by E A Chance
She helped Holly pack and load their tent, then mounted her horse, Peppers. They’d become good friends over the weeks of traveling together. When no one was close enough to hear, Julia would carry on conversations with her, pouring out all her thoughts, feelings, and memories. The diary Aunt Beth had given her was nice, but there were just some things she didn’t want to write down in case anyone ever read it. Peppers was a good listener and couldn’t spill her secrets.
Julia was lost in a conversation with her that morning when she heard a commotion up ahead. She was riding near the front third of the company and was close enough to see a line of olive-green Jeeps blocking the road. Her heart pounded at the sight of Uncle Mitch and Russell in a heated discussion with some men in military fatigues.
Aunt Beth and Holly rode back to her, the fear clear on their faces.
“What’s happening? Have they caught us?” she asked in a rush.
Aunt Beth did her best to look calm as she answered. “Looks that way but we’re not in danger. They’re demanding that we go with them to Memphis. It doesn’t sound like they know who we are, but everyone is required to enter the residential zone.”
“Just like that we’re giving up? We’re just going with them after all we’ve been through?”
Holly’s hands shook as she held her horse’s reins. “What else are we supposed to do? There are a lot of them, Julia, and they have big guns.”
Julia wanted to swear but didn’t dare do it in front of Aunt Beth. She pasted on a smile instead, and said, “You’re right. I’m sure it will be fine. Maybe we can trade the horses and some of our stuff to get them to let us go.”
Holly’s face brightened. “You think they will? I won’t mind walking if we can keep going.”
“We’ll see,” Aunt Beth said. “You girls go back with your mom, Holly. I’m going back up with Mitch.”
Julia and Holly watched Aunt Beth ride to the front of the company before turning back to find Kathryn. Julia kept her eyes lowered, struggling to fight her tears in the face of their devastating defeat. If they got stuck in the zone and their jailers took the radio away, her mom would never know where she was or what happened to her. The thought of causing her mom that kind of pain was almost more than she could bear.
She leaned close to Peppers’ ear and whispered, “Don’t worry, girl. I’ll make sure they take good care of you. I promise to get us home, no matter what it takes.”
The journey to Memphis took five grueling hours. Every part of Julia’s body ached by the time they arrived. A man ordered her to dismount, then led Peppers away. As she watched him go with tears stinging her eyes, she wondered who she’d have to tell her secrets to.
Their captors had forced them into a several block enclosure, surrounded by barbed wire on the edge of Memphis. Uncle Mitch called it an internment camp. The soldiers assigned them quarters in a rundown apartment complex and confiscated all their belongings except for clothes and personal items. Uncle Mitch and Aunt Beth took Julia to their apartment, but Holly had to go with her parents. The girls agreed to have sleepovers if they were allowed.
Julia’s room had bare walls and no furniture except a dinged up dresser and a twin bed. They were on the fourth floor, so it was stifling hot in the June heat. Opening the windows didn’t help until after the sun set and a slight breeze came up. After they’d had a cold dinner of tuna sandwiches and canned fruit, Julia asked if she could go outside for fresh air. Uncle Mitch said he’d join her.
They walked a short distance down the street, running in front of their apartment until they came to a bench under a tree. Uncle Mitch slowly lowered himself onto it and sat back with a sigh. It looked to Julia like he’d aged ten years in one day.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “You tried so hard to keep us from getting caught.”
“I did, Julia, but here we are. I never thought I’d end up a prisoner in my own country. The commander I spoke with tried to convince me this is for our own good. I knew that he didn’t believe it any more than I did.”
“I’ve been through worse, Uncle Mitch. What happens to us now?”
“They’ll find work for us. You’ll go to school in the fall. Life will go on.”
“Don’t worry. Mom and Coop will find us and get us out of here.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. Julia knew that meant for her to stop talking. She got up and looked up and down the street. It looked like any street in any big city, except for no lights, and burned-out buildings. She walked to a wall of missing signs on the side of an empty store behind them. They’d seen the sketched posters in every city they’d passed. Julia wondered if she’d end up on one.
She walked to the far side of the wall to the wanted posters. Those were scarier. She wished she’d see one for that horrible Jepson that shot her, but he was in Virginia, too far away. She just glanced at the faces until she saw one that made her body go cold. It was Dashay. As she tore it off the wall, she noticed the ones beside it. Her mom and Coop. It said they were wanted for treason and harboring a fugitive.
Her hands shook as she grabbed the sketches and carried them to Uncle Mitch. She stopped when she saw him talking to a man in a uniform. Uncle Mitch stood and called to her. She ran to him as the man turned to leave. She handed Uncle Mitch the posters, trying not to be sick.
“It’s Mom!” she cried. “Mom and Coop, and my friend Dashay. It’s a lie. I know it. Mom would never do anything wrong. What are we going to do?”
The man who’d been talking to Uncle Mitch stopped and stared at her. She took the papers from Uncle Mitch, then folded them and shoved them in her pocket. Uncle Mitch nudged her toward their apartment building. The man didn’t follow but watched until they were in the building. Julia ran up the stairs and threw herself into Aunt Beth’s arms. Her life was over. She was in prison and soon her mom and Coop would be, too.
Chapter Twelve
Riley stuffed the blood pressure cuff into her pocket after taking Coop’s vitals. “If you keep this up, I’ll be able to spring you in a few days.”
Coop blew out his breath in relief. “Not a second too soon. I’m going mad staring at these walls.”
“I have a treat for you. Since the rain finally stopped, I’ll push you out to the courtyard after lunch for some sunshine.”
“Sounds like just what I need, except one thing. Let’s hear it again.”
Riley went to the counter and picked up the fetal heart monitor. Loraine had agreed to give it to her when they kept bugging her to let them hear their baby’s heartbeat. Riley climbed up onto the bed with Coop and lifted her shirt. He turned on the monitor while she spread the lubricating jelly on her belly. Coop gently ran the monitor over her skin until they heard the rapidly pulsing heart of their child.
Coop laid his head on her shoulder. “I’ll never get enough of that.”
“It is pretty amazing. Now, all we need is to get our hands on an ultrasound.”
Mack stuck his head through the doorway. “Am I interrupting?”
Coop waved him in, and said, “Come listen to this.”
Mack moved next to the bed and closed his eyes while he listened. “Music to my ears.” He opened his eyes and patted Coop’s hand. “Sounds like a healthy beat. You’ve got a fighter there.”
Riley clicked off the monitor and lowered her shirt. “It’s a miracle, considering what we’ve been through. Pull up a chair and sit awhile.”
“Thanks for the invitation, but I’m here to say goodbye.”
Coop sat up and frowned. “You’re leaving? So soon?”
“I wouldn’t have stayed this long if not for you. I’ve been separated from Olivia and the family for too long. This was just supposed to be a stopping off place. I’ve worked off what I owed the Librarian, and I met a family traveling north that has agreed to let me tag along.”
Riley got up and gave him a hug. “We understand more than you know, but we’ll miss you. Thank you for staying to help me care for Coop. I couldn’t have don
e it without you.”
“It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life. I owe a great deal to this crazy husband of yours.”
Coop held up his hand, and the two gripped forearms. “I’ll do whatever I can to get back your way. The world can’t stay backward forever.”
Mack’s eyes glistened as he said, “I’ll keep my ears open for news of the great Dr. Neal Xavier Cooper.”
“Give my love to the family.”
Mack hurried out of the room, and Coop watched after him for several moments. “There goes one of the best men I’ve ever known. What a gift that I crossed paths with him again, against the odds.”
“I hope he makes it home. He’s got a long journey ahead.”
“Not as long as ours,” Coop whispered. “I hate being in this bed, holding up our trip.”
“Not for much longer, then we’ll be home before you know it.”
“Do you know how excited I am to meet Emily and Jared, and the rest of the family?”
“You’ll love my sister, Lily. She’s quite the character.” Riley bent down and kissed his cheek. “I have a meeting with Himes to discuss the use of my radio. I won’t be gone long, then I’ll give you that ride to the courtyard.”
“Good luck, babe. Put that punk librarian in his place.”
“I’ll give him my best shot,” she said as she headed out of the room.
She wished she felt as confident as the act she put on for Coop. It infuriated her to cooperate with Himes, but he’d left her little choice. He’d been generous in supplying them with food and supplies, but no matter how many hours she worked, the charges kept piling up. She hadn’t told Coop the half of what they owed, so he wouldn’t worry, but if he didn’t recover enough to get out of that hospital soon, they’d be stuck in that backward town for months.
She pushed her worries aside as she entered the library. That day, her purpose was to do whatever it took to get time on the ham radio and talk to her daughter. It had been two weeks since she’d last heard her voice.
Himes was in his office and waved her in as soon as he saw her approaching. She took a breath and straightened her shoulders before opening the door.
“Morning, Dr. Himes,” she said as she took the chair across from him. “I need to get back and do my rounds, so just tell me the price for the use of the ham radio.”
“This should be an easy one for you. You’re an orthopedic surgeon. My mother needs a knee replacement. I’d like you to perform the surgery.”
Riley let out the breath she’d been holding. That was an easy one. “If you can procure what I need, I’m more than happy to perform the knee replacement. I’ll need to run tests and see any records the hospital has.”
“She has all the paperwork you need, and I have everything you need already. The surgery was scheduled for a week after the CME hit, but the surgeon died in the same explosion that killed Kip’s parents. You’re the first person capable of helping her since. She’s in a great deal of pain, Dr. Poole.”
“Have her schedule an appointment with me for tomorrow, and we’ll get the process started. How much time will this get me?”
“This will give you three hours on the ham radio and knock off forty labor-hours.”
It was more than Riley expected for a one-to-three-hour procedure and got her wondering if anyone else needed surgeries. She was capable of far more than just orthopedic surgeries. Her hopes of getting out sooner soared.
“That’s very generous, Dr. Himes. May I schedule it for tonight?”
“Use it whenever you want. Kendra keeps the sign-up sheet.”
He pressed his fingertips together and stared at her over the top of his glasses for a moment. “Is there something more?” Riley asked.
“If you refuse to call me Librarian, you may call me Craig. I consider us equals. Dr. Himes is too formal and reminds me of my father. He’s a physicist.”
Riley raised her eyebrows. “You’ve got to introduce him to Adrian. He’s a physicist too.”
“He is? Wish I’d known that. I have him working in the stables and greenhouse. He seems content with that.”
“He would,” Riley said, and chuckled. “But he’s quite brilliant.”
“Dad will be thrilled to have someone on his level to converse with.”
“You’ve never told me your specialty, Craig,” Riley said, putting emphasis on his name.
“Doctor of Comparative Literature, what else? Though I have working knowledge in several other fields.”
“Like electrical engineering?”
“Dad helps with that.”
Riley stood and extended her hand. She still resented being extorted by the man, but knew it made more sense to pretend to cooperate. As he shook her hand, she said, “Bring your mother in tomorrow. I’ll schedule with Kendra on my way out.”
She signed up to use the radio after dinner at the time she’d arranged with Uncle Mitch, then hurried back to the hospital, relieved the meeting had gone far better than expected. If her plan held up, they’d be out of Madisonville and on the way home within a week.
Riley struggled to concentrate on Craig’s mother’s knee as she examined her to prepare for the surgery. She’d failed to contact Julia either the night before or that morning after breakfast and was afraid Uncle Mitch’s ham radio had gotten damaged. She refused to let her mind wander to more alarming reasons she hadn’t been able to reach them. She’d signed up for another session that evening, knowing that each attempt was costing her, but she wouldn’t have many more chances to contact them.
After her failed attempt that morning, she’d returned to the hospital to find a document box containing Mrs. Himes’ medical records. She’d poured over them while she waited for her patient to arrive. Though Mrs. Himes was a candidate for the surgery, Riley wished she could do one more MRI to determine any changes or deterioration that had occurred during the intervening months. The hospital didn’t have an MRI suite and had utilized Mobile MRI before the CME. She’d order an x-ray series instead, which was the best she could do.
Riley made a note in the chart, then smiled at Mrs. Himes. “From what I can see, you’re healthy other than the knee, so we’ll schedule the surgery for Friday. Go to the lab tomorrow morning for pre-op bloodwork. Fast for twelve hours beforehand. If the lab results are good, be here at seven on Friday. The surgery should take roughly two hours, and I’ll have you stay for two nights, just to be safe. You may get dressed. I’ll send someone in to help you to the waiting room.”
Mrs. Himes put her hand on Riley’s arm as she turned to go. “You have no idea how much this means to me. My knee is so painful I can’t even move around the house on my own anymore. You coming to Madisonville is a miracle.”
Riley patted her hand. “We’ll get you fixed and feeling better soon. I’ve done hundreds of these surgeries.”
Riley rushed out of the room as quickly as she could without arousing suspicion. She had no problem doing the surgery for the kind, old woman. She just resented that Craig was forcing her to do so. She went in search of Percy, the nurse anesthetist, who was the closest thing the hospital had to an anesthesiologist. Percy assured her he’d done most of the work during surgeries. The anesthesiologist usually monitored from a distance. He’d assisted Loraine in a few surgeries since the CME with no problem. Mrs. Himes had no underlying conditions to complicate things, so Riley wasn’t concerned.
After discussing the surgery with Percy, Riley went to assist Dashay in the ER. They’d had an influx of refugees fleeing the flooding and devastation up north. Most were suffering from typhoid, exposure, or malnutrition, which Dashay could handle alone, but the occasional injury or critical illness required her expertise. Riley was half tempted to warn some of them to keep moving before they got caught in Craig’s net, but most wouldn’t have survived long enough to escape.
She was casting a man’s arm that she’d had to reset and noticed he kept staring at Dashay. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he said, “That woman look
s familiar.”
Riley glanced at Dashay. “She was in Henderson about a week ago. You may have seen her there?”
He slowly shook his head but kept his eyes on Dashay. “I wasn’t in Henderson then. I only spent a night there before heading south. I got injured on the road. She has a unique face.
“Yes, she’s beautiful,” Riley said to deflect him.
“She is. That’s why I would have remembered her.”
“You must have crossed paths with her somewhere on the road. You know how it is nowadays.” Riley finished casting him and helped him into a sling. After giving him instructions on caring for his arm and how long he’d need the cast, she said, “You’re free to go. Just be careful out there.”
He nodded and climbed off the gurney to leave, but followed Dashay with his eyes as he walked out of the room. Jace came over and started preparing the table for the next patient.
“Be back in a sec,” Riley told him and headed for Dashay. Riley led her to a quiet corner. “Did you see that broken arm guy watching you? Said he recognized you from somewhere.”
“I wondered what his deal was. I’ve never seen him as far as I know, but he’s average looking. Why should I care if he recognized me?”
Riley shivered. “It made my radar go up. I’m hoping it has nothing to do with Adrian.”
Dashay put her hand on her shoulder. “We haven’t seen or heard anything about that since Huntington. Honestly, I’d forgotten since no one here pays the least bit of attention to him. I thought we’d thrown Kearns people off his trail.”