by KC Luck
Meg raised her head and looked hard into Grace's eyes.
“I have one question for you before I go,” she said. “And I need you to answer honestly. Will you do that for me at least?”
Grace nodded, her heart thudding in her chest.
“Grace,” Meg continued. “If things were reversed and I was the one badly injured and in need of a transfusion, would you have given me the same chance at life?” Grace felt tears burn her eyes. Of course, I would've, she thought and wanted to grab Meg to tell her. Yet, she hesitated. She did not know how to answer. If she said yes, then Meg would
not leave and get on with her life. Grace knew she would never be a good partner for a free spirit like Meg. Not now.
Taking a deep breath, Grace forced her face to show no emotion. “I would've assigned one of the soldiers from my squad,” she said. “You would have been fine without my help.” At her answer, Meg stood up and without another word walked out of the room.
GOING DOWN THE HALL to check on Grace, Anna saw Meg leaning against the wall just outside her patient’s door. Her face was in her hands and Anna could see her shaking. Is she crying? Anna wondered, feeling alarmed. Has something happened with Grace? She quickened her pace. Hearing her steps, Meg looked up and Anna saw by the light of her candle the woman's face was racked with grief. Anna felt a twist of worry in her stomach and moved quickly toward the door to Grace's room.
“Wait,” Meg said, holding out a hand toward Anna.
Anna slowed. “What’s wrong?” she asked pausing at the door.
Meg shook her head. “Grace is fine,” Meg replied. “It's just that...” Her words faded and Anna saw tears run down Meg’s face. Anna was patient and waited for Meg to gather herself and continue. “It's just she doesn't really want company right now,” Meg finally said.
Anna was thoughtful for a moment. “Did she asked you to step out?” Anna asked quietly. Meg nodded and Anna could not help but tell from the woman's stance she was devastated by the request. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Anna asked moving closer to Meg so they would not be overheard.
Meg hitched out a breath. “She hasn't come right out and said it,” Meg said. “But I know Grace wants me to leave on
my ship and never look back only because she thinks she'll be a burden.”
Anna tilted her head. “And what do you think?” she asked.
Meg ran her hands over her face and after a moment, let out a little sob.
“It's complicated,” she said. “But even though we've only known each other a short time and it's been confusing between us ...” She paused, swallowing hard. “Well, I think I love her.”
Anna nodded feeling sad for Grace and Meg. “But you haven't told her?” Anna said knowing the pain of a complicated relationship. She had plenty of experience of her own. The years before Anna came back to Astoria were difficult. Whenever she had thought of Lexi, her heart would break. But we found a way back to each other, she thought.
And maybe Grace and Meg will find a way to do the same.
Reaching out, she put a hand on Meg's arm. “I think the best thing for you to do right now, is to be patient. If you don't want to just sail away yet, then don't.” Reaching out, she squeezed Meg’s arm gently. “Now, what I would like you to do is what I asked you before. Go rest.”
Meg gave her a sheepish grin. “I know,” she said. “But I didn't want to leave Grace, so I came back. I hate the idea of her being alone.”
“I understand,” Anna said. “But you still need to rest. You donated a lot of blood today. I'll sit with Grace for a while if you promise to go lay down for a couple hours.”
Meg nodded. “Fair enough,” she said and with a sigh walked away toward the room Anna assigned her. Watching her go, Anna could not help but feel sad. It was clear Meg loved Grace very much, but that did not necessarily mean Grace would return it. Especially with her devastating injuries.
CHAPTER 34
am was sound asleep in a surprisingly comfortable bed Swhen she felt the faintest tug of her T-shirt sleeve.
Reaching out, she felt Laura up against her on the bed and she could tell the woman was still sleeping. So, who is touching me? she wondered. Opening her eyes, she looked into the grubby face of Henry. The little boy was clearly worried. Way too worried for an eight-year-old. “Is everything okay, Henry?” Sam asked. The little boy shrugged one shoulder but did not say a word. “Where's your sister?”
Henry waved his hand back in the direction of the hallway. “She's scared,” he finally said. “She's hiding under her bed.” Sam rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them and felt Laura stir beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Laura asked sitting up.
“I'm not sure yet,” Sam answered. Then, a thought occurred to her. “Henry, where is Billy?” It had turned out the Billy they were looking for was the man who pulled a shotgun on them yesterday. Sam and Laura discovered that evening he was, in fact, the great-grandson of Mary March.
The two children were his niece and nephew, from New York and staying with him while their parents were on a Caribbean cruise. As they sat talking after the children were put to bed, Sam gave the man a lot of praise for watching out for the children.
The man grunted. “I’m not that big of an asshole,” he said. “Not quite.”
“It has to be hard,” Laura added at the time. Billy laughed and there was no humor in it.
“It's not like I have much choice,” he said. “I made some bad decisions in the beginning. I figured we would hole up here and wait for the power to go back on. Then the shit started hitting the fan and people evacuated.” He spat onto the floor in disgust. “Probably should have gone then, but I really thought this thing would blow over. By the time I finally decided to go, the cars wouldn't start. Not that I know where we would have gone.” He paused again, looking off at nothing. Finally, he looked back at Sam and fixed her with a stare. “And as you can imagine these two can't walk very far.” His last sentence hung with Sam then and came to mind as she wondered where Billy was.
“Let's go downstairs,” Sam said as she pushed the covers back and reached for her jeans.
“He's not here,” Henry finally confessed. “We looked for him, but he left.”
“What do you mean Billy is not here?” Laura asked as she got out of bed.
Henry shrugged the one shoulder again, which Sam could not help but think was cute even under the circumstances, considering he was eight. “Pretty sure. I don't read so good,” Henry said. “But there is a note on the counter downstairs.” He glanced away, and it was clear to Sam he had something more on his mind.
“Henry,” Sam said. “What else do you need to tell me?”
Henry looked at the floor, but Sam waited. “Your name was on the outside of the note. I shouldn’t have read it,” he confessed.
Sam nodded. “I understand, Henry,” she said. “Next time, wake me up earlier, okay? And then I can read it first.”
“Henry,” Laura said sitting on the edge of the bed beside Sam. “Did the note say if Billy was coming back?”
“He's not,” Henry said in a voice Sam thought was far too mature for his years. She glanced at Laura and their eyes met. Sam knew if Billy left for good leaving behind the children, they really only had one choice. In Sam's heart,
she realized instead of being angry or frustrated she was relieved. If she was truly honest, she had to admit she was happy.
WITH THE SHOVEL IN her hand, Taylor walked across the back pasture behind Lexi's farmhouse. Will walked beside her. He was somber and quiet and Taylor did not have much to say herself. They had just completed grim work, even as much as she hated the man who they had just buried in the woods. Taylor was a firm believer in law and order. It had been ingrained in her in the military police, and although she saw some horrific things, she always wanted to err on the side of justice. And was this not justice? Taylor thought as she walked along. The man threatened the woman she loved months before, and
she knew things could have gone a lot worse when he attacked her last night. A ball of anxiety tightened her stomach as she imagined what would have happened if the women had been asleep or not reacted as a team so quickly. But they weren’t and they did, she thought.
So, take a deep breath, soldier. Jackie is safe.
As she approached the farmhouse, she reminded herself to be glad at least one problem in her life was resolved. The man who shot Grace and killed one of Astoria's residents was dead. If only everything else could be fixed so quickly, she thought. The flu was still spreading and was still cause for concern, even though it slowed down thanks to Anna's quick response and advice. The help of Grace's soldiers and Meg's crew were also a Godsend as they helped people with symptoms to the hospital. The real problem for Taylor though was Greg Orion. Even though she had been able to talk him down and avoid a riot, Taylor knew it would not last forever. Her bluff that more military was coming would only work for so long. No help was on the way and she knew it.
Once Greg figured it out, he would return to his idea of gathering a mob. I'll just have to talk to Jackie more about it.
No one knew how to control the man better than that woman. The fact he fired her was alarming, of course, but perhaps his temper had cooled, and she could find a way to get reinstated.
As she arrived at the farmhouse, Will gave her a pat on the arm as he peeled off to go back to his cabin. Taylor paused. “Thank you for your help,” Taylor said.
The man nodded. “What's done is done,” he said and walked away. Taylor had to agree. If nothing else, what's done was done. It was just a matter of checking on Lexi once more and then taking Jackie back to town to try to set things right.
HENRY WAS CORRECT. The letter was crystal clear as to Billy's intentions. The man apologized but explained he had places he wanted to be and had done enough taking care of his niece and nephew. He said he loved them, but after talking to Sam and Laura last night, and hearing about their good life in Astoria, he thought they would be best for the children. After reading the letter herself, Laura had never been angrier. Billy was a coward who did not care enough about the children to stick around. Yes, his so-called sacrifice was appreciated, and he did his best to keep them alive in a chaotic world but deserting them was unforgivable. The children had been through so much. They lost their parents as it seemed impossible they would ever be able to find their way back. They lost friends and anyone close to them, all except their uncle. And now he is gone, she thought.
Yet, a part of Laura was glad, too. The children were quiet and reserved, but sweet. They seemed intelligent and
willing to go along with whatever Sam and Laura wanted to do. “Would you like to go on a horse ride with Sam and me?” she had asked, and a bit of light shown in their eyes.
“Can I ride with you on the gray horsey?” Shauna asked biting her lip with worry-filled eyes.
Laura smiled. “Absolutely you can,” she answered. “It will be the girly horse. You, me, and Honey.”
“The horse’s name is Honey?” the little girl asked, her face showing so much excitement Laura’s heart ached.
“Yes indeed,” Laura answered. “And it's a perfect name for her because she's so sweet.”
Laura saw Henry stand up tall. “Then I can ride on the boy horse,” Henry said, with more interest than Laura saw in him since they met.
Sam chuckled. “Well,” she said. “Lester is a boy, but you do know that I'm a girl, right?”
Henry tilted his head. “Of course, I know,” he said. “But I don't know any girls named Sam.”
“It’s actually Samantha,” Sam explained. “But I like Sam better.”
Henry seemed satisfied with the answer and it was not long until they packed their few possessions in a couple of trash bags. After Sam looped them over the back of the horses, everyone saddled up, and the four of them headed out of town. They made quick time back the way they came, moving across the bridge, and down the streets without meeting anyone. Once they arrived at a crossroads though, Sam looked at Laura.
“We have two choices,” she said. “We can go back the way we came, which is actually safer all things considered, but will take longer.”
“Or?” Laura asked although willing to do whatever Sam thought was best for the four of them.
“Or we could take the highway and make a straight shot of it,” Sam replied. “We will have to press the horses, but I think we could be there in just three days.”
Laura nodded. She knew it would be hard riding, especially for the children, but she almost desperately wanted to be home. “I think we should at least try it,” she said. “If we go quickly, maybe we can avoid any trouble.”
With a smile, Sam turned Lester and together they started up the highway. They traveled less than a few miles when, in the distance, there was a rumble and Laura saw Sam pull Lester to a stop. Laura came up beside her and they both stared at a hill which was just up the highway. As Laura watched, an army Humvee came up over the rise. She stared with disbelief at the military markings, but more so at the red, white, and blue American flag flapping on a long pole over it. Slowly, she reached out to Sam. Clearly feeling the importance of the moment, Sam took Laura’s hand and held on tight. Behind the Humvee came a convoy of more military vehicles. A lot more vehicles.
“Should we wait or should we run?” Sam murmured over the rumble of the vehicles. Laura paused. There was no way to be sure what the men and women in the convoy intended, but in her heart, Laura thought just maybe this was the help they all were wishing would come.
CHAPTER 35
nna was exhausted. All she wanted was to be back Ahome and cuddled up beside Lexi. Unfortunately, her work continued to demand her attention as more new cases of people with the flu arrived just that afternoon. They were all dehydrated and weak, with horrible coughs and nausea.
Thankfully, though, only one case appeared to have slipped into pneumonia. So far, the old woman Edith was the only case, although Anna suspected Lexi was very close. Which is why I should be home, Anna thought with an ache of frustration. But I know Alice and the others will do anything I could. The flu was something which had to run its course, and they could only treat the symptoms.
It saddened Anna that this flu had turned out to be such a severe strain of the seasonal variety, but she knew under the old circumstances, it would not have affected so many.
Vaccine shots would have helped a great deal. Assuming I could convince people to let them be administered, she thought. Back before the solar storm when she had a regular practice, so many people refused to get the simple shot. She doubted, even with the world so upside down, if people would be more willing.
With a sigh, Anna got up from the folding chair where she was trying to get some rest knowing if she did not start walking around, she would fall asleep. Deciding to check on Grace, she hoped the woman was feeling more comfortable.
Even though Grace tried to convince Anna she did not need it, Anna gave her some of the precious pain medication left to let her get some sleep. Hopefully it did, but Anna wondered a little if it was Grace’s hip which was the primary
source of her suffering. After Anna found Meg upset in the hall, she had not seen her since. When Anna went by the room where Meg was supposed to be resting, the woman was gone. Has she given up? Anna had wondered. It made her heart a little sad, because Anna could tell by watching the two interact, there was something special between them. If only they can work it out. Anna sighed. But that is sometimes easier said than done.
As she entered the room, Grace turned to look at her.
There was a hopeful look in her eyes, but it quickly became a flicker of disappointment. There was no sign of Meg and Anna knew without a doubt it was the ship's captain Grace was hoping to see. Anna gave Grace a smile and moved closer to the bed taking the woman's hand. “How are you feeling?” she asked. Grace smiled weakly in return, clearly trying to look brave even through her discomfort.
“As well as co
uld be expected I suppose,” she answered.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Anna tilted her head. “Of course, you can,” she said.
“What do you want to know?”
Grace hesitated as if trying to decide the best way to word her question. “What do you think my life will be like in a world which is already so difficult if I can't walk?” she asked.
Anna paused as she considered what the woman asked.
She looked into Grace's eyes and saw many different emotions. No doubt some of them were slightly phased by the medication, but there was still plenty of clarity in them.
Finally, Anna squeezed Grace's hand.
“Grace, I won't lie. Your rehab will not be easy,” she said.
“But I know from the way Taylor interacts with you that you are a special person. I know by the way your soldiers look up to you that you are a strong and compassionate leader.
There are people who care for you and will help you. So, to answer your question, I would say your life will continue to be good.”
A single tear slipped from Grace's eye and she squeezed Anna's hand tighter.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Before Anna could respond, there was a knock at the door, and as Anna turned to look, it slowly opened. She could not be more surprised when Dr. Ambrose poked his head in. He was thinner and there were dark circles under his eyes, but the smile which spread across his face reassured her.
“Hello, Anna,” he said. “Mind if I come in?” Anna almost laughed she felt such relief at seeing the man she worked so closely with over the last few months. Every day, she sent someone to check on him at his house, but Anna didn’t realize he was so close to being ready to come back to the hospital. And it could not have come at a better time, she thought finally willing to admit to herself she could not go on alone much longer.
AS SAM SAT BESIDE LAURA at the small folding table drinking the most wonderful cup of coffee she probably ever had in her life, she was amazed at the energy of the man who sat across from her. Colonel Armstrong. As he spoke, his face was animated with contagious enthusiasm. The last few hours were a whirlwind for Sam and Laura, not to mention for the two children, Henry and Shauna. After much reassurance from Sam and Laura everything would be okay, a medic took the children to the medical tent for a quick look over. Shauna especially had been nervous, not wanting to leave Laura, but Laura knelt down and took the girl in her arms to reassure her. Colonel Armstrong patiently stayed off to the side, smiling.
