Waters Edge

Chapter Nine: Finding Fortune in Unlikely Places

I awake to a loud crash sounding from somewhere within the small house. I sit up so fast my head spins and I see Patrick on the ground. I swing out of bed faster then I ever have and rush to his side. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I hurriedly ask my eyes scanning his body for any sign of injury. He cracks a small smile and I let out a sigh of relief. He sits up and looks over to the chair he knocked over with a guilty look.

"Sorry." He says and I just shrug it off.

"It is totally fine, what were you trying to do anyway?" I asked helping him up off the floor. He grips my shoulders still unsteady on his feet. He looks down at his legs and I can almost hear the gears turning in his head as he tries to think of what the right words are.

"Could not rest, was trying to..." He looks up at me and uses two fingers to mime walking, and then points at his legs.

"You were trying to walk?" I ask and he nods enthusiastically. I smile and grab his hands off of my shoulders and hold them in my own. "Here follow my lead," I say and take one step back Patrick lurches forward and his hands slide up my forearm his fingers sinking into the muscle. It doesn't hurt but he takes a shaky step forward, and then I take another step back. He huffs and looks at me angrily. I smirk knowing that this is the perfect opportunity to get him to work through this. We continue this, his shaky legs and wobbly knees straighten out and his steps become more confident, he almost falls a few times but my hands are always there to help him. Patrick as a pouty but determined look on his face as we weave around the small enclosed space of the house.

Soon his hands are no longer death-gripping my arm, which my arms are thankful for as his hands hover over my outstretched hands. He is picking this up incredibly fast.

A couple of hours of this pass until he is quite confident in his stride. Then his stomach makes a gurgling noise and he stops walking and looks down at it in horror. "I am dying!" He yells pulling up his shirt and touching his pale stomach, I let out a loud braying laugh.

"No, you are just hungry Patrick, don't you eat?" He shakes his head 'no' and I frown at this, I walk him over to one of the chairs next to the small dining table and run over to the fridge. I sigh when all the food from a few days ago is already gone. Not even pickles this time. "Come on Patrick, I will take you shopping, lets put on some clothes." He quirks an eyebrow at me and I lose my breath for a second just looking at him. I run around my house until I find myself a clean shirt and jeans I pull them on quickly and find a pair of shorts for Patrick.

I look at the shorts and then over to Patrick who is studying the small number of books I own and I walk up to him and hold out the pants. I walk him over to the bed so he can sit while putting them on.

He tries to get them on and accidentally tries to put them on inside out. I laugh when he begins huffing in anger and looks about ready to hurl the shorts at my head. I kneel down much like I did last night and help him slip his legs in the right way. When I get them up to his mid thigh I pull away, part of me tries not to think about how soft his thighs are. I fail miserably.

I swallow thickly and pull him off the bed, he pulls the pants up the rest of the way and they fit him pretty snugly. He may be shorter and of light build but he got the boo- I cut the thought off and help him adjust the drawstring so they don't fall down his hips.

I grab a pair of sandals for Patrick as he looks to have the same size feet as I do, perhaps a bit smaller. I let him hold one and he turns it over and over "oooooo." He giggles holding it and bending it in his hand "For Patrick?" He asks pointing to himself.

"Yes," I say amused I slide them on his feet and pull on my sneakers and open the door tugging him by the hand outside. We cross the threshold and suddenly his hand snaps away and he hisses at the sun. Literally. Hisses.

Confusion floods my system along with disbelief. I run back inside and find Patrick sitting on the ground with his arms crossed, he looks up at me with a grumpy look on his face. "To sun." He whines and a moment of realization hits me for basically his entire life he has had a layer of cold water between him and the sun.

I grab a hat and curse the fact that I don't own sunscreen. I shove the hat on his head and he huffs in surprise grabbing the rim of it and looking up at me. I squat down to his level and slide a pair of my sunglasses over his eyes. He looks around shocked, "Okay good? This will help block out the sun." I lead him back outside and I can tell he is instantly uncomfortable.

"To sun." He mumbles under his breath and I wrap my arm around his waist. You know for support just in case he falls. We begin the walk into town and I help him over the holes and bumps in the path. He wraps his arm around me as well and I smile when he does.

"Pete! Hey Pete! Peter, Jesus slow down PETE!" I hear a voice yelling and I spin to see Brendon running full throttle towards us I smile and wave with my free hand, Patrick makes a weird noise and takes a step behind me keeping hold of my hand. I glance at him worried but soon Brendon's hand is clasping my shoulder as he catches his breath. "Pete!" He pants his voice high and excited, "You will never guess who I got a hold of." His hazel eyes lock onto mine but then flick to the person behind me a grin on his face when he sees our hands together. "Who is this?" I can hear the slight confusion in his voice.

"Oh, this is my uh... A friend from out of town he came here off the ferry yesterday. His name is Patrick." I smile but Brendon gives me a skeptical look.

"But there was no ferry yesterday because of St. Patrick's Day..." Brendon starts his smile fading as he squints at Patrick trying to look around my shoulder, the further he peers the more Patrick hides behind me. I clear my throat and Brendon's focus snaps back to me.

"So, what were you saying before? Who did you get a hold of?" His smile returns and I let out an internal sigh of relief.

"Right! Its this guy he is a major collector, he actually owns a business and displays treasures in museums and stuff. But he always keeps the best pieces for himself in a private collection, which is what he wants the necklace for." Brendon smiles broadly his hands flailing around as he explains this to me I nod and Patrick squeezes my hand gently, Brendon is clearly proud of himself over this. "Pete he is offering a lot of money for the necklace, the name of the company. Oh, damn what was it." Brendon taps his forehead and then snaps his fingers "Titan! That was it, the name was Titan." Patrick starts to shake violently behind me and I look over at him worried his eyes look huge as he stares at Brendon almost like he's afraid?

"Well, that is amazing news Brendon you should tell him that I am very interested in his offer. Now we have to run for some lunch but it was good running into you." Brendon nods and bounces away back the way he came from damn that boy has long legs. I spin and grip Patrick's arms in my hands he hasn't stopped shaking and looks about ready to collapse. The look of horror remains on his face as he watches Brendon disappear down the hill.

"Patrick, what is it?" I tilt his chin toward me gently and I can tell he isn't himself right now he looks so scared he stares at me like I am a stranger. "Patrick?" I whisper softly and his eyes immediately fill with tears which scares the hell out of me.

"Titan." He whispers a violent shiver wracking his body causing his knees to buckle I pull him to me and hug him tightly.

"What is it 'Trick?" I ask softly "What about them?" I rub his shoulders gently.

"They fish for Patrick's people." I stop and lean back to see a single tear slip down Patrick's pale cheek. I wipe it away and take the sunglasses and prop them atop his hat. I keep my hand on the side of his face.

"Patrick, you are safe with me, I promise as long as I live I will never let anyone hurt you, do you understand?" Patrick nods and we stay like that a moment longer Patrick rests his head on my shoulder and I rub the back of his neck.

Soon his stomach grumbles again and we remember our original mission. I grab his hand and we continue to the grocery store. We buy as much as my limited money can afford us and have a few bags to carry all the way back home. I only give Patrick the lightest one and try to carry the four heavy bags on my own. I just hope he doesn't fall over on the way home, his legs are still weak.

I watch worried as he stumbles a bit trying to manage the bag in his hands while walking uphill. The adorable goof keeps tripping on air and my heart fills with a sense of dread at the thought of someone trying to hurt someone as innocent as Patrick.