Who: Scotch (and the kids) Where: Old barn or lodge somewhere south of Cascade Locks What: Memories after a lot of travelling When: 27th December, Evening Rating: PG Open: Closed Status: Complete
Daniel settled on the floor of the abandoned structure. He had made sure the kids were comfortable and warm enough on top of and under the pile of blankets he had put down for them. After they had fallen asleep he had taken the single remaining blanket - hole-ridden with wear and use - and settled on the cold, hard floor next to them with his back against the wall. He wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon.
He was worried. He had checked their packs earlier and found that they really needed to find somewhere nearby where he could trade for food. As it was, he had rationed the last of it so the two ten year olds wouldn't go hungry. As for Daniel, he hadn't eaten for the last few days anyway, aside from some stale biscuits and an apple.
Daniel sighed before pulling out the worn map from his coat pocket. He unrolled it and looked at it, like he did every night, marking the route that they were taking... at least, he hoped it was. If he had been navigating correctly (unlike when he had dragged them off-route and then around in circles when he was ill) then by his estimates they should arrive in Cascade Locks in several days. Hopefully the food would last by then. He turned the map over and looked at the dates he had scribbled down... the 27th. God, was that really today? The 27th... the last day he had seen Angel, tears running down her face as she told him where she was going. After he'd screwed everything up.
He dropped his head into his hands, stifling a sob so as not to wake the sleeping children. He remembered that day, three years ago, and how upset Angel had been. How she had told him how much he had hurt her and then still asked him to go with her. Oh god, how he had wanted to say yes right then but his sister, Mandy, had needed looking after and couldn't be moved due to her injuries... And yet, the older woman had died from them two weeks after Angel had left.
Whether his body shook from cold, exhaustion or emotion, he couldn't tell but he scrubbed at his eyes and face to clear them of moisture. He just wanted to find her, to see if she was ok... to finally tell her that he did love her. Because he did, he really did, he had just been an idiot... a scared, irrational idiot... too scared to tell her he loved her in case he lost her. Then he had lost her all the same by hurting her so badly that he didn't deserve forgiveness. He didn't expect forgiveness. He just wanted to know she was alive and ok.... If that meant she had found someone else.... then, well, he would have to deal with that. Not that he was sure how exactly he would. He didn't know what he would do if they arrived in Cascade Locks and she wasn't there but he didn't want to focus on that. If he focussed too much on the negative he would lose his already tentative grasp on sanity again... and the kids didn't need that. They needed him to stay collected enough to make sure they got to the place ok, to keep them safe.