Free Taking In Strays by Kracken

overlook the fact that I was a little bastard. Now, they’re not.”
    Dan studied him, made a note, and then pressed, “Did your relatives feel that way too?”
    “Dad burned those bridges a long time ago. Our family is from the backwoods of Arkansas. He moved away to dissociate himself from illiterate hillbillies. His words, not mine, though I have to admit that I’m not eager to call up second cousin Zeke and sleep on the cot in his hunting shack.”
    “You’re alone, then?” Dan sounded sympathetic as well as disappointed. Donny couldn’t blame him for wanting a quick resolution to the problem of what to do with Peter’s unsavory guest. “You don’t have any close friends?”
    “You and Peter live in a different world,” Donny replied bitterly. “The one that I lived in was all about position, power, money, and getting more of it. People there are disposable when they become inconvenient or aren’t useful any longer. I had one close friend from school. We always hung out together. Dad found out that his father had been part of a scandal involving some embezzled bank funds. He wasn’t prosecuted for it, but the suspicion was enough. Dad told me not to see my friend anymore and I didn’t.”
    “Did that upset you?”
    Donny thought about it. He supposed that he had missed his friend, at first, but he had quickly closed that hole in his life with willing sycophants. “I could see Dad’s point,” he replied at last.
    “Now you’re inconvenient to your father, I suppose,” Dan said sympathetically. “That must have been a shock. Has it made you think about how badly you treated other people, about how you treated your best friend?”
    Donny swallowed a bite of his sandwich and then sat back in his chair, eyes downcast as he thought about it. “If this is about protecting your brother, you don’t have to worry. Like I said earlier, he’s way too trusting and giving, but I’m not going to take advantage of that. I want work and a place to stay as quickly as I can get it.”
    “Then you have learned something?” Dan pressed with a lifted eyebrow. “Have you had an epiphany about how your life before this was destructive?”
    Donny grimaced and hugged himself hard. “I’m not saying that I’m turning into a boy scout, but getting screwed over myself did make me realize what a dick I am.”
    “Were?” Dan corrected hopefully.
    Donny glared at him. “What do you think?”
    “A work in progress?” Dan tried again.
    “Under heavy construction, maybe.”
    Dan made some notes and then admitted, “I needed to hear at least that much before I agreed to help you. While you aren’t as hardcore as most of the people that I try to help, your attitude can make it just as difficult. You’re not trying to kick a habit or correct violent behavior; you’re trying to improve yourself and the way that you view both your own life and the lives of others.”
    Donny didn’t want to admit that he had almost felt suicidal, but it was there and plain enough for anyone to see. He was pretty sure that Dan could see it, and if he didn’t, Donny was sure that Peter had probably informed him that he was on the edge. It made him think about his connection to these people and how both Peter and Dan were making him feel, if not worth it, at least not so alone that things couldn’t change for the better. Having hit rock bottom, mentally and physically, the only way to go was up.
    Donny picked at the table self consciously, realizing how much he owed these people. “Thanks.”
    Inadequate in the extreme, but Dan seemed pleased. “You’re welcome.”
    Dan shuffled papers and clicked his pen. “Okay, then, let’s get some forms filled out so that you can get into the program.”
    It was a long process and it wasn’t much help to Donny’s self esteem to talk about food stamps, Medicaid, housing, and job assistance. It also didn’t help him feel better when Dan outlined a therapy schedule to deal with the issues