Thantophobia

Chapter 12

I locked my car doors and took a deep breath. What I was about to do is insane, but I genuinely can't help myself.

Trying to shut my mind off with overthinking, I focused on the drive to the nearest Army center.

Upon arriving, I shut off my car and didn't make a move for about ten minutes, a voice in the back of my head telling me that this was a very bad idea. But the main voice telling me that I'm doing this to save him won.

I got out of the car and walked into the bleak looking building, immediately met by cleanliness and an organized lobby. A man at a reception desk looked up from his computer as I entered, and he gave me a raised brow.

"My friend is in the army on a tour, and I'm afraid he shouldn't be out at the moment." I try not to stumble over my words in front of this well built human.

Sure, I may be a beta gone rogue, but since I don't necessarily have the status, I was just a mere human.

"Alright, hold on a moment and let me get you someone in that area to talk too." And he looked back down at his computer.

Looking around the lobby, I find a chair that was unoccupied pretty easily, and I waited awkwardly after that for something to happen.

After about five or ten minutes, an older looking man in an army camouflage uniform came out, and he spotted me.

He had salt and pepper colored hair, and a clean shaven face. There wasn't really stubble. He had hazel eyes that seemed tired, yet alert all at the same time. He had a dark tan skin tone as well.

I stood up, and he held out his hand to shake, which I complied.

I looked down at his name tag.

"I'm Sargent Jameson. And you are...?"

"Kyle." My throat suddenly feels dry.

He nods and gestures into another room, probably his office. I look at him for another second before I enter his office and take a seat in front of a desk.

"So Kyle, why are you here?" He takes a seat in the chair behind the desk, across from me.

"I have a...colleague in the army who I don't think is fit to be out on his third tour." I firmly tell him.

Finally, my false confidence decided to show up.

Jameson's face turned to one of concern. "Who is your colleague?"

"Ransom Parkhurst. I believe that is his last name." I told him.

I didn't 'believe' if it was his last name, I knew it quite well. He's been in my head for a long time now, and It'd be insane if I didn't know his last name.

Also he was Berkeleys foster brother. That helped.

"Ah, Parkhurst. He's a hard working guy. Why are you concerned?" Jameson starts typing a few things on a computer to the front side of him.

"He has PTSD. Really bad from what I've heard. He's not mentally okay with being out on a third tour right now. I'm afraid something bad could happen to him." I explain.

Jameson goes into a deep thought after the hears what I have to say.

"Is there any proof?" His eyes flick back to mine.

"He was under some sort of caretaking company, because sometimes it got so bad he couldn't take care of himself. The first time I met him he was going to get a drink in the dark, shattered the cup glass on the floor, and wanted to walk over the shards like a mad man. Do you need another example?" I lean forward.

He types down a few more things before turning to me and nodding.

I raise up my leg so he sees the medical boot on my foot.

"He took me four wheeling. He was driving and I was on the back. He saw a barbed wire fence, didn't slow down the vehicle because he was distracted by something, and I turned it too late before he snapped back into reality. It tipped over the four wheeler, landing on my foot and crushing it." I try not to let anger get into my tone, but it clearly didn't work.

"I'll tell you what Kyle, I'll check with the Er about your foot, and the care facility ransom had. And if all matches up, then it's up to us on what we want to do with his standing right now. We can't release that sort of information because we don't want to make promises. But we appreciate you coming in and telling us." Jameson stands up, and so do I. He holds out his hand and I shake it for a final time.

"Just looking out for him." I tell Jameson.

———

"Kyle, you did what?!" Jaden almost shouts.

A few people in the cafe turn to look at us, but I just give them a half-assed smile and wave them off. I turn back to Jaden after no one is looking at us anymore.

"You heard me. I don't want to explain this story again." I plead.

Jaden looks pissed. "The army is his career, Kyle. You just fucked with his job."

"So you care more about his job than him? Because I care more about him than his career." I narrow my eyes, challenging Jaden to argue with me.

He huffs in frustration. "Of course I care about Ransom. He's my brother in law. But I also care about his career, which you don't seem too."

"The army has plenty of jobs that don't require a tour. That's Ransoms problem to figure out." I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, thanks to you, if they discharge him ten months earlier then expected."

I purse my lips, not responding.

"I have to go to work. We'll talk about this later." Jaden grumbles, and leaves our booth without protest from me.

I put my head in my hands and groan.

I'm not stupid for doing this. I care about Ransom, even if he has been nothing but an ass to me. He's my...mate. I can't lose another one.

Dark brown curly hair in the corner of my vision catches my eye, and I turn to the person at the cash register.

I narrowed my eyes. He looked familiar.

The figure turns his head to the side to look at a few food options, and that's when my eyes widened and I looked away faster than lighting.

Liam.