THE TRUTH OF US : Truth Known. (5)

Using.

The Best. Cont.

If I was going to do this.....Nate was the perfect person to practice on.     He came with heaps of responsibility (A shit load actually)    He needed a lot of care, he wasn't too bright......And, Audrey was always telling me to be kinder to him.

(Lily had been saying that too, but any way!)

How to practice....?

"Does......Nate need anything?.."
"Ask him.."

".....Nate, do......you....need....anything?"
"Ask properly, Ruby.....He can hear..."

"Well?.."
Nate shook his head

The phone rang, Audrey got up to answer it.

Nate looked at me, out into the hallway......Slowly got up.

".....Sit....down...."

I sat down at the table, looked at him......"I have a book, got it from the library.    Lily said it was helpful.   Your going to help me.."

"No....You need a real child.."

I gave him a hard stare....."I can't get a real kid, Nate.  I have to start some where.....And, your it!.."

"Do I get a say in this?.."
"Just say yes........What else do you have planned for the day?.."

"Bear hunting, duck shooting.    Play some golf.       Race a car, invent the cure for cancer.   Maybe check out some bars, play pool.    Just stuff, shit.."

"Don't be ridiculous!   Audrey's going to check your arm, your going to do some exercises for your leg.    Then she'll let you outside, probably watch you......Ask me to watch you.   Don't know why, then you'll end up watching TV....Or looking at her books.    You can't read.."

"You make that sound sooo interesting!    AND I Can so Read!.."

Nate was frowning at me, and crossing his good arm over his bad arm.

I stood up, looked at him (Shook my head)..."Your helping me, and that's final.."

I walked around the table.....Grabbed my book, dragged him off the chair.      And, we went up stairs.

I had never been in Nate's room.

We walked in...."It's empty looking.."
Nate nodded.   He was going for the "minimalist" look.    Maybe later he'd fill it up with junk.....Whatever!

There was a double bed, a desk/table in the corner, a chair........And, double built in wardrobe.

I poked Nate towards the bed, he sat on the edge. I looked around the room......He also had interesting collection of other things.

Medications on the desk top, what looked like medical supplies......The mouth-plate guard, and container.

I looked towards the wardrobe.......What would he have in there?           I walked towards it, that's where Nate stopped my looking.

"You don't need to look in there...."

Nate was now standing beside me.

"..Hiding dead bodies, are we?      I'll only open the door, I won't touch anything.......Plus, I've always wanted to know how big these wardrobes really are in this house.."                  I opened the door.

There were these really large packets of.......I wasn't quite sure?

"What are these, Nate?.."
"There nothing..."          And he shut the door....."You've looked, now let's look at your book.    See what you need to know.."

"Did you have to use them?.."        I vaguely pointed.

"Fuck No..."

We went and sat on his bed, Nate was annoyed. I always thought I could be the "Queen of Annoyance land".....but Nate could out rule me!

I quickly learned, I didn't like it when he was angry, upset......Or dead quiet.

I'd bought the book up with me, it was sitting on the bed beside Nate....Nate handed it to me. Opened it to to the "Must Do, Must Remember, Must Pack" (Actually, there were a lot of them)     I was going to have a lot to remember.......Lily had told me this would be "a piece of cake!".......Her words exactly. Nate looked over my shoulder....."I don't have half that shit, I don't need half that shit.......Maybe I'm not a good test-subject.  
Maybe your going to just go and help Lily with one of her cousins..."

I put the book on my lap....."No, I can still do this.     We can still make this happen, you still have stuff.    You still need things.....I'm doing it!.."

Nate rolled his eyes at me (But, he was grinning....I was getting a bit work up. This was getting hard)

"NATE!....ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?.."

Nate looked at me....."IT's that time again!      I've gotta go.."            He stood up, and walked out of the room.

Nate had to have the screws in his arm loosened or tighten, to help set the bones.....He hated it with a passion, and Audrey hated doing it.

I stood up, looked at the mouth-guard container.....Gabbed it.

I followed him down the stairs. He didn't like people watching him having it done.    He sometimes cried.

Nate went into the dinning room, and glared at her.

"Your in a fine mood, I'll be quick.."         
Audrey tried to smile at him.....But she was still trying to do it, without pain. I went and sat in the living room.

".....Offering reassurance and care when your charges are distressed, shows parents, you can handle their children's emotional needs..."

Okay.    Nate wasn't big on being touched.

I walked into the dinning room, sat at the table......Audrey was almost finished.

Nate was looking at the floor.

Audrey did two more small turns...."Almost complete..."

Nate gritted his teeth.

(.....I think your finished....NOW!!...)

Audrey looked up...."It's me or the hospital.     Every day, you decide.."

(......this could be my chance to show care!..)

I went and stood beside Nate, and gently touched his shoulder. He looked up at me.....He was upset, he didn't stop me offering a hug either.

After Audrey finished, I asked him what did it feel like.

".....like my arms being wrapped in barbed wire.....very, very tightly, and then....I'm being asked to go about my day as if nothing's wrong.."

He looked at me (Probably thinking what the hell would I know. And, he'd be right)

"Wanna come to Lily's.......She won't mind if you come..."

I never offered to go any where with Nate, always trying to get out of the house.....Without him. Audrey was very surprised when I said Nate was coming with me to Lily's.

Before he went, Audrey gave him three blue pills and a yellow liquid thing. She asked if we would be long......I told her, we'd be back later in the afternoon. I'd probably have lunch with Lily.

Audrey gave me a box....."Give him this...for lunch.."
"You know he won't eat it..."
"He will.."             Audrey smiled. "He knows.."
"Oh, before I forget, his mouth-guard.     He needs to wear it..."
"Okay...Any thing else.."
"....No, that's it. It's nice of you to do this..."
"I'm not really doing anything (I was, but I didn't want to tell Audrey.      I was using Nate for my own reasons......And not because I was "being nice"....)