Talk to Me
Part 7
Bosco had been locked in his room for two hours. Faith thought about trying to get him to come out, but figured he needed some time alone. She decided to settle down on the couch to try and get some sleep.
It was one in the morning when Faith was startled out of a light sleep by a loud thud from Bosco's bedroom followed by his voice. "Shit!" She was just getting ready to go see if he was OK when his door opened, so she stayed on the couch pretending to be asleep.
There was enough light coming form his room that she was able to see him holding his right arm tightly against his body. She also noticed that he had quickly looked her way to make sure she was sleeping before he crossed over into the kitchen.
Faith heard him rummaging around the kitchen in the dark. He was talking to himself. "Come on. Come on." Then there was the unmistakable sound of pills bouncing off the floor, and scattering in every direction. "Dammit!"
She got off the couch, and flipped on the light. "Bosco? You OK?"
He stood there like a deer caught in headlights. "F-f-fine. W-why?" He stuttered as he tried to conceal his pain.
Faith walked over to him. "You're really pale. What's wrong?"
Bosco heard the concern in her voice, and decided to tell her the truth. He was in too much pain to put up a fight, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it from her anyway.
"I uh...I uh had a nightmare," he looked down at the floor a shamed look on his face. "And I uh, fell out of bed. Landed on my bad hand."
She lifted his chin so he was looking at her. Faith could see the pain in his eyes. "Are you OK?"
"No." There he said it. He wasn't OK, but then the rest of the words came out in a rush. "Gawd Faith. It hurts so bad. It hurts so bad I feel like I could throw-up."
"Shhh...its OK Bos." Faith wasn't sure if the pain he was talking about was from the fall or from the nightmare, but if these pain pills were going to help give him the rest he needed she'd make sure he took a couple. "Come here. Come sit on the couch." She guided him over to the couch. Then went back into the kitchen to collect the pills off the floor.
"Here." She handed him two pills, and then a glass of water. "What was the nightmare about?"
"Nothin'."
"Bosco."
"Look Faith. I really don't feel like talking about it." He sounded exhausted, and he was still cradling his arm.
"Where's your sling?"
"Took it off."
She grabbed two throw pillows, and placed them on his lap. He gave her a questioning look. She then gently took his arm, and lowered it onto the pillows.
He grinned. "Thanks mom."
She smiled at him, and then moved closer to him on the couch. Faith put her arm around Bosco's shoulders, and pulled him close to her so his head was resting on her shoulder. He didn't shy away from her. He felt safe next to her, and comforted; something he hadn't felt in the last few days. She began to rub his arm hoping to help sooth some of his physical pain. It always seemed to work with her kids. Maybe it would work with him as well.
"How's your hand?"
"Killing me. I'm starting to think that falling on it wasn't such a good idea."
"Yeah, no kidding."
They sat together in silence. Faith thought Bosco had fallen asleep.
"Faith?" He asked quietly.
"Yeah Bos."
"Do you think I should go?"
"What?"
"To the funeral. Do you think I should go?"
"That's up to you."
"But do you think it will help?"
"I don't know Bos. I really don't."
"I know I can't live like this. I don't like feeling this way. But I don't know what that funeral is going to do to me."
"If there's even a slight chance it will help then maybe it's worth it. Then maybe you should go."
Again silence filled the room.
"Will you go with me Faith?"
"Yeah."
*****
"Bosco if you don't hurry up we're going to be late!"
He came out of the bedroom. "Why haven't you finished getting dressed?"
"I've been trying, but this is as far as I got." He was wearing the pants of his dress uniform, but he hadn't zipped or buttoned them, and his shirt was unbuttoned as well. "I'm going to need a little help here." He said as he lifted his broken hand.
"Sorry. I forgot," she said sheepishly. She walked over to him, and began buttoning his shirt. When she finished she looked at him. "So should I tuck your shirt in or do you wanna try doing that on your own?" She smirked.
"I'll do it." He did the best he could at tucking his shirt in. "OK. Now, I need you to help me with my pants. But Faith, I'm warning you. Zippers can be very dangerous, so go slow."
"Aye, aye captain." When she finished she laughed at him. "Bosco I'm done. You can open your eyes now."
He let out the breath he was holding.
"OK, now where's your sling?"
"I'm not going to wear it."
"Bosco you need to wear it."
"Faith-"
"No arguing Bosco. You have to keep it elevated with the sling because if you don't it's going to swell, and it's going to hurt."
"Alright. I'll wear it."
*****
When they arrived at the church for the service Bosco looked extremely nervous. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Faith put her hand on his knee. "You ready partner?" He nodded.
Together they climbed the steps to the entrance. Faith opened the door for Bosco, but he stopped. "I can't do it Faith. I can't go in."
She took his hand, and spoke softly. "Yes you can Bos, and I'll be right by your side the whole time. OK?"
He nodded, and they continued into the church. "Where do you want to sit?"
"The back." Faith and Bosco sat in the last pew. As the service started Bosco took Faith's hand into his own. He wasn't sure what kind of affect this funeral was going to have on him, and holding Faith's hand was a small comfort that he needed. Faith gave him a reassuring smile.
Throughout the service Faith occasionally looked at her partner. She wanted to make sure he was all right. He wore no expression. He just stared at the casket at the front of the church, his jaw set.
As the final prayer was being said Faith felt Bosco's hand begin to tremble. She looked at him, and saw his bottom lip quiver. Then he got up, and quickly walked out of the church. Faith followed him.
Part 7
Bosco had been locked in his room for two hours. Faith thought about trying to get him to come out, but figured he needed some time alone. She decided to settle down on the couch to try and get some sleep.
It was one in the morning when Faith was startled out of a light sleep by a loud thud from Bosco's bedroom followed by his voice. "Shit!" She was just getting ready to go see if he was OK when his door opened, so she stayed on the couch pretending to be asleep.
There was enough light coming form his room that she was able to see him holding his right arm tightly against his body. She also noticed that he had quickly looked her way to make sure she was sleeping before he crossed over into the kitchen.
Faith heard him rummaging around the kitchen in the dark. He was talking to himself. "Come on. Come on." Then there was the unmistakable sound of pills bouncing off the floor, and scattering in every direction. "Dammit!"
She got off the couch, and flipped on the light. "Bosco? You OK?"
He stood there like a deer caught in headlights. "F-f-fine. W-why?" He stuttered as he tried to conceal his pain.
Faith walked over to him. "You're really pale. What's wrong?"
Bosco heard the concern in her voice, and decided to tell her the truth. He was in too much pain to put up a fight, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it from her anyway.
"I uh...I uh had a nightmare," he looked down at the floor a shamed look on his face. "And I uh, fell out of bed. Landed on my bad hand."
She lifted his chin so he was looking at her. Faith could see the pain in his eyes. "Are you OK?"
"No." There he said it. He wasn't OK, but then the rest of the words came out in a rush. "Gawd Faith. It hurts so bad. It hurts so bad I feel like I could throw-up."
"Shhh...its OK Bos." Faith wasn't sure if the pain he was talking about was from the fall or from the nightmare, but if these pain pills were going to help give him the rest he needed she'd make sure he took a couple. "Come here. Come sit on the couch." She guided him over to the couch. Then went back into the kitchen to collect the pills off the floor.
"Here." She handed him two pills, and then a glass of water. "What was the nightmare about?"
"Nothin'."
"Bosco."
"Look Faith. I really don't feel like talking about it." He sounded exhausted, and he was still cradling his arm.
"Where's your sling?"
"Took it off."
She grabbed two throw pillows, and placed them on his lap. He gave her a questioning look. She then gently took his arm, and lowered it onto the pillows.
He grinned. "Thanks mom."
She smiled at him, and then moved closer to him on the couch. Faith put her arm around Bosco's shoulders, and pulled him close to her so his head was resting on her shoulder. He didn't shy away from her. He felt safe next to her, and comforted; something he hadn't felt in the last few days. She began to rub his arm hoping to help sooth some of his physical pain. It always seemed to work with her kids. Maybe it would work with him as well.
"How's your hand?"
"Killing me. I'm starting to think that falling on it wasn't such a good idea."
"Yeah, no kidding."
They sat together in silence. Faith thought Bosco had fallen asleep.
"Faith?" He asked quietly.
"Yeah Bos."
"Do you think I should go?"
"What?"
"To the funeral. Do you think I should go?"
"That's up to you."
"But do you think it will help?"
"I don't know Bos. I really don't."
"I know I can't live like this. I don't like feeling this way. But I don't know what that funeral is going to do to me."
"If there's even a slight chance it will help then maybe it's worth it. Then maybe you should go."
Again silence filled the room.
"Will you go with me Faith?"
"Yeah."
*****
"Bosco if you don't hurry up we're going to be late!"
He came out of the bedroom. "Why haven't you finished getting dressed?"
"I've been trying, but this is as far as I got." He was wearing the pants of his dress uniform, but he hadn't zipped or buttoned them, and his shirt was unbuttoned as well. "I'm going to need a little help here." He said as he lifted his broken hand.
"Sorry. I forgot," she said sheepishly. She walked over to him, and began buttoning his shirt. When she finished she looked at him. "So should I tuck your shirt in or do you wanna try doing that on your own?" She smirked.
"I'll do it." He did the best he could at tucking his shirt in. "OK. Now, I need you to help me with my pants. But Faith, I'm warning you. Zippers can be very dangerous, so go slow."
"Aye, aye captain." When she finished she laughed at him. "Bosco I'm done. You can open your eyes now."
He let out the breath he was holding.
"OK, now where's your sling?"
"I'm not going to wear it."
"Bosco you need to wear it."
"Faith-"
"No arguing Bosco. You have to keep it elevated with the sling because if you don't it's going to swell, and it's going to hurt."
"Alright. I'll wear it."
*****
When they arrived at the church for the service Bosco looked extremely nervous. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Faith put her hand on his knee. "You ready partner?" He nodded.
Together they climbed the steps to the entrance. Faith opened the door for Bosco, but he stopped. "I can't do it Faith. I can't go in."
She took his hand, and spoke softly. "Yes you can Bos, and I'll be right by your side the whole time. OK?"
He nodded, and they continued into the church. "Where do you want to sit?"
"The back." Faith and Bosco sat in the last pew. As the service started Bosco took Faith's hand into his own. He wasn't sure what kind of affect this funeral was going to have on him, and holding Faith's hand was a small comfort that he needed. Faith gave him a reassuring smile.
Throughout the service Faith occasionally looked at her partner. She wanted to make sure he was all right. He wore no expression. He just stared at the casket at the front of the church, his jaw set.
As the final prayer was being said Faith felt Bosco's hand begin to tremble. She looked at him, and saw his bottom lip quiver. Then he got up, and quickly walked out of the church. Faith followed him.