Tier Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Cindy Gunderson

  The hum of the motor changes. We are slowing down, and eventually pull to a complete stop. Through the wall, I can hear the sounds of other vehicles, but that noise makes it impossible for me to make out anything else. We just have to sit and wait.

  After a few long minutes, the truck pulls forward, and I can almost feel the tension evaporate.

  “Does this mean we’re safe?” Bentley asks quietly.

  “For the time being,” Eric answers. “We aren’t off the hook, yet. I’m not sure exactly where Val is taking us at this point.”

  “Hopefully to get food,” Tal groans.

  “Hopefully to get you medical care,” I add. “I didn’t realize you were hungry. Here,” I say, tossing them a few snacks from my pack, which they attack, obviously ravenous. I haven’t felt hungry all day, but it’s likely because my mind has been occupied and stressed. It’s settling to know that the boys aren’t overcome with all of that. Again, I am blown away by the resilience of children.

  When we come to a stop for the third time, my body tenses. I don’t anticipate ever feeling at ease while inside the Tier boundaries. It’s unlikely that Bentley or I would be recognized here—another reason why we felt it was safer to start in Tier 2—but Eric and Tal will need to lay low. Luckily, we don’t really look like Tier 1 material anymore.

  The latch turns and the doors open, but the light isn’t nearly as garish here between the buildings. The lane in front of us seems to be empty, and Val ushers us out the back, as quickly as we can move with Tal in tow. We enter a building through an unmarked back entrance, carrying Tal the way we did on the mountain. Though, this time, he whimpers in complaint. His medication must be wearing off.

  Our shoes click on the sterile white tile as we follow Val down a long hallway. Something about it reminds me of the facility we toured years ago in Tier 2, though it is much less grandiose and impressive. Is it the wall texture? I am not able to place it before I notice Val slowing to walk next to Eric. Without meaning to, I notice her graceful stride and the way her long hair swishes across her back. Swallowing, I look away.

  “Tal, we are in a Tier 2 medical facility. It’s after hours, but sometimes there are emergencies. A friend of mine should be waiting for us, so I’m going to go ahead and make sure that everything is clear.”

  Tal nods, his forehead slick with sweat. My body is beginning to ache, the stress of the day finally making itself known in my exhausted muscles. Reminding myself that it feels good to stretch myself out, I lean against the wall and rotate my ankles, stretching my calves. I smile when I see Bentley mimicking my actions across the hall.

  Before I can even finish stretching my other leg, Val reappears around the corner.

  “Come this way. Quickly,” she commands.

  She leads us down a second hall, and at the end of it, there appears to be a waiting area, though we don’t get that far. She escorts us into a room and swiftly closes the door behind us. Inside, there is an examination table with a very tall man standing at the head of it. His silver hair curls around a pair of spectacles. I catch myself staring and quickly look away, though the boys don’t quite have the social experience to recognize that they should do the same. I can’t blame them. They haven’t ever seen someone wearing glasses, and truly, I don’t remember the last time I witnessed it. They make him seem...old fashioned. And friendly. Though I have no reason to, I trust him inherently.

  “Tal, this is my friend Dr. Bradley. He’s going to take a look at your leg, okay?”

  She begins to walk toward Eric, but then stops, changing directions toward me. I assume that she is attempting to exit the room, but she pulls me aside before doing so.

  “Kate, I have a few messages to send. I can use the computer in Shawn—Dr. Bradley’s office. There’s a mobile food distribution down the hall to the left. If I give you my sensor, would you feel comfortable using the credits to get you and your family some dinner? I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get anything sooner.”

  I stare at her. “How—I mean, is it—what are credits?” I stammer.

  “I’ll explain it to her,” Eric assures her, appearing at my opposite shoulder. Val nods, placing her sensor in my hand and moving into the hall. Turning, I find Bentley settled in a chair and Tal being prepped for an x-ray. I meet Eric’s eyes.

  “You can do this,” he says.

  “I don’t look anything like Val,” I respond.

  “You don’t have to,” he assures me, “it’s not like Tier 1. All you need to do is walk up, scan your sensor on the display, tap the icons of the items you want, and then wait for the attendant to bring them to the counter.”

  “Won’t it looks suspicious if I am ordering an entire family meal on her account?”

  “People save up their credits and buy in large quantities all the time.”

  “At a medical facility?”

  He hesitates. “I honestly don’t have experience with that, but I’m sure it happens. Go for it, you’ll be great.”

  “I’m dirty, and—”

  “Someday, I’m going to show you how I looked every day after my assignment here,” he chuckles. “Just go.”

  Giving me a gentle push into the hall, he allows the door to slide closed behind me. Was it right or left? Since the waiting room is to the right, I choose left. Thankfully, the food distribution area appears before I can second guess myself. Adopting an aura of confidence, I approach the display, and lift the sensor.

  “What are you doing?” a voice calls, and I immediately freeze. Blood pounds in my ears so intensely that I can’t focus.

  “Can’t you see the sign?”

  Looking around for the source of the voice, I find the attendant on the other side of the room. He motions at the display and I follow his gaze, seeing the lettering for the first time.

  System down

  I sigh a breath of relief. “Is there another way for me to retrieve food with my credits? It’s been a long night.”

  He moves closer, giving me a quizzical look. “If the system’s down, I can’t retrieve the credits.”

  “I know, sorry. I understand,” I say, beginning to walk away.

  “What were you wanting?” he asks, moving behind the counter.

  “Just a couple of sandwiches and an apple.”

  He smiles. “Since the system’s down, it’s not going to register these being removed anyway. Here,” he says, handing them to me.

  Surprised, I thank him and walk quickly back to the room. I knock on the door, and Eric ushers me in, looking gratefully at the food.

  “He didn’t make me pay,” I say. “The system was down.”

  “Well there you go. No suspicious activity,” he teases, quickly unwrapping a sandwich and taking a bite. Now that Tal is being attended to and I am able to relax slightly, my stomach begins to grumble in complaint. Eric hands me his other half. Bentley quickly joins us.

  “What did I miss?”

  “Nothing yet. He took the x-rays, now he’s just analyzing the images as far as I can tell.”

  I nod, my mouth too full of food to say anything. Tal glances our direction and, picking up the other sandwich, I walk to him and sit in the chair closest to the table. He takes the food excitedly, one leg still stretched out in front of him, the other resting on a small platform at the base of the table.

  “How does it feel?” I ask after swallowing.

  “Pretty much the same.”

  “What does that mean.”

  He shrugs.

  At that moment, Dr. Bradley turns his display toward us. “Well, the good news is that you did a fantastic job resetting the bone,” he says, pointing at the break on the image. “It’s close enough that I think it’s going to heal nicely. The bad news is that we are going to have to cast it, Tal. Sorry. I know that’s going to be annoying considering...well, Val told me that things are a little up in the air right now…” he clears his throat, not quite knowing how to finish.

  “It’s alright,” Eric offers. “We’ll fin
d ways to keep him off his feet with plenty of rest.”

  Dr. Bradley nods. “I don’t think there are any complications at the moment, but keep an eye on it. I’ll treat the abrasions and give an osteoblast injection. I’m sure you know what to look for in the event that anything unexpected arises,” he says, directing his comments at me and Eric. Turning his attention to Tal, he says, “I’m just going to send these measurements to the printer for the cast and we should be able to get you out of here in no time. Hopefully much more comfortable. I’ll send you with more pain medication as well,” he offers and Tal nods gratefully. As Dr. Bradley moves to the supply cupboard, Tal watches carefully. He grimaces when he recognizes that an injection is being prepared.

  “Worth it, Tal,” I tease. “Your bone is going to heal exponentially faster with that treatment.”

  He nods, blanching a little. The door opens behind us and Val moves into the room. “Time to go,” she says hurriedly. “There’s an emergency coming in.”

  “It hasn’t quite finished printing yet,” Dr. Bradley informs her.

  “How much longer?”

  “About four minutes, I would guess?”

  “Too long,” Val says. “Let’s go. I’ll come back and retrieve the cast after you are all in the truck.”

  I nod, quickly tossing our food wrapping in the compost bin and assuming my position behind Eric to support Tal’s leg. Before we can lift him, Dr. Bradly squeezes between us and orders us to hold still. Before Tal can react, he inserts the needle. Thankfully, a low moan is all that escapes Tal’s lips as the plunger depresses.

  Quickly walking back the way we came, we exit out the rear of the building and pile into the truck bed. Val locks the door behind us, and again, we wait. Before my heart rate returns to normal, she is back—this time with Tal’s cast in her hands.

  “He thought you’d like black,” she says with a smile, carefully fitting the honeycomb pattern to Tal’s leg. “There may be a bit of pressure initially, but the internal compression will adjust to allow adequate circulation.” She gives Tal the opportunity to open and close the cast a few times, getting used to the bivalve mechanism. “I want you to understand how to remove this if necessary, but know that you really shouldn’t ever do it,” she cautions.

  Tal nods. “I understand.”

  “You’re quite the trooper,” she says, ruffling his hair. Bentley cringes, and we all laugh.

  “What?” Val asks, puzzled at the reaction.

  “Inside joke,” Tal sighs, checking out his new cast.

  Val shakes her head. “Glad we’re at least in good spirits,” she says, smiling. “Ready to hit the hay?”

  “We need to do work still?” Bentley asks worriedly.

  This time, Val laughs heartily. “No, sorry, it’s an expression,” she explains. “It means: are you ready for bed.”

  “Then yes,” Bentley answers. “I can’t wait to sleep not on the ground.”

  “My apartment isn’t anything special, but I think I’ve found enough blankets and cots to keep you out of the dirt, at least.”

  “Thanks, Val,” Eric says.

  “Of course,” she answers, slipping out the back and securing the door.

  As the truck roars to life, I lower myself between Bentley and Tal. “Last stop for the night,” I whisper. “You two have been incredible.” I pull their heads to my shoulders and kiss them each on the forehead.

  “Glad you didn’t leave us behind?” Bentley asks.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Eric teases.

  “We’re glad,” I say, wrapping my arms around their shoulders.

  Chapter 117

  Val’s place is more than special. Compared to our humble living space, it feels absolutely luxurious. I am reminded what we sacrificed to live our lives together, but in the same moment, I also have the perspective to see what we’ve gained. Not just an intact family, but the freedom of space. The physical space, but also the mental space. I have taken for granted the simplicity of our lives. Watching Val bounce from one task to the next gives me flashbacks to my prior schedule. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, but I think I prefer the flexibility we have now. And it isn’t because we somehow have less responsibility, rather the opposite. The weight of being the sole providers for our family weighs heavy on my shoulders, but it seems more focused. When all of my energy and attention can be directed toward a singular goal, rather than being split in a million directions, it seems more achievable. Everything I do feeds into that. Simple.

  Once the boys are settled in their cots, Eric, Val, and I congregate around her kitchen counter. She offers us tea, and we gladly accept.

  “What a day,” Eric comments. “We can’t thank you enough for rescuing us up there.”

  Val waves off the comment. “It worked out great.”

  “We definitely got lucky, not running into any roadblocks,” he says.

  “Luck had nothing to do with it,” Val jokes, raising one eyebrow.

  I laugh, amused. I think I really like Val, which also makes me slightly uncomfortable. But I think I’ll get used to it.

  “So, on to the important stuff,” Val continues. “What do you need to move on with this?”

  I look up, surprised. Eric must have filled her in on their walk.

  “I’ve been thinking about what is absolutely necessary, and there isn’t much we can do without. I think we’ll need access to a full lab setup. Berg isn’t going to accept shoddy research. We need actual trial data to present this,” Eric explains.

  Val nods. “I figured as much. I think I have an option, but I won’t know for sure until I hear back from one other person. Hopefully by the morning. I’m sorry we can’t make any solid plans quite yet.”

  “That’s fine,” I say. “I’m sure a little relaxation won’t hurt anyone. And I know we feel an incredible time crunch to get this done, but I’m trying to remind myself that Berg has no idea we are here. Their focus is elsewhere.”

  “Right,” Eric nods.

  “What about Nick’s death?” Val asks softly.

  “That...I am leaving up to Jessica. I don’t see how I can possibly contribute without being in Tier 1 and that is too risky. I’ve made it clear that she shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks either. I’m sure Berg is all over her, since she was so close to Nick and his research.”

  Val nods in agreement. “So, I will solidify access to the lab. My guess is that you’ll have to use it after hours...I assume you already knew that.”

  “That’s what I figured,” Eric nods. “I brought everything that we’ll need. Oh,” he suddenly sits back, “I need to air those plants out. Do you have a bowl or pot I could use?”

  Val turns to the pantry and pulls out a couple of large bowls. “They don’t have drainage, but I am happy for you to punch holes in the bottom if necessary. I can get new bowls.”

  “Thanks,” Eric says. “Actually, are there any smaller rocks outside in your landscaping?”

  Val’s eyes light up. “Great idea.” She exits through the back door with the bowls and returns a few moments later, the bottoms covered in a layer of rock.

  Eric returns to the kitchen with two wrapped packages and a bag of soil. “I can’t wait to see what exactly is living in these roots,” he comments, unwrapping the somewhat shriveled plants and delicately placing them in the bowls. Pouring the soil around the roots, he presses gently to keep them standing while Val pours a thin stream of water evenly around them.

  “I can’t believe you brought these,” she comments.

  “Hey, they worked in our initial trial. My hypothesis is that any plant should work similarly, but I couldn’t take the risk that there is something particular to these. This is kind of a one-shot deal,” he answers.

  “Oh, I think it was a good choice, I’m just saying...slightly crazy.”

  “Slightly crazy,” Eric laughs.

  My nose stings and I wiggle it, contorting my mouth slightly, to keep tears from coming to my eyes. I like
Val, and watching them work makes me incredibly grateful that Eric had her when we were apart. Guilt eats at me knowing that she is still alone. And that she didn’t want to be.

  “These should perk up in no time,” Eric says, leaning back to admire their handiwork.

  “The seeds are still okay?” I ask.

  “Yep, nice and dry. I’ll air those out tonight, too. I noticed a little bit of condensation on the inside of the bag when I checked them in the truck,” Eric says.

  “Well, I think I’m going to head to bed,” I say. “I’m exhausted. I don’t know how you two still have so much energy.”

  “Mine is quickly waning,” Val admits.

  “Thanks again for letting us stay with you,” I say. “Is there anything we can help you with while we’re here?”

  “I’ll let you know if I think of something. But honestly...after hearing everything you have been through, it’s the least I can do,” she says sincerely. “There are new towels in the bathroom. I’ll be getting up and leaving early, so it should be open for you. Laundry is in the back. I’m sorry if I wake you.”

  “No, we’ll be fine, thanks.”

  Leaving them at the counter, I walk down the hall to use the washroom. Realizing I’ve left my personal supplies in my pack, I wash my hands and face, and return to the living area. Planning to retrieve my toiletries, I find the makeshift bed next to the boys and can’t quite keep myself from trying it out. The blankets are pure bliss compared to the sheets we have been using, and the excitement I feel to wash our clothes and shower in the morning is laughable.

  Though I haven’t brushed my teeth, I can’t make myself get up to do it. Laying my head on the pillow, I close my eyes and—with the soft drone of voices in the background—succumb to sleep.

  Feeling more refreshed than I have in a week, I dry myself from my shower and put on my last, partially clean outfit. Laundry is next on my list. Walking out to the kitchen, still pressing my hair with the towel, I find Tal and Bentley already up.

  “How is the leg feeling today?” I ask.