InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Christmas at ground zero!"

Patrick Connelly (pat_connelly) wrote in lineof_fire_rpg,
@ 2008-03-21 00:43:00

Patrick Phone Home.
WHO: Patrick Connelly
WHAT: Patrick calls home.
WHERE: He's in PRIZONS.
WHEN: About 6:30pm
RATING: TBD
OPEN: To immediate members of his family.

Life in prison had gotten immensely better for Patrick. He wasn't growing to like being there, not by any means, but after being there for a year he had gotten somewhat used to the idea of being there. He still couldn't wait to get out and go home to his wife and daughters, and he was itching to get back to work. He had heard only good things about Matt taking things over, and he was proud of his brother for that. But most of all, he just missed everyone. He missed the outside, being able to do what he wants when he wants. He missed being with his wife, sleeping in the same bed as her. He missed his daughters, being able to kiss them goodnight. He missed his life.

Laying in his bunk one evening after he ate dinner, Patrick held a book in his hands, his eyes moving over the words but not really grasping them. He had read that book so many times, he just didn't want to read it again. Closing the book, he dropped it on the small desk type table in his cell and he ran his hands over his face. Scratching the side of his face, he decided to call home. He wasn't sure if anyone would be there, but he needed to at least try. He wanted to hear Kate's voice. Leaving his cell, he made his way down to the room where the phones were. He picked up the receiver and went through the motions of dialing home. Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest, hoping someone answered.

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firecrackerkate
2008-03-21 07:31 pm UTC (link)

The kitchen was an absolute mess, mostly due to the fact that Kate had decided to cook dinner, and made a big deal about it. Well, distracted as she was, she'd managed to burn meat into the skillet and had since called for a pizza. She was usually one who could cook a good meal when she put the effort into it, but with Taylah working away on her art project sprawled all over the kitchen table, and asking her to come help her every few minutes, it was hard to actually keep an eye on the stove.

Her hands were covered in paper mache when the phone rang, and she cursed under her breath as she tried to decide whether or not it was worth it to pick it up. Mommy said a bad word. Taylah announced like she was in trouble. "Yes she did, sorry baby." She chuckled a little and wiped her hands as clean as she could get them from a wet towel left over a chair. Still wiping them to get the gunk off as she walked to the phone, she managed to pick it up on the third ring. "Hello?" She was met with an operator asking if she would accept charges from the Massachusetts State Penitentiary. "Absolutely, yes." Her voice was a little excited as she waited to be connected to Patrick.

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pat_connelly
2008-03-21 11:21 pm UTC (link)

Patrick sighed as he waited for the phone to connect, playing with the cord and wrapping it around his fingers. When he grew bored with playing with the phone cord, he glanced at his left hand. He had a white ring on his ring finger where his wedding ring should be, but he wasn't allowed to wear it. It had been taken from him and put with the rest of his personal effects when he checked into prison. He propped the phone on his shoulder as he waited, his finger other hand moving so his finger could run over the white line on his ring finger.

Hearing a few clicks on the phoneline, he perked up and then was unable to hide the smile that crossed his face when he heard Kate's voice. "Hey there beautiful," he said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall, letting the sound of her voice sooth him for a few moments. "How are you? What's going on back home in Boston?" he asked. He wanted to make the most of this phonecall, he didn't know when he'd be able to make another one.

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firecrackerkate
2008-03-23 08:40 pm UTC (link)

Kate couldn't help the smile that spread across her face when she heard Patrick's voice on the other line. She bowed her head a little, feeling like a teenager who finally got the boy to call her. "Hey honey." She replied, her voice soft, her eyes almost instinctively filling with tears. She missed him. It was so easy for her to fool herself into not thinking about it when she had kids and work and a thousand other things to deal with, but when he was actually talking to her, that made the facade almost nonexistent. "I'm fine, we're all fine." She said, nodding even though he couldn't see her.

"Patrick." She breathed, sliding her hand through her hair as she glanced over at Taylah, who was still up to her elbows in paper mache. "How are you doing?" It was so like him to worry about them, but he was the one in prison. She had so much to tell him, so much that had gone on since he last called, but right now, she just needed to know he was alright, and needed him to know that they were alright.

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pat_connelly
2008-03-23 09:20 pm UTC (link)

Hearing Kate's voice, Patrick's heart beat faster. The old saying was that absence made the heart grow stronger. And, as far as Patrick was concerned, that was the complete truth. He kicked himself daily for taking his wife for granted. Taking her smile for granted, her touch, her voice. He missed her so much. And he missed his daughters just as much. He longed to hold Taylah in his arms and give her a big hug. He longed to kiss Abigail on the forehead, if she would let him. He let out a soft sigh as Kate told him that everyone was fine. "Good, I'm glad. How's Taylah? Abigail? Are they doing okay?" he asked, clutching the phone tightly to his ear. It was his lifeline at the moment.

Kate asked him how he was doing, and he smiled a little. "I'm fine. I can't wait to get out of here, but other than that, I'm fine," he assured her. He ran his hand over his face briefly, realizing that he needed to shave soon. There was silence on the line for a few moments, and then Patrick spoke again. "I miss you guys," he said softly, closing his eyes again. "I miss you so much."

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firecrackerkate
2008-03-25 11:56 pm UTC (link)

Kate smiled, a fond smile, one that she had given Patrick millions of times in their life together when he worried too much. "Taylah is good, she's loving the second grade, and she has a good teacher. They have a field trip later this week." She paused, thinking of their eldest daughter. She didn't need to worry Patrick any about how distant she'd been, not in the slightest. "Abby is just fine, social butterfly that she is, she rarely has time for her family you know." She waved her hand dismissively in the air as if he could see her gestures.

Kate closed her eyes, a huff of a sigh escaping her lips when he spoke of wanting to get out of prison. The attitude that reigned her seemed to want to snap at the fact that he was in there at all, but she kept that buried. "We miss you too." She said instead, earnest in her tone. "When are you coming home?" She asked softly, not wanting to alert Taylah and get her hopes up.

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pat_connelly
2008-03-26 01:14 am UTC (link)

Patrick listened to Kate talking about their girls, and he sighed softly, closing his eyes. He missed them all so much, he couldn't even take it anymore. He wanted to go home right now, he wanted to be with his family more than anything. Licking his lips, he reached up and wiped away a silent tear that had begun to fall down his face. He was respected there in the prison, and he didn't need to let anyone see him crying. The only person he let see him cry was the woman he was on the phone with right now, and she couldn't see him.

He knew his wife well enough to know she was still a little angry at him for the whole turning himself in thing. But as soon as he got out, he'd put the entire thing behind him, and he'd be the best husband he could be. He'd be the best father he could be. Hearing her tone lower a little, he cleared his throat at her question. "I don't know, I need to talk to Matty and find out what he can do, who he can talk to. I don't know what kind of contacts he's got still," he said. He rolled his lips into his mouth. "Is ... can I talk to Taylah? Just for a minute," he asked. He needed to hear his baby girl's voice.

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firecrackerkate
2008-03-27 01:18 am UTC (link)

Kate sighed softly, bowing her head against the side of the refrigerator as she listened to him talk. She wanted him home now, and was sick of waiting for phone calls to be made, for plans to be put into place. He just had to say the word, and he'd come home...or at least that's what she prayed for. She hated sleeping in her bed alone, reaching for him when he was no longer there.

"I'll be sure to let him know he needs to get in touch with you. Maybe him coming to visit you might be best? That way ... it might be easier to get things put into place." She was careful about what she said, as who knew if anything she said was being monitored at this point. "Yeah, you can." She smiled a bit and looked over to Taylah. "Hey baby, daddy wants to talk to you." The shriek of joy that came from their seven year old made her cringe a little from the sheer volume level. "Ah, watch the hands." Kate lowered herself to her knees and held the phone up to Taylah's ear so she didn't get the slop all over the phone. "Hi Daddy!" Taylah squealed into the phone, those big dimples creasing her cheeks as she talked.

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pat_connelly
2008-03-27 02:19 am UTC (link)

Patrick smiled as he listened to his wife talk. She was a smart woman, she knew that the phonecalls were being monitored. She knew not to say anything that would get him into serious trouble. And some of the guards knowing that Patrick only had to say the word and he'd be getting out of there would be ammo enough for them to throw him into solitary or the hole. And he didn't want that. "Yeah, as soon as you can get Matty to come see me, I think it's time," he said. He licked his lips and ran his hand over his face, clutching the phone closer to his ear. "I miss you, I want to come home," he added. He sighed, he missed his girls. All of them.

Hearing Taylah's excited squeak as Kate announced that he wanted to talk to her, he couldn't help but smile. When he heard his youngest daughter's voice on the phone, his smile grew and he clutched the phone even tighter. "Hi baby," his smile was evident in his words. "Are you being a good girl for mommy while daddy's away?" he asked, closing his eyes and just enjoying hearing his baby girl talking about all the stuff she'd been doing. As much as he loved hearing it from her, he wished he could be there to experience it with her.

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firecrackerkate
2008-04-13 08:02 pm UTC (link)

"I think it's far past time." She said, though bit her tongue from saying anything else. As much as she loved and adored her husband, she was still very much hurt that he had taken it upon himself to get thrown in prison. The months she spent in prison were ones she would rather forget, and there was no need, as far as she was concerned. She tried to understand his want and need for basically committing himself, but she couldn't completely do it. "I miss you too." She breathed, but kept everything else she might have wanted to say to herself.

Instead she busied herself with listening to Taylah ramble on and on about school and her projects and tell her daddy about everything that was going on in her life. Kate missed when their family was whole, and as much as Patrick coming home would remedy that, it would never be completely the way it was. Izzy was still gone, and that reality still hit her squarely in the chest every day. When Taylah was done, Kate lifted the phone back up. "Go wash your hands, Tay." She said, nodding toward her sticky hands. Lifting the phone back up to her ear, she smiled a little. "She misses you a lot." She paused a moment and then bit at her lower lip. "I'll have Matt come and see you as soon as I see him."

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pat_connelly
2008-04-13 09:31 pm UTC (link)

Patrick rolled his lips into his mouth, he knew that Kate had been angry with him when he made his decision to turn himself in. But it was something, at the time, that needed to do. He had so much guilt buried deep down inside over Kate taking the wrap for him before, and then Izzy's death ... he needed to pay for the things he'd done somehow. And prison seemed like the only thing that would work. At the time, he and Kate weren't getting along, and his other daughter wouldn't speak to him. He needed to do something, and now he just wanted to go home and be with his family. He missed them all.

Once Taylah had finished talking, Patrick couldn't wipe the smile off of his face and he took a deep breath. Hearing Kate's voice back on the phone, he smiled again. "I know, I miss her too," he admitted, nodding his head. "I miss all of you guys," he added, his finger playing with the phone cord. Nodding as she told him that she'd have Matty come as soon as she saw him, he rolled his lips into his mouth. "Thanks, Kate. I love you," he told her honestly. It was true, absence did make the heart grow fonder, and he missed his wife more than ever.

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