Well, after we eat, I'll run you home, ok?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	owenreese 2010-12-18 07:20 pm UTC (link)
	The silence didn't really seem that awkward, and Owen was too tired to be tense about any form of interaction anyway. He just slowly picked at his food, everything he did lately seemed to be slow, but that was probably because of how much it ached to do anything else. "Thanks Mr. Hummel." He said, looking up at the man, "I appreciate it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hummel_senior 2010-12-18 07:27 pm UTC (link)
	"Any time, Owen," Burt assured him, watching him as he seemed to be moving in slow motion. He really hoped that the poor kid could get some sleep tonight. (Reply to this) (Parent)