Hey, hope you're enjoying yourselves. And I hope you enjoy this chapter…
Jack woke up early the next morning. Long before any of the animals were to be fed, long before they would eat breakfast.
He sat up and picked up one of the many pillows he had borrowed to sleep. It wasn't comfortable for him to lay down, so Nick had come up with the great idea to prop him up with extra pillows.
Being the restless man he was, he couldn't just lay around and rest, so he put on his jeans and hung the plaid shirt around his shoulders.
Then he padded down to the first floor, and headed for the backdoor.
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Jack sat out back, near the old doghouse and the horse-breaking ring. Jack had spent many hours there, he started competing in Bronc and Bull riding, even won a few buckles. That was how his father had started calling him 'Cowboy'. Actually it had started when Jack competed in riding sheep as a small kid.
He looked down at his sling. It would be a long time before he would get the chance to ride a bucking bronc again. He WOULD get back to riding again, just as he WOULD have at least one more tour with the force.
No matter what, he would return. And he would get back better.
He massaged his right hand with his left. His hand was swollen and sore, but Jack believed the gentle massage would help with the muscle pains in his hand and wrist.
He heard footsteps fall across the gravel, they were heading towards him.
"Reliving the old glory days?"
Jack turned around enough to see his twin brother coming towards him. He had a dirty t-shirt, cut off shorts and a ball cap pulled down low in front of his eyes.
"Well, I was hoping that I would get the chance to ride during my leave…" Jack sighed and sat back. "Guess I won't be riding this time…"
"Were you thinking about competing too?" Nick asked as he sat down on the log beside Jack. His knee almost touching Jack's.
"Of course." Jack grinned, then looked down at his sling. "But that's not happening now…"
"No, it's not…"
"Sucks coming home injured…" Jack sighed, scowling down at his shoulder.
Nick nodded in agreement.
"Hey, what happened to Spot?" Jack asked nodding towards the old doghouse.
Nick looked down at his boots, rubbing his neck. "He got run over by the milk truck…"
"Oh…" Jack looked down at his own boots. "That dog loved chasing wheels…"
Nick nodded at the memories. "We're going to pick up a new puppy some time next week… Can't have a farm without a farm dog…"
"Nah… That's just not right…" Jack agreed. "Did it happen long ago?"
"Couple of weeks ago…" Nick explained, "We need a dog here…"
Jack nodded. "So… Were you headed for the barn or something?"
"Yeah. Figured I should take care of the cows, that way I don't have to take the chickens."
"Yeah, chicken manure is horrible…" Jack noted pressing his good hand to his nose at the thought of the stench.
Nick nodded, "Yeah. Well I better get going, cows won't feed or milk themselves…"
"No, they've never done that before…" Jack smirked, "Mind if I join?"
"But you're…"
"As company…" Jack put up his left hand, "Just as company…"
"Okay…" Nick nodded, "But we meant what we said, no working for you…"
"Yeah, yeah… Scout's honor…"
Nick chuckled, "Maybe you should put that shirt on properly first?"
Jack looked down at where he had buttoned two buttons to make the shirt hang on even though the shirt just hung over his right shoulder.
"Nah… Not that important…"
"You couldn't do it?" Nick asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Of course I could do it… I just didn't bother too…"
"Yeah, you're lying…"
Jack exhaled in defeat, "Yeah, guess I am…"
"Need help?"
Jack nodded, "Yeah… I could use a little help…"
Nick nodded and pushed to his feet. He walked around to Jack's right side and unbuttoned the two buttons.
"You ready?"
Jack shook his head, he wasn't ready for this. He knew it would hurt.
"Want me to wait?"
"No."
"Okay, let me just take this shirt off you, then we put it on your bad arm first."
Jack nodded gingerly.
Once the shirt was off, Nick shook it out.
"You want rolled up sleeves?" he asked as he started rolling up the sleeves before Jack could answer, "It's too hot for anything else…"
"Yeah, thanks…" Jack smiled.
"That bruise looks even worse today…" Nick noted with a slight worry.
"Well, it's still less than a week since it happened. It's still getting worse…"
"And the pain?"
Jack frowned.
"Still getting worse that too?"
"Yeah…" Jack grimaced, "I kinda expect it to get worse for another week, maybe two…"
"It's not at its worst yet?"
"No…"
"Exactly when did this happen?"
"Saturday."
"Saturday this weekend?"
Jack nodded.
"Today's Thursday. That makes it 5 days…"
Jack nodded again.
"Shouldn't you be at the hospital?" Nick locked eyes with his twin. "Isn't five days a little short before you go running around on your own? You should probably be in bed, with antibiotics and painkillers through an IV!"
"Nah, Nicky…" Jack shook his head, "I was cleared to be shipped back stateside, and to be sent home. I just had a visit at the hospital to change the dressings, and scheduled an appointment to change them today too…"
"I think you're still a little too badass for the rest of us… Good to see that you haven't changed that much." Nick mused as he started threading the right sleeve of the shirt through the sling.
"Me, changed?"
"Yeah, you're different…"
"I…" Jack started but was cut short when his arm lit up with pain. He clenched his teeth and grimaced.
"I'm sorry…"
Jack finished gasping with pain and straightened up.
"I haven't changed." Jack finished, squaring his shoulder(s).
Nick finished getting the right sleeve around Jack's right arm before he spoke back.
"Yes you have…" Nick sighed as he lifted the strap of the sling just enough to get the plaid shirt under. "You seem different."
Nick held out the left sleeve for Jack to put his arm through.
"You seem older…"
Jack put his arm through the shirt and laughed.
"Ow. Ow, DAMMIT!" he reached to stabilize his shoulder as his legs trembled. He used a couple of minutes before he dared to speak or move again.
"That's because I am about a year older…" Jack smiled back.
"That's not what I mean… Because then it would be like looking in the mirror…"
"Well, as far as I know, time moves the same all over the world."
"Jack…"
Jack raised his eyebrows, "If you've got something to say, spit it…"
"When you left, you… You seem older… You seem tired…"
Jack shrugged his good shoulder, "Well, having a painful shoulder injury is kinda tiring… Let's leave it at that."
His twin's last sentence told Nick that the discussion was over, and that Jack wouldn't answer or listen to any more that could relate to it.
"Okay…" Nick sighed, "Let's leave it at that…"
He didn't look Jack in the eyes as he helped buttoning the shirt. He didn't know how to ask Jack what he really wanted to, didn't know how to confirm what he feared. He knew Jack was different now, and he believed he knew why. He just had to let Jack tell him at his own time. Which could take years, knowing his stubborn twin.
"Let's go feed the cattle, before dad beats me to it…" Nick jerked his head in the direction of the barn. "I sure don't want to be left with feeding the chickens and gathering eggs…"
Jack nodded and followed after his brother.
Okay, so… Another chapter down.