Little Lockwood

1.13: A New Friend

Link had woken up in a bed that was not his own. He looked around the bare room only seeing white painted walls and grey carpet around the borders of the black blanket he was under.

As quietly as he could, Link got up with a wince in pain. But he pushed through, quietly cringing as he got out of the bed and grabbed his shoes. He had left the spare room and made it to the kitchen about to break for the door when a the sound of a throat clearing alerted him that he wasn't the only one awake. Akwardly Linkin turned stiffly trying not to show any emotion as he looked to the man behind the kitchen island.

"Morning." Ryan said wearing a tank top and baggy checkered black pants holding a cup of coffee.

"H.. Hi." Linkin said akwardly.

"Want some coffee." Ryan offered, gesturing to the glass pot of dark brown liquid infront of him.

"Oh, ah no thank you. I should probably just go." The boy said.

"You don't have to." Ryan told him. "I promise my house is a safe place." He assured him.

"You've already helped me enough." Link politely tried to dismiss.

LAST NIGHT

After Linkin had called the number on his phone Ryan had shown up less than five minutes later in a black truck. He had brought Linkin back to his house and he told them about the group of guys who attacked him.

"You should report them." Ryan told the Linkin as the boy laid on the couch and the fireman dabbed some cream onto a large foot sized bruise on his chest.

"Whats the point. I don't know who they where." Linkin told him.

"Your a terrible liar." Ryan deadpaned pushing a little too hard on the bruise making Link instinctively curl up with a pained groan.

"Are we done?" Linkin asked sore and embarrassed behing half naked on a strangers couch. Even if he called them for help.

Ryan looked over the wounds and old scars on the boys body. It was something he was familiar with and that he would never wish on someone else. "I think so." He sighed. "I've adequate the pare bed for you. It's the first door on your left. The bathroom is the first door on your right." He told him.

Linkin grabbed his shirt and stopped himself vocalising his pain as he put it on and dragged himself tieredly down the to the hall an into the spare bed.

Ryan let put a deep breath as he cleaned up the mess he made from bandage packets and cotton balls as well as putting his stethoscope back in his work pack. He could see so much if his younger self in Linkin and that scaird him alot. He shivered at the flash of his father's fist raised to him that that forced itself to the forefront of his mind.

After he cleaned up he was heading to bed when he heard the sound of something muffled. The spare room door was slightly open and Ryan peeked through the gap and saw Linkin was crying into the pillow. "I have to help this kid." He thought to himself.

END OF FLASH BACK.

"At least let me give you a ride." Ryan said.

Linkin looked unsure.

"Need I remind you that I was the one that drove you here. Hence you have no car." Ryan pointed out.

"Okay." Linkin said knowing he didn't have any other real options.

"Great, I'll get my keys." Ryan said quickly ducking to his bedroom.

...

"Just a left up here." Linkin directed seeing the Lockwood estate driveway.