Nathan Jones - First Winter

Meanwhile Matt, Terry, April, Lewis, Jane, and Lucas stayed behind to check on Deb. At least until April insisted they should give her and her husband some space and not crowd the poor woman.

Trev reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled aside to briefly repeat Deb’s account of the situation. By the end of it his friends were seething as much as he was. “I’d like to take Deb home and make sure she’s okay,” he finished. “Can you handle things here?”

Matt nodded. “We’ve got it,” he said with a gesture to the others. Lewis and Lucas both gave Trev a reassuring squeeze on the arm, then the group followed Matt towards the rise and what lay beyond.

Not long after that April motioned to him, and Trev hesitantly made his way over. “How is she?”

Terry ran a hand through his reddish-blond hair. “She’s going to have some wicked bruises, and moving around might be painful for a few days. Nothing rest and regular careful stretching can’t fix.” The doctor stood and nodded to his wife. “We should probably go help Garret check on the rest of the patrol, although from the sound of things there won’t be any good news there.”

Trev didn’t envy his friend that task. “Check with the others that it’s safe before going over the rise, just to be careful. We don’t want to lose half the town’s medical staff.”

“Will do.” Terry crouched to say a few final quiet words to Deb, and April gave the brown-haired woman a hug. Then the two hurried off towards the ambush site.

After a brief pause watching them go Trev tentatively sat down beside Deb. To his relief rather than having a problem with it she reached out and took his hand, holding it tight. He was happy to share that contact. “You have no idea how scared I was for you,” he said quietly.

She gave him a wan smile. “I could see. Did you sprint the entire way here?”

“Pretty much.” They sat for about a minute, decompressing from what had just happened. Then, wondering if he was making a mistake and half sure he’d picked a bad time for it, Trev took a breath and plunged in. “I’m sick of not being able to see you. I feel like I failed you today. If you’re sick of being apart too then I’d say it’s been long enough, right?”

Deb made a face. “Way past being sick of it. I think I’ve sorted out my issues enough to risk hanging out with my favorite person.” Her eyes flicked to the north. “Of course then all this happened. I promise I’ll try not to let it make me cuckoo, but…” She sighed. “At least I was able to defend myself and get away this time.”

Trev squeezed her hand gently. “Let’s get you back to town. You need to get some rest in a quiet, safe place, and I’ll be nearby in case you need me.”

She gave him a wry smile. “I thought you weren’t supposed to enable my dependencies.”

Trev snorted. “Screw that. After what just happened I need to be close to you to reassure myself you’re okay.”

“But my patrol, the men who did this,” she protested feebly. “You need to lead the defenders.”

“I already talked to Matt. He doesn’t mind if I call off this time for personal reasons. I want those who hurt you to get what’s coming to them, but you’re my first priority.”

“Okay.” She hesitated, then continued in a small voice. “If we’re starting our relationship again we’ll still need to take it slow when it comes to, um, intimacy.”

Of course. Her problems hadn’t just gone away after a few weeks apart, and what’d happened today probably wouldn’t make things any easier. The last thing he wanted was for their relationship to be marred by trauma from her past because he’d been too impatient.

“We’ll take it as slow as you need,” he assured her.

Deb gave him a weak but sincere smile. “Then can I finally start calling you my boyfriend?”

He laughed quietly. “I guess it’s past time for that huh, girlfriend?”

She made another face. “Ugh, you sound like a teenage bestie. You don’t say it to your actual girlfriend, she already knows.” She squeezed his hand back. “Although I wouldn’t mind being introduced that way.

Right. Trev was just glad he’d managed to get her mind off what she’d just gone through. “If you’re okay to walk we can leave any time. I’m sure you’re ready to crash for the night.”

“You have no idea.” She pushed to her feet, legs still wobbly. She’d taken off her backpack for Terry’s examination, and as she stooped to pick it up Trev held out his hand in a silent offer to carry it. She handed it over without even token protest, obviously more exhausted and shaken than she let on.

“Your room is finished, right?” she asked as they started off.

Trev blinked. The only reason she’d be asking that was… well obviously she didn’t mean it like that , but even if she was just looking for a safe, quiet place to spend the night it was still unexpected. “Yeah. It’s got a few last finishing touches to go, but I’ve already moved in so it has a bed, and I redirected the stovepipe to run through it for heating. It’ll probably be more comfortable and quiet than a house full of other women and kids.”

Deb nodded. “Yeah, if you don’t mind me crashing there. I can grab one of your spare cots or something, and I’d rest a lot easier there without the noise. Although—” she cut off, blushing slightly. “Although that’s not the only reason I’d rest easier there.”

Well if that didn’t boost a guy’s confidence, knowing he made his girlfriend feel safe. “Sure,” he said. “But you should take my bed if you want. I can set up a cot in the main room near the door in case you need me.”

Trev really hoped she’d agree, since he wouldn’t feel quite right making her sleep on a cot. One of the projects his dad, mom, Linda, and Jim had been involved with over the last few weeks was making proper bed frames and sewing canvas and other cloth together for straw tick mattresses for everyone in the family. The beds were crinkly and often scratchy when some grass poked through, but they were also more roomy and way more comfortable than the simple cots.

“I wouldn’t want you to kick you out of your bed,” she protested. Then she hesitated. “Although I’ll admit I could use a good night’s sleep. It would help if you’d bring a cot and sleep in the room, though, so I know you’re there.”

Trev grinned. “Sure. After crowding in with my family for so long it’s been a bit lonely without a roommate. And you can trust me to be a perfect gentleman.”

Deb gave him a long, serious look. “I know I can trust you,” she said quietly. “And it means more than you know.”

He couldn’t think of a response to that other than to nod resolutely. He’d be there for her so she could get the rest she needed, and anything else to help her get over this newest trauma.

And if his parents had an issue with them spending time together again he’d tell them he and Deb were now officially dating, and if they had something against him hanging out with his girlfriend they could pound sand.

He’d say it more politely than that, of course.

These monsters.

Matt had fought Razor’s gang, he’d fought Turner’s raiders, and he’d fought the blockheads. He’d watched Williams and his men hung up to die painfully. He’d seen plenty of violence, and more death than he ever wanted.

But most of that had been with guns. Bullet wounds could be ugly, especially if they hit in certain places, but that ugliness was usually hidden before it was time for the bodies to be viewed. The closest he’d seen to this level of brutality was a man getting beat long past the point of death in Midvale, when he and Trev went to find April and her family. Although that had been in poor light which was a small blessing.