“Okay.” Nick agreed as he flipped through the folder.

“Nick, I need you to focus on this. I’m serious.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t. You know when you see road kill that’s been rained on and run over and all mangled on the side of the road?” He waited until Nick looked up from the folder. “Epi looked like that when they brought him into the hospital. If it wasn’t for the ID in his wallet I wouldn’t have known it was him. He’s not adjusting well and it doesn’t help that his surviving leg is so badly damaged. His balance is shit. He blew out his right ear and it’s healed  but he’s going to have balance issues from that for a long, long time. He can be fine one moment and unable to tell up from down the next. I’m scared silly he’s going to fall down those steps and re-break something or break something new.” Tori sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “He has to get up and try to walk every day, around the condo he’ll just use the wheelchair when no one’s home and I’m worried he’ll do that here.”

“I’ll check on him.”

“Good. Here.” He pulled the lock box out of the bottom of the canvas bag. “In here are his medications.”

“You keep them locked up?”

“I do and everything from Tylenol to cough drops…well maybe not the cough drops.” He punched in the lock code on the keypad. “I have an extra key too I’ll give you but the code works as well.” Inside were pill bottles both over the counter and prescription and several week long snap top plastic pill cases. The day letters hand been scratched out and in black marker was written 1A 1B 2A 2B 3A 3B. “Never give him more than three days of his medication at a time and only put two of these, the sedatives he takes for panic attacks, in the extra section. He can take those as needed.”

“Why do you keep his meds locked up?”

“Because four months ago I didn’t and came home from work and found him passed out in a puddle of his own vomit, that’s why.”

“He tried to kill himself.”

Tori nodded. “And while he says he won’t try again his doctor recommends the temptation be kept away, at least for now.”

“If he wants to off himself he’ll find a way.”

“Maybe but Epi is a creature of habits and he’s not likely to go cutting on himself or walking in front of a bus so until his shrink says he can be trusted with them, they stay out of reach and locked up.”

“Even Tylenol?”

“Epi asked me for that, nothing in the condo that could tempt him. We just had everything refilled.” He shut the box and handed it over to Nick. “The pass code’s in the folder too.” Tori sat back and studied the quiet, handsome man. “We’re asking a lot of you. Caring for a family member is one thing but a stranger?”

“I don’t mind. It’s not like he can’t take care of himself, I just need to watch out for him and drive him places.”

“He can be a royal pain in the ass too. Sharp tempered and mean when he’s upset but a lot of that is because he really hasn’t adjusted at all. He used to be very quiet and good natured. The more angry he is at himself the more he’ll snap at you.”

“I think I can handle it. Anything else?”

“Your cell phone? I want to see it.”

“What?”

“Just give it to me.” Tori held out his hand and shook it until Nick stood up and went to his desk to pull the phone from it’s charger. Tori started poking at it. “I’m putting in my cell number, my work number both the east and west side spas, my cell number and my parents house.” 

Nick did laugh now. “Anything else you want to program into my phone?”

“The others are in the folder.”

“I saw.” Nick dropped the folder onto the coffee table. “How much care does he really require and how much of this is you just being a fuss?”

Tori wanted to say that none of it was because he was being fussy but he shook his head. “He’ll get by. The anti-depressant they have him on has been working well but it isn’t one step forward and two back, it’s a half step forward and about four back when he slips back. What’s in that folder is what works when he starts to slip.” He sat up. “And I don’t expect you to care as much as I do if he starts to slip so I want you to call me.”

That was an answer Nick could respect. “Look, I keep to myself, I can respect someone that wants to start over and I’m grateful he bought this land and didn’t let that bastard develop it out. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Good. I think we have an understanding. Now, tomorrow I’m cooking lunch, nothing fancy just a real meal before I go and he starts to live on things he can microwave. Come on over and share it with us?”

“I don’t want to bother.”

“No bother and I’ll feel better knowing you won’t drown him for being a snot. He was on his feet too much today, he’s going to be hurting tomorrow and that’s going to make him snippy.” He stood up and glanced around the room looking for pictures of family or friends and found none in frames on shelf or wall.

“Well.” Nick stood as his guest did. “With a promise like that how can I refuse.”

“Good!”  

 

 

“It looks like Nick heard what a grump you are and changed his mind about lunch.” Tori teased.

Nick hadn’t been around the whole morning, his car missing from the side of the carriage house where it had been parked. Only around noon he rolled up the gravel lane, the not very fussy and very ordinary car hummed softly as he slid into his space and parked. He hopped out and brushed at the blue work pants he had on as he came around the corner.

“Why, Nick you’ve just made a liar out of me.” Tori called out as he set the fresh corn on the cob onto the table.

“How so?”

“I just told Epi his grumpiness had scared you away.”

“Naw, had to work.” He brushed at his t-shirt and bits of sawdust fell off of him.

Epi put the platter of pan seared and roasted citrus seasoned chicken on the table. “Just what is it you do, Mr. Kern?”

“Nick.” He corrected.

Epi raised his eyebrows. “I prefer Mr. Kern. I don’t like to get too friendly with my keepers.”

Behind him Tori rolled his eyes and placed a rice pilaf on the picnic table. “Yes, Nick what is it you do?”

“I help my father part time. He makes replacement pieces in wood. Carvings, spindle chair backs, table legs, things like that, restoration work. And when he doesn’t have enough work I freelance as a graphic designer on the net.” Nick glanced between the two men as Epi dropped himself onto the picnic table bench  on the opposite side.

“Such contrasting work.” Tori grinned as he poured iced tea into Epi’s glasses and placed one in front of each man.

“I like working with my hands but I like not being stuck to a time clock too.” He nodded at the tea. “Thanks, this looks real nice.”

“Thank you! Epi’s a brat, he’s never really had to cook for himself. So if I don’t get a real meal into him now he won’t have one until I come back up. Do you cook, Nick?”

“Aunt Minnie saw I could get by but nothing like this.”

Tori sat down as well and started to pass the first plate of food around. “I was hoping to snoop last night and see what photos were in your apartment last night Nick but I didn’t see one.”

“Tori.”

“What?”

“No, it’s okay. I’m not that close to my family much anymore.”

“Not seeing anyone?”

“Tori! Leave the man alone.”

“What?” Tori looked all innocent.

“No, not seeing anyone right now. I keep pretty much to myself.” Nick shoved a forkful of chicken into his mouth and nodded at the flavor. “Hm, this is good.” He said around the food, surprised because fancier food normally didn’t taste good to him. When he’d swallowed he nodded to Tori. “How’d you two meet?”

“College, we were on the same dorm floor freshman year. Nobody could stand Epi so I took pity on him and befriended him.”

“I was liked just fine.”

“He wasn’t, I promise you he rubbed everyone the wrong way.”

“They were assholes. I wasn’t there to make friends.” Epi picked at his chicken.

“So at a floor party I made it a point to flirt with him, we got drunk, ended up in bed and the jerk here didn’t say another word to me forever. About broke my heart.”

“You’re such a liar. He was sleeping with a professor before the first month was up.”

“Which since I was seventeen at the time led to a very nice settlement with the college to keep everything quite and allowed me to open my first spa!” Tori grinned. 

Nick almost choked on his food. “You’re kidding?”

“Of course I’m not.”

“The Prof was offering private lessons to several other young men too, one of them told someone who told someone and the school rushed to hush everything up.”

“I didn’t ask for money but if someone is going to say here take this nice check and don’t sue us for your months of hot sex who am I to say no?” He sipped at the tea. “They tried to keep our delicate names from the gossip mills but that never works and most of the other fellows transferred but I stuck it out. People snubbed me and one day Epi walked by and said fuck em, they’re just jealous.”

“We’ve been friends since.”

“Best advice anyone ever gave me.”

Nick wasn’t sure if they were serious or not but he figured it didn’t matter. “So you two aren’t…”

The friends exchanged a look and both frowned and shook their heads. “It was a disaster.” Epi groaned.

“He’s an awful lay.”

“I am not, or I wasn’t once upon a time. We’re just too much alike.”

“He means we’re both too selfish and arrogant to be partners. But that means we make great friends cause we can be arrogant together. Besides you’ve seen my boyfriend.”

“He likes them young and stupid.”

“When I want to settle down I’ll find someone I can have long conversations with but really what use do I have for that now?”

Nick glanced between the friends and caught Epi’s shaking of his head in unspoken disagreement and Tori’s happy smirk. “Takes all sorts, I guess.”

Tori nodded. “Exactly. So what is there to do around here?”

Tori kept the conversation light and moving during lunch and let Epi sit quietly and poke at his food. Nick didn’t seem to mind the other man even when Epi stood and sullenly left the table without a word spoken.

“He used to have manners.” Tori sighed.

“It’s okay.”

“I’m leaving around three or so.”

“I won’t be back until at least six.” Nick finished his chicken and leaned away from the table.

“He’ll be okay.” He flashed a quick smile. “I’ve become a nervous nelly over him. I know he doesn’t seem the sort now, but I promise you before all this mess he would have done as much if not more for me.” Tori glanced down and didn’t want to admit it but he was burnt out and needed the break from Epi as much as Epi needed the break from him. “I doubt he’ll bother to fake things with you but if you catch him smiling a lot and saying he’s okay? He’s lying through his teeth. If he does that for more than a couple of days, you need to call me because he’ll swing into depression if that cycle is allowed to continue.”

“How’ll I know the difference?”

“Oh trust me you’ll know. When he really smiles, well, he’s beautiful. When he’s faking it it’s painful to see.” Tori glanced over the other man and sighed at the waste of him being straight. “Anyway, he shouldn’t be too much bother, he isn’t even willing to try to date or be social and I’ll be back up here at least overnight in a couple of weeks.”

Nick nodded. “I don’t go anywhere anyway but this fall I’ll be gone for a couple of three or four day weekends for deer season.”

“Deer season?” Tori questioned and was surprised when Nick looked at him like he was the village idiot.

“Deer hunting.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t go for turkey anymore and I never did like the taste of bear so I just go out for deer. Starts the end of November but I might go up for muzzleloader and that’s in October.” He was used to the reaction from non-locals. “What?”

Tori shrugged. “I don’t know just doesn’t seem sporting like to go blow bambi away.”

“There’s sport hunters and real hunters. We eat what we kill and it’s a kinder death than starving to death slowly over the winter. A responsible hunter isn’t like the jerks you see on private game reserves shooting from their car.”

“Whatever floats your boat.”

Nick didn’t try to debate the issue or point out that they’d just had chicken, tasty yummy chicken that had never known the joys of roaming freely across a mountainside.

Tori leaned forward and glanced into the house but when he didn’t see or hear Epi returning he assumed it was safe to talk. “Look, maybe this isn’t my place but while he’s out of the room. You need to know to take along at least one of his anti-anxiety pills when you drive him some place. I don’t know how he’ll react, he might view you like a taxi and be okay with it but if he doesn’t he’ll need something.”

“Because it was a car accident.”

“Accident isn’t maybe the right word. It’s the kind word.” He actually stood up this time and looked into the house before he went on. “His boyfriend was driving. He ran them full speed into a tree deliberately.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure, the cops are sure, the insurance is sure, everyone is sure but Epi won’t talk about it. He just freaks sometimes while in a car. When he first got out of the hospital we had to pull over every few minutes just so he could open the door and breathe.  He’s better but that’s with me driving and he can’t drive himself yet. The panic attacks and vertigo and instability make it impossible. So take those pills with you, go slow and carefully and if he says he needs you to stop, stop and give him a moment. He’s not faking or being dramatic. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay then.” Tori nodded and sat down. “And if he…”

“I know, call you.” Nick chuckled. “It’ll be okay.” The fussing was touching in an annoying way and Nick found he couldn’t blame either man. Not Tori for being so concerned for his friend’s welfare or Epi for wanting to move away and start over, alone. He waited until Epi returned and then just long enough past that to be polite before he stood and quietly excused himself and went back to work.

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