After another twenty minutes through the same city, Van arrived at the doorstep of an old-time friend, well, his father's former employee if they were being honest. The man, named Carl Sabastine, had always had grey hair since childhood, and his age was nearly twice Van's. He was just as surprised to see Van as Van was delighted to see him.
"What are you doing here?" Carl asked as he came down the porch and opened his arms to embrace Van, something Van had missed about this very cheerful soul. "I was not expecting you in a million years!" he added, wrapping his hands around Van and patting him on the back like a little child.
"I am okay, Carl. What about you?" Van asked in return, a smile, a genuine smile, spreading across his face. If there was anything Van would never regret doing, it was saving Carl from his father. Just like Anderson, Carl would have been killed by Dustin, but Van had intervened early enough.
