Chapter Text
Friday nights saw many of the residents of Pelican town arriving at the saloon for some end of the week festivities. The young adults would play pool and arcade games in the back room, Willy and Clint would share a table while across the bar Leah and Eliott would talk creativity. Pam would often be quite drunk at this point, slurring and smiling. Gus and Emily kept busy drawing drinks and serving food with wide smiles.
Everyone was relaxed and happy. Most nights, anyways.
Tonight, Mayor Lewis wasn't quite so caught up in his drinking companion as he usually was. He glanced over his shoulder when the door opened, as he had every time the door had opened so far this evening. He turned back to his drink and startled when he found concerned brown eyes meeting his own.
"Alright. What, or who, are you waiting for?"
Lewis ducked his head a little under Marnie's stern look. He knew that determination. It was typically directed at the livestock she made her living by, but leveling it at him would have much the same effect. The Mayor started to open his mouth to answer when the door to the saloon opened again, and he distracted himself glancing back at who it was.
Marnie watched as the doctor, Harvey, came through the door, and all the tension dropped out of Lewis's shoulders to be replaced by anticipation. The doctor wearily moved up to his customary place at the bar and ordered a drink before realizing the Mayor's eyes were on him. The two made eye-contact, and Harvey made a gesture for Lewis to stay put when the older man made to stand.
Harvey scooped up his drink when it was presented and came over, nodding and extending a brief greeting to Marnie as he sat down before getting right into what was worrying both the Mayor, and himself. "He'll be fine. Sore and have a bit of a limp for the next three or four days, but Lucus will make it."
Marnie's brow furrowed. "Lucus? Whos- Oh! The new farmer."
Mayor Lewis nodded, his fingers fiddling with his glass. "Linus found him passed out in the mines. Poor guy looked like he would barely make it. Which is worrisome enough, but this is the second time this week! And I don't know how many times in total since he's gotten here."
"This makes number five," Harvey provided grimly.
Lewis frowned, shaking his head. "The young man is intelligent, I know. And looks strong enough to do alright in the mines. But for some reason, he's gotten out of his depth and just doesn't know when to quit! The boy is going to kill himself if he doesn't stop going down there."
"Well," Marnie started, ever the straightforward woman. "Why is he going down there? Is he after the stone? The ore? There are other ways to get both. But if he's going down there just looking for a fight then maybe..."
Both Lewis and Marnie looked at Harvey. The doctor stiffly drained his drink. The glass clunked back onto the table top and his hand raised to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose as his gaze became calculating. "The thought that he was specifically trying to harm himself did occur."
A heavy atmosphere fell over the three, all of them thinking the same thing. Something had to be done. Lewis finally sighed. "I'll give him a couple days to finish recovering. Then I'll go talk to him."
Shane woke up late Sunday morning in a foul mood. He was hungover from the night before, achy from having passed out on the floor, and he had squandered half of one of his precious days off. He cursed as he tripped over empty beer cans and grumbled as he staggered into the bathroom to relieve himself and scrub the bitter taste from his mouth.
He stared at himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. His hair had gotten a little long. Or, longer than he usually kept it. Dark circles under his eyes added a decade or two and he scowled. How did he sleep in and still end up looking and feeling like shit.
He spat, rinsed, and straightened to glare at himself. "You just are a piece of shit."
Since his reflection didn't deny, defend, or provide anything useful, he turned away to go find some coffee and pizza rolls. He tripped over the beer cans again.
Once he had successfully made his way out of his room and into the kitchen, his minor victory was overshadowed by the sound of Mayor Lewis talking with Marnie. He did his best to ignore their 'secret' relationship, but he still noticed it enough that it irritated him. Ordinarily, he would tune them out as he shoved a plate of pizza rolls into the microwave and watch it spin. He wasn't quite sure what pulled his attention this time.
"I wasn't trying to be offensive. I don't understand why he got so mad."
"Maybe he thought you were trying to pry. I mean, he hasn't been particularly eager to make friends in town."
Shane cocked his head as he watched the pizza rolls slowly turning in the microwave, trying to figure out who they were talking about.
"I'm just worried about the boy. His grandfather and I were really good friends. I guess I was hoping the grandson would be a lot like the man I used to know."
The microwave dinged and he pulled his food out as he worked out who they were talking about. The new farmer that had moved into the dump north of Marnie's ranch. Shane couldn't really put a face, or a name for that matter, to this epiphany. Despite the fact that he was pretty sure the young man had moved in the beginning of spring and it was almost summer. Honestly, Shane could fully respect wanting to be left alone. He set the plate on the table while he pulled down a mug to fill it with coffee from the carafe as Marnie continued in a consoling manner.
"There is a two generation gap. Maybe he doesn't want a parental figure looking over his shoulder."
Lewis sighed. "I suppose I could do something to apologize. Maybe... How about this?! I'll send him a chicken! It'll be an apology and maybe the added bit of responsibility will help keep him out of the mines for a bit."
Shane couldn't help the snort of amusement as he sat down. That was the problem right there wasn't it. This new guy just wants to be left alone and Lewis keeps dropping expectations on him. Get the hint already!
Marnie had, of course, agreed with enthusiasm that it was a wonderful idea while Shane had been silently disagreeing. And then abruptly dragged him into the conversation. "Shane?! Would you do me a favor and make a delivery for me?"
Shane's head jerked up, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Albeit one with a mouthful of pizza roll and coffee halfway to his mouth. Shane forced down the bite, blinking. "What?"
Marnie poked her head around the corner to give him a shining smile. "Don't worry, you'll have time to finish eating while I get everything together. I'll just need you to take it up the road to the new farmer. You know the place right? It shouldn't take too long, and you weren't planning anything for today anyway right?"
Shane felt he should be offended. If she weren't absolutly right. He sighed and nodded. "Sure."
"Thank you Shane!"
Which was how he found himself lugging a chick and a bag of feed through Cindersap forest to a guy who probably just wanted to be left alone. He decided his life sucked.