Learning To Trust Again

With Jake’s help Todd managed to get to his feet. He groaned as he left him leaning against the wall of the building, telling him he was going to go and check that the coast was clear. Watching him stride back towards him Todd wished it had been anyone but Jake that had found him. The two men didn’t speak as Jake pulled Todd’s arm around his shoulder so he could support him as he walked. Todd leaned on him, letting him take a proportion of his weight. Everything hurt as he moved and Todd gritted his teeth to stop from crying out in pain. Step by step they made their way back to the street. One door down from the lane there was a fast food outlet and Jake told Todd to keep his head down as he pushed through the front door.

Jake saw the shocked look on the face of the young man behind the counter as he looked up and saw them enter. But staring him down, Jake continued moving towards the back of the restaurant and managed to get Todd into the toilets without drawing any further attention or having to answer any inconvenient questions.

After Todd splashed his face with water, washing off the now dried blood, Jake checked him for injuries. As luck would have it, there were few visible marks as yet. Tomorrow would be a different story, but in the dark bar he should be able to pass muster. More good fortune was that Todd was wearing dark jeans and shirt so whatever took place in that lane was not obvious except for the fact that his clothes were a little wrinkled and he was missing a button from the bottom of his shirt. But here again Jake knew the dim interior of the bar would help. Jake watched as Todd, pulled up his shirt to inspect the damage in the mirror. His back and stomach were covered in angry red marks indicating the many blows he’d received. Jake could see blue bruises starting to form below the skin. ‘Shit’ Jake said as he inspected the numerous marks. ‘You really need to get these looked at.’

‘I will’ Todd said lowering his shirt ‘later.’

Jake sighed, frustrated by the younger man’s attitude.

 Checking Todd’s head after seeing no obvious wound that would account for the blood Jake found a shallow cut, but it was just above the hair line so unless you were looking for it you wouldn’t know it was there and the bleeding appeared to have stopped now. But more worrying was the huge lump he found on the back of his head. ‘Were you knocked unconscious?’ Jake asked in a concerned tone.

‘Yeah I think so’ Todd said without looking at him as he did his best to straighten out his shirt.

‘God we have to get that checked’ Jake said, having second thoughts about agreeing to let Todd go without a medical clearance by a doctor. A head injury was a serious matter.

‘No. I was only out for a second’ Todd lied. In reality he had no idea how much time had passed when we was lying knocked out cold in the lane but he wasn’t about to tell Jake that. He’d got this far without anyone else finding out what had happened, he wasn’t going to let the other man take him to hospital now, all for the sake of a bump on his head. He felt fine, his head was fine. It didn’t hurt anymore than the rest of him. He’d get it looked at tomorrow if need be.