Dog Days

Chapter 127

It's been about a month since we got married.

On this particular day, I'm out in the orchard, clipping the ripe figs from the trees, with my pocket knife. I load them into the bag I have over my good shoulder.

The day is hot and dry, and I remember the fig trees back in Afghanistan.

There's a familiar smell in the air and I can't quite place it, but it makes my stomach uneasy.

I try to push past it as I walk deeper into the orchard, back towards the pistachios, and walnut trees.

Even the produce remains me of Afghanistan.

I start collecting the figs from the back of the fig cluster, and then I hear something.

I hear the whistle and I can feel the hairs on the back of my head standing on end.

But then I hear the boom, and my brain immediately processes it as an explosion.

I turn around, in an instant, and then I hear another. My heart pounds as I throw the bag to the ground.

I take a better hold of the pocket knife as they just continue booming around me. I can't seem to catch my breath as I look around, helplessly.

Every instinct in my body tells me that trouble is coming and I don't know if I should run or stand my ground. Beyond the trees, I have no line of sight. I feel trapped.

And even though I know I'm in Virginia, I feel like I'm right back in Afghanistan.

The booming just gets louder and louder in my head and I can feel my airway restricting as my brain tries to paint the picture of fear in my head.

I don't know what to do.

And I can't stop the tears from streaming out of my eye, blurring my vision.

I can't stop myself from sobbing as I remember the last time I felt this way in an orchard.

It actually was back in Afghanistan. We were starving, so we stopped at a farm, and started gorging ourselves on figs.

It didn't last long.

We were ambushed, and we ran through the woods, trying to get away from the people who were killing us. I remember the landmines that took put some of the people I went to boot camp with.

I sink to the ground and hold the pocket knife in hand.

Then I hear the trees ruffling and even more panic sets in. The booming overhead just makes it worse and I start sobbing.

Then the ruffling stops and I hear "Thor?"

I recognize the voice, immediately. It's Loki. I would know his voice, anyway.

I call out "Loki?"

He comes running down the row of trees and stops when he sees me "There you are!"

He looks down at the pocket knife and smiles at me, kindly "It's okay, darling."

He squats down in front of me as the booming continues "We should have never left the house, today. It's the Fourth of July. We should get you to a quiet place and take your mind off of it."

He reaches forward and wipes the tears from my face as he opens his hand to me "Give me the knife, dear. It's alright. I've got you."

I sob out as I hand it over "I'm sorry!"

He closes the knife and pockets it as he asks "Why are you sorry, baby? It's alright!"

I look up at him and he just nods in understanding "It's alright to be afraid, Thor." He holds out his hand to me and I take it. He pulls me up as he sighs "But I'll always be right here to protect you. I love you, baby."

He wipes my face again and holds my face in his hands "Can you talk to me, please? I need to know that you're lucid."

I nod to him "I thought I was back in Afghanistan, for a minute."

He gives me a soft smile "I figured it was something like that. I dropped everything when I heard the first firework. Figured I'd better find you."

I nod as he grabs the bag from the ground and declares "Let's go home, baby."

As we walk down the row, Heimdall, Odin, Hela, and Frigga hurry over and look me over in concern. Loki rubs my back and hands over the bag of figs "We're going to head up to the house and try to take his mind off of everything. Probably just going to get high as balls and watch tv."

Frigga nods, before Loki leads me away, speaking softly "I'll run you a nice hot bath. I'll get you a diazepam to calm your nerves. It's alright. You're not back there."

I look at him in disappointment "I couldn't move."

He nods "I know."

I sigh "Landmines... they were running from the gunmen, and just... landmines..."

He rubs my chest, softly, as he speaks in a soft voice "I know, baby. I'm sorry."

He leads me through camp as eyes set on us. The fireworks continue to explode, and Loki whispers to me, softly "It's alright. It's just stupid fireworks. Let's go."

He leads me up the driveway, only to pull me inside and lock the doors. He leads me right into the bathroom and grabs me an anxiety pill as he smiles at me "Take this pill, you'll feel much better."

I take it, before he rubs up and down my back "Let me start a bath for you, darling."

He immediately starts drawing a bath and I sigh "I'm sorry you have to take care of me."

He turns to me and sighs "Thor, I made a promise, for better or worse, for sickness and in health. You took care of me, so let me take care of you. I'm your husband, and I'm not taking no for an answer. Get in this bath, and let me take care of you."

I take a deep breath, before I begin to strip from my clothes. He crosses his arms and waits for my clothes to come off, before bending forward to grab them off the floor "Get in the bath, dear."

As he walks off with my clothes, I step into the bathtub and let the bubbles wash over my feet.

When I sink down into the tub, he steps into the closet and walks out with a pair of sweats and a shirt for me "Do you want privacy, or do you want me to sit in here, with you?"

I can hear the distant booming outside and I can see that he knows that it's bothering me. He gives me a soft smile, before he takes a seat on the floor, leaning back against the tub with a book in his hands.

We slip into silence as he reads his book, and I soak in the warm bubbly water.

After a few minutes, I sigh "You don't have to stay-"

He looks up from his book and asks "Do you want me to stay or go? I'm comfortable, but I can go elsewhere."

I can hear the fireworks outside, so I sigh "I mean, if you're comfortable, you don't have to go."

He gives me an amused look and sighs "Alright then, Thor. I have some earplugs, somewhere. I'll put them in for you, before you go to sleep."

He goes back to his book and I look over his face. He smiles down at his book, but I know he's waiting for me to either say something or look away.

After a moment, I ask "Loki?"

He hums and looks over to me "Thor?"

I look over his face and declare "I love you."

He smiles up at me, happily "I love you, too, Thor."

He reaches up and grabs my hand, from the side of the tub. He squeezes my bad hand and returns to his book "I'm sorry that there's fireworks outside. It's kinda stupid that they would do it during the day."

I sigh as I lay my head back "The town does them throughout the day. There's a festival and everything."

He nods, before he sighs "That's stupid."

I nod and we slip back into a comfortable silence.