Tom swayed a little as he felt like something jolted in his brain. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder guiding him to sit on a log. "You okay, dude? Been drinking enough? Here.." He felt a cool metal canteen being pushed into his hands and automatically took a sip, letting the cool water run down his throat. Yeah, dehydrated, that must be it.
Except it felt like he had 5 years of memories suddenly crammed into his head. He didn't know it but the camp was rewarding him a bit. Going through high school on the baseball team and student council, being the popular kid that everyone seemed to get along with. Getting a scholarship to college for pre-med. His class schedule was too busy to join the baseball team, not that he thought he was a good enough player to make it, they had kept him around because he was fast. But he never missed one of his school's games. Now he was partnered up with one of the guys he liked to watch out on the field and found them getting along better than he thought they would. He knew most jocks were meatheads but Cam and Zack just seemed like nice guys.
Except there was another memory under there. One he could almost make out as the others shifted. A young woman named Theresa who had come here with her sister. A young woman that never felt at home in her own body, couldn't afford to go to college, and couldn't even think of affording the operation and medication she wanted. Who was depressed and brought out here by a sister who just wanted to give her a nice weekend to cheer her up.
He shook his head, burying those feelings as he took another sip of water. That discomfort was something foreign, Tom liked who he was. "Sorry, man, guess I was more focused on the campers than myself."
Zack clapped him on the shoulder again. "You're doing fine, we're making a good team. How about we switch up for the second half and I'll take up the back."
Tom wasn't an idiot, he knew Zack wanted him up front so he could keep an eye on him and he wouldn't be left behind if he passed out or something, but Tom smiled and nodded. He wasn't insulted by the request, he actually found it nice to have someone watching his back. Tom offered Zack his canteen back, which he took, but tapped the one at Tom's side. "And drink once in a while."
Tom took the lead on the hike and did a good job of it, pointing out various things as they walked along. He was always a fan of sharing knowledge, and the kids seemed to get into his little facts. Zach found himself smiling at the wolf's exuberance, and occasionally looking at his butt in those shorts, just wanting to touch that fuzzy tail. He wondered how it felt compared to Cameron's.
They reached the end of the hike and sent the boys on their way, both counselors taking a seat at a picnic table under the pavilion as they cooled down and waited on the next group. Zach thought it was a good thing Elliot wasn't here, he'd probably be whining and complaining instead Tom's eagerness and diligence were a nice alternative. Zach blinked. Who was Elliot? Wasn't that some bratty cat in the fourteen year old group?
"So." Zack began, looking at Tom. "Cam and I were going to hang out tonight and see if we could get that mouse Patrick to loosen up. You should join us. You and Cam would probably get along, too." Too, meaning Zack already liked the wolf.
Tom felt himself nodding eagerly. "Sure, sounds good." Was he really about to hang out with the two biggest hunks on his college's baseball team? Score. Hopefully he didn't embarrass himself.