Sick

46

Most everyone at Cryer’s Corner was asleep. The Flu Crew, as the segregated group had come to call themselves, was spread throughout the cafe. The only two who still seemed to be awake were Martina and Ben. They were lying on the floor next to the booth in the back corner.

Understandably, blankets were in short supply. The residences of Cryer’s Corner had been able to scrounge enough so most of the girls had one, but the men had to sleep in jackets and whatever else they could find to wear.

Thankfully, though, the heater in the cafe worked well enough that no one had to dress like they were spending the night in the Arctic.

“Do you think this might be the last night we remember?” Chloe asked.

“God, I hope not. I’m supposed to go to Europe this summer. I hate to think of all those Italian girls I wouldn’t be able to meet.”

“Ha ha. Funny. I’m serious. This flu is supposed to come on quick, and, and…that’s it.”

“Paul’s still around,” Ben said.

“Yeah, but he’s sick.”

“I’ll bet you a glass of orange juice he’s still here in the morning.”

She couldn’t help but smile. Ben had been optimistic since she’d watched him drive into the desert to get Paul. He was always trying to keep things light and put a good spin on what was happening. Too bad he was three years older than she was, and in college. Of course, she’d be in college in the fall…

Well, not of course, she realized. She wasn’t likely to be anywhere in the fall.

“What’s it like being on your own?” she asked.

He glanced at her. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Tell me.”

He looked back at the ceiling. “Well, I’m not as good a cook as my mom. And you get bills every month from all these people for water and electricity and your cell phone and your rent. I don’t like that part.”

“Yeah, but you get to set your own schedule. Stay up as late as you want. Go wherever you’d like.”

“True. That is nice. It’s a balance, like everything else, you know? You just hope the side with the good things is heavier than the side with the bad.”

She snorted. “Seems like the bad side’s pretty heavy right now.”

“It ain’t light, that’s for sure. But there are some good things.”

“Doubtful.”

“You learned how to use a CB. That’s a skill you never had before.”

Despite herself, she laughed.

“You got to climb up on top of a gas station.”

“You saw me?”

“Of course. You got to meet me. That’s gotta count for something.”

She held her tongue, worried she’d say something stupid.

“I promise,” he said. “Tomorrow won’t be the last morning you wake up.”

She looked at him.

“Second to last, maybe. But not the last,” he told her, then smiled.

She knew he was just trying to make her laugh, but suddenly an image of her mom’s face appeared in her mind. Her mom who’d been so proud of her, such a big supporter of everything she did.

Martina couldn’t help the tears that began to flow, nor could she stop them.

Ben immediately moved over to her, putting his arms around her. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry. It was a bad joke.”

“No,” she said, her head tucked in his shoulder. “It was funny. I just…I just started thinking about…home.”

She continued to cry as he stroked her hair, whispering, “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Her strength drained way with her tears, and she could feel sleep taking hold. Maybe it would be all right. Maybe it would all be fine.

She heard a noise right before she fell asleep. It didn’t completely register, but somewhere in the back of her mind she knew what it was.

A cough.