(no subject)

[sunnydalealum]

Columbia University
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
4:02am

It's about four in the morning, that dead time even in college dorms, when the door to Mark's room softly creaks open.

Leland's moving carefully in the near-darkness, stepping lightly across the somewhat cluttered floor; it's almost soundless when he pulls the chair away from the computer desk, settles slowly into it. His hand is steady as he reaches to turn off the speakers before waking up the computer.

The screen, once it powers up, is the strongest light source in the room.

Comments

[jonathanparagon.livejournal.com]

"It can't go all the way public. No one would believe the whole truth."

[stilljustandrew]

He stares at the screen, and chews his lower lip.

Finally he moves the mouse again.

"I'm gonna send myself a copy of this," he says, "and then ...."

[jonathanparagon.livejournal.com]

"And then we're going to go to the bar", Jonathan says firmly.

[stilljustandrew]

"And then we should probably do what Leland was gonna do."

His voice is weary, and a little grim, and a little ragged from the pain in his shoulder.

"Delete it."

[jonathanparagon.livejournal.com]

"...yeah, okay."

[stilljustandrew]

It takes only a little over a minute. Send the email; delete the record of the sent email; delete the original document. No trace.

Just over a minute is still enough time for his injured shoulder to stiffen. Enough that the pain redoubles when he tries to stand up, and the fresh raw scab tears at the edges, and blood starts slowly leaking out again.

Jonathan has to half-carry him to the door.