Shadows From the Abyss

Showtime

"Do we need to go over the packing list again?" Art asked, clipping his ALICE pack closed.

"I think we've got it," Shawn replied, scanning over the list one more time. "Did you get your phone charger?"

"Yup. You packed your medication, yeah?"

"Yup. Got the month refill yesterday so I'm good," Shawn sighed, zipping his duffel bag shut. "Still not sure how long I'll stay with them." The night before, Papa Dave had gotten both his Dad and Step Dad on a Facetime call and reprimanded both of them for how they behaved last time he had seen them and made them swear they'd be sober and not screw it up this time.

"I wouldn't say the whole month but at least spend a week." Art shrugged. "Shit, what time is it?"

Shawn glanced at Art's phone sitting on the bed. "Uh...remind me what 1000 means?"

"Means it's time to go," He smirked, picking his phone up. "Ready to roll?"

As they drove down I-40 towards Raleigh-Durham Airport, Shawn couldn't help but feel nervous as all hell. The dark sky overhead threatened a downpour on the early September morning and he was terrified being on the road with his Dad would lead to something awful; or worse, something wonderful. Art was riding down with them to West Palm Beach on the bus and then would fly back home the following day. If Shawn decided to stay on the tour for the whole duration, he'd get to see Ramona when it wrapped up in New York on the 23rd, but the thought of riding a bus all over the country for almost a month made his head spin. He hadn't done that since 2011 when his Mom was still alive and there to keep him safe. Dr. Jayce had given him his phone number and Skype contact so they could do a video session while he was gone and if anything popped up between now and then he could call him. It was weird how accommodating and supportive everyone was sometimes.

"Alright, Robin Young, tell me about this storm," Art mumbled, turning up the radio a bit as the weather report came on.

"Downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, Hurricane Harvey is set to hit the Carolinas this late afternoon into early evening. Residents are being warned by the national weather center to be cautious of flash flooding, possible tornadoes, and strong wind gusts."

"I really hope they don't cancel," Shawn breathed.

"Babe, gonna be blunt here, I'm more worried about your Dad liking me."

"He's gonna love you. You're charming, handsome-"

"Actively and seriously dating and having sex with his son-"

"It's gonna be fine," Shawn laughed.

"I haven't been this scared of meeting someone since my staff sergeant." Art shuttered. "That man was fuckin terrifying and his breath was awful as he was screaming at you and calling you a bitch."

"How the hell did you end up in the army anyway?"

Art rolled his eyes. "I was a shit at seventeen so Dad suggested the navy to straighten me out but Mom went behind his back and signed me up for the army. She sent me off the day I turned eighteen and I didn't see her again until I graduated from training. When I got sent to Kuwait she couldn't even look me in the fuckin eye because she was convinced she had signed me up to get killed."

"Have you seen her since?"

Art scoffed. "When I was in the VA hospital after I nearly got blown up by that IED, she came to see me but didn't stay long enough to stop crying. I think she blames herself for it."

"So if you don't mind my asking, what happened with that? If you don't want to tell that's fine too but I'm kinda curious."

Art thought about it for a few seconds before deciding they were at the point in their relationship where he could be more personal. "Eh screw it, you might as well know at this point. I was a combat medical specialist, aka the idiot they sent to get you when you got shot or nearly killed. Anyway, there was a squad of four guys that got sent out in the morning to do a sweep, one of them fell and broke his ankle and it's too far to carry him and with all their gear and the heat they could have collapsed from exhaustion if they tried. So my partner Leon and I go out in the truck to take them back and when we park and are walking over to them, we found the IED they were looking for. I got blown about twenty feet before I hit the ground and slid another five, Leon smashed into the side of our truck, and of course the idiots we got sent to help are perfectly fine. It was like a middle finger from God himself because I was mocking Mitchell for breaking his ankle by just walking on flat ground. And when I finally came to, he mocked me while applying pressure to my leg and calling for help. 'At least I only broke my ankle; you almost lost your leg just walking on flat ground, jackass.' "