Looking After Terry

Max stood at the kitchen door heeling off his boots. He'd been busy in the garden getting a new plot ready for Ceri to make beautiful with her creative planting. He walked over to the sink and washed his hands before wrapping them around Ceri's waist. Kissing the back of her neck, laid bare by the fact that she had pinned it all up when she'd been cooking earlier, he turned her in his arms to kiss her again, this time on the lips.

“Still no sign of Terry?” he asked.

“He's still sleeping. He needs the rest,” Ceri replied.

Max looked at his watch before answering. “He's been asleep for close on 20 hours now. Do you think he's okay?”

“He's fine, love. Bron and I slipped one of Ed's sleeping pills into his hot drink before we put him to bed yesterday. Don't be angry with us, Ed doesn't need them any more, and we didn't think Terry would rest without some help.”

Max kissed her again and hugged her. “Why would I be cross with you, darling? You both had Terry's welfare in mind. It's lucky that Bron had the meds with her.”

“She's had them in her bag for days now, meaning to take them to the clinic for disposal. She didn't want them just sitting in the medicine cabinet.”

“Let's hope it helped Terry get the right kind of sleep. He looked terrible when we got him home didn't he.”

“That's why we tried the meds. Hopefully it's given him deep, dreamless sleep. I looked in on him earlier and his bed didn't look like he'd been tossing and turning.”

“That's good news,” Max said, filling the kettle ready for a cuppa.

Terry stirred in his sleep. Something didn't feel right. His arm reached out, making contact only with an empty space next to him. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus. Where the hell was he? Where was M? He eased himself up on his elbow and blinked, looking around the unfamiliar room. He yawned, wondering why he felt so tired.

Pulling himself upright, he swung his legs round and sat on the edge of the bed for a couple of minutes. The need for the bathroom got him to his feet and he wandered across the room and tried a door. He hit the jackpot; it was the ensuite bathroom. His bodily needs taken care of, he walked back into the bedroom and looked around.

He remembered why he wasn't at home. He remembered that M was missing. He even remembered telling the twins and their partners. He just couldn't remember where he was. Looking down at what he was wearing didn't give a clue; he was in his vest and boxers, but he spied a t-shirt and sweats laid out on a chair by the bed and guessed he was at Max and Ceri's when he tried them on; he and Max were about the same size.

He opened the bedroom door and looked out. He could hear voices and followed the sound until he stood at the open kitchen door. Max and Ceri were sitting at their large kitchen table drinking tea. Terry walked silently in and cleared his throat.

“G'Day. I seem to have slept a lifetime,” he said.

“Hello, Terry. You certainly needed the rest. Come and sit down and I'll get a cup for you.”

Ceri jumped up and poured out a fresh cup, placing it in front of Terry. “Are you hungry, Terry?” she asked.

He sipped the scalding tea and shook his head. Max looked at him and then at Ceri, a silent message passing between them. Ceri turned back to the counter and started making a huge pile of toast, which was soon buttered and placed in front of Terry. He absently reached for a slice while the kettle was put on to boil to make another pot of tea. Before long the toast had vanished and Terry looked up, embarrassed.

“Looks like I was hungry after all,” he murmured.

“Good. I doubt that you've eaten much of anything since the call from Dino. You've been running on empty for a few days now,” Max said, taking the plate. “Need any more?”

“No, ta. I'm really not hungry now. Must have eaten close on an entire loaf there.”

“You'll have something a bit more substantial a bit later on. I've been cooking today.”

“I don't want to cause you any bother.”

“You're family, Terry. It's no bother at all. We're going to look after you until you feel up to looking after yourself. You can stay with us as long as you want, if you feel you don't want to go back to the house.”

“That's good of you both. I need to get some things...”

“I'll go with you, Terry,” Max chipped in.

“Ta, mate. You don't need to worry. I'm not going to do anything stupid. The company will be welcome though. I'll try not to put on you both for too long.”

“Hey, that's what family are for, and the house was built this big for a reason; plenty of room for friends to stay over. So, shall we go get you gear now?”

Terry nodded and went to get dressed. He was back in a couple of minutes and kissed Ceri on the cheek as Max got the car started. She walked out with him and waved them goodbye as they drove off down the hill, then turned back into the house to get the dinner started.