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They’re at a gas station.
“Do not leave that seat. Got it?”
“Mmhmm”
Benson sighs, and walks into the store leaving the car to fill with gas.
He’s not long but he has a bag with him when he gets back. He throws the bag in the back seat. And they’re off again
“How bad is it?”
Randy mumbles
“On a scale of 1 to 10”
Randy’s eyes are still closed, he’s leaning against the cold window glass.
Benson snaps his fingers in front of his face
“Kid, I swear to *fucking* god”
With a moan Randy answers
“10”
Benson winces. Shit. He knew this was going to fucking happen. Randy had always looked sickly.
“I’ll find a place to stop”
Randy gives him a half hearted thumbs up, not moving his head.
They pull up to a roadside motel. It looks like it’s from the 70s.
It’ll have to do. Living In the car had done a number on both of them.
The sign outside says 45/night, great.
Benson parks and looks over to Randy again. It had been several hours since they had left the gas station.
“Stay here. I’m gonna go get us a room.”
Randy only answers in a ‘mmhmm’ kind of noise. He walks into the building.
When Benson returns he puts the back of his hand to Randy’s forehead. It feels clammy and hot. Goddammit.
“Ok kid, up you get”
He grabs the plastic gas station bag and lifts Randy from the car. Randy’s arm around his shoulder.
“Jesus, just walk normal for a fucking second then you can lay down”
They shamble into the room.
It’s extremely 70s
Wood paneling along two of the walls. An overstuffed armchair in the corner.
But basic cable, a bed, and a bathroom. That’s all they needed.
Benson pushes Randy towards the bed and Randy lands on the springy mattress front first, his head making contact with the cold pillow case.
Benson kneels down and unties Randy’s shoes, slipping them off his feet.
He hears a muffled
“thnk yu”
“Yeah kid, no problem.”
Benson had gone into the gas station to pay but had also picked up a box of a generic flu relief medication. There was a nighttime and a daytime pill.
“Ok champ wake up for a second for me”
Randy groans and sits up, Benson squats next to the bed and pushes a dixie cup of water into his hand.
“I’m gonna give you two of the nighttime pills now and the daytime ones…”
uhh… he stands up again and goes to look at the back of the box, squinting to read the tiny font in the directions column.
“In……… twelve hours.”
Randy nods.
Benson waits for him to swallow and then takes the Dixie cup from Randy, putting it on the nightstand.
He presses the back of his hand to Randy’s forehead again. Still clammy and warm.
“Get undressed and I’ll put the fan on”
Randy begins to unbutton his jeans.
The wall has 4 different switches on it. Benson tries them one by one until he gets the ceiling fan running.
Randy is lying on the bed, jeans dangling around his ankles.
Benson sighs and kneels down next to the bed, shimmying the jeans off. Then his socks. His knees crack when he stands again.
“Hey, arms up”
As he pulls Randy up and towards him leaning him against his chest and pulling the shirt over his head.
Randy’s already making snoring sounds.
Benson lays Randy back down, carefully and pulls a thin blanket over him.