Soldierboy

Chapter Twenty four

“Well I suppose it’s just as well its Saturday, and you don’t have to go to work this morning,” Kelly remarked tritely the following morning, as she eyed Danny sitting at the kitchen table, his elbows resting on it, and his aching head in his hands.

“Yeah,” he just agreed gruffly, not even bothering to look at her

“That was a lovely state you came back in last night. Greg practically had to carry you through the door, you could hardly stand, no wonder you feel so awful this morning” she then said as she went about making him some coffee

“I take you are still pissed at me, then?” Danny then said, lifting his head out of his hands to look at her enquiringly

“Well what do you expect, I didn’t know what happened to you, and I was worried about you.. I thought you had some sort of accident” Kelly replied in defence.

“I know, I know. I should have phoned you and let you know where I was, but I didn’t realise how late it was. I didn’t mean to stay at the pub so long” Danny said now rubbing his hands wearily over his face. “I’m sorry ok, I didn’t mean to worry you” he looked truly aggrieved, and Kelly felt her annoyance melt a little.

She had finished making the coffee and came over to set it down in front of him, then she sat down facing him, deciding to speak what was really bothering her.

“Danny why didn’t you tell me that gas explosion the other week, and was not too far from where you worked?” she asked with quiet bewilderment

Danny was taking a sip of his coffee, but then he stilled, his hazel eyes meeting her across the table.

He swallowed the coffee, then put the cup down with some deliberation, “What has that got to do with anything?” he then asked a little guardedly.

“How can you ask that? I thought it would be pretty obvious,” Kelly returned, “I have noticed they way you have been acting since then; and don’t tell me that was not the reason why you ended up deciding to go and visit Craig’s Grave, it brought back what happened to you at the barracks, didn’t it?”

“Maybe,” Danny admitted almost dismissively, lifting up his mug and taking another sip of his coffee “But its no big deal, I am fine now, or at least I will be once I get rid of this headache” he grimaced

“Are you sure?” Kelly persisted with a worried frown.

“Yeah,” Danny replied ,then sighed heavily, “This is why I didn’t say anything to you. I knew you would worry and make a fuss over it. But I am ok, I can deal with it,” he insisted.

Kelly found herself reluctantly giving him the benefit of the doubt, not wanting to push him too much right now, when he obviously wasn’t in the mood for it.

“Why don’t you take some tablets for your headache, and go back to bed and sleep it off” she then suggested

“Sounds like a plan, I might just do that,” Danny replied, seeming relieved she was letting it drop. He knocked back the rest of his coffee before getting up and coming round to gave her a quick peck on the lips, “I am sorry about last night, it won’t happen again” he told her remorsefully.

“Yeah, you had better not, or the next time don’t bother coming home, because then I might just brain you one!” she warned him good humouredly, making him chuckle and kiss her penitently again

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Despite his assurances that he was fine, Kelly found herself watching Danny’s behaviour carefully over the next few days. Although he did seem to be back to his old self again, and giving her lots of attention, she wasn’t sure he was trying to fool her into thinking he was alright, now that she knew the truth about the gas explosion, and how it might have affected him