[Martin makes a soft, affirmative sound before their conversation ends, and he's left with a tight chest and dreadful feeling in his stomach. it seems the second Rex's voice is gone, his head is flooded with dozens of questions and what ifs that he had no chance of asking.
what follows then are the longest few hours of work Martin's ever had. typically, he can fall into a trance of productivity, not unlike the factory machines he loves watching on TV. the dishes almost never seem to end, there's never a chance to really think or worry...but he's come back to the sink chock full of the stuff, and it doesn't go away even as dishes pile up...and then vanish. he works too fast, makes a few fumbling mistakes -- even breaks his first dish (and really? folks in the kitchen are more impressed it took him so long, even if he apologizes as if he's in front of the firing squad).
what if Rex is gone already? he can't shake the worry, to the point that his fraught expression has coworkers asking him what's wrong. Martin's no liar, but he can't find a way to spit out the problem beyond being worried about Rex. worried about his father.
the shift manager tells him to leave a half hour early, and in any other instance, Martin would protest and worry about it being his poor work, but...]
Rex!
[he shoves the door open with his shoulder the second the lock clicks, hurrying inside and looking around with wide, worried eyes.]
no subject
what follows then are the longest few hours of work Martin's ever had. typically, he can fall into a trance of productivity, not unlike the factory machines he loves watching on TV. the dishes almost never seem to end, there's never a chance to really think or worry...but he's come back to the sink chock full of the stuff, and it doesn't go away even as dishes pile up...and then vanish. he works too fast, makes a few fumbling mistakes -- even breaks his first dish (and really? folks in the kitchen are more impressed it took him so long, even if he apologizes as if he's in front of the firing squad).
what if Rex is gone already? he can't shake the worry, to the point that his fraught expression has coworkers asking him what's wrong. Martin's no liar, but he can't find a way to spit out the problem beyond being worried about Rex. worried about his father.
the shift manager tells him to leave a half hour early, and in any other instance, Martin would protest and worry about it being his poor work, but...]
Rex!
[he shoves the door open with his shoulder the second the lock clicks, hurrying inside and looking around with wide, worried eyes.]
It's me! Are you still here?