Olly, Olly

Chapter 16. Lost days, numb days, nights of destruction and six Period.

We spent the rest of the summer inseparable. We had fun discovering things about each other and created new memories together. I started school the second week of September. Ollie started to work a week after me but it wasn't at Cielo, he also ended up turning down Jeremy's offer. After the gas station incident, he realized that he wasn't ready to be in large groups of people, and both Cielo and the gym would be high traffic areas. Jeremy also understood and even informed Ollie that the day he was ready, he'd always have a spot for him. Oliver accepted an offer to work part-time at Dax's shop as a mechanic, after helping Dax get his antique bike started. He planned on starting classes at a community college in the early spring of next year. His days were occupied with work, his family and me. We shared plenty of good days together, days where wars became distant and faded off by moments filled with laughter and love. Barbecues and Sunday dinners, yes I finally gave in and joined them at the dinner table. I found out quickly, that the awkwardness I wanted to avoid was of my own making because they welcomed me as part of the family. Occasionally, Jeremy would attend Sunday dinners but Chris seemed to be a staple at every Sunday dinner. Abulea Cartegena, would be the only one who would create awkward moments ever so often when she would ask Lily, Amy, and Oliver about any hopeful plans for children anytime soon. On occasion she would even include me, making me blush but after a couple times it became easier and I just brushed it off all nonchalantly with a smile or a laugh.

Bad days were unforeseeable, they just happened; as an unpredictable storm that suddenly struck without a forecast. To me, they eventually became the 'lost days,' because he would disappear or become destructive. When he was having a good day we could spot the old Ollie as we knew him, on those lost days; we couldn't recognize him at all. Although, I got somewhat better at spotting the triggers that could tend to set him off, and at times I was able to help control him and the situation before the panic built. Ironically, he himself was mimicking an active IED— laying dormant until something clicked therefor activating the explosion. We waited weeks for an answer from the V.A and when he finally received word it was to inform him that someone would be contacting him in the next week or so to make an appointment for his evaluation results. Even with the countless calls Amy and I made to the V.A. office during or after his lost days. We were told we would have to wait until the scheduling department contacted him to make the appointment. They told us many times when he disappeared that if we felt he was a danger to himself or others that we needed to contact the police or to take him to the nearest hospital when we found him. Other then that— there was nothing they could do, but they would make a note about it in his file

We never did call the police, after a couple times it almost became routine. Nate and Oliver had grown closer and Nate joined the manhunt squad to track him down when he went M.I.A.

Jackson had returned to school in the fall and he was also confused about Nate's and Oliver's newfound friendship, after hearing about the fight between them.

After countless rages of anger and destruction episodes, including breaking his wrist in a fight outside a bar and crashing his car twice. The first one caused minor damages to a parked car. Dax convinced the owner of the car to allow him to take care of the repairs and even persuaded the guy not to press charges. Ollie and Dax ended up repairing the guy's car in Dax's garage. The second one he hit a highway-rail. The car showed its wounds but luckily the accidents weren't worse or fatal to him or anyone. Oh— and not to forget, being arrested for destruction of property at one of the bars he was now permanently banned from. Nate and Dax had stopped by the bar on different occasions trying to pay for damages and asking the bar owner to drop all charges after giving a brief background explanation of Oliver. The only reason I knew they went in was that I had the same idea— just delayed, causing me to speak to the bar owner after they did. I was surprised as the owner informed me of the other guys who had stopped by on separate occasions with the same request. She described them and there was no way I couldn't make out who they were. She described Dax's built and hair and Nate's charm, looks including smile and his unique tattoos. She told me, that after having them both stop by that she had decided to drop charges as long as he stayed out of her bar, especially if he planned on being destructive or belligerent. I guaranteed her that he wouldn't return, or at least I hoped he wouldn't— but I didn't tell her that much.