Wyatt had been tossing around an idea, but wasn't sure if he wanted to say it or if anyone wanted to hear it.
“There is still quite a load of supplies back at Harry and Linda's house. There is enough to get us through the winter.”
No one said anything.
He knew it would be difficult to revisit the area. The scene would be horrific in the light of day. He wasn't exactly thrilled about going, but the supplies were a necessity.
“We don't have the time or the luxury to be dramatic. We need food. The food is there. Shoot, a lot of it is ours. The stuff we managed to bring back is nothing. We need more.”
Evan cleared his throat, “I'll go.”
Wyatt knew Evan's reason for volunteering. They would be able to give Greg a proper burial. Transporting the body back to the lodge wasn't an option and Jack's body had been burned in the explosion.
“Good, you and I will go. We will make a larger sled to pull behind the ATV. We can get there and back in half a day. I don't want to leave a trail right back here so we will need to stop periodically to cover our tracks.”
They finished eating their stew in silence.
Brenda appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
She looked at Wyatt, “Can I talk to you?”
He nodded. “Here?”
She shook her head, gesturing to the far corner of the room near the barricaded front door.
“What's up?” he asked. He had no idea what to expect from her. She was still a bit of a mystery.
Brenda looked uncomfortable.
“I shouldn't be telling you this, but I think it is important you know. Maybe let Megan know, as well.”
“What is it, Brenda? Did something happen?”
“No, I wouldn't normally talk about a patient, but, well, in this case it’s different. Jack was extremely ill.”
Wyatt sighed. “I know that.”
She met his eyes, “Wyatt, he wouldn't have survived. Period. I strongly suspect he had sepsis. Even if he had been in a hospital, the chances of him surviving were very slim. Without antibiotics, there was nothing we could have done. Actually, even with antibiotics it still could have gone bad.”
Wyatt realized then, she knew about Megan's choice to save the group. Megan had told him about Brenda being shot and laying in the yard. She would have had a clear vantage point of the whole scene.
Brenda was a bit of an odd duck. She never showed any emotion. She had this wall around her that made it impossible to tell what she was thinking or feeling, but in this moment, Wyatt could see how much she cared for Megan.
“Thank you. I will tell Megan.”
Brenda looked like she had just relieved herself of a terrible burden.
“Brenda, did Jack know?”
She looked uncomfortable, “Yes. I told him the risks. He knew there was a good chance he would die here. He made me promise to keep my suspicions to myself.”
Wyatt knew she was telling the truth. It was a Jack thing to do. He suspected something was up, but hearing it confirmed gave him some peace. Jack died on his own terms.
His brother was still gone and there would still be a great deal of grief, but they would get through this.
With tomorrow's chores planned, Wyatt felt a little better. There was a purpose. They were going to keep moving forward, despite the massive setback. It was what Jack would have wanted.
What he demanded.
33
Megan was surprised she didn't feel more anxious about Wyatt's trip back to the place where everything had gone so terribly wrong. Deep down she knew Wyatt would be safe.
They had taken several of the semi-automatic weapons, AR-15s, from McDaniels' men and would be taking those along in case they encountered any men who may have escaped. He was armed to the teeth. Last night, he had told her he hoped he saw some stragglers. He wanted to shoot them.
Right now, her attention was focused on Chase, Bryan and Garrett. They were building an actual fireplace under the strict supervision of Albert.
The man was holding a paper and giving directions. They stacked large rocks to form an open box approximately two feet by two feet. Megan watched as Chase covered the rocks with thick mud that had a bit of a reddish tint. She recognized it as the soil, rich in clay, found near the stream.
“You need a lot more clay on there, Chase, or you're gonna burn the place down!” Albert growled. “You have to have a good six inches on the inside. The outside of the firebox needs to be covered as well. Those rocks will crack if they aren't covered.”
Megan stared at the structure that was beginning to resemble a fireplace. She was impressed. She could see the rocks stacked on top of one another with a wood frame supporting it.
“You want to hand me that bucket,” Chase asked. “The drill sergeant has spoken.”
Megan laughed. “But it looks good.”
Garrett was on a ladder, adding logs in a similar fashion to how the log cabin was built. The logs were getting shorter the higher the chimney went, resulting in it getting narrower as it went up.
“Megan, can you put those cut logs in that bucket and I will pull it up,” Garrett called down to her.
“Sure,” she said, locating the short logs that had been scraped of bark. Her mind flashed back to Jack showing them how to hew logs. These were left in their original round shape.
Garrett pulled the rope, lifting the bucket to his spot at the top of the ladder.
“You need more mud on those, Garrett,” Albert commanded.
“I know, but I need to get them on first,” the frustration in his voice apparent. Bryan was mixing mud made from the clay, water, and soil from the garden area.
“Here, I have another bucket ready,” he said, removing the rope from the now empty wood bucket and tying it to the mud bucket.
“How long until it is dry?” Megan asked the man in charge.
“A few days. We will give it a test run. The heat from the fire will help harden the mud,” Albert replied, looking down at his notes.
“What is that?” she said gesturing to his paper.
He held it up and showed her. She saw a diagram with notes and instantly recognized Jack's handwriting.
“Oh,” she said.
He nodded, “Yep. He had a good plan. I found the book he was using and figured out the rest. We still need to go around the whole cabin and fill in the cracks with the mud. He had already written down the recipe. Once we finish this fireplace, we will get started on the rest of the chinking.”
“Okay, well I will leave you guys to it. Let me know when it’s ready for the first fire. I will be standing by with a bucket of water,” she chuckled.
“Go away, Megan,” Chase grumbled. “When it works, don't think you get to sleep out here where it will be toasty warm. You get to sleep in that big, drafty lodge.”
She laughed and walked away. She had her own chores to do.
Megan finished plunging the load of laundry and drained the water. Caitlin and Frankie were helping her. Tara was cleaning up inside with Amy helping her.
Willow and Rosie were asked to take the day off. Rosie had protested, but it was evident Willow needed her. The woman had made herself physically ill and Rosie was doing what she could to keep her hydrated. Ryland, who had declared himself his mother's protector, was sticking close by her side, as well.
Linda was very frail and although she had tried to get out of bed, Megan sent her right back in. It was nothing short of a miracle the woman had survived at all. While Emma didn’t appear to have any lasting physical problems, she was clearly traumatized. She had yet to say anything to anyone even when the children tried. Instead, she ran into the bedroom with her grandmother. Megan hoped, in time, she would come out of her shell.
“Caitlin, can you and Frankie carry that bucket and I will carry this one,” she said lugging the heavy load of wet clothes into the lodge.
Megan left the kids to hang the laundry. Caitlin was telling Frankie all about the hunting trip that broug
ht Brenda to them.
Megan smiled as Caitlin embellished parts of the story and Frankie's eyes widened with shock.
“When you are finished there, I need you two to check the goats and get them fresh water,” Megan said, interrupting Caitlin's story.
Rosie appeared at the top of the stairs.
Megan's heart hurt when she saw the woman's ashen face. She didn't look well either.
“Rosie, are you okay?” she asked, quickly climbing the stairs.
The woman nodded, but it was clear she wasn't okay.
“Just a little tired,” she said in a voice so quiet Megan could barely hear.
“You need to rest. You have been up all night. I'll take care of Willow, take a nap.”
“I'll be okay. I was coming to get some water.”
Megan gently put her arms around Rosie and steered her to her room, “I'll get it. Go lay down for a while. You have a lot on your plate. Please let me take care of you for once.”
Rosie didn't try to argue. When they got to the edge of the large bed, Rosie collapsed.
Megan helped her get settled before pulling the blanket over her.
“I'll bring you some water as well. Do you want anything else? Have you had a chance to eat anything?”
Rosie's eyes were closed. “I need to close my eyes for a minute,” she whispered.
Megan fought back the panic. They couldn't lose Rosie. It would kill Wyatt and it would be a blow they couldn't recover from.
She quietly walked out of the room, shut the door behind her and headed across the living space to check on Willow.
Megan opened the door. In the middle of the bed, Willow was curled up in a ball, sobbing. Ryland was sitting beside her, rubbing her back and shoulders, telling her it would be okay.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked. “Your grandma needed to lay down for a bit. I'll be downstairs. Ryland, if you or your mom needs something, just holler, okay?”
He nodded, keeping his attention on Willow.
Megan decided she had better stick close by. Both Willow and Rosie had endured a horrible loss and Megan prayed they would recover.
“I am going to work on sewing some of those old shirts we aren’t using, and whatever else I can find, together for the door cover in the longhouse,” she informed Tara.
Tara looked at her knowingly.
“She is going to need some time.”
“Willow?”
“Yes, Willow but also Rosie. She lost a child. I know she is a strong woman, but she has to give herself time to grieve.”
Megan knew Tara was speaking from experience. The woman was still very melancholy and Megan often saw her staring off into space. She seemed to be going through the motions, but never present.
“Maybe you can talk with her. You, unlike anyone else here, has a better understanding,” she paused. “It would be good for you, as well, to talk with another person who understands your grief.”
Tara gave a small smile, “I don't think anyone understands it. It just is.”
“When you're ready. Rosie is sleeping now, but I think she would really appreciate talking with you.”
Tara nodded, “I'll check back.”
Megan gathered the old shirts and other clothing they had been saving. They were hoping the heavy clothing would help block the cold air that would come through the windows upstairs. Now, they needed a heavy curtain to trap the heat in the longhouse, as well.
They all knew there was a good chance the longhouse would be too cold for anyone to sleep in, even with a fireplace. It wasn't like they had rolls of insulation. They were counting on the mud chinking between each of the logs to be enough to keep the drafts out. If the pioneers managed to survive the cold winters, they could too. It was going to be a trial run and if it proved to be too much, they were going to be sleeping on top of each other in the lodge.
Megan sat in the quiet home, sewing together the torn jeans and shirts that were beyond repair. She could hear Willow cry out on occasion, but didn't disturb her.
“They're back!” Caitlin's voice cut through the quiet of the lodge.
Megan rolled her eyes. So much for Rosie getting some rest.
She put down her work and headed downstairs, shushing Caitlin on the way down.
“Rosie is taking a nap,” she scolded. “Linda and Emma are also resting.”
“Sorry,” the little girl whispered.
Megan walked outside with Caitlin and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Wyatt get off the ATV. He was in one piece and she didn't see blood. That was always a good sign.
“How is everything?” he asked, the concern obvious on his face.
“Fine. We'll talk later,” she said not wanting to say too much in front of the kids.
“Frankie, I'm going to need you to help me unload this,” Wyatt said with exaggerated authority making the job sound extremely important.
The boy puffed up with pride. Megan smiled at the way Wyatt directed the boy with a firm, but gentle touch. Wyatt would be a good father figure for Ryland.
Harry came over to look at the supplies loaded on the makeshift sled.
Megan instantly felt horrible. They were looting his stuff.
“Good, you got a lot of it. I don't know how much they got into, but those men were savages. They tore through everything. All my damn scotch, too.”
Megan laughed.
Harry winked, “But not all of it. I can go back on your next trip and show you where the good stuff is hidden.”
“There's more?” Wyatt said with surprise.
“Well, not a lot of food, but Linda demanded we hide her chocolate and wine and I hid my scotch.”
Wyatt laughed.
“Heck yeah, you can go. I would love a nice glass of scotch and I know a few ladies who would love to kick back with a glass of wine.”
Harry was looking over the supplies.
“Are you sure you are okay with this,” Wyatt asked, clearly feeling guilty himself.
“If you are going to allow us to stay here through winter and the foreseeable future, it is only right. Besides, a lot of this stuff isn't what we had stored anyway. You saved our lives, this is the only way we can repay you,” he said getting a little choked up.
Wyatt put his hand out and Harry shook it. “Deal.”
“Let me help this strapping young man get all this stuff put away. You two go talk,” he said shooing Wyatt and Megan away.
Evan directed Frankie on which bags to take while he took the heavy stuff.
Wyatt and Megan walked to her favorite place under the birch trees.
“How is she?” he asked.
“Willow? The same. Ryland is with her. It's your mom I’m worried about.”
“Why? What happened?”
Megan put her hand on his thigh, “Nothing. She's fine, but I think she wore herself out staying up with Willow all night. She hasn’t taken any time for herself. She suffered a loss as well.”
Wyatt stared up at the trees.
“I know. I don't know what to say to her. First, my sister. Then I leave them alone and my dad is killed. And now, Jack.”
“Wyatt, don't you dare put this on yourself. You know you had nothing to do with any of those incidents. I think she needs you now. Talk to her. You two are all you have left. Lean on each other.”
He exhaled a long, slow breath.
“I will. I'll go check on her. She'll be okay, Megan. My mom is so strong. After my dad, well, I thought she would be destroyed. She was sad, but she didn't let it consume her. I think we need to keep her busy. She is the type of woman who needs to have her hands doing something, taking care of all of us.”
“What about Willow?” Megan asked.
“I think their combined grief is going to hurt them. Let's have my mom help with Linda and Emma while you or Tara takes over the care of Willow. Give them some breathing room. My mom will dote on the newcomers, which is what she does best.”
“That is a very good plan. I knew yo
u would have all the answers,” she smiled at him.
“Don't try to butter me up, woman.”
She laughed.
“We better get back and make sure those kids didn't find any treats. They'll be sharing with the goats,” Megan said standing and holding out her hand for Wyatt to take.
They walked back to the lodge, hand in hand. Megan felt better than she had in days. Things felt like they were settling into place, once again. She prayed they would make it through the winter without any further loss. They all needed a break. More than that, they needed hope. Hope for a brighter future.
Epilogue
It had been a long two weeks since they returned to the lodge without Jack and Greg. The time had been filled with a lot of tears, but Megan was relieved to feel like they were coming out on the other side.
Wyatt and Harry had made one last supply run, which filled the pantry and guaranteed they would have plenty of supplies to make it through winter comfortably.
Willow was doing much better. Megan had spent the past ten days by her side, talking, laughing and crying together. She had never allowed herself to be so open with another woman, but Willow needed her and Megan knew she needed Willow just as much.
“You ready?” Megan asked Willow who was stirring a bowl in the kitchen.
Her face lit up, “I am.”
“How about you, Rosie?” Willow asked.
She pulled the cover off the surprise they were planning for the evening meal.
“Oh my gosh, I am salivating!” Tara exclaimed when she saw what was under the large lid.
“That looks amazing,” Linda said from her perch on one of the stools at the bar with Emma at her side. She was swirling her glass of wine, taking small whiffs every few seconds.
The women had kicked everyone out of the lodge a couple hours ago. They had asked Brenda to stay, but the poor woman looked like she was going to panic. She was not one to hang out in the kitchen. She preferred to be on patrol or cleaning guns.
“The kids are going to lose their minds,” Willow said. “Don’t you think so Emma?” she asked the little girl who instead of responding ducked her head behind Linda.
The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three Page 59