Re: [ER: Newt & Patrick]
"Fringe sounds like girl hair," Patrick said most directly. "But I am not sure bangs sounds any better, man." Dude did not talk about his hair often. He had been raised by a teenage girl, but Con had never been the makeup and hair tutorial type, man, and Patrick grinned when he was told to stop being observant. It was a Gunster grin in dimmed light, and he acknowledged the truth in Newt's words about other people's concerns with a nod. "I left him a message about what he said, when I returned, before any of this, dude, but I just told him to drop it." He believed this was true, but he did not have his phone to verify the exact language. Dude knew he would not have his phone for the full three days, and so his memory (drugged as it was) would simply have to serve. "I informed him I was not suicidal. I recall this." The word was hard to say, but it was easier with the medication in his system, and he suspected this was part of the reason the medication was given to begin with. But, dude, excusing his siblings was important to Patrick. Yes, he was upset Adrian had done this, and he was most entirely mortified of word getting out, but he had to assume the dude had done it because he truly believed there was something to be concerned over. And, man, if he allowed himself to go there, he would admit this concern was valid. His bro had been trying to assist. He had to believe this for himself, man. It wasn't even for Adrian's sake, or out of kindness to his bro. He was not trying to convince Newt of anything; he was trying to convince himself. None of this changed the fact that he did not know how to live with this thing Adrian had done, and so he had to believe it was done for his good.
Patrick did not realize there was any omission, and maybe this was for the best. He was not even worrying about the fact that Newt and Adrian had been forced to speak about this, about him, which he had been attempting to entirely avoid as a thing. So, there was most certainly something good about the sedation. He chuckled a moment later, after the knee patting. "Dude, you would not have any idea how to place someone in a headlock," he said with absolutely certainty. He did not think Newt to be a headlock kind of dude. Nor did he think Newt was the kind of guy that threw punches. He shook his head, a laugh still perched upon his lips, and he did not comment about Adrian not coming, and he did not comment abnout Con. He did not want Con to know, and he suspected Adrian was somewhere feeling most guilty.
The touch to the ankle was not too much, or Patrick was not considering it so. Had he thought it was, he would have pulled his leg away, and he did not. As it was, he just glanced at the camera, reminded himself it was not recording, and did nothing. Dude was worried about being observed by all the people here, all of which he knew, man, it was not the touch that bothered him. It was the witnesses. And, as there would be none, the touch was fine. Better than fine. He was low, and affection (even in the form of headlocks) was a positive thing.
But dude did not speak on that. He rambled, eyes closed, and then he listened as Newt spoke. Newt said many things, and Patrick opened his eyes toward the end. His hand, Patrick's, was still lying open on the bed, palm up in (what he felt) was obvious offering, but Newt did not take it, and the dude pulled his arm in and draped it over his stomach. His neck was blotchy red for a moment, but this was all the indication that he felt embarrassed. "What was uglier about the forest, dude?" Maybe he was meant to concentrate on all the rest, but he was concerned he would forget to ask the question, and it was a question that required asking. He did venture slightly into difficult territory, but it was only for a moment: "I know I mean much to you as a friend. You mean much to me too, and I know what you are saying is true. It is just that at times it does not feel true. And, Newt, when I think about moving forward from here, I do not think that I can." Which was something he should probably not say too loudly.