{"id":1006,"date":"2012-01-09T00:00:18","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T05:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1006"},"modified":"2012-01-01T20:38:54","modified_gmt":"2012-01-02T01:38:54","slug":"autumn-chapter-1-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1006","title":{"rendered":"Autumn – Chapter 1 – 03"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Greg Doyle watched Matt and Phelan walk past, trailing in Thom\u2019s wake.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He wiggled his fingers absently as he did.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>His arm itched but didn\u2019t hurt anymore, not like it had in those first few days after the break.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He could move his hand and fingers without pain, but he tried to keep his hand mostly still.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline smacked him in the knee.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cStop moving, Professor.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I have to get this splint all the way back on before you start getting ambitious again.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He laughed quietly and stopped, fingers going still as Jacqueline shook her head and eased his arm splint back into place.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSorry, Jac.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I was just thinking.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAbout how to get more dirt under your bandages?\u201d she asked, not unkindly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He laughed again.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNo, nothing like that.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It just seems like it\u2019s getting easier.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Her gaze flicked up to him, brows knitting.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s getting easier?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Greg waved his good hand at the activity going on around where they sat near the freshly dug and masoned well.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Working together, surviving.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Not that it\u2019ll stay that way, but it feels like a black cloud\u2019s lifted, now that things are out in the open.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He meant the abilities that had begun to manifest in earnest since the meteorfall.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>One or two people still looked at their fellows sideways, but they weren\u2019t inclined to cut and run, either.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That boded well for them all in the long run\u2014or so he hoped.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline sighed softly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWell, it\u2019s not like it could all stay a secret forever, not with the attack.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her voice hitched slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Greg touched her wrist with his free hand and she steadied, offering up a smile that was only just barely forced.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m all right,\u201d she whispered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cStill getting used to the idea of all of it, but I\u2019m all right.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She smiled again, this time genuinely, and went back to her work on his arm.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He just shook his head slightly.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI know, it\u2019s weird.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s even weird for me, and I always hoped that one day I\u2019d wake up and be able to feel the world around me the way I can now.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He smiled sheepishly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBe careful what you wish for and all that.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline laughed weakly as she finished with the splint.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYeah, that\u2019s it exactly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I still don\u2019t even know what I did, just that I did it and it worked.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But I guess that\u2019s all that\u2019s important, right?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She patted his knee.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m done with you.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Try not to get it all dirty again.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What the hell were you doing, anyway?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOh.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Greg smiled sheepishly as he got to his feet.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPhelan and I were planting holly along the edges of the settlement closer to the ravine, the areas we\u2019re not going to wall off just yet.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Just\u2026ah\u2026an extra line of defense, if you will.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>A brow went up.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHolly?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYup.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She massaged her temples for a moment, frowning.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m almost afraid to ask, but why holly?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Isn\u2019t it just a Christmas decoration plant, kind of like mistletoe?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Greg just gave her a sly, almost mysterious grin.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s a protective wood,\u201d he said simply, shrugging slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSacred to the druids of old.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And it\u2019s easier to plant and nurture at this juncture than oak.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He winked and dusted himself off.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI managed to rescue some seedlings.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019ll spread if we let them.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Phelan and I will keep an eye on them and they\u2019ll do fine, and hopefully help keep anything nasty at bay.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Just in case someone starts mucking around with things they shouldn\u2019t again.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDo we have any idea who was screwing with those wardings before?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline looked up only briefly as she packed up the toolbox she used as a medical kit.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A flicker of concern passed through her eyes before she looked back down again, concentrating on her work as much as his answer.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNot so far as I know,\u201d Greg said quietly, frowning slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 Though nothing\u2019s happened since Phelan came, so maybe whoever it was left with the last bunch.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>He almost shuddered to consider other possibilities.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOf course, I\u2019m not sure anyone\u2019s willing to stir up that hornet\u2019s nest right about now.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMarin brought everything out into the open so we could all <\/span>stop<\/span><\/em> feeling like we were walking on eggshells,\u201d Jacqueline said with a heartfelt sigh.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMaybe that\u2019s just not meant to be.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She snapped her kit shut and shook her head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMaybe we\u2019ll be treading lightly forever.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNot forever,\u201d Greg murmured, shaking his head slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAt some point, we\u2019ll sort it all out and folks will get used to living with all of this and dealing with it all on a daily basis.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019ll just become another fact of life.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s just going to take some time.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou sound pretty sure about that.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Well, I have to be.\u00a0 <\/span>Otherwise, we\u2019ve risked a lot for no reason.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThat\u2019s because I am.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We just have to adapt\u2014first as the microcosm, then as the larger whole.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Now she was looking at him strangely, nose wrinkling.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s <\/span>that<\/span><\/em> supposed to mean?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Greg grinned.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt means we start small and go from there.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She stared at him for a long moment, then said quietly, \u201cDo you really think there are more people out there?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Like us and not like us?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>His expression smoothed out and he nodded.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThere must be.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We can\u2019t be the only living souls left in the world.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>If we are, fate\u2019s made a grave error.\u00a0 <\/span>There\u2019s just not enough of us.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe already stumbled over Paul and Angie.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ll either stumble over more, or they\u2019ll stumble over us.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Hopefully not <\/span>too<\/span><\/em> soon, though.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHow soon would be too soon?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBefore winter\u2019s come and gone.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Greg shook his head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s not going to be an easy winter by any stretch of the imagination.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>If we\u2019re lucky, we\u2019ll all survive and not starve to death before we can grow more food.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI thought that\u2019s what your greenhouses were for.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Yeah, those.\u00a0 <\/span>Hopefully they\u2019ll work and everything will stay warm and contained enough for us to grow extra food over the winter\u2014at least enough for us to plant seeds in the spring.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThey\u2019re an experiment that I\u2019m hoping will work, like Thom\u2019s hoping the heating systems will work, that the bathhouse he wants to build will work.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Wings and prayers, Jac.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She deadpanned at him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019re being incredibly reassuring, Professor, thank you.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Have a little faith.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In what?<\/em><\/span> He wondered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He smiled briefly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019ll try, Jac.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cGood,\u201d she said, tone firm and brooking no argument.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Then she grinned.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNow get back to work!<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Just don\u2019t get that thing dirty.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She pointed to his splint.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He chuckled.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Odds were he\u2019d have it dirty again by dinner unless he could find some gloves that would fit over the lower edge of the splint.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019ll try,\u201d he said again as they parted company, she to do whatever she was going to do, he to hunt down Phelan, Marin, or Tala, whoever he came across first.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Greg Doyle watched Matt and Phelan walk past, trailing in Thom\u2019s wake.\u00a0 He wiggled his fingers absently as he did.\u00a0 His arm itched but didn\u2019t hurt anymore, not like it had in those first few days after the break.\u00a0 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,35,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autumn","category-book-2","category-book-2-chapter-01"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-ge","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1006"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1007,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006\/revisions\/1007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}