As Sonny drove to Ray's house he turned toward Clay watching him skeptically. "I think this might be a bad idea."
"No it isn't. It's great!" Clay smiled broadly. "And I asked Naima and she said it was fine."
"Naima said it was fine? Did you tell her details?" Sonny laughed.
"Not exactly..." Clay leaned back in his seat.
"That's what I thought, Peter Pan." Sonny glanced at him.
After the stop at Ray's to drop off the wedding gift for the barbeque later that evening Sonny drove straight back to Trent's house while Clay leaned against the window of his truck. Sonny was surprised by just how exhausted Clay appeared but reminded himself that just a few days ago Clay had been hospitalized and would still be if not for Trent's abilities. Pulling up to Trent's apartment complex he turned to see that Clay was sleeping.
"Hey Little Buddy, let's go inside to nap." Sonny reached out to gently shake Clay's knee.
"No." Clay pulled away. "Please, Abeni, no... I hurt."
"Shit. Clay, come on wake up." Sonny turned more toward him.
Clay shifted slightly as he woke. "We back?" Clay tried to hide a grimace as he reached for the door handle.
"Yeah we are. Trent's gonna take a look at you then to bed." Sonny got out of the truck and circled to Clay's side taking his elbow and leading him inside.
Sonny lead Clay to Trent's couch as they entered. Serena raised her eyebrows at the men before going to the bedroom to get Trent who was dressing after a shower. As he crossed the living room Trent pulled on a t-shirt over his still damp torso.
"You look terrible. Talk to me." Trent squatted in front of Clay.
"My stomach hurts and so does my head but mostly I'm just really tired." Clay leaned back as Trent took his pulse. "Honestly I sort of just hurt everywhere."
Trent continued his exam while Serena grabbed a bottle of water handing it to Sonny. "You're dehydrated but no fever. The antibiotics will make you feel like shit. I'm gonna put in an IV and give you some fluids while you sleep." Trent spoke softly as Sonny returned with his med kit. "I'll give you something for the nausea and headache in the line too."
"Can I just stay here?" Clay glanced toward the guest room and the distance from the couch.
"Yeah. We have a few hours until we go to Ray's so you should be feeling better by then." Trent started the IV. "But if you don't you speak up okay?"
"Yeah." Clay spoke as he sunk deeper into the couch cushions.
"Have you seen The Fox and the hound?" Serena returned with a fleece blanket.
"No." Clay allowed her to cover him.
"Okay." She started the movie and lowered the volume while sitting beside him.
Trent moved to the kitchen and opened the fridge as Sonny followed. "She's good with him." Sonny whispered. "And he let's her help."
"Yeah, didn't think about that." Trent handed him lunch meat while grabbing condiments. "I guess she is."
Sonny opened a new loaf of bread. "Good thing Davis shopped for you."
"It is." Trent looked at him knowingly. "You ever want to talk about that and I'm here."
Sonny's eyes darted away. "Thanks." It was an admission he had not expected to make but his typical response of 'don't know what you're talking bout' just didn't feel right.
Once the sandwiches were made and piled on a plate Trent and Sonny returned to the living room. Serena was sitting upright. Clay was sleeping against her with his head resting on her shoulder and his arm across her torso. Trent smiled at the image of the two while Sonny snapped a picture with his phone. As he attempted to take another Serena held up her middle finger while smiling for the picture.
Trent stepped in front of Sonny and handed her a sandwich which she happily took without saying a word. "The kid won't wake if you talk." Trent smiled at her.
"Oh I thought he might." Serena took a bite.
"Kid can sleep through anything." Sonny spoke as he sat in the recliner while Trent took the rest of the couch beside her.
"I just feel badly." Serena looked at Clay. "Doesn't help that he looks about five years old when he sleeps."
"Ding, ding, ding... took you less than a week to figure out why we call him kid." Sonny laughed.
Trent finished his sandwich while absentmindedly watching the cartoon Serena chose. "You ever watch movies that aren't sad?"
"I do and you know it." Serena poked him. "These were my favorites as a kid." She said it quietly and Trent instantly understood why as a broken child she would gravitate to this type of cartoon.
"Love you." He whispered it as he kissed her temple.
"Love you." Serena leaned into him as much as she could while not moving Clay who was firmly asleep.
Sonny pretended to ignore the exchange. "Kid kept me up half the damn night." Yawning he reclined the chair and moved his hat over his eyes.
Trent did the dishes and changed the sheets on both beds. Then he straightened up the rest of the place while his brothers slept and Serena watched cartoons. He was starting a load of laundry when he heard Clay's voice.
"Abeni, please I'm scared, where's Grandma?" Tears ran down Clay's face as he mumbled into Serena.
By the time Trent had dropped the laundry and entered the room Sonny was climbing from the recliner. "Everything is fine." Serena looked to them both as she whispered the words. "Hey you're alright. Everything is fine." She wrapped her free arm around Clay.
"Hmm warm." Clay murmured.
"Shh. I'm here, you're safe now." She pulled the blanket higher on his shoulders and he relaxed against her.
Trent turned to finish the laundry nodding to Sonny to leave it. Sonny slowly sank back into the recliner watching the two on the couch. Serena sat perfectly still to let Clay sleep and Clay slept as peacefully as he had ever seen.
Trent finished folding and putting away laundry before walking back into the living room. "Time to take this IV out and if we're going to get to Ray's on time we'll have to leave in an hour." He knelt beside Clay. "Hey, brother. Time to wake up."
Clay stirred slightly as Trent took hold of his hand and quickly removed the line. "Mhm Tr'nt, I'm warm."
"I know bud, you're sleeping with my wife." Trent smirked as Serena rolled her eyes.
"What?" Clay opened his eyes and sat more upright. "I'm sorry." He said it to Trent as he shifted further from Serena.
"Hey, it's all good. She's comfy." Trent smiled and held his wrist. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." He wiped sleep from his face. "Head doesn't hurt anymore. A little hungry."
"Good. You want a shower before we go?" Trent rose.
"Yeah maybe? In a few minutes?" Clay sounded unsure.
"What's up Blondezilla?" Sonny sat up in the recliner.
"Just strange dreams. It's, I'm not sure." Clay sat forward reaching for his now room temperature bottle of water.
"It'll get better when you feel better." Serena stood on shaky tingling half asleep legs stretching.
"Sorry for falling asleep like that." He looked away from her.
"I'm not sorry you did. Being alone is hard right now so... so it was nice having someone close." She walked to the kitchen and grabbed a soda.
Clay smirked at Sonny. "Told you so!" He whispered.
"We'll see, Poster Boy." Sonny laughed.
An hour later Trent drove down Ray's street toward what he realized was his own wedding reception. Glancing to Serena in blue jeans and sneakers wearing his favorite sweatshirt his smile grew. "You good?"
"I'm a little nervous actually." Serena smiled back at him. "I sort of feel like this is a test."
"Rena, if there was a test you already passed." Trent shook his head.
"Yeah?" Serena looked at him with big eyes.
"Serena you are brave and strong but you are also gentle and kind. You let Clay sleep on you for three hours today. You passed the test." Trent reached for her hand as they pulled into the driveway.
"I really don't know what there is about him. Maybe it's because the first time I met he was so hurt and broken. I'm not sure." Serena unhooked her seat belt but turned to Trent instead of the door.
"I called you that night because for the first time in years I wanted to use so badly I almost went back to base to get morphine." Trent lowered his voice and his head.
"I know." She reached out and lifted his chin. "I know. You looked at me like the broken man I met at Walter Reed. With the same haunted look in your eyes. I knew it was bad and Clay showing up just confirmed it."
"There was a boy caught in the crossfire. Clay translated every word he said as I tried to do anything I could to save him... but field medicine hurts and looking back I probably should have just shot him up with too much morphine."
"Trent, if you had done that instead of trying to save him would you have been able to look your brothers in the eye?" She ran her hand down his cheek.
"No."
"You don't take credit for the good so you can avoid the bad... but you did what you could that doesn't make it bad. It was a horrific place to be stuck but you did what you could."
"He looked like Brock." Trent looked up. "I need to fix that."
"Not today." She smiled sadly. "Today you just relax a little."
"Yeah. We should go..." Trent smiled at her. "You sure this is enough?"
"This is everything I want and more than I need." Serena opened her door and jumped from the truck.