Page 57 of Forever Fascinating

“Vapor did your sister a solid favor by dancing with her – despite the fact that you warned us off… and he took this beating like a pro. I’d say that if it was my sister? He’d be alright in my book.”

“I really don’t want to have this discussion – and he looks like he’s ready to pass out,” Hot Cakes replied. “I think I’m going to hit the mess hall and take one of those pain pills the doc gave me so my finger will stop hurting.”

“I’ll see you later. I’m going to the exchange and then the gym, before hitting the mess hall. I want to make sure Vapor can sit up and walk on his own before we both leave.”

Moments later, Matthew heard the door open and shut in the distance.

“My face feels like it’s on fire.”

“You okay, brother?”

“Yeah. Just feel like a truck hit my face going thirty miles an hour.”

“Do me a solid favor,” Caboose said quietly. “I saw you two dancing in Texas – and if something is going on there, Vapor? Make sure you don’t break her heart or tell Hot Cakes anytime soon. He needs to get used to the idea first.”

“What do you mean?” Matthew said quietly, lifting the ice pack and looking at the other pilot who was looking at him with an eerie stillness.

“I’m not an idiot.”

“I’m not implying you are.”

“I saw your phone screen – and her photo.”

“Oh,” Matthew whispered, feeling a shiver of dread run down his spine, thinking of Hot Cakes hitting him again in this condition.

“Your secret is safe with me,” Caboose said quietly, patting him on the shoulder. “Good job today – and I’ll have your back when Sorensen finds out about the two of you.”

“You will?”

“Yeah. There’s a spark there and you two look cute together.”

“Not right now we don’t,” Matthew whispered, putting the icepack down on his face again. “My whole face hurts.”

Caboose’s laughter echoed in the room as he helped Matthew stand up.

“C’mon Vapor, let’s get you to your bunk and you can sleep for a while until that pain pill wears off.”

Matthew felt almost wobbly and was grateful for the help as Caboose wrapped an arm around his middle. Whatever white horse pill the doctor had him swallow was enough to make everything slightly crooked and his knees weren’t working right.

Ten minutes later, he sat down on his bunk and saw the box was still there, untouched. Reaching for it idly, he saw Caboose lean forward and cut it with a knife.

“No sharp objects while drugged, my friend,” Caboose teased. “Open your mail, it might make you feel better.”

Slowly opening the box, Matthew stared inside and tried to focus. There was a bag of Boston Baked Beans candies inside, gummy lobsters, a large tin full of salt-water taffy, and a few lobster-shaped suckers. There was a piece of folded paper inside that he immediately held up and tried to focus on, having to concentrate hard because of the pain pill.

Merry Christmas, Bunt-boy!

Matthew felt his eyes sting as he realized that Jana had sent him a box of candies and treats from home.

He remembered these taffies as a boy, laughed that the tourists bought the lobster shaped gummy candies because they tasted just like regular gummy worms, and hadn’t even tried to eat Boston Baked Beans because they never appealed to him… until now.

Now, he wanted to sample them all and treasure each one because Jana thought of him.

“You okay, Vapor?” Caboose said gently, as if he understood that whatever was in the box was special to him.

“Yeah,” he said gruffly, folding the note back and putting it back in the box, before nodding slowly. His whole head was throbbing. “Just tired, sore, and drugged out of my gourd.”

“I get that, kiddo. Get some sleep and I’ll put your box in your footlocker, so nobody helps themselves, okay?”

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