Aaron was a bit surprised with how willing Sam was to help. He’d expected her to be as rough with him as she’d been the night before. Why should she behave any differently today? For some reason though...she was. And Aaron had a hard time not simply following her lead.
Using one crutch, and slinging his other arm around her shoulders, he tried, despite the going being quite slow. As they stopped at the stairs, a light laugh slipped out. “Yeah. I think an elevator would be too much to ask for at this point.” Taking the first few steps, he groaned and had to stop, sucking in his breath as a new wave of pain hit. He really must have wrenched his knee hard last night. “I’m never going to get out of here, am I?” He shook his head and took another couple steps, then a couple more until they’d finally reached the top where he had to break again before eventually making it down the hall to the infirmary.
It didn’t take long for him to be sitting on the table while Rick shook his head at him. “What did you do yesterday?”
Aaron smirked a little. “Let’s just say I...” He glanced over at Sam. “Misbehaved.”
“Mm. Well. Great. You successfully tore up about half of what I’d already repaired in there.”
Aaron sighed as his eyes sank to the floor. “And that means...?”
“It means I gotta go back in there. Unless you’d rather suffer even worse the rest of your life.”
“You mean I have a choice?”
Using one crutch, and slinging his other arm around her shoulders, he tried, despite the going being quite slow. As they stopped at the stairs, a light laugh slipped out. “Yeah. I think an elevator would be too much to ask for at this point.” Taking the first few steps, he groaned and had to stop, sucking in his breath as a new wave of pain hit. He really must have wrenched his knee hard last night. “I’m never going to get out of here, am I?” He shook his head and took another couple steps, then a couple more until they’d finally reached the top where he had to break again before eventually making it down the hall to the infirmary.
It didn’t take long for him to be sitting on the table while Rick shook his head at him. “What did you do yesterday?”
Aaron smirked a little. “Let’s just say I...” He glanced over at Sam. “Misbehaved.”
“Mm. Well. Great. You successfully tore up about half of what I’d already repaired in there.”
Aaron sighed as his eyes sank to the floor. “And that means...?”
“It means I gotta go back in there. Unless you’d rather suffer even worse the rest of your life.”
“You mean I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice.”
Aaron bit his lip and just laid back down on the table where it was more comfortable for his leg. “Recovery time?”
Rick shook his head. “Depends on your...misbehavior.” He folded his arms and glanced at Sam then back to Aaron. Something was different today. Aaron had no handcuffs, but wasn’t fighting. For the first time, he looked...defeated. “Look...you have a very slim chance of gaining back full mobility and strength in your knee. It’s just a fact. You’ll be fortunate to walk, and running will probably never be an option for you again. The best I can do is repair as much damage as I can and if I can get you to actually do what you’re supposed to do, you’ve got a better shot at this.”
Aaron covered his eyes with his arm as he lay on his back, and was silent for several long moments before responding. “Guess you better ask my new handler,” he finally mumbled. “She’s in charge of me now.”
Garret thought for a bit, just sipping his coffee. There was still an awful lot on his mind. An awful lot he was still trying to worth through. To conquer. To forget. But maybe doing something today would be better than giving his mind too much time to think about it all.
“Only if you’ve got something for me to do.” He eyed Nate for a moment. “I just want...to work.”
“Mm yeah. I don’t know though.” Eric chewed his food thoughtfully. “I’m not sure he could handle it.”
“Geez man, that hurts.” Travis put a hand to his chest.
Jeff laughed. “How about we find out? Tonight. After chores. Here. UNO.”
“Oh, you are so on.” Travis sucked in a long strand of spaghetti and grinned. “I gotta see some of this viciousness...”
... “Nooo!” Travis threw his hands up in the air before drawing another four cards from the pile. He elbowed Ashlee next to him. “You’re supposed to be nice to me, remember? I’m on your side.”
Jeff grunted from across the table. “Every man for himself in this game.”
“Uno!” Jade rocked back in her chair and held up her last card.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Clint threw Dan a look. “You’re supposed to keep her under control.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “What?! You are so mean!”
“Not half as mean as me.” Trent tossed down his last card to win the hand.
Aaron bit his lip and just laid back down on the table where it was more comfortable for his leg. “Recovery time?”
Rick shook his head. “Depends on your...misbehavior.” He folded his arms and glanced at Sam then back to Aaron. Something was different today. Aaron had no handcuffs, but wasn’t fighting. For the first time, he looked...defeated. “Look...you have a very slim chance of gaining back full mobility and strength in your knee. It’s just a fact. You’ll be fortunate to walk, and running will probably never be an option for you again. The best I can do is repair as much damage as I can and if I can get you to actually do what you’re supposed to do, you’ve got a better shot at this.”
Aaron covered his eyes with his arm as he lay on his back, and was silent for several long moments before responding. “Guess you better ask my new handler,” he finally mumbled. “She’s in charge of me now.”
Garret thought for a bit, just sipping his coffee. There was still an awful lot on his mind. An awful lot he was still trying to worth through. To conquer. To forget. But maybe doing something today would be better than giving his mind too much time to think about it all.
“Only if you’ve got something for me to do.” He eyed Nate for a moment. “I just want...to work.”
“Mm yeah. I don’t know though.” Eric chewed his food thoughtfully. “I’m not sure he could handle it.”
“Geez man, that hurts.” Travis put a hand to his chest.
Jeff laughed. “How about we find out? Tonight. After chores. Here. UNO.”
“Oh, you are so on.” Travis sucked in a long strand of spaghetti and grinned. “I gotta see some of this viciousness...”
... “Nooo!” Travis threw his hands up in the air before drawing another four cards from the pile. He elbowed Ashlee next to him. “You’re supposed to be nice to me, remember? I’m on your side.”
Jeff grunted from across the table. “Every man for himself in this game.”
“Uno!” Jade rocked back in her chair and held up her last card.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Clint threw Dan a look. “You’re supposed to keep her under control.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “What?! You are so mean!”
“Not half as mean as me.” Trent tossed down his last card to win the hand.
The table groaned and the cards were pushed towards Clint for his turn at shuffling. He grinned and gathered them to mix them up again. He’d already proven he could shuffle cards, but this time, something went wrong. Cards went up, cards went down, cards went in all directions. Jeff was the first to start laughing, then Travis, then the rest of the table.
“Stop,” Travis begged as he held his ribs and tried to breathe. He gave Ashlee’s shoulder a shove. “What did you get me into, anyway?”
Over in the corner of the dining room, Dylan finished the magazine he’d been reading, and glanced up at the noisy bunch. His eyes lowered again, and he got up from his table to quietly slip out the back door like usual.
“Stop,” Travis begged as he held his ribs and tried to breathe. He gave Ashlee’s shoulder a shove. “What did you get me into, anyway?”
Over in the corner of the dining room, Dylan finished the magazine he’d been reading, and glanced up at the noisy bunch. His eyes lowered again, and he got up from his table to quietly slip out the back door like usual.
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