Chapter 36
Apparently Bainbridge had never left the zoo, as he normally did after stopping by for a day. And also Howard found out to his relief that he wasn't the only one up in arms over the vanishing animals.
The man heard raised voices sometime after lunch hour, and walked toward the sound. It was in front of the office building, and nearly every keeper was crowding around Dixon, asking him what he planned on doing about the situation. The man seemed entirely unimpressed and tried to brush off the inquiries, but many of the keepers were fed up, and kept prodding him for answers. Fossil was standing off to the side, looking unsure as to whether he should assist Bainbridge or the keepers. Howard also noticed the kid was standing beside him, looking slightly concerned but altogether just observing the scene as it progressed.
Dixon was now visibly angry, and made to move forward beyond the people. Gideon stepped in his way, demanding that he hire more security for the zoo. Bainbridge's response was to shove her away, causing the woman to lose her footing and fall to the ground. Fellow staff bent to help her up as Bainbridge huffed and began to walk away. Howard was having none of that. No, sir! He stepped forward, raising his voice.
"Hey, Bainbridge! You ought to watch how you treat these people, or one day you'll end up looking at a zoo with no staff."
Bainbridge turned to face him, laughing at the taller man.
"You think so, Moon? Trust me, you can all quit, and I'll just hire more zookeepers. You know why? Because no matter what, there will always be lowlife scum like yourself, desperate for a job."
"Kick his ass, Howard!"
Howard sighed in the boy's direction. Vince and his goddamn mouth. Everyone was now looking between the two men, most seeming to really want a good fight to take place. This wasn't so good. Howard really didn't want to fight. Especially not with someone whom he knew for a fact was quite skilled in martial arts. It was the main reason no one had ever just decked Bainbridge and been done with it. The shorter man just glanced over at the boy and laughed again.
"Moon? Fight me? You're letting your mouth get ahead of you, Noir. This man wouldn't stand a chance against me."
"Howard can kick your mouth 'round the back o' your head, you ijit!"
Vince stepped toward them, and a few keepers began to chant "Fight!" as Howard wished the kid would just shut up. Luckily for him, Bainbridge didn't rise to the tauntings, and merely walked off with an air of someone who had won without having to even raise his fists. He was right.
"You shoulda kicked him into next month, Howard!"
"And you should've just left well enough alone!"
Howard and Vince were currently in the Lodge, sitting on the sofa as a chilly breeze could be heard whistling through the hut. Vince looked incredibly agitated, and sat forward, looking at the older man.
"C'mon, Howard. Don't you know how to fight? I can! Me uncle back in Mitcham owns a boxing business, an' he trained me up good. Said I needed to learn how to defend myself."
"Your uncle?"
"Well, he ain't my real uncle, but he taught me to fight, and let me hang around the boxin' ring."
Rain could be heard hammering down upon the roof suddenly. It had been overcast for several days, so Howard wasn't surprised. It sounded like quite a storm, and Howard placed pots in various locations on the floor where water dripped through. Seems the Lodge was finally beginning to crumble; cracks and holes growing larger, it seemed, every day.
As he was placing a bowl onto the kitchen counter to combat another dripping stream, Howard heard the distinctive sound of a lighter, and whipped around to look across the room at the kid, who was standing next to his dresser, cigarette in his mouth, trying to light it. He noticed Howard's stare.
"Wot?"
"...Why the hell are you doing that? Did I ever say you could smoke in the house, Vince?"
"No, but-"
"But nothing! I'll not have you polluting the air in my house with that rubbish. I hate that you do it at all!"
"Oh not this again, Howard. Come on, where am I supposed to go, hmm?"
"You can go outside."
"But it's rainin'!"
"So don't smoke, then. Either you step outside with that thing or you stay in. Your choice."
Howard really thought he'd won this time. But he should've remembered how spiteful the boy could be. With a glare the kid made for the front door, fag and lighter in hand, and was out the door before Howard could think of a way to stop him without letting him smoke indoors. Well, at least there was the overhang. That would offer the boy shelter from the rain. Though Howard mentally winced at the thought of the wind blowing outside. But he had to be firm! So with a huff the man sat down once again in front of the television, which had become fuzzy due to the weather.
Howard made it twenty-five minutes before he finally was up and out the door, ready to haul the kid back inside. He was also worried as to why the boy had taken so long just to smoke a single cigarette. As Howard searched about for the teen he got his answer.
Yards away, out from under the protection of the overhang, was Vince. He was running around in the torrent, splashing in puddles and seeming to be dancing to music only he heard. Howard shouted out his name a few times before the boy finally heard him, stopping to stare at the man. Howard made a 'Get over here now!' gesture, but the boy only grinned and continued to happily frolic in the storm, clothes and hair drenched, the last traces of his eyeliner leaking down his cheeks.
"Vince, you get back inside now! You're going to catch your death!"
Thunder rolled overhead, cutting off most of Howard's words. The man walked completely out the door, closing it behind him and shivering underneath the overhang. Vince gave him another smile, finally walking toward him. He didn't let Howard pull him toward the door, but stood just outside the overhang's protection, rain beating down on him. He had to shout in order for his voice to be heard over the endless noise.
"You should come out here, Howard! It's great!"
"It's freezing!"
Vince just tilted his head up at him with a grin, turning and running back off into the rain. Howard watched the boy for a few minutes, recalling from nowhere a time when he would dangle the boy over water puddles, or when the kid used to jump from footprint to footprint in snow. Howard sighed heavily, and when Vince came up to him a second time, he allowed him to take Howard by the hand and pull him forward and out from under the shelter. He gasped sharply as the cold water made first contact with his clothes, straight through to his skin and down to his bones. He shivered as he stood rigidly, completely drenched in seconds, his shoulders instinctively rising and his arms plastered to his sides. Vince immediately began laughing hard.
"You look like a drowning rat!"
"Thanks. Are you happy now? I'm out here, so let's both go back inside."
"Oh alright, you boring old man."
Vince allowed Howard to shepherd him inside, where Howard then immediately pushed the kid into the bathroom, ordering him to be quick about it as he closed the door. The man stood shivering like a wet cat in the Lodge, not wanting to sit on the sofa in his dripping clothes as he heard the boy starting up the shower. Vince was only in for a few minutes before stepping out in a towel, moving aside as Howard nearly tripped over him in his haste. He was fucking freezing! The hot water made him feel like his skin was melting, and Howard really hoped he wouldn't get sick. If he became ill, that boy was going to pay for it.
Vince sneezed violently, face scrunching up in a dramatic expression of annoyance.
"Oh god, I hate sneezin'!"
Howard walked from the kitchen with eyebrows raised down at the teen.
"Well maybe next time you'll think twice about prancing around in the rain like a water nymph. Here, take this."
"What is it?"
"It's medicine, just take it."
"No way."
"Vince."
Howard stood beside the sofa, which was being occupied by an ill Vince. It was the morning after the storm, and a softer rain was still falling. Howard had work in a few minutes, and was attempting to get the boy settled before he was late. The teen was entirely unhappy with being confined to the Lodge, and so was being as big a brat as possible, the little titbox! He sniffled, looking extremely petulant as he glared from beneath Howard's duvet.
"Why do I 'ave to stay in!? It's gonna be so borin'! C'mon, Howard, I can still work. It's not like I have that many animals to tend anyway-"
"Exactly. Which is why it'll be incredibly easy for me to cover both our posts. Now stay here. I'm serious, Vince, I want you resting. Now drink the medicine."
"Why?"
"Because you're sick, and it's good for you. Come on. I'm not leaving 'til you do."
"Good, I don' wanna be here alone."
"Vince! I'm going to count to three! One...two!"
"Alright alright! Jesus..."
Luckily the boy always backed down on two; Howard wasn't really sure what he'd do if he ever actually reached three.
Vince took the small cup containing the cold medicine Howard had stored away years ago in case he'd ever gotten sick. Now the kid was choking it down with a sharp grimace and gagging sounds as Howard took back the cup.
Howard raised his hands in a victorious gesture, and Vince made a face at him. The man gave the boy a smile, promising to return at lunch hour, and left through the door with a string of threats and warnings should the boy leave the Lodge.
Howard walked back in through the hut door, followed by Tristan. She'd once again surprised him by showing up at his free hour, her own lunch prepared. He found it extremely endearing.
The man looked over at Vince, who was pointing a video camera at the both of them silently. Howard sighed, letting the boy be as he followed Howard's movement into the kitchen to fetch their food. Tristan seemed a little confused, and so Howard nodded in the kid's direction from the fridge.
"Vince is sick, demonstrating just what happens when you run around in a thunderstorm."
"Get off it."
Vince's words came out as an uninterested monotone, as the recorder obstructed the view of most of his face. Howard came over with Vince's plate and cup, and the boy groaned as he sat up, shivering a bit as he folded his legs underneath him. He set the camera down as he took his food, and Howard opted to just sit on the sleeping bags with his own lunch, Tristan joining him. She laughed at Howard's words, looking over at the teen.
"You went out in the storm!? Well, I hope you get well soon, Vince. Do you have any medicine for him? I can go down to the shops if-"
"No no, it's fine. I have a bit of my own. It's old, but it still does its job. He's looking a bit better already, actually. Think you'll be up for working tomorrow, Vince?"
"Dunno. Will you let me work tomorrow?"
The boy answered with his fork in his right hand and the recorder in his left, aimed again at the pair on the floor. Howard gave the boy a pointed look, to which Vince responded in silence.
Said silence only lasted a minute before the boy was focusing on his food, camera now aimed toward the floor. But the kid wasn't eating; he was merely pushing his food about as he sang lightly in between small hums.
"Oh, ladders to the moon, with your cardboard page three...paisley silver eyes."
Tristan watched the kid a moment before sending a perturbed look Howard's way.
"Um..."
"Oh don't worry, he does that all the time."
Howard ignored the boy's antics and finished his lunch, proceeding to spend the rest of his break talking casually with Tristan, the kid eating slowly, alternating between ignoring the two and humming, and focusing the video camera on them both.
(Holy hell I am freaking out out there's only two chapters left! I've completely finished them, and dang are they long! I just couldn't find a place to stop! If you wanna a clue as to what's about to go down, give a listen to Congratulations by Blue October ;) Reviews are appreciated as always.)