{"id":608,"date":"2011-09-09T00:00:56","date_gmt":"2011-09-09T04:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=608"},"modified":"2011-08-30T10:51:11","modified_gmt":"2011-08-30T14:51:11","slug":"day-15-chapter-10-marin-02","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=608","title":{"rendered":"Day 15 – Chapter 10 – Marin – 02"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We made our way in silence back up the trail and to the ward lines, at which point I took Kellin\u2019s bucket from her.\u00a0 \u201cGo double check them.\u00a0 I can handle this.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou sure?\u201d\u00a0 She eyed me for a moment, looking at the buckets, the way my arms trembled a little as I held them.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Go check the wards.\u201d\u00a0 The buckets were heavy, but they weren\u2019t any heavier than any of the digging equipment I\u2019d hauled around during field school, or the furniture I\u2019d moved around while working for camps and conferences.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t like I was going to have to haul them very far, anyhow.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019d gone another ten feet before Tala grasped my arm, took one of the buckets out of my hand, and set it aside.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI need to talk to you,\u201d she hissed in an urgent whisper, relieving me of the other bucket and setting it next to the first.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cTala, they need the water back by\u2014\u201d\u00a0 She pressed a finger against my lips.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYour brother can wait for the goddamned water, Mar.\u00a0 I need to talk to you now<\/em>.\u00a0 It can\u2019t wait.\u201d\u00a0 She grabbed me by the elbow and tugged me away from where the camp was waking up, toward the shadows of the collapsing dorms behind the tents.\u00a0 I stared at the back of her head as she dragged me over.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What\u2019s got her all knotted up?<\/em>\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t remember the last time I\u2019d seen her upset like this.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure if I ever had, really.\u00a0 \u201cTala, what\u2019s so damn important?\u201d\u00a0 I asked her quietly as we eased into the shadows.\u00a0 Tala pressed her back against a slab of concrete, brows knitting.\u00a0 She hugged her arms across her body, looking back toward the tents to make sure someone wasn\u2019t about to overhear us.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m scared, Marin.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aren\u2019t we all?\u00a0 You dragged me over here to tell me that?<\/em>\u00a0 I swallowed that response and frowned at her, watching her closely.\u00a0 There was a certain kind of terror in her eyes, the look of someone who doesn\u2019t know what they\u2019re going to do, isn\u2019t sure what their options are.\u00a0 My stomach dropped a little.\u00a0 \u201cOf what?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She glanced toward the tent again and didn\u2019t look at me as her voice dropped to a bare whisper.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m pregnant, Marin.\u00a0 Pretty sure I am, anyway.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I rocked back against my heels, staring at her for a moment.\u00a0 She risked a glance at me and must not have liked the look on my face, because hers crumpled.\u00a0 She slumped against the slab, covering her face with her hands.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do!\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I took her by the shoulders, stepping closer again.\u00a0 \u201cCalm down,\u201d I said quietly, drawing her into a hug.\u00a0 She threw her arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder.\u00a0 I winced a little, hugging her tight.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you know?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFour pregnancy tests in ten days is how I know,\u201d she whispered through her tears.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m three weeks late, Mar.\u00a0 That and positive tests\u2026what else could it be?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She definitely had me there.\u00a0 I squeezed her.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Tala.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHow am I supposed to do this without Kurt, Marin?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t doubted for an instant that the baby was Kurt Davison\u2019s\u2014Tala had been dating him for the past two years and we\u2019d been wondering when he\u2019d pop the question.\u00a0 He\u2019d been back on the other side of the state the weekend the world ended, getting ready for an interview at one of the local news affiliates there on Monday morning.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Who knows if he\u2019s even alive or dead?<\/em>\u00a0 I winced at the thought, glad she couldn\u2019t see it.\u00a0 I squeezed her more tightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to be okay, Tala, because you\u2019ve got us.\u00a0 We\u2019ll help you, I promise.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She leaned against me, crying into my shoulder\u2014whether in relief or despair, I couldn\u2019t be sure\u2014and I just held her, mind awhirl.\u00a0 What are we going to do? \u00a0How are we going to handle this?\u00a0 I never dreamed that we\u2019d have to face something like this so <\/em>soon.\u00a0 And for her to be alone, without Kurt\u2026I don\u2019t know that I\u2019d be able to handle her kind of situation.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I could do it without Thom.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I rubbed her back until she started to calm down, hiccupping as she pulled away and looking at me with red-rimmed eyes.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just so terrified, Mar.\u00a0 Why did this happen?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I exhaled and shook my head.\u00a0 \u201cJac would tell you that God\u2019s got some kind of plan.\u00a0 I\u2019d say that things happen for a reason.\u201d\u00a0 I held her at arms\u2019 length.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to be okay, Tala.\u00a0 I promise<\/em> you.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She wiped her eyes and sniffled, staring at me for a long moment, then nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u00a0 But I\u2019m going to hold you to that.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I laughed and hugged her again.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We made our way in silence back up the trail and to the ward lines, at which point I took Kellin\u2019s bucket from her.\u00a0 \u201cGo double check them.\u00a0 I can handle this.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou sure?\u201d\u00a0 She eyed me for … 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":[23,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-10","category-day-15"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-9O","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608","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=608"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":660,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608\/revisions\/660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}