• Mature • The Long Run

[Patrick]

Ashan 48 718; Midday

Location: The Order of Adunih

Seven asses were questionably damning him for coming this far across the world, that is of course due to the fact he had motivation for being here. Kian had business in coming to visit Scalvoris and while Pat had slowly gotten attached, Etzos was really never a place he intended to stick around in much longer. Namely due to the nature of his current predicament as Syroa's cursed pet. Travelling the world wasn't something he had outright planned however, and being at this far flung corner of Idalos certainly stamped out any inclination to head further East. Granted he had heard modestly nice things about Scalvoris, what once was a pirate littered island now seemed a pretty peaceful slice of paradise to some.

Yet that paradise lacked the perfection that was weather in comparison, although no place could have favorable weather like Rharne did. Still the drunkard spent his time learning the place, the people especially, while he tried create a minor name for himself here. 'Patrick Barnell the Extraordinaire, The Great and Suave Rharnian' or so he tried to sell a few times, naturally a few grew curious as to what he was so great at. And oh did they learn. Yes they learned quite well, such was the nature of his job as a whore. No matter how many people came to him curious of his services though, it was always just the one person he wound up cuddling in bed with at Trial's end.

But that person wasn't with him right now, instead Pat opted to explore on his own to-trial. To avoid getting too hot and heavy with the relationship mostly, but of course there were some things Pat preferred to do alone on occasion. Things like personal visits to a healer... that wasn't his current lover as well. Mostly due to the nature of the visit in this case, a situation he would've rather had remedied in complete discretion. A trip to the Order of Adunih resulted him in inquiring about services for... a personally delicate nature. As a minor chafe seemed to recently develop somewhere below, Patrick considered this to be an indication that a check up was necessary.

Why? Because when your shit downstairs starts to chafe more than usual, then evidently something is required to be inspected. But of course he never really worried about this problem before, probably because there never seemed to be an instance where he caught such a thing. So what did he tell them? Well he made damn well sure not to make it so obvious he itched down there, and that he would've rather consulted a medic personally for this issue. While it didn't really grant him any favors or leeway with the nurses, his insistence for privacy made it clear he wasn't comfortable with others knowing. Thus he sat waiting in his own examination room sitting, thumbs twiddled around and around as he tried to ignore his... 'dilemma.'

[Faith Augustin]

Faith left the staff room at the Order of the Adunih to hoots of laughter. She did not consider it appropriate, personally, but the female volunteers had a betting pool on the gentleman in examination room 2. What it was he had and the relative size of the affected organ was the usual criteria and, to-trial, they did not disappoint. Faith never took part in the bets, simply stating that it was something which could happen to anyone who was sexually active and they should not be so judgemental. That, unfortunately, just made them laugh harder and Faith walked out with a sigh. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but by the time she had walked down to the examination room in question she was once again the epitome of calm.

The young woman who walked in to the room was slight of build and short, standing at five foot four. Pale skin was framed by jet black hair and her pale silver eyes looked at him as she stepped in. With a start of recognition, Faith remembered where she knew him from; she'd shared a dream with him whilst she was still a slave to Jamal. Thanks to her blessing from Vri, Faith never forgot anything and so she recalled the man's name as Patrick - and her memory went to the situation with his brother. Faith was wearing a gold Adunih cloak and he would undoubtedly notice the tattoos at her wrists, intricate black patterns, and the same at her throat. Her nails, too, were dark black and looked out of place with her dress. But she smiled at him and looked at him in a friendly manner as she walked in. "Good trial," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "My name is Faith. I understand you have an issue with your penis?" She really didn't understand why people got so concerned about saying or talking about genitals. They were just body parts, like elbows and eyebrows.

"I'll need to examine you, if you'd like to pop your trousers off. While you're doing that, maybe you can tell me what your symptoms are?"

[Patrick]

He wasn't sure how this came to happen exactly.... well, maybe he knew how it happened but not completely. Often he remained wary of any 'partners' he would then entertain, but it seems even then his mildly cautious nature didn't keep him fully protected. Another itch had started to annoy him and he proceeded to grasp at his groin, slight tugs made against the cloth as fabrics rubbed over the spot that chafed so irritably.

He hated this. He was never so embarrassed in his life! Footsteps were heard to signal him that someone was coming. Probably the doctor himself to handle the treatment, though he'd forgotten that treatment came after the initial examination and thus sighed. It was going to be an awkward conversation. Even more so when the doctor that entered was not a man, but a woman who proved to be impeccably beautiful. Super pale with deep black hair, intricate tattoos visible around the neck and wrists. She was short but Patrick didn't- Oh Seven hells it was Faith.

Fuck. Patrick's eyes widened as the recognition finally settled in, the dream of his dead family haunting him in the most oddest of fashions. Then she came in with her own little chalk bunny, although the name of the little creature failed to surface in his memory. "Oh... hi?" He answered her awkwardly as his face started to pale, hopeful and yet somehow doubtful that she wasn't the doctor in this case. Of all the people in the world of Idalos, how was it that on one tiny island; the person to treat his most embarrassing condition was Faith?!

The fates truly had a sick twisted sense of humor indeed.

"Yeah, good to se-" He muttered awkwardly when she told him her name, then of course when she brought up his dilemma... red coloration quickly filled his cheeks as he stood. "Whoa whoa hey, could we keep it down?" He anxiously asked with eyes at the door, although he already feared the damage was done. Maybe. He could fix this! He just needed to get past the examination and treatment, and then leave here pretending nothing ever happened at all.

Finally he sighed with a nervous scratch at the backside of his neck, with a seat taken back on the edge of the examination bed. "Yeah," He spoke lowly, "I... might've slipped up. Have a problem I might need to have examined." When he spoke he did so almost inadvertently, a real change compared to the confident nature he usually projected. When she finally proceeded to tell him about the examination, Patrick's heart practically pounded in his chest over the sudden realization of what's to come.

"Oh..." Oh indeed. Trousers off? Normally that'd be an invitation he could never refuse but... in this case he really found the idea less inviting. There was no way in this world, even if she were the last woman on Idalos, Patrick wanted to strip down his clothes for her. Not that he wasn't into her because she was clearly a beautiful lady, but the mere fact her reason for being here was more medical rather than... practical.

"Er... the symptoms uh..." He couldn't keep a strong line going and his hands paused at his belt, as Patrick couldn't help but hesitate in regards to the instruction. Did he want to do this? Hell no. But was this necessary to clear up his name? Sadly yes. Patrick like so many others had a reputation to maintain, and while this wouldn't be one of his most defining moments in life; it certainly couldn't be the moment that ruined him either. "Alright." He finally sighed.

"Just... promise not to laugh?" Patrick checked as he gripped the strap of his belt, as the buckle unclasped from the leather flap. Finally with his waistline loosened and the buttons of his pants undone, Patrick once more hesitated as his thumbs gripped both pants and briefs. Here goes...

Self conscious about it he couldn't help but squeeze his eyes shut and tug down the fabric, and thus revealed to her his suddenly shy member in all it's glory. "It might've started a few trials ago.... I dunno though as the itching didn't bother me until this past Trial." He murmured towards her with eyes still closed, while his groin proceeded to chafe in it's red and slightly swollen condition.

[Faith Augustin]

Faith looked at him and smiled, trying to be reassuring as she spoke, "My voice is very quiet and these walls are thick. The door is closed, I promise you, women have given birth in this room and you can barely hear anything. No one is going to hear me say the word penis, and if they did, no one would care." Sitting there, looking like a naughty child, Faith felt her heart go out to him, but in truth she had treated too many men in this sort of situation to think that sympathy pats were a good idea. "Might have?" Faith asked and then watched as he struggled to think of something to say, some escape. A few times, rather than be examined, men had bolted at this point, but they inevitably came back.

When it got bad enough.

He hesitated with his hand on his belt and Faith looked up at him with her so-serious silver eyes. "If it's any help to you at all, I promise you that you are the only one who is embarrassed. I have examined men and women in all sorts of interesting ways and for all sorts of obscure things. It will take more than a single penis to scare or shame me, I assure you." Although, she supposed, if it was like an elbow, or come to that an eyebrow, she might be a little grossed out. "I won't laugh," she promised him. Why on Idalos would anyone laugh at the sight of an infected penis, Faith wondered. They were far from humorous without an infection but with one? There was nothing funny about that sight.

"Thank you. There we go, lets lay you down so I can get a proper look." Not that she needed it, she was fairly sure as soon as his pants had made it to his thigh, but still, she had to check and it was always best to be thorough. So, she'd help him get half sat-up on the bed.

And so it came to pass that, on this trial, the 48th of Ashan in the 718th Arc, Patrick got to lay down on a bed in the Order of the Adunih in Scalvoris with a five foot four former slave peering at his manhood as she stood next to him. "You're sexually active?" It didn't seem entirely a question, more just a case of checking the obvious. "How many sexual partners have you had in the last ten-trial and how many times have you engaged in sex?" Oh, by all the Immortals, Faith thought, this one was well gnarly. It had been longer than a couple of trials. Qit'ria's pussing, oozing sores looked marginally more pleasant than the swollen red Patrick-penis.

Damnit. She was going to lose her part of the bet. Ah well.

"In the immediate moment, I'm just going to apply some salve. It will feel strange, but it's very soothing within a few moments. You might feel a slight sensation of heat, but it's nothing to worry about." Yes, the woman had no shame. A liberal application, but at least her hands were warm.

Then, she pulled a sheet over him and spoke to him, sitting in the chair next to the bed "You have quite a significant infection." Faith under stated enormously. And sitting in the center of Faldrass volcano was a bit warm. "The treatment for that is twofold. I have a series of herbs for you to take, but there's also a physical treatment. It will be uncomfortable," oh she was on a roll for understatement, it seemed. Uncomfortable like the ice caves were a bit chilly in Cylus. "But relatively quick and once it's over the relief you feel will be immediate. You need both to fully treat the infection."

The decision was entirely up to him. Faith avoided talking about exactly what she meant by "physical treatment" but if he asked, she'd tell him.

[Patrick]

Even at the implication no one would hear their conversation and that all things said between them were private, Pat still felt quite edgy and insecure of his own horrid dilemma. Without any real indication of when the rash developed he hadn't much to add, just the speculative look he gave her when she seemed to reiterate on two words. He knew it definitely happened recently, as it had never bothered him before Scalvoris. But as far as he knew it could've very well been from the night they arrived... since yesterday the itching only gradually became worse.

Thus he reluctantly dropped his pants.

Once Faith had promised him to avoid laughter, likely only because it was his own insecurity, he slipped his breeches down and closed his eyes tight. It honestly felt as though he were waiting for judgement from the Twins, all the while his own member ached with another irritating chafe along it's stem. Seven hells! It took a lot of mental fortitude to pay no thought to it, to avoid reaching to rub the skin insistently for some brief relief. When she proceeded to instruct him to lie down, his eyes cracked open with an awkward stare at the lady shorter than him. Lie down? Uh oh.

Habits were hard to kick when these words were often heard too much, even so Pat didn't want to outright just 'lie down' either because... "Just... don't think. Don't even think about her! Do it..." But do what exactly? So far he was only suppose to lie down, and from there she would handle the rest. He sighed nervously and scooted back a little to rest on the bed, however with his pants still caught at his knees; Patrick practically tumbled on his ass with an ungraceful landing on the mattress.

He said nothing though; just awkwardly turned to lay on the bed before her, his own privates left exposed as the doctor proceeded. "Quite." He croaked with a gulp, though no real shame lingered over his 'duties' for paying customers. "Last ten-trial? Uuuuh." Good. Question. He got here two trials ago, spent thirteen trials before on a boat to Scalvoris... So only one person pretty much kept him sexually active, once his sea sickness subsided midway throughout the trip. But here? There was... a broad, a couple interested in a third, and one more woman who was bitterly drunk. Just thinking about those made him wonder... "I'd saaaaay five?... I make a living off this so it's kinda... second nature."

Second nature. No wonder the thought of lying down in front of her intimidated him, even at his worst he could only consider alternative right now. Faith proceeded to apply some sort of salve towards his groin, and while he laid there and listened his eyes widened. Oh. Oh Seven hells no!! Don't touch- too late. The medic had already doused her hands with the stuff and proceeded to rub it on there, inducing a cringe as Pat tensed around his waistline muscles. Fuck! "Don't think, don't think, don't even think!" Yes she was right. The salve felt very soothing and almost too relaxing, thus Pat bit his lower lip forcefully to focus on that instead. If he could just distract himself from the 'feel good' sensation with a bit of pain, then he was safe to say the job was done shortly afterwards.

With the salve applied and a blanket pulled over him, Patrick released his lower lip with a sigh and silent thanks to the fates. The last thing he needed, specifically right now, was an outrageous hard on while at the doctors office. "Two-fold?!" He rose on his elbows with eyebrows elevated in shock. What the hell else was required to treat this damnable affliction?!! Suddenly being a Sessfiend didn't seem as bad... He sighed and relaxed his head back down on the pillow, hands covering his eyes as he contemplated it for the moment. Both were necessary to completely treat the infection, which meant he'd be a good and 'clean' individual when continuing his trade. Honestly by now though Pat started to question his life choices, as well as making a career out of being a whore. A very expensive whore, given his skill and worth.

"Alright..." He finally said after a moment of silence. "Do what you have to do, but don't tell me what it is!" After he said this he slid the pillow out from underneath his head, and buried his face underneath it using both arms over the cushion. He might've regretted this now but in the long run, he would no doubt thank Faith later for the mercy this would bring.

[Faith Augustin]

He made a living off this? Faith glanced at him as he said that and her expression was entirely deadpan and totally non-judgemental. "You are a prostitute? Considering what you've given them, I suspect you were over paid. I'll get extra treatments in." She sighed slightly and a muscle in her cheek jumped. "As a sex worker, you should be taking preventative herbs and having regular check ups. Do you?" It was a talent, being able to tell off a man with salve on his nether regions. But people who utilised the services of prostitutes tended to do so more than once and, thus, there was going to be an outbreak. Or, there was a risk of it. "Any of your sexual partners you remain in contact with or know, any regulars, I suggest you tell them. The sooner this is caught, the better."

Then, with a gentle pat on his arm, Faith instructed him to lay there and she'd get together the equipment. "I don't believe I've seen you in Scalvoris before," she said, attempting small talk. "Are you new here?" Had he, in fact, infected everywhere else and he was coming here last? That was not outside of the realms of possibility but she didn't think it likely. "How's it feeling?" Faith asked, as she collected together instruments and so on. Helping him to lay flat, she pulled a frame over, which had a curtain hanging from it. On most people, it would be just above waist level, but Faith was tiny. "This will obscure your vision. Now, I'm going to strap your legs. Not your arms, but I really need you not to twitch," or writhe, but she didn't tell him that. "I think we can both agree that we don't want me to slip, yes?"

Once she was ready, she pulled the sheet back. At her side were a number of pieces of equipment. The most important one was the very thin, long metal heated rod. "Alright, so I'm going to start the treatment in a moment," she said and she sounded calm. "I want you to breathe in through the nose, then out through your mouth, do that twice and then I'll start," And on the first in breath, she did what she needed to, in and out as quickly as possible which, she supposed, was the exact opposite of what had got him there. As soon as the hot metal rod had done it's job in killing the infection (and any lingering desire he might have, must be said), she put the cool towel over him.. it... and she looked up. "All done!" she said. It had to be said, she looked quite pleased.

"It's all done. You're alright, it'll start calming down again now." Apparently, the effect was pretty immediate in terms of relief, so she'd been told. Just the actual trill of application which was... Faith smiled and asked, most genuinely. "How are you feeling?"

[Patrick]

Patrick questioned the motive and usefulness of the pillow over his face as it obviously wasn't helping, not when it came to interacting with the good doctor Faith anyways. It had honestly felt like she were scolding him for this and, naturally, she had every right to considering it was his fault. Patrick slips up one time, just one time, and here he is later getting treatment for a consequence he didn't ask for. "Not... regularly..." He murmured almost in a guilty fashion, his cheeks puffed out some as he exhaled a sigh through pursed lips.

"Honestly ma'am, I'm usually careful about this anyways... usually..." He added with hopes his comment of irregular check-ups proved damnable already. When she instructed he tell his previous partners of this little incident his face paled, as he already dreaded the thought of that awkward encounter. "Yeeeeah.... not gonna happen." He silently thought to himself with a bite of his lower lip again, which she then proceeded to make small talk with him. While she prepared... her essentials for the job.

"Um. Sort of, visiting actually." He quietly spoke as he still seemed pretty withdrawn about the occasion. It was then while Faith gathered what she needed, another seemed to linger within the chair next to the bed Pat laid on. It was a man with cropped hair and a stocky musculature form, his outfit that of a raiment donning the sigil of his order; The Lightning Knits. He sat in the chair with an leg craned to rest over the knee, his fingers tented together as he scoffed with an amused grin.

"Probably like shit." Dominek mused unaware of the fact that at least one person in the room could see them.

"Like shit honestly." Patrick answered Faith coincidentally in tandem with the comment his dead brother made. "A little less irritable though, now that the itching's sort of gone." When she pulled the curtain along to block his view from the waist, he then started to dread the worse to come yet. She did an amazing job of sounding calm and collected however, as though this were something she'd been doing plenty of times before... Wait... has she does this plenty of times before? Either way Patrick listened to her advice and proceeded to inhale, then exhale in a calmly manner as he was instructed. Come the second breath however something in his groin far too hot for comfort... pinched in the inside of his aching cock.

This was where the pillow came into play finally, as he pressed the cushion down hard with a loud groan released into it's fabric. The pinching had only been brief but even so, felt like something that lingered for a thousand trills when he felt it. Just as quickly as he felt it ache his entire member throbbed a little, and it certainly wasn't the good kind of throbbing he was always accompanied with. Not in the slightest. For a good while even after Faith seemed to confirm the worst had passed, he kept his head buried in the pillow as arms pressed firmly against it; the groans more softer now but still consistent as he just laid there.

Dominek could only laugh at the sight of him, a shake of his head as he looked amused at the Rharnian. "Always the baby when it comes to pain." With that statement he rose and moved to stand next to Faith, yet his eyes still remained on Patrick as he too caught a glimpse of the horrid sight beyond the curtain. "Damn! Faldrun's fiery shits that had to hurt." He murmured a little grossed out by it, a glance back at Pat's upper half led him to look at Faith next. "Lucky she's a good doctor Pat. Other...wise..." Finally it sunk in that Faith was looking at him, or at least able to take notice of his presence. Yet to be sure Dominek looked past himself over the shoulder, a little dumbfounded that someone seemed to notice him.

"Can... Can you see me?" He finally inquired roughly with a little bit of concern.

[Faith Augustin]

Faith glanced at the soul next to Patrick, but she showed no surprise or any such. There was no surprise for her, she saw the dead everywhere and that was both her duty and privilege in service to Famula. This one was in the garb of a Lightning Knight of Rharne. Faith and Padraig had been in Rharne some time ago and had solved an issue with a serial killer there - working with the Lightning Knights. Faith had nothing but respect for them and the work they did. She needed to focus, however, on the job at hand, so to speak, and so she did her work quickly and efficiently. It was the only way to do it, for his sake. Glancing at him once she was done, she smiled slightly as he buried his face in the pillow and she patted his leg, gently. "All done," she reassured him.

She watched as the soul came around and then looked at the area in question and Faith felt a momentary concern about her patient's dignity. But how did you stop a ghost from looking, she supposed? Did it matter, since the patient couldn't see him? As she was thinking this, the soul spoke to her and Faith nodded. "I can," she said, but said no more for the moment. Her focus was on Patrick and she pulled away the screen once she'd replaced the sheet. His low groans were subsiding and she smiled at him. "You can come out from under there, you know."

Sitting down on the chair next to his bed, Faith crossed her hands together in her lap and spoke to Patrick, softly. "This mark," she said, lifting her arm briefly to show the tattoo - delicate lace-like pattern in a bracelet, identical ones sat one on each wrist and then she pointed to the same pattern around her throat. "It means that I have been granted the blessing of Famula, the Immortal of Blood, Souls, Service and Resurrection. It means that I can see the souls of those who have died, but have chosen not to move on with Vri, but have remained here. Bound to someone or something." Lowering her arm, she folded her hands together and continued to explain. "There's a soul here with you. You are his anchor to this world. He seems to be a Lightning Knight." Looking at the soul in question, Faith asked. "Would you tell me your name, please? Maybe, if you would, something which will identify you to Patrick, too.Something only you could know?"

With a smile to Patrick she looked almost apologetic. "I'm sorry," she said, her words very sincere. "I understand that this can be very disconcerting." And, sometimes, downright bloody morbid. Often weird, never dull. But such was life.

At least, for her.

[Patrick]

It didn't matter to him at first, no amount of words could compare to the pain he just endured. 'All done' was just the affirmation there would be no more, even so the memory of what he just had done to him still lingered. Fresh and hot too, like the tool she just used to... to... Another elongated groan was muffled into the pillow, as he just wanted to lay there and for whatever reason curl up as well. He never wanted to thrash about so hard in his life, and the fact the doctor caught him off guard by timing it before his second breath? Well played indeed Faith.

Well played indeed.

He quieted down of course but the cushion remained, his eyes still shut tight as he tried to erase the memory of what just happened. "She didn't prick my dick, she didn't prick my dick." He repeated in his head over and over with deep and heavy breaths, until something else seemed to develop with the doctor. She... talked to herself? Faith had mentioned something but he didn't catch it, and then followed up with the suggestion that he could reveal his head now. Another muffled groan sounded from the cushion and while it was only Faith who could see, Dominek could not help but laugh just a little.

Finally the Rharnian threw his pillow beside him and looked down at the damage that was done. Still rather red... but not as swollen anymore. It definitely throbbed as though it ached, and not in the good sense of throbbing either, but considering how it looked before treatment this was improvement at least. "Ugh! Seven asses, I'm never lettin' this happen again." He muttered sourly as he leaned up to ease off the bed, his underpants and trousers gripped to be pulled up around his waist. Of course he had to treat his most 'prized possession' delicately when he slipped the fabrics over, but then he finally had pants fastened and the belt treated the same afterwards.

Faith displayed the intricate laces tattooed around her wrist next, with the explanation as to what it was exactly with more to follow. She spoke of Immortals and for a trill he nearly scoffed with minimal interest, save for the fact she mentioned one particular word that caught his attention. Resurrection? He looked seriously to her then as Faith wouldn't have brought this up on a whim, since it wasn't like he was dying or expecting to anyways... So what exactly was she getting at? A soul? Patrick's expression had gone from vacantly interested to immediately surprised, an eyebrow raised as he looked at her like she were crazy.

But then she said it...

"He's not sure to believe you now." Dominek remarked with his arms crossed as he stood next to Patrick, eyes first on him then on the woman that talked of him. "He's never been one to believe in stuff like this, Immortals and ghosts were never things he fancied growing up."

"What are you talkin' about?" Patrick's voice interjected almost perfectly, as the uncertainty remained vividly clear in his eyes. Faith did seem to be talking as if someone was there... a Lightning Knight that only she could see? Yet to Patrick that was impossible since... Oh... Oh God... It made sense now. The talk of her mark from Famula, the mentioning of Vri and his role; those were indicating that Faith had seen someone here with him. She had seen his dead brother Dominek. "You want him to what?" He checked to make sure he wasn't losing his mind, hopeful the blood from his groin didn't rush into his head and taint his mind as well.

"Dominek." The lingering soul answered her with a faint smile on his face. "My name was Dominek, and he doesn't know but I've been with him. For the past two Arcs, ever since that night the others brought him back to me. Of course... I didn't know I was dead at first, not until I realized it was my own body Patrick was grieving over." The older brother looked fairly troubled as though he wasn't sure what else to tell really, since that already would likely scare Patrick as is. "Tell him I know he's been through a lot. That I was there the night Syroa lured him in, and that she bit him right above the collar bone on the left."

While this had been brought up Patrick merely stood there, speechless and a somewhat defensive over the subject. Even if Faith seemed apologetic over the ordeal, he didn't know how to feel about any of it considering his brother had been dead. Now... Now with the words his brother had to relay, Pat would likely soon figure out that none of this was just another twisted mind game.

[Faith Augustin]

It was fair to say that, of all the things which she did, dutifully and joyously in the name of Famula, Moseke and Vri, telling people that the ghost of their loved one was right over there and chatting and stuck was her least favourite. They started with the look on the face which Patrick wore now. Disbelief, incredulous, upset. Many and varied were the reactions and always, she just had to rise them out and wait and hope that they listened to her. Because she had a duty to the dead and she had to perform it. "He says his name is Dominek," Faith said, softly, Looking at Patrick, she put her small hand into his, just for a moment and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry, I know this is a shock to you. He says he's been with you for two arcs, since they brought you to him." Glancing at Dominek, she nodded her head and then relayed the information about Syroah.

Patrick stood, his agitation obvious and Faith gave him a moment to just let it sink in. It was a lot to take in, she knew and so she waited until he seemed ready to speak. "When a soul stays behind," she said, softly, "it is for a reason. Usually." Looking between the two of them she saw twin expressions of confusion, upset and wishing that they were anywhere but here. If she was anyone but who she was, she'd be making a joke about how at least his infected penis didn't seem so bad now, but Faith took her role very seriously and she knew that this was a crucial moment.

"It might be that you need some time, Patrick, to let this sink in," she said. Her voice was soft, gentle and calm. "Dominek, I can help you to cross over, to go to where you're supposed to go." She looked between the two of them and she sat back, waiting to see what would happen now. It was entirely possible that Patrick, at the very least, needed some time before he could speak about this or to his brother. The shock of it couldn't really be explained, Faith understood. "If you need some time, Patrick, that's alright. It's a shock. You can find me at Cally's if I'm not here, and we can talk when you're ready." Or not, Faith thought. It would be and would continue to be up to him. She needed to get a handle on what was keeping Dominek here, but if she was any judge of character, the brother who was alive would be wanting to speak with the one who was dead and so she'd see him soon. But it would have to be in his own time. No one elses.