Leroy had decided to visit Christian during his lunch break, when granted the opportunity by Wayne. he wasn't sure if he'd get another opportunity.
Dr Morton had escorted him to Christian's room, and Leroy went in alone.
"Good afternoon, Christian," he said cheerfully.
Christian
Christian didn't move from where he was sitting back against the wall on the bed.
He gave Leroy a long, hard stare, before waving his hand a little.
Leroy
Leroy sat down on a nearby chair.
"So," he asked conversationally. "How's it been so far?"
Christian
"Well you know..." Christian began, gazing around the bare room.
"I'm loving the view. Very motivating."
Leroy
Leroy chuckled.
"I'm sure they'll let you out of here before long," he said. "Can't do any of the workshops locked up in your room. You can make stuff in the workshops to make your room a bit more homelike. You haven't met any of the other kids here yet, have you?"
Christian
Christian shook his head, his eye on the door.
"I'm not all that sure I want to," he sighed.
Leroy
"Why?" Leroy asked. "Y'know, you're better off trying to make some friends while you're here. I'm sure you're not worried about the fact that I may not be able to visit you again any time soon, but Tanya's not allowed to visit you yet. And I don't know when the visitor ban is going to be lifted."
Christian
Christian shrugged.
"Like I care," he murmured, before looking across at Leroy.
"Why are you here?"
Leroy
"Well," Leroy replied, pulling out a notepad and pen. "Written correspondance is not restricted. You can write to as many people are you want."
He held them out to Christian.
"I thought maybe you'd like to write a letter to Tanya."
Christian
Christian hesitated, suddenly worried but trying not to show it. He stared at the pad and pen for a moment, before turning his eyes away and hugging his knees.
"I can't," he said finally.
Leroy
"What do you mean, you can't?" Leroy frowned. "Is it because I'm here? Because if you really have a problem I can always go out while you write without me lurking over your shoulder. The pen and paper are yours."
Christian
"No, I mean I can't," Christian's face started to go red.
Partly through embarrassment, but mostly through aggravation. He refused to look anywhere near Leroy.
Leroy
Leroy frowned.
"What?" he asked. "How hard can it be to write 'Dear Tanya,' on a piece of paper? Or are you just embarrased that after ringing to say goodbye and cut all contact, that you got caught? She already knows you're here."
Christian
Christian scowled, forcing himself to stay on the bed.
"I. Just. Can't." He said between his teeth, "just do us both a favour and let it go."
Leroy
Leroy stared. After the friendship that Christian and Tanya had maintained, he couldn't believe that he wouldn't want to continue that...
Then it dawned on him. He took the pen and paper and wrote on it: "Can you read?" Then he tore off the page and held it up.
"Christian, do you know what this says?"
Christian
Christian hesitated, before glancing at the paper. He recognised the word 'you', but that was it.
He turned away again, clenching his teeth and not saying anything to imply whether he could or not.
Leroy
Leroy thoughtfully took the paper down, and then wrote something rather insulting on the back. If he was wrong, then he would think he'd get a good reaction out of this.
"What about this? What does this say?"
Christian
Christian glanced at the paper again, but sighed and turned his eyes away as soon as he realised it was useless trying.
"What do you want from me?" he asked almost desperately, scratching his head.
Leroy
Leroy put down the page and looked at Christian.
"You can't read, can you?" he asked quietly.
Christian
Chrisian hesitated again, his face slowly getting redder.
"I don't need to," he said finally, staring straight ahead at the wall.
Leroy
"That's because you've managed to work things so you don't have to," Leroy replied. "Congratulations on hiding your illiteracy for so many years. You've probably even managed to hide it from Tanya - if I know her she wouldn't have stood still knowing you couldn't read. Well, now, I think I'll let Dr Morton know on the way out, and he can arrange some classes for you."
Christian
Christian instantly glared at him.
"I don't need them," he insisted.
"I don't need to read. I've done alright so far, and I'll continue to."
Leroy
Leroy snorted.
"Christian, you're a smart kid," he said. "And you've been in your... line of work for quite some time now. You can't honestly expect me to believe that you would deny yourself the opportunity to learn as many skills as you can? Knowledge is power, as they say."
Christian
Christian just stared at him for a moment, scratching his head again.
"Maybe," he finally relented, not without a bit of a huff.
Leroy
"Well, in either case, you can protest all you want," Leroy replied. "But I'm not going to give you any choice, and I doubt anyone else will either. Don't be so down. This of this as an opportunity."
Christian
"Opportunity," Christian couldn't help but smirk.
"Normally I associate that word with freedom and doing what you want."
Leroy
"An opportunity is whatever you make of it," Leroy replied. "If you chose, you could even seen this as an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills you need to gain and preserve your freedom in the future."
Christian
"Well as you said," Christian began, straightening his back against the wall.
"It's not like I have a choice anyway."
Leroy
"Oh, I'd say you have a choice," Leroy replied. "You have a choice to co-operate and make an effort to learn, or you have the choice to reject everything, refuse to learn and generally give everyone - including yourself - a hard time."
Christian
Christian couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yeah, great idea," he rolled his eyes.
Leroy
A small smile appeared on Leroy's face briefly, then he picked up the pen and paper.
"If you want," he said, "you can dictate a letter to Tanya. I can write it down for you. I'll understand if you say no."
Christian
Christian just shook his head.
"I'd rather talk to her," he said sullenly.
"I just want to talk to her."
Leroy
Leroy put the pen and paper down.
"Unfortunately, that's out of my hands," Leroy replied. "Wayne only let me visit you because I brought you in, and even then my time is limited. It's up to Dr Morton when you get visitors, and it's up to Wayne who gets to visit you."
Christian
Christian nodded.
"Yeah, I know," he said softly.
"And it'l probably be a long time at that."
Leroy
Leroy shrugged.
"It's probably best not to get your hopes up. But it means that if you're wrong, you can be pleasantly surprised."
Christian
"I doubt it," Christian shook his head.
"Karma's a real bitch in my life."
Leroy
"Ahh, karma. You only get what you give. Maybe you've been giving the wrong things," Leroy suggested.
Christian
"I've been giving nothing," Christian said straight out.
"I have nothing to give."
He started fiddling with the watch on his wrist, glad they hadn't taken that.
Leroy
"It doesn't just apply to material things, Christian," Leroy pointed out. "It also applies to how you treat other people."
Seeing Christian fiddle with his watch made Leroy check his own. Still some time left.
Christian
"I know," Christian nodded.
"I meant that as well."
Leroy
Leroy grunted.
"Have you tried giving of yourself? I don't mean in a brutal sense, I mean... y'know, lending a hand. Helping someone build a house. Giving someone a hug," Leroy shook his head. "Ahh, I should think about who I'm talking to. Forget it."
Christian
Christian hesitated again, thinking of Emily.
"Only to a certain few people," he admitted, stretching his legs out on the bed instead of having them up defensively.
Leroy
Leroy shrugged.
"Well," he said. "Better than nothing."
He stood slowly.
"Anyway," he went on. "I should get going now."
Christian
"Leave the paper," was Christian's way of asking for it.
"I have a... better use for it."
Leroy
"I told you it was yours," Leroy replied.
He paused, trying to decide whether to offer his hand or not, and finally did, not really expecting Christian to shake it.
"It's been a pleasure talking to you."
Christian
Christian hesitated even longer, before reaching over for it weakly as if almost admitting defeat.
"I'm sure it was," he replied sarcastically.
But offering to shake hands wasn't exactly gloating.
Leroy
Leroy gave Christian a firm handshake, making an effort not to show the surprise on his face at his acceptance.
"Indeed," he said. "Have a good day, Christian."
And Leroy departed.
Christian
Christian watched him leave, before his eyes fell to the paper and pen.
Sighing to himself, he leant over and picked them up, before once again backing into the corner and beginning to draw.