frustration
If being in rehabilitation for a traumatic brain injury was frustrating enough, life outside in the world was even worse. People were less patient, especially with his aphasia. He had been practicing his morning coffee order the whole walk to the cafe, mumbling to himself, probably looking like some sort of crazed vagrant. And now, in front of the big blackboard in a coffee shop, the barista staring at him, he was having some difficulties. And he couldnāt point to what he wanted on the board, because he didnāt recognize some of the words.
He had forgotten the word for black, the only way he took his coffee.
Someone behind him sighed. He tried not to get angry, but then the barista asked him if she could serve someone else while he was still deciding. But he knew what he wanted! He just needed to get his words out or get creative in his expression.
He growled to himself, standing aside. Serves him right for trying to function like a normal human-fucking-being.
Always the quiet observer, Jude watched the exchange in the coffee shop with growing sympathy welling up inside of his chest. He had no way of knowing what was going on with the older looking man, and though he'd been pretty content trying to decipher the different scents inside of the coffee shop, he found himself stepping up when he saw the man step aside. It was him who would have been next in line, except, "It's not really my turn yet, is it?"
It came out as more of a question than anything else, he was a lost wolf on his own and that sort of life made someone either really strong or really meek. He struggled between the two for a moment, then stood up a little taller and stepped to the side, placing himself behind the other man again as if instead of moving out of the way, he had simply moved the placement of the line.
"I think you were in the middle of ordering your coffee, um, Sir." Even with the little pause, this was the strongest statement he'd made so far in this interaction. Though he hadn't been paying much attention to the specific words going on in front of him before this, he felt the need to try and help a little more. "He was just asking how you like it; cream and sugar, fancy flavor, or black?"
