Quaranteam Mikes Hurdles Ch 07

I appreciate the patience you all have shown regarding the slow release schedule for Mike's Hurdles. Mike takes a certain mindset to write properly and with some of the family stuff I have had going on, it has taken a while to get this chapter just right. I do want to thank the whole writing room for the Quaranteam universe along with Corrupting Power for letting us play in this world of his.

Chapter 7

Team Hutchinson

-Mike Hutchinson: 18 year old high school graduate. He is a natural goalkeeper for both his high school and the men's Moscow United team.

-Cindy Lee Jones: 18 years old, Mike's high school crush and star striker on any soccer (football) team she was on. Her non school team was the women's Moscow United. She is biracial with her dad being of Caucasian descent and her mom being Taiwanese.

-Tina Johnson: 22 year old recent graduate from the Air Force Academy in Colorado. The pandemic threw her into the deep end and gave her the opportunity to be partnered to Mike.

-Emma Anderson: 18 years old, played for Boise Timbers for many years and often found herself defending against Cindy's attempts to get past her towards the goal. Her dad is well off due all of his business connections in Idaho especially around the mining operations.

-Sandy Ryan: 26 year old survivor from Deer Park, Washington. She is currently studying to be a nurse due to her experiences after an abusive ex broke her arm. She also worked in retail to help pay for school and has done some side work making content for Onlyfans.

-Brittany Gilbreth: 18 year old teammate and one of Cindy's best friends. She was also at the soccer tournament and got a second round of the vaccine at a later date. She had a crush on Mike as well but didn't want to step on her best friend's toes.

-Madison Vaughn: 21 year old from the University of Idaho. She was picked up by Cindy, Brittany and Sandy when they went to recover some items from Mike and their houses down in Moscow, Idaho. She doesn't know what happened to the rest of her sorority sisters but is happy to find a great group of women and Mike.

July 31, 2020

Mike stared up into the evening sky, focusing on his breathing as he struggled to keep another panic attack from coming on. His dad's words echoed in his head - that guys needed to be strong and not cry, especially if someone is depending on them. The last several days just felt like too much to handle. Seven adults all crammed into a house that had been designed with three bedrooms to accommodate two adults and a few kids, was not ideal. They were all making it work, but it was a lot and didn't give Mike any time to breathe, much less deal with his emotions. He was lying on top of the gazebo in Miller Park. It had been a bit of a scramble to get up there, but he was happy that his coach had made him do all the pull-ups to help with his goalkeeping. The shingles of the roof didn't feel great, but it did help distract him.

"How am I not surprised to find you lying on a rooftop to collect your thoughts. Can I join you?" Jen called out as she hoisted herself on to the roof as well.

He didn't need to say anything as she lay down next to him. She was going to join him no matter what he said, and in that moment, it probably was good to have someone there from before the world completely collapsed.

"So do you just want to sit or do you want to talk about anything?" Jen inquired in the most sisterly way possible.

A sharp exhale escaped Mike's nose before he decided to respond.

"I don't know," He finally said, "I really don't know. Does anyone else know I'm here?"

"I know better than to tell anyone where you would be hiding, but it would probably be good to let at least one of your partners know your coping strategy. But that's up to you to tell them unless you, of course, are missing for hours on end. For now, you have only been missing for an hour. Before I climbed up I texted them and Nathan, who they called to ask about you, to let them know that you were safe." she reassured him, "Now what don't you know about. What is causing you to run away and hide?"

Tears started to well up at the corner of his eyes as he didn't want to think about why he was lying on a roof without telling anyone. Thoughts that he was useless and he wasn't doing enough kept creeping into his mind. Mike wished, as he had done since he had found out about his dad's passing, that he could ask him for advice on how to man up to support the women who relied on him.

Jen reached out and touched his arm, helping him come back to reality. "I don't know exactly what's going on in that head of yours, but I can probably guess that it's trying to process everything that's been happening. I know that I've been working through my own grief with the loss of Dan. It helps to talk to someone." Her voice was reassuring, even if the words didn't quite register with Mike.

He didn't feel like he could talk about it, and guys weren't supposed to discuss their feelings. They were supposed to deal with it and move forward, at least, that is what he had been told most of his life. A realization that he had tensed his jaw and was grinding his teeth hit Mike. He relaxed and let out a sigh.

Feeling Jen's hand move from his arm, Mike turned to look at her to see that she was staring up into the sky herself. Before he could say anything, she spoke up again, "If I can be that person, then I'm happy to help you. I also don't want you to feel pressured to talk to me. I think you should at least talk to Nathan about his experiences getting help."

"Wait, why would Nathan need help? He's probably one of the most capable guys that I've ever met." Mike asked, very confused.

A slight snort escaped from Jen's mouth. "Well, he is, and I don't just say that because I'm partnered with him. I think part of the reason that he's capable is because he realizes he can't do everything on his own.Rachel makes sure that the house is running smoothly, especially with his responsibilities for going out to check on local communities impacted by the virus, as well as the education he's providing for some of the younger enlisted members of the base, trying to get them up to snuff to help him out in the field."

Actually, Mike realized that Nathan had helped him just by being there a couple of times. But he didn't want to unload all of his problems onto him, though, especially with all of the other things he was juggling. As Mike started to process what Jen was saying, his chest felt like there was a heavy weight set on it. The realization that she was probably right set in, like she usually was when they were growing up.

"Okay, I'll consider it, but no promises." He finally blurted out after thinking about it for a bit.

"That's all I was asking for. I'm sure if you try talking, it will help, but only when you're ready." Jen replied, "Now I don't know about you, but these shingles feel terrible, so I'm going to get off of this thing."

Mike watched out of the corner of his eye as she sat up and scooted to the edge of the gazebo before jumping off. Not knowing exactly how long he had been up there, but knowing it was long enough that the girls had sent Jen to find him, he figured he should probably follow suit. A grunt escaped his lips, as his body wanted to just stay there forever. With a grunt he sat up and clambered off the roof. Jen stood there waiting for him, she tried to mask a faint look of concern.

When he stood up straight from landing on the ground, Jen instantly wrapped her arms around him, giving him a much-needed hug. Mike told himself not to cry as he needed to be strong when he got back to the house. He didn't return the hug as there was still the feeling of self-doubt. Jen released the hug and gave him a warm smile.

"Let's get back to the houses before Tina and Nathan have the whole base looking for us'" She joked.

Mike cracked a smile, thinking about having all the personnel diverted to look for them. "Ya, that sounds good. Plus, I'm starving."

A hearty snort came out of Jen before she retorted, "You're always starving!"

The duo wandered back towards their residences. Neither was in a rush; just enjoying each other's company as this was the first time that they'd been alone with each other since finding out they'd both survived. It did feel nice being with someone from his past that he wasn't in a romantic relationship with. He didn't need to worry about how he would take care of her feelings, they could just vibe.

At Mike's home, Jen gave him another hug, which Mike returned this time, after which she continued to walk to her residence just down the road. He started to walk up the driveway, pausing at the door, his hand hovered over the door handle. He debated with himself about how he should explain his absence for however long it had been, and also whether he was ready to deal with the current chaos of their living situation. Finally, just accepting that he would figure it out as the challenges arose, he opened the door.

While the house wasn't any less cluttered than it had been when he'd slipped out earlier, the energy was noticeably different. He barely took two steps into the front entry, when Cindy almost tackled him back out of the door again. Mike managed to brace himself and get the front door closed before he and Cindy were unceremoniously slammed against it as both Brittany and Emma embraced them. They had obviously worried about him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow letting them down. He was unable to place where this feeling was coming from.

August 1, 2020

Peace. That brief moment between waking up and opening his eyes. It was one of the few moments in the day that Mike didn't have a constant nagging worry in the back of his mind, or the butterflies that seemed to always be fluttering around in his gut. It was also the only moment he felt alone. Growing up, Mike was an only child and had plenty of time to himself, but in the last two weeks, he almost always had one of the girls around him at all times. This was a blessing and a curse as he tried to grow accustomed to it.

He couldn't linger too long in that moment of tranquility however, he knew that if he didn't make himself busy he would be eaten alive by his thoughts and worries. A groan escaped his lips as he arched his back, starting to stretch, his eyes still closed. There was a brief moment of panic as he realised that he was actually alone in the bed. He'd become so used to the women arguing and fighting over who would be in bed with him, since the full sized bed could barely fit three of them, although somehow they often would squeeze four. Then, as some of his partners got up, others would often rotate in for cuddles or to get some morning sex.

When he took a deep breath, he finally opened his eyes, mentally preparing himself to face the day. Not that he had much actual responsibility. The only thing he had was whatever mediation he got pulled into between the girls. Usually, these disputes were about who was sitting where, someone putting on someone else's clothing, or who's turn it was to clean the kitchen or put laundry away. It wasn't difficult, but it was exhausting.

Mike pulled himself out of bed, making sure to step over the randomly strewn clothing. One of Tina's pet peeves was that everyone left their clothes everywhere, but with so many people and limited storage and laundry space, it made it hard to constantly keep the floors clear of discarded items. They were already doing laundry every day. He saw a pair of basketball shorts he was pretty sure were clean, but in all honesty, he had no clue as to whether they actually were, but that didn't stop him from pulling them on. He then grabbed a t-shirt that was once white and is now a very light pink from being washed with the girls' clothing.

Once fully clothed, he made his way to the master bathroom. His hand hovered inches away from the doorknob as he steeled himself to deal with the amount of stuff that usually filled the bathroom. He had brought up trying to free up counter space, but the conversation devolved into each of the women stating why they needed their particular makeup, haircare, or soap products being easily accessible. Actually, that quarrel was the reason why he had just walked out of the house the night before.

As soon as his hand started to turn the handle, Sandy's voice yelled out, "Occupied."

Instantly, Mike let go and decided to try the other bathroom. This was the other issue from living with six women. The bathrooms seemed to always be in use. He didn't really feel like stepping outside to take a piss behind the house, or at least being scolded for doing that. Luckily, he didn't have to as when he reached the other bathroom, Madison stepped out.

A smile broke across her face when she almost ran into Mike. "Good Morning Cutie," she stated before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, "When you get a chance, can you help move some of the boxes from the living room to the bedroom we are using for storage?"

"Morning. And of course, let me just use the restroom and grab breakfast, then I can move the stuff back," Mike replied, sliding past her into the bathroom and closing the door. He couldn't believe how quickly his dad's house had been packed up. The same group had also been to Madison's sorority and packed up a bunch of the stuff there including most of her belongings to be shipped along with his own. A majority of these boxes and pieces of furniture had been moved into the on-base elementary school, which had been converted into temporary storage. This was until construction of the base housing to accommodate the large families and teams could be completed. Of course, not everything could be stored at the elementary school, and people were encouraged to accommodate as much as they could at home.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts after the door closed. While the secondary bathroom didn't have as much shit as the main bathroom, counter space was still a precious commodity. Mike wondered how the girls figured out who stored who's products where. But that wasn't currently his problem as it seemed to be working out with the girls, or at least they weren't letting him see that issue. He just had a toothbrush tucked into the counter for each bathroom to fit his needs.

While he finished taking care of business, he mindlessly scrolled through the same TikTok videos as there wasn't really any new content being put out. He headed to the front room and paused as he heard the telltale signs that people were sitting in spots that others wanted.

"Cindy, you said yesterday I could sit there today! So give it up." Bethany complained

"I said that you could sit here if you were quick enough and you weren't," retorted Cindy.

Mike hoped that they wouldn't ask for him to step in when he rounded the corner. It just seemed like every spat that the girls had with each other, he would be pulled into the middle of it. The very thought was exhausting as he didn't want to take sides; he just wanted them to get along, which for the most part, they seemed to. A majority of the arguments, like the one he listened to, were due to a lack of space.

Finally mustering the courage to step into whatever chaos he was listening to, Mike came around the corner into the living room. He stopped in his tracks once he saw Bethany on top of Cindy, trying to pull her out of the spot on the couch that she'd occupied. Cindy had her hands firmly pushing into the other woman's chest. Emma was just watching this unfold from the recliner that had become Mike's normal spot.

He rolled his eyes as he navigated his way around the seating area and past the piles of boxes that had accumulated. It felt like walking through a labyrinth to avoid accidentally tipping a stack over or getting in someone's way. Luckily, Sandy had done a decent job of getting her stuff into one of the spare bedrooms and was going through it to see what she could get rid of.

"Why don't you two just share the couch, and I can sit at the table," Mike said, not wanting to listen to his two partners argue and wrestle as he was sure they were trying to figure out how to sit next to him.

"No, we can make it work," Bethany quickly spoke up. Her head snapped to look at Mike.

"Ya, no need for you to sit at the table, plus it's kind of full," Cindy managed to mutter through Bethany's palm pushing her face.

Another heavy sigh escaped Mike as he looked at the table to see it utterly covered in dishes and cooking utensils. He could even see a handwritten note from Tina, that asked, "Can you all review these and figure out what we have duplicates of so we can donate the rest, thanks!" Looking at the piles, it appeared she had started to go through what had been pulled out of the boxes.

Several of the items had random sticky notes on them asking questions or comments that he assumed were from Tina. His eyes fell to a ceramic oversized coffee mug with a very roughly painted forest scene. The mug was obviously painted by a young kid as memories flooded back of him and his step-mom going to one of those painting ceramic places to make it for Father's day. He had completely forgotten about it as he never saw his dad use it, but his dad must have kept it in his office or something.

The sense of shock must have been super obvious as the girls stopped fighting and had gotten up to give him a hug. He guessed they had asked him if he was okay, but he hadn't heard them. It wasn't the first time he'd zoned out while seeing something of his dad's. Mike was doing his best to suppress the flood of emotions he felt when he saw those gifts or things his dad had collected and kept.

He knew deep down that the girls were doing their best to be there for him, but he would rather be there for them in this rough time as they were dealing with more unknowns than he was. At least, that is what he was mentally telling himself. He wanted a mission so he could distract himself from his feelings, however that task was more often than not playing referee to whatever space dispute people were having.

Once he was able to overcome his initial shock, Mike feigned a half grin and was able to wiggle his way free of the group hug. "I'm good, I just forgot that a bunch of my dad's and stepmom's stuff had arrived."

Stepping into the kitchen, there was no shortage of different coffee mugs to choose from. Mike's hand started to just reach for his dad's old mug, but he stopped and then grabbed a plain blue one. There was a second where he thought he might have accidentally knocked over a pile of dishes as they shifted from his touch, but luckily, nothing actually fell.

The coffee, even warmed up in the microwave, tasted amazing and felt just like what he needed to power through the day. Looking at the table again, he was filled with a sense of dread as there was no room on it to set down his coffee. Instead, he opted to lean against the wall between the dining area and the living room. Emma had returned to the recliner, and Cindy and Bethany now both sat on the couch with their legs up. On the coffee table, Mike noticed another Tina note on a large piece of paper, which of course, was on top of a pile of books. The only title that Mike thought that he had heard of before was "The Wraith's Lexicon," but he couldn't quite place where he had heard of it.

"What's this?" He asked as he reached for and grabbed the piece of paper.

Emma looked up from her phone, "Oh, I don't know. I think Tina left it."

The front door swung closed as Madison came in carrying yet another box. "Oh, I think that's a chore list." She gleefully stated before stacking the box on top of a teetering pile.

"Why are you bringing another box in?" Bethany inquired, sounding very annoyed.

"Cause I don't know what was packed into what box by the movers, and I want my tablet. It was so annoying trying to direct them over the phone as to what to pack." Madison snapped back.