These Lines Were Never Established

“Tabis.” Hayley held up a pile of snow she’d picked up. Laughing at his confused face she stood on her toes trying to hand him the snow ball for his snowball fight. Smiling he took it hucking it at Jim, thanking her for the ammo. “Tabis.” She added tugging on his pant leg. He looked at her stunned. “Amppy’s a s’eeep.” She pointed at Andy snoozing on a lounge chair.

“Oh, game on.” He breathed. “Thank you.” Picking Hayley up he kissed the top of her head while heading towards Andy, waving the others in. “You are a god send. I would’ve missed that.” Whispering in her ear he listened to her giggle a little as his hot breath and kind words tickled ear from beyond her stripped beanie.

The group walked over staring at Andy’s sleeping form.

“Why is Amppy s’eep?” Hayley questioned grabbing her toes and pulling them up towards herself as Travis still held her around her middle, her back to his chest.

Travis laughed gently at how she pronounced Andy. The only name she seemed to pronounce right Tommy’s. Jim had become Gim, the J magically turning into a G. Jolene was ‘Oween as the J went missing, while he was Tabis, the v replaced with b.

“Get a blanket.” Travis mused over at Jim. “You wanna play with snow?” Hayley nodded vigorously at the question. “Lots of snow?” he asked eagerly, watching as she began nodding faster. “Good.” He set her down.

“Eyes pay now?” She asked with wide giddy eyes.

“In a second, wait a second.” Travis stated.

“What are we doing?” Jolene asked a smirk on her lips.

“Burying him in the snow.”

“He could get hypothermia.”

“Dat no ‘ound ‘ase’e.”

“That doesn’t sound what?” Tommy laughed.

“Tasty.” Travis filled in as watched Jim come running back with a blanket and tarp “You’re a genius.” He laughed seeing the tarp.

“Might as well keep him dry.” Jim laughed as he laid both down, tarp touching the snow the blanket just in side it. “I’ll get the head, you get the legs.”

“Thanks give me the smelly side.” Travis laughed as he grabbed Andy’s legs. Lifting him onto the blanket he laughed gently at the snoring man. Jim and Travis rolled him up, loosely. “Okay.” Turning to Hayley he leaned down towards her. “We’re going to cover this blue tarp in snow!” Hayley gasped at the idea. “You wanna help?” She nodded vigorously. “Then grab some snow and put it on him!” She did as told.

Pushing snow up and around Andy the group laughed and teased about how’d he react to waking up covered in snow and Hayley brought snow from farther areas to help blanket the unsuspecting man.

Hayley ran off to get more snow. Bending down she grabbed at it bringing her hands in and freezing. Pulling back quickly with a whine she turned her attention to her hand, the wet, yellow, fleece glove ripped open in several places slowly turning red. Shaking she felt the pain trickle down her hand, up her arm, and to her brain. With water in eyes her jaw began to tremble before a loud wail of a cry left her mouth and tears began to roll down her cold cheeks.

Everyone stopped at the loud crying and spun to watch Hayley fall back on her butt. Travis sprinted towards her with the others as Andy sat up flinging snow startled.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Travis asked skidding to a stop next to her and freeze the second she held her hand up.

“What happened?” Jim asked skidding to a snow as well, Tommy and Jolene paused behind the group.

“Shii…” Travis bit his lip to keep from swearing. What was he suppose to about cuts? What about blood? “What’d you cut your self on?”

“Eyes-Eyes-Eyes-Eyes jus-jus gab sn-sn-snow an-an-an it ‘urt me!” She wailed. Travis looked at the snow in front of her.

Spots of blood littered the crisp white snow as Travis watched Jim move the snow around. A broken bottle lay just beneath the snow, a few sharp pieces adorning some of Hayley’s blood.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Picking her up, he stood looking at the other with wide terrified eyes. “Let’s go…go…fix it?” he questioned watching Jolene for approval, to which she nodded. “Let’s go.” Hurrying to the house he stepped over Andy’s dazed and confused form and rushed into the warm house, towards the bathroom. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” He stated setting her on the counter and removing her glove trying to see how deep the wound was. “It’s okay. Hayley, it’s okay.”

Stopping the bleeding from the shallow wound and bandaging the wound he smiled warily at the still crying toddler. Rubbing her shoulders slowly he licked his lips as tears still ran down her face.

“No need to cry. No need to cry.” He hushed nervously as she lifted her hand to him. “What?” he whispered confused as she sniffled holding her hand up to him. “It’s all fixed.” He stated to her.

“You’re supposed to kiss it.” The group in the doorway jumped along with Travis. “By the way when’d you get a kid?” Everyone turned to look at Erik Roner standing behind them with a confused look. Jolene laughed hugging the blonde skier. “Why do you have a kid?” he asked again patting Jolene on the back.

“’Ooze yew?” Hayley sniffled.

“That’s my friend Erik. He’s nice.” Travis stated as he took Hayley’s hand gently in his again. “I kiss it?” Erik nodded slowly.

“Who left you a kid when you know nothing about them? That’s basic. You kiss the boo-boo!” Erik laughed at his friend watching Travis frown confused.

Turning to Hayley looked up at him with big water eyes. Unsure of what he was doing he leaned down and gently kissed the band-aids on her hand and watched Hayley weakly smile.

“All better.” Travis whispered.

“I’m still confused.” Erik breathed. “Oh god!” he yelled as Jim, Tommy, Andy, and Jolene dragged him off to explain.

“Wa’s if iit gets in inpected?” Hayley sniffled cradling her hand against her chest. Travis scooped her up and cradled her into his chest gently. “Wa’s if eyes en’s up w’ike mommy?” She whimpered into his collar, holding to it tightly.

“It won’t get in infected.” He panicked not sure what to say to that.

“Pom’mis?” Hayley looked up him with water eyes as Travis carried her out towards the living room slowly, giving the guys as much time as possible to explain to Erik.

“I promise.”

“Yew Pom’mis w’ike wif da ‘onsters?”

“Yes.” He laughed stopping. “I promise like I did with the monsters last night.” Hayley looked down at her hand eyeing it nervously as an idea hit Travis like a semi-truck going eighty miles per hour. “How about this, to make sure and that way I can truthfully promise and we can be sure we’ll go get it checked by a doctor and the doctor can tell you for sure.” Hayley’s eyes went wide at the word doctor. “But, it’ll be a nice doctor I won’t let them hurt you and they’ll tell you what I just told you. You’re fine.” Hayley watched him as he wiped away her tears. “Okay?” He asked gently

“Do what?!” Rang from the front room letting Travis know he only had to stall a few more minutes.

“Otay.” She whispered. Travis ruffled her hair gently.

“Wanna go color?” He asked in a giddy tone knowing it would perk the sad child up. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t like seeing her sad and watching her eyes lit up at the thought of coloring made him feel better.