Sick

53

As they sped away from NB7, Chloe called Matt, requesting a safe house and a doctor. They were directed to the home of an elderly woman in a small, Western Idaho town. Despite the fact the sun had yet to come up when they arrived, she smiled at the children and told everyone to make themselves at home, then disappeared into a room in the back.

Ash hunted down some aspirin for Chloe, then found a couple of bedrooms upstairs and told Josie and Brandon they could use them. But instead of separating, they chose to share a room. He could tell they were still unsure if it was really him, but he didn’t want to push himself on them.

After they were settled, he cleaned out his wound again. The first time he’d done it had been in a gas station restroom, not exactly the most sterile of places. This time he found some rubbing alcohol in the medicine cabinet, and poured it into the groove on his arm. It burned worse than when he’d actually been hit, but he knew he had to do it, and dumped nearly half the bottle over the wound before he stopped.

When he returned downstairs, he found Chloe propped up on the couch.

“Why don’t you get some sleep,” he suggested.

“I tried, but this isn’t going to let me,” she told him, touching her leg.

He wished he could do something more for her. The pain seemed to be hitting her in waves. She’d be fine for a bit, then, with no warning, would close her eyes tight and cringe.

Just short of an hour after they arrived, there was a knock on the door. It was Pax and Billy. Billy quickly checked both patients, then gave Chloe a sedative that allowed her to fall asleep. As soon as she was out, he dealt with Ash’s wound.

“Clean this yourself?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Remind me not to use you as a nurse.”

More burning, then a bandage to cover the gash. When he was through, Billy examined Ash’s face, looking at the scars of the surgery from what seemed so long ago.

With a simple “It looks like nothing’s going to fall off,” Billy went to see what he could do about Chloe’s leg.

“You got ‘em,” Pax said, once he and Ash were alone.

“Yeah, I did.” Ash knew he should be happy, but the worry he’d had for his kids’ safety had turned into worry for their mental well-being. Sometimes being a parent sucked. “Thanks for your help. Those mini-explosives you gave me, I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“Don’t even worry about it.”

They talked a little longer, but at some point Ash fell asleep. How Pax and Billy got him into a bed upstairs, he had no idea. But that’s where he woke to an afternoon sun shining through the window.

He showered, put on the new clothes someone had laid out for him, and headed downstairs. He found Pax and the old woman in the kitchen, laughing and having a cup of coffee.

“Where’s Josie and Brandon?” he asked, alarmed.

“Your kids are fine,” the old woman said. “They’re out back, playing with the dog.”

Ash walked over to the open back door and looked out the screen. Josie was sitting on a picnic bench, petting the head of a golden retriever while Brandon was trying to coax the dog away with a ball. It seemed so…normal.

“And Chloe?” Ash asked.

“Billy took her back to the ranch,” Pax said. “Said she needs surgery on the leg, but that she should be fine.”

Ash hadn’t told her thank you. He should have done it already, but he’d been too drained to even think about it.

“Can I get you a cup of coffee?” the woman asked.

Ash shook his head. “Not right now, thanks.”

He opened the screen door and stepped into the backyard. Both his kids looked over and stared at him. He wondered if their uncertainty would ever go away, if they’d ever truly believe he was their dad.

As he walked toward them, the golden retriever ran to him. Ash knelt down and petted the dog’s head. “Hey, buddy.” He looked over at his children. “What’s his name?”

Neither of them said anything for a moment, then Brandon took a step forward. “Strider.”

“Hello there, Strider,” Ash said to the dog.

Strider wagged his tail and licked Ash’s hand.

“He likes to play catch,” Brandon said.

Ash stood up. “You have a ball?”

Brandon nodded and showed him the tennis ball in his hand.

“Throw it for him,” Ash said.

Brandon tossed the ball across the yard, and Strider took off after it. As the dog was bringing the ball back to the boy, Ash casually walked over.

“Can I try?” he asked.

“Sure,” Brandon said, handing him the ball.

They played toss with the dog for several minutes, alternating turns, with neither of them really saying anything. While they did this, Josie sat quietly on the bench watching them.

As Ash was about to throw the ball again, Josie said, “Why did they tell us you were dead?”

Ash paused for a moment, then let the ball fly. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Because they weren’t very nice, I guess. They told me you were both dead, too.”

“They did?” Brandon said.

Ash nodded.

Strider returned with the ball and dropped it at Brandon’s feet, but the boy didn’t seem to notice. Brandon looked at his father for a moment, then glanced at his sister and whispered something just low enough so Ash couldn’t hear it.

Josie seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, then looked up at their dad. “Is…Mom alive, too?”

Ash could feel his heart suddenly break. He sank down to his knees so he was closer to their height, tears forming in his eyes. “No, sweetie. She’s not.”

“But you’re here, and they said you were dead,” she countered.

Ash could hear Brandon’s breath become ragged as he fought his own tears. “I know, Josie. But your mom was gone before they even took us out of the house.”

“But…but…are you sure?”

He nodded.

Brandon was the first to fall into his embrace, sobbing into Ash’s shoulder, but Josie wasn’t far behind him.

“I love you guys,” Ash said, then repeated “I love you” over and over.

“I love you, too, Dad,” Josie said, once her tears had finally lost their strength.

“Me, too,” Brandon added.

The hug that followed seemed to last for hours.