As the echoes died down inside his head Patch grabbed the pistol from his bedside table and spun round, bringing it to bear on the doorway with a growl. Seeing only Jack's retreating back as the door closed behind him Patch uncocked the weapon and tossed it down onto the bed in frustration. [color=f7941d]"Okay, okay. I'm up, I'm up..."[/color] He called out, swinging his legs out from under the sheets and rubbing his hands over his eyes.

With his other hand he groped over to the bedside drawer, yanking it open before blindly hunting for his morning pick-me-up. The small container of medicinal aids had been made to his own unique recipe, perfected over the years to give Patch just what he needed for times like this. Tossing two tabs into his mouth he quickly chased the drugs down with a mouthful of whiskey from one of the bottles stashed beside his bed and almost immediately felt the cool spike rush through him as the chemicals began to work their way into his bloodstream.

It would take 15-20 minutes for the drugs to fully take effect, but by then the residual alcohol in his system would be cleared away, leaving Patch as fresh and alert as he ever was. In the meantime he stumbled up onto his feet and staggered over to the bathroom, his naked body shivering in the unheated room.