Dust

Chapter 23

Tim POV: I wake up to an empty bed, and the smell of someone cooking. My head aches, and my fists are sore from clenching them in my sleep. 

I walk out to see Faith staring at a few burnt eggs and pancakes. She puts the back of her hand on her forehead, turns off the burner, and tries to keep herself together as she goes to dump them. 

"What you doin'?" I call out, sitting down at the breakfast bar. She stops and places the plate back on the counter. 

"I burned them." She says, not even looking at me. They look like charcoal cakes, but I know what I need to do to give her a bit of a morale boost. I slide the plate over, and begin to eat them. They actually don't taste as bad as I expected. She looks at me with sad eyes. "You don't have to try and make me feel better." She rubs her elbow, and dumps out the other plate. She then goes and pulls out some cereal and milk. She pours herself a bowl, and manages to spill milk all over the counter. "Goddamnit!" She screams, crumbling. I come around the island, and wrap my arms around her, feeling her shake. 

"Calm down, honey." I whisper, kissing her forehead. "You can't let yourself get so worked up." 

"I used to make breakfast all the time for you and the girls." She says, wiping her eyes, while continuing to cry. "It's like my hands can't do what I want them to." She stares at her shaking hands. I wrap them in mine, and hold them steady. She shuts her eyes and lays her head against my chest. 

"I've got to head out a little later today. Will you be okay staying here?" I say softly, letting go of her hands. She opens her eyes and looks at me with a slight surprise. "The girls will be home. Maybe you guys could hang out." I suggest. She nods. 

"I'll be fine." She fakes a smile, getting up slowly. She tries to find a rag to clean up the milk mess with, but I stop her. 

"I got this, baby." I say, grabbing a roll of paper towels. "Do you want me to make you something before I go?" I ask. She looks exhausted. 

"No, I'm okay." She says, walking back to her bed. My chest aches at the hurt in her eyes. 

I pull up to the ancient brick building, with rusting air conditioners sticking out of every other window.  I turn off the truck and try to catch a few breaths before heading in. 

The nurse at the front desk is used to my presence here. She knows who I'm here to see, and why I'm here to see him. I think she feels a bit of pity for me. 

"You here for Mr Hill again?" She asks, writing up a visitor's pass. I stick the pass onto my shirt, and walk right on back. 

When I walk in his room, he's sitting next to the window, staring out at the overgrown field behind the building. He hears me walk in, and is already prepared. 

"I'm not sorry." He says, his voice sounding raw. I pull up a chair and sit a good distance from him. 

"I know you're not." I say, looking down at his deformed legs. 

"Then why the hell won't you leave me alone?" He growls, turning his head toward me. I'm still shocked how a woman like Faith can emerge from a man like him. 

"Because you owe me, Walter." He freezes for a moment, before turning back toward the window. I pull out my small notepad, and begin to ask a few of the questions I've written down after some extensive research. We start where we left off the last time I was here a few days ago. "How old was she when Rob died?" I ask. Walter shakes his head. 

"Fuck you." He spits. 

"That's not an answer, Walt." I say, looking around the room. 

"She was twenty one." Walter admits. "They got in a car accident. The dumbass wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Faith was driving." He says. I think back to Faith recalling what happened according to her memory.