Not What I Was Expecting

Charlie

I did as he said and he stood up and went into my bathroom. I leaned sideways to watch him crouch down and rummage around under the bathroom sink. He pulled out the red nylon first aid kit, unzipped it, and rifled through it until he found a long stretchy white bandage with metal pins. “Ah ha!” He cried victoriously before zipping the bag back up and tucking it back under the sink. He closed the cupboards and came back to me, assuming the same position in the collapsible chair.

He held out his hand again and I gave him mine.

Benji wrapped my hand like an expert. It wasn’t too loose or too tight, and the ice pack stayed exactly where it needed to.

“You’ve done this before,” I said.

“More than I care to admit.”

“Ever done it for a girl?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No. This one’s a first for me.”

“Is everyone okay out there?”

Benji never took his eyes away from his job of wrapping my hand. “There was some chaotic energy for about five minutes, but your security guys calmed