Blood Lily Company - Afghanistan - Year 2

VIII

Two days later, we were camping in the small cave where we had taken a break with the journalist, where Kris had treated his brother.

Erk refused to enter. I saw him stiffen, both feet planted on the ground, and refuse to move. I also saw the concern in Kris' gray blue eyes.

- Erik, big boy, it's only the cave where we slept...

- That was after, Kris, that was after... I...

He swallowed, he was sweating a little.

- Hmm. OK, wait here two minutes, guard us, alright?

Erk nodded and stood with his back to the cave we settled into. As we were out of sight, we lit a tiny fire to heat the water for our evening herbal tea. Kris took two MRE, and, asking us to stay in the cave, went out to give the giant his dinner.

He sat down next to him, opened one of the heated-up dishes and handed it to him.

- Provence stew?

- I know you love it. Relax, big boy, at least for dinner. Tito and Bear are going to take the first shift, you can relax a bit, okay?

- Hmm.

- Eat, you will tell me later.

- In Icelandic, you think?

- I don't know, bro. If the others can help you, better if they understand, right?

- Hmm.

Erk focused on the stew, and I saw him paying twice as much attention to it as usual, savoring every bite. A compote and a square of chocolate, and he was less tense.

We came out of the cave with our herbal tea, everything was calm in the area.

- Okay, Erk, said Baby Jane, we saw you here a year ago, super in control, acting like a boss despite your back, so do you want to explain to us why you don't want to get in there? You just slept there last time.

The Viking twirled his quart in his hands several times, staring at the steaming liquid in the metal cup. We sipped our herbal tea, we waited. A little away, Tito and Bear stood guard, but through the earpieces they heard everything.

Erk put his mug down next to him, not really looking and it would have spilled over if Kris hadn't caught it. But the giant saw nothing.

- I had... a nightmare afterwards. It must have been in the infirmary, after Lin's right hook. I... I know Kris told you about Chechnya, but he had to censor it a bit. I was deprived of feelings, yes, but I was also sexually assaulted.

He stared into space, he no longer saw us. Kitty was white, mouth hanging open, horrified. Baby Jane had such an expressionless face that I realized she was wearing a mask. JD and Quenotte looked sick. Yaka rested her head on her human's lap.

- Hands... a mouth... on me, on my chest, my crotch... insistent... cruel... I lost my mind, I almost went mad and without Kris and his stubbornness, I may not be here today.

Kris handed him his herbal tea, he picked up the cup with both hands and looked into it.

- The nightmare... Instead of your arrival, Kris...

He gulped again and Kris paled.

- Kris didn't come and I found myself in the guy's room and... he was touching me too, he was kissing me and...

Erk blushed.

- It was... I was scared and I really thought I was going to go back to Darkness, this place where I took refuge to escape my Chechen attacker.