Status: Feed the Writer ... With Words
DOC
Chap. One
Sam looked over on the couch where Amanda slept, she had to get up soon to head to work and Sam just finished making her lunch and something to eat. He stirred the chili for the hot dogs and looked back over to the exhausted blonde. Her hair stuck up messily, her shirt rode up her side showing the small phoenix tattoo on her hip before the blanket Sam draped over her cut it off at her waist. He smiled, remembering the night he joined Riley and Amanda to get those tattoos. They wanted something they both could get but wouldn’t be too obvious. They didn’t want their names, they didn’t want rings, something meaningful- eternal. Sam had been the one to suggest phoenixes. Birds that rise from their ashes and live forever on the fires inside. Amanda had been hesitant but Riley was stoked about the idea and Sam could just hear his friends’s laughter as Amanda agreed and Riley cheered. That had been so long ago it seemed, he hadn’t heard Amanda laugh since Riley’s death. Not even a sympathy laugh.
Sam jumped and dropped the spoon to the floor when Amanda started screaming and sat bolt upright on the couch, throwing herself to the floor in tears as Sam ran to her, grabbing her up in his arms but she fought him.
“Manda, Manda it’s me! It’s Sam, alright?” he said sternly as he pinned her arms at her sides to stop her from hitting him because, damn, that girl hit hard. Amanda stilled for a brief moment before falling forward into Sam’s chest and crying softly.
“He was screaming for me, Sam, I could almost reach him but- but he was too far. I didn’t- I didn’t say goodbye,” she mumbled through choked sobs and Sam held her tight, rubbing her arm and letting her cling to him. It happened once in awhile, Amanda having nightmares about a dead Riley coming back or nightmares where Riley wasn’t really dead and was in the desert somewhere waiting to be rescued. Sam didn’t know which ones were worse.
“Hey, hey Manda, Riley knows you loved him okay? He knew you did and he would never hurt you like this, you hear me? It’s not Riley, Riley’s gone but he isn’t forgotten, we got him with us all the time. He’s not mad at you, Manda,” Sam told her as he held Amanda away long enough to lift her head up so she was looking at him. Amanda nodded and sniffed loudly, blue eyes glassy from tears as Sam used his thumbs to brush them from her cheeks. He pulled her into a tight hug and rocked her for a minute before the blonde pulled away and got to her feet.
“Sorry Sam, I’m gunna- clean up and then we can eat,” she said distractedly as she nodded and headed for the back of the apartment. Sam watched her from the floor and hung his head before deciding he needed to finish their dinner and make sure she had everything for the night shift.
“Dammit Riley,” he muttered in annoyance rubbing the back of his neck as he scooped up the spoon and grabbed some paper towels to clean up what chili was on the floor. “Why’d you go and leave her like that?”
Sam jumped and dropped the spoon to the floor when Amanda started screaming and sat bolt upright on the couch, throwing herself to the floor in tears as Sam ran to her, grabbing her up in his arms but she fought him.
“Manda, Manda it’s me! It’s Sam, alright?” he said sternly as he pinned her arms at her sides to stop her from hitting him because, damn, that girl hit hard. Amanda stilled for a brief moment before falling forward into Sam’s chest and crying softly.
“He was screaming for me, Sam, I could almost reach him but- but he was too far. I didn’t- I didn’t say goodbye,” she mumbled through choked sobs and Sam held her tight, rubbing her arm and letting her cling to him. It happened once in awhile, Amanda having nightmares about a dead Riley coming back or nightmares where Riley wasn’t really dead and was in the desert somewhere waiting to be rescued. Sam didn’t know which ones were worse.
“Hey, hey Manda, Riley knows you loved him okay? He knew you did and he would never hurt you like this, you hear me? It’s not Riley, Riley’s gone but he isn’t forgotten, we got him with us all the time. He’s not mad at you, Manda,” Sam told her as he held Amanda away long enough to lift her head up so she was looking at him. Amanda nodded and sniffed loudly, blue eyes glassy from tears as Sam used his thumbs to brush them from her cheeks. He pulled her into a tight hug and rocked her for a minute before the blonde pulled away and got to her feet.
“Sorry Sam, I’m gunna- clean up and then we can eat,” she said distractedly as she nodded and headed for the back of the apartment. Sam watched her from the floor and hung his head before deciding he needed to finish their dinner and make sure she had everything for the night shift.
“Dammit Riley,” he muttered in annoyance rubbing the back of his neck as he scooped up the spoon and grabbed some paper towels to clean up what chili was on the floor. “Why’d you go and leave her like that?”
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