So much for 'justice for all'...

[regina]

Regina was in a sour mood. For one thing, she had barely gotten any sleep the night before. She'd been up until the wee hours of the morning filing reports that didn't even matter, because all of these victims either didn't know who was harassing them or they didn't want to tell her. Either way, the whole thing was rather pointless and she hated having cases she couldn't do anything about.

She knew that a nice breakfast from the Liberty Diner would make her feel at least a little bit better, though, and so she took her usual seat and waited.

[Debbie Novotny]

Debbie walked over to Regina's table, notepad ever at the ready. She chewed her gum cheerfully as she smiled down at her customer.

"Jesus, you look like you had a long night. What can I get ya, honey?"

[jon]

Jon decided to check out this Liberty Diner his son was talking about. He walked inside, glanced around a bit before realizing quickly enough that he was supposed to seat himself. He found a small booth for two people and took his seat.

[regina]

Regina thought about what was on the menu and ended up shrugging. "Surprise me," she said. Breakfast was her favorite meal, and she'd eat just about anything. "I trust your judgement." It was true: Debbie was a very nice lady, and she didn't think that anything here would be too bad to eat. As a matter of fact, Reggie couldn't remember ever coming in here and ordering something she didn't like. Not once. "And a cup of coffee," she added, smiling.

((ooc- mainly, I couldn't pick something. ))

[Debbie Novotny]

"Surprise you? what do I loo like Harr fucking Houdini?" she asked. She laughed at Regina and winked. "I'll see what I can get you- besides the cup of coffee."

[regina]

Regina laughed. "Thanks, Debbie," she said. She had known that coming here would brighten her spirits. Everybody who works at this diner seemed to be filled with such spirit and energy, it was hard to stay depressed in a place like this.

[Jake McCormick]

Jake entered the diner in a daze. He felt like shit. He knew he was hungry - his skinny arms were wrapped around his middle, hoping to dull the incessant growling of his stomach.

Managing to make his way to a table without knocking into anything, he took a seat and caught a glimpse of himself in the reflective surface of a napkin holder. Black eye, swollen cheeks, a couple of cuts on his forehead and neck, and that was only what he could see... he felt like crying, but couldn't. Or wouldn't. Not in public. He needed to eat, the tears could wait.

[Debbie Novotny]

Debbie walked back to the cook and yelled,

"I need a stack of pancakes."

She then walked over to the kid who had just sat down and was startled.

"Jesus, what the hell happened to you?" she asked.

[Jake McCormick]

Jake looked up at the woman, squinting briefly. She'd said something - he wasn't listening. He hoped she'd been asking about his order.

"Water?" he asked, now discovering that his throat hurt. Well, that wasn't exactly surprising. "...and toast."

[Debbie Novotny]

"Water adn Toast did that to you?" Debbie asked skeptically.

She wrote down his order, and put a hand on her hip.

"Anything else?" she asked.

[Jake McCormick]

Jake shook his head and looked back at the table, waiting for her to leave. He wanted to put his head down, he wanted to go home, he wanted to sleep and to forget.

[Debbie Novotny]

Debbie walked away and placed his order on the counter, after adding a slight change. She then grabbed Regina's plate and a coffee pot and walked back over to her table.

"Here you go, honey," she said, puring the cup of coffee. "Anything else"

[regina]

Regina was starving, and she didn't realize it until the food was in front of her. "Thanks, Debbie," she said, watching her pour the coffee. "Nothing else, thanks," she said, taking out a creamer or two and emptying them into her coffee.

She eyed the kid who had just come in out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything to him yet. She could get whoever did that to him with some serious charges, though...

[Debbie Novotny]

"All right, enjoy," she said to Reggie. She was a nice kid, all right in her book.

She went back to th ecounter, put the coffee back on the burner, and took a guy at the counter's order before going to see if that banged up kid's order was done. She blanced two plates one arm and grabbed the glass of water with her free hand.

She walked back to his table and put down the small plate with two slices of toast on it and the glass of water. She the put down a plate with three pancakes on it.

"You look like you could use some comfort food," she said.

[Jake McCormick]

Jake looked up at her. Normally he would have scoffed. Normally he would have acted like he was too cool.

Now all he could do was look at her with wide eyes and nod.

He then turned his attentions to the table before him, picked up his water glass and took a sip, nibbled on the edge of the toast. The little bites made him realize he was ravenous, and he ate more - not quicker, but more, taking odd sips of water here and there. When the toast disappeared, he guiltily surveyed the pancakes a moment before beginning to tear off strips and eat them.

He didn't think about a single thing.

[Debbie Novotny]

"Are you gonn be okay?" Debbie asked in a concerned voice.

She was always worrying about the boys who came int o this restaurant. And lately a lot of them had given her reason to.

[Jake McCormick]

Jake didn't look at her as he nodded in response to her question. He was beginning to get some of his wits about him again, and was prepared to take off as soon as he'd finished, go back to Chrissa's apartment, get a shower, and sleep for a long time.

[Debbie Novotny]

"Well, you let me know if you need anything else," Debbie told him.

What the hell had happened to that kid? She was slightly distracted now as she went about getting the guy at the counter's order to him.

[regina]

Regina shared a concerned look with Debbie over this kid and his state. She wanted to say something but felt that it wasn't really her place. That, and he was very into his food at the moment, and she didn't want to interrupt that. She took a bite of her own food and smiled.

"These are amazing, Debbie," she said. "My compliments to the cook." Reggie was already in a better mood than when she'd started.

[Debbie Novotny]

"He'll be happy to here it," Debbie said with a big smile, but she was still worried. She absently poured a guy his coffee, and got herself a muffin from under a glass dome lid.