The Toomeys had heard of Aftertown, and from what they could tell they were getting close. To the adults’ lasting shame and embarrassment, Sam, their only child, was not only an incessant verbal rambler but also a coward. His obsession with proving that no one knew more than he did alienated everyone they met. Town after town had shown them the gate because of Sam. But what could they do? Abandon him? He would have no one.
About four hours later, they came to the guardhouse outside of Aftertown. After being scrutinized, they were allowed to enter. Relaxing a bit, they followed their guide through the town, with Sam continually “enlightening” everyone with his unlimited ignorance about everything. He was completely unaware of the effect his copious outflow of pointless tidbits had on people. As each resident of Aftertown made an excuse to escape his verbal onslaught, his parents sadly looked on, knowing how things would end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sydney was with Aaron. The early morning search had been fruitless, so they had regrouped by the front gate to work on a new search grid before going back out again.
Some newcomers were creating a little commotion, so Aaron decided they should see what was going on. After hearing a minute or so of the boy’s incessant monologue, Aaron had had enough.
“So, what direction did you come in from?” he asked the parents. When they pointed to the direction of the last attack, he and Sydney perked up.
“Did you come across anyone yesterday that might have been injured or looked lost?” he asked.
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Aaron cut him off with a look and turned back to Mr. Toomey for an answer.
“No,” the man replied, “but between the dust storm and the rain the last two days, someone would have had to be pretty close for us to see.”
Aaron’s concern for Joshua and Christian pushed him to rudeness. “You mean to tell me you’ve walked all that distance on the road and not seen anything?”
The boy started going off again with his version of their trek through the desert, adding that even though he was a sharpshooter they couldn’t get any game, and—
Aaron cut him off sharply. “I don’t need to hear you ramble on and on. The only answer I’m looking for is yes or no!”
The woman could see that this man was desperate to find someone. She then remembered the night before. “Sir, at one point I thought I heard a voice, but the wind was so loud I—”
Aaron cut her short. “A voice? Where? What time?”
“Last night, after sunset.” She was not a big woman and she cowered under Aaron’s scrutiny.
Aaron looked at the man. “You will go with me right now and show me exactly where you stayed last night!” Looking at the woman and her son, he simply said, “You wait here.”
The man didn’t dare question or argue with Aaron, so he silently followed him.
Aaron got Jeremy on the radio and told him to get the boys, Steve, and three others and meet him and Sydney at the front gate. The search party was ready to go in less than five minutes. Steve had brought his field medic’s bag and two portable stretchers. The others had grabbed the food, water, and other supplies that were kept ready for times like this.
They sped out of Aftertown in an SUV and a double-cab truck, following the only lead they had.
Twenty minutes later Mr. Toomey said to slow down. Aaron followed his directions to the entrance of the cave. They got out and the man pointed to the almost washed out trail.
They carefully followed the disappearing trail to the small mound. Aaron suddenly said, “Oh God, please …”
There lay Christian, belly down in the sandy dirt. Aaron and Steve gently turned him over, and Steve started working on him. His ankle was badly broken, and he had some serious head wounds and bruises, but he was breathing. While Steve braced his legs and ankle, Aaron tried slowly rousing him to get some water in his mouth. They couldn’t comprehend how he’d managed to get this far.
“Joshua … Josh …” Christian murmured.
Steve and Aaron looked at each other. “He has to be alive somewhere!” Aaron said.
Steve finished administering aid to Christian and wrapped him up snuggly. Then he had the men help load him onto one of the stretchers and instructed two of them on how to transport him to the trucks.
Forcing herself to leave Christian, Sydney went with Aaron, Steve, and the third man as they followed the trail that was all but washed out, trying to trace Christian’s struggle. Almost an hour later, they saw Joshua.
Sydney broke into a run. When Steve caught up to her, she was kneeling by Joshua, who was unconscious. His breathing was strained, and his leg had a compound fracture.
Steve worked with speed and skill, bracing, splinting, and bandaging. When he was done, the men secured Joshua on the other stretcher and carried him back to the truck.
Sydney climbed into the back with Joshua and Steve. Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into Aftertown, where everything had been prepped to receive the patients.
23 Endings and Beginnings
Christian’s condition was critical for two days. On the third day, he was moved to the general ward. Hypothermia, dehydration, shock, and his wounds had nearly killed him. They had found him just in time.
Joshua and Christian were placed in the same room so they could both be monitored closely. Christian was kept heavily sedated because of his broken bones. Joshua continued to slip in and out of consciousness while his fever raged in an effort to destroy the infections.
Sitting in a chair next to Joshua’s bed, Sydney kept watch over him. Steve had told her that he had massive internal bleeding and a bacterial infection raging through his body because of the debris that had settled in the compound fracture. The odds were not in his favor.
When Joshua’s eyes finally fluttered open, Sydney’s relief was unimaginable. She anxiously watched as his eyes slowly focused on her. They were filled with such love. “How are you feeling?” she asked him.
All he said was, “I love you so much.” Then his eyes closed again, and the monitors started beeping loudly.
The commotion that ensued as Steve and the others rushed in was like a dream in which Sydney was only a spectator. She didn’t hear anything. She could only see Joshua lying on the bed, ever so still.
And then he was gone. Just gone.
The ache started in her throat and radiated into her chest, making it feel like it was splitting in two. She had never felt such acute pain, and it was unbearable. It was now her turn to walk the path that so many had before her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two days later, their friends from Junction arrived.
All of Aftertown turned out for Joshua’s burial. The only exception was Christian, who was still too weak to get out of bed. With Mason, Austin, and Savannah grieving by Sydney’s side, they laid their beloved Joshua to rest in a small graveyard just outside of the base perimeter that was shaded by palms and mesquite trees. Residents who had not died from a Turner’s bite were interred there.
As Sydney listened to George’s beautiful eulogy, the belief that she would see Joshua again one day eased her pain a bit, and her mind flooded with sweet memories. The only thing worse than the terrible pain still ripping at her heart was the thought that their child would never know the wonderful man Joshua had been.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Up to that time, no one had told Christian about Joshua. They were all concerned that the news might hinder his recovery. It took every ounce of Sydney’s energy and strength for her not to break down when she was watching over him. Aaron was the one who finally broke the news five days later.
“What you did was nothing short of heroic, Christian.” Aaron had to pause and take a gulp of water to steady his emotions. “But sometimes our greatest efforts can’t change the course of an event. When we finally found Joshua, he had lost so much blood from his wounds and internal bleeding that Steve couldn’t save him.” Tears welled up in Aaron’s eyes as he spoke.
Christian stared at him, his
blue eyes wide with disbelief and confusion. Then the tears came and flowed freely as the knowledge sunk in that he would never be near Joshua again. He didn’t make a sound, staring down at his hands as the tears flowed.
As broken as Sydney’s heart was already, the pain was even more overwhelming as she watched him grieve.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the afternoon of the seventh day, Aaron, Jeremy, and Sydney were gathered in the room where Christian was convalescing. Not wanting to interfere with his recovery, they had refrained from bombarding him with questions, but now he seemed up to talking, so they sat intently waiting for the story to unfold.
Christian began.
They were on their final round of the perimeter after the attack. The washes were filled, and the water was running rapidly. Suddenly a new cloudburst hit, and the deluge made driving impossible. Joshua was looking for a safe place to stop when a series of thick lightning bolts disoriented him, and he drove into a wash. The Jeep was instantly swept into the roiling floodwaters. Fortunately, the windows were up, so they were carried along the wash without having their bodies battered by debris.
Then a large rock smashed into Joshua’s side of the car, breaking the window and his leg. Thinking quickly, Christian unfastened their harnesses and opened the door on his own side. Because of the buoyancy the surge of water had created, Christian was able to help Joshua get out of the Jeep. Once on the outside, they hung on until they could safely clear the vehicle.
Struggling, they were able to hold onto a small buoyant log.
Then, a large tree trunk rushed under them, catching Christian’s feet. Within seconds a second trunk hit him in the back of the legs, sending shooting pains through his ankle.
Joshua grabbed Christian and held on to him as they were tossed about. They couldn’t see because of the darkness, but as the force of the current swept them along, Joshua was eventually able to latch on to a small tree protruding from the rushing water.
They were now caught in the center of a large wash and were at its mercy. For almost an hour, they held on. They were both in so much pain Christian didn’t know how they managed it.
Finally, the water slowed down, and the wash began to narrow. Holding Christian as tightly as he could, Joshua pushed off with his good leg. Being close enough at that point to grab on to a tree trunk that was still attached to the bank, he waited, holding on to Christian, until they could pull themselves out of the water.
They had barely crawled high enough on the bank so the water wouldn’t drag them back in, when Joshua passed out. Moments later, Christian blacked out too.
Christian wasn’t sure how much later it was when he regained consciousness. When he couldn’t get Joshua to come to, he decided to try to get help. His ankle was throbbing with a searing pain, and his head hurt as well, but he started to drag himself in what he believed was the direction of the road. Everything was washed out so badly, and not knowing where the water had taken him, he could only guess at the right direction.
It was late afternoon when he left Joshua. Using his elbows and knees the best he could, he started pulling himself along, calling out as often as possible.
When darkness fell, he pushed to go a little farther, still calling out in his weakened voice. But the point came when blackness completely took over.
When he came to, he was lying in a clean bed back in Aftertown.
24 Life Goes On
Eight months had crept by as Sydney grieved over Joshua’s death. She and the boys had done their best to get on with their lives, and Jeremy and Aaron had made it a point to include Mason, Christian, and Austin in the day-to-day activities of Aftertown.
Sydney worked hard wherever she was needed, to keep her mind busy, and finally the nights were starting to pass more quickly as sleep became less fitful. As often as she could, she helped Jen with their little boy, whom they had named Joshua. The new life that they enjoyed in the adorable baby and the anticipation of the new life growing within Sydney began to take the edge off their pain, and their grief slowly turned into fond memories. Gradually, they began to laugh again.
When the time finally came for Joshua and Sydney’s baby to enter the world, the sadness at Joshua not being there to greet their little one combined with the excitement of seeing the one in whom Joshua would continue on created a whirlwind of emotions for Sydney.
Sydney’s labor was long, but Savannah and Jen made sure she wasn’t alone for even a minute. Savannah had loved Joshua as much as Sydney had, and she shared Sydney’s anticipation of the arrival of this child.
The moment arrived when Sydney heard her little one’s cry for the first time, and Savannah announced that she had a beautiful, healthy baby boy. For the second time in her life, Sydney shed tears that were prompted by sheer joy.
She and Joshua had talked about a family many times, and he had told her if they ever had a son, he wanted to name him Brandon, after his father. Joshua’s middle name was John.
And so, Brandon John had entered the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Toomeys turned out to be nice enough people—except for the boy, Sam, who continued to alienate everyone around him. He was completely oblivious to the way other people reacted to him. The townspeople tolerated him only for his parents’ sake, since they were kind and had been instrumental in finding Christian and Joshua.
One afternoon, having finished her house calls, Savannah was on her way back to the clinic when she met up with Sydney. The two of them were walking along the street that ran through the center of Aftertown when Sam saw them and called out for them to wait up. He’d been practicing with a pistol and wanted to show them the latest tricks he could do.
“It isn’t wise to fool around with a gun here in town, Sam. You could hurt someone. Why don’t we go to the range later?” Savannah offered.
“Aw, you don’t know guns, Savannah. This is perfectly safe. I know. Watch me.”
Before Savannah could stop him, Sam whipped the pistol around his forefinger. The sound of the shot reverberated through Aftertown. Sydney stared at him, not believing what had just happened.
Then she noticed the blood soaking through Savannah’s scrubs. Looking into Savannah’s eyes, Sydney saw her pupils dilate a split second before she dropped to the ground.
Almost instantly, Jeremy was by Savannah’s side, but she couldn’t hear his voice crying out her name. He sobbed as he rocked her in his arms, telling her how much he loved her. Sydney watched helplessly. The love of his life and his best friend had just been viciously ripped away from him. His grief and shock were too much to bear.
Steve, who’d arrived moments after the gun blast, waited patiently. He knew Savannah was gone, but Jeremy needed to hold her as long as he could.
When Jeremy’s sobs turned to silence, Rosie gently put her arm around his shoulders.
“Sweetheart, it’s time to let her go. She’s at peace. She’s with the Lord now and lives on, and you must too. You’ll see her again one day. You need to rest now.” He whimpered and allowed Steve to take Savannah from his arms.
When Jeremy finally turned away from Savannah, he went to look for Sam, but Aaron had already found him. Sam had run away and, being the coward he was, had turned the gun on himself when he saw Aaron coming after him.
The entire town reeled from the news of Savannah’s death. Very few had not been under her tender care at some time or other, and she had been a kind friend to every person she met.
But, life had to go on. If nothing else, the past several months had taught Sydney that continuing with the everyday details of living eventually takes the edge off the pain of separation. If time didn’t completely heal wounds, it did at least eventually stop the hemorrhaging.
After giving Jeremy time to mourn his beloved, Aaron slowly started drawing him back into the day-to-day needs of Aftertown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few months after Savannah’s death, a call came from Junction. George had been killed in a gunfight wi
th some marauders, so Aaron, Jeremy, Sydney, and the boys prepared to go to Junction to say goodbye to their friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three months had passed since George’s death when Jon called Jeremy and told him they needed a good man to fill George’s shoes. Savannah was all that had kept Jeremy anchored to Aftertown, so the opportunity in Junction was appealing. He was ready for a change and needed the challenge.
The canine patrols in Junction and Aftertown had proved to be a brilliant idea. They had almost eliminated deaths caused by surprise Turner visits. Since the regular patrols were more than able to handle any human intruders, Aaron, Sydney, and the boys decided to accompany Jeremy on his trip. Although they hated to see him leave, they understood why he was ready for something new and supported him the best they could.
Going to Junction was always something Sydney and the boys looked forward to. While Aftertown was their home, they considered Junction their second.
The drive was pleasant, with no surprises. Jon met them at the new gate that had been installed and opened it up for them. Letting the men on guard close the gate behind them, Jon rode with them to Vic’s.
Krissy had gotten wind of their arrival and met them there with Captain Jack and Aussie. Frances and Joy had dinner waiting, and they all sat down to catch up. Brandon was the center of attention, with everyone taking turns holding him as they talked and laughed.
Leandra and Jason came in as Frances was dishing up a cobbler. Leandra’s tender heart was naturally drawn to nursing. She was bright and a quick learner, and Jason had needed someone to partner with him professionally as well as emotionally. They were as happy working together in the clinic as they were at home.
As Sydney watched everyone laughing and relaxing in the moment, she couldn’t help but reflect on the past and how they had not only survived but flourished. It was hope that made them remember how to laugh and allowed them to love.
The few days that Sydney and the boys spent in Junction were wonderful. Then it was time to return home—their home, Aftertown.
Turners | Book 3 | Junction Page 10