Dusty, sun-scorched fields went past at a leisurely speed and Nicky was grateful that River wasn’t in a rush. The drive was soothing, and the thump of drums, rhythmic and loud, filled the car as Black Veil Brides pumped from the CD player. For the first time in months, Nicky felt normal. It was a relief to have all the bandages and casts removed, and while a few of the deeper gouges and cuts were still tender, and his arm and shoulder constantly throbbed, he was grateful to no longer feel like a mummy.
Shifting in his seat, he groaned as his leg spasmed. Rearranging its position even with the seat pushed all the way back was a chore, and he caught River’s anxious glance and tried to grin to reassure him. He knew he failed when River pulled over at the next rest stop, by a hilly area that looked down upon a small town. Nicky could see horses racing across a meadow and wished he’d found an opportunity to learn to ride. Of course, thinking about horses made him think about Gray and guilt stabbed at him almost as much as the pain in his leg as River helped him get settled at one of the many scattered picnic tables.
“I promise you won’t miss your bike so much from the back of a horse,” Gray assured him, eyes filled with concern as he stared at Nicky.
Gray was lying on his side, while Nicky struggled to get comfortable on his back. Nicky stared off into the night as he listened to the surf rolling in and imagined riding the waves, but it never took long for the realization to hit that he wouldn’t be riding anything again.
He dismissed Gray’s offer.
“Hey, you okay?” River’s voice cut in, interrupting the memory and drawing Nicky back to the present.
“Was just thinking about how stupid it was to turn down Gray’s offer to take me horseback riding,” Nicky said. “I always wanted to learn, but with Terry being allergic I never bothered. I hated doing stuff alone.”
“I hear you there. You wouldn’t believe how relieved I was to learn that you surfed. There are always people on the beach and shit, but it’s different when you go with friends. Something about sitting on the dunes, waxing boards, and reminiscing about old waves that most people wouldn’t understand. You know this rehab place has horses; so you might still get the chance to learn.”
“Maybe. I still don’t see how I’d ever get on one if I can’t stand.”
River chuckled at that. “Next time I see you, you’ll probably be doing backflips or something.”
River’s words sank in. It was going to be months before he saw his friend again—any of his friends, or home, or Gray; and he had no way of knowing if Gray would actually write to him once Vic gave him the address. Hell, for all he knew Gray had already moved on and found himself someone who would actually be grateful for his attention and appreciate his concern.
Nicky thought of asking for River’s phone and calling, but he didn’t think he could handle knowing Gray had replaced him on top of everything else he was already feeling today. Relief warred with fear, anxiety with the calm that had washed over him as soon as they’d left the valley behind. Nicky knew River was right. He needed to think about his future. He just wished he felt as certain as River that he still had one.
A cold sandwich and a can of soda were pressed into his hands. River had taken off the cellophane wrapping, so all he had to do was eat it. The turkey, lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes tasted good—fresh and cool—and he smiled his thanks.
When they were done eating, they lay on the picnic tables side by side, staring up at the sky.
“When this is all over, what’s the one thing you wanna do?” River asked.
“Just one?” Nicky chuckled. “I can think of five without even trying.”
“Yeah?” River asked. “Okay, five then. Tell me?”
“I want to hug someone: total bear hug without anything hurting. I want to play paintball, even if it’s just from a sniper’s perch. I really miss the rush, you know? I want to go to the beach and have a barbecue. The whole deal—beers, steaks, s’mores—then fall asleep trying to scare the hell out of each other with stories about old ghost ships. I wanna go camping and spend a week in the woods, go fishing each morning and waste the afternoons in a hammock, watching the clouds and listening to music. And I want to go on a road trip, somewhere farther than just halfway across the state. I wanna see someplace different in winter, so we can see snow. I’ve always wanted to see it, and not just those little flurries we sometimes get in the hills. I mean full on snowstorm, snowmobile-riding kind of shit.”
“I was right there with you until you got to the part about the snow.” River shivered. “You can drag Vic along for that; I prefer my balls without frostbite.”
Nicky laughed.
“You ever think about leaving the valley?”
He raised his good hand and lazily traced the outline of a cloud. River shifted and grunted.
“Sometimes. I always kinda wanted to go overseas, see Ireland, Scotland, and Wales where my family is from. Never thought about leaving for good though.”
River rolled onto his side so he could study Nicky more closely. “Hey, you’re not planning on running away? ’Cause Vic would have my hide if I drop you off and you vanished on us.”
“What do you think I’m gonna do, wheel myself up the highway?”
“You never know. As long as you didn’t need to take any left turns you could manage.”
Nicky laughed. He closed his eyes and imagined that they were road tripping for a million other reasons besides getting his broken body to rehab. The warmth of the sun and the cool breezes washed over him, and the next thing Nicky knew, River was gently shaking him awake.
“Come on. We better get back on the road before it gets too late.”
Blinking, Nicky looked. It had cooled off a little and the sun wasn’t that high. “Crap, did you fall asleep too?”
“Yeah. Like being on the beach. It was too nice to stay awake, plus the sandwiches, Coke, and cake were pretty filling.”
Nicky shivered and used his good arm to help him sit up. River helped him the rest of the way off the table and they made the journey back down to the car, River keeping a firm hold on Nicky’s wheelchair. “Maybe one day we’ll come back here,” Nicky said with one last longing look at the view.
River grunted with the effort of controlling the chair. “Who knows? Maybe.”
Back in the car, Nicky tried to relax in the seat again, letting his head rest against the window while the songs on the radio helped eat up the remaining miles.
“Hey,” River said suddenly, glancing over at Nicky, who was watching the clouds.
“Do you remember the time Dean caught us trying to install nitrous in a Dune Buggy?”
Laughing, Nicky turned away from the window and turned the radio down. “Whose dumbass idea was that anyway?”
“I’m pretty sure it was Jason’s.”
“I thought Dean was gonna blow a gasket,” Nicky admitted. “It was bad enough we were all there after hours with the lights on and the radio cranked, but between the nitrous and the lift kit we used on the back end…”
River banged on the steering wheel, his laughter mingling with Nicky’s. “Oh my God, I forgot about that part.”
“Dean never did. Every time I asked if I could stay late to work on something he threw that back in my face.”
“Man, I’m glad I’ve never asked about any afterhours projects. He’d probably remind me about the night I crashed that silver Camaro through the east bay door.”
Nicky’s sides hurt, he was laughing so hard. “Wish I could have been there to see it. How the hell did you manage that anyway?”
“Slipped it in the wrong gear. I was supposed to move it forward; ended up putting it in reverse and going right through the door. Might not have happened if I hadn’t been revving the engine and showing off.”
“Oh, now the truth comes out. That explains it then.”
“Yeah, pretty much.” In the End came on, and River cranked the radio, him and Nicky singing along. One song led to another, the wind whipping around them as they lost themselves in heavy metal.
No comments:
Post a Comment