Jack does catch the way Dorin withholds any further information about Alec; he laughs again. He’s a little surprised, too—Dorin is so quiet at work, in a way that makes Jack worry that Dorin is unhappy in some way. It’s why Jack brought something back from Albany for Dorin, something small and unassuming just to say, ‘you don’t have to keep to yourself if you don’t want to.’ Only after he dropped the Yakult off did Jack realize he forgot to sign his note—but it wasn’t identifying himself that was the point, just the giving.
Yet maybe he didn’t need to worry at all. Dorin seems just fine talking to him now.
“Um,” Jack wavers, trying to thread the needle between answering Dorin’s question honestly and keeping the conversation light. “It was alright. I was 11 when I started at JEF—I’d just been made team captain of my old middle school’s basketball team. I remember being upset about being taken away from that.” Jack glances down, inspecting a hangnail. There—honest yet light.
Then he does some math in his head. There’s no way Dorin is his age. So if Dorin knew of Big Alec—“You must have been pretty young when you started at Shawangunk, huh?” Jack blurts, startled at his realization.
DURING THE EVALUATIONS: Jack (on call) & Dorin (...not)
Yet maybe he didn’t need to worry at all. Dorin seems just fine talking to him now.
“Um,” Jack wavers, trying to thread the needle between answering Dorin’s question honestly and keeping the conversation light. “It was alright. I was 11 when I started at JEF—I’d just been made team captain of my old middle school’s basketball team. I remember being upset about being taken away from that.” Jack glances down, inspecting a hangnail. There—honest yet light.
Then he does some math in his head. There’s no way Dorin is his age. So if Dorin knew of Big Alec—“You must have been pretty young when you started at Shawangunk, huh?” Jack blurts, startled at his realization.