Things Are Looking Up

[Abigail Sorenson-Faulkner]

Gail pulled into a parking space between the main office and the staff apartments. She leaned over and shook her husband who was sleeping in the passenger seat awake.

"Hey, we're here, sleepy."

She gave him a light kiss on the cheek before opening the driver side door. Bags could wait until later, and she knew Rod wouldn't be too helpful in carrying everything to the new apartment. Amazingly, everything fit into her Suburban.

"Want any help or are you okay getting out yourself?"

She nodded at his half-muttered answer and got out of the car. The parking lot was still wet from an earlier rain that she had driven through to get to Blue Ridge. There were still a few puddles in places, and Gail worried about her husband slipping and falling. She waited for him to get out and trailed like a faithful dog behind him in case anything happened.

Once on drier concrete right before the entrance, Gail rushed forward to open the door for Rod. Sure, he was capable of doing it himself, but she didn't want him to go through the trouble. It didn't bother her that he walked slowly so long as he was alive and healthy. Inside the main office, Gail helped Rod sit down and went to the desk to check them both in.

"Hi, Abigail Sorenson-Faulkner and Roderick Faulkner to check in. Is there anything you need from us?"

[Roderick Faulkner]

He was having such a pleasant dream playing frisbee with his dad in Minnesota. It was one of those rare spring afternoons when the sun was out, and the air felt so warm after a long and bitter cold. Rod jolted awake when he felt his wife shaking him. He blinked several times trying to gain his bearings. Last he remembered, they were driving through Cincinati, or was it Louisville?

"I can get out myself, dear."

He fumbled with the door latch for a little bit. Fine motor skills still proved problematic. A fleece jacket and long sleeves hid the parallel scars on his arm, but he still remembered seeing the doctors take out the stitches. The first time he saw the pictures from right after the accident, Rod felt like he wanted to vomit. He swung his legs out of the car and used the cane to help balance himself while he stood.

Having Gail following his every move was a bit annoying, but he knew she worried about him constantly. It was nice to know that his wife really wanted to make sure he was alright all the time, so he let her turn into a mother hen.

Rod didn't even object to sitting down while Gail went to check in. Sure, he could technically stand with her, but then her focus would be on him and not getting their new living arrangements settled. Besides, he still felt a little sleepy.

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

Fitz hated his time of the year, as much as he tried to clear the horrid decorations from his desk, they seemed to re-materialise each morning, he guessed that he could count his lucky starts that they weren't overtly religious decorations, rather the normal annoying tinsel, ivy and fake fir boughs. There again though, for others to know why he hated December so much, he'd have to divulge the part of his past that he had run from, and he never wanted to go back, so no one was ever told.

He looked up as he heard the door close and smiled as two people approached his desk. "Welcome to Blue Ridge Academy, ma'am." He greeted the woman who spoke to him and he quickly typed in her name. Since starting here, he found that he had an uncanny ability of remembering most spellings of names, so it wasn't often that he had to ask people to spell them out for him.

After quickly browsing the dual-screen, he saw that they were in the same apartment and he took a campus map from the tray on his desk. "You will be residing in suite one-twenty-six of the Brown Ribbon Apartments. Here." He pointed to the location of the apartment building. "It doesn't mention that you have horses, though if you speak with the barn manager of White Oak, here." Again he pointed at the map. "She'll be able to let you know which of the horses need some loving."

He located the two sets of keys for the apartment and placed them on the desk, along with a sheet of numbers for places around campus. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

[Abigail Sorenson-Faulkner]

Gail watched attentively as the secretary pointed out the apartment building. It was close, at least. Though, she worried about how Rod would get along making the hike between the apartments and the classrooms and gym each morning. On the drive down, it crossed her mind to teach her husband how to ride some so he would be able to do a sport even if it wasn't swimming. She gave a sad smile at the comment about them not having a horse. Sure, she was going to be a riding instructor, but she didn't own any horses. Selling Sable Star, or Jack as he was known casually, was the hardest decision Gail ever made.

"Actually, there is. How is elevator access in the apartment and classroom building? I'm a little concerned about Rod climbing too many stairs."

After the got settled in, Gail thought that visiting the barn and talking to barn manager wouldn't be a bad idea. If nothing else, the prospect of smelling horses and hay again would be a trip to heaven. No horse could replace Jack, but she grew up catch riding. Jumping on strange horses and showing them was her specialty. And maybe, once their debt was paid off, she could go back to catch riding professionally. That would be nice. Things could go back to the way they were.

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

Fitz smiled as he was asked about elevator access, and he could completely understand the question as he had seen the cane the man had been walking with, and he realised that he should have mentioned them when he was explaining about where the apartment building was.

"All of the buildings have elevators and, contrary to popular belief, they do work." He chuckled lightly. "The students aren't allowed to use them, so most of the rumours that circulate the school mention they are centuries old and never used." Well, his words were only half true, as he wasn't aware of the student residences having elevators, as he could see them as being over-used and a potential fire-risk.

He frowned in thought for a moment as he thought about his own mare. "I know one mare who would love as much attention as she can get." He said with a fond smile as he thought of his own mare. While she was oh so happy to have returned to her own stall in White Oak, he still felt guilty about how little time he spent with her, though it would be the holidays soon enough and he wouldn't have to be in here so much.

[Abigail Sorenson-Faulkner]

She nodded, happily relieved. Not only would it make moving in a little easier if they didn't have to lug everything up stairs, or rather, she would have to lug everything up stairs while her husband explored the place. It was probably for the best that students didn't use the elevators unless they needed them. Teachers sometimes had materials on carts that couldn't be carried up stairs, and janitorial staff would have to use elevators to clean upper levels of a building. If the elevators were constantly in use by students, then staff wouldn't be able to do their job. Gail could get behind that sort of policy. And spreading a rumor only helped to enforce the policy without any work.

"I'll go down and visit Ms. Carr either later today or tomorrow. And I wouldn't mind getting acquainted with the arenas here either. Thank you for your help."

Gail put on her best smile despite the long drive not including stops to eat and walk around. She was all too familiar with long drives getting from one show to another. She took the pieces of paper and folded them to fit in her pocket, then took the keys, handing one to her husband. He stood using both his cane and the chair for support. Therapy helped him be more independent, but there were still a whole host of limitations on what he could do.