He had 'taken the day off', surprisingly enough. But only at Luke's insistence. O'Brien had wanted to work. He'd worked on his birthday every year before, and it never made any difference. It was just another day. Even when he was married. His wife would still have a show to do-- so he'd work. They might have caught a late dinner afterwards, but that was it. She'd usually give him the gun he'd hint to her about wanting, maybe some m&ms.. and that would be that. No fancy parties. He didn't do parties.
After the divorce, his partner and her husband would take him for drinks... That was usually weird. The sentiment was nice, but he was the awkward third wheel at his own 'birthday party'. After the Apocalypse? He'd spent his birthdays with Marty. They'd usually--- do absolutely nothing. Truth.
This year wasn't going to be any different. Except Luke had told him he should take the day off, because it's what everyone else did. Or something. After a small argument, O'Brien had agreed to be a lazy bum all day. Which didn't sit well with him. Except for the fact that he eventually busied himself with catching up on his reading. And napping. And building the bookshelf Luke wanted. And trying to fix the leg on his glasses-- that's what he was in the middle of doing when he got Taisce's text.
> What?
> ....That's not funny.
> I told him if he fucked up, I'd kick his ass right back out of Sing Sing.
> I'll be right there.
It took him maybe 5 minutes to get downstairs and across the yard to his usual tower-- which he had apparently mistakenly entrusted to Higgins. Climbing the stairs and pushing the door open maybe a little too angrily, Taisce should be thankful she wasn't standing directly on the other side.
Giving a look around, he turned to glance back over his shoulder, before turning his glare to Taisce-- well, not at her, but you know. "Where is he? Did you see him? What are you doing up here?"
He paused, pointing to her, "he didn't do anything weird to you, did he?" Shaking his head, he crossed the floor to grab up the walkie talkie from the window sill.