Hospitality (Rob)

[Dr. Robert Terrell]

Rob had always been driven, even when he was younger. It had proved an asset both in school and in the real world. No, not everyone appreciated his attitude, especially his team, but even they had to admit that he got results. Granted, he’d almost been in overdrive the night he’d gone into battle over Mitch, but in the end he’d won that fight. Mitch had made it out alive, and that was what had counted. Yes, he’d wanted to have been able to save his leg, but him being alive at the end of the marathon surgery had been an acceptable second outcome. Chuckling softly, he shook his head. “I had enough of that during my internships, but people still find ways to sneak it into discussions with me for surgical consults.” Often overprotective parents, which drove him up the walls and back again. It had only gotten worse since the internet had exploded with rumors and people scaring others into following their ideas. At least with Mitch he didn’t have to worry about that. Especially when he was in a mood like this. One eye brow quirked up, a knowing look on his face. “I don’t need that to know just how fast I can get your heart going, but if you insist…” Unless Mitch was actually sick, playing doctor really could be fun.

He had to admit, the idea of Mitch all trussed up was appealing, even if he’d be worried the whole time that he was safe and not in pain at all, or nervous. Then again, the idea of Mitch doing the tying up… God damn, he did not need this. They weren’t teenagers anymore, so why was he acting like they were? He tried to keep his composure, but Mitch’s sudden change made him drop that act fast. Brows drawing together in concern, Rob reached over to gently cover Mitch’s hand with his own. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s okay, Mitch. Really.” His voice lowered slightly to keep from anyone listening in. “You have no idea of the effect you’re having on me right now. It is taking a significant amount of willpower to not haul you upstairs to a quiet place. Believe me when I say you have nothing to be sorry for.” Few things hurt more than when Mitch dared to branch out with confidence, only to retreat just as quickly. When that happened, Rob wanted to do anything he could to help him come back to his confidence again.

At least he agreed that Rob could look after himself. More or less, anyway. Yes, Tawney often had to remind him of things, but that was beside the point. The squeeze made him smile and gently squeeze back. “I know you will. Just as I’ll always worry about you.” There was no getting off that train for Rob, not now, and quite possibly not ever. Though any thoughts of worrying quickly scattered when Mitch used his full name. Full names tended to only come out when they were being playful, and if Mitch was playing along, he had to have started to feel better. “Good. Can’t have you forgetting that, can I?”

Rob didn’t often think of his actions with Mitch as sacrifices. Like getting rid of the grill. It had been common sense, and that was it. It was easy to make do with the stove top or the oven if need be, and he really didn’t mind cooking for them. Even when he was getting off of a long shift and was tired, because he knew it was for the good of his family. No matter what, he wanted to take care of his family. At the end of the day, if he succeeded in that simple thing, then everything was fine. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind. But if an emergency comes in later, I’ll let you know it may have to be a delivery night.” That way Mitch was looked after at least. A slight tension returned to Rob’s face at the mention of the park. “Are you sure you’ll be alright? I don’t want you to push yourself.” Granted, he’d earlier thought that letting Mitch go get forks was pushing himself. A visit to the park after visiting him here? Did not compute as a great idea, but he also knew that if Mitch was determined, very little would stop him. “You never need to make anything up to me, Mitch. I promise you.”

[Mitchell Terrell]

As they chatted, Mitchell retrieved the little pouch containing his medications from his bag and quickly swallowed them with a swig of the soda. He hated having to take them so often and was near-constantly in a battle with his psychiatrist and physician to be weaned off them, but the last time he had attempted to come off them on his own the results had been... unpleasant. He was getting stronger by the month, a lot of which he put down to Rob's help and support, but he was still a long way from being 'better'. For other people he had all the patience in the world, but he had always been stubborn with himself. “I can imagine. I remember, when I was up in the ward, a woman telling her consultant that she didn't have to have a new hip because some forum told her that if she took lots of oil supplements it would un-fuse again. I don't think I've ever seen anyone trying so hard not to hit their head off a wall as that doctor was.” Mitchell gave a small shake of his head. The stupidity of some people never failed to astonish him. When it came to medical matters the advise of a doctor was usually the soundest to take. Though of course, Mitchell was a little biased in that opinion. He squirmed a little in his seat. “Oh, I do insist.”

Despite the fact Rob was older and had always had a more mature head on his shoulders, Mitchell had always been the more experienced and outgoing of the two in regard to certain things. When they had met Mitchell had been the confident one who was very comfortable with his sexuality, and hell, he'd hardly been a monk through all the years when he and Rob had been separated. Since the accident that had gone, and from their new beginning Rob had been very much taking the lead, but Mitchell was trying to crawl back out of the shell that had been built up around him. It was exceptionally difficult but Rob seemed to be developing a knack for encouraging it, and his admittance of the effect that Mitchell's words were having on him sent a shiver of pleasure through the younger man despite the anxiety clawing in his stomach. The cloud of uncertainty was still clearly hanging over him, but Mitchell managed a small slightly sly smile. “Well... Maybe tonight you can show me just what effect I caused.”

In truth the thought of Rob being frustrated all afternoon, itching to get back home and vent it out between the sheets, was a rather pleasing one in a rather mean way and it did a little to help lift his mood again a little. The returned squeeze on his hand was met with a warm smile, and Mitchell idly wondered to himself if it was possible for him to love Rob any more than he did. He doubted it. Still glancing up at Rob through his lashes, Mitchell gave a small shake of his head at the question. “Not at all, sir. I'll remember.”

Mitchell gave a small nod when Rob mentioned getting a delivery if he got held back and it got too late. “That's fine.” There were few things that he hated more than when an emergency came in and kept Rob behind at work. A large part of it was of course sympathy for whatever poor soul was the patient needing that level of care – he'd been in that position himself, and being in any kind of state requiring an emergency surgeon was not something he would wish on his worst enemy. However, he also hated it because it meant Rob was held back. Admittedly part of that was selfish because it kept Rob away from him, but it was also because Rob was so often stressed and over-worked as it was, and it broke Mitchell's heart every time something awful happened that resulted in Rob coming home defeated and upset. “I wont push too far. If it gets too much I'll stop and we'll get a cab back home, I promise. I don't have anything organised for tomorrow so I can rest then.” Rob's reassurance that he didn't have to make anything up to him brought a small smile to Mitchell's lips. “I know, but that doesn't mean I wont try.” He then picked up one of the chips and offered it to Rob. “Eat up, doctor. You need your strength.”

[Dr. Robert Terrell]

Like he always did, Rob pretended not to notice Mitch taking his medication. He knew Mitch disliked them enough without him keeping an eagle eye on him, or questioning him on them, unless he mentioned a change had been made in them. Though it would be entirely unethical, Rob actually missed looking after Mitch professionally in some aspects. Letting someone else care for him felt like giving up a degree of control, mostly because it meant he had to trust them with the most important person in his life, and do it completely. He didn’t often like to dwell on it, because it made him oddly anxious. “Yeah, that’s not unheard of. Sometimes, those people just defy logic. And sanity. And shouldn’t talk to each other. Ever.” Paranoia spread like wildfire these days, thanks to forums like the one Mitch mentioned. At least he had things to take his mind off of it. Like watching his husband squirm. “I’ll see what I can do, then,” he murmured softly to him. Because if that was going to rock Mitch’s world, he’d find a way to do it.

Prior to meeting Mitchell, Rob had been thoroughly closeted, because boys just didn’t go after other boys. Much as he’d tried to push that part of him away, Mitch had broken down those walls. In those days, Rob hadn’t known much better, and had been more than okay with letting the younger boy take the lead, exposing him to a whole new world. After they’d gone separate ways, Rob had been more open to a leading role, but when Mitch had come back it had almost been necessary. He dearly hoped his husband would find his confidence once more, but he also appreciated it could be a long road back. Until then, he could play the leader, and encourage where he could to try to bring the old Mitch back again. Moments like this, it seemed possible. “Oh, I’ll show you all right,” he murmured, voice low. “Maybe then you’ll remember how much trouble you stir up.”

The chances of him being a tad frustrated for the rest of the day were incredibly high, and Mitch was going to learn that the moment he was home. It could quite honestly turn into a delivery night simply because he had better things to do than cook when Mitch wound him up like this. “Good. I can’t have you forgetting that.”

Honestly, Rob loved his job. He loved what he could do with his hands. Yes, there were bumps, and sometimes things didn’t pan out like he wanted. Some days were terrible, and others were great. It was just the nature of the job. Still, that didn’t mean he liked being away from Mitch for long periods of time. Emergency calls weren’t a huge bulk of his workload, but when they came in, he was usually on call. They tended to swing one of two ways – they went well, or they didn’t. And those were the cases that tended to hit him the hardest. There was only so much desperation you could throw at a situation before admitting defeat, and though Rob had never liked to lose, admitting defeat on a patient that their family was trusting you to help was... difficult to swallow, to say the least. Every time something did happen, he often threw himself into research afterwards, beating himself up a little as he searched for any possible way he could have achieved a different outcome, or another way to help the next person so that it didn’t happen again. He still did it with Mitch, too, though he tried to limit it to when Mitch was sleeping, or otherwise occupied. He’d been caught more than once by his husband, and he knew it was a little pointless, but it didn’t stop him from obsessing about it from time to time. “Good. I just... I do worry about you, Mitch.” Part of him also wanted to make sure he had enough cash on him for a cab, but he knew that was a sore spot for his husband. Rob had only too happily given him all the access he wanted to his accounts when they’d gotten married, but he didn’t often push the subject. If Mitch needed something, he could access it himself, or he’d ask. Shaking off that train of thought, Rob smiled and leaned forward to delicately take the chip between his teeth. After eating it, he arched an eyebrow at him. “You really are going to be in a world of trouble tonight, Mitchell. You can count on it.”

[Mitchell Terrell]

Once he'd swallowed the medication Mitchell put the packages away again, glad that Rob hadn't made mention of them. Of course Mitchell kept Rob in the loop with everything that he was on, including the dosages, but he knew that it was hard sometimes for Rob to not try to play doctor with it himself, like he had done at the beginning. Before their budding romantic relationship had caused them to have to sever the doctor-patient relationship. He was certain though that if Rob noticed anything suspect he would mention it, which was a comforting thought to have on his side. “Agreed. The stupidity just seems to spiral when they get in a group. One ridiculous idea feeds another which feeds another and soon they're all just grunting insanity at each other.” Mitchell was just glad that real medical professionals tended to treat the theories of those people with all the disdain they deserved. Mitchell gave his husband a slightly shy smile, but it was edged with a playful mischief. “I should just write you a shopping list of stuff to bring home, ey?”

It didn't take much any more to knock Mitchell off his stride. The wrong word or movement or sound could send him shrinking back into himself, and on the bad days even the slightest negative stimuli seemed able to send him cowering right back to square one. It was getting easier with time and the medications and therapy were helping him regain something vaguely akin to control of his life, but it was such a slow process and no-one was harder on Mitchell than he was with himself. He so very badly wanted to be better, and with each tiny setback he grew more and more frustrated. Thankfully he always knew that he had Rob there to help him when need be, especially in moments like this. It was difficult to be completely eaten up by nerves when his attention was being distracted by very promising thoughts for later on. He kept his voice low, partly so they weren't overheard but also partly because of the slight anxiety that his voice betrayed. “You think you've got what it takes to remind me? You really think you can handle me?”

The way the conversation was going, Rob wouldn't be the only one spending the rest of the day slightly wound up. Mitchell didn't necessarily see that as a bad thing in his case since the more wound up he was the easier, both mentally and physically, he tended to find the event when it eventually happened. The thought of Rob spending all afternoon itching to get home and vent himself was, however, a very delightful one. “Of course not, sir. It's a good job I've got you to remind me.”

Mitchell was well aware that Rob tended to dwell on the negative things that had happened at work, despite the fact they were usually well out of his control. The few times he had caught Rob looking up new research into limb-saving surgeries and procedures, Mitchell always did what he could to distract his husband and bring him away from it. He honestly believed that nothing more could have been done by anyone to save his leg, and it always killed him to see Rob hanging on to what had happened. Deep down, he knew that neither of them could move on properly while they were still clinging on to what had happened like that. Of course, moving on from that was always easier said than done. “I know you worry... And I like that, a bit, in moderation. I know it means you care.” When Rob leaned forward and took the chip with his teeth Mitchell smiled warmly, letting his fingers brush over the scuff on Rob's chin for a moment before his hand settled back down on the table. “I'm looking forward to seeing you try, Robert.”

[Dr. Robert Terrell]

Some days were harder than others to keep his professional side in check with Mitchell. Especially when he was sick. Most other couples would cope with things like over the counter medication and rest, but it took a hell of a lot of self control for Rob to not start doing things like ordering labs and doling out medication like it was candy. He was well aware of his ethical responsibilities, and didn’t want to breech them in the slightest, but it was hard. More than once he’d slunk into Mitchell’s specialists’ offices, only to be shooed away. It had been a lot harder than he’d expected to let go of that aspect of Mitch’s life, and remained difficult. He honestly wasn’t sure it would ever go away. “It’s true. And we can’t just dismiss their theories, or call them out for being idiots. It’s a lot of smiling and nodding and telling them how much we appreciate that they’ve done some homework before trying to steer them in the right direction.” It was a sad reality, but one that Rob had to live with. At least not all of his patients rode the crazy train. “Write a list, sure. You’ll just have to come up with a clever excuse as to why supplies keep disappearing.” Still. If he couldn’t actually be Mitchell’s doctor anymore, he could at least play.

There was little Rob disliked more than watching Mitchell shrink back after displaying some confidence. There were many times he actually missed Mitch’s confidence. It was what he had been drawn to in the first place. Mitch being cool and confident, all the while Rob had been a skinny bookworm with a knack for getting himself into trouble with boys twice his size. It had taken a lot to take over the more dominant role he now held, but it did come in handy now and again. Now he was holder and better equipped to handle himself, he was much more capable of defending his family if push came to shove. At least better than he’d been his entire youth. His heart had always been in the right place, but he’d always been on a scrawny side, and more likely to get his ass kicked than actually pull off a victory. That was hardly the case anymore. ... If no one counted the incident in the bar when he was twenty three, that was. “Oh, I can try. I never back down from a challenge,” he murmured, knowing full well he had determination in his gaze as he watched Mitchell.

Sometimes, like now, Mitch played dirty. What had started as a nice break and time with his husband had now thoroughly devolved into a battle of wills that was absolutely going to be resolved later in the evening. “I’ll remind you every day, if I have to. That’s a promise.”

It was difficult not to dwell on the negative aspect of his job sometimes. Especially when one thing happened after another that was out of his control. Good things happened more often, but one bad thing could often overshadow a whole pile of good. The bad things also tended to spur days upon days of research at work and at home to prevent them from happening again, regardless of the fact that a lot of the time things happened that were beyond his control. At least Mitch was always a good distraction. “I do care,” he murmured, leaning into Mitch’s warm touch. “I love you.” As for the challenge, he just smirked. “I’ll try, and I’ll succeed. You know that.”

[Mitchell Terrell]

Rob going into full-on mother hen mode was always one heck of a sight and Mitchell would likely find it amusing every time, were he not usually vomiting or otherwise being ill at the time. Mitchell had known his husband claiming he was fine and try to go to work when he was so full of the flu he was practically delirious, but the moment Mitchell so much as got a sniffle Rob started acting as though he was in imminent risk of keeling over. Sometimes it could be more than a little frustrating, but Mitchell knew it was all through love and it was just another aspect of Rob's personality that he had come to adore. He chuckled softly. “I can't imagine you being all diplomatic with a patient like that; I know the real you too well, I think. My Captain Grumpy Pants.” Mitchell smiled warmly, idly brushing his fingertips over Rob's forearm where it was perched on the table near him. When Rob told him he'd have to come up with an excuse for why supplies kept going missing, Mitchell bit his lip softly and gave a soft chuckle, glancing up at Rob as he fidgeted slightly in his seat for a moment. “I guess the truth would be a bit weird in that case, huh?” Mitchell was aware that Tawney knew a fair bit about him from all the many visits he'd had to make to the hospital over the years, but he drew the line at Tawney knowing just what effect the snap of a latex glove could have on him.

Mitchell too missed being more confident and outgoing, and while he was desperately trying to claw that back it was proving to be a long and slow process. His doctors and therapists had told him that the accident could have profound effects on him for some time, but there were some days when he found himself wondering if 'some time' was fancy doctor speak for 'forever'. There were good days along with the bad, of course, but Mitchell was impatient for the day when the good days would far outnumber the bad. Even though he was a little shaky at the moment, at least today seemed to be being a rather good one. For that he was thankful, because on a bad day that searingly devastating determined gaze in Rob's eyes would have been utterly wasted. As it was, it caused Mitchell to blush once more but a slightly challenging smile curled the corner of his lips. “I'm looking forward to seeing you try.”

While Mitchell hoped every single day that nothing bad happened to anyone and that there were no major emergencies for the hospital to deal with, he found himself hoping that even more so than usual, and for largely selfish reasons. There was a part of him that wished he could just drag Rob home now, but he could and would have patience until tonight. After all, Rob had always been far more fun when he'd been made to wait. That thought sent a little shiver down Mitchell's spine, and he smirked to himself for a moment before replying to Rob. “Good. You know I'll hold you to that promise.”

There were many things that Mitchell had come to doubt in recent years, from whether the place they were going to visit would be a safe place to wear cut-off pants right through to whether he'd ever be fully psychologically well again. The one thing he had never doubted, though, was the fact that Rob really did care for him. Mitchell often didn't understand it, since Rob was smart and handsome and could have pretty much anyone he wanted, but the fact that he cared was never doubted for a second. “I know, and I love and adore you too. Even when you are being Captain Grumpy Pants.” But oh, that confident little smirk always got to him in the best possible way. “We'll see, Doctor Terrell. We'll see...”

[Dr. Robert Terrell]

Rob had always been a mother hen type when it came to his family. Even when he was younger and either of his sisters were ill, he’d follow his mother around like a second shadow and watch and learn how to help look after them. Those experiences had also helped shape what he wanted for his future. Yes, he went a little overboard with Mitch now and again, but he couldn’t help it. In a weird way, he was just showing how much he loved him. Yes, he could generally act tough when he was sick himself, but with Mitch... yeah, he went overboard. But he’d never apologize for it. “Yes, well, acting like Captain Grumpy Pants with patients is a great way to get a complaint lodged against you. I know not to cross that line.” It was why he’d managed to compartmentalize his emotions, and likely why he was a little harder on the staff than others might be. He’d learned early on to be diplomatic with patients no matter how out to lunch their theories were. Worst case, he’d refer them to someone else, because clearly he wasn’t able to get through to them. “But for you, yes, I’m Captain Grumpy Pants.” The name didn’t bother him, mostly because he knew it to be true more often than he might like. At the touch to his arm he made a soft noise of contentment. This really was a much nicer way to spend lunch, rather than holing up in his office. Though Mitch’s comment made him chuckle softly. “Trust me, we’ve heard weirder. I’m glad I don’t work down in emergency, because the things that come up down there...” He was happier in his little surgery bubble.

Rob lived for Mitch’s good days, and so far from what he could see, today was a good one. Bad days tended to make him feel a little useless, because it seemed that very little he did could pull Mitch out of it. He wasn’t used to feeling like that, and it didn’t sit well with him. He was much happier when Mitch was having a good day and being his usual cheerful, goofball self. “Oh, I’ll try, and I’ll succeed.” That, he could promise, and screw the fact that both of them would spend the afternoon squirming. It would be worth it.

The surgeon could be impatient when the mood suited him, and this was no exception. The end of his day couldn’t come fast enough now, and though he wouldn’t let wandering thoughts effect his work, it was going to be an effort to concentrate on mundane things like files now. At least he had been planning to make some rounds and check on patients after lunch. That would keep him occupied for a bit. At least enough to keep him sane. “I keep my promises Mitch. Especially to you.” Regardless of what they were.

Rob did love Mitch. Never really stopped loving him, if he stopped to think about it. Mitch had been his first... everything, really, and the fact he’d gotten to reunite with him had been nothing short of miraculous in a lot of ways. He was aware that he could perhaps attract anyone else, but he didn’t want to. He was never letting Mitch go again, unless it was the right thing to do for both of them. But God help him, he never wanted to that to come to pass. “Good. Someone has to, right?” He grinned. “Even when I’m being Captain Grumpy Pants.” As he eyed Mitch, his husband calling him ‘Doctor’ made a tingle dance all the way down his back. Mitch may not have had much faith in himself, but damn did he have a wicked effect on Rob. “You watch who you’re calling Doctor, Mitchell. Or I may have to leave work early.” Which he wouldn’t really object to at this point.

[Mitchell Terrell]

While Mitchell didn't have the same mother hen instinct that Rob possessed, he still had a deep care for people in general. He had wanted to follow in his father's footsteps because he had wanted to help defend the nation, but when that option had been denied to him he had become a fireman instead. It hadn't really mattered how he was helping to save people, only that he was helping them. Granted there were always those people that were annoying and in truth there was some reluctance to helping them sometimes, so he could understand Rob's frustration when he was forced to help someone that wasn't even trying to help themselves. “True, I suppose. I still think they should put up with it, though. If they want to be treated by the best doctor, they should be made to let you vent at them for a while. It's the least they could do, right?” When Rob spoke about having heard weirder, and the stories that came from the emergency department, Mitchell laughed softly. “You mean those stories you always see online? The 'I slipped and fell on the cola bottle' people?” He shook his head quickly, an amused grin on his lips. “I suppose in comparison the truth would be pretty boring.”

The past few years had been incredibly difficult for Mitch, but it was the little challenges that helped keep him going. It didn't matter how small or large or serious or silly the target was, it was just that having something to aim for gave him a way to focus himself, and also gave him something to look forward to. It didn't matter whether it was taking his shirt off in front of Rob for the first time, walking down the aisle, or winning a battle of intimate stubbornness. “I wouldn't hold your breath on that. You know I don't play fair.”

Rob wasn't the only one thinking the end of the day couldn't come any sooner, and Mitchell was finding himself more grateful by the moment that he had come in to see Rob today. The excited anticipation would be eating at him all afternoon, but there was not a cell in his body that regretted the decision.

“Especially when you're being Captain Grumpy Pants, because that means I get to try and find a way to work you out of it.” As the conversation flowed, Mitchell realised that he really was having the best day, psychologically, that he'd had for a while. Sure there had been shaky moments, but he was openly teasing with his husband in public. They were keeping their voices low, of course, but considering that on some days Mitchell struggled to be so frank even in the privacy of their own apartment, the thought still filled him with an odd sort of pride in himself. When Rob gently scolded him to watch what he was saying, and threatened with coming home early, Mitchell blushed slightly but the edge of a wicked grin curled the corner of his lips. “You say that like it's supposed to be a deterrent.” He tutted softly. “I thought you were smarter than that.”

[Dr. Robert Terrell]

Rob’s mother hen streak had only intensified since he’d been young. Mitchell in particular was good at sparking it. He supposed it was because he loved him so much. Mitch being ill or hurt tended to bring him into a near-frenzy, made worse by the fact that he couldn’t ethically do much beyond first aid fixes or bringing home over the counter medicine. It killed him, yes, but it killed him more having to trust other people with Mitchell’s care. Even now, when he was the one that had referred him to another doctor in the first place out of necessity... he didn’t exactly deal with it well. He tried not to hover, he really did, but it was hard. He smiled fondly at Mitchell as he pointed out the flaws in today’s health care system. “I wish it worked that way. I really, really do. Perhaps someone should put you in charge, Mitch.” Then maybe they’d have some sense in the system. As for the emergency room stories, he had to laugh too. “The ER doctors swear they could write novels with everything they deal with. And no one tells the truth for the embarrassing visits, which just make our jobs that much harder.” Yes, pride was often on the line, but if the truth didn’t come out, it was so much harder to help. Rob didn’t miss his interning days on the front lines one bit.

No, Mitch didn’t play fair, especially now his confidence was coming back. Rob loved teasing that confidence along in any way he could. Seeing Mitch slowly come back to the confident man he’d been when they’d dated before college was an amazing thing to witness, and anything he could do to help it along was worth it. “I never expect you to fight fair, Mitchell. More fun that way.”

Rob knew his temper wasn’t always the easiest thing in the world to live with, especially when he tended to swallow his feelings at work only to drag them home and vent his spleen to Mitch. It was the nature of his job, after all, and any job that involved dealing with people. Things happened that were frustrating at best, and devastating at worst. Still, he tried, and despite how hard it seemed at times to shake his mood, he had to admit that Mitch was hands down the best person to get him out of those moods. “You’re good at it, you know. Better than Tawney, even.” Who had ears like a hawk and would probably have found a way to hear that comment no matter where she was in the hospital. But it was true, and he wasn’t going to take it back for anything.

Oh, that grin. It did funny things to Rob, much like it had when they were teenagers. “Clearly I’m not. All those years in school, wasted.” This really was fun, and a good break for the day. Okay, he might be a little pent up and distracted for the afternoon, but he could handle that. He could handle anything for Mitch.