It got cold lately, but Karen didn't care about the coldness. She grew up in a small village in Vermont and nature and wind didn't bother her. She planed on doing a hike at the weekend and she wanted Matt, Foggy and Marci to join her. Even if they were absolutely not with her and wanted to stay in their warm flats in Hell's Kitchen, Karen could convince them to drive with her to Vermont to a forest where she used to hike with her family. She didn't really have the best memories of her childhood and she didn't want to meet her father now. So she didn't tell Matt that he was living very close to their hiking path, because otherwise he would have insisted on meeting him. She rented two rooms in a motel and a car for them to drive to Vermont. The drive would take them around six hours, so Karen convinced her friends to leave New York very early in the morning. She slept at Matt's place to help him packing and leaving with him. At 3a.m. Matt's talking alarm clock waked them up and Karen jumped out of the bed happily. While she was very exited and looking forward to their trip, Matt wasn't in a good hiking mood at all. Moreover, he never were anywhere else than in New York and he didn't feel the need to change this.
“Matt, get up!“, Karen called him. She was already changing and getting her stuff together while Matt stayed in his bed. He pushed the pillow on his head, hoping that Karen would just let him sleep. He wasn't really that kind of person that needed very much sleep. He didn't really care about night and day time at all, but he had a few rough days at work and now all he wanted was to sleep. But of course, Karen wouldn't let him sleep peacefully.
“Matthew Michael Murdock, I won't ask you again to get up!“, she took the pillow from Matt and pulled the blanket from his body. Matt just mumbled something Karen couldn't understand, but she was sure it wasn't anything too friendly.
“I'm gonna make breakfast, you go change and brush teeth. Go on, we'll leave in less than thirty minutes!“
Matt got up muttering and started changing. Karen had chosen his outfit for the day. It were black sweatpants, a red T-shirt and a black sweat jacket. Of course Matt couldn't know the colours, but he was still happy with Karen's choice, because he didn't really feel like a suit for hiking and other than suits and sweatpants he didn't own any pants.
Karen was making sandwiches for all her friends as Matt walked slowly out of the bedroom. She couldn't help but laugh because of his look.
“How can you be so tired now, if you are daredevil-ing other nights?“
“It's because I like daredevil-ing“, Matt muttered.
Karen just fell in more laugher and finished preparing the snacks for her friends, while Matt went to the bathroom and got ready. Karen left a few minutes later with two luggages, a bag pack full of food and drinks and a very tired and muttering Matt. He refused to put on shoes and a jacket, but Karen forced him to do so. But she couldn't force him to put on the sunglasses, because he insisted on having a nap in the car. So she ended up carrying two luggages, a backpag full of food and drinks, a pair of sunglasses, a cane and the hand of a very tired and rebellious Matt. She didn't even know herself how she handled all of this. But they arrived at Foggy's place in time.
Foggy and Marci were standing in front of the entrance but they didn't look better than Matt. Also both of them were wearing sweatpants and carried each one bag. Marci placed her head on Foggy's shoulder and had her eyes closed. Karen stopped the car next to them and opened the door with a friendly smile.
“Hello guys!“
Foggy muttered and pushed Marci to a door. He placed himself on the co-driver's seat and put the bags in the trunk. Marci sat down next to a sleeping Matt and placed her head on his shoulder. Matt woke up but just let her lay there and fell asleep the next second.
“You're so boring and not-adventurous!“, Karen said as she drove off.
Foggy took out his cell and opened Google earth. He wouldn't get to sleep any minute because Karen wasn't the best driver but she insisted on driving herself. Probably she would become tired herself after a while and Foggy would have to drive the last miles.
More than two hours Matt and Marci just slept on the back seat and Karen drove with Foggy's lead. But then Matt woke up and woke up Marci with him.
“What time is it?“, he asked.
Foggy turned around to him: „It's turning six in a few minutes. Do you guys want to have breakfast? I could need a snack myself!“
The friends nodded in agreement and Karen stopped at the next bus station.
It was still dark outside but they didn't care. Except from them were only a couple of people at the station and no one seemed to care about them. So Karen took the bag with the food out of the trunk and handed it Foggy.
“You can choose first because of your excellent help, thanks by the way.“
Foggy smiled and took out a cheese sandwhich and a bottle of apple juice. Karen took one sandwhich for her and one for Matt, than she handed Marci the last.
“Cheese sandwhich at six a.m. at a bus station. Why didn't you want to go for wellness vacation again?“ Marci asked in played disbelief.
“Guys it's where I grew up. You only know New York, I know the nature and I will show you the nature. You will love Vermont!“
“That's not true“, Foggy said: “My family used to go camping when I was a kid. I know that I won't love Vermont!“
“That's weird“, Marci began: “I used to think that Matt was our giant baby and not Foggy.“
“That's not fair, Matt is at least toddler-stadium!“, Karen complained grinning.
Matt muttered silently: “I'm not a baby.“
“No, you're not. You're only half asleep and spreading your entire meal all over the seats.“
Matt felt for the seat and picked up many little pieces of bread that he spreaded around him.
“How long will the ride take?“, he asked then.
“About four hours, big boy“, Foggy answered while chewing.
“I need to go to the toilet“, Marci suddenly said.
“Me too“, Matt said and the both of them got out of the car.
Foggy turned to Karen and looked at her. She told him with her eyes that she wanted him to follow. Karen was always a little concerned about Matt, even if she knew, that he was capable of almost everything and more and even if Marci or someone else than Foggy or her would be with him. Only Foggy and her knew about Matt's real capabilities and only the two of them knew what exact kind of help Matt needed and wanted. Foggy nodded softly and raised his voice to his friend: “Wait buddy, I need to go, too.“
Foggy jumped out of the car and headed to Matt to offer him his elbow. Matt took it and the three of them finally left for the restroom.
The restrooms weren't free, so that had to pay first. Then Marci went into the ladies restroom and Foggy leaded Matt to the gents. A young man, tall and heavy with messy hair and worn-out clothes was in there too. As Foggy and Matt went in he stared at them first and then started laughing. “Gay guys pee in the ladies room“, he said pejoratively and blocked the way. Matt's grip around Foggy's elbow got a little tighter and Foggy knew Matt was even more nervous than him. The guy didn't seem sober and wasn't joking. He was obviously homophobic and aggressive and wouldn't let them go.
“He's blind, we're not gay“, Foggy tried to calm the situation, but the guy only seemed more upset.
“You're telling me that you're not gay, but you're holding hands“, he said in a aggressive way.
“I'm blind“, Matt told him again: “he helped me to get in here“
“You're not blind, you idiot! You don't have the glasses or this stick all blind people have!“
“We left it in the car. And this are stereotypes by the way“, Foggy said confidently. Foggy never really cared about bullies and he slowly began to understand that this dude was not the smartest.
“Youre telling me something about stereotypes? What do you want, fatty?“
“I want you to let us through, please“
“I'm not-“
“Foggy?“, Marci's voice interrupted the man: “Are you guys ready to go yet?“
“Who's this?“, the man asked.
“This is my girlfriend. As I said, we're not a couple.“ Foggy indicated at Matt and him: „Will you now let us through, please?“
And then Foggy just pushed the guy away and pulled Matt with him. The man just stayed there and stared at Marci in disbelief as if he couldn't believe that Foggy got this hot girl.
A few minutes later the friends arrived at the car again. Karen turned to Foggy and asked: “What did you do? Build the restroom?“
„Nah, we just had an uncomfortable meeting with this stupid homophobic guy“, Matt explained. Karen only shook her head. During her time with Matt and Foggy she learned that her two best friends we're often mistaken as a couple, because Matt often hold Foggy's elbow or they just kept the distance between them very close.
“Can we start? I don't want to arrive at dawn.“ Marci suddenly changed the topic: “Not that I'm very exited to hike in Vermont.“
Karen giggled and drove off.
The ride turned out being very rough for all of them. While Karen and Foggy were trying to find the right way, Marci was muttering from the back seat because she wanted them to turn on the radio, while Matt was telling them not to do this. He said that Marci had a bad taste of music and that he would get a headache from any more noise in the small car. All in all, Matt was very restless during the ride. He was complaining about everything. First it was too hot, then too cold. Then he had no space because of Marci next to him. Suddenly he wanted them all to be quiet but then he was bored because no one was talking anymore. After a while Marci was really upset because of Matt's behaviour and started to complain about everything, too. The mood was bad between the friends and even Foggy started to be annoyed by his best friend. He didn't accept the fact that Matt has never been in a car for so long and that he was very exhausted as an apology. Matt was actually behaving like a little kid. Only Karen didn't seem to be very upset, she focused on the streets and ignored Matt's complaints mostly.
“When?“, Matt asked for the 100th time.
Foggy answered him with an annoyed voice: “About two hours, just like five minutes ago“
Matt whimpered and started to fiddle with his zip again. Marci watched him with anger as she suddenly grabbed his hands tightly.
“Stop it, Matt. You're not a baby. Just behave like an adult!“
“That's unfair! I got nothing to do! You guys can watch the hills or whatever is out there but for me it's just loud blackness in here!“
Foggy turned to Matt and watched him. He really seemed restless and upsetted himself. Foggy didn't really think about what this long ride would do to Matt and he was sure, Karen didn't either.
“What about a stop?“, he suggested. Karen and Marci looked at him in anger as Marci raised her voice: “I can't take this anymore! I want to get to Karen's forest and not be with him in the car anymore!“
Foggy tried to soothe Marci and convince Karen to stop as soon as possible: “I think we all need a little walk and some fresh air. We will only need ten minutes and then we keep driving. But I promise it'll be a lot more comfy then!“
Karen stopped a few minutes later at a gas station and Matt jumped out of the car immediately. He walked up and down next to the car and jumped a few times as well. The friends just watched him while he was doing this theater.
“I go get us some drinks“, Foggy said then and pulled Matt with him as he walked off.
In the building Foggy hold Matt close to him, because he was so hyper and would have ran into anything otherwise.
“You wanna water? Or juice?“, Foggy asked his best friend.
“Coffee please. Or Coke.“
“Forget it. I won't give you coffin! The girls would kill me!“
Matt sighed and took a bottle from the refrigerated shelf: „I take this. What's this by the way?“
“Cocoa. You want cocoa?“
“Well, yes. Don't drink kids this on road trips?“
Foggy sighed, took a couple of bottles and walked to the counter as he answered: “Man, I don't know. I've never been on a real road trip. But you're right, kids drink it, so it's perfect for you!“
Marci welcomed Foggy with a thankful grin as he handed her a green tea. Karen received orange juice and Foggy drank coffee himself. Foggy was carrying the bottles and didn't hold Matt's arm, so the second was walking slower as he tried to open his bottle. It wasn't just a normal bottle cap, it was one made for smaller children to drink easily, but it was also made to freak blind people out. Foggy leaned against the car next to Karen and Marci and watched his friend. Matt stood on the middle of the parking spot and was trying to open his cocoa. It looked pretty hilarious and after a while the friends started to laugh loudly. Matt immediately stopped trying to open the bottle and just walked back to the car and sat down. Foggy, Karen and Marci were still laughing and couldn't stop. Karen went to Matt's door and opened it, she gave him a little kiss before she started to laugh again. Even Matt had to laugh now and his anger disappeared. Then Karen finally opened the bottle for Matt and sat down beside him.
“Foggy can you drive please? I will take care of our giant baby now.“
Two hours later they finally arrived at the motel. The last two hours had been easier than before, but after a while Karen had no more ideas how to entertain Matt and he was bored again, what meant he was ruining the mood of all his friends again. As they finally arrived at the motel, Karen was so happy. She hadn't been here for quite a while and suddenly she realized how much she missed the nature. The friends checked in and brought their bags inside of their room. The room was filled with old, but beautiful furniture and pictures of the environment. Matt layed down on the bed and smelled the fresh air coming through the opened door as Karen took out her hiking clothes and changed. She left a minute later and walked to the room next to hers. Foggy and Marci were also laying on the bed, but they didn't seem to be willing to get up any time soon.
“Hey guys, we wanted to hike!“, Karen said: “Get up, we'll leave in five minutes!“
“Karen“, Foggy begged: “please give us some peace and silence! We got up in the middle of the nights just to listen to Matt crying about everything!“
Karen rolled her eyes but made a sound that meant agreement. She went back to her own room where Matt was already waiting for her. Like a puppy he sat on the bed and was excited as she entered the room.
“Are they coming? Where are we going? When will we-“
“Matt! They're not coming. They want some rest. And I think you should take a nap yourself as well.“
“Karen, I don't need-“
“Yes, you do!“
Karen sat next to Matt and and made him lay down. It only took him a minute to fell asleep. Karen couldn't sleep. As they drove through the streets she recognized many things from her childhood. They even drove past her elementary school and her kindergarten friend's house. Her friends knew that she used to hike here with her family, but they didn't know that this was in fact her hometown. Matt and Foggy knew as well, that Karen didn't have a good relationship with her father and that her mother and brother were dead, so they probably wouldn't force her to visit her dad, but she didn't want to take any risk. She was thinking about everything that has happened in the last years. Not only her friendship with these guys and her relationship with Matt, but also about her move to New York. Karen didn't want to go at first, her father made her leave. And when she was down and wanted to come back, he told her not to do this. She remembered which good relationship they used to have before her mother's death. They spend so much time together and her father was always happy and funny. But then he changed. And probably Karen did as well.
About an hour later Karen heard a soft knock on her door. Foggy and Marci were standing there with sportswear and each a bag. Karen turned around and saw Matt still sleeping, so she left quietly.
“Didn't you want to hike?“, Foggy asked a little confused.
“Quiet! He's sleeping and I think it won't hurt to let him sleep.“, Karen said grinning: “But there's a diner down the street. Maybe we could get some food?“
Marci nodded intensely and was so happy to finally get something to eat. It was past noon and except from the sandwich at six a.m. she didn't have any meal. So the three of them left and walked to the diner. It wasn't the diner of Karen's family but it still reminded her on it. The friends ordered their meals and coffee. The food wasn't very good, but it wasn't New York here. The people didn't have this high expectations out here.
As Matt woke up nobody was around. He was still very sleepy and it took him a second to notice. Also he couldn't hear Foggy or Marci in the room next to his, so Matt got up and left the room. He was using his glasses and cane now, but he still looked very disoriented. The car was still there but his friends weren't around. Literally no one was around, not even the landlord or the woman who had given them the keys. Matt didn't know where his friends were gone and actually he was to scared to find out himself. He didn't know the place and couldn't read any signs, so he just sat down on a bench next to the door in front of the building. When his friends would return they would find him here.
Matt sat there for more than an hour and started to be really upset. What did his friends think? Leaving him completely alone without any message? He was getting nervous suddenly as he heard Foggy's unmistakable laugh a few feet away from him. Karen was telling a fun story from her childhood and Foggy couldn't stop laughing. They didn't notice Matt until they were directly in front of him. He was sitting there with his head on his knees and his arms around them. He looked like a small child that was thrown out by his parents.
“Matty“, Foggy said: “What are you doing out here?“
Matt just muttered silently.
Foggy and Karen looked at each other as Marci suddenly made a step forward and sat down next to Matt. She put her arm around him and spoke very friendly: “We were hungry and got us some food. We brought you a bagel and some coffee.“
Foggy was confused as he saw Marci being so friendly to Matt. Usually she was not the kindest person and she used to be very evil to Matt sometimes, but now she seemed to be the most sensitive kind of person.
“You left me alone and didn't leave a message!“, Matt muttered. He was really behaving like a kid today. Karen started to realize that this weekend would be one of the weirdest she'd ever had. But she also started to realize that it was actually very stupid to leave her blind boyfriend alone in an area he didn't know. So she sat down on his other side and touched his face softly.
“You're right. It was really stupid to leave you alone. I'm sorry.“
“Hey guys? What's wrong with you? Why are you so kind? Marci, it's Matt Murdock, remember? You used to be unfriendly once!“
“Hey Foggy, you could apologize, too. We were such assholes to let him alone.“
Foggy muttered: “Well... I'm sorry, buddy!“
Matt raised his head and smiled at his friends, then he spoke: “Well, we came here to hike, right? Let's do this!“
The friends started their hike more than three hours later as planned, but it was still early enough to return before the night started. It was actually very cold and all of them were wearing winter coats, but Marci was still freezing from the very first moment.
“As a child I used to go to Mexico or California for vacation. I never been hiking or at least in the forest at all.“, she told her friends. She also seemed to be exhausted very fast, just as Foggy did. Both of them were already gasping for air after the first little hill.
“Hey Karen, how long is the way?“, Foggy asked with too little air.
She smiled at him and answered: “only about 10 miles from here on I guess“
Foggy stopped and looked at his friend in disbelief: “you're kidding, right? 10 miles? What am I, an athlete?“
Matt giggled because he wasn't even a little bit exhausted from the walk and he wasn't feeling like he would be later. Marci, who was breathing heavily on her own, hold Foggy's hand and tried to take him with her, but Foggy refused to keep walking.
“C'mon Foggybear“, Marci said, but Foggy didn't respond.
“Foggy just keep walking, it gets easier after a while“, Karen tried to convince him to move again.
“Ugh...Karen! Why did you force us to come here? None of us likes hiking and everything has been a disaster so far! Don't you think we should just drive home again?“
Matt raised his eyebrows. He knew this was not something Karen wanted to hear. She had been so excited for this trip and Matt wouldn't allow anything or anyone, let alone Foggy, to ruin this trip for Karen.
“Come on Foggy, tell me what surrounds us? Are there any christmas-trees?“, Matt asked then. He really hoped that Foggy's need of being a good friend to Matt would distract him from his exhaustion. And it actually did. Foggy walked to Matt and pushed Karen, who was holding his hand, sofly away, then he grabbed Matt's arm and started describing the environment while walking. Karen giggled silently and walked to Marci, who was just shaking her head in disbelief.
“They are such babies!“, Karen whispered to Marci, well knowing that Matt would probably hear it.
The friends kept walking and they even had fun, just like Karen told them before. There was no wind even if it was cold and they didn't meet a lot of people. Foggy was constantly talking but mostly about his childhood and not about the environment. Matt didn't care at all, he had his own picture of his surroundings and everything Foggy told him he would either already know or would be absolutely senseless to tell a blind man. Meanwhile Karen was holding Matt's hand again and Foggy was holding Marci's hand.
After a while it started to get gloomy but none of them actually realized until they arrived at another diner. They decided to eat something and so they walked in. There were only a couple of people sitting around and music was playing in the background. The friends sat down on a table as a young woman came and handed them the menus. She hold one to Matt, who wasn't wearing his glasses anymore, and was kinda embarrassed as she noticed way too late that he was blind. She apologized politely and walked away very fastly. As she was out of sight, the friends giggled.
“How couldn't she notice?“, Marci asked then.
Matt shook his head: “Not her fault, I'm not wearing the glasses and I left the cane at the motel.“
Marci made a hesitant sound and raised her voice then: “Hey Matt, why aren't you wearing the glasses? I have actually never seen you without before today and I used to think you get nervous without in public.“
Matt nodded and started to explain: “That's true. I don't like being with people without them, but it's not because I get nervous. Most people get nervous and distracted, so I wear them. But this morning I was sleeping when you arrived and when I woke up, you didn't seem to be uncomfortable with me not wearing them. I know that Foggy and Karen don't care as well and because I'm slightly annoyed by them, I decided to let them off this weekend. Well, I didn't all the time, but it's just a matter of habit.“
Marci accepted this explanation and the friends changed the topic.
When they finished their meal, the four of them left the diner again and kept walking. An hour later they arrived at the motel. Even though it was already very late and they were supposed to be tired by this time, the friends didn't really wanted to go to bed already. It was way too cold to stay outside and so they settled in Karen's and Matt's room.
They sat down on the bed and talked a little until even Foggy didn't know what to tell anymore. They spent the entire day together and told each other everything someone could tell his friends. Suddenly Foggy got up and walked to the TV across from the bed. He grabbed the remote control and handed it Matt.
“Let's play a little game, guys!“, he said and Matt started to grin. He knew exactly what Foggy wanted to do. Marci and Karen just looked at each other questioning, but then Foggy told them to close their eyes and so they did. Foggy sat down again and closed his eyes, then suddenly noise came from the TV.
„Foggy what exactly are we doing?“, Marci asked a little annoyed.
“We play a game. It has no name but Matt and I used to play it in college.“
“That's not a description of what we do now“
“Matty will pick a channel now and then he will tell us what he 'sees'. Let's see if we can guess what he picked! Who guesses right wins“
“Foggy, that's kinda dumb“
“No, it's fun. Believe me“, Matt said before he changed the channel. Loud screams sounded through the room and the girls startled. Both Matt and Foggy laughed at their sudden move and shocked breath.
“You guys are killing me“, Karen said with a sigh.
“Someone, or better: several people, are scared“, Matt said: “They run away from something or someone. I would say it's only women, probably under thirty years. They stopped now. They think they're safe, but they aren't. The music is dramatic and their come loud noise. It's water. Wait, are we listening to Titanic?“
Foggy opened his eyes: “you got it, buddy“
Karen and Marci did as well open their eyes, then Marci said: “Well, how can we be sure, that Matt just didn't know something he didn't tell us? He's used to listen to details, but we're not.“
“Marci“, Foggy said: “you don't get it. Matt doesn't lie, he catholic.“
“That's no insurance for him not to lie.“
Karen laughed: “Oh jeez it is not! But in this case I trust him!“
They kept playing and also Marci and Karen won twice. Foggy made it to four and Matt to six. As they were through all free channels, Foggy and Marci left and went to their own room. Karen and Matt got ready for bed and laid down then. As they snuggled up, Matt was holding Karen close to him and he whispered: „It was a pretty fun day. I didn't expected it to be that nice. You know I've never been on a vacation, but I could get used to it. At least as long as you come with me.“
And with this words the devil and the blonde beauty fell to sleep.