Page 29 of New Neighbor

Chapter Five

Back at his building…

Benji stood before Mac’s door a solid two minutes before finally lifting his hand and knocking.

When the door opened, Mac looked terrible. His eyes and nose were red. Dark circles lay under his eyes. He simply looked exhausted.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Mac said, but his voice was raw and nasally. “No. I feel like shit.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Mac shrugged. “Marines don’t get sick.”

“I hate to tell you this… but this Marine looks and sounds pretty damned sick.”

Mac sighed. “I feel like hell. One of the gym members came in sniffling like crazy and asked me to help her on the machines. I should’ve known she was carrying the plague.”

Benji looked past Mac and saw the apartment was still mostly unpacked. The place was a barren space, half filled with boxes. It wasn’t home. Not yet. And the one time someone needed to feel at home was when they were sick.

“Come with me. You need a change of venue.”

Mac frowned. “I don’t want to get you sick, too. It’s why I’ve been avoiding you.”

Benji smiled. “I have an iron constitution. After being around walking plague carriers at school, it helps make you stronger.”

“If you say so.” He grabbed a box of Kleenex and a glass before he trailed after Ben into the apartment.

“Take a seat—the couch, the chair—wherever you’re most comfortable,” Ben said.

Once Mac spread out on the couch, Ben started a batch of his tea. He added some honey and lemon to it before bringing a cup over. “Here. This should help that sore throat of yours.”

Mac took it and thanked Ben. After one sip, he moaned. “Damn, that feels good.” He took another.

“You hungry?”

“Yes and no,” Mac answered.

“Chicken soup? It’s canned… not the real stuff, but it should help some.”

Mac sighed. “I can try.”

Benji opened the can and started the pot to warm. Once it was in the pan, he walked over to the couch. “I should’ve checked on you sooner.”

Mac met his stare. “I thought you were avoiding me, too. And not for a good reason.”

“I wasn’t.” Benji clasped his fingers and looked down at his hands before finally lifting his stare. “I was too chicken shit to tell you that you weren’t wrong. About me. I am.”

“Interested?”

Benji nodded. “Very much so.”

Mac smiled slightly. “And now you tell me. When I’m teeming with bacteria.”

Benji grinned. “I can wait. As long as you promise me you will survive.”

“Man, I don’t know. I don’t recall ever feeling like this.”

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