by Sandy Holden
“Won’t hurt to ask. Also, Chris says there is a group of men who plan to come here to the house. Don’t ask me how he finds out these things. I got the idea they weren’t coming to bring you frankincense and myrrh. Be careful the next few nights, okay? We’re going to stay away from here for a bit. Chris thinks you or one of the others might get nervous and start shooting and hit one of them.”
“Great. Okay, I’ll tell the guards. Did he know what they did want?”
“No, I didn’t get any more than that. Sorry,” she shrugged.
“But you’re okay? And happy?” I persisted, thinking she hadn’t really answered that question.
She nodded, a little shy. I had seen Pewter with just about every emotion there was, but I don’t think I’d ever seen her be shy. “I feel like my world completely changed the minute he walked into it. He’s … well, I’m sure I’d gush, and I figure you wouldn’t like that.”
I smiled, truly happy for her. “I’m glad.” I pretended to think. “Some people have all the luck. I mean, who else can just mentally call her guy out of the woods? You never cease to amaze me.”
“Yes.” She put a hand on her hip. “I always knew I was too good for any normal guy.” She made a move to hug me, got the hairy eyeball from Tim, and sighed. “See you later, Lammie, my friend. You stay safe, and get happy if you can.”
“You stay safe too. Come back often, and let us know if there is any way we can help you or them, okay?”
I wandered back to the ghost conversation. Meri turned to me instantly. “Okay, to catch you up: Phil can see spirits, but she usually can’t understand what they say, and she usually doesn’t recognize them because they look different or something. Granny, on the other hand, says she can hear them sometimes, but only rarely sees them. Phil wants to work with Granny because if Granny can tell her what they’re saying, interpret if you will, then she might learn to understand them too.”
The whole subject of ghosts had mostly sidetracked everyone from my mom and dad. I didn’t try to remedy that. Instead, I said to Tim, who was hovering close by, “Hey, you probably want to be in on this.” It was funny that he looked surprised to be included. I had to often remind myself to be nice to Tim. I had an easier time being nice to Ryan and Nick, the other guard, than Tim. Don’t as me why. Tim came over and stood near me, looking expectant.
“So, Pewter—um, Tina told me that her mate told her there were men near here who want to come here to the house. I don’t know any more than that except he didn’t think they were here as a welcome wagon.”
Tucker frowned. “He didn’t say when?”
“I believe he thought it would be tonight or tomorrow night.”
Tucker looked at Tim, who seemed tense. “What is your current security?” Tim asked. He and Tucker were soon deep in discussion.
I, personally, was tired, and if we expected trouble, then I should sleep while I could. I’d spent most of the day talking to individuals and planning a meeting for Saturday to vote on the choice of joining with Gabriel. I was supposed to be back at the medical center Tuesday at 2:00, and figured Gabriel would want to see me before that.
Now that it had been a few days since I’d seen Gabriel, I was wondering if it was really as big of a deal as I’d made it out to be. I mean, sure, I was attracted to him, but was there more than that? I remembered how scared I’d been, and how sure I’d been then that he had felt the connection too, that he had been altered by the meeting as I had. Now I wondered if that had been wishful thinking on my part. I mean, if he had been so drawn to me, why hadn’t he called? Not that I wanted him to call, of course not. But that was the main reason I hadn’t insisted that Tim call him. I didn’t want to come off as needy or whatever. This was ridiculous. I wasn’t in middle school! I was shaking my head as I excused myself and went off to bed.
There was no trouble that night, and I got a good night’s sleep. The next day went quickly as we planned for the meeting, which was the following day. We were on edge that evening as we fully expected some kind of visit or problem. Tucker had organized a whole town alert, which seemed a good idea in case more fires were set or more looting or other attacks occurred. We’d had two more people move in with us, and it was getting obvious that until things were safer, we were going to have to consider getting a bigger place if we kept grouping like this. The only bigger place I could think of that might work and hadn’t been destroyed by the fire was Hillmen’s Hotel not far from the fire-ravaged area. This old hotel had been bought and renovated by some rich guy from New York. It had been finished three months ago, but there had been some problem with finances of the rich guy, or maybe he just hadn’t paid his bills. Either way, it had never been re-opened. It was undamaged by the recent fire and in good shape. Most of the rooms had a kitchenette, and there was a middle-sized dining room/restaurant on the lowest floor, along with a lobby and mini-theater. I decided that we should look it over tomorrow or the day after and consider whether we could start either a second group of people over there, or just move everyone there. Apparently I had no trouble now just moving into buildings that weren’t actually mine.
I was deeply asleep and it was Saturday morning early—a little after three AM, when a rough shaking of my shoulder awakened me. I had been dreaming I had hit a train and was being thrown all over the car. I woke up and saw the person shaking me was Meri.
“What is it? Are we under attack?”
Meri looked pale and worried. “No. It’s little Jacob. He’s sick.”
“What? Why wake me? I’m no doctor.” I felt groggy and confused.
“No, he’s really sick. He won’t even cry anymore. He just lies there. The baby book I have says we need to take him to the ER, only there is no ER. Fred is losing it. He thinks it’s the same illness we all got—from the bombs.”
I pushed back my hair and rubbed my face. “But why now? No one has gotten sick for a long time.”
“The book says that sometimes babies are immune to illnesses in their first few months. And honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s something else.” She bit her lip. “I’m afraid he’s going to die.”
This was one of those times I hated being in charge. I had no idea what to do and here was Meri waiting for me to tell her how to deal with this. Okay, I told myself. Think. Where was the closest working hospital? Well, that was an easy one. The only working hospital I knew of was in St. Paul, the same place I was supposed to go to on Tuesday to get poked and prodded. I made up my mind in an instant. I couldn’t just sit by and let him die. I looked at Meri. “I want to see him.”
She led me out to the main room, where at least ten people were huddled around Fred, who was holding little Jake. As soon as I saw him, I was worried. He was pale and rather limp and already looked like he was losing the battle. I said, “Let’s put him in the car and head to St. Paul.”
Fred kept watching little Jacob, rocking him a little. Tucker frowned. “How will that help?”
“I know they’re using the medical center there. I met a doctor when I was there last Tuesday.” I saw Tucker look askance at me and I knew he thought I was keeping something from him. Karen was holding his hand, and she brightened. “We could ask Tim to call Gabriel. He’d know what to do.”
I asked Ryan, my guard who was on tonight, to wake up Tim since he was the only one who was allowed to call Gabriel. I don’t know if he would let me or not, and hadn’t asked, but if Tim wouldn’t call him I was going anyway and hoping for the best. I couldn’t just sit by and watch the baby die. Not little Jakie.
Ryan didn’t argue as Nick would have, just ran off to get Tim. Soon they were both back, Tim looking more alert than he had a right to for someone who had just been asleep. I went over to him. “Okay, Tim, our little Jacob is very sick. Do you know of a hospital closer than St. Paul that could help him?”
Tim shook his head, glancing at the baby.
“Then get on your phone and call Dr. Si English. I want to talk to him.”
Tim look
ed unsure. “I don’t …”
I decided to bluster my way though. “Look, I didn’t ask you, I’m telling you. Get on your cell phone and call whoever you have to call to get to Si English.” As he took out the phone I thought I had him, but he shook his head.
“That’s not part of my instructions.”
I looked him in the eye and said in a hard voice, “Either call, give me the phone, or I’ll just get in the car and go anyway, waking up your precious Gabriel and anyone else I have to in order to get help for Jake.”
He called so quickly that he was dialing before I finished my threat. He waited a while then shrugged. “It’s gone to voice mail.”
I snatched the phone from him. “Who did you call?”
“Melissa. She’s one of his assistants.” Pretty Melissa. I felt a sudden, unwanted, and totally inappropriate shot of jealousy. I ignored it.
“Who else can you call?”
“Uh, let me …” He thought, and then dialed another number. This time he reached someone. “Yes, um, well I have a problem.” He paused. “No, she’s fine. It’s someone else.” Pause. “No, she’s my concern, but she …” Pause. It looked like the person, whoever it was, was chewing Tim out for the interruption. I snatched the phone away from him.
“Hello? Who am I speaking to?” I snapped into the phone.
“This is Carl Miller-Thornton.”
“Okay, Carl. Do you know how to reach Dr. Si English?”
“No, ma’am, I don’t.”
I was fast moving from irritated and anxious to seriously upset and a little desperate. “I have a baby here who is dying.” I said harshly, seeing several people around Jacob flinch. “I am getting in our car and bringing him there as fast as I possibly can. Your job is to immediately find Si English and get him to tell me who can help this infant. Do you understand?”
There was a pause. “Um, yes ma’am,” Carl said.
“Good. I will expect you to call this phone in fifteen minutes or less and tell me your progress.”
“But … I don’t have the authority to do this.”
I nearly growled, “Who does?”
“I don’t … I mean, I could call around, and see if there is a doctor available.”
“You have fifteen minutes. If you haven’t made excellent progress, I’m going to call your great and beloved leader Gabriel and pull his butt out of bed to yell at you.” I actually thought if I called Gabriel he might just yell at me instead, but as I said, I was getting desperate. I could see Fred carrying Jacob, wrapped in a blanket, over to me.
I ended the call and turned to take Jacob. Fred backed up, holding the limp little baby to his chest. “I’m coming with you.”
Tucker stepped up. “Me too.”
“No!” I burst out. “Look, we aren’t sure if those men are coming tonight. We need you here. And, if you go with me, you may meet him—Gabriel. And you know what will happen.”
Fred said woodenly, “I’m going.” Tucker looked back at the group, undecided. I took advantage of that.
I went to him, ignoring Tim’s warning look at my proximity and Karen’s glare. I spoke quietly, almost in his ear. “Please, for me, please don’t come. Stay here and be safe and stay Tucker. Please.”
He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. “Okay.”
We grabbed keys and ran to the black Escalade that was the car Tim and the other Gabriel guys had driven down. I figured it would go the fastest. I considered the Mercedes briefly, but there were some parts of the Interstate that weren’t in the best of repair, so we had better stick with an SUV, albeit a luxury one.
We got in and Tim tried to get in to drive but I physically pushed him out of the way. Very conscious of the ‘no touch’ rule, he stumbled away from me, and I was in the driver’s seat before he could recover. I started the car and Tim barely had time to jump in the back seat to sit with Ryan. Fred and Jacob were in the front. No car seat for Jacob. I didn’t think Fred would let go of Jacob at this moment for anything. I also noticed that no one had taken the time to wake Nick, the other guard.
I sped out of the driveway and headed towards the Interstate. We’d reached it and were going along at ninety miles an hour when Tim’s phone rang. Had it been fifteen minutes already? Tim answered it. He murmured into it too quietly for me to hear him, his other hand over his ear so he could hear better. As soon as he shut the phone I looked at him in the rearview mirror. “Well?”
“Carl found a doctor who will meet us at the clinic.”
“Who is the doctor? Does he have pediatric experience?” Fred asked tightly.
“I don’t know.” Tim shrugged, and I glared at his insensitivity.
“Why don’t you call him back and ask? Also, you might want to tell him how far we are, and when you expect we’ll arrive.” My voice was worried, and also a bit condescending. Did I have to think of everything?
I didn’t hear Tim talking, and figured he was ignoring me. I couldn’t very well glare at him and order him around while driving, not that I was at all sure that I actually had any power to make anyone do anything. I sighed and decided to wait a few minutes and then bark at him to do it. I looked over at Jacob, and for a minute thought he was already gone, then I saw his eyelids flutter, and let out my breath in relief. I pressed a little harder on the accelerator. We were really flying now. If we hit something that was in the road—even a deer, we wouldn’t have to worry about Jacob, because he’d never survive it. I gritted my teeth and slowed down to seventy-five. I needed to have a little faith he would survive. I saw Fred frown at the speedometer and said quietly, “I don’t think killing us all will do him any good.”
Fred returned to watching his little brother. Jacob was really more like Fred’s son now. Of course with all of us taking turns keeping an eye on him (he was so spoiled, but no one ever suggested we let him cry) we all felt like Jacob was family. It would really hit us hard if he died.
I started to think about a book I read once where some disease had decimated the world, leaving something like one percent of the people after it passed. And in this world, they had wondered if the disease would just kill every child they tried to have. So much for repopulating. What if that was true here? What if we were just toxic now, and no one could be around us? No, Gabriel had said it wasn’t contagious. I wish I’d pressed him more on exactly what it was. Had he already thought of this problem? Had anyone successfully delivered since the bombs?
I noticed Tim put his cell phone to his ear. I hadn’t even heard it ring. I kept glancing back until I noticed he had that same vague, rapt expression on his face, and I knew suddenly who was talking to him. Part of me wanted to yell at him to give me the phone, but on the other hand, did I want to show Gabriel I was that obsessed? Hell, he probably knew anyway. Before I could decide, Tim handed the cell phone to me, saying, “He wants to talk to you.”
I took the phone and put it to my ear. My hand was shaking, and I glared at it as if that would help. “Yes?” I tried to sound casual.
“You have a problem?” Gabriel’s rich voice inquired. Even though the line was a little staticky, it still sounded wonderful. Just like something you could curl around.
“Yes, a very sick baby.”
He said, “And you’re on your way here? You want me to help?” Was there amusement in his tone? Pig.
“If you aren’t too busy.” The sarcasm was unmistakable, I hoped.
He repeated, “You’re asking for my help. Hmm. I guess you’ll owe me more than just one.”
I would have cheerfully strangled him if I weren’t miles away. As it was, I wanted to tell him what he could do with his help, but I couldn’t. Not with Jacob so sick. So I kept my voice even, although my words weren’t exactly meek. “Is there a pediatrician? Have other babies gotten ill?”
“Yes, and no. Mostly no other sick babies because the vast majority of the babies died in the aftermath.” It was hard to tell what his tone was here. Did he even care about that? The worst part was that at the sa
me time as I was angry and fervently wishing I could smack him for being so unfeeling, I was totally aware of his voice working on me. I was softening up inside, and I didn’t like it one bit.
“Can you have the doctor there?”
“I could. What is my incentive?”
I took the phone away from my ear and stared at it. I don’t think I’d ever been this mad in my life. Maybe this is how Eddy felt when he’d gone crazy and attacked me. Maybe I was going crazy right now. I felt tears sting my eyes. I put the phone back to my ear. “You are a pig,” I said succinctly.
He chuckled. “Which way are you coming in?”
“Interstate 35,” I said automatically. Why had he laughed? Had he just been teasing me? Or was he such a pig that he didn’t even care that he was one?
“And where are you now?”
I told him.
“The medical center had extensive damage to the emergency area, so you should come in the front. We have rearranged it so our little ER is right there.”
“All right,” I said.
He waited a moment. “What? No thank you? No appreciation at all for my help?”
I gritted my teeth. “Thank you.”
“Now, was that so hard?” He again sounded amused.
“Actually, yes,” I snapped.
“We’ll just have to make sure you get used to being grateful,” he said. Before I could answer, the phone beeped, signifying that the call was finished. I threw it back to Tim, probably harder than necessary and glared at the road ahead.
I suddenly had a thought. “Fred? Do you remember when I was so nervous before the town meeting and you calmed me down somehow? How does that work?”
Fred said distractedly, “Sometimes I can take someone else’s thoughts or emotions, I’m not sure which it is, and sort of transfer them to me. I’ve only done it a few times because it’s horrible. Like when I took on your nervousness, I had to run right out of the auditorium and throw up. I was shaking and nervous without any reason for feeling like that. It seems to be worse somehow when I take it on than it was for the original person.”