Help

Axel was glad it was a short day in the shop today. Ever since he'd gotten out of bed this morning, his hand had felt like it was full of needles, and he'd had several short episodes of spasms where he hadn't even been able to hold a wrench. At least he'd been able to temporarily recover, but it was getting harder and harder to hide what was becoming a handicap.

Leaning on the workbench to sort through some tools, he paused to listen to Ryan. Turning around, he folded his arms, cocking his head as he contemplated the plan. There was a long silence as she finished, but little emotion showed in his face, making it hard to figure out what he might be thinking. In reality, he was firstly glad for Ryan's graciousness. She noticed his troubles more than the guys did, but never let that get in the way of her respect. It was nice to be asked to help, even if it might just be for advice. Secondly, he was pondering the whole situation. He didn't know Zan. He'd heard the name a time or two, but that was it. Since he never went to the races himself, he was pretty clueless as to how things ran. He trusted Ryan's judgement though.

He pursed his lips and finally nodded. "Yeah, okay. Thunder sounds like a jerk, and I'm all for knocking jerks down a peg or two." He grinned. "Besides, it'll get me out of this garage for a while." He glanced our the side door. "I'm gonna have to bum a ride with you though. I'm waiting on a new tire before I can go anywhere..."

It wasn't long before Axel was riding with Ryan across town. It was a nice day, so an outing was just a bit fun. On the way, he absentmindedly worked on his hand, hoping to get some of the nerves settled down. By the time they reached the junkyard, at least the spasms seemed to have stopped. Following Ryan, he took in their surroundings, getting his bearings as they walked to the garage.

Inside, Hunter was already leaning inside the hood of Zan's car, tinkering, while Eli stood with him. They hadn't gotten  much accomplished yet, but we're chatting and laughing, both oblivious to the new arrivals.

Axel glanced at Ryan and grinned. These boys obviously needed help.


Hal laughed and shook his head. "Well... I don't think I'm worth it, but I feel sorry for anybody who dares cross you."

Just looking at Sam for a moment, he again studied her face. She was tired, but she still had that peaceful beauty about her. Realizing he'd held his gaze too long, he let it drop and took another sip of coffee before clearing his throat. "So... when are you gonna come fishing with me again?"