Dark Days

Promise

©JRF2016

Darrick was lying next to Mason and Becky just watching them sleep.  These couple of days she's been back she has had terrible headaches and stayed in the bed.  Mason was resting his head on Becky's chest sound asleep.  He never knew he was capable of these kinds of feelings, oh sure he thought he had some for Cathy but they were not this deep.  This was different and he didn't want to lose it.  Becky's eyes pop open wide and she turns to look up into Darrick's baby blues.  Her eyes were filled with fright.  "You okay, Becks?"

"Had a dream," she starts and then pauses unable to finish her thought.  "What was it about?"  She was now staring down at Mason still sleeping on her chest and she ran her fingers through his shaggy hair.  "He really needs a haircut."  She was avoiding answering that question and Darrick's face got more impatient.  He nods as he waits for her response but she never gives one.  "Well woman, you gonna talk to me or what?  What was that damn dream about?"

"Darrick, promise me when it happens you'll take care of me."  Darrick furrows his eyebrows in confusion.  He knows deep down what she was talking about but he didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to believe that it was going to happen.  "When it happens, when what happens?"  Darrick asks her in a confused tone even though he knows exactly what she was talking about.  "You're talkin' like you're as good as dead, it ain't gonna happen."  He was trying to be as convincing as possible for her sake and he almost believed that too.  "Promise me, Darrick."  She says a lot more sternly now, a lot more dire.  "Promise that you will be the one to take care of me.  It can't be Mason.  I don't want him to be here for that at all but he is as stubborn as his darn daddy!  He won't leave my side.  If he is going to be here when it happens I don't want him to have to put me down, I don't want our eight year old son to have to do that."  Darrick nods holding his hands up in surrender, as if she had to convince him of that to begin with, he understood her and his feelings were the same.  No kid should have to do something like that.  That kind of thing can really mess a kid up.  "I promise, Becks.  I'll do everything in my power to keep him from that."  She smiles at him before closing her eyes again.  Darrick sits there for a minute watching her before slowly standing to his feet.  Charlie had slipped into his mind and he couldn't stop thinking about that kid and what he had been through and he wondered how Mason would deal with it if he did end up in that situation.  Just like Darrick, he is strong in a lot of ways but emotionally, well emotionally they weren't all that strong at all.  They both know how to talk a good game, how to act tough, how not to show their most vulnerable emotions but that did not make them stronger at all. 

       The Davis' were all sitting together on the porch when Darrick walks up.  The three littlest ones in between Rick and Rachel and Charlie was sitting on the floor in front of the other five.  It takes a minute before anyone notices him standing on the steps.  "Oh, hey Darrick," Rachel finally responds with a smile, "How's Becky?  Mason?" 

"They're good.  Charlie, can I talk to you for a minute?"  Reid looks at Darrick and then to his oldest son disconcerted.  Charlie looks back at his father and then to Darrick and nods as he stands to walk away with him.  They walk down the street in silence until they reach the end of it.  Charlie finally asks, "So what did you want to talk to me about?"  Darrick scratches his head; he had no clue how to ask this boy what he wants to ask this boy.  "You've been through a lot of shit," he starts unsure of where exactly he was going to go with this train of thought.  Charlie just nods.  "The thing with your mom," Darrick pauses and stares at his feet like a nervous teenage boy asking a girl out on a date for the first time.  "How did you," he pauses again. 

"I'm still not quite over that, that's what you're trying to get at right?  I was lost for a long time, it really messed with my head, having to put her down like that."  Charlie waits but Darrick doesn't say anything.  "You're worried about Mason being stuck in that position, aren't you?"