The Garden of Heathen

New Developments

Gally had forced himself to get another helping of breakfast and sit back down to eat it, fighting that strong magnetic pull to go see Aussie. Luckily Joan had gone off to work and wasn't there to give him any looks or say anything to him.

It was aggravating to say the least, all these unexplainable feelings he didn't understand or want. It felt like he didn't have a choice, and when you're dropped somewhere against your will you like to have as many choices as you can. Sure, Aussie had helped him out a lot, like a lot, and he trusted her because of it. He also owed her a lot, so he'd be as helpful as he could to her to return the favor, he probably just felt a sense of loyalty to her is all.

He took his two empty bowls to the kitchen where several girls were there washing dishes. They were glancing at him and whispering, making him feel uncomfortable. He tried to be civil, not give anyone reason to distrust or dislike him, so he gave them a curt nod before heading toward the house, faint giggles reaching his ears once his back was turned. He picked up the pace.

As soon as he opened the door he could hear Gertie.

"Aussie, I'll find it!" She yelled.

"You don't know what it looks like, I do," Aussie's voice replied calmly.

"You should be resting! Please, Aussie," Gertie pleaded.

"I feel fine."

He finally found them in a storage room down the hall between the stairs and kitchen. Gertie was standing over Aussie who sat on the floor, going through a box of clothes. Her hair was down from its usual bun or ponytail and it hung down to the middle of her back, still a little damp.

"What's up?" He asked.

Gertie looked up at him, her own hair back in its usual gravity defying glory and green eyes silently begging for help. Pick her up and throw her back in bed, they seemed to say.

Aussie, however, seemed pleased to see him as she twisted around to look up at him.
"Ah, Gally," she said, her bright smile clashing with all the trauma from her shoulders up. "Just one sec, I know they're in here."

She turned back to the box and threw some clothes around haphazardly till she seemed to find what she was looking for. She stood up, throwing a pair of pants over her shoulder before holding a shirt up in front of Gally. She pinched the very ends of the shoulders and held it against his own, the grazes of her fingers against him could not be ignored. She looked different with her hair down, prettier, and that familiar feeling melted his insides against his will again.

"I think this was for you," she said decidedly as she looked him up and down. "I wondered why they gave us such big clothes. Lucky I didn't turn it into something else before you got here."

She folded the shirt in half and threw it over her other shoulder before grabbing the pants and holding them by the waistband, moving them toward his hips. He knew he couldn't bear feeling her touch again so he gently grabbed them from her.

"They look about right, I can tell," he said.

"Oh good," Aussie sighed happily as she handed him the shirt too. "Now, come this way."

She stepped between him and Gertie, the smell of lavender and soap following her, and led him a little farther down the hall.

"You can use the shower in here today," she told him as she stopped by a door, leaning on the frame as she pushed it open wide, a small white bathroom on the other side. "Just give me your dirty clothes and I'll wash them for you."

"I can wash my own clothes," he insisted but when he saw a hint of disappointment in her eyes he added. "You should rest, you're worrying Gertie sick. Her fuzzy little head might explode if you don't go lay down."