A Glimpse of Fire

11

     Shady Acres, it was the name of the retirement center where Travis lived. When you pulled up to the dilapidated looking building you thought maybe, just maybe Tony had the wrong place. Over grown bushes and the paint on the sign peeling. Shutters for the windows hung askew, and the swing on the front porch was broke.
The nurse had taken you back to Travis's room, Bucky following close behind you. The yellow lighting over head reminded of the crappy mental hospitals in horror movies. The place smelled musty, and the air was thick and warm. Making your clothes stick to you uncomfortably, and the smell making you nauseous, even if you hadn't been pregnant.
    "I'm not sure he's going to be much help. He's in the later stages of Alzheimer's." She told you, sighing as she walking over and opening door to his room. Pale blue walls with faded wall paper clinging on for dear life. The window was open allowing a gentle breeze in.
    "That's okay." You gave her a small smile. "It's worth a try."
    "Travis, you have some visitors. This is y/n and her friend Bucky, they wanted to talk to you." She said, as she turned the wheel chair.
    Travis was well into his eighties, thick milky white cataracts covered his one of his eyes. His good eye was the color of chocolate, and he looked from Bucky over to you. A small warm smile was on his face reveling he had a couple missing teeth, his face was lit up upon seeing you.
    "Would you like a rose, little girl?" He asked softly.
   "Good luck." The nurse said as she left the room.
     "A rose?" You asked kneeling down before him.
     "Red or yellow?" He asked with a smile. Red or yellow, you smiled back at him.
     "Yellow." You replied softly, he extended his hand to you and you grabbed it.
"Red or yellow?" You heard his voice looking down at the little girl before you.
     There was a light in her eye, as she smile up at you.  She point to the yellow rose, you reached over and snipped the large rose from the bush before handing it over to her.
    "Pretty flower for pretty girl." The voice responded, she took the flower from you, giggling.
    "Thank you Mr. Travis." She stated before bouncing off.
    You made your way inside the building to continue your rounds. You looked into the room the little boy Aidan lived in, his body bound to the metal bed again. Tubes and IV's hooked up to his arms. The air smell of urine hit you as you walked in, quickly you changed the sheets, and mopped the floor.
    You felt bad for the boy, being chained up like that for days at a time. Tears streamed down his face, you pulled the tiny toy soldier from your pocket and pressed it into his hand. It wasn't much but, hopefully he would take comfort in the small act. Hopefully he would know not everyone meant him harm.
    You left the room and continued you rounds, leaving the building. You pushed your little cart towards to dumpster, stopping just in front of it. You dumped the bags of trash, hearing scuffle behind it. You pulled the tray of food out and set it on the ground next to the dumpster, looking at the back building before turning and leaving.
     You went back in the building, getting ready to leave for the day when the doctor came out. He was plump old man, with a nasty attitude, if you could you would of taken all the of the children home with you long ago. But you couldn't, they were owned by snakes and liars.
    "Travis, can you please take this and go put it with the other books?" He asked, handing you the thick black book.
    "Yes, sir." You responded, slowly turning away.
    "Have you seen Margery? She's been missing on her rounds." He asked, you looked over your shoulder to the man. Margery, yes, she was the old woman.
     "No sir." Came the slow reply, as you continue to walk to the hall.
    You crossed the court yard to the back building, it was slight obscured by the trees and over grown bushes. You unlocked the door and walked in, the building was a single room and filled with books and logs. Who knows what, you weren't paid to think. You put the book next to the other black ones.
    You were lucky to have this job, your mind wasn't sharp like the doctors. Or the nurses, for that matter. You slowly turned and walked out of the room locking the door behind you. You looked up to the building the children were kept in, you saw the little girl looking down out of the window at you.
    She smiled and waved as you walked back to your truck.
    You let go of the old man's hand, smiling up at him.
    "He remembers me." You told Bucky softly, "you were a very kind man, Mr. Travis."
    "You always did like the yellow flowers." He said painful slow.
     "Thank you for your help." You stood up, looking over at Bucky.
    "So.. what were you able to find out." He asked as you left the room. 
     "They tied Aidan up for days at a time. Inject him full of god knows what. Where as I was free to do whatever." You replied leaving the building crossing your arms over your chest, trying to fight off the chill that courses through your body.
      "Why?" He asked, unlocking Tony's car.
     "Who knows why, just when we get back to the motel, remind me to ask a favor of Tony." You stated climbing in the car.
    "What's that doll?" He turned the car on, rain drizzling down from the heavens. Making the place seem even drearier then before.
     "Move Mr. Travis into a better place." You told him solemnly, his eyes meeting yours.
     "If he won't, then I will." Bucky smiled over at you.