The Mystery across the hall

Drama on the dining table

Everyone has gone home after they arrived back at Brightfields and groomed their respective horses and put them back into their stalls, they rode the creaky bus home and Pin and Zoe walked home together.

"I just need to stop at my flat real quick..I won't be long."
Pin said as him and Zoe approached their doors right across from one another .

"Oh that's totally fine, my mom will be fussing over the dinner anyway..just ring the bell when your done."
Zoe said smiling her hand on her doorknob.

"Alright..thank you Zoe."
Pin said with a small nod as he took out his keys unlocking and disappearing behind his apartment door.

Zoe entered her apartment with a smile seeing her mom rooting through the cabinets obviously looking for ingredients to make a dinner with.

"Hey mom, is it alright if a friend joins us for dinner tonight?"
She asked after coming behind her mom giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course! What friend? Becky or jade?"
Maggie asked setting down the ingredients she found from the backs of the cabinet

"Oh no it's uh..it's Pin.."
Zoe said looking up at her mom a little anxious to see her reaction, Maggie paused what she was doing and turned to face her.

"Uh-sure why not..it'd be nice to see him again."
Maggie said with a half smile and a small nod as he hesitated before continuing to take out ingredients, Zoe didn't think of her moms reaction as normal or as abnormal, so she just headed up the stairs to her room to change out of her horse clothes and boots and take a quick shower. Soon enough 20 minutes later the doorbell rang just as Zoe ran down the stairs and was greeted with the delicious smell of her moms cooking invading the flat.

"Mmmm ok what you cooking tonight mom?!"
Zoe asked in delight as she headed towards the door.

"My homemade meatloaf..it's my best dish."
Maggie said as she brought the meatloaf out of the oven.

"Meatloaf? You never made that before-"
Zoe said as she opened the door to reveal Pin dressed in a white tight T-shirt covered by a casual black tighter fitting flannel with the white bandage stark against the dark colors of his outfit.

"Hi...i uh..I hope I'm not too early.."
Pin said clearing his throat as Zoe didn't even notice she was staring.

"Uh-n no no your fine! Just in time the meatloaf got out of the oven..come on in.."
Zoe said stepping aside from the doorway letting Pin walk inside, as Maggie and Pin made eye contact a tense but familiar atmosphere filled the room.

"Pin...it's good to see you.."
Maggie said after a tense moment of silence.

"Mrs Phillips..nice to see you too.."
Pin said his voice cool with a hint of malice in his tone.

"Okkaaayyy..let's get dinner started."
Zoe said as she set plates down for Pin, herself, and her mom along with taking it upon herself to serve the meatloaf and pour the juice her mom had brought out from the fridge.

"Meatloaf...I uh..haven't had it in a while."
Pin said as he nodded a thank you to Zoe, Zoe didn't miss the look of longing and sadness in Pin's blue eyes as he looked at his plate.

"Yeah apparently it's mom's favorite dish,I never had it before."
Zoe said as she sat down and wiped her hands, they all ate in a comfortable silence some small talk about the stables and school made its way around the table as the night went on, when dinner was done and they were just sitting at the table, Zoe had brought up the missing sedatives from Brightfields Sam had mentioned to them before they left, and the atmosphere quickly changed into a uneasy air.

"I must have been spaced out, I didn't hear Sam when she said that.."
Pin said subconsciously fiddling with his bandage on his hand.

"Yeah..they were stolen from the tack room..where your bottle is kept"
Zoe spoke as she looked at Pin with a gaze that seemed to be monitoring his every reaction.

"You think I had something to do with it then?"
Pin said as he slowly stood up from his chair pulling his coat from the back of his chair.

"That's not what I meant-"
Zoe said quickly interrupted by her mom

"Please stay pin plea-"

"You didn't stay did you?!"
Pin snapped before he could process what he said, his face immediately paled as he realized what he said.

"Mom...what does he mean?"
Zoe said her tone now more curious then accusing, no one said anything as Zoe stood up looking at her mom

"Mom what does he mean? Pin what do you mean?!-"
She stopped short as she noticed Pin was pale and looked to be swaying on his feet, before she could react Maggie was already on her feet racing over to Pin as his knees buckled heading hard towards the floor but was caught by Maggie slowly lowering him to the ground keeping his head in her lap as he began to convulse on the floor.

"M mom! W what?!"
Zoe asked shocked as the scene in front of her unfolded.

"Zoe? Hey I need you to get me a pair of gloves ok? Now please!"
Maggie said supporting Pin's head with one hand as she gently held his arm through his sleeve to make sure he didn't hit it off the floor..and that's when the realization hit Zoe, his arm was hurt from hitting it against something...she couldn't finish her thought as she quickly got her mom a pair of winter gloves that Maggie immediately put on and held Pin's hand once the glove was on, Pin gripped Maggie's hand tight as he continued to convulse on the floor his eyes rolled back and some drool escaping his mouth, Maggie looked completely calm and in control of the situation whispering quiet reassurances and keeping a grip on Pin's hand.

The minutes felt like hours to Zoe as Pin finally started to calm down and finally came to a complete stop his body going limp in Maggie's lap.

"Mom...w what happened?"
Zoe asked as Maggie took Pin's jacket using his sleeve to wipe his face before setting it ontop of him as a blanket.

"He didn't tell you?...oh geez pin..sweetie he has epilepsy...h he also doesn't like people touching him..I..used to date Ted when I was younger..and p pin was like a son to me..b but you know I left when Emerald died and I-"
Maggie's voice cut short as a small clank sounded on the ground as something rolled out of Pins jacket pocket...a bottle of sedatives.

"Sedatives-"
Zoe said bending down and picking them up quickly.

"Sedatives?...oh.."
Maggie's face softened as she saw the bottle.

"He can't sleep at night..I guess he found a way to help.."
Maggie said as she absently stroked Pin's hair in a way only a mother could.

"You..you were like a mother to Pin and didn't tell me?! W why?!"
Zoe asked the situation shocking her to the core.

"T Ted was broken after I left and so was P Pin..I didn't think he wanted me in his life but after Ted died-....I..I needed to know if he was ok.."
Maggie said as she looked down at Pin's now unconscious self her hand gently feeling his pulse as pushing his hair out of his face.

"You still love him like a son..you were protecting him."
Zoe asked he voice soft.

Maggie stood up gently holding Pin in her arms making sure not to touch any of his bare skin.

"I'll explain in detail later..let's get him to bed first..."
Maggie said urging Zoe to follow her up the stairs.

"You BOTH have a lot to explain..."
Zoe said with a hard time as she walked up the stairs thinking.

"What will happen next?"