randomplaces | Breaker 'verse 7

A soft sound brought Alvin to wakefulness.

He frowned at the rafters for a few minutes, then realized that he was missing a kid and lifted his head to look for her.

Dove looked back from the foot of the couch. "Boat."

Alvin turned his head and listened to the retreating engine sound, then sat up and cautiously put his feet on the floor, shh-shhing Star as the baby started and grumbled. Setting his teeth, he walked carefully to the window and looked out, one eyebrow quirking as he caught sight of two cooking pans and a small package sitting on the end of the dock.

"Dove get those." She turned toward the door.

"Wait." He handed her Star. "Stay here."

"Your feet hurt." She put her ears back and gave him a look.

"Yeah, they do, but I said to wait, Sweetheart. You watch Buddy while I check it out." He hobbled to the door and went out to the end of the dock. Picking up the package, the brown headed man made his way back and set the box on the table, then nodded at Dove. "Now you can go."

The little girl cocked her head and studied him with perked ears, then darted over to give him a quick hug around the middle before returning the sleeping baby and bounding out the door.

Alvin rubbed his face wearily, feeling the two-day growth of beard. I'll be lookin' like Wreck 'fore too long.... And I feel like a wreck. Beach'd proly call me a sissy for crashin' out. #$&@*%, I don't care. Pulling out a chair, he sat heavily and let his head rest on the table. Father, I 'pologize 'bout that. I need to rely on You. Help me remember that.

"Food!" said Dove excitedly from behind him. "Look, Vader. Big bugs!"

He turned to see her holding the two big cast iron pots and a basket that he hadn't noticed, from which she'd extracted a cooked crayfish.

"I'm hungry," she announced with an ear twitch.

"Go ahead and eat that, Sweetheart." He took the pans one at a time and set them on the table, then peeked inside to find fresh oatmeal in the one, and what could only be Mama LaFitte's shrimp gumbo in the other. "Woah." His stomach growled to life.

Then he paused in the act of reaching for the box to look worriedly at Star. "Hey, Buddy, you didn' wake me up last night."

The baby sighed and sucked on his tongue, looking utterly content.

Frowning, Alvin opened the box and found another bottle of goat's milk to replace the one from the fridge that Dove had drank, a bottle of T3's, a package of brown sugar, a couple rolls of gauze, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide...

And a package of sour apple bubble gum.

Well, Father, You still love me in spite of myself... With a true grin, he helped himself to the gumbo and dug in, relishing the flavor of homecooked love.

A groan from the bunk made him turn to see Ettiene sitting on the edge of it with his head in his hands, the red cat draped contentedly over the big marine's good shoulder.

"Uncle Ettiene! Auntie!" Dove bounced over and thrust the crayfish in front of the cajun's eyes. "Eat breakfast now?"

"Auntie?" Alvin choked on his stew, turning red at the implication. Eyes wide, he stared at his friend.

Ettiene looked up blearily. "What?"

A spoon waved in the air toward the cat. "Is that... you know... Vangie?" The last word came out a whisper.

It took a few seconds for the conversation to sink in, especially in the light of his head pounding, but the implication was clear. "Yeah."

"Dangit, Ettiene, you let me scratch your sister's chin?!" The outburst made Star start and throw his hands out inside his cocoon.

"Shh!" The hiss of air made the big man's head spin. "I be sorry she play like dat. She don' t'ink 'bout it sometimes. It be 'ard fer 'er t' remember she ain't no cat."

Alvin stared at the contented feline, unsure of how he felt, other than mortified. "But how?"

"Somet'in' dat run in my mama's family. 'Least one turns up in every generation." Ettiene groaned and put his head back in his hands. "Sweetheart, y' wanna bring you Oncle de headache pills?"

"Here, give 'im this." Alvin pulled the T3's out of the box and held them out to the little girl without taking his eyes off his friend.

Growling, the big marine waved at the wee bottle. "'Ow d'ya 'spect me t' open dat? I cain' even see straight much less dose li'l lines."

Dove flicked her ears and glanced back at Alvin, then looked down at the bottle and set her thumb claw under the lid. There was a resounding pop as it tore free of the threads that were supposed to keep it in place.

"There ya go, you lug," said Alvin, still not sure whether he was angry or not.

Ettiene blinked and sat up slightly, his eyes widening. "So much for 'chil' proof'."

"Two," said Dove, holding out the sugar-coated pills. "Here, I'll get vater. Take bug too."

Ettiene did so absently, then looked down at the crayfish and handed it to Vangie. "Not a crawdad day. I give my eyeteeth fer some'a Mama's oatmeal right now..."

With a plot and a clunk, a bowl landed not far from his feet.

"You gon' stay mad at me all day?"

"You could 'a told me sooner..."

"Was a lil' dead las' night."

"Not too dead to glare at me for scratching the... c... you..." At a loss for words, the younger man made an 'Ew, gross' gesture.

Ettiene glared again, then caught himself and sighed as Dove returned with a glass of water and handed him it and the bowl. "Sorry, alright?"

"Be nice!" Dove pointed her ears at Alvin.

"Sweetheart, you don't understand... aww, forget it." He ran a hand through his hair, then returned to his gumbo.

"I am sorry, homme." Ettiene heaved himself out of the bunk and wobbled, then set the cat on the floor and came to the table. "But I glad she was dere las' night. I din' have 'nough left t' tend y' 'n de 'tite."

A prick to his conscience had Alvin looking up to meet his friend's eyes. "So, she took care've us last night? I was wonderin' who fed Buddy." He paused, deciding on what to say next. "I shouldn't'a been so hard headed. It's just been alot to assimilate in a short period of time. I'm sorry."

Ettiene nodded wordlessly and the two men turned to their respective meals, the silence broken only by Dove and Vangie's crunching as they attended to some of the crayfish.

Alvin scraped his bowl, then sat back with a satisfied sigh and looked at Ettiene to find the cajun asleep with his head on the table. Frowning slightly, he looked down at Star, then over his shoulder in time to see a reddish tail disappearing through the door.

"No more bugs," said Dove, getting out of her chair. "Vhere Dove... vhere I put the bugs, Vader?"

He pointed to the pot of gumbo. "Set them to the side and put the pan in the fridge, Sweetheart. Thank you."

"Milk in fridge too?" She looked at the things set out on the table and flicked her ears at him without turning to look at him.

"Yes, please." Edging his chair over, he felt for Ettiene's pulse and found it to be strong and steady. Shaking his head, he wondered if he should just leave the big man where he was or try to move him to the bed.

"I not sleepin'." Ettiene pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes.

"Could'a fooled me," said Alvin, fishing inside Star's cocoon for the baby's soother and then looking down at a happy coo. "Hey, Buddy. Good mornin'."

The baby waved his fists and turned his head from side to side, then saw the soother and opened his mouth like a baby bird.

Alvin chuckled and gave it to him, then tugged on it gently. "Little goober. You're somethin' else, you know that?"

Star sighed and crinkled the corners of his eyes.

"Okay, now it's school time." Dove set her book bag on the table and slipped back into her chair.

Alvin pulled the bag toward him and pulled out a set of brightly coloured cards held together with a plastic ring. "This is the numbers to ten." He flashed five fingers twice close to her eyes.

Her face lit up. "I learn them now?"

"Sure, Sweetheart." He pulled out a scribbler and turned to her last printing lesson, grinning as he saw the neat march of letters across the dark lines on the page.

"Y' teachin' 'er German?" Ettiene leaned his head against his fist and squinted at the book.

"No." Alvin dug out a sheet of stickers and stuck a couple stars on the page. "This is the German alphabet, but it's her language."

"T'ought y' didn' know it." The cajun frowned slightly.

"I don't. But she does. Once I showed her what the letters sound like she started writin' on her own."

Ettiene muttered something about nerds invading the swamp, then pushed his chair back and got up. "Come on outside fer a lil' bit."

Alvin gave him a narrow-eyed look. "You oughtta be resting."

Ettiene walked over to the suitcases. "Y' kin wear my boots, dey bigger den yours."

"No boots." Dove looked up at the marine and swept her ears back. "Vader's feet is hurt. Boots hurt."

"Gettin' bit on de foot gonna hurt worse, Sweetheart." Ettiene didn't look up from his careful search. "Papa's feet'll be okay."

Alvin popped a bubble and pushed his chair back, knowing that he wasn't going to find out what was on his friend's mind till the older man was ready to spill it.

"Put dem on, dat should help." The cajun tossed a pair of fuzzy socks past him.

Dove caught them with one wing hand and set them on the table without looking away from her book.

He can't even see well enough ta bean me with socks. Alvin frowned and took them, then looked down at Star.

"Gimme de 'tite?" Ettiene held out his arms hopefully.

"The guys'd really think you hit your head if they saw you right now," said Alvin dryly, passing the tiny boy over and pulling the socks apart.

"Nah, dey'd all be tryin' t' steal d' lil' one." Ettiene smiled and smoothed the baby's cheek with a thumb.

"Not all of 'em." Alvin got the socks on, wincing as the effort made his hand hurt, then stood and walked carefully to where Ettiene's boots lay tossed beside the door. "What're you gonna wear?"

"I a'ready ben bit by anyt'in' in dis swamp dat gonna be bitin'." The cajun wriggled his bare toes, then tucked Star in the crook of his arm and went to stand in the door. "Dey don' bug me no more."

"Sure." Alvin smirked, then chuckled and ducked as Ettiene took a good-natured swing at him.

"Ow." The marine grumbled and went out.

"Uncle Ettiene is goober," noted Dove, looking up with laid back ears. "Vader is goober too. They is hurt and needs rest."

"Hey." Alvin went around the table to hunker down and give her a quick hug. "We'll be alright, Sweetheart. We're just gonna talk."

She gave him one of those dirty looks known only to little girls. "You make me rest when I hurt."

Oh boy. Alvin grimaced slightly. "I'm supposed to take care of you, though."

"I'm supposed to take care of you, too," she said softly. "Families take care von elkaar."

"Hey, I'm okay." He gently chucked her under the chin, then winced as he realized that he'd just hit a sore spot on his finger.

Dove gave him a knowing look.

"We'll be right back, okay?" He got up and smiled, then turned and got out before she could think of any more arguments.

"Sweetheart readin' y' de riot act?" asked Ettiene from where he leaned against the porch rail and watched a family of ducks trail past toward the water.

"Yeah." Alvin shook his head.

Ettiene chuckled softly. "Be glad y' didn' 'ave 'tites soeurs. Dey can really put de guilt on a homme."

"She had a good point, though." Alvin moved over to lean on the railing next to him.

"Dey usually do." Ettiene turned and went down the stairs. "C'mon."

The dark haired man followed, hoping that the excursion wasn't going to be too lengthy. "Where we goin'?"

"Jus' 'roun' de end 'o de cabin." Ettiene paused and pointed to a squat live oak with a stuffed burlap sack hanging from one limb. "T'ought y' might wanna get a lil' more mad outta you system."

Alvin felt his jaw clench at the older man's words, but masked it by looking at his hands.

"Gloves der." Ettiene stepped back and pulled out his cell phone as it rang

Alvin slipped on the worn boxing gloves, taking his time to fasten them as he listened to his friend's conversation.

"Whaddya want, Wreck? Y' what? No!"

The younger man turned to see a look of surprise on the marine's face.

Then Ettiene held the phone away and looked at it as though it had suddenly turned into something scary. He waited a few moments as what sounded like a female version of Wayne voiced her ire loudly and sharply, then put the phone back to his ear. "Ma'am, I didn' say I didn' believe 'im. De idea o' Hector bein' married's jus' a bit hard t' understan' on top 'o a concussion."

"Hector's married?" Alvin's mouth fell open. "Was he sober?"

"I ben restin' 'n takin' de headache pills," said Ettiene. "Al 'n my sister Vangie keepin' de eye on me. Yeah, you too, Miss I'Lee, it was a real pleasure talkin' to ya. Well, yeah, but dat don' mean I stop bein' de gen'leman. Okay. Yeah. Hi, Wreck. I tripped ober a gator. Yeah, Al's here. Okay, I tell 'im. Yeah. Bye." He turned the phone off and pressed the heel of his hand to his eyes. "I gotta siddown."

"Hector's married?" Alvin repeated, trying to get a verification.

"Huh? Yeah, he say t' tell ya." Ettiene looked around and then walked over and slowly lowered himself onto a stump.

"He's married?"

"Dat's what he said, homme."

"Really married? Like, church 'n preacher 'n ring married?" Alvin dropped one of the boxing gloves and looked around absently as though for a candid camera.

"'Parently so. She soun' like a nice gal. Kinda scary wi' da Beach t'ing dough." Ettiene rubbed his temple and glanced up to see two brown headed men staring at him. "I t'ink I remember 'er. From de base in 'Jersey..."

"Hector's married...."

"...Worked wi' Doc 'fore he was.... She tryin' t' make sure I take care..."

"Really married?"

"Homme? Ain' ya hearin me? He done got married. Now, bot' o' ya, please stop wi' de yellin'." Ettiene pointed at Alvin, trying to focus.

The dark haired man snapped out of his bemusement and frowned as he realized that the cajun was pointing to a spot slightly to his right. "Um, Ettiene, I'm over here."

"Not feelin' too good." The cajun slid himself off of the stump and sat heavily on the ground. Star gave a little squawk at the bump and whimpered as his comfort zone disappeared. "Sorry, 'tite, I..."

"Gimme Buddy." The baby was removed gently from his grasp, then an arm was tucked under his. "Yer goin' back in the house 'n layin' down."

Holding onto his friend, the marine staggered back up the steps and into the little kitchen. "Man, de worl'... she be spinnin' good."

The pair made it to the bunk before Ettiene lost consciousness.

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