By five o'clock Sean was back in Nowhere, coffee brewed, feeling slightly optimistic. The door to the airlock slammed open, followed quickly by the interior door. Truth barked once.

"Where in the hell have you been?" Amy yelled into the darkness though her eyes hadn't adjusted she knew that Sean and Truth were in here.

"Hiya, Ames" Truth barked again and bounded over to see his mama.

"Do not 'hiya, ames' me, Sean." She caught Truth and deflected him to one side. "I've been trying to call you all day but your phone was busy. I tried paging you but you didn't call back. Where have you been?"

Sean could tell his ex-wife that was no longer any of her business. He could tell something was wrong. Truth wandered away without demanding more pets. Amy never came out here unless asked. Bringing out ice the other day was the first time this year, as far as Sean could remember. That made this twice in three days? No, two. Two days in a row. Was that just yesterday? Usually, things ran slowly. It was easy for Sean to keep up or keep ahead. He felt the tenuous optimism fade.

"I've been here. Well, I was up at the house researching something. Sorry I didn't get your page, I musta turned it off." Sean checked his BlackBerry, it was indeed turned off. He turned it off, he didn't want his boss bothering him. There was no urgent projects right now. He turned the device back on and the familar beep and buzz of a message came in to his inbox. Then another. Then another all from Amy. He looked up, "What's wrong?"

"It's dad." Sean got a greasy feeling. "A greasy feeling" is what Gene called it. Now Sean was thinking in Gene's terms. She continued, "He woke up this morning not feeling well. Sean, he didn't even feel bad when his appendix went. He hasn't even had a cold since I was a kid. Okay, he's getting older. So he doesn't feel well. No big deal. Chicken soup and take the day easy, right?" Sean nodded, she was talking both sides of the conversation so he didn't need to speak. "Then mom mentioned some of the things he was saying in his sleep and he turned so pale Sean! I've never seen him like that. Mom said even when she had her compound fracture, he was her rock, never waivered. He's not right. Something is not right and he won't talk to us. Said to get you. Why does he want to talk to you Sean? What's going on? Why won't he talk to his wife of fifty years and his only daughter? What is he going to tell his former son-in-law?" She put the emphasis on 'former' more than she wanted to, she grimaced a bit. Sean nodded again.

"I don't know Ames. I'll come as soon as I can okay? Then I'll let you know, okay?"

"You mean you're not coming?"

"I'm coming, just I can't right now. Look he's not dying okay, right?" This earned him a disapproving look followed by an exasperated "Sean!"

"Wait did Gene ask for me to come right away? Did he say it was an emergency? What are his exact words?"

"Sean, that is semantics. You always do that!" That was a 'no'.

Before she got started again, "Look Ames, I said I would come as soon as I can and I mean it. Leon took off. It's just me. He took half my stock. This place is limping along. There's no one else. It's not like I can ask you to run the place while I run out to your folk's place." He figured that would be the end of it.

"Just lock up and let's go" she was serious.

He rocked back on his heels.

"Amy, is that what Gene would do if the circumstances were reversed?"

"Yes, if I asked, he would!" She shook her head to get herself convinced. Slowly the shaking stopped. She started crying, her anger at Sean giving away to worry over her father. "No. Dammit. Damn both of you. He would come when he thought he could." she paused to breath through the crying. "Just like you." she finish.

Sean wanted to move towards her and offer a hug. They hadn't physically touched in close to four years now. He wasn't sure how well the hug would be accepted. She stood there crying, but trying to stop. He stood there trying to figure out what he was doing. Or what he should do. The moment passed.

"Fine. I'll see you tonight." she turned to leave.

"Yes ma'am." Sean turned the other way back towards the bar. He had the work of two people to get done before customers started showing up. He could slag off, the 20 might be bothered, but they'd also understand. No, he had to get this place straight and it would keep his mind off worry. Busy hands and all that. He opened the door to his office as Amy drove off. The stone was still there. Leon hadn't taken it.

Why would he. It was worthless. The booze was worth more than the rock. Leon may be a stupid criminal, but he was no dummy. Sean laughed to himself as he picked up the stone. The facets started glowing pink at him. He felt happy again.

As he looked at the stone, he stared into the facets he could see the old woman and her son. Their entire visage was green. Green clothes, green shoes, green hair, green eyes. They looked out to Sean as menacing as they could muster.

Then Gene's face waded into view. It was as if Sean was looking at Gene's reflection in the lake water. Muddy and brown, but otherwise clear. Sad and afraid. It was a look that Sean had never seen on Gene's face.

Then out of the water Nowhere rose. It's mixed and matched metal panels glowing golden and majestic. Sean saw himself under Nowhere, drowning in the water. He was alone. The speakeasy was the only light in the otherwise dark scene. He flailed and tried not to die as Nowhere seemed to swell and get heavier. His heart labored, he broke out in a sweat in the cool, dark air conditioned office. He felt wet like he actually was underwater. He sat down.

His gaze had broken, when he returned to see his demise under the resplendent Nowhere, he was instead greeted by the sight of himself standing on top of Nowhere. Now it was he that looked shiny. He had worn clothes that looked expensive and well cared for. They fit well, made him look like something on TV. He was outshining the bar and there were others there. He recognized some of the 20. The local regulars. Others he didn't recognize. The sweat had stopped and Sean had caught a chill from the air conditioning. Gooseflesh stood across his arms. He stood back up.

He put the rock back on the shelf and walked out to the bar. He needed to slice some limes.