Koja looked at her. Studying her and gauging if he was causing her discomfort. If he was heâ€™d replay the scenario in his head to note what had been said and done and try to connect where in that scenario she had become uncomfortable and why. Just another sign of how you can take the man from the military but you can never take the military from the man. â€œThen I shall give you a ride.â€ He said with a warm smile. His smile was genuine and sincere. Oh he had other kinds of smiles too. Like the ones he would give the enemy when captured and undergoing torture. The kind he would give a man who was serving under him when he saw something that hit the man deep. He was a man of many layers but his main was was a good guy. He liked to help others. That had been a huge driving point behind his decision to join the Navy. To join the military in general.<br/><br/>So he had mentioned his being ex-Navy as a hopes of easing her troubles and nerves. Sometimes it did. Sometimes it didnâ€™t. Generally people seemed to be more at ease around the men who served their country than some random joe smo. Then there were others who didnâ€™t. There was all kinds of people in this world and the military was no exception. The Navy was no exception. You couldnâ€™t believe books and television everyone knew 95% of what was on the television was fictional or exaggerated upon to make the news sell. He knew this first hand.<br/><br/>He listened to her as she introduced herself. â€œLyra...â€ He smiled a bit. â€œIt is a very beautiful name. It fits you.â€ He said. He meant it as an innocent yet genuine comment and compliment. Not a come onto sort of thing. She took the bag from her shoulders and he took the bag from her. Throwing it over his shoulder like it weighed nothing more than a feather. Compared to a supplies and survivor pack with the added weight of carrying a fallen injured comrade on his back...this was just a feather. He looked at her as he studied her. Watching her curiously. She seemed so nervous. He hoped she would be okay. Then again who knew what sort of hell this disheaveled young woman had been through.<br/><br/>He was honestly a bit confused deep down when she let out a soft laugh. Though he smiled because even though it was small it had brought a bit of life to her features. He opened the passenger door then moved to her. He held out his hands. â€œI am going to put my hands on your waist. Then you hop up and use my shoulders to push down on to push yourself up. There is a handle you can grab onto. I wonâ€™t let you fall Lyra.â€ He said with a smile. He did as he said slowly so as to not scare her. He would stop if she started to show discomfort. Come up with a different approach to help her get up into the cab. He waited for her to do as he said. If she did he would help her push up by lifting her gently by the waist. He would stand behind her to catch her if she fell. If she did as he said he would then help her in the rest of the way. Shut the passenger door once she was completely inside.<br/><br/>Going around the front of the semi-truck and climbed back into his side. He saw her surprise at his concern. He honestly hadnâ€™t expected her to tell him. Seeing as she didnâ€™t even know him. To him he was just a stranger. Yet he learned overseas that sometimes all it took was asking. That it was all it took for the asked to know at the very least that they had a friendly ear to listen to. Sometimes they would talk right away and sometimes they needed to build up to it. He listened to her as she spoke. â€œAlright. Well you can sleep. I have a long over sized t-shirt that will fit you a lot like a dress. You can use it after you shower. That way you wonâ€™t get sick from being in wet, even just slightly, clothes. There is also a couch and a small bed in back. Its a bit small but fairly large compared to others. Still I think after a shower and dry clothes youâ€™ll feel refreshed enough to take a sleep. Do you need me to turn the heat on for you? I donâ€™t mind.â€ He said with a smile. Getting up and going between the seats. Rummaging around and pulled out a nightshirt. (see image below) He then grabbed a towel and put them in the bathroom on the shelf.<br/><br/>He came back out and looked at Lyra. â€œCome around the left side of your seat Lyra. I put the nightshirt and the towel in the bathroom with the shower. There isnâ€™t a toilet in there Iâ€™m afraid but if you need to go to the bathroom at any time just let me know. Iâ€™ll pull over at a rest stop or a place that has a bathroom.â€ He said. He sounded a bit like this was a first for him as well. It was. He had never had a guest in his semi-truck with him. He smiled and made the bed. Pulling the covers back by the corner. â€œThe bed is made once you are showered and changed. Iâ€™ll put the clothes under the floor heater. The ones just for the front. If you need AC or heat in the back just let me know. Get some rest Lyra.â€ He said with a smile.<br/><br/>Going back into his seat he began to start up the truck. He put her bag on the floorboard against the back of it under the dashboard. Turning the floor heater on so that her things would dry. Then he slowly started to drive again. Going slower than necessary to make sure she could safely get into the back. He was ready to get moving again. He looked out the front window and wondered what adventures were going to head his way. He wondered if she had a set destination or if she would be accompanying him for some time. So many unknowns. So many questions. He hadnâ€™t said anything but the only reasons a girl her age usually was out on the roads or trying to hitchhike was they were running away or they had nowhere to live anymore.<br/><br/>Running away seemed to be the more likely purely because so many teens nowadays were running away from home. There was a few reasons they ran away. One...they were tired of oppressive rules, or what they viewed that way, and didnâ€™t want to deal with it anymore. Two...they had been born into a dangerous living situation filled with abuse. Three...they had been treated like slaves and finally had had enough. Four...they were born into a family situation in which there was no love involved. No matter what the case he was taking it upon himself silently to protect her. To keep her safe at least until the time came for them to part ways. He would help her get up on her feet and then just keep tabs on her. Other than that he had no right to do anything with her life unless she wished it. For now he would need to protect and take care of her. Keep her safe from whatever it was that this young woman seemed so jittery due to.<br/><br/>Assuming she had actually allowed him to do all this to help her, seeing as she had said help was appreciated, he began his trek down the road. â€œWe are heading around the entire country. I hope that isnâ€™t an issue. I have to do a few deliveries and pickups. You are safe right now. Donâ€™t worry about anything. If you get hungry or thirsty just let me know. Weâ€™ll stop someplace and get you food and drink.â€ He said with a smile. He then began to sing again. (see youtube) He loved to sing and hoped that maybe it would ease her troubles and her sorrows. Soothe her soul a bit. Even if he felt he wasnâ€™t that great of a singer...maybe it would help this young woman. It had helped youths and children over seas so maybe it would help her. There was always that possibility. He could hope at least.<br/><br/>He began to pick up speed slowly so he didn't get pulled over. He didn't need to bring her any distress right now. Lyra looked like she needed some major wind down and relax time. He hoped that he could give her that. She looked like she felt dead on her feet.<br/><br/><a class="postlink" href="http://i40.tinypic.com/33vog7p.jpg">[ img ]</a><br/><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GaJ3adMgsbY"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><embed height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/GaJ3adMgsbY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" wmode="transparent"/></object>