Chapter 0331

Too early the next morning, the guard bangs his nightstick against the bars of Kent's cell, making him jump awake.

“Lippert,” the guard says, yawning. “Visitor.”

Kent stands, wondering what the hell could be going on. He doesn’t say a word, though, knowing better than to ask. Instead, he

simply stands and walks to the door, waiting for them to open it.

Ashort, silent walk talks Kent down the hallway with the interrogation rooms, and he raises his eyebrows when he realizes that

he’s being walked past them. So, he thinks, curious. An actual visitor this time...

Kent's eyebrows raise even further when he sees Daniel alone in the large visitation room, meant to accommodate a series of

guests visiting inmates all at once. Daniel's sitting slumped in a chair, his head hanging, his hair mussed.

And he looks like absolute shit.

The guard holds the door open for Kent and nods inside. “Ten minutes,” he says, his voice clipped. “No touching, no gifts. If the

kid brought any paperwork, he leaves with it.” Kent nods and walks a few feet into the room, the door closing behind him as he

crosses the room to his son.

“What the hell happened to you,” Kent says, kicking the leg of his son’s chair and making Daniel jump.

“No touching, inmate,” a voice says from the room’s loudspeaker. Kent waves to it and steps away from his son, sitting down

across the table as Daniel raises his head.

“Hey, dad,” Daniel says, giving Kent a pained little smile and wincing at the bright lights of the room. “I missed you too.”

“Seriously, Daniel?” Kent says, leaning forward and studying him, sniffing at the scent of whiskey which seems to be pouring out

of his pores. “Are you — are you hungover?”

“Yeah, that’s an...understatement...” Daniel murmurs, sighing and running a hand through his hair.

Kent is almost shocked at the smile that cracks on his own face as he studies his son, who looks absolutely shattered. “You’re

supposed to look like this after your bachelor party,” he murmurs, laughing a little now, “not your wedding.”

“So, you heard about that?” Daniel asks, looking up at him with a little bit of surprise.

Kent doesn’t answer, just waits.

“Yeah well,” Daniel sighs, a corner of his mouth lifting in amusement. But even that small gesture makes him wince. “Most

wedding receptions aren’t planned by Janeen Thompson.”

Kent's smile grows now as he starts to figure it out. “Did she take you to the strip club?”

Daniel frowns at him and then laughs lightly. “How the hell did you know that?”

Kent shrugs, shaking his head a little. “I’ve met her. She’s...vivid. Did she take you to the one she works at in the city?”

Daniel shakes his head. “She doesn’t work there anymore. She started at a new one, down by the beach.” He grimaces. ‘It is...

seedy, to say the least. But drinks were...” he stretches his hands above his head and sighs, clearly exhausted, “very affordable.”

“I left you and Fay enough money in your accounts to afford a nice restaurant on the night of your wedding,” Kent says, frowning

now in disapproval. “You couldn’t give her a nice dinner, like she deserves?”

Daniel pauses and then raises an eyebrow at his father. “Really dad? You're going to lecture me now on what Fay deserves?”

Kent, his temper flaring, opens his mouth to say something sharp but Daniel waves a hand between them, clearly not having the

energy for this fight. “Let’s just forget it,” he murmurs. “Please, dad. It’s not worth it.”

Slowly, Kent closes his mouth and studies his son. They’re silent for a long moment. “How is she?” Kent asks.

Daniel takes a deep breath and

”

answers on the exhale. “She’s..

HEN EO

then is ope wrens rs head. “It’s

bedh el , dad. It’s hard on her. And

it's not like you two left things on the

best terms.” Please read the original

content at .

Jaw clenched, Kent looks to the side, frustrated and ashamed. But old habits die hard, and he works to keep his emotions off his

face.

But Daniel has been able to read his dad for a long time. He sees all of it.

“Anyway, that’s not why I’m here,” Daniel says, sitting up with a groan and pulling two envelopes out of his pocket.

Kent freezes and glances up at the loudspeaker. Daniel again waves a dismissive hand.

“It's fine,” he murmurs, yawning. “They cleared it. Just paperwork.” He tosses it on the table between them.

“What is it,” Kent asks, reaching for them. But he freezes when he sees the sealed envelope with his urologist’s address on top.

“Go ahead,” Daniel says, unable to

keep his voice from being so bitter. “I

already know ah says. yeup''!

dortopwasa IitterSo easy to bribe to

break doctor-patient confidentiality —

you should probably get a new one.

But you should know too — they're

your results.” Please read the original

content at .

“I don’t need to see them,” Kent sighs, pushing the envelope away.

Daniel just rolls his eyes at him.

“Seriously, dad?” he asks, leaning

forward and apparently forgetting his

hangover in his gngers'You Satehed

the SHAS Jerome — nearly broke

his jaw — because you were so

convinced that you couldn't be the

dad and that Fay was lying to you.

And now you don't even want the

results of the test you rushed out of

the house to get?” Please read the

original content at .