by Nikki Landis
He managed to get her into the front seat of the jeep and buckle her in. Her body slumped over so he propped her on the sides with rolled blankets. Fatigue set in as he slid into the driver’s seat. He pushed the key into the ignition and almost started it, until he remembered the flat tire.
For two full minutes he debated on whether he could drive on it or not. He would not get far. Another two minutes he delayed, on purpose, gearing up enough strength to get out of the car again.
Little Benjamin was babbling to himself and his bear in the car. Lizzie was out cold. He was on the verge of passing out himself. Where would that leave him? What if he passed out trying to drive the car to safety? He slapped his cheeks several times in an effort to wake up. It worked, for a minute.
Never in his life had he done anything as prolonging and excruciatingly painful as changing that tire. God must have been watching over him because everything he needed had been stored in the back of the jeep within easy reach. Even the bolts themselves did not require an extensive amount of strength to remove.
More than once his muscles had tried to lock up on him. More than once he pulled his strength from deep inside and mustered enough to keep going. He could only attribute that to his concern for Lizzie. It outweighed everything. Even the intense and agonizing pain pulsing through his body. Stopping meant her death. It was not an option.
When at last he entered the jeep again, it barely registered in his head that blood was on the seats and floor boards. His blood. He fought nausea and dizziness minute by minute as he slowly emerged from the cave.
Mal had the foresight to locate and put on the night vision goggles before climbing back in the jeep. Bone weary, covered in blood and sweat, and scared half to death he would make the wrong choice, Mal drove in the direction of the nearest hospital.
He prayed it was still standing.
Chapter Twenty Two: Alec
Alec skidded the jeep to a halt outside the cave entrance to the bunker, facing the headlights inside. Looking for signs of life, he jumped out and ran inside. Funny but the damage outside had seemed so much greater in the jeep. From here it seemed minimal. Rocks, debris, dirt, and smoke made up the interior. From what he could tell, the space was survivable.
His gaze swept the ground. At first he did not see it, and then he found where they must have hid during the bombing, or at least during part of the raid. There was blood all over, and plenty of it, but not in the amount you would expect from a corpse.
They were alive then. They had to be. There were no graves. No indication that anyone had perished. Nothing left behind but that crimson stain along the ground, mixing with the dirt.
The jeep was missing. They had driven the jeep and escaped when the bombing stopped. Relief flooded his body with warmth. Oh, thank God.
He glanced around and outside, looking for any clues. Tire tracks from the jeep were heading northeast. He knew suddenly where Lizzie was headed. North.
North was toward Refugee Road. It was also the only way to get to Mount Travers Hospital. It was only a few hours away, not far, but the closest hospital in the area. He almost smiled until he realized that Lizzie had never been there and probably didn’t know of its existence. But Mal did. He had told him so once.
Fear replaced his relief in an instant. Fear for the condition she was in. Fear for Mal’s ability to get her to a hospital in time. What if he was injured too?
Swallowing his uncertainty he climbed back into the jeep. If Mal was headed to the hospital it could only mean one thing. Either Lizzie or little Benjamin were terribly injured, and he was afraid for their lives.
Chapter Twenty Three: Lizzie
As far as the eye could see, stretching for endless miles, was a sea of purple wildflowers. Their soft and delicate fragrance, like lavender, filled the air and permeated the meadow, surrounding and engulfing me in the delicious scent. On tiptoes I twirled around and around in the afternoon sunshine. Gentle laughter caressed me, hugging me close as if by magic I had conjured the beauty on my own.
I felt simplistically happy. The sort of carefree happiness only a child can experience. Unencumbered by life and worry, my soul felt light as a feather. I skipped along, gathering flowers into as large a bundle as I could hold. My little fingers gripped the bouquet tightly.
A hand clasped mine as I heard a giggle. My big sister pulled me along, impatient as always. We fell down in the meadow’s tall grasses, hidden, smudging purple pigment across our dresses, and giggling together.
“Lydia! Lizzie?” I heard my mother call.
We giggled in unison. It was our favorite game. Hide and seek. The wild flowers and tall flowing weeds blended in with the tall grass blowing around us, high enough to cover us completely. Hidden, we eluded our parents.
“Girls…where are you?” My father called.
We giggled again. Neither of us spoke.
“Oh girls…I’m coming to get you.”
My father’s voice was closer. We giggled, covering our mouths with our little hands.
“Gotcha!” My father shouted, discovering our hiding place.
I squealed in delight. “Papa!”
He gathered us up in his strong arms and hugged us close. His whiskers tickled my cheek.
“I love you my Lizzie. My Lydia.”
The dream faded. Another memory burst forward in my mind. I went from extreme happiness to utter loneliness and despair in a second.
My father lay in a casket, devoid of life. His normal brightness, his aura, was gone. Only black existed. It all came flooding back, rushing to the surface. Horrible lonely aching loss. All I could remember was the pain in my chest as my mother and sister held my hands. Tears fell down my cheeks unhindered. Sorrow as I had never felt before filled my chest.
Loss is strange to a child. Death is empty. It leaves gaps and holes, later to be filled with maturity and knowledge, but in the moment only leaves confusion in its wake.
The loss of my father was cold and empty sadness. I remember that sadness around us. My mother’s shoulders hunched and shaking as she cried. My sister touching my father’s cold hand inside the casket. The looks of pity and empathy from our friends and family.
Time sped forward and again I felt anguish. The bombing. The explosions. K.D. The horror of my mother and sister’s deaths. Pain. Destruction. My chest felt crushed by the weight of loss. It was agonizing and cruel. It ripped away all logic. I was left bereft. Alone. I wished I was dead too.
Then someone was with me. Warm and kind eyes filled my vision. They were bright blue. They held my gaze, filled with understanding. Gently I was lifted. The stranger carried me to the hospital tents. It was he who made sure I was tended and cared for. He was the one who wiped my tears. He listened to my stories. He held my trembling hand.
The kind stranger never left my side. He stayed with me day and night. He helped me sip broth and put nourishment into my body. He insisted on the best care from the nurses and doctor. He made sure I pulled through. If not for him, surely I would have perished. The terror and horror of the aftermath of the bombings had left hundreds of people injured. Only this wonderful and kind man saved me.
It was him alone.
Malcolm.
Chapter Twenty Four: Alec
Alec had never been so relieved to see a hospital in his life. It was still standing. Several floors had windows blown out. The bombing had crumbled edges of the brick structure but it remained intact. In fact, it looked crowded and busy. That observation alone gave him hope.
Militia soldiers were patrolling the parking lot, the emergency room entrance, and the main entrance. They stood together in clumps, dressed in their navy blue uniforms. Some of them smoked, flicking cigarette ash onto the blackened and scarred asphalt. Plumes of smoke circled above their heads, swirling to the music of an unknown melody. It lifted ever higher until it faded into the clouds above.
Alec needed to get inside. He was growing impatient. The uncertainty of her condition and that of his son
plagued him. He needed a distraction. Something inconsequential enough to let him slip inside but not serious enough to call in back up.
Alec had found a black poncho that fell almost to his knees. It covered his uniform with ease and was lose enough to hide his weapons. He could only hope the alarm would not be raised. If he was caught the militia would know with certainty he was a freedom fighter and they would arrest him.
It was risky.
“Boss, I have an idea,” Big Dog whispered.
Alec nodded. “Tell me.”
“I think I feel a little inebriated.”
Alec chuckled. “Go for it. I’ll meet you back here in an hour.”
Big Dog managed to create quite the distraction. A man as large and intimidating as he was, nearly six foot five, stumbling and falling everywhere, and singing terribly and loudly off key was causing a sensational distraction. Alec had to keep his head down and hurry to get through the ER undetected.
He managed to catch the elevator and ride up to the sixth floor. The receptionist had told him all of the critical patients were on that floor. Much to his relief he was unable to find Lizzie or Mal.
“Excuse me,” he asked a nurse hurrying past.
She stopped and glanced down the hall.
“How can I help you sir?”
“My wife is missing. I believe she was injured. Would you be able to help me locate her?” He asked, trying his best to sound polite.
“Uh sure. Come this way.”
She glanced down the hallway again. In a small desk area she pulled up a manifest with names.
“What is her name?”
He paused. What name would she use? Her first name but what last name? Quickly he remembered Mal’s last name.
“Thompson. Lizzie Thompson,” he answered.
“It looks like someone with that name was admitted onto the tenth floor. Regular admission without serious injuries. Seems you are lucky sir.”
He smiled. “Yes, thank you for your help.”
He rushed off to the elevator but stopped about ten feet away. Militia soldiers were crowding the hall. They blocked the elevators. Damn, he thought. The stair well was the only other way to go.
Alec slipped through the door and started the four floor climb to his wife. Even in great shape it took him longer than he would have liked to reach the tenth floor. He paused for breath outside the door and peaked into the hallway.
This floor was less busy and had fewer staff. Nurse stations were on the corners of the wing but only one of them had anyone present. He stepped out and walked casually along as if he knew exactly where he was going.
Alec didn’t have a clue which room she was in. He glanced in every one as he passed, trying hard not to stare at anyone in particular. The last thing he needed was someone to recognize him. Or if questioned, have someone remember him and provide a description.
He had almost given up hope when he saw Lizzie asleep on a bed in the back of a two patient room. The first patient bed was missing. He assumed they had been removed for a procedure or surgery. If not for their absence he might have missed her.
Mal was sitting in a chair next to her bed, on the left. His back was to the door. He was holding her hand and looking out the window. At first he seemed not to notice anyone was there but then he spoke, in his usual calm way.
“Hi Alec.”
Surprise made him jump slightly.
“Hi Mal. How is she?” He asked, looking around the room and pulling the curtain closed.
Anyone passing by would not be able to see who was in the room.
“She has multiple injuries. Her concussion is severe but stable. She has a collapsed lung. Multiple bruises and lacerations from the blast we took inside the cave entrance.”
Mal’s voice was even, collected, but held just a hint of an edge.
Alec knew him well enough to know he was upset. “Has she awakened yet?”
Mal shook his head. “No.”
Little Benjamin was moving around inside the crib next to Lizzie’s bed. He made a few little sounds and then fell back to sleep.
“How is my son?”
Mal glanced at him. “Fine. He didn’t get a scratch.”
Alec sat down in a chair close to her right side. He took her other hand in his and massaged it gently. He was lost in his thoughts for several minutes. Lizzie was hurt. She was injured in the very place he had been sure was going to keep them both safe. What was he going to do now?
“There are militia soldiers all over the hospital,” he finally said, distracted.
“Yes, they were here when we arrived,” Mal replied.
Silence stretched between them.
“Lizzie is pregnant.”
Alec stared at him, not comprehending for a moment.
“She is?”
Mal frowned. “Yes, even after all that has happened, and her near death experience, she is still carrying your child.”
Alec’s chest filled with joy and happiness. He had been right. His intuition had been correct again. His beloved Lizzie was going to give him another son or a daughter.
Mal interrupted his thoughts. “What are you going to do?”
He hadn’t been prepared for that question.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly.
“Are you staying?” Mal asked, clearly annoyed.
Alec became irritated in return. He glanced out the window. He didn’t appreciate Mal questioning him. Even if his job was to protect Lizzie his barely concealed hostility would not be tolerated.
He took a deep breath to calm his agitation. What was his next move? He had become so concerned about his family that he didn’t think beyond this moment.
“What were you thinking of doing Mal?” He asked, needing to form a plan.
“We don’t have much choice. Once Lizzie is well and we are released, I was going to join one of the refugee camps. She cannot use your name. No one must know who she is. They are both safest if we stay together.”
He wondered if Mal meant safer with or without Alec but he didn’t ask.
Alec nodded. “Yes, you are right. I don’t like the idea of you wondering off though. Go to the Kettering Refugee Camp in Dayton. I have friends there. Find Sam and Carol. They will help you.”
Mal stared at him. “So you are leaving then.”
It wasn’t a question. How did he explain? If Lizzie was awake he would have.
He sighed. “I dare not stay. The best chance for all of you is to leave without me.”
Mal nodded. “There is something else.”
Alec kissed Lizzie’s hand and stood. He paused and watched his young son sleeping and smiled. Yes, he was giving them their best chance at survival. He gently leaned over and placed a kiss on his son’s head. This moment had to be enough. For now.
He turned to Mal. “What is it?”
“She asked me, or rather made me promise, not to tell you about the pregnancy.”
Shock and hurt hit him abruptly in the chest. Was she unhappy? Did she regret becoming pregnant or having his child again? Was she worried? Afraid?
Mal took pity on him. “She was concerned about how you would feel. I think she was afraid that it would burden you more than you already are. She didn’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”
Alec took another deep breath. “Yes, she knows me well. I am overjoyed at the news. She brings joy and peace to my life…my soul. Please, take care of her Mal. Take care of them both.” His voice broke and he looked away.
“She is happy Alec,” he reassured him, “in fact she is ecstatic about this baby. You should not be concerned.”
Briefly he let joy and happiness fill his chest. Before it could grow into something warm and deep, he cut it off. Best to not let the feelings consume him now.
“I will try to contact you when I am able. Be careful. Trust no one else but the two I mentioned. I do not know of the loyalty of anyone else at that camp.”
“What should I say to Lizzie?”
; “Tell her I will come for her when I can. I cannot promise anything else. Tell her I love them both with all my heart.”
“I will.”
Alec’s shoulders released some of their tension. Lizzie was happy. She loved him and she was happy. That was all that mattered to him now.
“Thank you Mal. I owe you more than my life. I owe you everything,” he said softly.
His chest was tight.
He needed to leave. Now.
Before he broke down and wept, before he lay on that bed and held her close, before he fell to his knees in surrender. His insides were churning with the emotion, held in check, but only barely.
Mal stood and shook his hand. Without another word, Alec left the patient wing of the hospital and exited the building.
He never looked back.
It was longer than the hour he had agreed upon with Big Dog. When he saw his friend he gave him a thumbs up sign and walked past, his heart hammering in his chest. Breaking into a run, he took off into the trees, wishing he could outrun the emptiness of his heart, and only managing to make the aching haunting feeling broader and deeper than before.
Chapter Twenty Five: Lizzie
I awakened from my dreams as soon as I realized the truth. Oh God. I was wrong. How could I have been so blind? How could I have thought anything but the truth? How had I been so terribly and horribly wrong?
I felt instantly guilty. I never thanked Mal for saving me. I had never given any indication that I knew he was there. In error I had thought it was Darren who saved me. When I had opened my eyes the both of them were there. For some reason I latched onto Darren for support, thinking he was my savior.
I had wronged Mal. He never got credit for what he did for me. Oh how that must have hurt him. Surely he thought I was ungrateful. Possibly even rude and nasty. I had thanked Darren right in front of him. Stupid foolish girl. I was completely deluded.