Just A Kid

Lenas Return

  Kara shoveled dirt into a large glass tank, packing it down lightly and adding damp pieces of bark and moss inside as well.

  "Please tell me that's not for Callen." Kara heard a familiar voice say.

  "No, it's for Winn." Kara replied.

  "I don't think Winn will fit in there." Sam replied jokingly, taking a seat next to Kara.

  "I'm getting him a frog." Kara said.

  "A frog?" She questioned.

  "When I was feeling low I found Streaky, and I love cats. Streaky helped me feel better. So maybe if I get Winn a frog, he'll feel better."

  "He's still having trouble adjusting?"

  Kara nodded. "It's hard. I don't blame him. When I first got here, I had bad nightmares. And I can tell that he's having them too. So I just want to make him feel more comfortable."

  "That's nice of you." Sam said. Kara smiled as she put the finishing touches on the enclosure.

  "I'll be right back," she said, speeding off into the woods and returning seconds later with a disgusted look on her face and something cupped in her hands. She let the small frog free into the enclosure and cleaned her hands off in the grass. "They're so gross." She set the lip on top of the container and picked it up.

  "So how've you been?" Kara asked, starting the walk back to her house.

  "Oh, you know, the usual." Sam said, dragging her feet as she walked.

  "You seem down." Kara said.

  "Yeah, I guess I just miss hanging out with everyone."

"It's been awhile.. Hasn't it?" Kara stated rhetorically. Sam hummed in agreement.

As they approached Kara's home, Kara's ears started to ring and she winced in pain. Noticing this, Sam grabbed the tank and gently set it on the ground before grabbing Kara to help support her.

"Woah, are you alright?" Sam asked. Kara nodded and covered her ears. After a moment she removed her hands from her ears and reached down to grab the tank once again.

"I'm okay. It happens sometimes." Kara said as she walked up her driveway.

"Do you know why?" Sam asked.

"Not sure.. My hearing just picks up on random things sometimes and it takes me a minute to ground myself. Usually I focus on Le- uh. My heartbeat and it helps." Kara said. "Want to come in?"

"Sure." Sam nodded, catching Kara's small slip up and filling in the gaps of what Kara actually does to help herself.

"Winn!" Kara called out, setting the tank down in the kitchen counter.

"What?!" He called out from his room.

"Come out here!" Kara called back. There was a muffled 'coming' before his door opened and he walked towards them.

"Sam!" He smiled. "It's good to see you." He said as he gave her a hug.

"And what in the world is that?" He asked, finally noticing the tank.

"I got you a.. frog!" Kara smiled.

"Oh! Thank you, Kara." Winn said. He stood on the tips of his toes and peered into the tank. "It's a little tree frog. They're my favorite!"

Kara smiled. "I'm glad you like him. I also got you a book about frogs, if you wanted to read it.. I read it yesterday and it helped me understand what they need to live, so maybe it can help you?"