Theodore H. Winthrop III Practicing Lawyer in Muddy Waters, Illinois. ❝ he smiled understandingly — much more than understandingly. it was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. it faced — or seemed to face — the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favour. it understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. ❞ — f. scott fitzgerald.
Rory was fairly certain that they were going in the right direction, but this entire thing had been a gamble from the start. He’d kidnapped the doctor, and the chef. Both necessary, in Rory’s opinion.
“Otters are built for the cold, right?” He asked with obvious doubts. “Not that you’re oily.” He assured Theodore. “I just meant, you’re probably stronger than you look. I mean, you survived med school.”
@theodore-winthrop
The cold was making Theo uneasy, and being that he didn’t want to be out here in the first place he was already annoyed. Hell if Rory really did know where they were going but he wasn’t thrilled with the topic of conversation being his body compared to that of an otter. He was going to have to agree with Romeo though because to a degree they aren’t built for any of this. “Whether or not Romeo or I are strong enough is not the issue here. We’re traveling in the freezing cold for god knows how long because of you-” Shooting a look in Rory’s direction, “And not even you will be strong enough when hypothermia sets in.” Wrapping his arms around his own chest Teddy was not comfortable with how angry he was and he most certainly did not like the look of this river they were now stopped at.
“What are the chances we’re going to be able to cross this anyways?” Nodding his head to the obvious stop in their journey.
Rory’s nose crinkled, even though he’d known enough to expect such a response by now. At least Theodore seemed willing to help, which was more than could be said for some of the other staff members at Belmont.
“Bad how?” He asked, unsure if was supposed to stare into the light or shy away from it. “How bad is the worst it could be?”
He made a mental note about his reaction to the light and while he could make Rory follow the light, the signs were already there. “Maybe let’s not focus on the worst possible outcome, Rory?” He offered as he turned off the light and took a step back. “We are just now learning a lot about the effects of multiple concussions but any time damage is done to the brain it should be taken seriously.”
Whether his words were gonna make a difference or not he sure hoped the other would take caution at the very least. “For right now let us focus on the here and now, okay?” Raising an eyebrow to see if the man would agree. “I would ask you to take it easy if I was sure you’d actually do it so instead how about this. Keep an eye on your symptoms, if you’re feeling sick to your stomach, get any blurred vision, or feeling off-balance then it’s a sign you need to keep from exerting yourself.”
Rory stood awkwardly in the way for several moments before finally moving towards the exam table, pulling himself up onto it with a kind of mundane familiarity.
“What if I said all of the above?” He asked listlessly, wondering if he was doomed to being an idiot even if they managed to make it on the outside. He’d been so good at what he did before that the idea of being stuck a moron was genuinely terrifying. “Is that bad or do they kinda cancel each other out at some point?”
“Then I’d say you more than likely have a concussion but let me go get your file and we’ll take a look at you.” A deep sigh releasing from his mouth as he turned to go grab one of the iPods on the desk. It was a wonder that Rory was still alive after quickly pulling up his file and seeing the long list of things he’d come in for just over the time he’d spent at the facility. Theo himself was starting to wonder how many were too many.
“Long term it can be bad since a concussion hurts your brain and while we know a lot about it, we don’t know enough yet.” Turning back around and shaking his head at the latter question, a slight smile formed on his lips. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that. This isn’t a math equation Rory. But why don’t you tell me what happened and I’ll do a few tests.” Bringing out the penlight from his front shirt pocket to check his sensitivity to light.
Rory was even more antsy than usual, which was saying a lot. He’d been a live wire with the rumours of breaking out becoming more and more real with every day, which meant that he’d had more and more energy for getting into trouble. Which was why he was stumbling into the clinic well after he should have been tucked into bed with his unwelcoming roommate.
“Question,” He stated simply as he nearly bowled into the attending physician. “How many possible concussions would you say is too many concussions for any single person to sustain?”
His eyebrow managed not to shoot up in question upon seeing who his visitor was because somehow Theo wasn’t surprised. He was surprised by being nearly knocked over but he somehow managed to stay upright thanks to his grip on the doorframe. Rory was one of the few people he’d attribute Harry Houdini like skills because he pretty much got out of anything and everything with ease. So to be wandering around unattended after light out was not out of the usual for this one. The question however was another story.
“Your question doesn’t have a simple answer I’m afraid.” He started, gesturing his hand upwards for the other to move to one of the exam tables. “It all depends on the person and what symptoms they experience with each concussion. We know someone can safely recover from them but we can’t predict what long term effects multiple ones will have on a person because they are so different from patient to patient. Although if you’re experiencing many back to back I’d say not many. Are you experiencing any dizziness, nausea, confusion, or have been hit in the head lately?”
It was late and the only reason Theodore was still in his small, claustrophobia inducing office was because he always put paperwork off until the last minute. Technically he was the physician on call tonight so he was supposed to be working anyways, but the guards usually didn’t bring anyone in till morning. Whether it be laziness or intended neglect didn’t matter these days. Which usually meant nights he was on call was for the stacks of paperwork filling in the head honchos on the details he’d collected on the various detainees.
Tonight he’d assumed would be the same as always, he’d get a few cases written up and go slum it with whatever guards were on overnight watch for a few hours and talk sports. A topic he only knew anything about because of his college friends’ insistence he knew normal sports instead of the ones he grew up on. Pushing his chair back Theo was just stretching his arms up and stifling a yawn as he heard the bang of the door swing open to what he could only assume was the exam room.
“Be right there!” Calling out a little louder than usual as he slipped his jacket on before his stethoscope and made his way through the hall to the common room wondering what warranted his attention this late. “How can I be of assistance?” Poking his head around the door frame to see who it was before his body followed him into the room.
“People too often forget that it is your own choice how you want to spend the rest of your life.”
Father - Theodore L. Winthrop II (fc: Christoph Waltz) 61-year-old Lawyer
A businessman tried and true. His business card might say attorney at law and partner of one of the biggest law firms in New York City, but the man doesn’t do anything unless it benefits himself. Like his father, before him, he values money and power over everything which is why he can be found at the office or kicking it with other prominent men rather than spending time with his family. Image is, however, everything and he and his wife Elaine have an agreement to put forth their best efforts in being presentable as possible.
In courtrooms he can be as ruthless as they come; making murderers appear as innocent as a newborn baby to make the old lady whose car got hit by a drunk driver into a gold digging parasite at the drop of a dime. He can be charming when he needs to be and can cut you down when the situation calls for it. If it wasn’t for his last name and deep pockets people wouldn’t like the snake of a man. But- money can buy anything, even friends.
Relationship: There hasn’t been a day in Teddy’s life that he hasn’t looked up to his father and wanted to be exactly like him. The man is his inspiration and reason for being a lawyer. He desperately wishes he can be the man his father wants him to be and it kills him that he isn’t. As a child, he rarely got to see his father outside of the office and from a young age, he was told that it would someday be his. It wasn’t until later did he realize what a burden that would be and how he would never be able to let bad guys get away with things solely because they can pay their way out of things.
Elaine Winthrop is the embodiment of a woman who has too much time and money on her hands. While she invests in charities galore the rest of her free time is spent spending her husband's money on clothes, alcohol, makeup, and anything else that keeps her in the running of a high society woman. Once she might have liked to think she married the older Theodore for love but as time went on it was obvious that neither cared for the other enough other than to get some children out of their arrangement.
While she prides herself on having a beautiful family and has Theodore on her arm at most events and galas, she has had a slew of lovers for a while now. No one questions the late night meetings because with both kids gone, and a husband married to his job, there is no one left to question her agenda.
Relationship: Never the traditional mother, it wasn’t until he got out of New York that Teddy realized that having a nanny to raise you in your formative years was not normal. His childhood memories of his mom always included some fancy party that she'd scold him for messing up his shirt from playing, or running towards her when she’d get home from an event and she’d yell for the nanny to come get him and put him to bed. Theodore doesn’t resent the woman but he does wish they’d have had a closer bond.
Because Kendal was not born a boy, she was never favored by their father. More importantly, she was never interested in the stuffy office space her father inhabited nor was she fascinated with the facade her mother played with the other wives. She tolerated growing up and being forced to wear dresses and bows in her hair but there was always a yearning to be hanging with the boys. Rather than sit through tea and be a debutante she wished to get her hands dirty and learn more practical skills.
It was no surprise to her brother when she went into the peace core after graduating from college. It was her idea of wanting to help others and get a real taste of life beyond the silver spoon. Still very much a woman of her upbringing, enjoying the luxuries money can buy, Kendal is a lot less concerned with what people think of her. She is involved with charities that actually help others and is the first to volunteer both time and money for a good cause.
Relationship: Given that she is but five years younger than Teddy, he has always viewed himself as the protector of their relationship. Even if she’s the one to kill a spider for him. The two have always had a close bond as they only had each other to lean on when both parents were busy and wanted nothing to do with children. His memories of her include lots of running around their parent's penthouse apartment, playing hide and go seek at one of their many vacation homes, and playing pranks on the countless staff that their parents have on the payroll. She is also the only member of the Winthrop family that Teddy has come out t which shows how much trust and respect he has for his sister.
Bailey poured a generous portion for each of them, handing the other a glass that clearly indicated he’d ignored Teddy’s advice about sipping the drink. He’d already downed most of his, the expensive liquor sliding down as easily as if it were water. Tossing the other a glance at his question, Bailey shrugged noncommittally even his answer was certain.
“No. Where else would I go?” He supposed it was different for Teddy, who seemed like survival was the least of his worries while it was the best Bailey could hope for. “I’ve never been to the beach. Is that where you would go?” He considered the other with a frown, unable to determine why someone like Teddy would be in a place like Muddy Waters anyway. “What’s keeping you here?”
Taking the glass from the other he was a little worried what Bailey considered a drink as he got a pretty big pour. He noticed the other wasn’t sipping the stuff either which resulted in him chuckling to himself and taking a big gulp himself. There was no way he was ever going to be able to keep up with him in a drinking contest but he sure could at least get drunk trying. God knows he needed a little liquor these days.
He was disappointed to hear that Bailey was not the woodsy type, really wanting an excuse to imagine the other in flannel chopping wood or starting a fire. “I don’t know?” He shrugged. ”Anywhere that has different scenery than here?” The man had a good point. But hearing he had never been to the beach caused Theo to almost spit out the liquid he’d just sipped from his glass. “You have never been to the beach? What on earth. You have to go!” He insisted before getting bummed out from his question. Nothing was keeping him here in Muddy Waters anymore and yet here he was. “I- I don’t know.”
Of course, Clara knew that Theodore was completely right. She knew that he would have had no incentive to hide it. She knew that if she walked into the living room right now, she would see exactly which pictures he was referring to, and it would occur to her yet again that if she had only paid more attention, she would have already known about all of this. But then again, she hadn’t even known that Atreus was in town until the day a couple of months back when she’d almost arrested him on the roof of the church. And their friendship hadn’t really approached anything resembling normal until recently.
Which was when she realised that as strange as this was to her, it was bound to be infinitely stranger to him, to them. Because she knew Atreus well enough to know that while things not coming up in conversation with Theo was likely to be a coincidence, things not coming up in conversation with Atreus was deliberate, and spoke of volumes of hurt. Hurt that she had inadvertently stepped into the middle of. “Yeah, I know him,” she replied earnestly, shrugging slightly. Clara wasn’t generally open about her past, but given the situation at hand, holding back didn’t feel like the right option. “From back east. We met like ten years ago when I was 14. Lost track of each other for a while, but… He’s pretty much my oldest friend. At one point he was the closest thing I had to family. Even if we were both completely incapable of taking care of each other at the time.”
When Clara had spoken about knowing Atreus he almost smacked himself. Of course, she had to of because she was a cop in a small town, and he was the kind of guy that made himself known to any and everyone. It was when she said back east was when he really started to get confused. “I didn’t know you were from the east coast Clara!” He exclaimed, happy to know a little more about the woman. “Where at? I’m from New York myself but I’ve been up and down the coast countless times.” Fond memories of his younger years spent at ski resorts, summer homes, and hidden getaways in remote villages in the mountains.
While he’d known about Atreus’ adolescent life he didn’t know that Clara had been such a fixture and he wondered why it hadn’t come up. They had been separated for a while now but he was sure the other would have known shortly after they had moved. “That’s great then, it must be nice to see each other again and be reunited if you were that close.” Not choosing to add that the other still wasn’t capable of taking care of anyone as he didn’t want it to come off as an insult towards his ex. Even if it was true. “I can’t believe I didn’t know all of this. That’s such a crazy coincidence!”
Atreus smiled softly but his gaze fell ate the almost-mention of their wedding, unable to continue looking at his ex when everything in him responded by wanting to crawl across the table and beg for another chance. He hated the reminder of their wedding. He hated the reminder that he wasn’t a suit kind of guy. He wanted to be a suit kind of guy. He looked good in a suit. He felt good in a suit. But where the fuck was he supposed to wear suits? It wasn’t like they had ever melded into each other’s worlds and Atreus’ world didn’t have much occasion for formal wear. Their married life had been largely separate while together. When he and Teddy were together they were together, and when they weren’t they led completely different lives. In retrospect, Atreus suspected that it had a lot to do with why they had both ended up feeling so alone even when they were with each other.
He was yanked out of his thoughts when the file appeared in front of him again, his stomach still twisting despite his resolution to attack this head-on. He just had to keep remembering Noah’s words: You can’t make someone else stay.
He reached for the closest pen, knowing better than to think that Theo would try to screw him out of anything. Having his own lawyer look at the papers would have been the smart thing to do but Atreus just wanted Teddy to know that he wasn’t trying to hold him back anymore. “I trust you, Teddy.” He admitted as he opened the file in front of him.
As he watched the man across the desk reach for the pen his eyes widened and it finally occurred to him that this was really happening. He’d gotten all the documents together weeks ago, mentally had made the decision that this was how it needed to be for the two of them - but didn’t think it would actually happen. Didn’t truly think that Atreus would let him go this easily, without too much of a fight, as the man was known for not dealing well when things didn’t go his way.
“Thanks.” He murmured, quiet as he waited to watch the other go through the stack of papers. There were multiple copies of everything and they all needed to be signed; the domestic relations cover sheet, the petition for dissolution of marriage, summons, affidavit of service, and the certificate of dissolution. “Uh, so most of it us just a legal way of saying we both agree to file with no contest. And then there’s a part that talks about how assets are to be divided up and I listed mine, which you will need to do. The house has both of our names on the deed so that was the only snag I could foresee being a problem." Seeing that Teddy was still living there and didn’t exactly want to give it up but would if Atreus decided he wanted it.
“So since you are technically co-owner it’s up to you if you would like your half or if you want to sign your right to give sole ownership to me. In the event you do want it then I would suggest we sell it and divide the money earned.” He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands clasped in his lap. There wasn’t much for him to do now but try to accept what this all meant and wait for the other to take his time with the papers.
Ricky’s expression didn’t change as he continued to fix Teddy with an unwavering glare. He didn’t buy the man’s earnest, Clark Kent act, a facade he’d come to understand was nothing but for show. He hadn’t liked Teddy when he’d first begun to monopolize Atreus’ time, and his disdain for the man had only compounded after their marriage and subsequent divorce. Ricky couldn’t help the sick satisfaction at the thought of it, deciding that Teddy well and truly deserved it.
“What the hell would I have to tell you?” he asked, tone scathing. “I’ve been a licensed driver since I was sixteen, of course I’m going to get into some accidents.” He glossed over the fact that he’d totaled his car more times in a year than most people did in their lifetime. “What’s the problem, Teddy? Is getting some car out of an impound lot too much for you? I guess it’s expected, considering the sort of education you received.”
Maybe he should have stuck with corportate law and taken up a job at his father firm in New York. At least then he wouldn’t have to deal with the likes of Ricky Reed. The guy was a pompous jerk who had it out for him for no apparent reason other than he’d married Atreus. Or at least Teddy could only atribute that to the others hate towards him. He couldn’t think of anything else he’d have done to the guy since he’d always been as polite as he could be. So maybe it was the fact that his divorce had him in an emotional wreck, but he decided to play the other’s little game in trying to bait him into fighting back.
“Fine.” He shrugged, not having a care in the world if Ricky ever got his car out of the impound or not. “You can sit through a trial by yourself as they go over why they won’t give you your car back because of your condition.” His voice was raised only slightly, but his hands were clenched to try to steady himself. “Because that is what is going to happen. By contesting their rules they will go through your driving history and medical history, and once they find out the reason for your poor driving record they will more than likely make a case to get your liscense revoked rather then just making you pay the necesary fines.” He didn’t call out the exact reason, but still wanted to make sure the other knew just exactly what Theo knew.
“So don’t work with me, fine. I don’t give a shit about you or your car anyways.”
Clara chuckled and smiled as well, more than content to hang back and watch her friend putter around the kitchen; that was, until Theodore’s claim that nothing that exciting was going on was followed by a statement that not only directly contradicted said claim, but almost put her into a near catatonic state of shock. Wait, did he say divorce? Moreover, did he really say Atreus? Honestly, the deputy had never zoomed in on a piece of information so quickly to the detriment of her ability to pick up on or even hear anything else afterwards.
“Woah, woah, hold up,” she interjected, holding up her hand and stepping closer, not even bothering to hide her surprise. “A) How the hell did I not know that you’re married? and B) How the hell did I not know that you’re married to Atreus?” She didn’t really know which part had her reeling the most—the fact that her oldest friend had actually exchanged vows with another human being at one point and not bothered to tell her about it (not even when they were, you know, catching up on what had happened in their lives), or the fact that she found out from his husband. Who wanted a divorce. And who was also, incidentally, a friend.
It was Theo’s turn to act confused as he didn’t know why Clara was so surprised. He hadn’t hidden his marriage and while he was quiet about his divorce, he still thought people might have noticed somewhat. So he could credit her with some shock but this seemed a little more personal. There was a tell in the tone and intensity of her voice that made him question if she knew Atreus or not. Or if she got this excited over the general news in the first place.
“Clara,” He started, wondering if he really was as reserved as he feared he was. Pointing over to the living room he looked past her. “I mean I haven’t hidden anything from you. There have been pictures of us both all over the house. I haven’t had the heart to take them down.” Knowing it wasn’t at all healthy to be divorcing someone only to have to keep looking at their face, even if only in print, every day. “I guess it just never came up in conversation. I thought it was obvious when we moved here.” His shoulders shrugged, and fortunately, the coffee dinged indicating that it was ready, so he could busy himself with that and not have to face her.
“No offense but you seem a little startled. Do you know him?”
Bailey pieced together the bits that Atreus and Teddy had alternately let slip, struggling to attribute a contentious divorce to either of the men. He supposed it just went to show how different people were behind closed doors.
“Thanks,” Bailey said, uncapping the heavy bottle to take a whiff. It smelled strong, which was about the only criteria he had regarding alcohol; and despite Teddy’s good intentions, he didn’t plan on sipping it slowly. “You want a drink?” He was already turning to retrieve some glasses, uncaring that he still had a few hours until closing.
Leave it to Bailey who would disregard acceptable drinking hours and pop open the bottle with a store still to run. Despite the fact that Teddy had originally come just to drop off the gift, he chuckled slightly and nodded his head. “Yeah, I think I do.” Against his better judgment, he agreed to the drink as there was always something special alcohol did to people as it first hit the bloodstream. That surge of confidence, the mellowing effect of the liquid, a false sense of happiness that he had been craving for a few months now. So what could a glass or two hurt?
“You ever think about leaving, Bailey?” Not being good with silence as it makes him increasingly more awkward, he decided on more small talk. Not just to fill the gap in conversation but to also try to learn more about the man. He was reserved which Theodore respected, but it also made him that much more interesting. “Like getting out of Muddy Waters I mean. Going somewhere else, maybe down by the beach or the mountains if you’re a woodsy type of guy.”
