by E A Chance
She gave him a quick kiss before saying, “Thanks, I needed to hear that, but I want it in writing for when everything goes horribly wrong.”
He rolled onto his stomach and punched his pillow into submission. “I’ll get on that first thing in the morning.”
“I’m holding you to that,” she said, then closed her eyes and let sleep come.
Riley enjoyed her first uninterrupted night in days and woke energetic and in a more positive frame of mind. Coop left to get an early start at the hospital while she took a few moments to collect her thoughts and nibble crackers to ward off morning sickness. It was a promising sign when she got to her feet without feeling nauseated. Her stomach continued to cooperate while she dressed and packed whatever she wouldn’t need for the next twenty-four hours.
She went downstairs and put the kettle on to heat before fixing her breakfast and packing a lunch. Dashay came in carrying her shoes and gave Riley a good looking over. “Now, that’s the Riley I remember. Glad to see you looking like your old self.”
Riley leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “It’s amazing what a good meal and sleep can do. I’m ready to brave the wild. How are you feeling today? Still determined to stay?”
Dashay dropped into a chair and slipped on her shoes. “No other choice. Nico and I will be fine.”
As Riley spread a heaping spoonful of peanut butter on a cracker, she said, “It’ll be hard to leave you. I was looking forward to us making this journey together, and aside from your friendship, I’ll miss your nursing skills. Coop may be a doctor, but he knows nothing about pregnant women.”
“Prenatal care isn’t exactly my area of expertise, but I am a woman. That counts for something. We’ll see each other down the road, my friend. You have my word.”
“I’m holding you to that,” Riley said, then popped the cracker in her mouth.
Dashay gave her a weak smile. “Come with me to see Nico. You need to say goodbye.”
“I feel guilty for abandoning both of you, but I’m relieved you have each other. Promise not to take any unnecessary risks.”
Dashay got up and laid her hand on Riley’s arm. “My plan is to work during the day and crash in Adrian’s room at night. The hospital will be the safest place during the battle, and I don’t want to be alone in this house. They can give it to someone who needs it.”
Riley wondered how the city leaders would react when then realized she and the others were gone. She hoped they wouldn’t take it out on Dashay and Nico, but there wasn’t anything she could do to prevent that.
Riley reached over to drop a fruit cup into her canvas lunch bag when someone pounded on the front door.
“Who in God’s name is that?” Dashay asked, as she walked to the living room.
Riley followed close behind, and whispered, “Check the peephole first.”
Dashay raised an eyebrow at her before stepping toward the door. “I’m not one of your kids.”
She peeked through the hole, then shrugged. “Looks like two harmless country boys.”
“Who is it?” Riley called.
“Dr. Poole live here?” one of them said.
Dashay pulled aside the curtain next to the door. “Who wants to know?”
After a moment’s silence, he said, “I’m Clive. This is Steve. Dr. Prichard asked us to deliver these boxes of food and supplies. You going to open the door? Cause if not, I’m happy to take this stuff home to my wife and kids.”
Dashay glanced at Riley, who gave a quick nod. She swung the door open and gestured for them to enter. “Come in, boys. Put the boxes in the kitchen.”
Riley followed them and opened the first box. It was filled with packages of pasta, jars of sauce, cans of vegetables, and vital medical supplies.
Turning to Dashay, she said, “Where are they getting all this stuff?”
Steve dropped a box on the floor, straightened, and then said, “These are from the doctor’s personal stash. Enjoy it. You won’t see more like this once it’s gone.”
He went out, leaving her and Dashay staring at each other.
“Guess we won’t need to go scavenging supplies tonight,” Riley said. “We’ll separate some out for you and Nico. If Brooks can hunt down a cart for Biscuit to pull, we’ll have room to carry the rest. Is Brooks still here?”
“No, he saddled Echo and took off at sunrise. He said not to expect him until after dark.”
Riley checked out the back window and saw Biscuit contentedly eating oats from a trough. “Adrian’s not with him?”
“No, he went to the university but said he’d make some excuse at lunchtime and come back for Biscuit. Leave him a note about the food so he knows they don’t need to keep scavenging.”
They made the trip to the hospital in record time and hurried to Nico’s room. Dr. Pritchard was standing over him reading through his chart, but he looked up when he heard them.
“I’m glad to see you here and looking so well after yesterday, Dr. Poole. I was afraid you’d contracted an infection of your own.”
“What she has isn’t contagious,” Nico said. “She’s pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” he said, looking like Nico had just told him she had The Plague.
Riley instinctively put her hands over her abdomen. “It wasn’t planned.” She cocked her head at Nico to change the subject. “Speaking of infections, how’s our patient?”
“Marginally better. It might take another day to see significant improvement.”
Dashay sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed and wrapped his hand in hers. “How’re you feeling, babe?”
“Less like I’m on my way out of this crazy world. Still weak, but my appetite is getting stronger.”
Riley smiled. “That’s an encouraging sign.”
Dr. Pritchard turned for the door, and said, “I’ll leave you in the capable hands of these ladies.”
“Before you go,” Riley said, “let me thank you for the boxes of food and supplies. That was very generous of you.”
Dr. Pritchard gave a small wave. “I’m sorry it wasn’t more. Just a little gift to get you settled and to say thanks. You and Dr. Cooper have been an enormous help already, and you, Ms. Robinson. You couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Riley felt another twinge of guilt. Dr. Pritchard had been so kind, and they were going to repay him by running off with his gift. Under different circumstances, Riley would have been willing to stay and serve in the hospital. She just hoped the day would come when she could pay that forward.
She shook his hand, and said, “We were honored to help.”
He gave her a look that made her feel like he’d read her thoughts, then he left without another word. Riley shut the door behind him and took the chair on the other side of Nico’s bed.
Riley glanced at Dashay, who nodded for her to go ahead. “This isn’t easy to say, but I have something to tell you.”
Nico held up his hand to stop her. “You’re leaving. I already know. Adrian came to see me.” He studied her for a moment before saying, “Get that look off your face, Riley. I understand and I don’t blame you. Hell, you saved my life, so no guilt.”
“We wouldn’t do this if there was any other way,” Riley said. “At least you’ll have Dashay.”
Nico’s eyebrows shot up as he turned to face Dashay. “What? You’re not going with them?”
Dashay kissed his cheek. “Of course not. I wouldn’t leave you.”
Nico slowly shook his head. “I was so relieved when Adrian told me you were all getting out of here. I thought he meant you, too, Dashay. No way I’m letting you stay because of me.”
Dashay dropped his hand and crossed her arms. “Letting me stay? That’s not your choice to make. Did you honestly think I’d abandon you in a city about to go to war? You’re my family. We stay together, no matter what happens.”
Nico pushed himself up higher in the bed. “I think of you as family, too, which is why I want you out of town before this damned war s
tarts. I couldn’t live with myself if you stayed because of me and got hurt or worse. I want you to go.”
Riley’s stood to leave. “I’ll let you talk about this in private.”
Nico pointed at her chair. “Stay where you are. This concerns you.” He took Dashay’s hand and gently stroked it with his thumb. “I’m in the safest place for the coming battle. Even Kearns’s troops will know better than to destroy the hospital. They’re taking care of me. Riley needs you more than I do. Who will help her with the baby coming? Coop? He’s too emotionally invested to be worth a damn.”
Riley raised her hand to stop him. “Don’t use me to guilt Dashay into going. I agree with what you’re saying, Nico, but Dashay needs to make this decision for herself and for the right reasons.”
Dashay glanced at Riley, then sniffed and wiped her cheek with her sleeve. “Don’t push me away, Nico. I can’t take it. I lost my parents. I lost Jerome. I’d rather die here with you than spend the rest of my life wondering what happened to you.”
“I refuse to die, woman, but it would kill me to watch you die. I’ve witnessed enough death to last ten lifetimes. I love you, Dashay, and will move heaven and earth to find you, but I want you gone.”
Dashay collapsed onto his chest and sobbed while Nico silently stroked the back of her head. Riley awkwardly shifted on her feet, averting her eyes from the intimate scene. Nico caught her eye and mouthed help. She walked to the other side of the bed and nudged Dashay off Nico.
When Dashay looked up at her with red, swollen eyes, Riley said, “You’re going to be late for work. Come after your shift and stay until it’s time to get back to the house and pack.” She took Dashay’s hand and encouraged her to stand, then drew a small package of Oreos from her pocket and tucked it under Nico’s blanket. “We’ll stash the rest of your things and more food in a safe place before we go. Dashay will let you know where. Get well and find us, little brother. We’ll be watching for you.”
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and guided a dazed Dashay out before she lost control of her own emotions. She found an empty room down the hall and locked the door. She pulled Dashay into her arms and cried with her.
Dashay finally pulled away and gave a weak smile. “Pull it together, girl. We can’t have both of us sniveling all day. I need you strong for me.”
“It’s the hormones,” Riley said, then blew her nose on a paper towel. “I’ll be fine as soon as I shift into doctor mode. So, are you coming with us?”
Dashay frowned as she handed Riley a box of tissues. “I don’t want to ignore Nico’s wishes, but how can I walk away from him?”
“You’ll do it because it’s what’s best, not easiest. I left my daughter, Dashay.”
Dashay dropped onto the bed and stared at her tattered shoes. “It was a miracle I found love again in this madness. Now, I’m forced to turn my back on it. You know the odds of Nico finding us aren’t in my favor.”
“Coop found me when we got separated. You found us. The odds in favor of those things happening were practically nonexistent.”
“We not so much found you as stumbled on you when we were about to rob you, but I get what you’re saying.”
Riley wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I know leaving Nico is torture, but you can do this. In a month when you’re reunited, the heartache will be forgotten. Now, get down to the ER. Working will take your mind off it. If you see Adrian, send him to me up in surgical.”
Dashay got up and hugged Riley before hurrying out the door. Riley watched her go, wishing they didn’t have to wait another twenty-four hours before getting out of Charleston. She took a breath and stepped into the hallway, ready to save as many lives as she could before stepping into the unknown of their next adventure.
Chapter Seven
Riley woke to the sound of an explosion rattling the walls. She sat up and shook her head to clear it. “What was that?”
Coop got up and went to the window as another blast shook the room. “It’s started. We’re not waiting for daylight. Get dressed while I tell the others we’re bugging out.”
Riley jumped up and reached for her jeans, but stopped when a surge of nausea roiled in her gut. She’d forgotten the crackers in her hurry to get ready. She pried the window open and leaned out, but forgot her morning sickness when she saw the sky lit by fires on the eastern border of the city. She groped for her clothes and dressed between bites of cracker, then shoved the rest of her belongings into her backpack. Coop rushed in as she finished, grabbing his bag before taking her hand.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, as they raced down the stairs.
She stopped on the bottom step and laid her hands on his shoulders. “I’m good, Coop, honestly. Just get all of us out of here in one piece.”
He pulled her close and gave her a hurried kiss. “That’s my Riley.”
Dashay and Adrian were waiting for them in the living room. Dashay squeezed Riley’s hand and did her best to look brave. She’d told Riley of her agonizing farewell with Nico the night before. Riley understood more than she knew.
Brooks was in the backyard, harnessing Biscuit to a rickety wooden cart he’d found behind an abandoned feed store.
“He probably needs your help, Coop,” Dashay said.
Coop gave a slight nod, then ran through the kitchen to the back door.
Riley picked up a small box and went after him. “Let’s carry out the rest of the stuff,” she called over the roar of bombs and gunfire.
The cart was strapped to Biscuit and loaded ten minutes later. Coop led Echo to the street, and an agitated Biscuit followed him with little encouragement. He seemed in as much of a hurry to escape the explosions as they were.
“We couldn’t have picked a better distraction,” Brooks said as they trudged down the vacant streets. “No one is going to notice us with that light show on the opposite border of the city.”
“But guards will be protecting the entrances to keep Kearns’ forces out,” Adrian said. “They might consider us deserters if they catch us trying to leave.”
Brooks clicked his tongue. “No need to worry. I found an exit no one will be guarding.”
He led them away from the river toward an industrial part of the city. They navigated deserted streets between abandoned warehouses until they reached an old set of train tracks.
Brooks pulled Echo to a stop and pointed. “I discovered these tracks yesterday. A local told me they don’t use this line anymore since there’s a newer one south of here. There’s a high trestle above a gorge that leads to those hills on the city’s western edge. The trouble will be to get the horses across it while pulling the cart.”
Another explosion boomed in the distance and Biscuit stamped his hooves. Echo whinnied and tossed his head. Coop tugged on the reins while Riley stroked his nose to calm him.
“No going back,” Coop said. “We need to cross that trestle and put Charleston behind us before daybreak.”
“Forward it is,” Brooks said, as he took Echo’s reins and coaxed him onto the tracks.
Echo balked at first, but got into a rhythm after a few steps and tentatively moved forward. Getting Biscuit and the cart over the rail was another matter. Whenever Biscuit stepped over the rail onto the ties, he’d veer off at the last second, nearly upending the cart.
After the fifth failed attempt, Riley said, “This is just making him more agitated. Dashay, catch up to Brooks and tell him to bring Echo back and harness the cart to him. Biscuit is more likely to cooperate without the cart rumbling behind him.”
Dashay ran to the tracks while Coop and Adrian freed Biscuit from his unwelcome burden. As soon as the straps were off, he gleefully pranced along the edge of the tracks.
Adrian ducked out of the way to avoid getting stepped on. “That horse will never survive the journey. Why didn’t we just hook the cart to Echo in the first place?”
“Echo isn’t as jittery as Biscuit, but he’s more impatient,” Riley said. “Biscuit is the work
horse, better at slow and steady, even if he’s flighty. He’s tougher than he looks.”
Adrian scratched his chin. “I’ll have to take your word.”
Brooks and Dashay came up with Echo and waited for instructions.
Coop stared at the tracks for a minute before saying, “If we can manage it, we should get the cart onto the tracks before we strap it to Echo. It’s going to take all of us except Riley. You hold the horses.”
Riley threw her shoulders back and took a step toward Coop. “I can tether the horses to that light pole and help with the cart. I’m not an invalid.”
“Listen to Coop,” Dashay said. “Don’t start taking unnecessary risks five minutes out of the gate. We have a long way to go.”
Riley frowned and crossed her arms, feeling if anyone took her side, it would be Dashay. Brooks held the reins out to her, trying to hide a smile. She snatched the reins from his hand and yanked on them to move the horses out of the way. As the others pushed and pulled to get the heavy cart onto the tracks, she leaned against the light pole, wondering if they’d been right to stop her.
The baby was the size of a peanut, and she’d had no complications with her other pregnancies. In fact, she’d hiked and run well into her fifth month with Jared and saw no reason for them to coddle her. They were going to need her strengths on this journey, but as she watched them heave and struggle, she admitted to herself that this wasn’t her previous pregnancies.
If she had complications in the middle of Nowhere, USA, there would be no 911 to call, no ER to drive to. At least she had her own personal doctor. That was something. The words Dashay had used, unnecessary risk, took on new meaning in their world. It was up to her to find the dividing line between what was necessary and what wasn’t.
She glanced up as the back wheels of the cart rolled onto the tracks with a final, massive shove. They all cheered with the sounds of war taking place not ten miles behind them. They pivoted the cart to face west. Miraculously, the wheels fit snuggly between the rails. Riley walked the horses back to the tracks and handed Echo’s reins to Coop. The horse stepped into place and waited patiently while Brooks harnessed him to the cart. Riley held Biscuit back until Echo dug in and got the cart rolling over the ties.