Read Hero's Firefighter :: Chapter 3

Sleep of course wasn't on my top priority, but when I walked in my house a heavy weight landed on me and I felt exhausted. Sluggishly I dragged my body to the bed and fell asleep. Thankfully I didn't have any nightmares, but instead I had a weird dream of Shane standing so close to me I could felt the heat off his body and our breaths mingled while his green eyes looked into me and tried to decipher my pain.

I woke up feeling disorientated.

Slowly I got ready for the day. I ate breakfast alone at my kitchen table and looked around me. Alison is right, I have changed, but I don’t know how to change back.

"Too many things happened" I murmured through a bite of food. My eyes locked on my computers and I growled at it.

"All your fault." I hissed at them.

I tore my gaze away from them and continued to stare into my cereal bowl and tried to not think about them. It didn't work. As soon as I was done and I had cleaned up, I went to my desk and turned on the systems.

A picture of Molly was my main screen wallpaper. The others had Alison with my brothers when we were kids, and then group pictures of my unit then a formal picture of my brothers and I in our dress blues.

Opening the chat application I saw that a few of my old buddies were online and I didn't even have to do anything but be logged on before they bombarded me.

Brown: WILLOW!

Haworth: Luke! Long time no chat!

Giles: Dude where have you been?

Willow: Hey guys, nothing much. Just avoiding my computer like normal.

Giles: Well that's no fun.

Haworth: He never is fun Giles.

Brown: So how is Virginia treating you? You have been up there a while now.

Willow: Doing Good. Got Alison all moved in. She started her job yesterday.

Haworth: Strong girl.

Giles: Knew she would recover soon.

Brown: So when are you going to invite us up to check out your new pad?

Willow: you three are annoying you know that right?

Giles: HA!

Haworth: Damn straight

Brown: Hey!

Willow: What brown? You ask too many questions, Giles humor is a pain, and Haworth is just ….

Haworth: I dare you to finish that….

Giles: ooohhh look what you started...

Willow: Chill it's a compliment. My life would be really boring without any of you.

Giles: That's better, and you know I keep this group together.

Brown: yea… right.

Willow: Glad I signed on this morning. So what are all you doing?

Brown: sitting at my desk taking a break from reinforcing our firewalls from cyber attacks.

Giles: Staring at my assistant and loving her ass.

Haworth: making a lesson plan for my students.

Willow: Giles… get laid before you lose your job for sexual harassment. Haworth, I still don’t understand why you transferred to a Military school.

Haworth: So many ripe young minds that can take my experience and put it to use in their lives. What else is a cripple supposed to do?

Brown: you aren't crippled.

Haworth: Bull shit. I only have one leg.

Willow: And it's my fault.

Giles: here we go again…

Brown: it isn't your fault.

Willow: BULL SHIT! If I hadn't created that damn program we wouldn't have gotten ambushed!

Haworth: I don’t blame you Willow for what happened to me. I blame those greedy bastards. Please stop blaming yourself. I'm alive because you hid me and treated me before you were taken.

Brown: Luke, are you still having nightmares?

Willow: Yes.

Giles: I know someone that can help.

Haworth: Giles and I used the same PTSD therapist.

Brown: Please see him.

Willow:…. My leg and side pain has gone away recently…

I regretted that once I hit enter.

Brown: You're shittin me!

Giles: How?

Haworth: How?

Willow:…. I can't tell you. I'm still processing why it's happening. But they don’t hurt when I'm near the person. I'm going back to Alison's fire house for lunch to see the person again to see if the pain will still stay away.

Haworth: Dude! No way!

Giles: Wow!!

I glanced to the lower screen on my right and saw that Brown had opened a private chat with me.

Brown:… You are saying person. You aren't being specific. You know you can talk to me.

Willow: I'm still figuring things out myself.

Brown: What is the person's name? I can do a background check on them if you want.

Willow:…. You HAVE to keep it from the others or I will destroy you through the computer and you know I can.

Brown:…. Now you have to explain if you are this embarrassed about it.

Willow: Fine. Shane Caudwell

Brown: ...

Willow: WHAT?! Don’t give me fucking silence! I know!

Brown: Explain please.

Willow:…What am I supposed to say?

Brown: why him?

Willow: how am I supposed to know?

Excessive pinging made me glance at the other screen.

Haworth: Damn you two!

Giles: What the hell!

Haworth: No private chats!

Giles: I'm going to hack into it.

Willow: you know you can't get past my walls. It's a private conversation that I don’t want to explain to you two asses yet. I would end up going down there and hurting you for how you would react.

Haworth: so you will explain in time why you and Brown are having a private chat about who knows what?

Willow:…. In time. I need time to process things first.

I closed that chat and went back to Brown.

Brown: you have to love those idiots.

Willow: yea, you all are brothers to me. Though you are more like a twin.

Brown: So… Shane.

Willow: I have never felt so exposed before. His eyes bore into me… it was…. Unnerving.

Brown: wow.

Willow: I don't know really how to explain it….BTW he beat me in pool…

Brown: you're kidding.

Willow: twice.

Brown: well… you have my support since you aren't hurting.

Willow: I didn't have a nightmare last night.

Brown: because of Shane?

Willow: I guess, all I saw were those damn bright green eyes that I swear could see the pain I endured.

Brown: Well, I hope he doesn't see it all. I seriously almost lost my lunch when we found you half alive.

Willow: Thanks.

Brown: Sorry, I still have dreams of the recon, but they are sporadic.

Willow: not here. Last night was the first night that I sleep more than two hours. Luckily my elderly neighbors keep me busy with their repairs and chores. Speaking of which I have to fix Mrs. Edna's fence before I grab lunch and test my theories at dinner.

Brown: Okay. Remember. I won't criticize you like the others might. I love my wife and she helped me out so much. If this Shane keeps your pain and dreams away, don’t push him away.

Willow: Thanks, … I think.

Brown: adieu

Willow: au revoir

I closed the chat and signed off the application. Leaning back I looked at the wallpapers again. I loved my family and friends, but still I felt like something was missing. Sighing I got up and grabbed my tool belt as I walked out the door and down the sidewalk. I made my way down the street and stopped at the second house down.

Mrs. Edna was sitting on her front porch in an old rocking chair. Smiling I called out to her.

"Morning Edna!" I made sure I was loud enough for her hearing aid to hear me.

"Oh Luke dear!" she sat straighter in her rocking chair and smiled at me. "I was wondering when you were going to be over."

"Yes, sorry I was chatting with some old buddies of mine and things got a little off track. I'll get right to work on your fence." I waved my hammer at her as I walked through her gate and went to the part of the fence that her dog had escaped from. It just needed new nails, it could also use a new coat of paint but I'll let her decide later.

Two hours later I had all her picket fence straight again and the old nails replaced with new ones. I smiled sadly at my work. It wasn't much but it kept me from the memories and from causing trouble on the computer.

"Luke dear you did such a wonderful job." she cooed as she slowly made her way down the steps with said damage making ankle biting dog at her feet. It was a mutt. The fluff ball was a mix between a miniature pinscher, a poodle, and a jack terrier.

"Hey domino" I said as I rubbed his belly.

"My, my aren’t you good with him. Here is what I promised you." She said as she handed me an envelope.

"Edna I can't. I don’t mind doing this work." I said stepping away with hands up. The short frail woman who couldn't hurt a fly changed in front of my eyes.

"Luke, you will take this money. You worked hard for it and it will keep Domino in my yard and out of trouble in your yard." She had squared her shoulders, stood straighter and had firmness in her face that all I could do was do as she wished.

"yes ma'am." I said as I bowed my head and took the envelope. “But I'm painting you fence in the spring for free." I smiled as I hurried out.

"Don’t you dare Luke Willow!" she yelled after me. I waved my hand back at her as I headed back to my house. The old lady sure knew how to put a smile on my face.

Once I was inside I saw that she had given me cash.

"She learned" I muttered with a frowned. I was expecting a check I could tear up. I took the money and put in it the jar that held more cash from other neighbors who had learned that I tear up the checks. I knew there was well over five grand there, but I didn't know what to do with it. I was still getting paid from some other programs I had created that were for the military. It had improved their training simulators and kept recruits from stealing test answers, or cheating to get higher up in position.

A thought came to me while staring at the jar. Quickly I grabbed a wide stripe of white duck tape and put it on the front of the jar. With a permanent marker I wrote 'Molly's Adventure Savings' Nodding in approval I stepped back. Molly already had a college fund that Anthony had set up for her, but when she was done, she would now have this spare money to see the world before being an adult completely.