by Geo Dell
“I thought you two were an item when I first met you. I figured out you weren't pretty quick. I shoved what I felt away, and that was fine until she came to me and said she was thinking along the same lines too. Exactly what I needed. Exactly what I wanted, but the fear settled back in too. Here I am again, responsible for someone I can't protect, and I don't have the...” He shrugged.
“Skill-set?” Billy offered.
“Skill-set,” Bear agreed. “I don't have the skill-set to deal with it as well as I would like.”
Billy laughed. “Not sarcastic or in your face, Bear, but none of us have it. I personally think you do have it, you just don't realize it. Good leaders do agonize over their decisions. I truly would not want to be you. But I'm not a leader, never intended to be one. Beth lead us across half the country, God's honest truth. I followed, and I still agonized the few times I had to make decisions. I think it's part and parcel. Part of the deal. And I think you handle it better than I have seen a lot of men and women handle it. I've been places in my old life. Seen things. Lost things, took things. It's tough to be the responsible guy. The one who has to say, Yeah, I did that. I decided that was what we would do. You do it better than anyone I've seen do it, and I wouldn't follow you if you could do it without moments of worry, concern, indecision.” Billy shrugged. “Trying to help, Bear. I don't know if I'm helping or hurting you.”
“You're making sense,” Bear said. “Truth can be painful sometimes, but it's better than lies.”
Billy nodded.
Bear looked up at the darkening skies. “Looks like cold food tonight. Too late for a fire.”
Billy nodded and followed Bear back into the garage area. They reinforced the doors and locked them down for the night. They would be back on the road tomorrow. Following what was left of the traffic packed and weed choked thruway for a few more miles before they broke away and began to head for the city once more. Bear was already using a small flashlight, going over the documents they had taken from Weston's office. He would be at it most of the night, Billy knew.
The Nation
The Power house
Bob picked up the phone from the desktop when it rang. “Power plant,” he said, and “Amy, how... Uh huh... Uh huh... Will do, Dear, will do,” he finished. He hung up the phone and turned to Mike grim faced. Then he grinned.
“Amy says, and I quote, 'The mothership has landed,'” he said.
Mike laughed and then stopped abruptly. “Oh my God, I have to get up there,” he said.
“Well, go, Son,” Bob said. “Go.”
“Yes, Dear,” Janna agreed. “And give her my love. Tell her I'll be up soon.”
~
Ronnie met him in the middle of the path that lead up to the cave and walked with him. It was late afternoon, and once again the sky was spitting snow.
“Nervous?” Ronnie asked.
“No, scared to death,” Mike said. His face did look a little pale, Ronnie thought.
“Take a couple of deep breaths. Amy says she just started and it's liable to be awhile, considering that it's twins, and considering this is her first,” Ronnie said.
Mike nodded as his long legs ate up ground. Ronnie hurried to catch up. When they stepped into the clinic Sandy and Susan were both waiting.
“They're getting her ready for the other room,” Sandy said. “Sit down and relax for a moment, she'll be ready and you can go in. Steve and Jessie are both with her, so don't worry, Honey.”
Mike thanked her and sat down, smiling sickly. A second later Tom walked in and sat down grinning.
“How's she doing,” Tom asked.
“They're getting her ready for the other room,” Mike said, repeating what Sandy had told him. Tom nodded as did Ronnie.
“What, you know what the other room is about?” Mike asked.
“Not a clue,” Ronnie said.
“Sure,” Tom answered. “The other room is where they had Lilly. It's just the room with the table and the stirrups,” he said.
“Oh,” Mike said. He winced.
“Easy, Buddy,” Ronnie said.
“Yeah,” Tom added. “Remember what I said? Once I was in there it was no big deal: I was so... So involved that I just stopped paying attention to all the stuff that had made me squeamish and I was fine.”
“Yeah,” Mike said. “I didn't remember you telling me that.”
“Yeah, but I did, and it will be okay,” Tom assured him.
Amy wandered over, her hands clutching the lower part of her stomach as though she truly were holding it up. She stopped and kissed Ronnie and then ruffled Mike's hair and kissed him too. “She's almost ready,” she told him. “A few more moments.”
Mike nodded, and then laughed a short uncertain bark. “The mothership. Bob said it and for a split second I didn't know what he was talking about at all. Then it hit me, Wow!”
“Yeah. Lilly was the mothership, now Candace... I guess I'll be the mothership soon. Then it will be Arlene's turn to be the mothership,” Amy said.
“Remember how I said,” Mike said to Ronnie, “that I never think about smoking anymore?” Mike asked.
“Yeah.” Ronnie asked.
“Well I could use one right now,” Mike said.
Susan came out with two cups of coffee, handed one to Mike and the other to Ronnie. She looked at Amy. “You can't have any, Honey. She turned to Tom. “I'll be right back,” she told him.
Amy sighed. “I can't sit here either, it's too uncomfortable. I've got to go lay down.” She started to bend, but all three men jumped up to help so she wouldn't have to. She kissed Ronnie, then Mike and Tom, and headed back to the ward in a slow shuffling gate.
Sandy came back in quickly. “Come on, come on,” She told Mike. She turned to Amy who was partway down the hallway. “You too, Amy. She wants you to be there. I have a chair in there for you.”
“Already?” Mike asked. His hand held the as yet untasted cup of coffee.
“Already,” Sandy agreed.
Mike looked back at Ronnie and Tom and they all laughed. He handed the cup of coffee to Tom.
“Well, get in there,” Ronnie told him.
He turned and followed Sandy back into the room.
~
Mike walked into the room and right to Candace. Amy walked down the other side of the bed and carefully sat in the chair Sandy had put there for her.
“Honey? Can you hear me, Honey?” Mike asked. He held Candace's hand. She squeezed so hard he had to fight an urge to pull free.
“Honey, hang in there,” Sandy said.
Steve popped his head out from under the blanket that covered the lower half of Candace's body. He folded the blanket back across her midsection.
“Water just broke,” he said to Jessie who was across the room. Jessie stopped what she was doing, came across the room, poked her own head under the blanket briefly and then came right back up.
“She's fully dilated too,” Jessie said. She noticed Mike and smiled. “Coach her breathing as the contractions come. She's about ten minutes apart right now, but they'll speed up soon.” She turned to Steve. “I'll take number one you take number two?” She asked.
Steve nodded.
Candace turned her head to Mike. “You okay, Baby,” she asked in a whisper.
Mike swallowed hard. “I'm okay, are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”
“It's not too bad,” Candace told him. She immediately groaned as another contraction started.
Candace tried to catch her breath, but it seemed almost impossible to get. The pain from the contraction was everything. Spreading out into her stomach, flowing up into her ribs, down into her thighs. It was everything, all she could think of. Compared to the pain, Jessie's voice was like a small voice calling from a mountain top. The wave of pain rolled on and the voice came nearer. She was able to focus.
“Stay with me, Honey. Now push... Push.” Jessie told her. And as much as she did not want to push, she did anyway. Steve Choi kept track of her blood pressur
e on her other arm, and even though she wasn't supposed to move that arm she couldn't help it as the fist curled into a ball and the arm rose from the pillow it had been propped on.
“Breathe, Honey,” Mike coached. “Breathe.”
“I love you,” Candace said as she turned and looked at Mike.
“I love you too,” Mike told her.
She turned to Amy. “Thank you, Aim. I love you too.”
“Amy squeezed her hand. “Always, Baby, always.” She told her.
“Oh,” Candace groaned as another contraction started.
“Go with it, Candace,” Jessie told her. Don't push, just ride it out.... That's it,” Jessie told her.
“Don't push,” Mike repeated. He patted her hand and swallowed hard.
“Breathe, Candace. Don't forget to breathe,” Jessie told her. “Nice deep breaths.”
“Breathe,” Mike repeated.
Candace breathed in deeply and then groaned again as another contraction started.
“It's okay,” Jessie told her. “Once again, ride it out, Honey. Don't push.”
Candace breathed deeply and felt the contraction begin to ease.
“Now, Candace, this next one might come quickly,” Jessie told her. “And this time I want you to push. We have one ready to greet the world.”
Sandy moved up next to Jessie with a stainless steel pan lined with a soft blanket.
“Oh my God,” Candace moaned, “Oh.”
“Push, Candace... Push.” Jessie said calmly.
“Push, Baby,” Mike repeated.
“Push, Baby,” Amy added as she held her hand tightly.
“That's it … That's it,” Jessie told her. “Push, Honey. Okay... Don't push. Ride it out. Sandy?”
Sandy dipped down with the pan. “Okay... Okay,” Jessie said. “Breathe Candace, Breathe. Deep breaths,” Jessie said as she moved backwards with a small baby in her hands. She put the baby into the pan as Mike watched in awe. Susan stepped in and clamped the umbilical cord, and a moment later Jessie clipped it. Susan whisked the baby away.
Steve was now positioned between Candice's legs. The first baby had been easy, the second was a little bigger.
“Okay,” Steve said. “Once more. Give me one good push, Candace,” he told her.
“Okay,” she answered between gasps for air.
“Deep breaths... Lots of oxygen, Candace.”
She breathed deeply as the contraction mounted. She pushed hard while breathing deeply again. “Here it comes,” she gasped. “Ohh!”
“Push... Push, push... Good... That's good. Okay, okay, breathe, Candace, breathe, Candace” Steve told her.
Candace gathered her strength and pushed once more and the baby slid out easily into Steve's hands as though it had never intended to be any trouble at all.
Steve had no sooner delivered the baby, than the first baby had let out a squall that made all the pent up breaths explode into joyous laughter. He held the baby a Susan clipped the umbilical cord and then cut it. As if on cue the little boy in Steve's hands let out his own cry as if answering his sister. Steve carried the baby to the table, where he suctioned his nose and mouth clear, then cleaned him up a little before he wrapped him up and then took the little boy to Candace. Candace was already staring in wonder at the little girl who wiggled and cooed in her arms: Her eyes wide and watching. She made room for the little boy as Steve lowered him into her arms.
“One of each,” Mike said from above her as she marveled at the two babies cooing softly to each other.
“You make it sound so easy,” Candace said as she looked up and caught his eyes. She smiled.
“Never,” Mike said quickly. “I meant, perfect. Like one for each of us to spoil,” he said quietly. His eyes were fixed on the babies, not her, but they shifted back to her when she spoke and she could see the tears perched on the lids.
“You're gonna cry,” Candace said as tears of her own rolled across her cheeks.
“I guess I am.” Mike agreed as the tears slipped over the edge and fell from his eyes. He smiled, laughed and then wiped at his eyes with a tissue that Steve Choi handed him.
“They'll all be close enough to play with each other, grow up together,” Amy said. “I...” Amy stopped in mid sentence. “Oh...” She looked at Candice and then Jessie. “I think I might... I might have,” she looked down at the floor, nothing, but she had felt a rush of warmth and the insides of her thighs felt wet. “I might... I need Ronnie, I think mine is coming. My water broke.”
The room turned into an instant hive of activity. Steve and Jessie steered Amy to another bed as Sandy ushered Mike out and Ronnie in. They passed each other in the doorway both grinning foolishly.
~
Mike stood with Tom and watched the sun poke over the mountains in the South. The air was cold. The kind of cold that seems to amplify every little sound. Looking down toward the three mills he could see that the stream was iced over except for a clear run of water that started about twenty feet before the water came into contact with the wheel.
“Been a long one,” Tom said. Lilly had just been out to nurse little Tom. She was now back in with Amy.
“Yeah,” Mike agreed. He was a little worried for Amy and Ronnie.
Just then Bobby Teals stuck her head out the door. “Jess said to tell you it's coming,” She said, and then ducked back inside.
'Well, hell. Let's get back inside,” Tom said.
“Yeah,” Mike agreed with a smile. “I better go tell Candace too.”
They stepped back inside just as Bobby was opening the door to the clinic area. The sound of a baby crying came to them as the door opened. They both turned to each other and smiled.
~
Mike sat next to Candace, holding her hands. The babies were sleeping in the nursery.
Bobby peeked into the room, and then opened the door wide. Steve and Craige came right behind her carrying patty in her bed. Sandy was right behind them with the baby wrapped in blankets. Ronnie and Shar came next, then Jessie and Lilly.
They carried the bed in next to Candace and then set it down carefully.
“Hey,” Candace said as her eyes met Amy's. They both teared up. “Wish I could have been in there with you. You spent so much time with me.”
“It's okay, Candace. I know you would've been. Lilly was aces.”
Candace reached across and squeezed Amy's hand.
“A little boy,” Amy said. “He's everything.”
TWELVE
December 8th
The Nation
“See, this whole area down here,” Josh asked. “It fronts the cave. Thin soil, the rock is right there. There is nothing above it. We wouldn't have to worry about icicles. You can see it swings out, the overhang I mean, about fifteen feet or so and shoots straight up more than sixty feet. If we came in just under that, so we're still back from the overhang itself, there would be no chance of ice damage, see?” Josh asked.
They were standing near the ledge of the second cave, where it dropped down into the third valley. Josh and Shar had built a barn in part of the space, and now Josh envisioned a greenhouse that could provide them with fresh vegetables year around, built under the long overhang that covered the ledge. Mike nodded, visualizing what Josh wanted to do in his head. “So, you will build from there, arch the wall out and then use the heavy plastic sheeting to build your wall,” Mike said.
“Exactly, right,” Josh agreed. “Then we have a year around green house, under the ledge so it's protected from falling ice, stone, whatever else might be there. We get some good soil in there, build it up a few feet deep. We'll have sunlight year around, the sunlight itself would probably heat it most of the time. You have sixty feet of rock wall above and behind it that will absorb that sun and release it all night long. We might have to expend a little heat a few times during the winter if we had really overcast days, or it was really cold.”
Mike nodded. “You could use those leftover aluminum support beams to build your front.
There are dozens of them leftover from the barn builds. That would be solid, and that would be putting them to good use too. They have a natural built in curve, there's your arch you need right there. But I would use the heavy clear plastic sheets. Then you will have a permanent structure.”
“Heavy plastic sheets?” Josh asked.
“Right. We bought back some on our first trip. We found about a hundred sheets of the stuff. Four feet wide, eight feet high. It's quarter inch thick stuff. You're not going to bend it in a foot or so length, but over eight feet it will bend to fit the slight arch of the beams. There is a seal that runs between each piece of it. The panels are clear, but ribbed, you really can't see through it, I mean colors, shadows, but it will allow sunlight and ultraviolet light rays through. We never used it. It's in the big storage room, at the very back. It will be tough to get out of there and up here, I bet, but it would be worth it. It would make a much nicer job. I think we had something like that in mind for it initially,” Mike finished.
Let's go look at it,” Josh said excitedly.
~
The mineral baths were empty, David saw. He wondered if he had been played for a fool. On the heels of that thought came another, maybe she just wants to talk: To say she wishes that nothing has ever started between them. And yet another thought after that one. What had started? Anything besides an innocent brush up against each other? An awkward moment that was able to pass in time, but apparently not in memory?
She must be hanging onto something, David thought. He looked around the empty room. Decided to leave just in case she really was coming, and got to his feet. What was he thinking of doing here? Cheating on Arlene? That was an action, not a flirtation. Even so, he actually found her attractive and hoped she was coming here to say yes. He sat back down instead of leaving.
The note she had sent was in his pocket and he pulled it out and read it for the hundredth time. The was no enlightening caused by this fresh reading. She simply asked him to meet her here after dinner. He had taken dinner in the main cave, she had seen him, and he had come from there to here. He had also bought a joint with him. He didn't know if she would even try it, but it would help him to calm down. Maybe he could convince her to try it.
