Page 2 of Leading the Blind
The truck rocked a bit when Bax hit the brakes. The engine cut off, and they sat there.
“You okay?” Bax finally asked.
“My head hurts some,” he admitted. “I need some time to not worry about shit.”
“Well, come on. We’ll get you some pills and watch a movie.”
Listen to a movie, more like, but whatever. “Works for me.”
“You sure? I could put on one of those audiobooks.”
“I just want to be somewhere I”—can see—“know.”
“It’s cool and quiet in there.” Bax climbed out of the truck, then came around to help him out.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Bax.”
“What for, Mini?” They stepped up into the trailer, the smell oddly homey inside.
“Being blind?”Having you take care of me when all I want in all the world is to take care of you.
“Well, that’s stupid. Ain’t like you asked to be blind.”
“No.”No, not a bit. “Good thing we cleared that up.”
“You know it.” Bax snorted loud, then guided him to sit back on the bed thingee. “Let me get us a cold drink, then we can kinda float.”
“Thanks. I’ll get the next one.” He toed his boots off and stripped out of his sponsor shirt and his baggy, filthy work jeans.
“No problem.” Bax opened a couple of bottles, the bottle cap sound unmistakable.
He took the bottle when Bax offered it and drank deep, the lemon-lime bubbles suiting him to the bone.
“Mmm. It was dry as dirt out there, huh?”
“Yeah. Yeah, and I’m pretty sure my mouth was open when I hit the ground.” His molars were a little gritty.
“Ew. No cow shit, Mini.”
Jason snorted, tickled shitless. “No. Although God knows how much we’ve eaten accidentally over the years.”
“Stop.” Bax pinched his hip. “That’s nasty.”
“No pinching!” He rolled toward Bax, trying not to spill his drink. “You’re such a wuss.”
“I am not. I swim with you at your momma’s place. There’s snake poop in there.” Bax had a point there. Jason wasn’t real sure what the point was, but Bax had one.
“I don’t even want to think about what all is in that pond, Bax.”
“Nope.”
They kinda…lounged. Just sat there and breathed like great big lazy gators. He laughed a little at that. Gators did okay blind, according to Beau Lafitte.
“What’s funny, Mini?”
“Alligators.”
“That ain’t funny. That’s a lot of teeth.”
