Chapter Text
"Bye, Patrick!" Derek calls from the back door.
"Oh, are you heading out?" Patrick answers from the kitchen. "I didn't realize you were leaving so soon." He walks to the back door and leans in to kiss Derek good-bye.
"Yeah," Derek replies. He has a bag over his shoulder and looks like he's in a hurry. "I just got a text from the director asking me to come in early. We have some tough practices coming up. Acting like a cat doesn't come naturally to most of the cast." He smiles ruefully.
Patrick huffs a laugh. "Well, you tried to tell them that Cats would be a challenge for this community theater group. So it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. But if anyone can teach Bob to move like a feline, it's you."
Derek grins. "That's not even the worst of it! If Ted doesn't stop with the cat puns…" He winces and shudders jokingly and reaches out an arm to give Patrick a quick side hug. "I'll probably be home late. Don't wait up for me."
"Okay, I'm sure I'll wake up when you get home. See you then. Love you."
"Okay, love you, bye!" Derek calls as he hurries to the car.
Patrick puts the lunch dishes in the dishwasher and starts to get ready for his monthly jaunt to Schitt's Creek. He's running slightly later than normal and is a little worried that he won't get much time with David.
Back when they were together, David never passed up a chance to tease Patrick about his unreliable car, so Patrick can hardly wait to show him his new one. Well, it isn't actually new, but it is new to Patrick. Being frugal, he decided to buy a used car rather than a brand new one. The car dealer had upgraded it to like-new condition and offered a good warranty. Patrick is very proud of his new-ish Toyota Rav4 and wants nothing more than to impress David with it. He bought another Toyota because they're known to be reliable (okay, his old sedan was an exception), and he's happy he now has a 4-wheel-drive SUV because it'll no doubt be safer to drive in the treacherous Canadian winters. Also, it will easily accommodate all his baseball and hockey equipment, along with his various musical instruments. To top it off, it's a beautiful shade of dark blue, his favorite color. What could be more perfect?
He honestly isn't sure why it's so important to him to impress David with his new car, but there he is. After all this time, he still craves David's approval. Also, David's teasing about his car had become sort of a running joke, so it will be fun to see David's face when he sees Patrick's replacement vehicle. Their relationship was always based on joking with and jabbing at each other, and this'll be kind of a fun retort to all of David's past jabs, in a way an acknowledgement that David was right all along. Patrick has always enjoyed putting a smile on David's face.
To be completely honest, Patrick also wants David to know that he's doing well. Their breakup was - well, difficult, to say the least - and Patrick had left Rose Apothecary and moved away from Schitt's Creek. He started over as a business consultant in Elmdale, and it was challenging to forge a new beginning. Again. Challenging to start his new business from scratch. Challenging to face a life without David. Challenging to make new friends. Sure, he still knew people in Schitt's Creek, and it wasn't that far away, but honestly, weren't they all David's friends first? And David's family - he missed them a lot more than he expected. He had gotten used to their eccentricities and had really taken them into his heart. He still gets an occasional text from Stevie and Alexis, but there isn't the same level of familiarity and closeness. Breaking up with David has taken a huge toll on Patrick, but he feels like he's finally landed in a good spot.
Patrick makes it a point to drive to Schitt's Creek every month to stop at Rose Apothecary and do some shopping there. He likes to go on the second Tuesday of the month because he knows RA is well-stocked at that time. When they were together, David spoiled him with farm fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the finest skin care products and other items that couldn't be found elsewhere. When they first broke up, Patrick couldn't stand to step foot in the store, but after a few months he felt okay to do his shopping at RA. Truth be told, he misses David, and shopping at RA has become a safe way for them to see each other. He still treasures the store and loves to see David's vision come alive.
Patrick's in a hurry to get to SC and back before Derek returns home. Although he and Patrick have been together for about a year, Derek still doesn't like it when Patrick spends time with David. Derek was there to help Patrick pick up the pieces after the Rachel-at-the-barbecue fiasco, and he still can't understand why Patrick would want to patch together a friendship with David after all he went through.
Although Patrick has clearly made up his own mind about staying in touch with David, it's easier to avoid bringing up the topic with Derek. He knows from experience that Derek will get upset if he gets home and finds that Patrick is in SC. Patrick feels It's better if he gets home first and avoids the subject altogether.
Patrick gets into his Rav4 and starts it up. He appreciates the way his new vehicle starts every single time without hesitation. After his chronic trouble with his last car, he doesn't take it for granted. He buckles his seat belt, checks his mirrors, starts his playlist, puts the vehicle in gear, and navigates out to the road. In no time, he's driving down the two-lane road that will take him to Schitt's Creek, just as he has so many times before. Traffic is light to non-existent as usual, so he settles in for a nice relaxing drive.
The fall weather is perfect - sunshine, clear blue skies, a slight breeze in the air, cool temperatures, yet still warm enough for only a light sweater. Patrick notices the trees lining the roads are changing color, displaying rich autumnal oranges, golds, and reds. He loves the change of seasons, especially appreciating the Canadian spring and autumn weather.
Patrick feels at home outdoors, breathing fresh air and observing nature up close. He has always enjoyed the native Ontario wildlife, observing squirrels, rabbits, wild turkeys, and even pesky raccoons and skunks in their natural habitat. He especially loves seeing whitetail deer, so beautiful and graceful. As he drives, he keeps watch over the side of the road for any animals that might run out from the thick grass and bushes forming the forest underbrush. He knows it's important to stay vigilant, watching especially for deer because any car-deer accident has the potential to be a dangerous one. Colliding with a deer usually causes severe damage to the car as well as possible injuries to its occupants. Not to mention the emotional trauma of injuring or killing a deer. Patrick has never collided with a deer, and he knows he never wants to.
Patrick spots a rustling movement in the underbrush alongside the road, then notices a baby deer poking its head up, sniffing the air. He slows, knowing that where there's one deer, there are almost always more. Luckily the deer stays where it is, so Patrick relaxes slightly. Then he sees a light brown blur as two larger deer run across the road ahead of him. Patrick quickly slams on his brakes and veers to the right side of the road, hoping to stop on the shoulder. Instead, his car overshoots, runs off the road, down the embankment, through the brush, and crashes headfirst into a massive maple tree. Instantly, the front airbag explodes into his chest. The impact of the crash shakes Patrick to his core, and he feels the whiplash in his neck as his head is abruptly thrown forward and then snaps back against the headrest. The two deer dash across the road unharmed, but Patrick is not so lucky. The last thought Patrick has before he loses consciousness is that he won't get to show his new car to David today after all.