Chapter 2:
I sat in the cold room and tried to find something to do with my hands.
It was easier to rotate between tucking my hands into the sleeves of my dress and than withdrawing them to rub the fabric of my skirt between my thumbs. To link my thin, scrapped fingers together in my lap and than unwind them and rub at the raw knuckles. Easier to concentrate on that than all I had just seen.
I didn't understand the language these people spoke. 'Sandorsun' seemed to and he spoke it as well. But I think anyone would have followed a bruised, battered woman with pleading eyes. Several of them had followed me back to 'sandorsun' and he'd spoken to them. Several of them had gone back out into the street and some had stayed. And everyone had tried to give me reassuring looks while I had knelt back down at his side. I had simply tried not to notice the strange, flat stones they'd held to their ears to screech into excitedly. More people had come, people in white uniforms and they had put 'sandorsun' on some kind of bed with wheels. I had not touched him but I had refused to be parted from him. Even when they loaded him into a strange white wagon of sorts without horses. He was my only link in this world. He was all I had to lead me to my son.
And I was terrified of this world I found myself in now.
There had been the feeling of movement though it had been - wrong somehow. And than we had been brought into this huge white palace. 'Sandorsun' had told me everything would be all right but it was hardly as if I believed him. The people taking care of him, healers of some sort I guessed, had had very drawn faces when they looked at him and their voices had been calm and tight when they talked.
They'd taken him away and put me in this room.
It was white too. I thought I might go mad if I saw too much more of this color. It had a bed and a chair and a window I refused to look out of. There was a small room as well with a seat full of water and a basin that was not. I sat on the edge of the bed and waited.
A woman had come in and tried to touch me. I had swatted her away when my head shakes were not convincing enough but she had persisted. She'd pointed to my torn wrists and the marks that must have been on my face and tried to sound reasonable and reassuring. I did not want a stranger touching me. I wanted my son and I wanted to go home. To my place and my people. I had finally had to resort to physical violence with the woman before she would leave and I did not think either of us would ever be friendly to each other by that point in the episode.
Now I sat on the edge of the bed and waited. For what I was not sure. Trying to find something to do with my hands.
At least it was quieter here.
Finally there was a soft tapping on the open door. I looked up and saw a man. He reminded me of 'hoot' and 'sandorsun'. I looked at him and he looked at me. Finally he cleared his throat.
"Your name's Andy?" he asked. And it was all I could do not to weep. For I actually understood him when he spoke. Mute, I nodded. Willing to accept any name at this point. He nodded back and came into the room, sitting down on the edge of the seat. I watched him carefully.
"Look" he began. "I'm not sure what the hell is going on. Jeff's had the shit kicked out of him, Hoot's AWOL, and I've been told that I'm not supposed to ask you anything. Just make sure you get on the chopper they're sending for Sanderson."
Mute I continued to watch him. Not understanding all of what he'd said even though I knew he'd spoken in my own language. I had the very distinct impression that if he was not supposed to ask me anything than I should not volunteer it either. But -
"What is 'a-wall'?" I carefully asked. 'Hoot' had my son.
The stranger's eyebrows went up.
"AWOL. Absent without leave" he volunteered. "Not that his leave's up yet but he's sure missing. Wouldn't be the first time either" he muttered and it was more to himself than to inform me. I should have felt panic but all I felt was - nothing. As if a great emptiness had opened up inside me and all that was left was a ringing silence and - nothing. My son...
"Look" the strange man stood up. "I've got to go see about getting my hands on some transport. And I've got doctors to wrestle with over Sanderson too. Stay put and I'll be back as soon as I get things running."
"How is 'sandorson'?" I asked and he turned back from his exit to look at me. Watching me. He knew that I knew what had happened and he also knew he'd been told not to ask me. I do not think I would have told him even if he had.
"He's not good" he offered. "But he'll live." His eyes could not decide if they should be angry at me or thankful. I offered him nothing to decide it and he turned and left. I sat on the bed. Time passed.
My son was missing.
'Hoot' was missing.
I found little hope in that.
I wondered if 'hoot's' god would hear me if I prayed.
The stranger appeared again. Knocking on the open door. He looked tired. I felt tired.
"Come on" he stated. "I'm getting you out of here."
"I want to see 'sandorsun'" I told him and he opened his mouth to protest. Whatever he saw on my face stopped him. I did not intend to leave my last link to my child on a foreigner's word. The man nodded and so I stood and followed him while he walked down the hall.
We passed through many halls. I tried not to see what was in them. Nothing here made sense to me. And I was growing to hate the smell of this place. Finally I heard a voice that I recognized. But whatever he said made no sense.
"No hay nada malo conmigo. No hagas que te dane."
"Sounds like Jeff's getting snotty. Must be feeling better" my escort muttered and rapped on the open door with his knuckles before stepping inside. I followed him. There were several people in the room but I only recognized one. It was enough.
'Sandorsun' still looked terrible. There were bruises forming on his lean face and his skin was pale under its tan. His eyes had somehow become even more blue than before. But he was sitting up in his bed and when he saw me he exhaled.
"Thank God" he muttered and held out his hand. I went over to him immediately even if I did not take his hand in mine. I did not know anyone else in this room. Not even the man that had brought me here. I did not know this world. 'Sandorson' was all I had that was vaguely familiar and I clung to him even if I did not do it physically.
"Did you get pilots that are going to turn a blind eye?" he asked and the stranger that had brought me to him nodded. Eyes full of the questions he would not ask. The other people in the room, healers I think, looked disgruntled. 'Sandorsun' looked at me.
"We're going to fly. In a cart like the one that brought us here. It's going to take us to my home. I'm going to take you with me. Hoot's my roommate. He'll go there as soon as he can. He'll have your son, Andy."
My inhale was silent but it shivered all the way through me. I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him. I felt as if I were dangling off the edge of a very tall building, holding on by only my finger nails. If the wind even blew wrong I was going to lose my grip and fall. And if I fell I suspected it would be into madness. The only thing that was keeping me from curling up in a corner and covering my head and screaming was that I was not done yet. My son was still lost. Until I found him I could not spare emotion for myself.
One of the healers spoke to 'Sandorsun' than and he scowled.
"All right" he growled. "I'll take the damn wheelchair."
