For themuseswithin
2. Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance? - Edgar Bergen
Sandra smiled when she saw Todd still in bed. Usually he was up early for training and running. Today he seemed …well… relaxed.
“How are you sergeant?” She asked standing in the door way. Slowly he looked over at her.
“I am taking a holiday Sir.”
“A holiday?” Sandra started to laugh. She saw his expression change. Laughter still confused him.
“There is no holiday today.” Sandra smiled and walked into the room as he sat up on the bed. He still looked confused.
“Do you want to relax?” Sandra knew he’d learned that people didn’t work on holidays.
“Soldiers don’t need to relax sir.”
“What about Todd? Does he need to relax?” Sandra had become good at talking to him through all the training.
“Yes, sir”
He was sitting there at attention now that he was being addressed.
“Then relax.” Sandra smiled brightly.
“I am sir”
Sandra started laughing. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”
Todd stared up at her but didn’t move.
“Come on Todd.” She was incessant and he finally moved. He watched her with that curious suspicion he had about everything.
“Relax.” Sandra rubbed his shoulder. It was a chance and he still shook but he needed to learn that it was ok.
She led him out into the bright sun of the Trinity sun. Todd looked up at the sun almost like he’d never seen it. There was something charming about seeing a man so old with the curiosity, wonder and fears of a child.
“Where are we going sir?”
Sandra motioned over to the few large trees. He followed her to where the hammock was strung out. He didn’t say anything but stared at the white netting as if it was something alien.
“It’s a hammock.”
He walked closer to it but didn’t dare touch it. Sandra chuckled and went around laying in it. He stumbled back from it though he didn’t go far. She slid out and smiled at him.
“Come on try it.” Sandra watched him inch closer. She spread the netting.
“Sit here and lay back.” She had to wait but eventually Todd eased back and sat. Sandra did her best to hold it still while he lay down. The hammock suddenly swung and Todd’s weight swept her feet out from under her. Sandra found her self sprawled on top of Todd in the hammock giggling like mad. She’d forgotten for an instant he despised contact.
Todd panicked and they both spilled out on to the ground. Sandra couldn’t stop laughing as she laid there on the ground. That was when she heard something she had never heard. Just once, just for a brief second she swore she heard a deep, rumble of a laugh. Sandra looked at him still lying in the dust and tried to stop laughing.
“What is that thing sir?”
“It’s a hammock. For relaxing in.” She barely got it out as he sat up to give the netting a dubious look. It wasn’t what most expressions were but enough; she could see it in his eyes.
Todd stood up and stared at her. Sandra could barely stand up from the laughter. “Try it again.”
He looked at her like she was insane. That only brought more giggles. “Please.”
He blinked and slowly tried it again. This time he lay back without incident though Sandra continued to giggle.
“Are you comfortable?”
Todd lay stiffly in the sling like hammock staring up at the tree leaves. “Yes sir.”
“Good.” She picked up the pillow and tucked it under his head. He shook but she thought maybe there was a hint of a smile in his expression. No one else would see it but there was something in his eyes that said he was content or something close.
Sandra smiled when she saw Todd still in bed. Usually he was up early for training and running. Today he seemed …well… relaxed.
“How are you sergeant?” She asked standing in the door way. Slowly he looked over at her.
“I am taking a holiday Sir.”
“A holiday?” Sandra started to laugh. She saw his expression change. Laughter still confused him.
“There is no holiday today.” Sandra smiled and walked into the room as he sat up on the bed. He still looked confused.
“Do you want to relax?” Sandra knew he’d learned that people didn’t work on holidays.
“Soldiers don’t need to relax sir.”
“What about Todd? Does he need to relax?” Sandra had become good at talking to him through all the training.
“Yes, sir”
He was sitting there at attention now that he was being addressed.
“Then relax.” Sandra smiled brightly.
“I am sir”
Sandra started laughing. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”
Todd stared up at her but didn’t move.
“Come on Todd.” She was incessant and he finally moved. He watched her with that curious suspicion he had about everything.
“Relax.” Sandra rubbed his shoulder. It was a chance and he still shook but he needed to learn that it was ok.
She led him out into the bright sun of the Trinity sun. Todd looked up at the sun almost like he’d never seen it. There was something charming about seeing a man so old with the curiosity, wonder and fears of a child.
“Where are we going sir?”
Sandra motioned over to the few large trees. He followed her to where the hammock was strung out. He didn’t say anything but stared at the white netting as if it was something alien.
“It’s a hammock.”
He walked closer to it but didn’t dare touch it. Sandra chuckled and went around laying in it. He stumbled back from it though he didn’t go far. She slid out and smiled at him.
“Come on try it.” Sandra watched him inch closer. She spread the netting.
“Sit here and lay back.” She had to wait but eventually Todd eased back and sat. Sandra did her best to hold it still while he lay down. The hammock suddenly swung and Todd’s weight swept her feet out from under her. Sandra found her self sprawled on top of Todd in the hammock giggling like mad. She’d forgotten for an instant he despised contact.
Todd panicked and they both spilled out on to the ground. Sandra couldn’t stop laughing as she laid there on the ground. That was when she heard something she had never heard. Just once, just for a brief second she swore she heard a deep, rumble of a laugh. Sandra looked at him still lying in the dust and tried to stop laughing.
“What is that thing sir?”
“It’s a hammock. For relaxing in.” She barely got it out as he sat up to give the netting a dubious look. It wasn’t what most expressions were but enough; she could see it in his eyes.
Todd stood up and stared at her. Sandra could barely stand up from the laughter. “Try it again.”
He looked at her like she was insane. That only brought more giggles. “Please.”
He blinked and slowly tried it again. This time he lay back without incident though Sandra continued to giggle.
“Are you comfortable?”
Todd lay stiffly in the sling like hammock staring up at the tree leaves. “Yes sir.”
“Good.” She picked up the pillow and tucked it under his head. He shook but she thought maybe there was a hint of a smile in his expression. No one else would see it but there was something in his eyes that said he was content or something close.