The Missing Patriot

Chapter Eight

I was correct. 

I had decided to sleep on that window bay that night because I wanted to give Asa more space just in case he was still in a bad mood, when I had awoke, the house was completely empty and silent. I knew immediately that Stanley had made his departure now that he knew he wouldn't be going back to the army, and it made much sense, he was no longer needed here so he was returning to his family. I was thankful to have such a good boarding soldier instead of some crazy one that would possibly hurt me or something of the sort, Stanley Bain was definitely a good man. 

I entered the kitchen and made some oatmeal this morning once more as it didn't take long to prepare and I knew Asa was probably hungry because we had skipped dinner, I quietly walked up the steps and listened to the echoing of them as I ascended. It was just Asa and I now and I honestly wasn't sure how to feel other than afraid about the stranger in my home, what happens with him now? I knocked lightly on the door and peeked inside to see him awake and shockingly sitting on the side of the bed with his leg bandaged already, that was odd. 

I stepped inside the room and looked at him before quickly averting my eyes, I sat the bowl down on the table and looked at the bandage that Dr. Ryan had left for him whenever he was ready to start moving around the area. The bandage was to protect the wound from getting injected, did Asa plan on walking now? Perhaps he was planning on getting his rank back so he could die with honor one day. 

"I brought oats for breakfast." I explained to Asa.

"Thank you." He replied soon after I finished speaking, making me look at him in complete awe. "For everything." 

"Y-You're welcome." I replied, suddenly feeling a wave of emotions hit me, these damn hormones. 

"I've been hard to handle lately, and I apologize for that. It's not your fault." Asa continued, making me blink rapidly in shock, where was all this coming from? "Stanley and I had a little talk before he left this morning, I've been a handful lately."

I was speechless with what he was saying to me, this wasn't like him at all to apologize about something, he didn't even apologize about raping me but I guess that was also going to take time on his behalf as well. There was no need for him to apologize when he wasn't actually sorry about it and I guess I had gained a miracle out of it as well, it takes two to make a baby after all. This was my chance and I was going to take this opportunity to find out what was going on with him, this wasn't the Asa that left me for the war, no, this was a complete stranger that was arrogant and a arsehole every chance he got. 

"What changed you, Asa?" I asked cocking my head at him curiously. "Before you left me, we we're on well terms-"

"War changes any man." Asa replied.

"But you've fought in other wars bef-" Came my rebuttal.

"And I come back the same every time." He immediately cut me off with a tone that was threatening, maybe this wasn't the time to open the wounds that the war had left on him.

"Thank you for apologizing." I finally said, realizing there was nothing else to talk about now. 

He wasn't ready to open up and all I could do was accept that until he was ready, I didn't want to push him and make him hate me because I had forced the truth out of him. I was just going to give him space and whenever he was ready to let someone know how he felt, he could always talk to me about it. I wasn't much for being a therapist but I learned that talking is what can make anyone feel better, I never had the chance to talk to someone about what happened to me because I didn't have friends I could trust. 

I only had acquaintances that liked to hear the bad things that were happening to me so they could tell the next and the next could tell the next, I hated the cycle that happened around the small town that everyone lingered in. I had always planned to move to another town but after my mother died, it became to hard and the town was almost a reminder of her, I couldn't leave her.