Candy | MouthWashing Game Curly X OC

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨

"I just think if there was an actual way to solve it, they'd solve it. They're buying time for publicity."

I nodded absentmindedly as Tina talked in my ear. I was unpacking a new donation of mouthwash and toothbrushes for the residents and putting them in separate containers for us to all drop off. "And Curly can talk now so why wouldn't they interview him?" She added.
"He can say short sentences. But they want him to mentally be ready for it as well," I explained, adding a blue toothbrush and a small bottle of the mouthwash in a little container for him.

"Oh, that's why the therapist visit?" Tina raises her eyebrows and takes some containers I've packed with the hygiene items.
I gave a small shrug.
"For him and some others. But he's making good progress," I said, "and soon enough they can get a statement from him. But I'm just focused on his recovery."
Tina picked up a yellow toothbrush and put it in Lynn's container. She turned around when we heard footsteps and smiled brightly when we realized it was my mom.

"Mrs. Snowshoe, good morning! Did you see-"

"The Pony Express update? Yes. You told me," mom said with an amused look. She set down her purse on the kitchen table and started sorting through the mail. We used the kitchen as a food prep area, lunch area, and a desk.

Apparently the newest update was discovering that Anya, the only woman on the ship, was pregnant and had overdosed and, they theorized, by her own choice. Thinking about it made me nauseous. There was no proof it was forced...
And it was right beside where Curly had laid. His blood was all over the only med cot in the ship. She had kept him alive yet did this.
I shivered.
"That one man was shot in the head and then another shot himself in the head... in the same room the pod was in," Tina yapped, still holding the containers and then walked over to the kitchen door and stood there.
Mom opened a piece of mail and read it.

"I also saw how that young man had an axe wound to his face... horrible. They must've went insane," she clicked her tongue.
I bit my bottom lip and finished setting Curly's items on a small tray along with his medication. He had been up for a bit and already ate. I decided to let him have some free time before giving him his meds.
My mom must've noticed my face and pat my hand lovingly as a comfort. I gave a forced smile and picked up his stuff then walked out, slipping past Tina as she continued her theories with my mother.

When I reached his room, I knocked twice.

"Mhm!"

I opened the door with his audible permission and walked in. Curly looked at me.
He still had bandages around his limbs and collarbone area but his face was able to heal freely with the company of his medications to help prevent infection and to speed up recovery. At night, he did have to wear a specific hood but he didn't seem to mind.
"Are you more awake?" I asked with a smile as I set his tray down on a desk nearby. The whole time his eye never left my eyes.
He nodded.

"Needed... to wake a bit," he said, still slowly taking his time.
I nodded and sat across from him in a chair as he sat in his wheelchair. I grabbed the small water bottle and broke his medication tablet in it, swishing it around to dissolve it.
"No bad..."
I looked at him. He was having trouble saying the next words. "Dreams?" I added for him. He nodded.
"That makes me happy. I'm glad you were able to sleep peacefully."

Curly smiled at me. I added the silicone straw to his bottle and let him have a few deep sips of his drink then rest a moment, before he finished it.
Then his eye slowly drifted to the mouthwash and toothbrush on the tray. He froze.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Is something wrong?"
His eye was slightly widened and he had slight tremors. I quickly moved the tray to the dresser and then kneeled in front of him so I was eye level.

"Deep breath, Curly, for me," I softly said. He was having a traumatic flashback, I've seen it before. Curly's eye found mine. I saw he was clenching his jaw. Using my finger, I slowly drew shapes on his arm.
I did the slow inhale for him and then exhale so he'd follow.
Curly shook his body and then his eye drifted to my hand drawing the shapes. Then to my eyes.
He started following my breathing pattern.

"Good job, bubba," I praised, "in and out," I babied him in this moment.
What was important is getting him through this so he doesn't cause physical harm to himself absentmindedly.
He slowly let his jaw go slack and then stopped shaking. His breathing was normal.
I furrowed my brows slightly.
What caused this reaction?

Curly looked up at me. His blue eye was misty. He looked ready to talk to me.