[And she rubs her hands together as she nods, trying to work some warmth into them. She's been running colder than usual lately and she doesn't think he'll be able to feel it through all his layers, but it wouldn't do to make this more uncomfortable instead of helping him.]
Max also said something about warmth helping. He suggested heating up rice in a sock.
[Maybe she should have asked for clearer instructions on that oops.]
I think you just heat it in a pan and put it in the sock.
[Once he's settled, she reaches over to run her hand down his spine, feeling out the bumps and dips and using what she remembers from her own massage to find the place that will be tender on Alfie. She doesn't push in just yet, just lays her palm over the collection of muscles she'll be working on so he'll be able to identify it himself later.]
It's just there. Tell me if it hurts, alright?
[And now she presses, very lightly at first, with her thumb to try to work those muscles loose.]
[Almost right away, Alfie grunts- the whole muscle in his leg twitches in response, heel kicking up a bit as his back registers a bad surge of hot, mean pain.
It's going to hurt no matter what, but for the moment, he tries keeping quiet.]
[She frowns, but keeps going with the same pressure. It might hurt before it starts to feel better and she hopes he'll tell her if it becomes unbearable, but hopefully this will do something for him.
She keeps it up, rubbing in gentle circles right where Max showed her would fix this.]
[As much as she'd like to help him, she can hardly push when he sounds the way he does. She nods instead, moves her hand instead to rub his shoulder in a very affectionate gesture before she takes her hands away entirely.]
We'll try another time. I'll talk to Max about which parts I got wrong.
[Those are very mixed signals, but then again it is Alfie so perhaps she should just be used to that by now. It helps, though, to know it's a little better for him.]
Did it seem like it had gotten at all better since the Land of the Dead?
[The problem with this is that he's blanket miserable, and just projecting it everywhere. Shoving his way through that to think objectively about back pain isn't an easy task for Alfie, who actually runs extremely emotional and temperamental- beyond what he puts on for show.]
It's following the usual pattern. Improving, I would say, now that I'm resting it, but more gradually than I would like, and it'll likely not return entirely to where it was, which wasn't good to begin with.
[She doesn't say of course I will or that she hopes he knows he can come to her if he needs anything, because isn't that exactly what he did? It's touching in a way that has nothing to do with wardens or inmates, it's entirely about her being glad she's opened up enough to like people because if she hadn't, she would miss Alfie's presence in her life.
Angry and violent as he can be, she treasures him.]
I could always carry you home if you drank too much, but it does seem better to avoid that.
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[And she rubs her hands together as she nods, trying to work some warmth into them. She's been running colder than usual lately and she doesn't think he'll be able to feel it through all his layers, but it wouldn't do to make this more uncomfortable instead of helping him.]
Max also said something about warmth helping. He suggested heating up rice in a sock.
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[He says, imagining it cooked, not particularly enamoured of the idea.]
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I think you just heat it in a pan and put it in the sock.
[Once he's settled, she reaches over to run her hand down his spine, feeling out the bumps and dips and using what she remembers from her own massage to find the place that will be tender on Alfie. She doesn't push in just yet, just lays her palm over the collection of muscles she'll be working on so he'll be able to identify it himself later.]
It's just there. Tell me if it hurts, alright?
[And now she presses, very lightly at first, with her thumb to try to work those muscles loose.]
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It's going to hurt no matter what, but for the moment, he tries keeping quiet.]
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She keeps it up, rubbing in gentle circles right where Max showed her would fix this.]
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What that accomplishes, I don't know.
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Do you remember when you offered to let me look into your head? If you let me now, I might be able to do this better, if you let me try again.
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[He lets her know, eyes shut.]
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We'll try another time. I'll talk to Max about which parts I got wrong.
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You didn't get it wrong.
[It just still hurts, is all.]
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Did it seem like it had gotten at all better since the Land of the Dead?
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It's following the usual pattern. Improving, I would say, now that I'm resting it, but more gradually than I would like, and it'll likely not return entirely to where it was, which wasn't good to begin with.
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[The way she says it, though, makes it sound like she means far more than just fixing his back.]
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[He promises, and stretches out, closing his eyes.]
You'd better walk me home, or I'll end up in the bar.
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Angry and violent as he can be, she treasures him.]
I could always carry you home if you drank too much, but it does seem better to avoid that.
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[He complains, getting creakily to his feet.]
You're right. Come on, let's go now, then.
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