{"id":531,"date":"2011-08-19T00:00:56","date_gmt":"2011-08-19T04:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=531"},"modified":"2011-08-19T00:00:56","modified_gmt":"2011-08-19T04:00:56","slug":"day-10-chapter-9-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=531","title":{"rendered":"Day 10 – Chapter 9 – 08"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline shook her head, staring down at Thom\u2019s ankle, still black and blue and swollen to the size of a small grapefruit.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, Thom, we gave you those crutches so you\u2019d stay off<\/em> your ankle.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI am<\/em> staying off of it.\u00a0 Mostly.\u201d\u00a0 He winced as Jacqueline pressed a thumb against a tender spot.\u00a0 \u201cOw.\u00a0 Will you stop poking it, for Christsake?\u00a0 Where\u2019s J.T.?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cStill out with Drew and Care,\u201d Jacqueline said, brow furrowing.\u00a0 There was starting to be brown and yellow around the edges of the bruising.\u00a0 Signs of healing.\u00a0 That\u2019s a good thing.\u00a0 Thank God for any favor.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cWould you rather Leah be doing this?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom grimaced and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot a chance.\u00a0 We both know doesn\u2019t have enough patience to deal with me.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take the implication that I do as a compliment,\u201d Jacqueline said, smiling wryly.\u00a0 She started to adjust the splint on his ankle.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGood,\u201d Thom said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s how I meant it.\u201d\u00a0 They lapsed into silence as he watched her work.\u00a0 She was almost done with his ankle when he coughed, then moaned, one hand going to his ribs.\u00a0 Her head snapped up.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAre they still <\/em>bothering you that much?\u00a0 Did you take something?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After a moment\u2019s hesitation, he answered, \u201cHalf a dose.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline swallowed a groan.\u00a0 Idiot.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cThom, you need to take the full dose, maybe more.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got messed up ribs and the only thing we can do for them is control your pain so you can cough and sneeze and move so your lungs don\u2019t fill with fluid so you don\u2019t get pneumonia and die.\u00a0 You want to die, Thom?\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0 What would that do to Marin?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He started to snarl, then his face fell and he sighed.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u00a0 Fine.\u00a0 You\u2019re right.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take more when we\u2019re done here, okay?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAre you patronizing me?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he said, a little too quickly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline frowned and stood up.\u00a0 Not playing these games with you right now, Thom.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m tired of this, Thom.\u00a0 Leah can deal with you.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou agreed that she doesn\u2019t have the patience for me.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWell right now I don\u2019t either,\u201d Jacqueline snapped.\u00a0 \u201cJesus Christ himself wouldn\u2019t have patience for you patronizing all of us when we\u2019re trying to take care of you!\u00a0 We\u2019re trying to make sure you don\u2019t up and die<\/em> on us.\u00a0 We\u2019re not telling you to take pills so you\u2019re comfortable<\/em>.\u00a0 If it was just your ankle, we wouldn\u2019t care whether or not you took the pills.\u00a0 But it\u2019s your ribs we\u2019re worried about so could you please stop being a total jerk and take your damn medicine?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The activity in their general vicinity ceased completely.\u00a0 Professor Doyle stopped on his way to where he was working with Marin.\u00a0 Matt stopped dead in his tracks with an armload of wood.\u00a0 Leah dropped the basket of clothes she\u2019d washed and hung to dry.\u00a0 Anyone else nearby momentarily stopped what they were doing\u2014no one even dared to breathe<\/em>.\u00a0 Few, if any, had heard her raise her voice to anyone\u2014Rory being the sole exception to that<\/em> rule\u2014and none<\/em> of them had ever heard her swear.\u00a0 She glared at them roundly and most went back to their business.\u00a0 Leah came a little closer, abandoning the basket and looking between Jacqueline and Thom.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat the heck is that all about?\u00a0 What\u2019s going on?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline turned toward her and pointed at Thom.\u00a0 \u201cYou <\/em>deal with him.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Leah blinked, opening her mouth to protest, but Jacqueline didn\u2019t give her a chance to refuse, storming off in the general direction of where Marin was working, on the planting beds.\u00a0 I have not the faintest idea how she deals with him when he gets like this.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad it\u2019s her and not me.<\/em>\u00a0 She paused at the thought, grimacing.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t very nice, but it was probably true.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou okay, Jac?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She spun, ready to take out her annoyance at Thom on whoever had just come up behind her, then went quiet as she saw a grease-spattered Davon standing there, trying to clean his face and hands with an old rag.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d she said after a moment, feeling most of her annoyance drain away. \u00a0\u201cThom\u2019s just being a pain in the butt and I don\u2019t want to deal with it right now.\u201d\u00a0 She looked him slowly up and down.\u00a0 There was even grease in his hair<\/em>.\u00a0 How did he get all full of\u2026?<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cWhat were you doing?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe generators are starting to go down.\u00a0 Not sure what\u2019s up with that, since I didn\u2019t see any actual damage, but I got the one working again.\u00a0 Hopefully it\u2019ll keep chugging along until the building comes all the way down.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline grimaced.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t sure that she liked the idea of any of them risking entry into any of the buildings on campus, considering most of them were in various states of collapse.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure that\u2019s safe?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Davon shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWe need those freezers to keep working as long as we can keep them working, right?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI guess,\u201d she said, frowning.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re careful when you go in there, right?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOf course.\u00a0 Why wouldn\u2019t I be?\u201d\u00a0 He grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t have a death wish like some of our friends seem to.\u201d\u00a0 He paused, looking around for a moment, then stepped closer to her, dropping his voice low.\u00a0 For a brief moment, she found herself distracted by how good he seemed to smell, even after working on the generators, before she realized he was talking.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you say?\u201d\u00a0 She asked, hoping that the blush she felt rising wasn\u2019t evident on her face.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He frowned a little, then repeated, \u201cDo you know what those funny little piles of rocks all around the camp are all about?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou mean the cross piles with the leaves and circles?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Davon nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, those.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cApparently, something I\u2019m not supposed to worry about,\u201d she told him.\u00a0 They\u2019ve got something to do with the stuff that Mar and Kel and Rory and Drew tried not to talk about around me.\u00a0 Don\u2019t know why.\u00a0 Maybe they figured I wouldn\u2019t approve.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cWhy\u2019re you asking?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He shook his head, shrugging.\u00a0 \u201cI almost tripped over one of them out by where Thom and Rory staked out the perimeter for the walls they want to put up, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 Looked weird.\u201d\u00a0 His eye twitched a little.\u00a0 Jacqueline cocked her head to one side.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019s more to the story than that, but God knows he probably won\u2019t tell me.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYou could ask Kel or Marin.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI guess I could.\u00a0 Is Kellin even back yet?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNot yet, but they said not to expect them back until around dinnertime, maybe, depending on what they found at the farm.\u00a0 Marin\u2019s here, though.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Davon grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but I\u2019m not sure I want to ask her.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhy not?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He shifted uncomfortably, apparently unable to meet her gaze.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDavon?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The words tumbled over each other as he spoke.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I don\u2019t know if she\u2019s sane<\/em>, Jac!\u00a0 Right now I\u2019m really not sure we\u2019re doing a smart thing by hanging onto whatever\u2026hallucinations she has as some kind of prophetic\u2026something.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline set her jaw, planting one hand on her hip.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t believe her?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He spread his hands.\u00a0 \u201cDo you?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAs a matter of fact\u2026yeah, I do.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Davon went quiet, staring at his shoes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026I should go get cleaned up.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cProbably,\u201d she agreed, suppressing a wince at the ice in her tone.\u00a0 She watched him as he turned to go, then she asked as he made his retreat, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you believe her?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He turned toward her, frowning.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I\u2019m afraid of what it might mean if the world\u2019s actually ended.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She nodded and watched him walk away.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re all scared, Davon,\u201d she whispered at his back, even though he couldn\u2019t hear her.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s what we do with that fear that counts.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline shook her head, staring down at Thom\u2019s ankle, still black and blue and swollen to the size of a small grapefruit.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, Thom, we gave you those crutches so you\u2019d stay off your ankle.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI am … 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":[25,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-9","category-day-10"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-8z","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531","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=531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}