“Lending a Hand”

“Un-fucking-believable!” Colin said to himself, as he stood outside the window of Abby’s room, where she’d moments before practically tossed him out onto the balcony. He couldn’t believe she did that, why she would do such a thing. And now she was in there with that bloody tosser of a husband of hers, doing who knows what!

He turned, looked around to see if anyone was watching, climbed up on the railing and jumped to the ground, landing flat out in a giant mud puddle that once was the back lawn.

“Fuck!” he yelled, grabbing his ankle, which he’d most likely twisted. Grimacing, he managed to get himself to his feet and hobble through the mud into the back door of the inn, where he collapsed in a muddy heap on the floor.

“Need a hand there, Mister?” Alex asked, tilting his head, as Colin lay on the floor at his feet.

“Yeah, that and a fuckin’ lobotomy for getting involved with all these crazy fuckin’ sheilas!” Colin replied, taking Alex’s outstretched hand and pulling himself to his feet long enough to flop down on a chair.

“You say a dame did this to you?” Alex asked, chuckling a bit. He reached in his pocket and handed Colin a handkerchief.

“In a manner of speaking, yeah, she did,” Colin told him, wiping the mud from his face. “Not a laughing matter, I might add.”

“Sorry, friend,” Alex told him, “No offense.”

“None taken,” Colin said, a bit calmer now. “Haven’t seen you around here before. Just move in or merely passing through?”

Alex grinned, tipped his hat back, “Been here a while, actually, just managed to keep a low profile, I guess. The name’s Ross, by the way. Alex Ross.”

“Ross? Nice to meet you, I’m Colin O’Brien,” he replied, shaking hands with the other man and getting mud on him at the same time. Colin chuckled, “Sorry about that, guess I should probably go get myself washed up.”

“No worries, as you Aussies say,” Alex grinned, pulling out another handkerchief and wiping his hand off onto it.

Colin tried to stand and hollered out in pain as he tried to put weight on his left ankle.

“Doesn’t look like you’re going anywhere, friend,” Alex told him, helping him back to the chair. “Might wanna have that ankle checked out. Could be serious.”

“It’ll be fine, just help me to my car, will ya?” Colin asked him, trying not to show the pain he was in.

“Got anyone you can call to help you get back out of your car once you’re home?” Alex asked, skeptically.

Colin thought of Abby for a moment, thought about calling her, then let it go. “Umm... no, probably not,” he replied.

“Sit back down,” Alex told him, pulling out his cell. “I’ll make a call, have an ambo here on the double.”

TBC ...