William Halloran: William hasn't been answering his phone over the last few
days. She might reach him tonight if she tries.
Ita McNairee: oh she's trying... with a lackluster drearyness that stems
from dismal assumption he's dead
William Halloran: We can play that out, if you like.
Ita McNairee: sure! sounds good to me! unless you're tired hun?
William Halloran: Nope! Not tired!
Ita McNairee: okies! so RING!
William Halloran: *Click afetr two rings* "Yeah?" Calm voice...remarkably calm.
Almost cold...a tone that Ita's never actually heard from him. Kinda creepy.
Ita McNairee: ..8a pause, and then* Darlin!?!
Ita McNairee: Will Darlin och thank god.. ye scared the be-jesus oot o me..
yer aulrecht! yer aulrecht??!
William Halloran: "Hey, Ita." There's a warmth that comes into his voice, a sort
of softness. Always the softness for her, though it doesn't erase the stark
evenness, the frightening calm.
Ita McNairee: ... darlin.. wha's happened..are ye. *no. of course he wasn't
alright.. idiot pikey.. her voice softens in response, full of gentle warmth and
concern*.. Will.. wha's appened?
William Halloran: "You know what happened."
Ita McNairee: .. darlin.. we'll put et tae rechts.. ah'm sae soory....
please.. ah dinnae wan ye tae gie hurt. *guilt and worry, pikey singing softly
through the phone*
William Halloran: A little chuckle, mirthless. "How ya gonna put this to rights,
Ita? Ya gonna bring 'er back from the dead?"
Ita McNairee: mayhaps.. ah innae kain.. fin a gio....och darlin.. *she
breaks off,* darlin. ah'm soorry. ah'm sae. sae soorry.. boot please.. ah dinnae
wan ye tae die..
William Halloran: "Ita...I got a question for ya." The sounds of shuffling...it
sounds like he's in an enclosed space or something. "What'd you do if that guy
yer seein' died? If he was killed, an' you knew who did it. Or some o' the
people who did it. What'd you do?"
Ita McNairee: *a long pause. she's having to think about it. finally she
concedes*.. ah've bairns noow darlin.. but ah reckon the baddies'd end oop dead,
wan way oor another.. *its soft* boot darlin.. ... yer lass wouldnae wan ye tae
die fer er.. aye?
William Halloran: "I don't fuckin' know, Ita." Still flat, calm. Almost
sociopathically so...one might swear his pulse hasn't changed a beat throughout
the conversation, as painful as the talk may be for him. "I didn't have enough
time with her to really find out."
Ita McNairee: ... ah love ye well. ..ah'm soory.. ah should o never 'ad ye
envolved wie gunther.. ah'm sae soory.. ah .. ah've been tryen tae fex hem..
aye?.. reckon ah've fooked tha wan proper.. .. 'aven't ah?
William Halloran: "Naw, Ita." His voice softens a little more. "Ain't yer fault.
I don't want ya to blame yerself for Gunther. You didn't do nothin' wrong. I
thought he was a good guy, too. S'not your fault at all, what happened. Maybe I
shoulda tried t'get er t'back off. Sady said word came down from on high...some
kinda gang boss, I guess. Or an Admin, I think Smithy called 'em." A grunt. "She
may-a pissed off the wrong folks...didn't mean they were right t'kill 'er."
William Halloran: "They fuckin' thought she was a nobody, Ita...just some crazy
bitch who had no friends. That she didn't have no one that cared for 'er. They
were wrong. Every time y'kill someone, someone else hurts."
Ita McNairee: ..*she nods, then realizes that doesn't translate, teary eyed
on the phone* ah'm soory well... ah'm soory yer hurten.
William Halloran: He sighs, some emotion breaking through. He could handle almost
anything...anything except Ita breaking down. Or maybe Brigette. "Tell me, Ita.
Tell me why I shouldn't make 'em understand that, first-hand. Tell me why I
shouldn't make 'em see what that pain feels like, so that the next Smithy might
be safe."
Ita McNairee: darlin.. ye dinnae oonderstan.. they'll kell ye.. yer a beg
felly.. an ah reckon ye'll mayhap even 'ave a chance against gunther effen ee's
nae been fer a nip.. boot darlin.. there are moore. moore than jes sady an
gunther.. ah dinnae wan ye tae die loves..
Ita McNairee: *its frantic and panicked. the man didn't know what he was
coming up aganst and if she told him.. he'd be in just as much danger..*
William Halloran: "I'm sorry, Ita. I'm sorry that I'm scarin' ya. Sorry that I'm
worryin' ya." His emotion breaks through a little stronger, like water eroding
it's way through a crack. "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect 'er...couldn't save
'er. That she's sittin' in a garbage can rottin' somewhere, an' no one seems to
care but me. I couldn't even hurt th' ones 'at hurt er...fuckin' useless..."
He's crying now on the phone, soft sounds, pitiful.
Ita McNairee: nae.. nae darlin.. nae.. yer nae useless. ah love ye well, an
yer nae useless. an ets nae fair tha folk hurt er... an hurt ye. an ah'm soory
ah cannae make et recht..
Ita McNairee: please darlin.. ah kain yer hurten an greiten.. but please..
please dinnae die..
William Halloran: "Not yer fault...don't ya fuckin' dare blame yerself."
William Halloran: That almost comes out angry...it's enough to drown out the
tears and shut them off for the moment.
Ita McNairee: *soft noises on the other end of the phone. The prospect of
losing another friend..*
William Halloran: He takes a deep breath to calm himself down. A sniffing sound,
before he talks again. "I dunno what I'm gonna do, Ita. I found someone needs my
protection, and I wanna keep 'em safe, like I couldn't fer Smithy...I..." He
sighs sadly. "I dunno what I think. I know if I go after Sady an' Gunther, an'
the people they take orders from, I'm dead. I know that...ain't stupid, whatever
people think. But she deserves justice, and she deserves t'be avenged. I can't
even take a little broad like Sady on my own...can't do nuthin' right. But I
feel like I gotta try, for her sake. Or should I protect V, keep 'er safe?"
MAJOR-league conflicted there...some guilt, too.
William Halloran: "An' whadda I do if I fail 'er, too? Then it just keeps rackin'
up, and soon I'll be drownin' in blood t'be avenged."
Ita McNairee: darlin.. yer a good man. An reckon there's a short few oo
could take tha wee lass awn.. dinnae fret awn tha, ah love ye, yer a good man
welliam. An effen ye make yer V lass 'appy, be wie er.. an mourn yer Lass.. yes
please.. please dinnae die
William Halloran: "Ita...whateva happens. I want ya t'promise me somethin'.
Please."
Ita McNairee: ...darlin?
William Halloran: "Whateva happens t'me...I want ya t'be happy. Gunther's
destroyed me. Driven you away...raped Smithy. Killed 'er. Don' let anything that
happens to me do th'same ta you. I dunno what I'm gonna do...if I'm gonna go
after 'em or not. Maybe I can live with this much more guilt in my life. Maybe
it'll crush an' destroy me. Maybe I won't let it, and I'll teach Gunther an'
Sady the meanin' of hurt before I go. The very fuckin' definition. Can't tell ya
right now. But whateva it is, and however it plays out...I want ya t'promise me
ya'll let it go. Don' feel no guilt...don' let what happens t'me ruin yer life.
Be happy, love yer kids an' yer family. Y'got good people in yer life, and I
love ya. I don' wantcha to be destroyed because-a me."
Ita McNairee: darlin .. please.. ah cannae promise tha..
William Halloran: He sighs sadly. "S'okay. I guess I understand...'cause I can't
promise I won't go after 'em. I guess...I guess I'm gonna try to just focus on V
for now. She needs someone t'keep 'er safe. But someday, I may wake up with the
need to give Smithy th'blood she deserves. One day, I may not be able to keep 'er
pleas out-a my head anymore. I promise I'll let ya know if it ever gets to that.
Y'deserve that. I won't leave ya wonderin'."
Ita McNairee: *a dry noide, and a pause, before she sings sadly*.. thank ye
welliam. .. ye kain ah love ye.. aye?
William Halloran: "I know. I love ya too, an' I'm sorry I've upset ya. I gotta
go...I'll call ya later."
Ita McNairee: ..aye darlin.. be carefy.. dae call.. ah reckon.. ah'd like
ye tae see tha wee lad.. aye?
William Halloran: "Yeah...yeah, I'd like that too. Not now...I don' want 'im
t'see me like this. Maybe soon. I love ya...be safe. Bye."
Ita McNairee: ..bye darlin. love ye. ...
William Halloran: *Click*