Escape, Chapter 6 by patricia51
"You are never going to believe this."
Delilah cocked one eye at her husband but any retort was swallowed in amazement as Tim ushered two girls in through the door. He carefully closed and barred the door. Twice he raised his hands, obviously wanting to lay a comforting hand on each one's nearest shoulder before lowering them again.
His caution was obviously warranted. The duo looked like feral cats, ready to hiss and scratch at the slightest provocation, real or imaginary. What they had seen, lived through and lost could hardly be imagined. She firmly thrust aside questions for the moment. She tucked her pistol beside her and rolled forward.
"Hello," she said softly as she smiled. "I'm Delilah McGee. I guess you have already met my husband Tim."
Nods answered her. Now that she was closer and could see better her heart nearly broke. Every face bone of both girls stood out, giving them a nearly cadaverous look. Obviously they hadn't eaten much of anything in a long time. Their clothing was ripped, soaked through and unbelievably soiled. But they were alive.
She and Tim had encountered only a few survivors and even fewer had been children. Granted the occupants of the occasional barricaded farm or house rarely showed passers-by like themselves everything they were keeping safe, probably sometimes including children but they had seen practically none in weeks. Her eyes misted as she recalled the last one they had encountered. Dragging a stuffed bear in one hand she had been infected. Tim nearly missed because of the tears in his eyes when he did what had to be done.
To find two girls alive in all this was astounding. In fact the only word that fit was "miracle". She rolled around the bedding laid on the floor. Interest and perhaps even surprise flicked in both pairs of deep blue eyes as they studied her wheelchair. She stopped in front of them, looking first at one then the other. She spread her arms and both girls launched themselves into those arms.
The hardest part was NOT crushing them in her grip. She could feel bones sticking out that seemed to be barely covered in skin drawn too tight. But she didn't want to let them go and by the way they held on to her the feeling was mutual.
"Tim, food." She thought quickly. "Hot soup, some of that chunky kind with potatoes and vegetables and find some crackers. And water," she added to her husband's already rapidly retreating back as he all but ran for the kitchen. In very short order he was back juggling two steaming bowls, a plate of saltine crackers with some cheese and a pair of mugs.
The girls didn't want to let go of Delilah but they did turn their faces towards Tim. Carefully, spoonful by spoonful he fed them; first one than the other back and forth until the bowls were empty and the plate of crackers and cheese had been reduced to crumbs. It took some time and Delilah marveled at Tim's patience as he knelt on the floor in front of them.
Finally fed it was time for the next step. Delilah blessed the fact that they had let the water tank outside and the hot water heaters build up completely before shutting down the generator. Sending Tim on a hunt for clothing she rolled herself and her two passengers to the bathroom.
There was an amazing sound, a sound that lifted her heart. The smaller girl was almost inaudibly giggling and making little "Vroom, vroom" sounds as she and the other girl rode on the arms of Delilah's chair. And was that the hint of a smile on the older girl's face? It looked like it.
The bathing went much quicker than her recent shower with Tim had. Hair was washed and the girls scrubbed themselves clean. Tim had piled extra towels along with t-shirts roomy enough to serve as night shirts outside the bathroom door. By then the girls were yawning so much Delilah wasn't sure they wouldn't have to be carried back to bed. But they managed to walk.
Glances between the two adults settled the sleeping arrangements without the need for words. Tim had already dragged a battered recliner from the wall and positioned it between the bedding and the door. She noticed with approval that he was displaying his badge prominently. Hopefully that would go a long way towards getting the girls to trust him. He did help her out of her wheelchair and then retreated to his sleeping spot after a not nearly long enough good night kiss. The two girls snuggled against her, one on each side and Tim returned long enough to shake a blanket over the three of them. In short order all three were asleep.
Delilah woke several times in the night. Each time she verified that the small forms next to her were not a product of her imagination. She also caught the firelight reflecting from a pair of open watching eyes across the room. She smiled. Tim was watching over them all.
The excitement made her sleep late in the morning. She opened her eyes to an enticing aroma. Tim had made coffee.
There wasn't much of that to be found and the one can they had located here was guarded as jealously as though it were gold. Come to think of it much more so as gold right now was pretty much as valueless as money was. But coffee now, mmmmm.
They had even discussed not drinking any at all. Tim had pointed out that they had already gone through withdrawal from caffeine and starting the addiction over again didn't make any sense. Delilah agreed and then with a completely straight face offered to spare him that plight by drinking all the coffee by herself "lest you be tempted". He decided it was better to give in.
Without the generator there was no electricity and they couldn't turn it on every time they wanted coffee so they had become proficient at making coffee on the stove; heating water and then pouring it through the open top of the coffee maker they had found. If not perfect it was better than no coffee at all they both agreed.
Mingled with the coffee aroma was that of ham. Delilah supposed that indeed they would get sick of it before the winter was over but for right now it was still mouth watering. She knew there would be eggs and another whiff told her Tim had opened a bag of corn meal from the cellar. It all struck her as very good.
She was alone. Soft little voiced drifted from the kitchen. Apparently the way to the girls' hearts was through food. She reached out, snagged her wheelchair and pulled herself into it. Smiling she rolled into the kitchen, grinning at the sight of Tim wearing an apron and the two waifs standing beside him and intently watching his actions.
"Good morning," Tim said, stepping over to kiss her. Returning to his post at the stove he looked at the girls beside him. Bathed and fed and in clean clothes they appeared to be older than Delilah had thought last night. Then she had figured eight to ten; now she guessed closer to eleven or twelve.
"This," a tilt of his head indicated the blonde girl on his right, "is Dahlia. And this," he tilted the other way to the brunette, "is Angela."
"Hello again you two," Delilah smiled. "I'm Delilah."
"Like the woman in the Bible?" asked Dahlia curiously and with a hint of alarm.
"The same name but I like to think I'm a little bit better a person than she was. Even," she looked thoughtful for a moment, "even though I HAVE given my husband Tim there a haircut more than once." She filed away the information that Dahlia had apparently been raised in a religious family. Interesting.
The girls giggled. So it seemed that Angela was familiar with the Old Testament story as well. More interesting.
"Who's ready for breakfast?" asked Tim.
"Me! Me!" the girls chorused, dancing with excitement. At the same time they continued to speak very softly. Obviously they had been taught or had learned on their own, a thought that made Delilah want to cry, that being quiet was a survival skill in this new world.
Well it was the world they all had to live in. They hadn't picked it but it was the only game in town. She shook herself and returned to the here and now. And breakfast. Between the two of them she and Tim managed to keep the girls from stuffing themselves to the point of becoming sick by promising to break the meal down into some now and some in a couple of hours.
Glances between the two adults let them both know they were in agreement. No matter how both of them were bursting with curiosity as to how the pair of them had arrived at their door as well as their back story or stories they knew they would have to wait until the girls opened up on their own. Perhaps there would be a need for questions later but right now the most important thing was to let them know they were safe and cared for.
(To be continued)