Journey's Child

35

The next time I went to visit my mom, she patted my hand. I was happy she recognized me. I told her I was going to go home with Thad, but that I would come to visit. She still looked like a mummy with all the bandages, but I was able to tell she was under them.

After saying goodbye to her and the doctors and nurses who took care of me, Thad drove me back to his house. It took us almost an hour to get to Drakes Harbor. I was surprised that I began to feel afraid when we drove down Main Street. Thad's house seemed a little strange too. When Captain came running out to greet me I felt much better.

"Hi boy! How are you?" I asked as I gave him a big hug.

Once inside, I found Thad's house felt safe and comfortable. I didn't have to answer any questions or eat lime jello squares. The room I had was sunny and friendly. Thad had brought some of my clothes to the hospital for me to wear back to his house. I noticed that the rest of my things were unpacked and now sitting around the room and some of my clothes were hanging in the closet.

"I got your things from the cottage and brought them here."

There was a bouquet of flowers - daisies and baby's breath with some tiny purple leaves mixed in sitting on the dresser. Thad pointed them out.

"Ben brought these over for you. He asked if he could come visit and I told him maybe tomorrow. Only if you're up to it, Gilly."

I was taken by surprise. For me, everything had stopped. I hadn't realized the rest of the world kept on going. Then fear flooded into my thoughts.

"Does he know what happened?"

"Well, Gilly it was on the news and in the papers. Ben helped me take care of Captain while I was at the hospital. He's been very worried about you and your mom." Thad gave me a sad kind of smile. "People are going to act different around you for a while. They just won't know what to say. Give them a chance, Gilly. Most people mean well."

He turned to leave my bedroom. At the door he turned back and added, "For what it's worth, I think you should start with Ben. He seems like a good friend."

I nodded and went to take a closer look at the flowers.

My room had windows along one wall that faced the cove. I could lie on the bed and watch as the tide washed in over the glistening sand, spreading a thick line of white foam across the beach. I found it comforting and spent most of the afternoon resting and dozing in that sunny warm nest.

Thad fixed homemade macaroni and cheese, which was delicious. I almost forgot what real food tasted like.

I had noticed the living room had been rearranged. "Why did you move the furniture around?"

Thad once again seemed to think about how to answer my question. "When I got home from my trip Captain came to greet me. He had blood on his paws and body." He gave a big sigh, then continued. "He had been in and out of the house, getting blood on some of the rugs and furniture. It was quite a homecoming."

"What did you do?"

"I checked him out and he had several abrasions, but there was too much blood to be just from them. Then he started barking and running to the back door, so I followed him."

"Is that when you found me?"

"Yes. You were under the boat and Captain had been guarding you."

I reached out and hugged Captain to me. "You saved me and kept me safe."

Captain looked pleased with himself and made some grumble-like noises as he settled on the floor by the couch.

I looked up at Thad and asked, "Did Captain kill Tom?"

"Yes, he took him down by the throat. That's what animals do to protect themselves and the ones they love."

I leaned back and closed my eyes for the last time that day.

*

I woke to the scent of bacon cooking. The thin layer of sunlight that leaked through the windows didn't offer much warmth. I sat up and looked out over the cove which was covered in a thin coating of fog. The scent of the cooking bacon pulled me out of bed. I made my way to the kitchen where I found Thad and Captain.

"Good morning," Thad greeted. "Come sit down and have something to eat."

I took a place at the table and he set a plate with scrambled eggs and several strips of bacon in front of me.

After eating most of my breakfast I went to shower and got dressed. The bathroom was like a movie star's. The hospital bathroom was a giant step up from the latrine and Thad's bathroom was several floors above the hospitals. I took my time and enjoyed the luxury.

When I was dressed and ready for the day ahead, I found Thad sitting in the living room, reading. I looked up at Heather's picture. The boat stood out. It seemed to have gotten bigger and its blue color was deeper. It made me feel uncomfortable.

"Hey Gilly," Thad greeted when he saw me. "I thought I'd do some painting down on the beach. You want to join me?"

"Okay."

*

The morning air wrapped around me in a cool embrace. I refused to look back at the boat. I couldn't remember hiding under it, but it frightened me all the same. Thad painted while the day woke up, turning on the sun and throwing off its foggy blanket. Captain and I played as we had before, but it wasn't the same, and somehow I knew it never would be.

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