My Home From Home (ManxMan)

Chapter 8

But little did Henry know that he wasn't the only one sneaking glances; Thomas also snuck his fair share of stolen looks. Both men sat in utter silence as neither were particularly adept at small talk; Henry often likened pointless chit-chat to a method of torture whilst Thomas was simply and reserved from a young age. But the curiosity was simply eating at them both from the inside.

"Ah, you lot drive on the right here." Henry abruptly broke the painfully awkward silence, immediately kicking himself internally for choosing perhaps the most mundane topic to break the ice with as Thomas craned his neck to flash him a confused look that only confirmed how ridiculous his little outburst sounded. "I find it rather odd that different provinces drive on different sides of the road. When I landed in Nova Scotia, I felt like I was still at home. Then when I finally got to Québec I nearly had a heart attack when the taxi was driving on the wrong side of the blasted road."

"Oh, um... Yeah." Chuckled Thomas awkwardly. "Some provinces follow the British and drive on the left; like the Maritimes, British Columbia, ad the sort. And some follow the French and drive on the right; the Prairies, Ontario, and Québec obviously."

"Curious." Henry muttered to himself as he started out into the rolling prairie landscape around him. "Sounds like a bloody nightmare logistically but whatever works, I suppose."

"I guess it does..." Thomas shrugged with an awkward laugh which set off yet another awkward silence between them, leaving nothing but the sound of the horse trotting and the carriage wheels against the dirt road to keep them from utterly losing the plot. "Um... The telegram I'd received from the Health Ministry said that you were coming in on the train from Montréal, so I assumed that's where you were from..." Thomas glanced over towards Henry for a second; watching as the boy's adam's apple bobbed in his neck. "I take it you're not from Montréal."

"No erm... I'm from England, actually." Henry admitted softly, feeling his heart pounding within his chest; as per usual Henry mostly kept to himself for most of the train journey and lucky for him he found the people to generally be as reserved and nonintrusive as one would be back home. So this was the first time he'd have to regurgitate the rehearsed false backstory his father had created for him.

"England, eh? With that accent you know, I'd never have guessed." Thomas teased sarcastically, glancing to the side to see Henry blushing uncomfortably. "So what brings you out to here Alberta? You're a long way from home."

"Good question, that." Henry mumbled under his breath whilst shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Eh? Sorry I didn't catch that." Thomas cocked a curious brow as Henry visibly tensed up realising his mumble was a bit more audible than he'd originally intended.

"Err..." Henry blinkled at him wide eyed, a bit caught off guard; though it really wasn't anything when it came to him having to reproduce this little white lie about, well, his entire life, he found every little bump in the road to be like knives stabbing into him. 

"Sorry, I shouldn't've pried like that. You don't have to answer that if you don't want." Thomas apologised, realising he truly didn't know this stranger at all let alone to expect him to divulge personal information to him.

"No, It's quite alright." Henry sat back, feeling a slight sense of calmness was over his clenched body as he glanced over towards the back of the handsome blond's head, covered on top by his brown mountie hat, a leather strap around the base. "I reckon I've come here for a bit of a change, really. I suppose one can get terribly bored living in one place for twenty seven years."

"You're twenty-seven?" Thomas asked, earning him a nod from the dark haired Englishman. "Me too." Thomas admitted with a tight lipped smile perking up the corners of his lips. "I'm sorry if I offended you earlier at the station... It's just... you exactly weren't what I was expecting when they told me a new doctor was coming to town."