North Road {HS}

4. Pierce

"Boys!"

I hear the shout from downstairs and groan. It's the wake up call of a woman and I've yet to become accustomed to it. I turn to the other side of the room where Harry sleeps to see if he heard it.

His small bed is empty and unmade.

It must have been another nightmare. He thinks that I haven't picked up on them, but I have. I don't think there is a single man who walked away from France without them. I get them too, but not as often as Harry.

Since we have arrived he has developed this habit of walking them off. Sometimes he walks all the way till morning. Today must have been one of those days.
I don't know how he lives without the sleep but I reckon that the walks with his demons are more peaceful than his dreams are right now.

I pull on my pants slowly and think about how I could help him. Losing Lewis shook him. The straw in this blasted war that broke the camel's back. The only loss during the war that Harry cried for.

He wouldn't forgive himself and I couldn't force him.
I check my hair in the small glass by the door and bound down the stairs lost in my thoughts.

"Pierce, good of you to finally join us."

In the kitchen stands Kitty with one hand on her hip as she scoops out oatmeal for the house.

"Sorry, Miss Kitty, you work us like the Israelites in captivity here to the point that you can't blame a man for falling on his bed, dead to this world, every once and a while," I tease as I pull on my jacket and my cap readying to do my morning chores before breakfast.

She rolls her eyes and let out a small laugh before going back to what she was doing. Kitty seems to be a sweet girl. She just seems to carry too much weight on her shoulder as she is practically running the house with her mother sick and all.

Her heart is kind though, which is evident in the way she is still helping us. She had gone back on her word about only letting us stay the one night with a look on her eye that seemed to say, don't you dare bring it up.

I went about my chores quickly making a mad dash from the barn to the house as I finish. As I approach I hear two raised voices. Kitty and Harry.

He must have gone in while I was in the barn and been subjected to Kitty's sarcasm about him being late as well. Harry being Harry had responded in turn having not been in the mood for a ribbing this morning.

I scramble inside to scrap together whatever peace could be managed at this point.

"Beautiful morning, innit!" I exclaim loudly as I remove my cap.

"It's raining," mutters Kitty in response while Harry rushes silently past me on his way to the barn.

"Sorry about him," I sigh in defeat as I accept my breakfast.

She simply shakes her head in response before busying herself making a tray to take up to her mother.

"Laidy!" She calls out before groaning in frustration and collapsing into one of the other chairs at the kitchen table I am seated at.

I hear the methodical piano playing in another room cease before a head pops through the door.

"What is it?"

Even in the morning she looks beautiful. Her long, caramel color hair hangs down her back not yet having been pinned up. She notices me and adjusts her housecoat nervously.

"Good morning, Pierce," she smiles in my direction, "What is it Kitty?"

Kitty sits with her elbows on the table her face cradled in her hands. She lifts her head briefly before dropping it back down.

"I was up half the night with Mum. She's caught a cold of some sort which worries me. I'm going to take her up breakfast and see if I can take a quick nap. Can you send one of the boys for Dr. Wright and then finish up breakfast for the house?" she asks.

"I can go for the doctor," I offer standing.

"Sit," instructs Kitty tiredly, "You can go when you finish eating. There's no rush."

I obey her, surprised by the amount of defeat laced in her tone.

She stands up and exits the kitchen with the tray in her hand. I watch as Adelaide tucks her hair behind her ears and goes to work in the kitchen.

She must have noticed the curiosity in my face as I finish my breakfast.

"She had cancer in her breasts," she explains as she washes dishes, "She had them removed but the procedure was as rudimentary as it was crude and it took its toll on her. She never fully recovered. Mum's strong though and she neatly recovered for a while but a few months later we found her doubled over in the washroom coughing up blood. Dr. Wright says it must have spread before the surgery and there's nothing we can do if it did spread to her lungs. So that's what why we can no longer take things like colds lightly."

"I'm sorry," I hear myself say but it sounds pathetic.

"I am too," she answers.

We sit silently in the quiet kitchen for a moment as I watch her.

I could have sworn I see the glistening of unshed tears in her green eyes when she thanks me for fetching the doctor as we stand together at the kitchen door. It hits me like a punch in the gut as I smile down at her for in front of me is yet another hurting soul. One that I am beginning to care for. Another soul I am inadequate to comfort.
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I love me some Pierce. 💔