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alice_darvilTitle: An Unattractive Habit
Fandom: Twin Peaks
Characters: Cooper and Albert
Length: ~300 words
Rating: G
The physical restraints had been taken off, now that he was no longer a danger to himself or others, but Cooper was still confined to his hospital bed for observation. Ordinarily he would have resisted such enforced idleness, but his ordeal in the Black Lodge had left him worn out and despondent. Bob inside the soul was like lye inside the stomach, leaving behind an abrasive rawness that hurt with every breath.
“Cooper, what the hell,” Albert said as he entered the room. His eyes took in everything, then zeroed in on the bandage plastered on Cooper’s forehead and a small patch of shaved scalp. “Every time I turn my back, you wind up on yours.”
“It’s nothing,” Cooper said reflexively. “Just a mild concussion.”
“That you gave yourself? Is that true?” Albert demanded, pulling the rolling stool to the bedside and sitting, leaning forward, his hands between his knees.
“In a manner of speaking,” Cooper replied, a bit evasively. “Albert, I’ll tell you the whole story, but…”
“Not here,” Albert acknowledged, glancing around as a nurse walked by in the hall.
“And maybe when we’re both a little drunk,” Cooper added glumly.
Albert sighed. “Is there mumbo-jumbo?” he asked.
“There is. Yes.”
“Hocus-pocus?”
“That, too.”
“Hugger-mugger?”
“I don’t know what that is,” Cooper said, “but probably.”
“I am really looking forward to that,” Albert declared, with a slight quirk of the eyebrows.
The ghost of a smile hovered over Cooper’s face, then disappeared. “It’s not a pleasant story,” he said soberly. “An innocent girl was hurt through my inadequacy. I failed her, myself, the town of Twin Peaks…”
“Cooper,” Albert interrupted, “don’t haul yourself over the coals.”
“Albert, I appreciate the…”
“No, I’m telling you to knock it off because it makes me sick,” Albert insisted sharply, “Self-flagellation is an unattractive habit, like biting your cuticles. Quit it.”
“Okay,” Cooper said in a small voice. Then he smiled.
written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dailyprompt "Since I saw you last."
Fandom: Twin Peaks
Characters: Cooper and Albert
Length: ~300 words
Rating: G
The physical restraints had been taken off, now that he was no longer a danger to himself or others, but Cooper was still confined to his hospital bed for observation. Ordinarily he would have resisted such enforced idleness, but his ordeal in the Black Lodge had left him worn out and despondent. Bob inside the soul was like lye inside the stomach, leaving behind an abrasive rawness that hurt with every breath.
“Cooper, what the hell,” Albert said as he entered the room. His eyes took in everything, then zeroed in on the bandage plastered on Cooper’s forehead and a small patch of shaved scalp. “Every time I turn my back, you wind up on yours.”
“It’s nothing,” Cooper said reflexively. “Just a mild concussion.”
“That you gave yourself? Is that true?” Albert demanded, pulling the rolling stool to the bedside and sitting, leaning forward, his hands between his knees.
“In a manner of speaking,” Cooper replied, a bit evasively. “Albert, I’ll tell you the whole story, but…”
“Not here,” Albert acknowledged, glancing around as a nurse walked by in the hall.
“And maybe when we’re both a little drunk,” Cooper added glumly.
Albert sighed. “Is there mumbo-jumbo?” he asked.
“There is. Yes.”
“Hocus-pocus?”
“That, too.”
“Hugger-mugger?”
“I don’t know what that is,” Cooper said, “but probably.”
“I am really looking forward to that,” Albert declared, with a slight quirk of the eyebrows.
The ghost of a smile hovered over Cooper’s face, then disappeared. “It’s not a pleasant story,” he said soberly. “An innocent girl was hurt through my inadequacy. I failed her, myself, the town of Twin Peaks…”
“Cooper,” Albert interrupted, “don’t haul yourself over the coals.”
“Albert, I appreciate the…”
“No, I’m telling you to knock it off because it makes me sick,” Albert insisted sharply, “Self-flagellation is an unattractive habit, like biting your cuticles. Quit it.”
“Okay,” Cooper said in a small voice. Then he smiled.
written for
dailyprompt "Since I saw you last."