Help

Cindy straightens up to turn and look Wes in the face. She studies his eyes for several moment, playing his words over again in her mind. “You’re serious aren’t you… you really would take the time to do that…to come see me…” Her own eyes reflect a mixture of pleasure and puzzlement. She’s almost surprised She knew that she and Wes were getting closer…that they’d been going out with each other for a little while now…but to know he’d go out of his way…that he would sacrifice his time…to be with her like that…it meant a lot.


Wyatt keeps an eye on Katie as they drive, his concern still evident. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. You can’t help it.” He concentrates on his driving for a moment as they approach an intersection. A strange feeling stirs inside him for just an instant as the question passes through his mind of how close Katie and Jason really had been.
It doesn’t take long to reach Wyatt’s place. It’s a small two-story white house in the middle of the block. It has a fenced-in yard, small, but adequate to house Trooper during the day.
Once parked, Wyatt lets the dog out into the yard and ties him up, long since having learned that the short fence did no good for a dog of Trooper’s size. Finishing quickly, he goes back to Katie to lead her up the porch and inside.
The interior is very clean with a contemporary flare, shown through the modern furniture and crisp atmosphere.
Wyatt shows Katie into the living room and sets her down on the couch. “Make yourself comfortable,” he offers, heading to the kitchen. “Ty!” he calls down the hallway. “I’m back…got Katie with me.” He throws his keys on the kitchen counter, glancing back into the living room at Katie. “Can I get you anything? Something to drink…hot tea…ice cream?” He opens the fridge with a grimace. “Limp celery?”

Ty emerges from the hallway, giving a short wave to Katie. He looks much better than two weeks prior, almost all traces of his beating gone. He stands awkwardly for a moment before flopping down in a chair to pick up the newspaper where he’d been browsing for jobs.



Jason’s eyes seem too heavy to keep open any longer. He tries to moves his toes, but can’t tell if he’s actually succeeding or not. The world grows fuzzy and he drifts further away from consciousness.

The dogs begin to bark…the wind is so cold…
“…Jason!” Voices muddle together. “There he is….move…the dogs…he’s out…freezing…unconscious.”
Jason tries to make out what’s going on around him, but it’s hard. He thinks he hears Todd’s voice, but can’t manage to get his eyes open. Everything is as if he’s in a daze.
“Get that off…pull…now!”
Jason can feel himself being moved. There’s no pain, just numbness.
“…in shock…call ahead.”
“…check his vitals. Get him over here….move!”
A bright light shines in Jason’s eyes, but he can’t get himself to respond. Was someone asking him questions? Suddenly he’s out of the wind, and feels as if the earth has dropped out from under him.