Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ My Happy Ending ❯ A Little Help from a Friend ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter 19: A Little Help from a Friend

“What do I do when my love is away?

(Does it worry you to be alone?)

How do I feel by the end of the day?

(Are you sad because you're on your own?)

No I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends.”

-The Beatles “With A Little Help from My Friends”

The sun was well on its way to its summit in the sky when Cid began to stir. He opened his eyes only a crack, feeling weak and terribly groggy. At first the only thing he could imagine that would cause these types of symptoms - a headache, and his entire left side ached from the ribs up into his neck- was a hangover. Because of this, he kept his eyes shut against the sunlight, certain that the bright December day would cause him nothing but sheer agony. Furthermore, he didn't remember drinking, which instantly made Cid begin to worry. He'd drunk his memory away before, of course, but it was the warmth at his cheek and the delicate, flowery scent that was the cause for concern.

Eventually, Cid realized that the only way to find out what was going on was for him to open his eyes and wake up fully, and see for himself. Blinking rapidly, hazy blue eyes focused reluctantly on Cid's own blanket-covered feet. He blinked again, and glanced up, registering the couch, and finally identifying the room he was in as Shera's room. His heart jumped for a moment, and Cid sucked in a sharp breath.

Shera??

His head snapped around to look at the figure sitting over him, knowing on instinct that it had been a woman pillowing him as he slept. His vision spun a little, but eventually he focused on Raye's face, features sweetly calm in slumber, and framed by a curtain of only-slightly mussed hair. She was still, for the most part, sitting upright, her knees on level with Cid's left shoulder, long muscular thighs supporting his head and neck as he rested. Cid held his breath for a few moments as he stared up at Raye's unexpectedly serene face.

She stayed with me…

Smiling a little, he felt rather touched at the thought that she cared enough to at least stick around until he recovered enough to stop passing out.

Oh yeah…I passed out on her when we were tryin' to get those books…

Memory returned to Cid fully at last, in conjunction with a low, dull ache that throbbed from his left thumb up into what felt like his throat.

You really did a number on yourself, Highwind…

Cid knew he didn't take severe injuries too well, but it had been a long time since he'd put himself out that violently. The angle and color of the sunlight, along with his internal clocks told Cid that it was mid-morning. It was early afternoon when he and Raye had come into this little room. He must have slept the evening and night away.

Guess I needed it…

He shifted a little, kicking the blanket that covered him off his chest a ways. Between the blanket and Raye's body heat, he was feeling a little too warm for comfort. At his shoulder, Raye's fingers twitched where her hand still rested over the junction of his clavicle and his shoulder, drawing Cid's attention. He tilted his head slowly to glance at the finely boned but strong fingers curling gently over the curve of his shoulder, automatically soothing him. Cid smiled sadly.

She ain't so bad when she ain't got her panties all in a bunch…Wonder if there's a reason she's so angry…Nah, she probably just really hates me.

Cid frowned, grimacing slightly at the thought.

Better get my ass up before she wakes up and finds me like this or I'll be in a whole lot of shit…

Shifting carefully again, Cid tried to sit up, slowly so he didn't disturb the sleeping woman above him. Raye's hand slid slowly from his shoulder, falling limply to the couch behind him as he started to drag himself into a sitting position, and she let out a long sigh, eyes flickering open. Immediately, she brought her hand up and pushed Cid back down into a prone position in her lap. The pilot blinked, startled.

“Mmph.” Raye yawned, stretching slightly so that the muscles in her legs pressed up into Cid's back, making him rise up for a moment before she relaxed again.

“Hi.” Cid said softly. He sent a gentle smile up her way, deciding to try to be friendly. He watched as full clarity returned to Raye's eyes suddenly, deep green irises becoming wholly visible as she jerked, sitting up straight.

“Um, did I fall asleep?!” She asked breathily. She glanced down at Cid, who squirmed a little under the hand that was still gently holding him down.

“Yeah.” he whispered, already dreading her anger. He didn't remember how he got into this position, only that he'd passed out. The fact that she'd been stuck under him all night was slightly horrifying. He hoped, since he was already badly injured, that she wouldn't beat him too badly.

Raye, who had noticed where her hand rested at his shoulder, blushed fiercely and quickly pulled it away. Again, there was nowhere to put it besides on Cid, and after a moment, it returned to its previous position. Cid, thankfully, was oblivious to the shade of scarlet her face turned as his eyes averted toward bookshelf.

“Hey….Thanks…for stickin' around…” Cid said softly.

All at once, memories flooded into Raye's head. Words, just the same as last night, brought back in full surround sound Technicolor clarity thoughts, feelings and sensations that Raye didn't come anywhere even close to feeling comfortable about. Her ears started to ring slightly as slight shock kicked in as she remembered Cid's half-conscious kiss. The smell of him up close, how warm his skin was….

“God only fucking knows where I woulda ended up if you hadn't been here…” Cid went on, mercifully pulling Raye out of the deepest of those remembered sensations. Her lips were tingling slightly as she glanced back at Cid, swallowing dryly.

“Uh…yeah…sure.” she said, coughing slightly and looking away from him so he wouldn't see her blushing. “You…kind of passed out on me last night while we were looking over those books…well it was my fault for horsing around, and I got concerned.” She paused as she remembered one other detail. “Wait. Partially my fault! You completely overdosed on that painkiller! That's why you passed out all of the sudden again!”

Cid blinked rather dumbly.

“Oh yeah…” A pause as he frowned. “That wasn't too much!” he argued. “You didn't have to fucking pump my stomach, did ya?! `S fine. I do that all the fucking time…”

Raye rolled her eyes at him, brave enough to turn back to face him now that her blush was cooling in lieu of a distraction.

“It doesn't matter you idiot!” She fell into their old pattern of arguing easily, relieved by its familiarity. “You can still have the effects of a mild overdose, where your body does crazy shit like making you pass out or get sick! It doesn't have to be as extreme as pumping your stomach! Geez…”

Cid was far too quiet, listening to her lecture. He sighed.

“Yeah. I know… I know…” He sounded defeated, and Raye stared at him long and hard, amazed that he agreed with her for a change.

He must be more messed up than I thought…

She chewed her lip, staring down at Cid. He hadn't made another move to get up, and she wondered if the weakness of residual shock and not having eaten for at least a day and a half was catching up with him at last. He had his eyes closed, and was relaxed, though not asleep. Her eyes skimmed across his features, awkwardly skipping, skirting, and finally falling on his lips, where they lingered.

What happened last night…? I don't think he even remembers…or maybe he's playing dumb…

Raye didn't like to be kept in the dark, and she wanted answers. The churning turmoil within her was making her feel ill. Maybe, if she knew he didn't remember, that he was just delirious, or even if he did, and was trying to play stupid, she could at least be mad at him, rather than confused. I have to ask…

“Cid…?” Raye grimaced at how softly her voice came out of her. Cid cracked a single eye open, gazing up at her curiously.

“Mm? I gotta get up now huh?”

Raye blinked, startled by his question, and then flushed a little as she realized she'd grown so accustomed to him resting against her throughout the night that she hadn't really noticed their proximity.

“No,” she said. She'd get him to move in a minute. “I was just….um…what happened….last night…?” she trailed trying to feel him out.

Cid frowned, and opened his second eye to stare at her in confusion.

“Something happened? What was I screaming in my sleep again or something?”

Raye was again taken aback, stunned by the juxtaposition of `screaming' and `again'.

“No, but--” she cut off, scowling as a loud, obnoxiously shrill beeping echoed down the hall from the front of the house. Cid jumped a little, and with a curse began struggling into an upright position.

“Fuck, `s the phone…” he grumbled, gasping in pain as he tried to push himself up with his broken arm, quickly catching himself with his right hand before he fell backwards again, and pulled himself up fully.

He stopped there, and the phone continued to squelch loudly at them.

“Damn… Raye I don't think I can rush in there without keeling the fuck over…” he mumbled. “Can you get it…? It might be important… I'll try and catch up.”

Raye sighed and, helping Cid sit up fully, jumped up and hurried out of the room, following the fourth squealing beep into the kitchen, where she snatched up the receiver irritably.

“Highwind residence,” she grumbled. Gawd, it sounded like she was married to the bastard or something.

On the other end of the line, she was met only with uncontrollable laughter. Raye's pout grew into a frustrated scowl.

“Oh fuck you, Brad.” she groused. “What do you want?”

“Ha! I heard from Dad and I decided to give ya a ring and see how the honeymoon was going!”

Her brother choked out his words through fits of laughter. Raye's eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Honeymoon my ass you retard! This has been the suckiest twenty-four hours I've had since the LAST time I got stuck down here!” she snapped.

“Hehe. Geez, I thought you were just getting fond of the place!”

Raye gave out an angry growl.

“You want me to show Shera that picture of you trying on my underwear when you were six?” she hissed dangerously.

Brad stopped laughing.

“I'll be home later today if I can get away soon enough.” Raye said into the silence.

Brad gave a nervous chuckle.

“Okay, but don't kill the poor bastard, Miss Cranky Pants.”

With that final teasing jab at his sister, Brad hung up quickly, certain that he didn't want to stick around long enough to see if she'd start screaming.

“YOU ASS!” Raye barked into the dead receiver, hanging it up almost violently, just as Cid wobbled into the room.

“I hope that wasn't anyone I knew…” Cid mumbled, rubbing the top of his cast.

“It was my brother.” Raye hissed darkly.

Cid took a step back, blinking.

“Oh. Giving you a hard time again?” he asked, sounding more sympathetic than Raye would have expected of him. “Guess you can't escape.”

“Yeah…”

“So what was it you wanted to ask me? You started to say something back there.”

Cid sat down at the little table in the dining room, gazing across the open space at Raye in open curiosity. Raye blanched a little, her brother's triumphant laughter ringing in her ears.

“Nothing. Hey, you're paler than hell. I'm not leaving until I see you eat.”

Cid smiled wryly.

“You'll make a good mother someday,” he commented, smirking. “Do I get to make requests?”

Raye sighed, running a hand through her hair before tossing it over her shoulder flippantly.

Just forget about it Raye. It'll do nothing but cause you trouble if you say something to him.

“I suppose. You feel like eating some eggs, or you wanna go light for now?” she asked him as she pulled out a pan from one of his cabinets.

Cid hesitated a moment. Last night he was feeling pretty nauseated, but this morning his stomach seemed to calm down considerably.

“Sure, I'll have two,” he finally answered.

“Fried, scrambled, or an omelet?”

“Scrambled,” he told her. Then he added humbly, “Can I have some tea, too?”

Raye smiled a little. “Sure. What kind?”

Cid thought a moment. He had all kinds of teas to pick from before he finally settled on one. “Jasmine, for the pain.”

Raye didn't answer, but instead got out the teakettle and began to boil the water while she whisked the eggs in a bowl with a fork. As soon as the teakettle began to whistle, Raye put a teabag in a cup and poured the hot water over it, setting it in front of the pilot. Ass the eggs cooked, she reached over, took out a few slices of bread, and placed them into the toaster. Then she had a thought.

“You didn't want any bacon, did you?” Raye asked.

“I dun have any.”

“Okay, then.”

Once the eggs were finished cooking, Raye turned the heat off on the stove, shoveled the eggs onto Cid's plate, and caught the toast as it came popping from the toaster. She placed the food in front of him along with some butter, jelly, and some cream and sugar for his tea.

Cid picked up the fork instinctively with his left hand. The cast wrapped around his thumb and was bulky, making it difficult to handle any kind of utensil. He was still unable to move his fingers, and he wound up dropping the fork with a loud clatter on the plate.

“Dammit,” he grumbled, picking up the fork and trying again.

Still to no avail, he was unable to get any food in his mouth, but rather wound up wearing it on his clothes instead.

Raye watched him, wondering if there was anything she could do to help him that didn't involve hand feeding the guy.

“Try your right hand, Cid,” she suggested.

Cid sighed and took Raye's suggestion, thinking that maybe since he was able to move his right hand he would make more progress. The fork felt awkward in his weaker hand as he attempted to eat. He held it in an uncomfortable position, the tines drooping downward and food falling off as he attempted to put the morsels into his mouth. By the time the utensil reached his lips, the last piece of egg on the fork fell into his lap.

“GODDAMN IT!” he yelled. “THIS AIN'T RIGHT!”

Raye jumped at his outburst. This must be harder for him than I thought.

“Here,” she said, standing up. She took his hand awkwardly and repositioned it to where he was grasping it in his fist. “Try it like that.”

He looked at his hand grasping the fork, similar to how a child held it when they were first learning how to eat.

“I feel like a goddammed kid,” he said darkly.

“Don't,” Raye told him sympathetically. “I know what you're going through, and it's frustrating, I know.”

Cid sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. Raye seemed so understanding of these things, despite her tough girl attitude. Cid knew that if it hadn't been for her, he would have been up shit creek without a paddle.

He again attempted at eating, this time actually getting food in.

“Yeah, now we're talkin',” he remarked at his own small victory. “This is so fucking good!”

Raye smiled.

“It's tough getting used to using your weaker hand,” she said to him. “Honestly, I've broken both of my arms so many times that I've become ambidextrous because of it.”

Cid looked up. “Ambidextrous? Seriously?”

“Yup.”

“Just how many times have you broken your arms again?”

“Four times apiece,” Raye stated.

“Four times?! Each?!”

“Yup.”

“Damn...so what happened?”

“Oh, different things,” Raye told him. “Some of them I can't remember because I was little, and the most recent one I'd like to forget, but I do remember there was this one time when I tried to do some acrobatic shit on a bicycle I saw some guy do on TV.”

Cid snorted and ventured a laugh between his chewing. “So you thought you could do it, too, eh?”

The redhead giggled. “Apparently, I thought wrong.”

“What else?”

“Well…” she trailed thinking. “I fell off a rope swing when I stayed with my grandmother in Cosmo Canyon. I fault my friend Atreyu for that one because he pushed me off.”

Cid looked at Raye. “Asshole!” he said.

Raye laughed. “That's exactly what I said to him when I landed!”

“I'da killed him,” Cid replied.

“Oh, I got my revenge after I regained use in my right arm.”

“I'm afraid to ask, but wha'd you do?”

“I shot him in the ass with an arrow,” Raye said matter-of-factly.

Cid burst into loud guffaws. “You what?! Raye!”

The female snickered. “I did! I nailed him in his left butt cheek.”

Cid threw his head back and laughed even harder. “Goddamn, woman, you're fucking horrible.”

Raye grinned as Cid finished the rest of his breakfast. When that was over, she picked up the dishes, cleaned them, and put them away. As the girl was busily cleaning up, Cid noticed that he hadn't showered since early yesterday and was still in the clothes he wore, suddenly becoming self-conscious. He stunk and needed a shower. Bad. How was he to shower with this cast on, though? Could he get it wet? He glanced over at Raye and decided to ask her since she seemed to be the leading expert on wearing a cast.

“Uhh…Raye?” Cid ventured.

“Yeah?” she said turning around and folding dishtowel.

“Um…How do ya bathe with this thing? Can ya get it wet or anything?”

“Nooo!” Raye replied. “Do NOT get it wet because it's made of plaster and moisture will ruin it.”

“Well...um, how did you manage?”

“What I did was I took a plastic bag and had my dad or one of my brothers wrap it around the cast and tape it on nice and tight,” she explained. “Then when I was in the shower, I raised my arm above my head.”

“So…how do ya wash with just one hand?” Cid asked. He knew he was getting pretty close to personal here, but dammit, he needed to know.

“Um, you just have to find a way to manage…” Raye trailed, not really wanting the conversation to go further than this.

Cid sensed she was uncomfortable and decided to stop. He cleared his throat. “Ahem. Well, I s'pose I'll manage as long as it dun get wet, right?”

Raye raised her eyebrow. “You need a shower, don't you?”

Cid looked sheepish. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I stink.”

Raye snorted and teased him. “That you do.”

“Aw, shaddup! No one told you to agree with me!”

Raye laughed, and Cid was finally beginning to figure out when the girl was just horsing around.

“So…I guess I should leave, then…” Raye started.

“No!” Cid realized he said that too fast. “Er…I mean, ya dun hafta go. Well, actually, I'd rather you not go…at least `till I'm out.”

Raye looked at Cid skeptically, already figuring out where this conversation was heading. “Why?”

“Well, heh, in case sumthin' happens or I need…a little help…heh…”

Cid blushed rather hotly. He was asking a favor of a very personal nature.

Raye noticed his subtle hinting as well as his embarrassment, and she felt a little hot herself. “Isn't there anyone else who could give you a hand? I mean, I really have to be going…”

Cid looked at Raye and shook his head. “No, there isn't. I dun have nobody.”

“You mean you have no family or anyone who can stop by and look in on you?”

“I dun have any family like you, Raye,” he told her with an undertone of sadness in his voice.

Raye pondered this little bit of information and felt rather bad for Cid and sighed.

“Okay, fine.”

Cid changed the subject rather quickly and began to babble. "Well, I mean, I dun really think anything will happen, you know, but well, just in case right? I mean if something did happen or whatever I'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble...but you knew that didn't you? Well, anyway um...”

“Cid?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Shut up. I said I'd stay.”

She smiled weakly at him as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Cid definitely did not expect her to actually agree to wait about so he could shower.

“Ahem. Well…” he trailed embarrassedly. “I s'pose I better get goin' so you kin leave.”

“Yeah…” Raye replied, averting her eyes.

There was an awkward pause.

“Um, okay, then…heh…”

“I'll, um, just go get you something to cover your cast with.”

“Su…sure. I'll…wait…in here…”

Cid walked toward the bathroom and removed his shirt, tossing it into a heap on the floor and looked down at his bulky cast. The thing weighed much more than he anticipated, and it hurt to keep his arm at his side.

Raye returned with a plastic bag she found under his sink and began to fasten it onto his injured arm. Cid held his arm still for her, watching her fasten the thing on and tape it so it would stay, scowling the whole time.

“Oh, Cid, it ain't that bad,” Raye told him.

“I am wearing a plastic bag on my arm for Pete's sake,” Cid replied darkly. “This is fucking humiliating.”

“Well it's for your own good.”

She finished with Cid's arm, glancing at her handiwork before noticing Cid was shirtless. Her eyes inadvertently traveled up his torso, taking in everything that was toned muscle and bone. She felt her face practically burst into flames, and she turned around.

“I'll leave you to your bath now,” she said trying to hide her face.

Luckily, Cid was too preoccupied with hunting for a bar of soap to notice her.

“Alright, thanks. I'll call ya if I need ya.”

Raye walked out of the room and flopped down on the couch. For someone who was thirty-two, he was a pretty…healthy man. She listened as the water came on for the shower and heard Cid step in. Raye sat on the couch thinking for a moment before it occurred to her that Cid had no clean clothes in the other room. She got up, walked to the bathroom, and knocked on the door.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, Cid…” Raye said, poking her head in. “You didn't get any clean clothes out. You want me to grab some for ya?”

“Uh…yeah, sure, if ya dun mind.”

Raye closed the door and went into Cid's bedroom. She walked straight to the closet and pulled out a pair of his clean cargo pants. Then she went to his dresser and pulled out a bluish-grey tee shirt.

Let's see…where does he keep his underwear and socks…?

Raye opened a top dresser drawer and found his underwear drawer. She pulled out a pair of socks and underwear.

Hmm…boxer-brief man…

Raye began to close the drawer when something caught her eye. She leaned in for a closer look and discovered it was a corner of something peeking out from under his unmentionables. Raye reached in, grabbed the corner of whatever it was hidden in there, and pulled on it. The object was glossy, and she soon held in her hand a photograph of a younger-looking, clean cut Cid with slightly longer hair, in blue flight uniform and grinning rakishly with two thumbs up. The woman's eyes widened and she stared at the photo in awe. Was that really…Cid?

There was a crash in the bathroom, and Cid called for her.

“Raye?”

The woman did not move.

“Raye!”

The female snapped out of it at the sound of another crash and Cid's barrage of cuss words.

“Um…COMING!” Raye yelled.

She hurriedly stuffed the photo into her back pocket without thinking, slammed the drawer shut, and ran to the bathroom. She opened the door and went inside.

“What took ya so long?” Cid asked over the noise of the shower.

“I couldn't find a pair of…” Raye trailed off grasping at straws to make up for her absence. “…pink briefs to match your eyes Cid. I had to settle for...um…” She looked down at his underwear on top of his pile of clothes and blushed. “…err. Blue. I was trying to find the incriminating pink undies I know you have hidden somewhere!”

Raye finished the sentence with a feeble attempt to harass him a little. It was a lame ass joke, yes, but she didn't want to be caught looking at things she probably shouldn't be.

“Um…okay…” Cid trailed. The shampoo bottle slipped from his soapy hand and landed on his foot. “Ow! Goddamn!”

“What was that? You doing okay in there?”

“Yeah, but I dropped the goddamned shampoo bottle on my foot, and then the soap keeps slippin' out of my hand.”

Raye heaved a sigh.

“Don't tell me you need some help.”

Cid picked up the bottle and attempted to open it with his one hand only to drop the stupid thing again.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

Raye sighed again. “Give me the bottle.”

Cid took the bottle and handed it to Raye from around the corner of the shower curtain. Raye took it, opened the flip-top lid, and handed it back to him. He held it above his head to pour the shampoo on top only for it to slip, bonk his head, and land with a clatter on the shower floor.

“Goddamn it!”

“Here!” Raye said impatiently. “Is there a way you can lean your head out without giving me a show that I do not need to see?”

“Uhh…yeah…”

Cid wrapped the shower curtain around his body as best he could and poked his blond head out for Raye to reach. The girl poured a dollop of shampoo into her palm and began to work it into his hair. He jumped at first at her touch, but as she gently massaged it into his scalp, and he began to lean into her touch.

Wow, so soft… Raye thought. Then she froze, startled by her own thought.

“Um, time to rinse…” she trailed, removing her sudsy hands from Cid's hair. She went to the sink, rinsed off her hands, and dried them on a towel.

“Uh, thanks…” Cid replied as he ran his good hand through his hair and rinsed under the water.

Raye quietly sat down on the toilet in case Cid needed her. Once the hair part was over with, he seemed to do fine with washing himself one-handed with the soap. However, the woman spoke too soon on that one, and she heard the bar fall to the bottom of the tub with a loud `thud' and Cid cursing it under his breath.

“Fuck it. It's good enough!”

He slammed the water off, and Raye stood up alarmed when she saw his hand reach for the shower curtain.

“Whoa! Cid!” Raye exclaimed. “I'm still in here!”

“Huh…? Oh, yeah!”

Raye rushed out of the bathroom to let Cid get out of the shower. She waited a few minutes before he emerged fully dressed, bag removed from his arm, and a towel draped over his damp head.

“You think you'll be okay now?” she asked him.

Cid nodded. “Yeah…I think I'll be fine. Thanks fer stickin' around.”

“Um…yeah, sure…”

There was an awkward pause.

“I guess you ought to be goin' now, huh?”

“Yeah…I gotta get home to dad,” Raye said.

Cid nodded. “Yeah, you dun want to keep him waiting.”

Raye started toward the door to get to her truck, but she stopped at Cid's voice.

“Hey, wait a sec, Raye! Those books!”

Raye turned to Cid. “Oh, yeah! I almost forgot about those!”

The two went back to Shera's room and Cid pointed out which books to get, and Raye collected them from the shelf before starting for her vehicle again. As she went to open the back door, Raye paused a moment.

“Um, Cid?”

“Yeah?”

“Say, um…I know this is going out on a limb here, but…you wanna come over to my house for Christmas?” Raye looked down at her feet and kicked at the floorboards. “I mean you don't have to if you don't want to…There'll be lots of food…and opening gifts and all that…”

Cid looked at her surprised. “You mean…you wouldn't mind?”

Raye shook her head. “Nah, I don't mind... I…I can't stand when people are alone on Christmas. It isn't right, you know…”

Raye turned her back to Cid as a pinkish hue crept across her features.

Cid ventured a smile. “Sure, I'll be there.” He placed his hand on Raye's shoulder and gave her a little push. “Now ya better get goin' or yer brother'll have more to talk about.”

A smile crept across Raye's face at the playful gesture. “I'm going, I'm going…”

She walked to the door, put on her jacket, and stepped out into the crisp early afternoon.

“Well, I guess I'll see you around Christmas,” Raye said. “I'll call to check on you in the meantime.”

“Aw, you dun hafta do that…”

“Well, who else will do it?”

Cid smiled weakly at her as she made her way to the truck. She hopped in and waved at him before pulling away to go home as Cid stood in the doorway cradling his bad arm watching her leave. The only thing he had left to do was figure out what he was to do between now and then.