Panic
(Aug 1986)
“Will you wake up!!!! Damn you!!!” Ennis cried, still slapping Tom’s face.
Finally, Tom stirred. He opened his eyes, and looked at Ennis, whose frantic face was right near him. Then Tom looked ahead at the huge fallen tree.
“What…..what happened?” Tom asked, and rubbed his eyes. “Hey, you okay? Did I black out?”
“I thought you were dead.” Ennis said with a quivering voice.
“Naw, I’m okay.” Tom said, turning to Ennis. “Been happening…… since I was a boy. I get scared, I just conk right out. Scared my momma half to death lots of times.” Tom paused and closed his eyes. “She thought I was jokin’, and bein’ disrespectful or somethin’. Doc never knew why. Didn’t happen in a long, long time.”
Ennis stared at him, then moved away, back to his own seat. He put his head in his hands.
“Hey” Tom said. “You okay? Sorry, man, I didn’t do it on purpose. Sorry.”
Ennis lifted his head and glanced at Tom, then he picked up the duffel bag, wrapped his arms tightly around it, and put his head down against damp canvas.
“Ennis?”
Ennis looked over at Tom. Then he looked ahead, at the huge fallen tree on the flooded road. The rain was still coming down, not quite as hard as before, the wind was still howling, and the sky was still dark with thick, heavy clouds.
“I......I just…I…..just…..” Ennis said, but he stopped.
“Look, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya, just somethin' that happens to me.” Tom said. Ennis just sat there. The rain was finally letting up. “So what are we gonna do now? Ya want my opinion? Let’s just go get that breakfast, then we’ll decide.”
Ennis quickly glanced at him. “Fine, but I better drive.”
Tom grinned. “Ain’t gonna argue, ya sure are a good companion, sorry, wish it didn’t happen. Hey, we were lucky, this time.”
Ennis went around the truck to get into the driver's seat, Tom slid over to the other side. Ennis started the truck and pulled away, going slowly around all the fallen trees and miniature lakes on the road. Every so often he quickly glanced over at Tom, looking relaxed and comfortable in the passenger seat.
“I….just….ya know….I…..” Ennis tried to speak, but the words still wouldn’t come out.