Right Hand Man

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Summary: Clint tries to help out the best way he knows how.

AUTHOR: Catw00man
EMAIL: catw00man@cryptoffic.com
RATING: PG
SERIES: Bittersweet Miracles
CHARACTER: Clint Bowyer/Athena Barber, Clint POV
COMPLETED: February 11, 2008
WORD COUNT: 1,405
DISCLAIMER: I own NOTHING and am affiliated with NO ONE mentioned here. Not the drivers, not the teams, no one. This is all fiction and fun. In other words...NOT REAL, NOT REAL, NOT REAL. ;-)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Again I have no idea how many POVs this things going to take but I can tell you I already adore this Clint. Also make sure you keep up with the journals. We are trying to keep them really current. So if you want a preview of fics to come, that’s where you need to go!
AUTHOR'S NOTE2: Thanks to Zippit for the excellent beta!
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Clemmons, North Carolina - January 20, 2008

Look over the freshly painted room and nod.  I still need to get blinds for the two windows on the far wall but besides that, it’s almost finished.  I just got all the furniture moved in, the table, chair, bed, microwave, mini fridge.  That reminds me, I need to pick up sheets for the bed too.  Might as well get him some of his own so he doesn’t have to borrow from us.  I know how he is about “imposing.”

When Trish called to tell me Junior had been crashing some nights at KHI, I knew I had to do something.  Kev would not be happy about him sleeping on couches, though it’s not like he’s much better.  Junior called yesterday from Daytona and asked me to look in on him since, from what he’d heard, the babies had been through an ordeal lately.  Something about concern over their breathing and I think one of them was sick.  I know I should keep better track...but part of me wonders if Kevin really wants me to.

I don’t think a day has gone by since that first awful call in the middle of the night that I haven’t talked to him.  At first it was just spreading the word and taking care of immediate concerns like the animals.  Junior took them for Christmas and I’ve told him he’s more than welcome to bring Endy and Bebe back.  But apparently he’s got something worked out at his place for his whole zoo so I figure, why disrupt them again?  I think the worst thing I had to do was help shuttle papers between Kev and Richard to take care of DeLana’s funeral.  I know he wasn’t reading a damn thing so I did my best to look out for him even though I know RC was doing the same.

Lean against the door frame and finger the phone at my hip.  I should give him a call and let him know this is done.  He really liked the idea even though I know he doesn’t realize how much Junior’s done for him.  I’ve tried to let him know, but not so much that he feels he needs to get involved.  I just want him to realize that things are being taken care of…and to make sure that on some level he’s still in touch with the world outside the hospital.  To be honest, I think that’s why he talks to me.

I know Junior, in addition to taking over KHI, knows everything he possibly can about those two tiny babies.  He’s been keeping up the journal somehow so I know he’s there for Kevin to talk to about all of that.  But when we talk, it’s always about something else.  Ok, so, maybe I’m the one who carries the conversation, but he’s always so damn tired.  I think that maybe it helps to have the tiniest bit of normalcy and that’s what I’ve tried to give him.

I tell him about the shop, any rumors I’ve heard and any other stupid thing I can think of.  I also try to give him every other detail that I bet everyone else doesn’t tell him because…that’s just how we are.  I know I can trust Kev to give me the truth no matter what.  I’ve done my damnedest to give him the same.  I know Junior probably wouldn’t be too happy about all I’ve told him.  But Kev should know.  He’s gonna get through all this and he needs to know what’s going on.  He needs to know what good friends he has.  He needs to know he’s not alone.

Give the room another walk through and I’m really glad how it’s all turned out.  I always intended on finishing the room over the garage as a game room or something, but it’s turned out to be a perfect little apartment.  I could always convert it again, but I bet once my brother sees it he’ll call dibs, once Junior’s done with it of course.  Check out the full bath once more and add towels to my mental list.  I should probably get toiletries too.  Anything to make things easier.

I’m still a little in awe of everything Junior’s done.  Somehow he’s been making it up to Charlotte several times a week on top of running KHI and taking on extra testing. I offered to stay down in Daytona to help, but he said he wanted to get hands on with the cars to get a handle on the whole operation.  I think he just wanted to make sure someone was close to look in on Kevin like I did last night.

It was early evening when he called and told me he didn’t think Kev was sleeping.  I didn’t need to hear anything else.  I just told him I’d take care of it and headed off to Charlotte.  I’ll be damned if he wasn’t exactly right.  With the nurses help I found Kev on a short, hard couch with his legs hanging off the end.  The whole thing looked so uncomfortable I don’t see how he could possibly get any rest.  You’d think they could get something better for the lounge, but since it’s not really there for sleeping I guess I can’t fault them too much.

Waking him was easy enough but it was obvious he was so disoriented he didn’t know what was going on.  Once I got him calmed down instead of instinctively freaking out over the babies I drug his ass back to the hotel.  I can’t blame him.  I doubt many people disturb him, and seeing me, it had to throw him for a loop.  He tried to argue with me all the way to the hotel and I finally had to push him on the bed and steal his shoes before he’d stop trying to leave.  I didn’t miss the fact he set the alarm for two hours.  I just waited for him to fall asleep and turned it off.  I hope he’s not too mad at me for it today.

I wonder if he even realizes how many people are worried about him and how many people he’s touched with his strength.  The way he’s so completely dedicated to those babies…it’s had me rethinking my own choices.  I still can’t believe I almost made the biggest mistake of my life.

Walk over to sit down at the table I’ve set up as a makeshift desk and grab a note pad to make a list.  Knowing my memory I’ll probably get over to Wal-Mart or Target and forget everything.  Finish the list and then look out the window, smiling when I see her.  She’s in the backyard with Ulla and I can’t believe I almost let her go.

Watch as she plays fetch with the black Beauceron and I’m so glad I came to my senses in time.  I thought I was missing something being “tied down.”  I thought I needed to let her go so I could party and take advantage of my new “status” as a driver.  I didn’t realize I already had what the rest of the world is dreaming of…what Kevin just lost.

Run my hands over my face and shake my head.  I’m not ready for kids.  I’m not even quite ready to walk down the aisle, but to lose her now…I don’t even want to think about it.  I have an amazing woman who loves me, who’s supported me through everything, just like D supported Kev.  After seeing what he’s had to do on his own, after seeing the worst grief I’ve known etched on his face during her funeral, there’s no way I can be such a selfish fucking prick.  I guess all of this has started to put things into perspective.

Push up from the table and tear my list from the pad.  Fold it up and shove it in my back pocket as I look out the window again.  I think I’ll call Kev tonight.  Now I think I’m gonna see if she wants to help me finish the shopping and maybe take her out to dinner.  She deserves it for putting up with me and right now…I really need her company.

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Catw00man - catw00man@cryptoffic.com