Celo

Chapter 3

We didn't have any classes together and our breaks were at different times so I knew that I wouldn't see him again that day. I didn't like the idea of him walking home alone but it made me feel better that he had the crutches. School was same as always, useless classes, homework at break, lunch with yearbook club. It was Friday so my mom was in the kitchen when I got home.

"Hey Casey-pie how was school?" She said.

"Same, good." I replied. I had gotten her some groceries which I plopped down on the counter. It was five Quinn wouldn't be calling for probably another six hours. Once he was in my mind I couldn't stop the thoughts of what was probably happening to him right now. Thankfully the horrible images were wiped by my pocket vibrating. I pulled out my phone, it was Quinn. I ran into my room and answered.

"Hey Case can you do me a favor?" his breathing sounded labored and painful but I decided against pointing that out.

"Sure, anything."

"Promise you won't worry."

"I'll try."

"Alright can you just look up chest injury for me and tell me what to take for pain."

"You can take Ibuprofen."

"Thanks."

"Hey Quinn?"

"Ya."

"What happened?"

"He hit me with one of the crutches."

I sighed. "Are you safe now?"

"Should be, Don't worry."

"Get some rest Quinn I'll pick you up tomorow at seven."

"Don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be screwed." I hung up.

I picked Quinn up and we went to the farmers market downtown. We'd been doing this every Saturday morning since his mother died, thats when Quinn's dad and brother started drinking. The farmers market was perfect for us because there were no snoopy parents, no violent drunks, and cheap food. We bought our usual giant nutella crepe for three bucks and went and sat on a bench to eat it.

"It was both of them last night." Quinn offered. Saturday was when he talked, usually because Fridays were the worst and he needed to talk things through. I think it hurt him much more than he let show, having his intoxicated brother and father try to beat him to death every night. "Kyle hit me with the crutch, after I knocked dad out." He said. I watched him struggle to eat the crepe with his left hand. "He was going to try for my head but I deflected it with my hand and knocked him out."

I gently coaxed his right hand from his lap. I held it in my two hands. It was warm and badly bruised, probably had multiple fractures, but it wasn't bandaged. I pulled a splint, sling, gauze pads, and elastic bandages from my purse. I had gotten quite used to treating him in public and he knew not to argue. I splinted his hand and put it in a sling. Then, I folded his crepe and handed it to him.

"Thanks Case." He said.

"Did the ibuprofen help?" I fished for information.

"Unfortunately not much." He replied, not quite the answer I was looking for.

"It's bad?" I asked.

"I don't think any things broken, but pretty badly bruised." He said.

"I should take a look later."

"Theres nothing you could do." This was when I knew it was bad Quinn always played happy when he was with me, when he stopped I knew they had really hurt him.