‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
64
After a restless night on the floor of the study, Taylor was woken up by the woman returning to the room. Hurriedly trying to blink the sleep away, he pulled himself up onto his hands and knees and sat back into his usual position.
“How are you this morning, Taylor?” she asked as she closed the door.
She could already see the part of his face where he’d been hit swelling and bruising. He waited a moment to answer her so that he could be sure of being honest.
“Much better, Miss,” he said as he rubbed his eyes.
“Good. I’ve cancelled your session with the children this morning to give you a chance to clean yourself up,” she said as she went to sit at the desk.
Taylor wasn’t sure if he should thank her or not, so he opted to remain silent. When he was awake enough to register his headache, he put a hand to his head.
“What is it?” she asked as she watched him.
“Just a headache Miss,” Taylor gave her a glance before returning his eyes to the floor.
“Understandable. Juan hits hard.”
Taylor closed his eyes, leaning into his hand for a moment before returning it to his lap.
“I’ll have Ibby take you to the bathroom when he comes in,” she informed him, “your new clothes have also arrived. I’ve left some there for you.”
“Thank you Miss.”
He waited patiently as she began her morning’s work, Ibby not taking much longer to turn up. He took him to the bathroom as instructed, Taylor finding a small pile of clothes there as she’d said. They included jeans and a black button-down shirt. He couldn’t help but be grateful to be back to wearing some ‘normal’ clothes.
*
Zac just stared at the ring as he turned it over in his fingers. He remembered all too well the day it had been taken from his brother. He was so engrossed in the memory that he didn’t hear Isaac talking to him until he’d put a hand on his shoulder.
“Rick’s leaving,” he informed him.
Zac clutched the ring in his fist and turned to look at where Rick was packing his car up. He made his way over.
“Thank you for everything,” he said sincerely, giving Rick a hug, “including keeping Ike out of trouble.”
“Hey, it’s my job, right?” Rick chuckled, giving him a pat on the back.
When he let go he gave Isaac a hug too.
“I’d better see you guys back in Tulsa soon, okay?”
“Oh we’ll be there the second we find Tay,” Isaac assured, “and if we don’t…”
“We can’t avoid it forever,” Zac cut him off, “or you know, our wives.”
“They might start hunting you down,” Rick mused as he opened the car door.
“Don’t think Kate hasn’t already threatened to,” Zac smirked in reply.
Rick got in and started the car as the brothers stood by the window.
“Let me know if you hear anything, yeah?” he looked up.
“You’ll be first to know,” Isaac insisted.
“Well, second. After Nat,” Zac corrected, “technically fourth after us. Or fifth after whoever tells us.”
“Bye guys,” Rick smirked, before pulling out of the station car park and heading down the road.
“How are you this morning, Taylor?” she asked as she closed the door.
She could already see the part of his face where he’d been hit swelling and bruising. He waited a moment to answer her so that he could be sure of being honest.
“Much better, Miss,” he said as he rubbed his eyes.
“Good. I’ve cancelled your session with the children this morning to give you a chance to clean yourself up,” she said as she went to sit at the desk.
Taylor wasn’t sure if he should thank her or not, so he opted to remain silent. When he was awake enough to register his headache, he put a hand to his head.
“What is it?” she asked as she watched him.
“Just a headache Miss,” Taylor gave her a glance before returning his eyes to the floor.
“Understandable. Juan hits hard.”
Taylor closed his eyes, leaning into his hand for a moment before returning it to his lap.
“I’ll have Ibby take you to the bathroom when he comes in,” she informed him, “your new clothes have also arrived. I’ve left some there for you.”
“Thank you Miss.”
He waited patiently as she began her morning’s work, Ibby not taking much longer to turn up. He took him to the bathroom as instructed, Taylor finding a small pile of clothes there as she’d said. They included jeans and a black button-down shirt. He couldn’t help but be grateful to be back to wearing some ‘normal’ clothes.
*
Zac just stared at the ring as he turned it over in his fingers. He remembered all too well the day it had been taken from his brother. He was so engrossed in the memory that he didn’t hear Isaac talking to him until he’d put a hand on his shoulder.
“Rick’s leaving,” he informed him.
Zac clutched the ring in his fist and turned to look at where Rick was packing his car up. He made his way over.
“Thank you for everything,” he said sincerely, giving Rick a hug, “including keeping Ike out of trouble.”
“Hey, it’s my job, right?” Rick chuckled, giving him a pat on the back.
When he let go he gave Isaac a hug too.
“I’d better see you guys back in Tulsa soon, okay?”
“Oh we’ll be there the second we find Tay,” Isaac assured, “and if we don’t…”
“We can’t avoid it forever,” Zac cut him off, “or you know, our wives.”
“They might start hunting you down,” Rick mused as he opened the car door.
“Don’t think Kate hasn’t already threatened to,” Zac smirked in reply.
Rick got in and started the car as the brothers stood by the window.
“Let me know if you hear anything, yeah?” he looked up.
“You’ll be first to know,” Isaac insisted.
“Well, second. After Nat,” Zac corrected, “technically fourth after us. Or fifth after whoever tells us.”
“Bye guys,” Rick smirked, before pulling out of the station car park and heading down the road.