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Maddie took a slow sip of her coffee, then set the mug back down. “Do you want to split one of my protein bars? Or are we going to fast all day?”
Saff snorted a laugh. “I think I would rather fast all day than eat another one of your smashed protein bars.”
Maddie laughed, a wide smile breaking out across her face. “You know, I think I would too, actually.”
Saff watched her, taking another sip of her own coffee. Her eyes glanced down at the shirt again. Maddie was slightly smaller than her, so maybe it did just fit her better.
“You want potatoes or beans?” she asked.
Maddie took a sip of her coffee. “I'm good with whatever you want.”
“I'm not hungry.”
Maddie frowned, setting her mug down on the table. “Nauseous again?”
Saff grunted, looking away. She wasn't sure if it was a lingering effect of the concussion, or just her body being thrown off fromthe stab wound in her side, but the nausea kept coming and going off and on. Although, she was willing to bet that it was the concussion, since it seemed to coincide with her headaches.
“You should take it easy today,” Maddie said, taking on the tone that Saff had become familiar with. The tone she brought out when she was trying to convince her to do something. “Maybe we should hold off on shooting today.”
That had also become part of their daily routine. Each day, they made the trek to the canyon, and Maddie practiced with the shotgun. After the first few days, she'd begun actually shooting and was already very close to hitting the sound targets. Now, nine days later, she was practically hitting them every time, and Saff wasn't sure there was much else she could teach her.
“It's fine,” Saff replied, downing the rest of her coffee. “It’ll be there whether we go or not.”
Maddie frowned again, turning her head to the side. That was also now familiar. The look of concern, but also frustration she held when Saff didn't listen to her.
“Fine,” Maddie said, running her finger up and down the handle of the mug. “But don't think you can come to me for head rubs at the end of the night when you're suffering.”
Saff smirked, watching her face twist into a scowl. She said that, or something like that, just about every day. And they both knew that when the time came, Maddie would change her mind.
***
“I'm gonna shower” Saff said, putting the last water jug away in its spot in the kitchen.
They’d spent the day shooting, then refilling some of the water containers and Maddie’s jug. Saff had wanted to push it more and try to gather firewood, but Maddie had talked her out of it, making the case that she needed to rest and heal.
Maddie let out a noise of acknowledgement as she dropped onto the cot and leaned her head back onto the pillow.
Normally Saff didn't mind the cold of the showers very much, but this time it's stung the wound on her side. She touched the skin gently around it, and it felt tender and inflamed. It must have gotten irritated throughout the day lifting the water jugs.
She dried off and put some comfortable clothes on before walking back out into the main area, careful not to twist her torso too much.
She began prepping the nightly pot of popcorn, then took it up outside to heat over the fire. And even just the small trek up and down the stairs left her exhausted, with her head and side throbbing uncomfortably.
A yawn pulled from her throat as she made her way to the small table.
Maddie turned over in the cot, smiling in her direction. “My favorite part of the day,”she lulled. “I don't know what it is about the popcorn. For some reason, it makes things feel normal again.”
Saff poured some out into two bowls.
“How's your head?” Maddie asked.
“Same,” she muttered, walking the two bowls of popcorn she’d prepped over to Maddie on the cot.
Maddie gave an exaggerated sigh then patted the side of the cot where Saff usually sat on the floor beside her.
Saff looked at the hard concrete ground for a second. Her side was throbbing, and the last thing she wanted was to sit on the cold hard ground, even if it meant getting the relief her head desperately needed.
“Not tonight,” she muttered. A flash of something resembling disappointment crossed over Maddie's face. “My side hurts. I don't think I could sit there for that long.”
