Flesh and Bone

After a declined offer of lunch from Mitch, Ryan reached her home a jumbled mess of nerves. Pulling into the garage, she let out a shaky breath and did her best to steady herself before going in. She knew she had to try and sleep before her shift started at seven but, her home seemed so small around her and she knew the walls would cave in on her, even before she made entrance. Despite her mind’s insistence, she retrieved her bag from the back seat and dug through until she found her bottle of courage. Popping the top, Ryan downed the Xanax tablet dry and rested her head against the seat and waited for the effect to begin.
Fifteen minutes passed before she felt her limbs relax and her mind slow it’s galloping pace. Knowing soon it would completely take her out; Ryan slowly opened the car door and made her way out. Reaching the door that would take her from the garage through the laundry room and into the inner sanctum of her home, Ryan’s limbs were beginning to feel made of molasses and it took immense concentration to put the key in the lock. Turning the deadbolt behind her once inside, she hoisted her bag onto the dryer and trudged to her bed. In a medicated daze, she made sure her alarm was set and she fell onto her bed. The rest of the afternoon was spent in a dreamless slumber. Before she slipped into oblivion her last conscious thought escaped her lips. “Fuck me.”

Shaking off the remains of the medication, Ryan pulled her car into the lot of Station 5; the post she and Mitch called home for twelve hours each night. At 6:45 in the evening the sun was making its decent into twilight and the air was beginning to cool. Pulling into her designated space, she noted the bay doors to where the fleet of vehicles rested between calls was open. Seeing nothing unusual, Ryan turned off the ignition, chucked her keys in her rucksack and stretched her long legs onto the pavement. Turning her sunglass clad face to the sky, she made a large stretch, arms wide and back arched. Breathing deeply the air of the Delta, it calmed her still racing mind. Throwing her bag on one shoulder, she shut the car door and made her way into the open bay. Crossing the threshold, the light dimmed and Ryan could only make out silhouettes until her eyes adjusted from the bright, evening sun. As she moved her sunglasses to the top of her head, Mitch’s voice rang out from her left.

“She’s here! Party’s over now!” his usual teasing chuckle was almost abrasive to her.

Eyes beginning to adjust to the diminished light, Ryan raised a middle finger salute in the direction of the voice. Just as her hand reached full height, another person standing next to Mitch came into focus, although the features were a bit of a blur. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her hand and made her way over to them. As she closed the distance her vision became clearer and next to Mitch was a tall, almost lanky man. At six foot, Mitch was nothing to sneeze at but, this guy had him by at least two inches or more. Closing in on the last few feet between them, Ryan’s thoughts ran together all at once. “Here we go….hope he’s not a jerk face….well his face isn’t even familiar…..”.

Mitch as standing with this stranger on the driver’s side of their rig, the oxygen compartment open and she assumed Mitch had gotten a jump start on the truck run down. Squaring her shoulders and raising herself to her full height, Ryan stepped up in front of their new “student” and began sizing him up. Tall, he wasn’t as lanky as she first thought. He was thin but, muscular; his biceps defined under the sleeves of the dark blue pullover shirt he wore. His hair color was hard to define as it was almost buzzed off on the sides and what was left was covered under a dark blue ball cap, emblazoned with the shield of the Memphis Fire and Emergency Service. The arms crossed in front of his chest were lightly dusted with freckles and the thin goatee he sported was strawberry-blonde. The second they locked eyes, Ryan sucked in a harsh breath. Sky blue orbs sized her up as well with a hint of mischievousness and she was instantly transported back to a small child and a memory of another’s eyes so blue. Swallowing hard, her mouth had gone dry and the blood rushed in her ears. It was only when she felt a light punch to her arm, Ryan looked to Mitch.

“Hey, space cadet, I’m talking to you!” he grinned. “Ryan, meet our third rider, Tom Hiddleston. Tom, this is Ryan McGarrah, aka, ‘Ryme’.” Mitch made introductions with a hint of boyish giddiness to his voice. Ryan guessed Mitch knew who this fellow was but, she had no clue.

Tom broke out into a large smile and extended his hand. Ryan’s hand extended to meet his but, it was autonomic; her muscles guided themselves. Once again pulled into the same blue eyes that were a reminder of her distant childhood, he spoke with the most eloquent voice. “It’s very nice to meet you Ryan.”

Nodding her head and he pumped her arm up and down in a firm shake, the rational part of her mind kicked her in the ass, bringing her back into the present. As she made her reply, it occurred to her he had an accent but, what she had been in too much of a stupor to catch. “Nice to meet you as well.” Ryan was able to dryly reply.

Mitch was the next to speak, breaking Ryan further out of her stupor. “We’ve decided to call him Tom. It’s better than trying to remember a fake name and somebody slip up. He can also speak with an American accent so, no giveaways there. In the event someone may try to put it together, we’ve worked that out too.”

Ryan was too immersed in thought to fully take in what Mitch was telling her. It must have been a good minute after he finished speaking that he snapped his fingers in front of her nose when she didn’t attempt to make reply. “Hellloooo!!! You in there?”

“Yeah, yeah I got it; just taking it all in.” Ryan said rather grumpily.

“Ok, prissy pants!” Mitch shot back. “Are you familiar at all with Tom here?” he asked, looking between the both of them.

Ryan took full stock of their new crew member and while he looked vaguely familiar, she couldn’t put her finger on anything particular she’d seen him in. Turning her head slowly back to Mitch she just shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.
“Have you checked out the drug box yet?” Ryan asked Mitch.
“No, I haven’t yet.” He replied. “I was just about to head that way when you came in.”
“It’s okay, I’ll grab it. I have to clock in anyhow.” She said as she slowly turned and began making her way into the station.
Mitch once again tried to make small talk with Tom but, he was intent on watching Ryan walk away. He had studied her from the moment she stepped from her car; the black, sporty type vehicle with the fast thumping bass coming from the stereo. He had watched her unfold herself from her car and stretch out her long limbs toward the sun. She looked slightly exotic; light olive complexion with dark chocolate hair fashioned in a razored bob with side-swept bangs. She was tall for a female, the top of her head coming to his nose. Once she came closer and removed her sunglasses, her eyes were a striking light brown with flecks of gold in them. Her face, as beautiful as it was, seemed asymmetrical to him but, he couldn’t figure out quite why. Tom probably would’ve paid more mind to her fantastic backside had it not been for the slight limp she had to the left when she walked. Most likely unperceivable to most, but, that’s what he had a knack for. Noticing things most other didn’t.
Tom was snapped out of his thoughts by and elbow to his arm and a laughing Mitch at his side. Caught, all he could offer Mitch was a sheepish grin. Mitch just shook his head and with a chuckle, remark, “that one right there is ten gallons of crazy in a five gallon bucket.”