Chapter 25
Kelly and Jill spent the afternoon with their young friend and only after taking her for a lunch out and a making a sincere promise to be back the following day, were they able to tear themselves away from her company. Heaping attention and care on the little girl helped to distract them from their own problems and Jill quickly understood why Kelly had been running off to visit her so often. It was nice to escape.
Jill pulled the car into reverse with one hand, devoting the other to waving goodbye to Marla through the window. The little girl stood at the front door of her father's shop, smiling sadly, as always, not wanting to see them leave. Jill blew her a kiss and smiled broadly when the little girl giggled at her gesture. Marla tiny figure soon vanished from sight as they drove down the road towards the highway. Both girls felt their spirits dampen at the first road sign for Fairbanks. Visiting Marla was a comforting escape, but now it was time to get back to town and back to the real world.
Jill eased the car onto the freeway and expertly merged her way into the fast lane. She sighed and glanced up at her friend. Fast cars were an interest that only she and Kelly shared and when the two were together, they fed off of each other's energy and excitedly pushed the speed limits and boundaries on the open road. Kelly normally would have been eagerly watching the road and helping guide her through daring lane changes, something Sabrina scolded them constantly for. Jill's mind drifted to happier times and a half smile crossed her face. It melted away as quickly as it had come. Right now, instead of involving herself with Jill's driving, Kelly was staring intently at the dashboard, the same empty, lifeless look in green eyes that should have been shining with excitement. Jill felt her heart go out to her. Kelly never had a proper chance to develop emotionally when she was young, and though she didn't wear her emotions on her sleeves like she herself did, her frustration and helpless inability to cope were plainly obvious. Kelly needed to talk, but wouldn't dare initiate it.
"Can you see what's in there?" Jill asked, forcing cheeriness into her voice.
Kelly started at her friend's sudden question and looked up, her brows furrowed in confusion. "In where?"
Jill smiled. "My glove box."
"What about it?"
"You're staring so hard at it, it's like you can see through it." she joked.
The punch line missed it's mark.
"See through it?" Kelly echoed uncertainly.
"Yeah." Jill said, her smile widening awkwardly as she waited for Kelly to pick up on her joke.
Kelly was silent for a moment as she tried to figure out what Jill was talking about. "Do you need something from your glove box?" she asked, hesitantly reaching out to open it. She still looked confused.
"No. No, close the glove box, Kell." Jill stammered. Was she Johnny Carson that she had to open their conversation with a joke? "You were staring at it and I was trying t- I- never mind, Kelly."
Silence filled the car once more.
Kelly cautiously pressed the little door shut and pulled her hands into her lap, sure she had done something wrong even if she was unaware of her offense. She turned her eyes towards the window, being careful not to stare at Jill's glove box again.
Jill sighed in disgust. They had lived together, trained together, and worked together for years. Why was it so hard to just talk to her best friend, she angrily berated herself. She noticed Kelly flinch at her audible sign of frustration and in spite of herself, she did it again.
"Look, I just wanted to talk to you. You've hardly said a word to me since- since, you know." Jill blurted out desperately. "There's got to be something on your mind, Kelly. I wish you would talk to me about it."
Kelly's features twisted in unpleasant surprise and she quickly turned away so as not to betray how unprepared she was for Jill's desperate plea. Undeterred, Jill reached out and laid a hand on Kelly's knee.
"Please, Kelly. I know you feel bad about the other day, but you need to let it go!"
Kelly unconsciously leaned away from her friend. Her knee started to bounce, a glaring beacon of light on her discomfort with the topic of discussion.
Jill pressed on. "I already have! Kelly, please, we can't do this anym-"
The car phone buzzed loudly and, desperate for a way out of this conversation, Kelly immediately scooped it up. It didn't matter who was on the other line, it had to be better than this.
"Hello?" she choked out. She flashed Jill a pained, apologetic look and quickly averted her eyes.
Jill cursed under her breath and with an irritated smack of her hand against the steering wheel, furiously turned back to her driving. She clenched her jaw and stared moodily in front of her, upset by the poorly timed interruption of her talk and Kelly's apparent eagerness to avoid it.
"This is Kelly." Kelly answered suspiciously into the phone. She suddenly narrowed her eyes and tensed as she listened to the voice on the other line. "Go on." she said finally. Her tone had gone cold from when she first answered the phone and Jill picked up on it.
Jill watched curiously out of the corner of her eye, drawn in by Kelly's silence and sudden change of demeanor. Her frustration forgotten, she furrowed her brows at her friend. "Who is it?" she mouthed silently.
Kelly held up a hand, her focus on the voice she was listening too. "Six. Wilbur's Diner." she repeated tersely. She gave a quick nod of her head as she continued to listen. "Bye."
She placed the receiver back down and met Jill's slightly impatient gaze. "Mayhew." she explained. "He got a hold of Piper. They're going to meet him at a diner at six tomorrow evening."
Kelly's face hardened. "And we're going to be there."
Jill shook her head as she absorbed Kelly's information. This was all going to be over in a little more than a day. She glanced back up at her friend. One look at her face told her that it was useless to pick up their interrupted conversation. She doubted Kelly even remembered it. Her best friend's barely suppressed anger was almost suffocating and her thoughts were clearly written on her face.
Kelly wanted Piper and another day was almost too long to wait.
Jill looked back at the road. She had no words of comfort or caution for her angry friend at the moment.
She wanted Piper just as badly.
That night, Jill picked up sandwiches and soup from a nearby deli and succeeded in convincing Kelly to eat dinner with her, something the two hadn't done since the day Kelly had been arrested at the cabin. She reluctantly agreed and the two friends endured an awkward and quiet meal together, both picking at their food uninterestedly and making strained conversation. Kelly showed every nervous indication of wanting to leave, but Jill was determined to settle their past disagreement and set things straight between them. When both had pushed away the remains of their food, Jill wiped her mouth and thoughtfully crumpled her paper napkin in her hand. She eyed her miserable looking friend and took a deep breath.
"Have you been sleeping, Kell?" she asked gently.
Kelly looked up, seemingly taken aback by the question. "Yeah." she answered convincingly. "I'm sleeping ok."
Jill stared at her. She would have believed her had she been talking to her on the phone, but seeing her in person, it was obvious that she was lying. Kelly looked worn down and exhausted.
"Nightmares?" Jill pressed.
Kelly sighed and looked away uncomfortably. "No, no nightmares." she said truthfully.
Jill nodded and pulled her chair closer to her friend. "Kell? Let's talk ok?" she begged. She leaned forward and grabbed hold of Kelly's hand, ignoring how quickly her friend's free hand pulled away. "What happened at the cabin - look, I don't care about that anymore. I'm not mad at you, Kelly, will you please stop beating yourself up for it?"
Feeling trapped, Kelly pulled her hand away from Jill and quickly stood up. "I'm not." she responded lamely.
Jill sighed and pushed back her chair to stand up as well. "You are. I know you're just as torn up about- about Bri as I am." she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "And it's ok to be angry, Kelly. Everyone losers their temper."
Kelly looked stricken. Her eyes darted nervously around the room, as if she was a wild animal plotting escape from a cage. Jill desperately pressed on. "I'm angry too, Kelly. I want them to pay for what they did to Bri too, that's normal to feel that way Kell, it's human. We lost our best friend, Kelly! No one in the world is going to blame you for losing your temper!" she cried, her voice pinched and nearing shouting range.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she absently swiped them away. "We need to be a team, Kelly. I know you're angry, but you are not on a solo mission for revenge, here! Talk to me, I'm your best friend, I can help you!" she begged.
"Jill-" Kelly started weakly.
A knock at the door cut her off and both girls turned toward the source of the interruption. Neither moved for a few seconds, Jill's harsh breathing the only sound in the room. Finally, with a pained look at her friend, Kelly stepped forward and opened the door. A short, white haired old gentleman stood before them, smiling politely. He held up an armful of fluffy white towels.
"Good evening, ladies." he said with a swift bow. "I've brought you some fresh towels."
Kelly stared stupidly at him for a moment, before finally snapping to attention. "Oh, thank you." she said quickly, taking the bundle from him. She looked uncertainly at Jill and shrugged her shoulders slightly. Jill sighed in frustration and took the bundle from her.
Oblivious of their tension or his ridiculously inappropriate timing, the old man eyed both girls up and down appreciatively. "Need anything else, ladies?" he asked with a charming smile.
"No, thank you. We're fine." Jill said tersely. She balanced the stack of towels on one hip and reached out to close the door.
"Ya sure, sweetheart?" the old man asked again in his chirpy voice.
"I'm sure. Goodnight." she said again. She smiled warmly and began closing the door. Much to her annoyance, the old man pushed back against it.
" 'Cause if you do, you can just call downstairs and I'll be right up in a flash." he stalled, the same wolfish grin.
"Goodnight." Kelly said coldly. The old man stepped back, finally getting the hint. "Goodnight, ladies. Have a lovely eve-"
Kelly swung the door shut in his face.
Jill smiled faintly and rolled her eyes in total agreement. She lifted the stack of towels and tilted her head towards the bathroom, indicating that she was going to put them away. Kelly nodded and Jill made her way to the bathroom. She stuffed the stack of towels haphazardly into the little cabinets, unconcerned with the doors ability to close or not. The annoying hotel attedant had interrupted them, but his interruption had given her time to cool down and rethink her strategy. She had calmed herself in the brief time they were distracted and now felt capable of handling the situation. She walked confidently out of the bathroom, comforting words ready on her tongue. She stopped in her tracks with a cry of frustration.
Kelly was gone.
Richard Mayhew tossed restlessly back and forth in his bed, groaning in irritation at not being able to fall back asleep. As a habit, he rolled over, expectingly the familiar presence of his wife. His hand flopped onto cool sheets and he opened his eyes, fresh sorrow and regret washing over him. Jane was gone. She left him yesterday. His lies had been too much. He sighed and turned back around, not wanting the reminder of his wife's vacant place on their bed.
How had it gotten to this?
He gazed listlessly at the large mirror that his wife used every morning to make herself as beautiful as she was. The reflection of his half empty bed laughed at him through the mirror. Mayhew forced himself to focus on something else in the reflection and settled on the window. He quickly turned away.
There was undoubtedly an unmarked police car waiting outside his driveway as there had been since he had confessed his part in this huge mess that he had helped create. Apparently his solemn word that he would not flee the scene was not good enough for either those detecives or the Fairbanks Police Department. Mayhew closed his eyes again. It was after midnight and in just eighteen short hours he would be meeting with Russell Piper for what would hopefully be the last time in his life. Hopefully it would all go as planned, but there was a nagging feeling of doubt shading every thought he had about it.
The ticking clock in the next room marked the agonizingly slow passage of time. Mayhew lay awake for what felt like hours. So focused on the ticking of the clock was he, that a slight creak from the living room made him bolt upright in panic. Was that the back door? Was Janie back?
The thought dissolved away as he realized the late hour, leaving him disappointed and empty. He lay back down, momentarily forgetting the creaking noise he had just heard. The ticking clock again resumed it's slow and steady march through the passing minutes.
Quiet footsteps echoed softly on the wooden flooring of Mayhew's living room. Mayhew felt his insides turn into ice and he sat up in bed, staring wide eyed into the half foot gap of partially opened door. Someone was in his house. Mayhew listened intently. Had the footsteps stopped, or were they just drowned out by his heart hammering in his chest? A few minutes ticked heavily by, each tick of the clock seeming slower than the last.
Had he imagined it?
The loud ticking continued steadily and Mayhew's heart rate gradually returned to normal. Jesus, he was losing it. Just as he relaxed and settled back down, his door swung open.
Mayhew let out a loud, frightened curse and stumbled frantically out of bed. "Who the fuck are you?!" he choked.
Russel Piper's tall, thin silhouette chuckled deeply from the obscuring shadows of Mayhew's room. "Calm down, Rich. It's me." he said.
Mayhew willed his absolute panic not to show and pretended to calm down. "Russ. What- what are you doing here?"
Piper sauntered into the room and sat down lazily on Mayhew's bed. "Thought I'd be a little early." he said with a shrug. At Mayhew's blank stare, he laughed and gestured towards the open window. "I'm a wanted man, remember? I can't exactly walk through town during the day."
This made sense, so Mayhew relaxed. "Do you need to stay here, tonight?" he asked shakily. His eyes subconsciously flicked toward the open window. There were police just outside, if he could only find a way to signal them.
Piper noticed the quick reflex. Mayhew was nervous and that was a bad sign. "No, Rich, I just need some information. Exactly how much have you told the cops?"
Mayhew burst into nervous laughter. "Told the cops? Nothing! I swear it!"
Piper clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Are you sure? Seems awfully coincidental to want to meet me all of sudden."
"Look, why would I call the cops? Wasn't I the one that tipped you off to those P.I.'s? I just want to help that's all."
The ticking clock filled the tense silence between the two men as they stared each other down, both waiting for signs of disbelief.
Finally, Piper scoffed and rose from his seat. He glided toward the window and peeked through the thin curtain, looking for a tell tale police car that would poke a hole through his former partner's story. When he didn't see any, he thoughtfully considered the fact that Mayhew might be telling the truth. "Where's Jane?" he asked in a bored tone.
Mayhew coughed. "We had a fight. She's at her mother's."
Piper nodded. "So what was it you wanted to give me?" he asked suddenly, his final test on Mayhew's honesty. Luckily, Mayhew performed with rehearsed easiness. He jumped out of bed and opened his night stand. When he stood up, he was holding the documents that had been found at the cabin.
"You left these. I figured you might need them." he said convincingly. "One less piece of evidence, right?" Mayhew laughed and handed them over to Piper, who took them with one hand and immediately tossed them onto the bed, completely uninterested.
"So, you haven't talked to police, then?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He picked up one of Mayhew's large pillows and absently patted it on his knee.
Mayhew smiled and shook his head, relief making beads of sweat glisten on his face. Piper believed him. Piper would leave soon, he could signal the police, and this could all be over much sooner than he had hoped.
Piper gave a low chuckle and playfully swatted the pillow against Mayhew's stomach. Mayhew caught it and grinned.
" 'Atta boy, Rich." Piper laughed. His face suddenly twisted into a fierce scowl. He swung his arm forward, buried his pistol into the thick pillow and fired four muffled shots into Mayhew's abdomen.
His job done, he turned on his heel and left the way he came, the documents tucked under his arm.
Richard Mayhew's mouth twisted into a silent scream, as his body twitched and shook.
The clock ticked away his remaining seconds of life, unphased that there was no one left to listen.
Jill paced back and forth in Kelly's hotel room. It was after midnight and though she had been certain that Kelly would return soon, as the night wore on she began to have her doubts. She sighed in frustration. Kelly had to come back sometime and when she did, she would be waiting for her. Jill froze as she heard rustling outside the door. She pricked her ears and held her breath, not wanting to get her hopes up in case it was yet another false alarm. When the doorknob rattled and turned, she stifled a cry of relief. Kelly was back. Jill quickly backed away out of sight. She felt slightly childish and stupid, hiding from her best friend her hotel room, but desperate times called for desperate measures. It would do no good for Kelly to run off again. She would trap her here.
Kelly trudged into the room and dropped her purse carelessly to the floor. She shrugged off her coat and hat and tossed them onto the still made bed. Jill watched her from her corner as she peeled off her gloves and discarded them in the same fashion. Her knuckles had been bruised from attacking Buckley a few days prior, but had been healing. Now, her right hand looked freshly injured. Jill frowned. Whatever she was doing, she needed to put a stop to this immediately before Kelly hurt herself. She took a deep breath. This was it, neither of them would leave before they had talked things out.
"Kelly?" Jill said softly.
Kelly's shoulders jolted in surprise and she whirled around, her eyes widening upon recognizing her best friend in the corner.
"Jill- what-?" she sputtered.
"I borrowed your lock pick." Jill explained. "Did you get bored waiting for me to put the towels away?"
Kelly's face flushed in embarrassment and she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jill." she stammered.
"Me too. Sit down, Kelly."
Kelly looked pained. "Jill, I can't-"
"Yes, you can. Sit down, Kelly." Jill said gently. "I know how much you loved Sabrina, and I know how much it hurts, but we can do this."
Kelly shook her head. "Stop, Jill." she warned desperately. She opened her mouth to say more, but changed her mind. "I'll see you in the morning." she said quietly, heading for the door.
Jill scoffed. "This is your room! Where are you going?" she called. Kelly apparently hadn't thought that far in advance. She paused slightly, considering this, and then once again moved towards the door.
"Kelly." Jill called to her.
Kelly acknowledged her friend with a quick, apologetic glance and pulled on her coat anyway. She had to get out of here. This was too much. She needed to get away. Needed to destroy something.
"Kelly!"
Sighing in frustration, Kelly grabbed her gloves and hat from the bed and headed for the door. Jill lunged forward and beat her there. She quickly slid herself in between her friend and the door, effectively blocking her path.
"Kelly, please don't go. Talk to me, Kelly."
Kelly shot her a pained look and reached around her for the doorknob. Jill scooted over to block it with her body.
"Will you stop trying to run away?" she shouted desperately.
That did it.
"Jill, please." Kelly countered weakly. She was rapidly losing control of the situation. Tears burned in the back of her eyes and her throat was tight. She didn't deserve Jill's pity or comfort. She needed to leave. "Jill, please move."
She reached for the doorknob again.
Jill angrily flung her hand away. "No! I won't let you." she shouted, her voice cracking. She slammed her fist backwards into the door, making Kelly flinch and retreat a few steps. "Goddammit Kelly, I already lost Sabrina. I won't lose you too!"
Kelly stopped fumbling for the doorknob and stared blankly at her best friend. Jill looked so desperate, so hurt. Her vision blurred as the burning sensation in her eyes became tears. She turned away so Jill wouldn't see.
"Kelly?" Jill called in a softer voice. "I'm sorry, Kell."
Kelly felt Jill's warm hand press against her back and she pulled away, feeling unworthy of her friend's caring nature. Undaunted, Jill stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
"I know it hurts, Kelly."
The tears welled up in Kelly's eyes, making it impossible for her to turn and face her friend. Blinking suddenly became the most dangerous thing in the world and she fought the urge to, fearing that a tear would escape. She fixed her gaze up at the ceiling and tried to steady her breathing.
She hadn't been shoved away, so Jill took her friend's silence as encouragement. She stepped around to stand in front of her.
Embarrassed, Kelly tried to once again turn her back to her friend, but Jill caught her shoulders.
"Kelly, look at me."
Unable to turn her body, Kelly opted to her turn her head away, deeply ashamed of the tears that were welling up in her eyes. Jill pressed her palm against Kelly's cheek and gently pulled it back.
"Look at me. Hey."
Kelly pursed her lips tightly and stubbornly insisted on turning away again. She worked her jaw, trying with everything she had to keep from crying. A tear managed to spill down one of her cheeks and she angrily swiped it away, trying once more to turn away from Jill. The girls had a brief struggle, before Jill finally took Kelly's face in both hands and forced her head still.
"Kelly, don't. Would Sabrina want you to feel like this? Would Sabrina want you beating yourself up?"
Kelly stopped struggling against both Jill and the tears in her eyes. They spilled silently down her cheeks and she immediately covered her face in embarrassment.
"Come here. It's ok" Jill whispered, pulling her friend into a tight hug. Kelly stiffened, but seeing no alternative, allowed it.
"It's gonna be alright, Kell." Jill murmured. Kelly hitched a breath and lowered her head onto her friend's shoulder. Her desperate battle against tears was nearly lost, but still she hung on.
"I care about you, Kell. Very much." Jill soothed encouragingly, rubbing her back. "You know that, right? You don't have to run from me."
With a choked cry of anguish, Kelly relaxed into Jill's embrace and wrapped her own arms around her friend.
"Jill, I'm sorry." Kelly whispered in her ear. The dam finally broke and she began to sob freely into Jill's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
Jill held her tightly and despite her will to remain strong, began to cry herself. This was the first time both had freely allowed the tears of grief to come and it was surprisingly healing to cry over the lost life of their best friend.
After several minutes, Kelly pulled away and wiped her face. "What are we going to do, Jill?" she asked miserably.
Jill took her hand and led her to the bed where both girls sat down side by side.
"We're going to get through this." Jill said firmly. "But we have to work together. I need you."
Kelly buried her face in her hands again. "Oh, Jill. I don't deserve to h-."
"Stop, yes you do. Stop that right now." Jill said, clutching her arm fiercely.
Kelly wiped her eyes. "I don't know what to do, Jill."
She looked like a lost and frightened child, at a loss at how to deal with her grief. Jill pulled her into another hug and for the second time Kelly began to sob, an explosion of previously pent up emotions finally releasing themselves.
Jill took Kelly's hands and pulled apart to look her in the eyes. "We'll get through it, Kelly. Together." she said softly, lifting her friend's chin. "Ok?"
Kelly wiped her eyes again and nodded. She let her head rest back against her friend's shoulder.
"I love you, Jill." she choked out softly. The words felt awkward and strange coming from her mouth, but she meant them. She tried to say more, but closed her mouth, unsure of how phrase how thankful she was for Jill's friendship.
Nothing more needed to be said, however.
Fresh tears filled Jill's eyes. Kelly was very guarded with her feelings. Expressing love in words faced the risk of rejection, and Kelly was very rarely confident enough to do so. It was very difficult for her to say and meant a great deal that she had. Jill was touched.
"I love you too." she whispered back. She wrapped her arms around her friend and held her close. Her inhibitions forgotten, Kelly willingly returned the hug, seeking Jill's warmth and comfort. The girls stayed that way until all of their tears had been shed. Feeling the first dim rays of hope in days, they pulled apart and wiped their eyes.
"We can do this, Kelly." Jill said, wiping her face. She gave her friend a watery smile. "We just need to stick together. Like the Supremes, remember?"
Kelly smiled ruefully. "There were three Supremes."
"Sabrina's still with us. She'll never leave us." Jill answered firmly.
Kelly was silent for a moment and then nodded her head.
"We'll stick together. No more running off. We have to watch out for each other." Jill continued shakily. She reached up and placed a gentle hand on Kelly's cheek. "Promise me, Kell."
"I promise."
Jill gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sorry I hit you the other day, Kelly."
Kelly gave her a baffled look. "Oh, Jill. I'm the one that should be apologizing."
"You already did. Now it's my turn."
"You don't have to, I deserved it."
Jill adamantly shook her head. "No. No you didn't. No one should ever hit you for any reason, Kelly."
"No matter how much of a dangerous psychotic I act?" Kelly asked hesitantly. Her feeble attempt at a joke failed, and Jill's serious face remained unfaltering.
"Don't joke. I'm serious, Kelly. No one is ever entitled to hit you. Understand?"
Kelly looked away awkwardly, not wanting to argue. Seeing that Jill was waiting for a response she nodded her head slightly.
"I'm sorry." Jill repeated. She gently pulled Kelly towards her and placed a kiss on the side of her head. It was the same area that she had slapped the previous day, leaving Kelly to wonder if the location of the kiss was intentional.
Kelly sat awkwardly for a moment and then leaned against her friend, clutching her sleeve with both hands. Jill smiled sadly. Kelly was never this affectionate or clingy. She needed help and was unconsciously asking for it with her closeness.
"What do we do now, Jill?"
Jill sighed and ran her hand over Kelly's hair. It was late, fast approaching one in the morning.
"Tomorrow, we find Piper. Right now though, we need to sleep." she said.
She pulled her legs up on the bed and scooted to the other side. She gave the bed a pat, indicating for Kelly to lie down as well and Kelly obeyed, secretly grateful that Jill wouldn't leave her side. She wouldn't have been comfortable asking her to stay. She was still scared, lost, and confused and having her best friend there grounded her and would certainly help with the nightmares she had been having.
Jill switched off the lamp and drew the blanket over them both. Kelly turned to face her friend in the darkness.
"Thanks, Jill." she whispered. She leaned forward and kissed her forehead in gratitude.
"Hey, Jill is always here." she replied with a smile. "Get some sleep."
"I'll try." Kelly whispered.
"You need to do more than try, kiddo." Jill said with a gentle smile. "You look terrible."
Kelly gave her a faint laugh. "Thanks." she said. She sighed and the pain gradually took over her features once more. "I don't know if I can sleep." she admitted softly.
Jill looked at her friend sympathetically and smoothed back her hair to quiet her insecurities. "You need to, Kell. Just try to relax."
Noticing Kelly relax at her touch, she continued the repetitive motion until Kelly's eyelids slid shut and her face relaxed. Her breathing soon grew deeper and more rhythmic. Jill smiled at her friend as she withdrew her hand. It hadn't taken her very long to fall asleep. If she herself was this tired and had been getting some sort of sleep, Kelly probably hadn't been sleeping at all. She must have been completely exhausted.
Jill sighed and stared up at the ceiling in the darkness for several minutes, shuddering as she remembered her previous night. She had lain in this same position staring up at the ceiling, worrying about Kelly, grieving for Sabrina, stressing about their case. It would all be over in a few short hours.
She started slightly as she was roused out of her deep thoughts by Kelly's soft whimpering. Kelly stirred and stretched out her hand to clutch Jill's arm, her unconscious self seeking the warmth and comfort her waking self lacked the confidence to find. Jill wanted to laugh. When Kelly was stressed, she slept with her ugly old doll, who for reasons unknown, she had been incredibly attached to as a child. If she found out that Jill knew her secret, she would die. So figuring that Kelly had decided her arm was a suitable replacement for the beat up old doll, Jill grinned and let her take it. Kelly sighed contentedly and squirmed closer until her head was nestled comfortably beside Jill's shoulder. Apparently feeling secure, her whimpering quieted and she went still. Jill patted her head, stifling a giggle at her expense. Kelly would be horribly embarrassed if she were to tell her about this in the morning. Jill smiled as she shook her head and stared back at the ceiling. Having Kelly here with her, safe and resting, was a great deal off of her troubled mind.
Jill closed her eyes and immediately felt the tug of sleep. It still hurt, but she felt more at peace than she had in the past few days. The fact that she had finally gotten Kelly to open up was also encouraging. They were done fighting each other. They had managed to pull themselves together. Defied the odds. Jill felt herself drifting off, lulled to sleep by both Kelly's breathing and the heaters gentle hum. Tomorrow they would both feel better. Tomorrow, they would present a united front to the man they were looking for.
Tomorrow, Piper wouldn't even know what had hit him.
This was a stupid idea.
Sabrina pulled on as many of Bud's coats as she could find as she slunk through the still darkness of his cabin. An entire day of rest and three solid meals had greatly improved her strength, but she was still so weak. She found another thick, musty sweater and pulled it on, wincing at the dull constant ache in her shoulders. She could do this. It couldn't be that hard. Bud said it was seven miles from here to the main highway. Surely she could make it.
This is a mistake.
Sabrina ignored the nagging voice in her head. Why listen now? She doubled over and coughed into the crook of her arm. When she was finished, she caught her breath and straightened up, ignoring the cold sweat beading on her forehead. Adam was running out of time and the longer she stayed here, the more chance that he was already dead. She spied the blanket Bud had wrapped around her shoulders yesterday morning. She was sick, with what she really had no clue, but it would probably be a good idea to keep her chest and throat warm. She whipped the blanket off of the chair and fashioned around her upper body and face like an oversized makeshift scarf.
Bud snored loudly in his corner of the cabin, blissfully unaware of what his ward was up to. Sabrina eyed him guiltily. Her first idea had been to wake him and ask him to accompany her, but she quickly thought better of it. Even she knew that this was a foolish idea. What if Bud didn't let her go? His ankle was hurt and he had already done so much for her. She couldn't risk it. There was no more time to waste.
Sabrina slowly and carefully made her way to the front door and, wincing in dread, pulled it open. To her relief, it didn't squeak. Bud must be quite the handyman. She stepped outside, and immediately wished there was another way to do this.
It was cold.
She quietly shut the door and shivered. It was cold, but at least it was still, no strong winds to bear down on her as she made her way back to civilization. Sabrina gazed out into the darkness, trying to guess which way lead to Fairbanks. She made an educated guess and started shuffling slowly towards her destination. Her head hurt, her shoulders ached, and her face was sweaty from breathing into the wool blanket, but she had already made her decision.
Seven miles.
Despite her injuries and illness, she was in good physical condition. The walk would normally take three hours at the most. After a moment of thinking, she factored in her current weakness and the snow and mentally added another two hours to her journey.
You're going to freeze to death.
The nagging voice of reason interrupted her calculations. Sabrina shrugged it away, not wanting to think about the consequences. She abruptly started coughing again, sending a mild wave of dizziness through her. She wiped her mouth and swallowed hard.
Another extra hour, then.
Her emotions a mixture of dread and anxiousness, Sabrina began trudging her way towards town.