Ten Days. John Sheppard

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СКАЧАТЬ with fear. The woman’s hair was snow white, and she looked every bit of the mid to late seventies Jackie guessed her to be.

      Jackie approached the passenger side of the pickup truck slowly, so as not to scare the elderly woman. Once getting a full view of Gladys, Jackie was shocked. In less than a week since Jackie had seen her last, the woman looked at least another ten years older.

      “Frau Swartz? Gladys?” said Jackie in a very soft voice, trying not to scare the woman.

      Only blank, frightened eyes stared back at Jackie. “It’s me, Frau Whitman. Jackie.” The blank stare continued. She tried a soft touch to Gladys’s hand, which was resting on the window. Gladys quickly withdrew her hand, but said nothing. “We miss you, dear Gladys,” Jackie mumbled as she withdrew in defeat.

      “It’s okay, Frau Whitman, you tried. Let’s see what I brought you,” said Herb, wanting to change the subject.

      He always kept a paper bag of his best vegetables for Jackie, stashed in his truck bed. The bag was filled with tomatoes, late-summer squash, and fresh head-lettuce. As Jackie gazed in the bag, she replied, “Herr Swartz ,you grow the very best. Thank you so much.”

      Herb blushed at her compliment.

      After paying her friend for the produce, Jackie asked, “So, Herr Swartz, what will you bring me on Thursday?”

      The farmer took a thoughtful moment to reply, then said, “I have some more tomatoes, which should be ready by then, some carrots, and maybe a surprise or two. Also, maybe my Gladys will be doing better.”

      As they parted ways, Jackie wondered if their faith provided any comfort. She had been reminded since childhood that it was considered very improper to discuss religion. Since religion had been at the core of all major wars, and religious tenets could not be proven, there was no place for discussion of religion in a truly secular society. Little did she know that, for the most part, the Dutch Browns had accepted the same line of thought. Most of them followed the outward expressions of their heritage out of a sense of community rather than any deeply held conviction.

      9:55AM

      The rapping on his office door took Carl by surprise; he had been lost in his thoughts. “Please come in,” he called out. Dr. Jason Greenwood entered the room, and Carl rose to greet him.

      “I hope it’s okay that I’m early, Dr. Whitman?” inquired Jason, as they shook hands. In his early forties, Dr. Greenwood was slightly overweight, and looked a little disheveled. Carl thought the good doctor should take his own advice on diet and exercise. But, Carl also knew that what was missing in appearance was more than made up for in skill and compassion.

      “No problem, Dr. Greenwood, I appreciate your coming by. Please sit down.” As Jason slid into the chair across from him, Carl continued, “I’ve got some tough questions to ask you.”

      “Okay.” responded the younger doctor, a little hesitantly.

      “You don’t have any family, or anyone you’re close to, do you?”

      “I grew up as an orphan, raised by my grandparents, both of whom are now deceased. And, if you’re asking if I have a girlfriend, or anything like that—no, I’m married to my job.”

      “Yeah, I used to be married to my career, too” Carl said. “But we don’t have time to go into all that, and now that I’ve asked that question, I’ve got to ask you another.”

      Jason leaned forward in his chair, wondering what in the world he was going to be asked to do. Carl waited a moment, and leaned forward too.

      “I need a person I can fully trust to take care of those in the hospital when the capital is overrun.”

      Silence filled the room for what felt like hours to both men, and then he continued. “We should have a day or two’s notice before that happens, and at that time, I want to be home with my family. If at all possible, I’d like you, and a team of the hospital staff, to be here, to do whatever’s needed.”

      Jason wasn’t sure how to respond. He tried to read Dr. Whitman’s face, for some sense of what to say next, but all he could see in the man’s face was pain.

      Carl decided he should say more. “Some already know they want the Option, and we need to ensure they get it in time. Others may decide, once they know the Enemy is at the doors, that they too prefer the Option to what’s coming. The military staff is going to take care of the South wing. I’m also thinking that once the rest of us have gone home, those remaining should do things like block the doors to slow the Enemy from entering the hospital for as long as possible.”

      With his mind a jumble of conflicting thoughts, Jason finally said, “Can I have a day or two to let you know? You’re asking something I haven’t even thought of, but I know it has to be done.”

      “Of course, Doctor,” Carl managed. “I said it would be a tough question. It will need to be ASAP, we’ve got to pull together other volunteers.”

      10:10 AM

      Mandy and Jackie met at the appointed time, and chattered all the way home about their finds. As they pulled into Jackie’s driveway, Mandy seemed to suddenly become pensive. What’s up now? thought Jackie.

      “Glenn went to the US embassy yesterday, and they think they can get us out by Tuesday! But they also said they think there will be a peace accord by then, so we won’t have to leave,” Mandy blurted out.

      “So, you could be gone by Tuesday?” inquired Jackie. She knew she should be happy for Mandy, but this was her best friend talking of leaving. What about her own family?

      “Don’t worry about it, Jackie. We’ll get a peace agreement, and everything will be okay,” replied Mandy. “I’ve just got to believe it’s all going to work out.” Changing the subject, “We’re still going to work on the gardens tomorrow, aren’t we?”

      Jackie wanted to say no, because she needed time to process what Mandy was telling her, but gave an affirmative answer instead. Twice a week, the two of them joined a large group of citizens who worked on the capital gardens. They maintained the square’s gardens on Wednesdays and the river gardens on Fridays. In the past, the capital had professionals keep up the gardens, but as the war had progressed, funding was diverted to the war effort.

      10:28 AM

      The nightmare had really shaken Sam; she had experienced bad dreams which included most of those members of her family before, but never all of them together, and never the baby. Seeing all of them in one dream was so hard to take.

      Sam was on her way from her office to the basement of the Annex. She chose to go through what had been the narthex of the cathedral, and the doors were open to the Annex. As she glanced in, the beauty was breathtaking. The light streaming through the rose window opposite her was stunning. She had to enter and sit down to take it all in.

      It was the first time Sam had seen the Annex for the purpose for which it had been built, as a place devoted to worship. While not a religious person, she needed the sense of beauty and peace this place offered at this moment. The dream of a few hours before had broken her heart.

      Sam СКАЧАТЬ