{"id":1548,"date":"2012-12-21T00:00:49","date_gmt":"2012-12-21T05:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1548"},"modified":"2012-12-21T00:03:12","modified_gmt":"2012-12-21T05:03:12","slug":"winter-chapter-28-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1548","title":{"rendered":"Winter – Chapter 28 – 01"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve shot upright in the bed with a cry as if someone had stabbed <\/span>her<\/span><\/em> in the side, eyes watering from that new pain even as the old pain made itself known again.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhoa!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The small blonde that had helped her in the field beyond the walls jerked out of her chair and came over to her beside. She touched her shoulder and tried to gently push her back down against her pillows.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSettle down.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNo,\u201d Neve whispered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSomething\u2019s happened to Cameron.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Where is he?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d the other woman said honestly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHe went to talk to Thom and Marin.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The names didn\u2019t mean that much to her as Neve frowned, lips thinning to a tight line.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You need to find him.\u00a0 <\/span>Something bad happened.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He needs you now.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>She tried to shake off the small blonde so she could get out of bed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI need to get to him.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019re running a fever of at least a hundred and three,\u201d her caretaker snapped.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019re going <\/span>nowhere<\/span><\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Now lay back down.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t you dare give up.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve swallowed a whimper and tried to push her away again, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, a stubborn set to her jaw.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her injured leg screamed in pain but she fought not to let that show.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The woman with her growled in annoyance.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cFor goodness sake, just <\/span>stay still<\/span><\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Stay here and I\u2019ll go find him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Don\u2019t try to walk on that leg or it\u2019ll never heal right.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve hesitated, then leaned back, biting her lip.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHurry,\u201d she whispered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPlease, just <\/span>hurry<\/span><\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The blonde gave her a brief, hard look, then grabbed a jacket and ducked out the door, leaving Neve alone in the small, snug space.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We must have made it,<\/em><\/span> she thought.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Is Phelan here?\u00a0 <\/span>Is he still alive?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>How long have I been out?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>She frowned.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She couldn\u2019t remember anything since laying in the snow and mud out in the field before the settlement\u2019s walls.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They must be within those walls, now.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She took a few deep breaths, trying to gather herself.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her side ached, a deep, gnawing pain that wasn\u2019t from her own injuries.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>What happened, Cam?\u00a0 <\/span>What happened this time?<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She flinched at the sound of gunfire.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gods and monsters.\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s going on out there?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>She bit down harder on her lip and hugged her good leg against her chest.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I should be with him.\u00a0 <\/span>I shouldn\u2019t be trapped in here like this.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Damn it, anyway.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>She started to get out of bed again, deciding she didn\u2019t care how badly she ended up\u2014she wasn\u2019t where she needed to be.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now where\u2019s something I can use as a crutch?<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The woman in the doorway was thin, her hair pale brown and stick-straight, yanked back from her face in a messy ponytail.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Leaning against the edge of her bed, Neve lifted her chin to meet the other woman\u2019s gaze.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cGoing to look for Cameron.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d the woman said, marching over.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve\u2019s breath caught as she saw the barest glimmer of blue and green and gossamer wings perched on the woman\u2019s shoulder, hanging onto her earlobe.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What in heaven and hell and all the worlds\u2014<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cGet back in bed,\u201d the woman said sternly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhatever\u2019s going on out there is going to be over soon and then he\u2019ll be back, I promise.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat <\/span>is<\/span><\/em> going on out there?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve asked as the other woman manhandled her back into a horizontal position.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The thin girl was stronger than she looked.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSome kind of fight,\u201d the girl said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPar for the course around here, I\u2019m sorry to say.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She reached behind Neve and adjusted the pillows before gently pushing her down against them.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNow lay still so you don\u2019t undo all the work Jac did.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cJac?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve asked.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThe <\/span>first<\/span><\/em> one who told you to stay put,\u201d her new companion said as she adjusted Neve\u2019s blankets.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cShe asked me to keep an eye on you while she went looking for your lover.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve felt color stain her cheeks and looked away.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWas it that obvious?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOnly to people who know how to look for it.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd you do?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOh you bet,\u201d the girl said with a grin.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe got a lot of practice with each other before shit hit the fan.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s the problem with surviving the end of the world with a big group of friends.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Everyone already knows who was interested in each other.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She blushed a little.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWell, maybe not <\/span>quite<\/span><\/em> everyone, but the point mostly stands.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cRight,\u201d Neve said, drawing the blanket tight as she became abruptly aware of the goosebumps rising along her arms and legs.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhere did we end up, anyway?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I know it\u2019s what used to be Michigan, but\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cFifteen, twenty miles from the lake of the same name,\u201d the woman said quietly, perching on the edge of the bed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOn what used to be a college campus.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOh,\u201d Neve said, trying not to reveal that her words barely meant anything.<\/span>\u00a0 Why did I even ask?<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Because you\u2019re terrified that Cameron\u2019s bleeding to death somewhere and you\u2019ve got to keep talking so you don\u2019t sink into some kind of pit, that\u2019s why.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The door burst open as her eyelids started to grow oddly heavy.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She snapped upright and swore at the pain that lanced through her chest.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Then she swore again as she saw Cameron\u2019s pale face and the blood welling from a wound in his side.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Neve shot upright in the bed with a cry as if someone had stabbed her in the side, eyes watering from that new pain even as the old pain made itself known again. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhoa!\u201d\u00a0 The small blonde that … 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":[35,67,14,52,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-2","category-chapter-28","category-story","category-winter","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-oY","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548","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=1548"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1550,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548\/revisions\/1550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}