‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
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Taylor was left in the chair to recover after the back of his neck was bandaged up. The blacksmith went on with other work but the woman remained by his side.
“Are you alright?” she asked after a long silence, stepping into his line of sight.
“Yes Miss,” Taylor responded straight away, blinking away the moisture in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you Taylor?”
Taylor’s eyes widened and he struggled with a response.
“Now I expect honest responses from you. Especially if you are to be around my children,” she said calmly, “are you alright?”
Taylor swallowed, unable to shake his head.
“It just hurts,” he said softly as he closed his eyes again.
“Understandable,” he was surprised when she rested a hand on top of his for a moment.
She stayed with him until the blacksmith assured them that the heat in the collar would be gone. When they had the go ahead she unstrapped his head from the chair, before replacing the chain onto the new collar and also unstrapping his wrists. He sat up awkwardly before sliding to the floor. The back of the collar rested on his bandages, thankfully just below where the burns were.
As the woman raised his leash she gave him a pointed look.
“Follow closely, I do not wish to pull on it.”
Taylor nodded gratefully, knowing that she was trying to keep the collar off the burns. With a last nod of thanks to the blacksmith she led him out of the shed and back up to the stables. Realising that she was going to leave him there to rest it off, he gladly went into his stall and waited as she secured the chain.
“Tomorrow I will introduce you to the children,” she informed him.
“Thank you Miss,” Taylor’s eyes lowered.
She finished what she was doing and stopped to watch as he lowered himself onto the hay.
“You’re looking forward to it, aren’t you?” she asked curiously.
“Yes Miss,” he admitted.
“Why?”
Taylor hesitated, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected to ever really be asked anything again.
“I… like kids,” he shrugged uneasily.
She nodded thoughtfully.
“It must have been hard losing your own.”
He dared not look up at her with the look of anguish he knew had appeared on his face. Instead he pulled his knees in to his chest and hugged them securely.
“Rest. I’ll have Ibby bring your evening meal,” she said before stepping out of the stall.
He looked up only once the gate was closed, watching as her shadow passed the slats as she walked away. He waited until he couldn’t hear her any more before leaning his head back against the wall and finally letting his tears fall.
He knew that they were okay, and that they were somewhere safe. He even knew somewhere deep down inside that as long as he kept himself alive that there would even be a remote chance that he could see them again. But even that couldn’t curb his grief at not even being able to hear their voices over the phone. At not knowing that a hug was just a day away.
He wiped his eyes after a time, having easily worn himself out. Knowing he was likely to fall asleep well before Ibby showed up, he carefully lay down on his side and tiredly closed his eyes.
“Are you alright?” she asked after a long silence, stepping into his line of sight.
“Yes Miss,” Taylor responded straight away, blinking away the moisture in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you Taylor?”
Taylor’s eyes widened and he struggled with a response.
“Now I expect honest responses from you. Especially if you are to be around my children,” she said calmly, “are you alright?”
Taylor swallowed, unable to shake his head.
“It just hurts,” he said softly as he closed his eyes again.
“Understandable,” he was surprised when she rested a hand on top of his for a moment.
She stayed with him until the blacksmith assured them that the heat in the collar would be gone. When they had the go ahead she unstrapped his head from the chair, before replacing the chain onto the new collar and also unstrapping his wrists. He sat up awkwardly before sliding to the floor. The back of the collar rested on his bandages, thankfully just below where the burns were.
As the woman raised his leash she gave him a pointed look.
“Follow closely, I do not wish to pull on it.”
Taylor nodded gratefully, knowing that she was trying to keep the collar off the burns. With a last nod of thanks to the blacksmith she led him out of the shed and back up to the stables. Realising that she was going to leave him there to rest it off, he gladly went into his stall and waited as she secured the chain.
“Tomorrow I will introduce you to the children,” she informed him.
“Thank you Miss,” Taylor’s eyes lowered.
She finished what she was doing and stopped to watch as he lowered himself onto the hay.
“You’re looking forward to it, aren’t you?” she asked curiously.
“Yes Miss,” he admitted.
“Why?”
Taylor hesitated, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected to ever really be asked anything again.
“I… like kids,” he shrugged uneasily.
She nodded thoughtfully.
“It must have been hard losing your own.”
He dared not look up at her with the look of anguish he knew had appeared on his face. Instead he pulled his knees in to his chest and hugged them securely.
“Rest. I’ll have Ibby bring your evening meal,” she said before stepping out of the stall.
He looked up only once the gate was closed, watching as her shadow passed the slats as she walked away. He waited until he couldn’t hear her any more before leaning his head back against the wall and finally letting his tears fall.
He knew that they were okay, and that they were somewhere safe. He even knew somewhere deep down inside that as long as he kept himself alive that there would even be a remote chance that he could see them again. But even that couldn’t curb his grief at not even being able to hear their voices over the phone. At not knowing that a hug was just a day away.
He wiped his eyes after a time, having easily worn himself out. Knowing he was likely to fall asleep well before Ibby showed up, he carefully lay down on his side and tiredly closed his eyes.