“I hate to admit this, because it’s such a cliché, but I would have killed for a doll house as a kid.” Epi sighed as he cut the bright red paper to size and rolled up the rest of the wrapping paper to set aside.

“You’re right, that is a cliché.” Nick teased but he didn’t glance up from the package he was carefully wrapping. Epi’s skills and patience for getting Christmas presents wrapped was greater than his own and the slender man had wrapped three gifts for every one Nick finished.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“I’m only snickering.”

“You’re a good uncle, she’ll love it. Look, little sofas and people…” He pointed to the box.

“Want I should go back and get you one?”

Epi grinned at the word order in Nick’s sentence and the creeping in of his odd Penn Dutch accent. “I think I’ve outgrown that desire, thanks though.”

“Seriously, thanks for helping me.”

“Oh, I don’t mind.”

“Going down to see Tori for the holidays?” The choice had still been up in the air the last time Nick had asked.

“Can’t, he’s going to his parent’s house. Don’t give me that look.”

“What look.”

“That look.” Epi scolded without looking up as he secured the paper with small sections of tape. “The soft, sad, isn’t he pathetic look.”

“I wouldn’t.”

That made him snort. “What about you? Still doing the family thing at your sisters?”

“Short of disappearing? I have to. Want to come with me?”

“Hell no!” Epi laughed.

“What about to Christmas Eve services? I know you don’t go to church…”

“Well, God and I aren’t on what I would call speaking terms at the moment.” He fussed with the perfect crease on the end of the package a little more than he had to. “Besides, I might not be here.”

“Oh?”

“My parents are flying in. They want an old fashioned, everyone together around the tree, eggnog and carols holiday.”

“That sounds…” Nick tried to think of a nice way to put it.

“Like one step below bamboo under the fingernails? Yeah. I told them I’m still on the crutches and I refuse to wheelchair my way through airport security alone. So, now Dad is looking into hiring a nurse to come down here and fly with me.”

“Without a doubt a fun phone call I missed.”

“He said if I don’t show up, it’ll make my mother cry. We haven’t had a full family holiday in twenty years. Off they go to study whatever in Thailand or someplace and she comes back all zen about everything. The importance of family and close ties and that nonsense.”

“So you’re going to go?”

“Unless I can spontaneously develop pneumonia in the next few weeks, yeah. Four days minimum with my family at the country house.”

“I’ll make sure your anxiety pills are refilled.”

He heard the teasing under tone to Nick’s steady voice and grinned. “Thanks. I tried to talk Tori into going with me but since that incident with my Dad and brothers he’s not willing to do Christmas with them again.”

Nick tilted his head to the side. “What did they do?”

“Oh, nothing really but Tori hates plaid.”

Epi said it with a straight face as if it explained everything and Nick figured he was better off not knowing. He shrugged and continued to struggle with the corner of the paper he was trying to get to fold neatly into place. It wasn’t working, his packages looked like they’d been wrapped by a four year old.

“You should come with me.” Epi laughed as he unrolled the wrapping paper to measure out a section for the next toy. “It’d solve your problem of being with your family.”

He knew it was only mentioned in teasing jest but Nick’s mind latched on to it. He wasn’t sure he could handle another holiday with his family, not alone, not so soon after his Aunt’s death. She’d always been a buffer for him, always looked out for him in ways his own mother hadn’t been able. He would have almost been willing to do anything to have a legitimate excuse not to go. Beyond his own desire to run away he wondered about Epi’s family. It would be an amazing chance to see how the sullen and sarcastic man had grown up.

“What?” Epi asked when Nick was still staring at him. “I wouldn’t seriously inflict my family on you.”

“Would you want me to go with you?”

The tape stuck to Epi’s hand. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not? I’ll get to avoid my family, you get someone to watch your back with yours and I get the added bonus of seeing what kind of family produced a pain the ass like you.”

“You’re actually serious? You’d spend four days with my family?”

“How bad can they be?”

Epi just smirked. He didn’t want to go but if he had to go it would be far more tolerable with Tori or Nick along. “I guess you’ll find out.”

 

“Maybe we should have driven ourselves.” Epi complained as he accepted Nick’s hand to get out of the towncar. The driver was pulling their luggage from the trunk but Nick had insisted on getting Epi’s wheelchair out and set up for him.

“Could have.” He shrugged. It had been Epi’s father that had sent the car to drive them to Harrisburg to the airport. He wasn’t at all upset about trying to navigate the last minute holiday traffic or about leaving his car sitting in the airport lot while they were gone.

“I could walk you know.” Epi bitched and gathered the forearm crutches close by.

“I know.” The driver got a luggage cart for them and Nick just nodded his thanks as he helped the man load their bags on. It wasn’t a lot of luggage but enough to have to check them. Without asking, Nick took the crutches from Epi and put them on top of the luggage.

“Hey!”

“If you could walk, you can push yourself.”

There was some fussing about as the driver was paid and tipped but Nick stayed steady and calm where Epi was obviously on the verge of getting upset. The crowds were a bit more understanding to a man in a wheelchair but not by much as everyone rushed around the smaller regional airport trying to get where they were going for the holidays.

“Good thing we didn’t go out of Baltimore. Can you imagine those lines?” Epi rubbed his wrist as they waited to get to the counter.

“Bad enough here.” Nick agreed but it was almost said as a side note. His eyes were watching the crowds around them and plotting out the easiest and best ways to get Epi through security.

When they checked their luggage Nick refused to let Epi check the wheelchair and transfer to an airline provided one. He quietly but firmly insisted they’d check the chair at the gate and would be expecting their own wheelchair to be waiting at the gate when they arrived. The woman behind the counter pursed her lips at the fuss when things were so busy but gave in and it was still in his own wheelchair, Nick now carrying his crutches, that Epi made his way toward security.

“I haven’t flown in years.” Nick admitted as they moved closer up to the front of the line. “I’ve never even known anyone to fly first class.”

“Dad insisted.” He shifted in his seat. “You have those papers?”

“Yeah.” Nick had their carry on bags over his shoulder and Epi’s laptop bag hung from the back of the wheelchair. Things weren’t that simple, however. Nick had a whole stack of medical papers and forms. Some gave written proof of Epi’s prescriptions which were safely tucked in their carry ons but most documented the surgical steel inside his body.

When they reached the front of the security line Nick already had his sneakers kicked off and took the shoe Epi had removed from his real foot to plunk down on the xray machine. Their quart sized bag of carry on liquids and gels went in the bin and he stacked their bags on the belt behind it. Nick cleared security with ease and he turned to the closest screener with the stack of papers.

“We’ll need both his crutches and the wheelchair checked and here is the documentation for the implants in case he sets off the arch.” He explained simply. “But I’m going to have to steady him through.”

Nick started to step back through the arch but the officer stopped him. “We’ll do that.”

“No, I will.”

“Nick, it’s okay.” Epi protested as he scooted to the edge of the wheelchair seat.

“No, it’s not. They don’t know what not to yank on.” He didn’t wait but stepped forward again and carefully helped to steady Epi as the slender man got to his feet. The screeners allowed it but the man was frowning as he got the crutches and wheelchair hauled to the side to be hand inspected. Not surprisingly, Epi set off the metal detector. 

“Over here, sir.” The security officer directed and suddenly two screeners were around them. Nick steadied Epi as one read the medical paperwork and the other took the wand over Epi’s body before quickly patting him down. The security officer’s hand brushed against the exposed metal pylon of Epi’s replacement leg hidden under his pants and his hand recoiled. “Have a seat.” He ordered.

The bench was hard but Epi sat back down with a sigh. Having one shoe off made it even more difficult to keep his balance. Nick hurried over to gather their shoes and belongings from the x-ray machine’s belt as the screeners went over the wheel chair and crutches to make sure there was nothing something evil or hidden in them.

Nick settled their things next to Epi on the bench as the slender man started to bunch up his pants leg. “What are you doing?” But he glanced up to see the inspector closest to them turning Epi’s wrist brace over in his hands.

“They said I have to take it off.” Epi glanced up and his eyes darted to the line of passengers being screened near by, feeling their eyes on him. “The leg too.”

“What? No, stop that.” He put a hand on Epi’s shoulder and it stilled him but didn’t really stop him.

“It’s policy. We need to inspect everything.”

“Like hell.” Nick grumbled and stood up. “He’s not taking one thing off and he isn’t showing you anything sitting here in full view.”

“If you don’t calm down sir, we’ll be forced to detain you.”

Nick wanted to make a comment on just what they could do with their containment but instead he simply removed another paper from his stack. “Straight from the TSA website, no one will be asked or should offer to remove orthopedic braces or prosthetic limbs and you can’t ask to see them in plain view unless the passenger waves their right to privacy.” He handed the paper over. “We’ll be happy to wait while you check that the information is accurate but in the meantime, please give him back his brace.”

Epi looked as stunned as the screener but while Epi’s shock melted into relief, the screener’s changed into anger. They were told to wait there and a more official looking and more police like security office moved closer to them as if they were some threat. Nick just sat down docilely to wait for the supervisor.

It wasn’t a long wait before Nick again found himself explaining but his paper with the printed out regulations had mysteriously disappeared. That was easily solved since he’d printed multiple copies in case they needed them for the return flight. There was a short conversation and another longer wait but when the supervisor returned they were quietly moved to a small side room.

This time no one asked Epi to remove anything but they ran the full battery of visual and chemical tests. They checked his leg, braces, crutches and wheelchair for chemical traces of explosives as well as confirming each place on Epi’s body that set their wand to beeping didn’t have some weapon strapped to his skin. Epi endured it all silently but Nick saw the tightness around his eyes that could have been embarrassment or anger.

In the end it took a while but they were turned back out to the secured areas of the airport. Their bags had been searched and Epi’s laptop had been turned on all to prove they were no threat but it had been done in private and Epi’s leg and braces had stayed in place. They still made it to their gate in time but Epi had a tense silence about him as he transferred his weight from the wheelchair he hated to the crutches and left it up to Nick to get the chair checked and to carry their things onto the plane. It was a long walk down to the plane and to their seat but it wasn’t a distance Epi couldn’t manage even if he moved slower.

For the first time since he saw they were flying first class, Nick was grateful. The flight attendants were much more helpful and the distance to their seats shorter. Epi was easing himself down and turning his crutches over to be stowed in the overhead bin with their carry ons before Nick knew it and better, there was no third row seat to have to squeeze over someone for. They were asked three times before take off if they needed anything or if Epi needed any help to let them know and it was a totally different experience from security.

It wasn’t until they were seatbelted in place and the plane pulling away to take off that Epi finally spoke. “Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“For back there, thanks.” He ducked his head down. “I haven’t flown since…well…since all this happened. I didn’t know they couldn’t make me take it all off. I was so…”

He didn’t need to say it, Nick could hear the clinging feel of embarrassment and humiliation in Epi’s voice. He covered one of Epi’s hands with his own for an awkward few seconds, squeezing it a little in support. “I know.” He had a good feeling it wouldn’t be the only time on their trip that would leave Epi feeling vulnerable and less than he had been.

As the plane roared down the runway and took to the sky, Epi caught Nick’s retreating hand and curled his own around it, needing the steady strength he found there to keep his own hands from shaking.

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