Symbiosis

Chapter 12

Two vehicles drove into the parking lot closest to Alex's apartment. One, a silver minivan that kept idling as Alex and his father stepped out of the other one, a simple blue four person vehicle. Alex gingerly made his way around the car and to his father, both having a troubled expression.

Alex's father gave Alex the car key and carefully gave him a one arm hug. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay, Alex? It's not too late to change your mind. You know you're more than welcome to stay with us until you get better," he said with his voice filled with a familiar fatherly concern.

Alex nodded and hugged his father back, exerting a little more pressure than was being used on him. "I'm sure. I need to work some things through on my own. It's been... well it's been quite a few days, to put it lightly."

His father clearly did not like that answer, which Alex certainly could not blame him for. His father knelt down a little to get on Alex's height level and wrapped both arms around him. Alex felt a tiny twinge of pain in his chest, but he bore through it. He and his father both needed the comfort. His father took a breath and muttered in a tone Alex could just hear. "Please, please be careful going forward."

Alex strained his body slightly in response to the chest pain, but made no attempt to pull away from the embrace. "I will. I promise."

The two held the embrace for a solid minute until Alex's father hesitantly pulled away and started towards the idling minivan. "Just call if you need anything, okay?"

Alex nodded, then turned towards the driver of the minivan and gave a wave towards her. "Thanks for the help, aunt Tess!"

The woman leaned out the window and waved back. "Anytime, hun! Be safe now, ya hear? I don't wanna hear about you getting banged up more than ya already are!" she called out back in a thick southern accent.

Alex chuckled at her friendly motherly demeanor and started to make his way towards his front door. "I will! See ya around!"

Alex's father got into the minivan with his aunt Tess and they both rode away from Alex's apartment complex, leaving the blue vehicle behind. Alex clicked the lock button on his car remote and fished for his apartment key, but as soon as he found it, the front door opened up without Alex having done anything. Alex took a slightly startled step back and looked up towards the entryway. Isaac was standing there with an expression of even greater surprise.

"Alex! Holy shit, you're back! Are you okay, hun? I heard about the regirock explosion," Isaac asked in a frantic manner.

Alex held up both of his hands in a placating motion. "Calm down, calm down, I'm fine. Ribs are still cracked and I've got a few bruises, so be gentle with me." Isaac stepped aside so Alex could enter the apartment. Alex slowly walked over to the couch and gingerly sat down on the living room couch, taking in a sharp breath, hissing through the stabbing pain in his chest. "Fuck, that asshole really did a number on me though," he muttered bitterly.

Isaac's eyes flashed with anger, but it just as quickly gave way to concern and relief. "I'm frankly just glad you're home in one piece." He shut the front door to the apartment, but stayed standing near the entrance vvith his hands in his shorts pockets. "Did they say when you're gonna be in good enough shape to go about your life normally?"

Alex threw his head back against the couch cushion and stared up towards the ceiling. "A whole freaking month. Ugh, this sucks so much. I really don't wanna be stuck inside doing nothing for that long," he complained loudly.