Post by musicgirl on Dec 22, 2012 21:10:26 GMT -5
I Got You, Buddy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neil Byrne glanced out the window and turned the key in the ignition of his small, blue rental car. The radio burst to life playing a local rap station that the previous renter had programmed to number one. Displeased, Neil changed the station to hopefully find something more appealing. Static, static, heard it a million times.. He rubbed his hands together to get the blood to return to his numb fingers and cranked up the heat. “Come on, Ry,” he mumbled.
Moments later, Ryan appeared at the glass doors carrying two steaming hot Starbucks cups filled to the brim. He pushed the door open and held it back with his elbow to let a woman and her little daughter into the store.
Neil reached across the front seat and popped the car door open. Ryan nudged it open and carefully slid into his seat. “Took ya long enough,”Neil joked. “Frostbite isn’t fun.”
“Well then take this and warm up.”
“In other words, stop complaining.”
“Exactly.”
Ryan smiled as he handed Neil his coffee. He gladly accepted and treasured the warmth that the hot drink provided to his cold hands.
Ryan reached around into the back seat to check in their precious equipment. He pushed a guitar case further back onto the seat to keep it from falling later.
“How long until we get to Toronto?” Ryan asked as he turned back around to face his touring partner.
After taking a sip, Neil reluctantly placed his drink into the cup holder and turned the GPS to get a better look.
“Umm, a while. Almost three hours.”
Ryan sighed and leaned his head against the headrest behind him. “We have three hours to go until we reach Toronto. We’ve already been driving for what? Two hours already?”
“Yeah, and this storm is only going to get worse,” Neil said as he tapped his phone. “The temperature will plummet to twenty-eight degrees fahrenheit in about an hour and another 8-10 inches of snow is on it’s way.”
“Perfect hiking weather.” Ryan commented as he looked longingly out the window.
“You’re crazy.”
“Thank you.”
Neil, once again, turned on the radio and cranked up the heat another notch. The two watched the small parking lot as they tweaked their set list once again. Once the drinks were finished, the two switched places so Neil could have a break from driving and set off.
Neil tilted his seat back and closed his eyes for some much needed rest. Ryan watched the windshield wipers as they swished back and forth, brushing the snowflakes from the windshield.
The car slid as he applied pressure to the breaks. Ryan’s muscles tensed and he gripped the steering wheel.
Neil’s eyes popped open and he glanced over at Ryan groggily.
“It’s fine, Neil. Go back to sleep.” Ryan murmured as he got the car back under control. “Just a little ice.”
Neil mumbled under his breath and snapped his eyes shut.
Ryan gazed around at the scene that surrounded him. The streets of town had long since changed into winding back roads surrounded by luscious pine trees. Their deep green color was masked by the pureness of the white powder that continued to fall and caused their branches to droop under their weight.
“It’s beautiful,” Neil murmured as he stretched causing Ryan to jump.
“You were out like a light.”
Ryan slowed the car at a four-way stop. Neil careened his neck to look over the hill to his right. “Looks good. Just go quick.”
Ryan applied to gas, wary of the ice and the car slowly started forward.
A tractor trailer suddenly appeared out of nowhere at the crest of the hill. It’s headlights barely cutting through the blur of the falling snow. The driver laid of the horn.
Ryan froze. The car drifted to a stop in the middle of the intersection.
“Go!GO!” Neil screamed. “Ryan drive!”
Still, Ryan’s face was blank and his eyes unmoving as he stared at the tractor trailer barreling closer and closer.
“Ryan!” Neil tried one last time. Then, realizing that he couldn’t snap Ryan out of the reverie, he twisted in his seat, turned the steering wheel, and placing his foot on the gas, steered the car into a ditch at the side of the road.
Neil huffed as he watched the tractor trailer driver in the rearview mirror. Talking on his cell phone. Idiot.
He raked a shaking hand through his hair as he willed his heartbeat to slow down.
Next to him, Ryan sat stunned covering his face with his hands so only his eyes were visible.
“Are you okay?”Neil asked, concern evident in his voice.
Ryan nodded, still hiding behind his hands.
“Are you sure?” Pause. “Ry?”
Ryan didn’t seem to hear him. Instead he removed his hands and noisily let of the breath he had been holding since the horn began its condemning and the lights had appeared like two demon-like eyes. Starring. Daring him to move.
“Huh?” Ryan managed to gasp out as he turned to face Neil.
“Are you okay?” Neil repeated. “You looked like you’ve seen a ghost."
Ryan took a deep breath.
“...and you just shut down. Didn’t hear a word I said.”
“Sorry.” Another deep breath. Ryan shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Neil noticed how Ryan’s whole body shook like a leaf.
“Let’s get out of this car for a while.” Neil offered. “Go for a walk. It’ll help you get rid of some of that adrenaline.”
Ryan chuckled nervously.
After about ten minutes of walking down the slippery tree-lined roads, Neil noticed that Ryan’s shaking had stopped and he had resolved to starring at this shoes.
Neil knew why Ryan was acting this strangely. Only months before, Ryan had been in a serious car-wreck that totaled his car and landed him in the hospital for weeks. The whole of Celtic Thunder had waited with baited breath for news of anything. Would Ryan make it? When will this coma end? Would Ryan ever be the same?
But Neil recognized the look in Ryan’s eyes at the intersection as nothing but sheer panic. There were so many question that nagged at Neil’s mind. But he knew that some question aren’t meant to be answered.
Fumbling with his words, Ryan managed to choke out, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright.”
“No, it’s just,” Ryan was fumbling again. “I just...I,” He raked his hand through his jet-black hair making it stand on end as he tried to find the right words. Words didn’t come easily to Ryan in stressful situation. He was reminded of when he was presented with his Irish Music Award and how he stuttered and tripped over his words as he tried to make a speech off the top of his head that was worthy of such an occasion.
“It’s, it was...it was just like the accident. Every detail. Except I was hit on the driver’s side.” Ryan’s voice had risen an octave and he rushed through his words trying to get the message across as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Neil interrupted by placing a reassuring hand on his best mate’s shoulder.
He waited until Ryan had stopped rambling. Slowly, Ryan’s gaze rose from the ground and landed on Neil’s hand on his shoulder. He followed his arm with his eyes until he met Neil’s look.
“I got you, buddy.” Ryan’s shoulder sagged as he sighed audibly and cracked a shy smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neil Byrne glanced out the window and turned the key in the ignition of his small, blue rental car. The radio burst to life playing a local rap station that the previous renter had programmed to number one. Displeased, Neil changed the station to hopefully find something more appealing. Static, static, heard it a million times.. He rubbed his hands together to get the blood to return to his numb fingers and cranked up the heat. “Come on, Ry,” he mumbled.
Moments later, Ryan appeared at the glass doors carrying two steaming hot Starbucks cups filled to the brim. He pushed the door open and held it back with his elbow to let a woman and her little daughter into the store.
Neil reached across the front seat and popped the car door open. Ryan nudged it open and carefully slid into his seat. “Took ya long enough,”Neil joked. “Frostbite isn’t fun.”
“Well then take this and warm up.”
“In other words, stop complaining.”
“Exactly.”
Ryan smiled as he handed Neil his coffee. He gladly accepted and treasured the warmth that the hot drink provided to his cold hands.
Ryan reached around into the back seat to check in their precious equipment. He pushed a guitar case further back onto the seat to keep it from falling later.
“How long until we get to Toronto?” Ryan asked as he turned back around to face his touring partner.
After taking a sip, Neil reluctantly placed his drink into the cup holder and turned the GPS to get a better look.
“Umm, a while. Almost three hours.”
Ryan sighed and leaned his head against the headrest behind him. “We have three hours to go until we reach Toronto. We’ve already been driving for what? Two hours already?”
“Yeah, and this storm is only going to get worse,” Neil said as he tapped his phone. “The temperature will plummet to twenty-eight degrees fahrenheit in about an hour and another 8-10 inches of snow is on it’s way.”
“Perfect hiking weather.” Ryan commented as he looked longingly out the window.
“You’re crazy.”
“Thank you.”
Neil, once again, turned on the radio and cranked up the heat another notch. The two watched the small parking lot as they tweaked their set list once again. Once the drinks were finished, the two switched places so Neil could have a break from driving and set off.
Neil tilted his seat back and closed his eyes for some much needed rest. Ryan watched the windshield wipers as they swished back and forth, brushing the snowflakes from the windshield.
The car slid as he applied pressure to the breaks. Ryan’s muscles tensed and he gripped the steering wheel.
Neil’s eyes popped open and he glanced over at Ryan groggily.
“It’s fine, Neil. Go back to sleep.” Ryan murmured as he got the car back under control. “Just a little ice.”
Neil mumbled under his breath and snapped his eyes shut.
Ryan gazed around at the scene that surrounded him. The streets of town had long since changed into winding back roads surrounded by luscious pine trees. Their deep green color was masked by the pureness of the white powder that continued to fall and caused their branches to droop under their weight.
“It’s beautiful,” Neil murmured as he stretched causing Ryan to jump.
“You were out like a light.”
Ryan slowed the car at a four-way stop. Neil careened his neck to look over the hill to his right. “Looks good. Just go quick.”
Ryan applied to gas, wary of the ice and the car slowly started forward.
A tractor trailer suddenly appeared out of nowhere at the crest of the hill. It’s headlights barely cutting through the blur of the falling snow. The driver laid of the horn.
Ryan froze. The car drifted to a stop in the middle of the intersection.
“Go!GO!” Neil screamed. “Ryan drive!”
Still, Ryan’s face was blank and his eyes unmoving as he stared at the tractor trailer barreling closer and closer.
“Ryan!” Neil tried one last time. Then, realizing that he couldn’t snap Ryan out of the reverie, he twisted in his seat, turned the steering wheel, and placing his foot on the gas, steered the car into a ditch at the side of the road.
Neil huffed as he watched the tractor trailer driver in the rearview mirror. Talking on his cell phone. Idiot.
He raked a shaking hand through his hair as he willed his heartbeat to slow down.
Next to him, Ryan sat stunned covering his face with his hands so only his eyes were visible.
“Are you okay?”Neil asked, concern evident in his voice.
Ryan nodded, still hiding behind his hands.
“Are you sure?” Pause. “Ry?”
Ryan didn’t seem to hear him. Instead he removed his hands and noisily let of the breath he had been holding since the horn began its condemning and the lights had appeared like two demon-like eyes. Starring. Daring him to move.
“Huh?” Ryan managed to gasp out as he turned to face Neil.
“Are you okay?” Neil repeated. “You looked like you’ve seen a ghost."
Ryan took a deep breath.
“...and you just shut down. Didn’t hear a word I said.”
“Sorry.” Another deep breath. Ryan shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Neil noticed how Ryan’s whole body shook like a leaf.
“Let’s get out of this car for a while.” Neil offered. “Go for a walk. It’ll help you get rid of some of that adrenaline.”
Ryan chuckled nervously.
After about ten minutes of walking down the slippery tree-lined roads, Neil noticed that Ryan’s shaking had stopped and he had resolved to starring at this shoes.
Neil knew why Ryan was acting this strangely. Only months before, Ryan had been in a serious car-wreck that totaled his car and landed him in the hospital for weeks. The whole of Celtic Thunder had waited with baited breath for news of anything. Would Ryan make it? When will this coma end? Would Ryan ever be the same?
But Neil recognized the look in Ryan’s eyes at the intersection as nothing but sheer panic. There were so many question that nagged at Neil’s mind. But he knew that some question aren’t meant to be answered.
Fumbling with his words, Ryan managed to choke out, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright.”
“No, it’s just,” Ryan was fumbling again. “I just...I,” He raked his hand through his jet-black hair making it stand on end as he tried to find the right words. Words didn’t come easily to Ryan in stressful situation. He was reminded of when he was presented with his Irish Music Award and how he stuttered and tripped over his words as he tried to make a speech off the top of his head that was worthy of such an occasion.
“It’s, it was...it was just like the accident. Every detail. Except I was hit on the driver’s side.” Ryan’s voice had risen an octave and he rushed through his words trying to get the message across as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Neil interrupted by placing a reassuring hand on his best mate’s shoulder.
He waited until Ryan had stopped rambling. Slowly, Ryan’s gaze rose from the ground and landed on Neil’s hand on his shoulder. He followed his arm with his eyes until he met Neil’s look.
“I got you, buddy.” Ryan’s shoulder sagged as he sighed audibly and cracked a shy smile.