The Monstrosity, Part Fifteen

by J. Rosemary Moss

Genre: Fan Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: R

LINK TO PART ONE

~

Sooner or later I’d have to say something to break the angry silence that stretched between us. I suppose it was my fault, at least in part. Besides, there was no point in waiting for Drew to set it to rights.

I glanced at him as he busied himself with his meal. He was using his fork to figure out where each slice of meat was before applying his knife. I sighed to myself, thinking of how many simple actions would become challenging chores if I suddenly lost my sight.

I stopped eating and let my eyes rest on Drew. If he noticed my shift of attention, he gave no indication of it. He just kept on with his meal.

I thought about his affection for Tom Haley and found myself clenching my fists. That man had repeatedly raped a defenseless, blind thirteen-year-old boy and his older brother and then eased his conscious by showering them with money and giving them an education. But, even worse, Haley had managed to convince his two victims that his abuse was an acceptable trade-off for the benefits he offered.

Why couldn’t Drew see that he deserved a parental figure who would have supported him and taught him without abusing him? Why did he have so small an opinion of his worth?

I sighed. I suppose the answer to that could be found in an indifferent mother and an inadequate orphanage.

And what of Jack? I know he bore the brunt of Tom Haley’s attention—and I know that he did all he could to keep Haley satiated so that the man would leave off his little brother. But he should have gotten Drew out of there, no matter how much Haley was paying them.

On the other hand, I hadn’t walked in Jack’s shoes. I could imagine how hard it had been to find work when he’d have been frantic leaving Drew alone. After all, Drew had been even less self-sufficient before he fell into Tom Haley’s hands. In fact, until that time, Drew refused to speak with anyone but Jack.

I wondered suddenly if Tom Haley had been the one to force Drew out of his shell. I watched Drew for a moment longer—he was just finishing his meal—and then decided to break the silence between us with that question.

“Was Tom Haley the first person you spoke to?” I asked softly. “Apart from your brother, I mean?”

Drew put down his fork and knife and glared in my direction. “Finish your meal,” he ordered. “You haven’t had a bite these past twenty minutes, at least.”

I smiled at him. “And how do you know that?”

“There’s nothing wrong with my ears, Adam,” he reminded me. “I heard you stop eating—and I haven’t heard you start up again.”

“I don’t have much of an appetite right now,” I explained. “And you’re avoiding the question.”

He rolled his eyes. “We just spent a good half an hour not speaking to each other,” he pointed out. “Don’t you think you ought to start with a neutral remark about the weather?”

I grinned. “Rather than an invasive and personal question?”

“Just so.”

“I don’t want to miss this opportunity to figure out how your brain works,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll stick with my invasive question and hope that you’re willing to answer it.”

That elicited a smile from him. “I suppose I can understand that—I’ve been trying to dissect your brain for ages.” He paused and furrowed his brow. “Tom was the first person other than Jack I spoke to. I didn’t right away—I had too much contempt for him at first. But he was amused by that, not offended.”

Drew paused to take a sip from his wine glass before continuing. “Tom knew I could speak, of course—he heard me speaking with Jack all the time. He would initiate conversations with me periodically, but I never responded. But then he started reading out loud—the paper, a book, whatever he had on hand. That caught my attention.”

He paused yet again and smiled warmly, as if looking back on a fond memory. “He used to give his opinions as he read—on politics or on the quality of the story or on whatever else seemed relevant. One time he expressed an opinion that was so outrageous I couldn’t stop myself from arguing with him. He heard me out and then pointed out the flaws in my position. From then on I had no trouble talking to him. And gradually I began speaking to other people as well, although that took longer.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “So you began speaking because you couldn’t resist starting an argument?”

He grinned. “Are you surprised?”

“No,” I owned, smiling back at him. “Not at all."

I paused, trying to plot out my words. "Drew, I’m glad that Haley was able to draw you out. And I’m glad that he gave you an education and that he made you understand your capabilities. But you still deserved better. It wasn’t an acceptable trade off. That’s why—that’s why I can’t stand the fact that you look back on him with affection.”

He rolled his eyes again. “Adam, you don’t give a damn about what happened to me when I was younger—and why should you? You’re just conflating Tom with Kane.”

He had been reaching for his wine glass again, but I grabbed his hand by the wrist. “You’re wrong,” I said softly. “I do give a damn about what happened to you—you wouldn’t be such a pain in my arse if you’d had someone who could have been a real parent to you.”

He cocked his head at me. “That’s funny,” he said. “Considering our late wrestling match and the childish punishment you subjected me to, I’d say that you’ve been much more a pain in my arse than vice-versa.”

I laughed at that and let go of his wrist. “Touché,” I said.

Drew smiled as he picked up his glass and raised it in a mock-toast in my honor. I smiled back and then pushed my plate aside. The tension between us had finally eased—at least for now.

LINK TO PART SIXTEEN