[Only once Sledge had clearly pulled himself back together did Roe move to sit across from him again, shaking out another cigarette for himself and thinking - with another tiny twinge of pain - that he was smoking how Merriell used to, practically lighting one off the end of another.]
Both, I think. It ain't easy to be punished for somethin' you did right, but still better than doin' it wrong. 'Least that's how it felt for me.
[And there it was, finally in the open air and explicitly stated. He didn't even really intend to get that personal at first, but it naturally followed the rest of what he'd said, and he felt a bit odd telling Sledge so much about his situation without explaining that he knew through personal experience rather than just as a witness.
But that was bound to hurt him as well. There was no avoiding pain in this situation. The best he could do was hold the pack out to Sledge, realizing belatedly that he hadn't the first time.]
[Sledge didn't feel any worse after it was confirmed. He'd already been relatively sure but now the words were out there as well. He sighed, reluctant to say anything just yet. They'd both been wounded by the same man and left to deal with it afterwards.
And here they were finding each other. That'd been because of Merriell too -- Merriell talking about Roe. Was Merriell going to talk about him to some other next? If he did, Sledge hoped he never knew.
He hadn't brought his pipe with him while he was out and so he reached to take a cigarette without much of an answer to the question. It was enough of one.]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2016-10-05 06:14 am (UTC)Both, I think. It ain't easy to be punished for somethin' you did right, but still better than doin' it wrong. 'Least that's how it felt for me.
[And there it was, finally in the open air and explicitly stated. He didn't even really intend to get that personal at first, but it naturally followed the rest of what he'd said, and he felt a bit odd telling Sledge so much about his situation without explaining that he knew through personal experience rather than just as a witness.
But that was bound to hurt him as well. There was no avoiding pain in this situation. The best he could do was hold the pack out to Sledge, realizing belatedly that he hadn't the first time.]
Sorry, you smoke?
no subject
Date: 2016-10-06 03:11 am (UTC)And here they were finding each other. That'd been because of Merriell too -- Merriell talking about Roe. Was Merriell going to talk about him to some other next? If he did, Sledge hoped he never knew.
He hadn't brought his pipe with him while he was out and so he reached to take a cigarette without much of an answer to the question. It was enough of one.]
Picked up a few bad habits in the war, I suppose.