A Wise Guy, Eh?

“Have you talked to Jack?” I asked Cara. Jack was Katie’s husband.  Someone once joked Jack volunteered as a sniper on weekends.  Nobody laughed.  Jack did something for a government contractor. He didn’t like to talk about it. 

“No,” Cara said, “but I talked to his son. He said Jack is holding up well, but his father gave him a half bottle of whiskey and a couple of prescription bottles to hold.”

Jack had never had a problem with alcohol and other drugs.  I guessed he’d had the bottle for a long time, taking a drink on special occasions.  The pills were likely for his bad back.

“He’s not in recovery,” Cara said. “Why would he do that?”

“Katie got addicted after her accident.  She was in a lot of pain.  Jack’s not likely to show it, but he’s gotta be hurting, and doesn’t want to go down that same road.”

Cara laughed. I could almost hear her eyes rolling. “Jack’s the toughest guy ever. He’s not going to get addicted.”  For someone in recovery, Cara could be clueless about addiction.

I said, “Jack is tough, and he knows about addiction. He’s also wise. He’s putting that knowledge to good use, not taking chances.”

Today I’ll try to be wise and tough.

Dogged Determination ©2018 by Ken Montrose

Dogged Determination is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/