Sord in Prosperity - Hope Beyond the Apocalypse

EP. 126 - KNOT

BECCA WAS CONFUSED BY Sord's frozen expression. "What gives?" she asked Robbie. "Sord apparently doesn't know what happened to his forehead."

Sord glanced at Robbie, hoping he'd say nothing, and barely shook his head. Becca caught the movement from the corner of her eye.

"Okay, young delinquents. What aren't you boys telling me?" she demanded, eyebrows raised.

Noticing Robbie's mum expression, Sord thought he'd relieve his friend of the burden.

"Mom," he started, "I wasn't too aware of things when it happened. Like, I don't have a clear memory."

Becca's eyebrows had not moved, and she was giving Sord that motherly look of disbelief.

"You see," he continued, "Matt was there with the first search party."

"Yes," she confirmed. "I told him to go out and search for you two. That was not his fault."

Sord's Prosperity teachings were pressing heavily against his mind. 'Be smart about how you speak, but fear not the message. Face the harsh wind of retribution or consequence when it may present itself. Best to deal with reality and truth than a rationalized lie or half-truth.'

"But this," he pointed to his forehead, "apparently was."

Sitting at the edge of Sord's bed, Becca immediately bolted up straight to the floor. "Did he pick you up and drop you or something?"

"No!" Robbie burst out. "He whacked him really hard on the forehead. Like this, with his backhand and knuckles."

Robbie clenched his fist and thwacked his mattress, causing the bed frame to rattle.

Becca stood rigidly, staring at the table between the beds.

"That big, little fuckup," she whispered inaudibly. "That big, little fuckup hit my barely alive son!"

"Were you awake or unconscious when this happened?" she prodded Sord.

Volunteering again, Robbie said, "Mrs. B, he was out of it, honestly. He couldn't even speak. I think his eyes were closed or rolling around. I just saw Matt's big old fist in the air, then it cracked down on his head."

She was still in shock. "Are you sure? You sure this wasn't there already?"

"I swear. His face was smooth as a baby's butt, excepting the big paw swipe on that side. The huge knot didn't come from a paw, for sure. If it was a racnine's claw, Sord wouldn't have a face right now. I saw the dude hit him, and he was angry as hell. Uh, I mean 'heck.' The other rescue guy from their moto was trailing right behind him, and he yelled at Matt to halt. After that, Matt stood up and let the guy begin assessing Sord's wounds, at least the ones Matt didn't create."

Robbie stopped. He knew the last comment would make her even angrier. He started wondering whether he'd ever be allowed back in Sord's apartment after telling this story. But it was true.

"You know, I was pretty out of it too," he backpedaled, "so I might have overdone the memory a bit. But I know the rescue guy was mad as hell at him, and I was afraid those two might get in a fight when we were both down on the ground and in no shape to break it up. Then other folks started buzzing around me, and I couldn't see anything after that."

Becca's knees were shaking, and she plopped hard onto Sord's bed.

"Ow!" he complained, the movement jostling his arm.

"Sorry, Dearie. Sorry. I need you two to be quiet for a minute."

She closed her eyes and started breathing as deeply as possible, trying to remember whatever she could recall in the moment from the Stoic's Checklist. She tried to access something, some mantra that might help her calm down.