Endless Winter (Book 2): Rain & Ruin (7 page)

Ben’s voice hitches with tears, “I think it’s my fault. I was really mean to her. I said lots of mean things to her before she let all you guys in. Maybe she’s mad at me and that’s why she won’t wake up.”

His voice is so sad and his words echo the guilt I have in my own head and heart.

“No Ben, that’s not it at all. It’s my fault you guys got sick. It was some of the people who came inside with me that were sick and gave it to Sky.” I lower my head back to the side of the bed and close my eyes before whispering. “All I’ve done since meeting you guys is bring danger into your home. I’m so sorry Ben.”

I must have fallen asleep for a while because the next thing I know is Ethan’s shaking my shoulder and motioning me out of the room. I take a last look at Sky but she’s still out and Ben’s sleeping too, so I follow Ethan out into the living room. Ethan looks just as tired as I feel but I hope he got some sleep on the couch. We’ve both been taking shifts staying with Sky and Ben and after three days it’s starting to wear us down.

“I’d like to take Ben over to the clinic for another chest x-ray and blood draw to check his numbers. He seems to be improving but I’m worried about his kidneys being damaged. I’ll do Skylar’s after his. You need to spend a little time with your own brother while we’re over there. He’s probably getting pretty worried about you.”

I try and rub away the exhaustion from my face as I think about Matty for the first time in hours. Ethan’s right. Even with the others to watch over him, I should check on him but I hate the idea of leaving Sky over here alone.

“What about Sky? Do you really think she’s ok to be left alone? I just don’t understand why she hasn’t woken up yet!”

Ethan walks over and gently closes the bedroom door before answering me.

“There is no medical reason for Skylar to have not woken up yet. Ben’s pneumonia was worse than hers was and he woke up in under a day after I started their IV antibiotics."

"I think, well - I don’t think she wants to wake up yet.” At my confused look he sighs.

“Honestly, I think Skylar is tired, mentally. She’s had so much heaped on her shoulders for so long that I think she’s taking a break, for want of a better term. She’s needs to want to wake up, so once we finish running the tests and get back here, we should have Ben start talking to her. There are plenty of reports in the medical community of patients waking up and reporting that they heard their loved ones speaking to them while they were in a coma or unconscious. We’ll see if Ben can reach her. As for her staying over here alone, I don’t think she’s in any danger now but I will ask AIRIA to keep monitoring her and alert us if her vital signs start to go bad. I wish you could stay here but only you are authorized to open the doors for us.”

I glance back at the closed bedroom door before reluctantly agreeing. I hate the idea of leaving her for even a few minutes.

“I guess there’s no choice but to leave her alone for a bit. I need to milk the cow and collect the eggs so I’ll grab Matty and bring him over for that. The kid should get a kick out of it.”

Ethan’s expression turns thoughtful before asking,

“How much milk and eggs are you getting from that every day? What have you been doing with it all?”

“Well, there’s quite a lot in the walk in fridge in their storage area that’s just sitting there. I don’t know how long the milk will last before it goes bad. There’s probably two dozen eggs by now in the basket on top of the dozens already in the storage room. Skylar said something about canning and dehydrating them when she gave me a tour when we first got here but I can’t remember exactly what that was all about. Why? What are you thinking?”

Ethan leans against the back of the couch and folds his arms. “If Skylar and Ben aren’t using the fresh dairy products and they’ll just spoil anyways, do you think she would be upset if we took them to the barracks to use? There are some kids over there that would really benefit from fresh milk. I worry about the lack of calcium that you kids have missed growing up. Would you give me a quick tour of the storage and fridge over here? I don’t want to take her supplies but if it’s just going to spoil anyways then she shouldn’t mind.”

I nod, “When Sky first showed me around, I asked her about all the extra fresh food she was producing that she and Ben couldn’t use up. That’s when she explained about the canning and dehydrating she does. She said that even though there are huge amounts of supplies in here that at some point they would be living outside and helping to rebuild. She’s been preserving all this stuff to help others in the future. I think she would hate for the milk and eggs to spoil instead of giving it to us so I think it’s ok to take some of it.”

Ethan pushes away from the couch with a nod. “Ok, let’s take a quick look in that fridge and load up a cart with some milk and eggs to take over to the barracks. You can push it to the tunnel while I go get Ben into the wheel chair for the trip over to the clinic.”

I show Ethan the contents of the storage room and walk in fridge and smile at his look of wonder. I figure it’s the same expression that was on my face the day Sky had first shown me everything. I have to laugh when his mouth drops open in shock when he sees the area in storage that has chocolate. After seven years of living off of the most basic of food supplies and lots and lots of sprouts, seeing such luxuries that we used to take for granted was kind of awe inspiring.

It doesn’t take long for us to fill a push cart with jugs of milk with thick cream settled on top. We only take the oldest jugs and leave the fresher ones in the fridge. We both look longingly at the baskets of fresh produce but neither one of us is willing to take what Sky and Ben had produced with hard work without permission. She’s already done so much for us at a huge cost to her and Ben that we won’t take advantage of anything else.

When Ethan joins me at the tunnel entrance with Ben in a wheelchair, I ask him about the milk but he just shrugs his shoulders and says “Sure”, so we head through the tunnel to the barracks. I can’t help but look over my shoulder back toward where we left Sky all alone.

“How do I look?”

I spin around on my silver ballet flat slipper, making my gorgeous silver and gold prom dress flare out in glimmering waves. My long blond hair is perfectly curled with half of it swept up on top of my head with jeweled combs. I’ve never felt so beautiful in all my life.

“Oh, Sky! Oh my baby, all grown up! You look just like a princess!”

I laugh at the sentimental tears filling Mom’s eyes and feel my own eyes growing damp. I quickly blink them away though. She’s let me use mascara for the first time and there’s no way I’m ruining it with tears.

“There’s NO WAY you’re leaving this house looking that gorgeous! Especially with a BOY!” bellows Dad in fake outrage, making me giggle. He shakes his head in wonder and makes a twirling motion with his finger so I spin around again. I can feel the glow of happiness on my face as the dress settles back down over my knees.

I’m so excited I can barely contain myself and I just want to bounce up and down and clap my hands in glee. This is my very first dance that I’m going to and I can’t wait for my date to get here and see me in my dress.

Ben does the bouncing and clapping for me as he dances around me chanting, “Princess Sky, Princess Sky!”

Dad clears his throat and lifts the camera up to his face to take more pictures but not before I see he has tears in his eyes as well.

“Skylar Ross, perimeter breach detected.”

A frown crosses Dad’s face and we all freeze for an instant but then the doorbell rings through the house making me jump in excitement.

“He’s here!”

I take a few quick steps towards the door before spinning around and pointing a teasingly stern finger at Dad.

“BE NICE!” I say before I dash off to open the door. Another giggle erupts from my mouth when I hear him mutter, “No promises.”

I get to the door and pause to straighten my dress and pat at my hair. I wonder if he’ll be able to hear the pounding of my excited heart. I can’t help but smile even wider as I open the door and see him standing there in his tux with flowers in his hands. My belly flutters at the admiring look in his green eyes and his dimples deepen when his own smile widens. The limo I can see waiting at the curb behind him just sweetens the whole night and we haven’t even made it to the dance yet.

We just stand there smiling at each other like a couple of loons until I feel my dad’s hands land on my shoulders.

“Skylar, do you want to let Rex in now or are you guys just going to stand there all night?”

Rex turns bright red and another giggle slips out of me before I step back and move to the side. Rex juggles the flowers to get a free hand and thrusts it towards my dad who’s standing there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

“Mr. Ross, thank you for letting me take your daughter to the prom tonight. I promise to take good care of her!”

We both wait anxiously until dad finally cracks a smile and shakes Rex’s hand.

“You better take care of her and no funny business Mister!” He practically growls but his grin takes the sting out of his words. He’s known Rex since he was ten and has always had a soft spot for him.

“Daniel, stop terrorizing the boy and let him in! I want to get some pictures of the kids together before they leave.”

Dad tugs Rex into the house and mock growls over his shoulder at Mom, “It’s a father’s duty to terrorize his daughter's suitors, Vanessa. Don’t you remember your father putting me through the wringer when we started dating?”

Mom just laughs and pulls Rex and me into position before snapping a kazillion pictures. Once Rex has pinned my corsage to my dress with shaking hands, it’s time to go. He holds out his arm with his elbow bent for me to link mine to and we head to the door. We only make it halfway there when from the ceiling a computer voice blares out.

“Skylar Ross, attempted breach of barracks exterior door detected. Integrity maintained.”

My parents faces change in an instant. They were happy and proud but now Mom starts weeping and Dad’s face is full of anger. He lunges towards us and yanks me away from Rex.

“Skylar, I told you not to trust anyone! What are you doing? Are you trying to get Ben killed? How could you be so careless?”

I stare at him in shock. What? What does he mean? I look to Mom for help but she’s on the floor in a puddle of blood. I spin frantically in a circle trying to understand and now I see Dad lying on the carpet naked with a bullet hole in his back. My mouth opens and a sound I’ve never heard before comes rushing out. It’s the sound of a wounded animal. My eyes see Ben on the ground also. He’s not moving and I don’t know if he’s alive. Finally my horrified eyes find Rex and he’s standing there in the middle of my decimated family shaking his head saying he’s sorry over and over again.

My knees hit the carpet and I tear at the beautiful gown that just moments ago I was so proud to wear. There is no beauty in this world. There’s only death. My parents are dead but I need to get to Ben so I throw myself towards him only to come face first with the carpet.

I push myself up on weak shaking arms and look through blurry eyes at the empty bedroom I’m in. There’s no one here. I’m not in the house I grew up in but in my bedroom in the cave. My parents are long gone and Rex isn’t here with me but neither is Benny. I use the side of the bed to claw myself to my feet on legs that barely hold me up. I have to find Ben! The dream is still with me, giving me the adrenalin I need to stagger to the door. I clutch at the frame to stay upright and use the wall as support to make my way to Benny’s room but land on my knees again when I find it empty. I’m having a hard time getting my breath so when I try and speak nothing comes out but a wheeze.

My throat and mouth are so dry I can barely swallow so I crawl to the kitchen and use the counter to pull myself up where I hang over the sink and nudge the faucet open. The first sip from my shaking, cupped hand is heaven even as the majority of the water slides down my face and soaks into my shirt. I keep taking tiny sips from my cupped hand until my stomach starts to hurt so I just lay my cheek against the cool counter and try and get my breathing under control. My chest hurts with every breath but slowly my heart starts to settle down and the pressure on my lungs becomes bearable. I open my eyes and try to stand upright but the world tilts dizzyingly so I put my head back down again.

I have never felt so wretched in my whole life but I need to get it under control and find Ben. The last memory I have that wasn’t a dream was of Ben passed out on the floor. Anything that happened after that is a blank. I don’t know how I ended up in my room or where Ben is and I have to fight hard to keep the panic I’m feeling from overwhelming my body. Based on how weak and shaky I feel, I’ve been sick and I don’t know how long I was out. I need answers. My voice is nothing more than a hoarse croak but it’s enough.

“AIRIA, where is Ben?”

“Skylar Ross, Benjamin Ross is located in the barracks.”

Frack! What’s he doing over there? I told him how I felt about us mixing with the other people and he went and…wait, “AIRIA, Ben’s not authorized to open those doors! Who opened the doors for him?”

“Skylar Ross, Rex Larson, authorization level green, opened the doors.”

What the frack is going on? How long have I been out of it? My head’s spinning now physically and mentally from confusion. I try again.

“AIRIA, how did Rex get a green authorization and how long was I out of it?”

“Skylar Ross, you approved Rex Larson’s authorization level and you have been unconscious for three days and six hours.”

Holy crap, none of this makes sense so I’ll figure it out later. Right now I need to get Ben back. I need to see him with my own eyes to make sure he’s safe. I push slowly upright this time and manage to keep my balance so I carefully work my way down the counter and get across the gap to the bathroom where I take care of some much needed business. After washing my face and teeth and sipping more water, I start to feel somewhat better. I know I’m not going to make it very far in my condition but I’m willing to take that chance to get Ben back where he belongs. I can push through this and collapse after that. I catch a whiff of three days’ worth of the same clothes and decide to remedy that before going to the barracks.

Using the kitchen counter again to steady myself, I stop and pull a stale bun from a container on the counter as well as a juice box from the cupboard. I figure even a few bites will help bolster my strength and the sugar in the juice will help as well. I nibble away at the bun as I make my way back to my room and change into non-stinky clothes before strapping on my holster and gun from the closet. When Ben’s safety is a concern, I will no longer take any chances. I don’t know what’s going on in the barracks but it’s time I stopped being the sad, sucky girl I’ve been for the last week or so and got back to being the strong, fierce protector of Ben. It’s time I took control and this time I plan on keeping it!

By the time I’m at the door to the tunnel, I’ve finished my bun and juice and feel steadier on my feet. I’m definitely still very sick but I feel like I’m strong enough for right now to do whatever I need to, to get Ben back. I take a minute to rest and steady my breathing again when I get to the barracks entrance. I don’t remember the tunnel being so long and I need a minute before I go through.

Once I’m rested and feel stronger again, I palm open the door and step through into the office area. I head down the hall to the barracks without another thought. Ben’s in there somewhere and I’m going to do whatever it takes to bring him home.

My eyes widen in shock when I see how different the barracks are from the last time I was in here. I grip the door frame and scan the huge area for any sign of my brother. All the bunks have been moved into groups leaving huge open areas that have been filled with tables. To my eyes, so long unaccustomed to seeing other people it seems like there are hundreds of them moving around the different areas. I feel my chest tighten up even more than it already is with claustrophobia. I need to go out there in those crowds to find Ben. I shove the fear aside and push off from the frame and head straight to the middle area that used to be filled with bunks. It has the most people there and someone is going to tell me where to find my brother.

I grit my teeth against the feeling that the walls and ceiling are getting closer as I step closer and closer to the crowd of people. I try and swallow the dryness in my throat away so I can yell my questions without getting too close but all the water I drank seems to have disappeared from my body. I’m going to have to get closer.

I move a little further until I’m only about ten feet from one of the new tables that has people I don’t recognise sitting at it but before I have a chance to call out, my arm is grabbed and I’m being swung around.

“What do you think
you’re
doing here? What happened to, “this is your side and that’s my side”? I guess Queen Skylar doesn’t have to follow her own rules, huh?”

She’s spitting out the words as she spins me around and just finishing her condescending sentence when I come face to face with her. My gun’s in my hand the minute she grabbed my arm and the follow through brings the barrel up right between her eyes. Eyes that go from hurtful and nasty to wide and terrified. For as much as my legs feel like they are shaky noodles, my hand is rock steady. This is a target I can focus on. This is pain and suffering and fear. This took away any chance I had for a happier future. The hoarseness of my dry throat makes my words come out even more threatening than I had planned.

“Where is my brother?”

Her hand comes up halfway like she’s going to plead with me to stop and her head gives a tiny shake like she’s afraid to do more. I take a half step closer to her so the barrel of my gun is only an inch away from her forehead and raise my eyebrow. I won’t ask again.

Somewhere deep inside of me I’m horrified at what I’m doing and I fear that after killing Ted, the second one won’t be as hard. As I wait for an answer my mind goes through good angel, bad angel. Does this girl really deserve to die for what she’s done? Do I take a chance that she’ll do something even worse in the future? Am I really a cold blooded killer now? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to protect myself and Ben?

Before any of these questions can be answered, I see movement rushing towards me and a loud voice starts to call out.

“Whoa, ladies, cool your coconuts! Mellow your melons!
Hakuna
your
tatas
!”

I haven’t taken my eyes off of Sasha, so I see the changes of expression on her face that must exactly match my own, amazed disbelief that morphs into outrage. We both turn our heads towards him at the exact same time. There’s Marsh with his hands up and a huge fake grin that shows all of his teeth. Did he just say…?

I turn my head back to Sasha and she’s looking me in the eye but no longer terrified by the gun pointed at her head. Instead she gets a small smirk on her face and says,

“Can you shoot him instead? Maybe just a little bit? Like in the leg?”

I feel my own lips tug up towards a grin in sisterly solidarity and it’s enough to bring me out of the dangerous haze I was in. I let the gun fall to my side and holster it. In seconds it feels like it weighs a hundred pounds. I give Sasha a weary nod and turn to look for Ben again. He’s the reason I’m here, not my quarrel with Sasha. What I see brings the panic and claustrophobia roaring back. Faces surround me. There’re all looking at me with frowns of disapproval or angry expressions. I try and spin away but they are all around me and I feel the giant cavern start pressing down on me. I try and find a break in the crowd so I can run but it’s a wall of people and they’re ALL STARING AT ME! My breathing turns to gasps as my chest tightens and I fight for every breath.