Part 3
Augustus: How much will you put up with for the sake of friendship? Do you just accept any little idiosyncrasies that your buddies have, no matter how annoying or bizarre, or just totally tasteless? What if it's too much too handle? What if it's not worth the bother? What friendship is?
Augustus was having a rather pleasant dream. In it, he was sitting at the dinner table with his wife having his favorite meal: Tacos Supreme. He'd filled his plate with a third helping when he felt his wife's small foot tracing up and down his leg. He ignored the sensation, with some effort, not yet willing to tear himself away from his meal, until it started making it's slow, lingering journey to his crotch. *That* couldn't be ignored. He smiled, and put his taco down. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry at all anymore.
"Baby, what *are* you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" she replied, her voice, husky and seductive.
*Making me horny as hell,* he wanted to say, but the thought was swallowed up by another one. His legs! He could feel them. And if he could *feel* them, then maybe... He stood up slowly and took a He took a few cautious steps around the table. His legs were steady and strong. 'Oh fuck!" he exclaimed, "I can walk! I can walk again! Baby, look at me!"
His wife nodded, a gentle smiling playing about her lips, and he was struck for the zillionth time at how amazingly beautiful she was. And she was all his. He could feel his chest swell up with a burst of pride and happiness. He was free, he was with the woman he loved, he could walk. At that moment, he felt like his life was just about perfect.
"You," he said pointing to her. "Come on over here, gorgeous.
She strolled slowly over to him, smiling. "Yes dear." She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a long, slow kiss on his lips. When they broke apart, he suddenly swept her up into his arms, making her squeal with delight.
"What are you doing, Gus?"
"I'm making like one of those soap guys you like to watch. You know, the ones you say or so romantic. I'm going to carry you to our bed. Then I'm going to make love to you all night long."
"You're the boss," she said, grinning.
"Better believe it."
He started to do just what he'd promised when she suddenly started to scream.
"No! Leave me alone! Don't touch me! Stop, please!" But the odd thing was, it wasn't his wife's sweet, sexy voice, but the voice of his new pod mate, Todd Manning. Realizing that he was dreaming and afraid that his wife's face would also be replaced by Todd's, he effortfully woke himself up. He crawled himself out of bed and into his chair. On the top bunk, he beheld his pod mate.
Todd was covered in sweat, tossing and turning violently in his bunk, fighting off an attacker that only he could see.
"No!" he cried, "Stay away from me! Don't hurt me! Please, don't!"
"Shit!" Augustus thought, "On top of everything else, the crazy bastard's going to keep me up every night with his nightmares."
Still he had to do something. The guy was weird, yes, but he'd come to think of him as a friend. He reached up and shook him gently on the leg to wake him up. Todd lashed out and Augustus wheeled out of his way.
"No!" Todd screamed, waking up suddenly. He looked around disoriented. "Wh- what...what...where-where am I? What am I doing here? Who am I? What's going on?"
"Whoa! Hold on there Manning. You're okay. You just had a nightmare. Bad one from the looks of things."
"Oh. Yeah, that's why I never sleep. Heh! Sorry I woke you up."
"S'okay. What was the dream about?"
"I, uh, don't remember," he said, but he wouldn't meet his eyes.
"You okay, man?"
Todd shrugged. "Guess so. Go back to sleep."
"You sure?"
He nodded. "Yeah go on. You're not my mommy. You don't have to sit up with me."
Hill shrugged. "Whatever you say." He started to pull himself back into bed.
"Hey Hill."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for waking me. It *was* bad."
"Yeah, I know. It's okay."
He got back to bed, and within minutes, he could feel sleep closing in on him again. Maybe he could pick up his dream where it left off. He wished Manning had waited until it had progressed a little farther before he started freaking out. Well, at least he would be able to get back to sleep, which is more than he could say for Todd, who had gotten out of bed and was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. His hazel eyes were dull and tired. Augustus wished he'd had a sleeping pill or something to give him. *Oh well,* Hill thought, *He can plead his case to the Doc tomorrow. Maybe she'll give him some.*
He was on the verge of sleep when a thought hit him. Something the other man had said. *Who am I?* Had Manning actually said that? What the fuck did that mean? As he pondered it, sleep didn't come as easily as he thought it would.
The next day, he watched his new friend carefully to see if he would do anything else strange but he hadn't. He was the same caustic but charismatic man that Augustus had met the day before. Now, an hour before count, Todd was amusing his new friends with stories of his life as a newspaper man in Lanview.
"I had some great headlines," he was saying, "Like that last one. 'Buchanan Steals Stiff'. Man, Bo Buchanan stole his own dead son from a crime scene and holed up with him all night in his cabin. And they say *I'm* nuts."
Miguel, sitting nearby and listening, saw his chance. "Well, that's all fascinatin' and all, Manning, but what I wanna know is, how did you get that butt-ugly scar on your face?"
Todd, enjoying the sensation of people hanging on his every word, suddenly quieted, his expression darkening. 'Okay, story time's over. Go find something else to amuse yourselves with."
Some of the other guys moaned in disappointment. "Aw man, don't go yet," one of the latinos said. I want to hear about your ex, the one that's running the paper for you. Does she have big tetas?"
Todd rolled his eyes. "Another time." He got up, heading for the gym. It was empty, which made him very happy. A rare moment of peace and quiet, in which he could sort out his thoughts. But it wasn't to be. Miguel had followed him.
"Hey you, Manning! Didn't answer my question."
"No I *didn't.* Hmm, that should tell you something."
"Come on, I wanna know."
"Why Alwarez?"
Alvarez pointed to the fading scar on his own right cheek.
Todd smirked, "Ah, I see. I show you mine, you show me yours? Well let me ask you, how did you get *your* scar?"
Miguel shook his head slowly, and wagged his finger in front of Todd's face in an 'eh eh eh' gestures.
"Oh no you don't. I asked you first."
Yeah, well, I don't think so." Todd said, starting to leave. So much for peace and quiet.
Miguel, grabbed at him angrily. 'Hey asshole, I asked you a question. Now you answer it, before I kick your fucking ass!"
"Hey calm down, Tito," Todd said, jerking away, "I think someone could use an anger management class. You want the number?"
"Fuck you, man."
"Why do you wanna know so bad anyway, huh? Just because you have one?" Miguel just looked at him, "Fine, you wanna know so much, I'll tell you. I like to reward persistence. A woman hit me in the face with a lead pipe because I was being a really bad boy. I could have had it removed but I didn't want to. It's a symbol of the man I...never want to be again."
Miguel smiled a little, "Hey man, that's all you had to say." He was relieved. He had feared that there was going to be big confrontation. He hadn't liked the way he exploded at Manning, just because he wouldn't answer his damn question. It scared him. It was the sign of a man losing control. And why had he wanted to know so bad anyway? He didn't know, but seeing that scar, so much like his own, responded to something inside him. As far as background went, as far as superficial things, they were nothing alike. But under the surface, he could feel a kinship. He felt like maybe there was something very basic about their natures that they had in common. He wanted to know what that was.
"Your turn amigo," Todd said, "Share."
The younger man grunted. "Long story."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Miguel smiled, and they both sat down.
Augustus: How much will you put up with for the sake of friendship? Do you just accept any little idiosyncrasies that your buddies have, no matter how annoying or bizarre, or just totally tasteless? What if it's too much too handle? What if it's not worth the bother? What friendship is?
Augustus was having a rather pleasant dream. In it, he was sitting at the dinner table with his wife having his favorite meal: Tacos Supreme. He'd filled his plate with a third helping when he felt his wife's small foot tracing up and down his leg. He ignored the sensation, with some effort, not yet willing to tear himself away from his meal, until it started making it's slow, lingering journey to his crotch. *That* couldn't be ignored. He smiled, and put his taco down. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry at all anymore.
"Baby, what *are* you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" she replied, her voice, husky and seductive.
*Making me horny as hell,* he wanted to say, but the thought was swallowed up by another one. His legs! He could feel them. And if he could *feel* them, then maybe... He stood up slowly and took a He took a few cautious steps around the table. His legs were steady and strong. 'Oh fuck!" he exclaimed, "I can walk! I can walk again! Baby, look at me!"
His wife nodded, a gentle smiling playing about her lips, and he was struck for the zillionth time at how amazingly beautiful she was. And she was all his. He could feel his chest swell up with a burst of pride and happiness. He was free, he was with the woman he loved, he could walk. At that moment, he felt like his life was just about perfect.
"You," he said pointing to her. "Come on over here, gorgeous.
She strolled slowly over to him, smiling. "Yes dear." She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a long, slow kiss on his lips. When they broke apart, he suddenly swept her up into his arms, making her squeal with delight.
"What are you doing, Gus?"
"I'm making like one of those soap guys you like to watch. You know, the ones you say or so romantic. I'm going to carry you to our bed. Then I'm going to make love to you all night long."
"You're the boss," she said, grinning.
"Better believe it."
He started to do just what he'd promised when she suddenly started to scream.
"No! Leave me alone! Don't touch me! Stop, please!" But the odd thing was, it wasn't his wife's sweet, sexy voice, but the voice of his new pod mate, Todd Manning. Realizing that he was dreaming and afraid that his wife's face would also be replaced by Todd's, he effortfully woke himself up. He crawled himself out of bed and into his chair. On the top bunk, he beheld his pod mate.
Todd was covered in sweat, tossing and turning violently in his bunk, fighting off an attacker that only he could see.
"No!" he cried, "Stay away from me! Don't hurt me! Please, don't!"
"Shit!" Augustus thought, "On top of everything else, the crazy bastard's going to keep me up every night with his nightmares."
Still he had to do something. The guy was weird, yes, but he'd come to think of him as a friend. He reached up and shook him gently on the leg to wake him up. Todd lashed out and Augustus wheeled out of his way.
"No!" Todd screamed, waking up suddenly. He looked around disoriented. "Wh- what...what...where-where am I? What am I doing here? Who am I? What's going on?"
"Whoa! Hold on there Manning. You're okay. You just had a nightmare. Bad one from the looks of things."
"Oh. Yeah, that's why I never sleep. Heh! Sorry I woke you up."
"S'okay. What was the dream about?"
"I, uh, don't remember," he said, but he wouldn't meet his eyes.
"You okay, man?"
Todd shrugged. "Guess so. Go back to sleep."
"You sure?"
He nodded. "Yeah go on. You're not my mommy. You don't have to sit up with me."
Hill shrugged. "Whatever you say." He started to pull himself back into bed.
"Hey Hill."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for waking me. It *was* bad."
"Yeah, I know. It's okay."
He got back to bed, and within minutes, he could feel sleep closing in on him again. Maybe he could pick up his dream where it left off. He wished Manning had waited until it had progressed a little farther before he started freaking out. Well, at least he would be able to get back to sleep, which is more than he could say for Todd, who had gotten out of bed and was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. His hazel eyes were dull and tired. Augustus wished he'd had a sleeping pill or something to give him. *Oh well,* Hill thought, *He can plead his case to the Doc tomorrow. Maybe she'll give him some.*
He was on the verge of sleep when a thought hit him. Something the other man had said. *Who am I?* Had Manning actually said that? What the fuck did that mean? As he pondered it, sleep didn't come as easily as he thought it would.
The next day, he watched his new friend carefully to see if he would do anything else strange but he hadn't. He was the same caustic but charismatic man that Augustus had met the day before. Now, an hour before count, Todd was amusing his new friends with stories of his life as a newspaper man in Lanview.
"I had some great headlines," he was saying, "Like that last one. 'Buchanan Steals Stiff'. Man, Bo Buchanan stole his own dead son from a crime scene and holed up with him all night in his cabin. And they say *I'm* nuts."
Miguel, sitting nearby and listening, saw his chance. "Well, that's all fascinatin' and all, Manning, but what I wanna know is, how did you get that butt-ugly scar on your face?"
Todd, enjoying the sensation of people hanging on his every word, suddenly quieted, his expression darkening. 'Okay, story time's over. Go find something else to amuse yourselves with."
Some of the other guys moaned in disappointment. "Aw man, don't go yet," one of the latinos said. I want to hear about your ex, the one that's running the paper for you. Does she have big tetas?"
Todd rolled his eyes. "Another time." He got up, heading for the gym. It was empty, which made him very happy. A rare moment of peace and quiet, in which he could sort out his thoughts. But it wasn't to be. Miguel had followed him.
"Hey you, Manning! Didn't answer my question."
"No I *didn't.* Hmm, that should tell you something."
"Come on, I wanna know."
"Why Alwarez?"
Alvarez pointed to the fading scar on his own right cheek.
Todd smirked, "Ah, I see. I show you mine, you show me yours? Well let me ask you, how did you get *your* scar?"
Miguel shook his head slowly, and wagged his finger in front of Todd's face in an 'eh eh eh' gestures.
"Oh no you don't. I asked you first."
Yeah, well, I don't think so." Todd said, starting to leave. So much for peace and quiet.
Miguel, grabbed at him angrily. 'Hey asshole, I asked you a question. Now you answer it, before I kick your fucking ass!"
"Hey calm down, Tito," Todd said, jerking away, "I think someone could use an anger management class. You want the number?"
"Fuck you, man."
"Why do you wanna know so bad anyway, huh? Just because you have one?" Miguel just looked at him, "Fine, you wanna know so much, I'll tell you. I like to reward persistence. A woman hit me in the face with a lead pipe because I was being a really bad boy. I could have had it removed but I didn't want to. It's a symbol of the man I...never want to be again."
Miguel smiled a little, "Hey man, that's all you had to say." He was relieved. He had feared that there was going to be big confrontation. He hadn't liked the way he exploded at Manning, just because he wouldn't answer his damn question. It scared him. It was the sign of a man losing control. And why had he wanted to know so bad anyway? He didn't know, but seeing that scar, so much like his own, responded to something inside him. As far as background went, as far as superficial things, they were nothing alike. But under the surface, he could feel a kinship. He felt like maybe there was something very basic about their natures that they had in common. He wanted to know what that was.
"Your turn amigo," Todd said, "Share."
The younger man grunted. "Long story."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Miguel smiled, and they both sat down.