He's doing laundry when he finds the note, the sheets of paper tucked into a sweater he doesn't remember as being his, something he thinks maybe Coop had rescued from the beach and given to him while they'd been stuck on the island. There's a vague memory of protesting at the time, saying he wasn't cold, but in the end he'd taken it anyway, had used it as a pillow when sleep had seemed like the only option to escape the empty, dark hole he felt in his chest, the place where his magic used to be.
As he sits on the bed and sorts through the dirty clothes, he wonders who it belongs to, if the person who used to wear this sweater is still alive, maybe in the hospital, maybe home like he is. Maybe they didn't make it, though, and he frowns faintly, wondering if he should keep it or just get rid of it. It's not the sort of thing he'll ever wear given the choice, but it seems strange to throw away something that he's slept on for five of the worst days of his life, especially if the person who once owned it is no longer here. He's still trying to decide what to do when he feels the paper in the pocket and his frown deepens as he pulls out the note and glances over it curiously.
The last thing he expects to see is his name at the top.
He reads it three times sitting on the bed before he gets up, forgetting his leg, and sits back down on the edge with a curse and a wince. There's only so much his potions can do and he gropes for the cane, knowing he needs to be more careful, but too distracted to really pay attention. Spencer isn't home, he's gone out to... do something, Joel suddenly can't remember. He's not sure where Raleigh is and as he limps out into the hall, he listens, the pages of her note held in one shaking hand.
The house sounds empty, but he goes looking anyway, limping from room to room before he finally sits down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. He leaves the note on top of the table, no longer sure what to do with it, not even entirely sure what he's feeling. It shouldn't matter because everyone is safe and everyone is alive, but it does matter all the same. He's angry at himself for not having noticed how bad things had gotten, he's angry at her for writing the letter even though he knows that isn't fair. He's angry and he's shaking a little, but all he can do is sit at the table and wait for her to get home.
no subject
As he sits on the bed and sorts through the dirty clothes, he wonders who it belongs to, if the person who used to wear this sweater is still alive, maybe in the hospital, maybe home like he is. Maybe they didn't make it, though, and he frowns faintly, wondering if he should keep it or just get rid of it. It's not the sort of thing he'll ever wear given the choice, but it seems strange to throw away something that he's slept on for five of the worst days of his life, especially if the person who once owned it is no longer here. He's still trying to decide what to do when he feels the paper in the pocket and his frown deepens as he pulls out the note and glances over it curiously.
The last thing he expects to see is his name at the top.
He reads it three times sitting on the bed before he gets up, forgetting his leg, and sits back down on the edge with a curse and a wince. There's only so much his potions can do and he gropes for the cane, knowing he needs to be more careful, but too distracted to really pay attention. Spencer isn't home, he's gone out to... do something, Joel suddenly can't remember. He's not sure where Raleigh is and as he limps out into the hall, he listens, the pages of her note held in one shaking hand.
The house sounds empty, but he goes looking anyway, limping from room to room before he finally sits down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. He leaves the note on top of the table, no longer sure what to do with it, not even entirely sure what he's feeling. It shouldn't matter because everyone is safe and everyone is alive, but it does matter all the same. He's angry at himself for not having noticed how bad things had gotten, he's angry at her for writing the letter even though he knows that isn't fair. He's angry and he's shaking a little, but all he can do is sit at the table and wait for her to get home.