End of Innocence
Chapter 28
Cabin, Cimarron, Colorado
Within an hour after breakfast, Reese had already started to notice the change. Some of the muscles had stopped complaining every time he moved a leg or reached for something. The sense of it had crept in on him while the two of them were eating.
He tried waggling a foot under the table to test it and nothing bad happened. Like a miracle after this morning. Then he tried something more and pushed himself up off his seat.
Okay, that was a little rougher, but most of the pain had come from around the wound on his side. That didn't count. Maybe ninety percent of the rest was good; not gone, but good. And he bet he could walk again, too, the right way.
Reese had waited for Shaw to leave the table before he checked.
One step first, close to the edge of the table – in case he was wrong. That seemed to work. Encouraged, he took a couple more steps. And other than some stiffness and soreness in the legs, he was a lot better now than before.
Reese looked for Shaw. Found her in the living room, poking at the fire. She'd be pleased, he figured. Before he'd even gotten there, she'd turned around to watch him walk.
"Huh," was all she said.
"Think I'll get my shower now," he told her, in his whisper-voice. Reese saw her nod and turn back to the fire. A long hot shower could be just what he needed to break the grip of this thing.
He turned back to the hallway and headed for the bedroom. Shaw's luggage was there on the bed, open. Looked like she was pretty close to done packing.
Chase'd said he'd be by around noon or so to pick them up for the ride to the airport. He'd already dropped her rental car in Cimarron days ago, so no need to leave any earlier to get it back.
He'd left them his truck, with the plow still attached, out in the front yard. They'd had a little snow fall since the big one the other day, but it seemed like the squalls had come through mostly at night. They'd wake up to an inch or two of fresh powder in the mornings. Nothing that'd even warranted plowing. And that was fine with Reese. Didn't think he'd have wanted to wrestle a snowplow these last few days.
In the bedroom, Reese opened most of the buttons on his flannel shirt and pulled it and the shirt underneath up over his head. A quick sniff convinced him to toss both in the hamper. No saving them for another wear.
His jeans all but fell off him once he'd loosened the belt. He was gonna have to pay more attention to meals if he wanted to gain back the weight. An old mirror mounted on the back of the bedroom door didn't lie. He'd lost a good share of muscle mass: shoulders, arms, chest, and legs. Barely recognized himself this pale and thin. The pink slash across his chest still looked shiny in the mirror and the knot from the broken rib underneath poked forward like a big thick knuckle with the weight loss.
A stubble of beard on his face helped to hide some of the sharpest angles. Without it he'd look as gaunt there, too. Had to admit, he was probably in the worst shape of his life since he'd left the Rangers, years ago. One last look in the mirror and he left for the washroom. Didn't wanna see himself like this anymore.
He was careful to lift the band of his boxers over the gauze on his side. The wound still ached. Wasn't supposed to get it wet in the shower, so he'd figured a way of taping a piece of plastic wrap over the top. Good enough for now, until the hole finally filled in. He laid the square over the gauze and ran a strip of white tape all the way around the edge. Once it was sealed, Reese reached over to get the water running.
He started out with the temperature the way he liked it, but then kept turning the handle, hotter and hotter while he stood in the spray. His skin had gone to a deep red when he finally dialed it back.
Reese lathered himself with soap and shampoo, and then rinsed off. One final burst of heat, all the way around, and he was done. Felt so good he just stood there in the mist inside the shower. Minute by minute, though, cooler air was creeping in. It gave him a shiver.
Reese pulled his towel in with him and started to dry himself while the heat was still corralled inside. He took his time. This felt too good to rush. Unbelievable that a little food and a single pill could make this much of a difference. He thought he was headed for the hospital this morning, and now he felt like he could walk the driveway again, both ways.
The last thing he did was to peel the plastic square off his side. The gauze underneath looked dry and clean. No yellow-pink ooze from the wound below. He wrapped his towel around his waist, over the top of the square of gauze, and headed back to the bedroom.
Shaw's things were gone from the bed now. He glanced around for anything she'd left behind, but the room had started out so sparse that any of her stuff would've jumped right out.
Reese pulled out some fresh clothes from the single tall dresser in the room and dressed quickly. It felt chilly in there. When he was done, he stepped in front of the mirror again. Layers did a decent job of hiding his gaunt frame: long-sleeved shirt, under a thick flannel shirt, and a down vest over that. He needed a shorter belt threaded through the loops in his jeans, so the extra wouldn't attract attention. Thick socks and a pair of lightweight boots finished the job.
Well, except for the hair. He stepped a little closer to the mirror and ran his fingers through, smoothing the ones sticking up in the back. Definitely needed a haircut and a trim for the stubble. Thought maybe he'd grow it out a while – a beard felt good in the winter.
Once that was done, he stepped back and took a last look.
Passable.
Anyone who'd really known him could see something had changed. But the odds of running into someone out here who'd known him a decade back was pretty low. He'd take those odds.
Shaw walked the place one more time. She'd showered and dressed for the flight home, and then she'd sorted through the meds and equipment she'd be leaving with Reese: antibiotics, pain meds, thermometer, blood pressure cuff, the notebook and pen to keep his readings, and a few hand-written notes. He'd probably never used a pressure cooker before, so she'd left a few words on how to use it to sterilize his instruments for the next few weeks.
And she'd made a shopping list of a few more things he should get from the pharmacy, like iron pills with a little vitamin C, to raise his blood count faster. Some red meat would help, too, and she knew he'd find that a lot more palatable than a bottle of pills.
The weight loss was gonna be a problem, she figured. He didn't pay that much attention to meals most of the time, so he'd always been on the thinner side. Didn't think he'd change his ways now. But there were only so many suggestions she could make at one time. He wasn't a child. He'd have to figure it out.
Just before noon they heard a car pull in in the front yard.
Car doors, three of them, slammed shut and Reese exchanged looks with Shaw before he headed for the door. Chase knocked once and waited outside for Reese's voice, then swung the door in. His tall, wide body filled the doorway, but they could see there were more people behind him.
"Couldn't keep these gals behind – hope ya don't mind us bargin' in for a second. They're jus' droppin' me off." He stepped in and glanced at Reese and Shaw, then turned back to the two women at the door.
"Hi, John. 'Member me? Ginny?" Chase stepped aside and a blonde woman half his height stepped in. She held her hand out and walked forward to shake his. Reese vaguely remembered seeing her before, maybe at the airport when he and Chase were flying back from Afghanistan one time.
Still pretty. Curvier than he remembered. Strong grip, like she worked on a farm. Chase wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.
She looked up at Reese with a smile: "This is my best friend, Cat – Catherine. I been tellin' her all about you, John, and she jus' hadta come see for herself."
Another woman, dark-haired, with dark, almond-shaped eyes stepped around Ginny and stopped to take a long look at him. More than a head taller than Ginny, and thicker, Cat threw back her head and let out a laugh. A little too loud, but it got Ginny giggling.
"Pleased to meetcha, John," she said. Again, a little louder than she needed. A row of large white teeth spilled into view with her laugh. Reese shook her hand, too, and they all stood there for a long moment, waiting for someone to speak. He realized they were all looking at him.
Reese turned, searching for Shaw.
"This is – Sam." And he left it at that.
Cat slid her eyes over, and he could see them sizing her up. Reese heard her sniff, then, with another toss of her head. He turned back to Shaw, checking for any warning signs, but her eyes were cool, dark pools – unmoved by the antics. Cat's eyes narrowed and she held Shaw in a long prickly stare.
"We better get going," Reese said, in his whisper-voice.
The sound broke the stare, and Cat turned her eyes to him, smiling in a wide, white glare of teeth.
"We should get together for a drink, John," she said, smiling again.
Her eyes had a way of flicking back and forth between Shaw and him. Made him uneasy. She flicked back to him, waiting for an answer. He didn't respond.
Instead, he gathered Shaw in with an arm around her shoulders and rolled her bag along next to them, guiding her around the dark-haired woman to the front door. Shaw didn't resist. She fell in with his cadence, and then, once they were out on the porch, she grabbed the handle of the suitcase and rolled it away herself.
Reese waited on the porch for the others to leave. They filed out of the cabin in a single line. Ginny stopped to give him a squeeze on the arm and a kiss on the cheek as she passed:
"Glad to have you home, John. I'll be callin'. We want ya over for dinner real soon."
She headed for her car. Then Chase stepped past and pointed at his wife. "Told ya, she's not gonna take no for an answer," and he grinned at Reese.
Chase followed Shaw to the truck. He lifted her suitcase into the open back and busied himself strapping it in. Shaw stood there watching Reese from her spot near the back. Meanwhile, Cat had sidled up in front of him.
"Really nice finally getting to meet you, after everything I've heard," she said. Her eyes held his for a long moment and then she leaned in for a kiss. Reese turned his head just quick enough for her lips to land on his stubble. Her eyes narrowed when she pulled back, like she was confused for a moment.
"Call me," she said, almost a whisper. Reese didn't respond.
She looked a little hurt and turned to Ginny, then headed for the passenger side of the car.
They let the women back up and turn around in the yard. The car stopped for a moment and they waved from the front seats. Chase waved back as they drove off for the main road. Then he climbed in on the driver's side and started the engine.
Shaw climbed in and sat next to him, in the middle. Reese got in last, in the passenger seat, and slammed the door shut. She noticed his grimace with the strain of lifting himself up into the cab. Like she'd said, it was gonna take some time before he'd be back to anything like himself.
When Reese had settled in, Chase glanced over at the two of them and then rolled forward down the long drive to the road.
A lone bird had perched on the wires above the end of the driveway: small, delicate head on a long slender neck and a sleek full chest.
His head bobbed and Reese heard his call: the low, slow song of a mourning dove.