Medic and the Wolf

Missing him

It'd been three days, Troy called for a few more men to help cover everyone. Kate's daughter and granddaughter have been staying here as well. It’s been another eye opener into Kate’s world. The only thing is, we haven’t heard or seen from her son for days. Small footsteps and a small screeching voice ran through the house. Kate's daughter is right behind her. All of a sudden, the little one jumps on Sam's back, laughing, catching him off guard. We all laughed at his surprised face. The little one is screeching and laughing as her mom is trying to peel her off Sam.

We were about to sit down for dinner when my phone rang. It’s an unknown number. I walked into the kitchen to answer it.

“ Hello, who is this?”

“ Yo man, it’s me. I need you to meet me on the street with clean clothes. I can’t have Ma see me like this.” Kate’s son says.

“ Yeah, no problem there in three.”

I made up an excuse and walked out front. I stopped at my truck and got a set of clothes out for her son. He was standing at the curb when I got there. I see he is covered in blood.

“ Hey, what the hell man are you hurt? Where did all that blood come from?”

“ Yeah I’m good. What man are you squeamish? I didn’t take you for a squeamish guy,” he says with a light laugh.

“ No, not at all, but I don't want your mom upset that you're hurt either.” I know I have a hard expression.

“ You really like her, huh?” I kept the same expression and didn't answer. “OK, relax man. I’m not hurt. It's not my blood.” He started stripping and washing off. “ I had a conversation with Steve, that's all” he continued. “ He won't be a problem anymore.”

“ What do you do?”

“ I work in my father's business.” he still has a smirk on his face.

I nodded, eyeing him and handed him the clothes. “ So what's your name? All Kate says is ‘ my son, my daughter’.”

“ Ma really hasn’t told you anything? Look, don't feel any kind of way about it, she is very protective of us, especially the baby. I’m Wade, my sis is Jullia. Oh and by the way, ma doesn't like talking about dad or me working for him.”

“ Oh don't worry, I already figured that one out. Thanks for the advice though. We should be getting in. I’m pretty sure she saw right through my excuse.”

“ You might be a good man after all if you have a hard time lying to her. I already see how protective you are of her or I wouldn’t have left them with you.” Wade slaps me on the back on our way into the house.

I take my seat next to Kate at the table. She leans over and holds my hand, locking eyes. I lean in and ask “ how are you?” “ Better now,” she says. I am completely lost in her eyes. A loud squeal brings me out of it. I look over to the little one and she is damn near jumping out of her seat, she has her hands up in the air. That's when Wade walked in, he swooped her up in a big hug. Kate finds my eyes again and whispers “ I can get used to this.” I take a look around the table and see all the smiling faces and know what she is talking about.

The night is winding down, the little one is in bed sleeping. Troy, Kate, Wade, Jullia and myself are in the living room having a night cap of whisky.

Kate- “ So what were you boys up to tonight?”

Me- “Oh nothing much”

Wade- “ He brought me something, that's all.”

Kate- “ Don't bring them into any of your s**t boy” she was very stern.

Wade- “ It’s nothing like that I sware ma.”

Jullia- “ So how long do we have to stay here? I love you all but the baby is getting spoiled here. She has all the men wrapped around her fingers.”

We all laughed.

Wade- “Well, sis, you can go home in the morning if you want. He will not be a bother anymore. And yes, Ma I went through the proper channels before you asked.”

I looked over at Kate. She has her signature expressionless face staring at Wade.

Troy- “ Jake are we heading back in the morning?”

Me- “ As Long as everything is settled here. Then yes.”

Wade- “ It’s all good here but you can stay as long as ma wants you to.”

Kate- “ If you have to get back. If the boy says it's fine, then you don’t have to worry.” .

I heard a bit of sadness in her tone. We finished our drinks, locked down the house and retired to our rooms.

The next morning, Kate and the kids walk us out to the trucks. Sam, Ron and Troy said their goodbyes. The little one started tearing up. I gave Jullia a hug and the little one leaped into my arms. I shook Wade's hand and hugged Kate bye for now. “ the offer still stands, I hope you take it.” I kissed the little one on the head and handed her to Kate. She started crying and asking for her ‘Jakey’.

A Few Months Latter

Kate-

It’s been difficult to adjust back to ‘normal’ life after it has all happened. I still can’t believe what Steve did. I always saw him as a friend and a ‘work husband’, someone who can relate to the feelings and tough conditions and decisions we have to make on a daily basis. After being partners for so long, he even became family. I was able to talk to him about anything and everything without judgement. I never knew he had those kinds of feelings for me. Was I that blind that I did not see? But I was not the only one who didn’t pick up on it. All the crew's at the station and even the Chief didn’t see that coming.

I still switched shifts as planned before the attack. I still don't have a permanent partner, which I am fine with. I don't think I’ll be getting that close to another again anyway. The guys finally stopped looking at me with pity and seemed to be getting back to normal. But I just don't feel the same. Everyone keeps saying ‘it will take time’, but I’m not too sure about that. It feels like something or someone is missing and it’s NOT Steve. My nightmares have increased and it’s getting harder to cover up the fact I’m not sleeping. I will sign up for double shifts just so I don't have to sleep and try and act as normal as possible. It's wearing on me and my family sees it.

I’m home sitting in my chair lost in thought, trying to make sense of everything. In the far off distance, I hear someone clearing their throat and coughing. It startles me and I look around, my eyes land on my son. When did he come home, I thought to myself.

“ I have been calling you, are you alight?”

“ Yes.. yes I’m fine. When did you come home?”

“ A few minutes ago. You don't look fine to me, you haven’t been sleeping again.” It’s not a question, it's a statement. He's looking at me like he can see right through me even though I try and put up a front.

“ NO no I have been, I just came off a long shift” I tried again, but his eyes were piercing.

“ Call him” he states, but it sounds more like a command. I gave him a questioning look. “ Call Jake, I know you miss him. You haven’t been right since he left and when he was here it was the happiest I’ve seen you in a long time.”

I gave him a confused look, “ I don’t miss him”... Do I?

Wade gives me a ‘yeah right’ look and walks out of the room. “CALL HIM”, I hear from the other side of the house.

I just looked in the direction he walked in, staring at nothing, trying to figure out what he meant by that. My eyes landed on the clock. It’s getting late so I lock up the house and retreat to my room. I pull out my night clothes and jump in the shower. I let the hot water run over me, trying to loosen my sore muscles. My mind starts drifting to Jake. Is he what I’ve been missing? Is he the reason I haven’t felt right? We have emailed back and forth a few times but nothing serious. Why is my mind so muddled? I can’t think straight most of the time.

I get out as the water starts to cool. I dry off with a towel and wrap it around my chest. Standing in front of the mirror, I wipe the fog off it and stare at the reflection looking back at me. I don’t even recognize it as me. My face is so pale you can almost see through my skin, dark circles under my eyes with no spark left at all. My cheeks are sunken in hollow looking, I open the towel to scan the rest of me. I cringe at what I see. You can count my ribs from a block away and my curvy hips are almost nonexistent. When did that happen, I mutter out loud. I didn’t even notice, no wonder why Wade is so worried about me. I looked awful. I yanked the towel back around me and went into my room.

I dress a flop into bed, I stare up at the ceiling like I do every other night. I reach over to my bedside table for a glass of water without looking and knocked it over. I jump up cursing, I soop up the water using my bath towel on the table and floor. Then I saw it tucked behind the table against the wall, the envelope Jake gave me. Picking it up, I sit on the bed staring at it like it’s gonna move or something. I huff and slap it on the other side of the bed and I turn from it. Should I read it again? How did I even forget about it? Is the offer still good? I’m sure he has filled my spot by now, it has been a while. I huff some more while mulling this over in my mind. Finally, I turned back around to it, sitting Indian style in the middle of my bed staring at it. It can't hurt to look it over again, can it? I snatch it up and do just that, pulling everything out, scanning all the pages. Maybe I should email Jake to see if it's still on the table before getting my hopes up.

Setting the papers aside, I sent a quick message to him and lay down for the night thinking I'd get an answer in the morning. I snuggle in my pillows and try to have a dreamless sleep.