Barn and Beyond Ch. 04

Sky sat there on the road and bawled, though I didn't know what to do, it never crossed my mind on why I had put myself in this situation. I genuinely wanted to help him and didn't mind riding this wave with him. After a very long time I was part of something and someone and I was attracted to him, I wanted to stay around and not let go.

I sat next to him and waited till his crying subsided and started telling him my story, my insecurities, the time in the army, the fact that I was closeted and how lonely I was after my family disbursed and the relationships disintegrated. For the first time I spoke from my heart with someone, I kept a cover-up with the assigned therapist as well for my PTSD but I told Sky, how I was relieved when the bullet hit my vest and hip and how disappointed I was when I woke up in the hospital with a repaired hip bone. I wasn't weak or a coward to kill myself but I understood loneliness and sometimes dying is so much easier. I told him why I spent 18 hours a day on physical labor, so that I can sleep at night and how hard I try to not have alcohol or smoke. I knew that the day I started drinking alone will be the day I start to spiral into self-destruction.

"I am not saving you Sky, I am trying to save myself here." I concluded, he moved and hugged me, both sitting down and he cried. Years of independence and training making it difficult to cry but I could feel his pain and mine, I hugged him back holding him tightly to me.

I raised him and he limped a few steps ahead of me while I picked up his stuff and my jacket. His track seat was covered in blood. He must have hurt himself when he sat and dragged himself on the ground. As part of my first aid training I could take care of this but I wasn't sure he was okay for me to touch him with the way he reacted earlier, but then he hugged me, I am not sure how to react with a real person after a year of being with only Rusty as my sole companion. He always likes it when I pet him.

I walked past him and opened the door and immediately got attacked by an extremely happy and excited Rusty. He was barking and licking me till he saw Sky and then went to him. Sky crouched down and petted Rusty, who laid down and asked for belly rubs.

"I am very proud of this house, I have repaired most of it in the last year I was living here as my Dad had abandoned it and lived in the outhouse. Three master bedrooms are on the first floor, Living and TV room to the left and kitchen and dining to the right. Straight ahead behind the stair are the laundry and pantry." I pointed at the general direction of the rooms like a flight attendant.

I took his stuff to the large guest room and showed him the closet, the workings of the shower and where to find fresh linen and towels. He stood at the door nodding politely with Rusty sitting at his feet. I left the room and stood at the landing outside his room and he turned around to look at me.

"That's my room I pointed at the end of the landing and that's another room, was my parents. This was my sister's room before she left. I will get some lunch for you and your medicines are in your bag. You give me a shout if you need anything."

"Thank you for doing this for me." He said his eyes watering.

"Once you are alright I will make you work hard in the barn and then we will see if you are so thankful." I smiled

He tried smiling but it didn't reach his eyes, "Can't wait."

"You need any help call me, I have not only been trained in combat but also in survival skills like First Aid, specifically on stopping bleeding and patching wounds." I wanted him to know and ask for help, not wanting him to do it himself and mess it up more.

"Okay, I will" he said sounding confused.

"Oh I almost forgot, your mobile is with me, I fed my number and made a missed call to mine to save it, hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, thank you... ahh... can you keep my phone for some time, not sure if I want it now."

"You want to keep mine?"

"No I am okay, will just go to sleep and rest."

"Not before you eat something and take your meds okay. I will keep my door unlocked at all times, so feel free to walk in without knocking if you want"

"Okay cool, will keep mine unlocked as well, just in case... I don't know but will feel better if you had access... you know to the room."

"Cool!" and I forced myself to walk towards my room, I turned around and waved at him unnecessarily being only a few feet away from his door but he was still standing there and waved back.

I went about my business, took a shower and consciously put on my army shorts and t-shirt, since I was now in a habit to move around the house in my underwear as it was just me and Rusty. Rusty was worse than me. I walked pass his room, listening for any sound and it was quiet. He had left the door unlocked as promised. I opened the door and he wasn't there. So I walked in to stand a few steps inside the room and heard the shower running. I was about to leave when I heard the sob.

"Sky you alright?"

"I don't know" he was sobbing and hiccupping like a child. "Can I come in and help?"

"Please." between snuffles.

I walked in and the bathroom was foggy due to the steam. I took the bath robe from the rack and shut the shower tap. He was sitting on the floor naked, next to the commode. In seconds the steam cleared a bit and I saw he was bleeding. A stream running from where he sat to the floor drain.

I slowly covered the distance and sat in front of him, "Can I touch you Sky?" I asked. He looked down, too embarrassed of his situation but nodded his assent. I gently held both his elbows and raised him to his feet, and ensured to look him in the eyes as he looked at me and nowhere else, to assure him that there was nothing sexual about this encounter because it wasn't. All I felt was extreme sadness for him and blinding rage at those fuckers. He laid his head on my chest and warped his hands around my waist and starting crying, broken and hurt. I held on to him, getting wet from his body and tears. I slowly moved him to the sink and asked him to hold on while I checked him. I got the first aid box from the drawer under the washbasin, removed his bandage and cleaned him. His stiches were intact but had gotten pulled and the skin was bleeding. I applied some ointment and bandaged it but it was not enough, we needed those bordered low absorbent dressing. It had stopped bleeding for now. I covered him with my bathrobe

"You done here, need any help?"

"No I am done." He didn't look at my eyes.

"Hey Sky, look at me" I raised his face by placing my thumb under his chin. "You treat me like a medical assistant, okay, no shame." He smiled slightly and nodded looking at me with his big brown eyes. I smiled showing off my teeth.

I left him alone with Rusty to get food and medical supplies, after a very long I was shopping for another person and not just picking up dog food, frozen roast chicken and protein, so I over shopped to fill the pantry with some real food and lots of different kind of soup and salad dressings for Sky.

I texted him from his mobile to mine and after a few pings he started to respond to them, I think he guessed that I was trying to make him feel he is not alone.