I eased the door closed behind me, acutely aware of the snoring coming from Diego's bunk. I was silent as I walked to my bed and crawled into it relaxing into the rough blanket.
I only had a few minutes before Addison would be calling me out, "the garden doesn't watch itself!" Except it did and it bothered me I couldn't say anything to her. But I knew it would only cause more problems.
The next few minutes I spent the entire time stretched out breathing softly. "Aye Diego let go!" A man's voice startled me, I sat up swiftly feeling slightly dizzy from moving so fast. "Sorry Stacy didn't know you were here" I shrugged and stood walking over to him. "It's okay Todd, how've you been?" Diego shifted finally and scowled at the view of him but began to get ready anyways.
Todd smiled and turned to me "good, it's rough out there, how's the crops?" I shrugged again, "fine? I don't know man they're plants don't think they feel things" Todd laughed and wrapped his arm around Diego's shoulder pulling him out the door "aye I heard Abby's back she checked in a few outposts from here, bet she'll be back by dark"
I felt the excitement run through me before I could identify it, it had been a whole week since she'd left sweeping the outposts and overall clearing, these trips didn't happen very often and the face of excitement Abby had when she'd learnt she was to go, well I couldn't tell her I didn't want her to go so I said a sad goodbye and bid my time.
But now that was over. I jogged out to the gardens immediately spotting Addison she looked exactly as she always did, clean and frowning. "Stacy come here, why are the tomatoes not being held up better?" I shrugged "it's not my job, those are" I gestured to the row off greenhouses in the distance. Addison scowled now and pointed at the tomatoes "fix them and the other to houses and I'll let you go early tonight"
I spun the Addison, surprised "I know Abby's getting in tonight thought you might wanna prepare." I almost forgot how annoying Addison was with how kind she was being. "Really? Wow, that amazing thank you"
"Don't thank me, I expect you in early tomorrow" I groaned, shaking away any thoughts of a kind Addison "fine"
When id finally finished work I had cleared out the bathing rooms, filled the tub with hot hot water, added herbs and roses and got everything I'd need for us to take a nice, long bath. I knew Abby would be covered in blood, dirt, and god only knew what else and I knew she didn't take time to do more than a basic rinse most often so
Tonight I'd take care of her.
I waited for her in our shared rooms shaking my leg violently in expectation and when she finally entered I nearly screamed. "Abby, finally" she smiled only slightly "I had to turn in my guns and speak to everyone" I nodded nearly letting my face fall when I fully saw her. She was scrapped up, covered in lots of blood and stiff. "Are you free now?" She leaned against the bunk bed, looking down at me so intensely I felt the air leave me. "You got something planned don't you?" I bit my lip and looked away "yeah"
I turned back to watch her ease off her backpack trying desperately to his the winces of pain "take me to it" she held out her hand for me and I grasped it pulling her tired frame behind me back to the bathrooms.
By now the room was warm and smelt of sweet scents of the gardens a smell that felt like home to me and peace to Abby "oh Stacy" I heard her whisper pulling me to her against the closed door. She held me and took a deep breath letting out an even deeper one and groaning softly "you shouldn't have" her voice was hoarse and soft a pain tinged at the edges as if no one had ever loved her, and maybe they hadn't.
When she pulled away I saw her frown "I'm going to make that bath water so gross. I smiled and pulled her over to one of the shower stalls where's a bucket of water and rag laid "I did think of that" I pushed her gently down onto a stool and helped her ease her shirt of, a sports bra after that.
