Page 59 of Has-Been
“I…”
“Get her out of here. All of you go. I’ll stay with him.” I watched as Reacher disbanded us, sending everyone away but him. He moved closer, sitting down on a low wall, the very wall I’d tripped over, then he just silently watched me for long painful minutes, as I fought to breathe like a normal person.
“Talk to me, son. We’re not going anywhere until you do.”
Elise
Oneminutehewasfine and asking me to give him time, which I was more than willing to do, and the next he froze, and I felt shudders running through him, and when I touched him again, when I spoke… his eyes, they weren’t even seeing me. The look in his eyes was one of terror, and pain, and shame, and he kept retreating from me. A physical retreat, like he was afraid of me. Repelled by my touch.
It was devastating. Someone had really hurt him, and I think it all just came crashing back on him, triggered by whatever the hell happened in the doctor’s exam room.
“Get in the van, sweets. Let’s get you back home and safe.”
“What about Has?”
Seth forcibly lifted me up into the back of the van, and dragged the door closed behind him, guiding me to one of the bench seats to sit beside him.
“Reacher’s with him. Leave him to figure out whatever the fuck is going on in his head.”
“You know exactly what the fuck that was, dammit. You should have let me stay with him. He’s my fucking brother.” Ryder was pissed, enough that he was almost yelling at his VP, as he tried to pace in the van.
The vehicle suddenly moved, lurching enough that Ryder fell back against the side. He was already limping, and probably sore from his accident, so the string of curses that erupted out of him then were probably fuelled by pain, and worry for his friend. My man. My fucking love.
“Seth, he needs me.”
Seth groaned, running a hand through his hair.
“I told you there was stuff in his past, sweets. He needs some space to deal with it, and in front of you may not be the right place. He won’t want you seeing him like this.”
Micro yelled out a curse as the van lurched again, and he slammed his bandaged shoulder against the side of the van.
“Can you try to remember some of us are fucking banged up back here?”
I leaned closer to Seth. “What’s going on with Has, did something bad happen to him?”
Seth, for once, didn’t look like he wanted to kill Has. He stared down at his hands, and let out a huge sigh, looking more sad and worried than anything else.
“Yeah, something did, and I’m not talking about it here. Reacher will look after him, okay? Let’s get you home and safe, and when he gets back, he can tell you whatever he’s comfortable sharing.”
I didn’t like it. I didn’t like having to be away from him, or having to leave him with someone else, even Reacher, who knew him better than I did, and could actually help him. It didn’t feel right to be away from him.
Ice caught our attention from the front passenger seat.
“Doc knows we’re bringing home more wounded soldiers. He wants to see each of you to check you over for himself, and to know what treatment plans you’ve been put on. He says, and I quote: don’t make him come looking for you.”
Micro cursed, rummaging in his pocket for the pills the doctor must have given him.
“Can’t read this in here. We can’t get some fucking lights in the back of here? It’s so dim. What does that say? Fuck it, I’ll just take two.” Without thinking, I reached over and snatched the bottle from him, before he did something stupid.
“Hey! What the fuck!”
I waved him off, my previous fear of him having dissipated with all that was happening. I read the instructions on the bottle, which really wasn’t easy in the dim light of the van.
“You haven’t had any of these yet?”
Micro glared at me as he reached for the bottle again.
“Yeah, but it was like half an hour ago. They’re not working, or they were, until this bell-end decided to drive like the dukes of fucking hazzard.”
