Brett had moved around the shop collecting a few random items, "She's got broken ribs: Doc said no lifting and she'll fight that like she did last time."
"Last time?"
"Her story to tell if she wants to, " Brett told her, "She might or she might not, but she's hurting pretty bad right now from the injuries so I'd appreciate if you can help us keep her from doing much." Addie nodded. "Thanks." he took the keys she handed him after paying for the items he'd picked up and signing the ownership papers she put in front of him. Brett went out to the lot to climb in his brand new tractor: it was still odd to think that this was his new tractor and that the Bogs was his. With a final nod to Addie he started the slow drive back toward the Bogs with painstakingly slow strides: 30km was high speed for a field vehicle.
As he drove Brett made a mental list of all the things still to be done. Ned had arranged to bring back all of the guys who had helped with the previous year's sale, they would arrive that afternoon and at some point he intended to offer them all jobs to stay on at the Bogs full time. He hoped they'd all stay but if even 3 out of the seven men stayed that would be a decent crew considering he and Nate had been managing. Ned had put him in touch with a contractor who would come out the day after the sale to start talking about plans to improve the buildings. Ned had recommended Travis as foreman but had advised that he not offer the job until he saw how the crew worked together. It was smart thinking. He wanted the Bogs to be more than it was but he was worried about over stepping. Up until that point the Bogs had simply been a family farm, but now Ned was pushing him to go big. He wondered what Maisey would think about the changes that were being considered. Should he have the contractor build a new house for him so that Maisey could have privacy? He wondered how to even broach the topic and decided he should wait.
Love, he scoffed at Andy's comments. Oh sure, he knew he cared about her and he worried about her well being and wanted to see her safe and happy and settled--he froze, oh hell, he chuckled, Andy might be right. Then he shook his head, whether or not he loved her there was nothing he would or could do about it. She was broken and needed time to heal. The road stretched out in front of him for what seemed like forever, but Brett didn't mind. The air was clear and there was a minimal amount of noise--mostly animals, the tractor and the wind in the field--he loved living there, and while he would miss Ned he was truly honored his Uncle had given it all to him.
As he cut the tractor engine Brett realized there was a blood curdling scream coming from the house. He bolted as fast as he could, slamming in the front door and racing to Maisey's open bedroom. Maisey was on the bed asleep: her face was ashen and her mouth was moving, suddenly she thrashed, scrambling to push some imaginary thing away from her: her eyes popped open and a look that Brett hoped he never had to see again was there in her blue eyes that weren't seeing him. And then as if nothing had happened she was asleep and laying prone on the bed. He watched and waited. When the thrashing started again, he called to her. He didn't dare touch her but he called to her. Tears leaked out of her closed eyes, she muttered and rolled over as the thrashing subsided and then only a few moments later started again.
Brett called Andy. When he couldn't reach his friend, he called Anna.
"This had better be important," Anna growled in a voice that told him she and Lucas were out.
"It's Maisey, there's something wrong, she's thrashing and screaming and I don't know what to do." Brett continued to watch the thrashing.
"Put it on video," Anna was all business. Brett did as instructed. "Brett you need to wake her, she's going to be disoriented and will probably come out swinging but I think she's having a panic attack in a nightmare." Brett called to their friend, "Put your hands on her gently at first," Anna was saying, "remember that colt you talked down? talk to her like that soft and gentle, tell her who you are and where she is, just keep repeating it."
Anna watched on the awkward video as Brett talked soothingly to their friend as she suffered in the nightmare, and when he touched her Maisey bolted upright, scrambling backwards in a panic. Brett froze, "It's just me Maisey, you're okay." Then to the phone, "Now what Anna."
"Anna?" Maisey's panic didn't let up but she forced herself to look from the man in front of her to the phone, "Brett." Relief flooded her face, "Oh my goodness, I was alone and he came and I couldn't get away, I thought I was dead."
"Just a bad dream," Brett told her soothingly, "All of it, you're safe here, you're at the Bogs." Anna was no longer on the screen but Brett didn't notice. Maisey reached for him and clung to his hand, "I won't let anything happen to you."
"Please don't leave me," tears streamed down her cheeks, "I'm so tired but please don't let me be alone."
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, he wanted to pull her into his lap and hold her but he also didn't want to hurt her.
"Can you hold me? Please?" her voice was small, "I..." more tears fell and Brett sat on the bed beside her, letting her lean on, wrapping an arm around her awkwardly. She winced in pain, "I think I need to lay down but I want you to stay with me. Please." she sounded like a far away little girl. Brett lay her down and covered her with the blankets and then lay down on top of them next to her. She moved until her head was on the arm he'd folded under his head and with a last shuddering sob fell back asleep.
His phone rang, "Hello," he whispered.
"Why are you whispering?" Andy asked, "Anna called me."
"Man, she was screaming and thrashing and it was the worst thing I've ever seen, she was terrified." Brett was still whispering.
"That's what Anna said, why are you whispering?"
"Because she is laying on my shoulder on the bed asleep."
"No more nightmare?"
"Not so far," Brett whispered back.
"Good," Andy pronounced, "When she wakes up make sure she drinks a lot of fluids and see if you can convince her to make an appointment with a counselor. She just got mad when I suggested it."
"Can I move her?"
"I wouldn't," Andy smirked at the phone, "The nightmare might start again as soon as she loses contact with you."
"You're an asshat," Brett whispered.
"But I'm right." Andy shot back, "When she came to Slim's that night she'd somehow come to grips with things, but this last couple days have taken her back to the worst possible memories and feelings. It might take time for her to regain that control that she had, or she might never get it back. The best thing you can do right now is stay close so that if she had a waking dream or a nightmare, or a panic attack that you can calm her."
"Andy, I have a ranch to run!"
"Weren't you looking to get a crew up and running? Might have to happen a little differently than you envisioned. That's my professional opinion Brett, not just your buddy that wants to tease you mercilessly."
Brett inhaled, closed his eyes and counted to ten, "I will say it again: I truly wish I could kill that piece of trash for the damage he's done to her."
He hung up the phone and looked over at the woman sleeping next to him. You wouldn't have known that she was screaming and thrashing a few minutes earlier if you looked at her now. Her whole face was relaxed and calm. Brett sighed and decided that if he was going to lay there like a lump he might as well have a nap as well.
Ned found them just like that when he came in from the field. With the smile of an old man he pulled the door slightly closed to afford them more privacy and went to the living room to watch the news: Addie was already at work in the kitchen and Ned didn't think she'd been aware of Brett and Maisey being in the next room over.
"We'll be having fresh lasagna with salad and toast," Addie told Ned, "Since it's really only Travis in the bunk, do you think it's alright for him to come in here? That bunk dining room is a mess still."
"Best we eat outside," Ned said, "there's a cloth sheet in that second drawer, lay it out on the picnic table and set the spread there. Maisey won't fancy new people right now."
"Yeah, Brett told me she wasn't well again," Addie kept working, "must be hard for her being on a working ranch and not being able to do much."
Ned didn't say anything more, but he fetched dishes from the cupboards and followed Addie out.