Carry On [ENGLISH]

Chapter 3 - Life begin anew slowly

The adult glanced in the rear-view mirror. Ten stroked Miracle. He didn't ask any questions.

- Hey kid.

- Yes? Ten said, raising his head.

- From now on, you're going to live with me. But I warn you, I'm not necessarily good at this kind of thing.

Ten just nodded his head.

When they arrived at the bunker, Dean's first action was to prepare food, while Ten and Miracle went to explore the bunker, looking for a shower.

When the pasta was cooked, the adult called Ten to the table, who arrived dressed only in a beige trench coat too big for him.

The sight of this jacket hurt Dean physically.

- Where did you get this? Dean asked slightly bluntly.

Ten lowered his head, penaud.

- In a closet over there.

The adult sighed.

- Go put it back where you found it please.

- Yes... replied the child in a very small voice. But I'm naked like a worm underneath...

Dean sighed and went with him to look for one of the old pajamas that Jack had left in the bunker. It was a little big but it was okay.

Then they sat down at the table and Ten didn't ask any questions. The adult thanked him inwardly and they dined in silence.

At the end of the meal, Dean guided Ten to a room, number 10, and said that he was sleeping in room 11.

Ten nodded his head and went straight to bed without bothering to close the door.

The boy fell as quickly on the bed as in a dreamless sleep, paradoxically and strangely reassuring.

When he woke up the next day, it took him a moment to remember where he was and what had happened the day before.

The memories hit him hard and tears streamed down his cheeks.

Miracle entered and jumped on his bed, chasing all those negative thoughts away from him. The little boy smiled softly and caressed him before getting up.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he began to smell a delicious smell of roasted bacon, and his belly reminded him that he was hungry.

He came into the kitchen and stood in front of the door in silence. When Dean turned around with the pan, he was startled because he hadn't heard it coming.

- Son of a bitch! he exclaimed.

- What a bitch is ? Ask Ten, innocently.

- Don't repeat it, it's a swear word.

- Swear ? 

- It's bad. Not good.

- Oh. So « son of a bitch » is a bad word in that case ? 

- For the other, yes. For me, no. It's more like.. punctuation. You slept a long time, it's one o'clock in the afternoon. Are you coming for lunch?

Ten nodded.

He was shy and didn't talk much, but that didn't seem to surprise the adult who didn't force him to talk. The child was grateful.

After a few mouthfuls, he still forced himself to ask:

- What are we doing today?

Dean smiled.

- Today, rest. We'll have to go into town and buy you some clothes because Jack's are too big, but I don't know anything about that.

- Neither do I, the child seemed to apologize.

- Hey, kid.

- Yes?

- It's okay if you don't know, okay?

Ten nodded, looking convinced.

- To go out, we'll just dress you up a little better, the adult continued. You can't go outside in your pajamas. And put something on your feet, you'll catch cold!

- But I like to be barefoot myself.

- Maybe, but a lot of the floor is tiled here, and it would bother me if you got sick.

- Okay... answered Ten, lowering his head.

After quickly rummaging through Jack's cupboards, they finally found something to dress the child more or less appropriately and in his size: a short, a t-shirt that was a little too big and a plaid shirt. Then he put on some big socks and rain boots, again too big.

Our two companions, three with Miracle, climbed into the Impala parked in front of the bunker. Just like the day before, Ten sat in the back with Miracle. The Impala then left for a shopping center.

Ten spoke so little that Dean considered teaching him sign language to communicate more easily, but abandoned the idea when he discovered that to understand him, he would have to learn it too.

However, thinking of the potential for jokes that he could organize in this way, he suggested it to the child, who eventually agreed. He phoned Sam, who suggested it to Eileen, who agreed to give them some lessons.

After buying some clothes, the adult offered to buy him a toy to congratulate him on his good behaviour, and Ten agreed with a smile.

Our two main characters entered a store where a lady with shiny black hair filed her glitter nails, so long and sharp that they looked like claws.

She stopped as soon as they entered and smiled so unnaturally that Ten became frightened and hid behind Dean's legs.

The man looked at the child, without understanding. He crouched down at his height.

- Hey. It's all right, okay? She's just a salesgirl.

- Her smile is scary, let go of the child, clinging to Dean's pants.

The hunter turned to the lady who had stopped smiling foolishly. She continued as if nothing had happened.

- Hello, hello, hello! Want to see the boys' toys? We have small cars, dinosaur figurines, soldiers, fire trucks, playmobils, legos, she began to list, while Dean turned to Ten who shook his head from right to left.

- What do you want, big boy? the saleswoman asked, leaning toward him.

- Hii! Ten said in a slightly high-pitched voice, hiding her head behind Dean's legs.

The saleswoman understood the message and stayed in her place.

- I'll let you go around, she smiled then, looking like she was cursing Ten inside.

Ten then moved as far away from the saleswoman as possible and put a beam between him and her.

He drove past the aisle of small cars, toy soldiers, fire trucks, and dinosaur and dragon figurines without stopping, before stopping in front of the plush ray.

Then he saw something that attracted him.

He turned to the adult who had followed him, and showed him with a look what he wanted.