The week flew by for Alex; nothing more than a blur of dress fittings, manual labor and sleepless nights. The dress fittings, while Alex appreciated all the work the women were doing, were a nightmare. Alex had to stand still for hours at a time while they pinned and cut and stitched fabric. She'd been pricked by more than one needle and it went against her basic nature to stand that close to so many women for so long. But she did her best to handle the situation.
It was easy enough to deal with. Alex volunteered for the clay digging crew. It would keep her busy and away from the bunkhouse from sunup to sunset, so they couldn't just pull her away from a council meeting for "a quick fitting" which was never quick. After dinner and her shower, Alex gave the ladies two hours of dress time. When she started nodding off while standing there, they usually felt bad for how hard she was working and sent her off to "get her beauty sleep."
What they didn't know was that Alex then spent half the night up with Jake fooling around. Most nights ended with an exhausted Alex falling asleep on top of Jake almost as soon as they finished. She knew she needed to get a good night's sleep, but she always seemed to have plenty of energy, until suddenly she didn't.
After this happened for a third night in a row, Jake cut her off for night four. The words, "we should just sleep tonight," were barely out of his mouth before her breathing evened out and she fell asleep. But the next night, things picked right back up. Alex instigated and initiated the contact, leading Jake over the cliff with her. The only reason the lack of sleep wasn't affecting him as badly was because he wasn't digging all day.
The digging was pretty hard work, even by Alex's standards. They were using a tractor to drill two foot wide holes down twelve to fifteen feet in areas where they knew there were likely clay deposits. If the drill started spewing out chunks of grey clay, they pulled the drill and the diggers got to work, spreading out along the line. They filled wheelbarrows which were dumped into trucks and taken back to the site of the first cistern pit that was already in progress.
Jake and Scott had done some experimenting to see what the best way to line the pit was. It took them a couple of tries, but they finally came up with a method that they were satisfied with. Now all that remained was completion of the pit digging to start the lining process.
Day six, the day before the wedding, started off with a surprise thunderstorm. The best they could tell the thunder was at least five miles away, though they were cautiously on the watch for lightning strikes on the mountain. There wasn't much they could do if it caught fire, but they would certainly try if it came to that. The storm passed without incident and they considered it to be a good omen for the wedding - a cleansing of the earth. Wedding preparations continued full steam ahead.
The day of the wedding was slightly overcast and humid, an odd day for August in the foothills. Betty and Norma had somehow convinced Jake that it wasn't proper for him to see Alex before the wedding, and he'd crashed with Zach for the night. Alex spent a restless night tossing and turning in their big, empty bed.
She must have looked dreadful when she arrived at Scott and Christine's trailer after breakfast because Christine turned her right back around and took her back to the house. Chris drew a hot bath with lavender oil for Alex and then cut up some cucumbers to put over her tired eyes while she sat in the bath.
"Do you need anything else," Christine asked.
"I don't think so," Alex replied. "How long do I leave the cucumbers on my eyes?"
"Just close your eyes and relax. There's more slices there if you want to change them. And keep your hands soaking under the water. Your fingernails are filthy," Christine chided gently. "Soak as long as you can, when you finish, try to take a nap. I'll come back to help you get ready in a few hours."
"Sounds like a plan," Alex said from under the cucumbers.
Alex let the water fill all the way up to her neck in the large, deep jacuzzi tub. Then she leaned her head back against the ledge and took a few relaxing breaths, inhaling the relaxing lavender scent. She let her mind empty as the water eased away her stress.
§
Alex woke with a start, the cucumber slices falling off her eyes and splashing into the tub. She was involuntarily shivering from the cold water she was almost entirely submerged in. Alex pulled the plug and hurried to dry herself off. In the bedroom, the bedside clock said it was almost 4pm. Eight hours!? How had she fallen asleep for that long in the bathtub? She must have been exhausted. Why didn't Christine wake her up? The wedding was supposed to be in an hour.
More questions than answers flooded through Alex's mind as she rushed to dress herself. As soon as Alex stepped outside she knew something was wrong. The air was heavy with smoke and it was hot. Alex couldn't tell where the smoke was coming from; just that it seemed to be everywhere. Something landed on her nose, Alex wiped it off - it was ash.
She ran back inside and grabbed her emergency pack and all the weapons she could carry. After tying a bandana over her face, Alex ran outside. None of the trucks were at the house, so she ran to the barn, expecting to see everyone there packing up to leave.
But there was no one.
Alex hurried to the front of the barn and easily read the scene before her: various items scattered about, vehicles in half packed states but left behind. They'd already evacuated, though it seemed they'd had plenty of time to pack supplies. The animals had been released from their pens; Alex saw pigs wandering in the distance.
The thought that they'd evacuated without her and left her in the bathtub kept running through her brain. There had to be a reason they had forgotten her. Alex was pissed at having been distracted from how the world was now, even for a few hours. It had resulted in disaster.
Alex didn't have time to process any of the emotions that were flooding her brain right now. The fire was close, maybe the far side of the mountain was already burning! Alex looked at the buildings and realized that they hadn't done everything to protect them. Rebuilding would be next to impossible; they needed these buildings to survive the fire if they were going to have a chance at living here. Where else could they go? It was all shit.
Alex had an idea for saving the buildings. She ran to the barn and got the lawn sprinklers, climbing on the roof and securing them so they would spray water over the entire roof of the barn. When she went to the pump to turn them on, however, nothing came out. They must have cut the power before they left. Alex hurried to the power station and turned it back on. She covered the power station and clinic roofs with sprinklers before running back to the barn and covering the bunkhouse with them. The lawn sprinklers drew water from the creek, so as long as the pump kept pumping, the sprinklers would keep going. Maybe it would be enough to protect their home.
It had taken Alex almost an hour to get the sprinklers set, and now she could feel the heat of the fire, though she still couldn't see it. She still couldn't tell where it was coming from, the smoke had gotten so thick she could barely tell up from down. Her eyes and throat burned from the thick smoke.
Alex tossed her bag in the first truck she could get to and started it up, threw it in gear and booked it for the main road. She only made it around the first bend when she realized where the fire was coming from - the main road. The other road out would take her in the opposite direction from the rendezvous point and she needed to get to her people quickly. Alex grabbed her bag and ditched the truck, fleeing into the brush on foot and hoping against hope she could stay ahead of the fire.
Alex had been in this situation plenty of times - running for her life through the brush, some force or another hot on her heels, eager to put an end to her existence. This time though, Alex had to admit it felt different, the stakes were higher. Her pursuer wasn't something she could kill with a gun or a knife. Alex didn't like things she couldn't kill.
She knew where the mine was, but the smoke was thick and she was pretty sure she was slightly off course. After a solid hour of running, in what Alex had thought was the right direction, she stopped short when she heard an explosion just ahead of her. Alex had become confused and run in a circle, back towards the fire. She panicked; her sense of direction had never failed her before. For the first time in her life she had no idea where she was.
Alex turned on her heel and ran back in the direction she'd come, searching for anything that looked familiar or would help her keep running straight. Alex's lungs burned horribly, she could feel how hot the air was that she was breathing in, and every breath threatened to cause a coughing fit. Eventually she couldn't keep it in anymore and she doubled over, coughing and retching until she could hardly stand anymore. Then she trudged on, forcing one foot in front of the other and looking for something she could climb that would get her above the smoke so she could get her bearings.
Alex scrambled to the top of a pile of granite boulders, convinced that she had made some headway in putting space between her and the fire. When she looked back on her trail, she was disappointed to see that the fire, while a little further behind her than when she started, was still headed her direction. The smoke was not quite as thick as what she fought through in that first hour, but Alex's lungs were still burning from working so hard with more smoke than oxygen being breathed in and the coughing fits were getting worse.
Alex turned her attention from the growing inferno and tried to figure out her location, using the little she was able to see. The red disc of the sun was too low in the sky to see from here, and she could make out very few landmarks through the smoke. A stray breeze blew smoke out of the way for a moment and Alex barely caught a glimpse of a house on the hill. She knew that house. She needed to swing to the east to get to the mine. Alex jumped off the rocks and started running east.
After a little while the terrain changed and Alex could tell she was running downhill. It had gotten quite dark suddenly, but Alex could see a little better, the smoke not as thick here. She was in the right area. The mine was on the other side of this little valley; she was within two miles of her people.
Alex hurried through the deepening shadows, trying to reach her goal before she lost the light completely. A coughing fit forced her to stop while she tried to catch her breath. All she could taste was smoke and her lungs and throat were on fire. Her eyes burned and tears ran down her face as her body tried to flush them out. She was so close, she couldn't stop now. After getting the cough under control, Alex wiped her face with the inside of her shirt before replacing the bandana over her mouth and nose. She forced her feet to plod on towards what she hoped was still east.
Once the immediate danger of being burned to death subsided, the flood of adrenaline that had kept her running even when she couldn't breathe abated and Alex was left exhausted and struggling for each breath. She refused to allow herself to stop for a break, knowing as soon as she did it was over. Instead she kept telling herself that it was just a few more steps to get to Jake.
It was now eerily dark, no stars above to navigate by and no moon to light the way, with the reddish glow of the fire behind her. Alex regrettably stopped and took her pack off, rummaging through it until she found a flashlight. She took a sip of water and rinsed her mouth out with it. She allowed herself a small sip which burned the entire length of her esophagus and set off a coughing fit.
The red glow of the fire was not really that far away. It spread out as far as she could see. Everything she'd ever known was ashes, everything that had kept them safe, that they'd worked so hard for was gone. More tears streaked down Alex's face, burning her eyes. She told herself she had to keep moving. Slinging the pack back over her shoulders she pressed on.
Alex had no idea how long she walked; the longer she went on the less coherent she was becoming. Several times she forgot where she was going and why she was going there. The coughing fits were increasing in frequency and severity, and more than once it had put her on her knees while she tried to catch her breath. She was coughing up blackish sputum with each fit and her head was killing her. Each breath caused more pain.
Alex was on her knees now, trying to catch her breath. She remembered she was looking for the mine, and she thought the area looked familiar, but she just couldn't be sure. She tried to get to her feet, but the effort caused a sudden pain in her head. She was suddenly swimming in a blur of white light, and consciousness left her before her head hit the ground.
§
The large group settled into the spacious underground caverns, stressed, but unharmed and relatively alright. The fire seemed to come out of nowhere. James had been the first to report seeing smoke to the northeast that morning. Jake had gone to check it out with Scott, and they were sure that the fire was way on the other side of the highway, and it didn't seem to be moving in their direction.
They watched it for an hour, and it didn't seem to change, so Jake and Scott had returned to the barn, telling James to keep an eye on it and let them know if anything changed, if the wind shifted, if the smoke changed color or increased in amount. Anything was worth reporting. But they heard nothing.
Until suddenly James was screaming to them through the radio that the wind had shifted and was blowing the damn thing right towards them. They needed to evacuate, and they needed to do it now. Scott raced up to James' post to see for himself, hoping James was just over reacting, but really he knew better. James wouldn't exaggerate. The fire had obviously changed direction and was heading on a direct path for the Lazy H. If it hadn't already, it would jump the highway shortly and then it would be a matter of time before it was upon them.
They had used the time wisely that morning before James called for evacuation. The medical supplies that weren't coming with them got packed into the pit they had just dug, covered in tarps and blankets, and then covered with a layer of dirt. If they were able to come back here, they would at least have access to medical supplies. If they didn't come back here to live, they would at least know where to find things.
The power grid was mostly underground. The building it was housed in was above ground, but the works were all in the basement, for just this reason. They cut the power at the source and hoped for the best.
They did the best they could to pack up as much food as they could, emptying out the smokehouse of all the meat they had prepared for the wedding feast that evening. They loaded all the big trucks they could with supplies and then started loading up people. The tanker trucks with oil and gas were driven to the mine, though if the fire followed them they might regret bringing bombs with them.
Jake and Scott and a handful of others were the last ones out; Jake dug a huge pit in the middle of the cleared meadow in front of the barn and the others moved as many fuel drums as they could into it. They covered it with a layer of dirt, hoping it would be enough to keep the fire from blowing up their fuel supply. They weren't as optimistic that this would work for the fuel as they were for the medical supplies.
The air was thick with smoke and ash by the time Jake, Scott and the rest loaded into the last truck and high-tailed it for the mine. They were cutting it close; Jake could see the fire coming over the hills to the north of the ranch. Unless the wind changed, it wouldn't be more than a couple hours before the place was up in flames.
The first evac group opened the gates to neighboring properties where they were keeping the livestock, in hopes that some of the animals would make it out alive. The paddocks and pens had been opened at the ranch as well, and the main road was filled with panicked horses, cattle, deer and other animals fleeing the fire. Once they were clear of the animals and able to look back on the mountain, Jake was glad to see that the fire had seemed to slow over near their small town. He tried to think of what would stall the fire. Maybe the wind had just died down for the time being. Jake returned his attention to the present and focused on the road to the mine.
He hoped Alex was okay and settling in with the others. Things had been so crazy and there had been so much to do, he hadn't had a chance to talk to her before she got out. When he asked about her, everyone said they were sure they had seen her getting into one of the trucks. He would find her as soon as he got to the mine and they would have their wedding right there. Everyone escaping the fire was reason to celebrate, and this was important to her. To both of them. They didn't need fancy clothes and a big feast; they just needed their family there with them to share the moment.
As Jake pulled into the mine parking lot, he realized all the trucks were going to make it obvious to any passerby that someone was around. With the fire, any humans left in the area would be on high alert. Jake hoped there weren't many of them to worry about. They would have to move the trucks back into the woods near the original shaft entrance.
Zach and James were stationed outside the entrance, lurking back in the shadows so they couldn't be seen from the road.
"Gonna need ta move tha trucks back inta tha woods," Jake grunted to them as Scott and the others went inside. "Too visible from tha road."
Zach nodded. "Yep. We were just waiting for everyone to get here. I'll grab a couple of the others to help."
"I'll send someone out," Jake said. "Gotta find Al," he said as he pushed past them into the dark tunnel.
"I'm sure she's with Sally," Zach offered.
Jake grunted his thanks and followed the old tracks further into the recesses of the hill. There were lanterns along the path, but they were few and the darkness spread far between each beacon of light's small sphere of influence. Jake couldn't see where he was walking, but her could see he was getting closer to the next light. Eventually he was able to hear voices and the mouth of the tunnel grew with each step. Finally he entered into the large underground cavern where everyone was getting settled. He immediately began searching for Alex among the group.
He found Sally first. "Where's Al," Jake asked her. Sally was helping Kayla get situated on her makeshift bed.
"I thought she was with you," Sally said, looking up from what she was doing. "I thought she'd gotten on a truck before me, but when she wasn't here, I started asking. We figured she slipped off the truck and was with you," Sally rushed out. "She's not with you," she gasped, panic rising in her voice.
Jake grabbed Sally by the shoulders to get her to look him in the eyes. "Who was tha last person ta actually see her," he growled.
"I don't know," Sally sobbed out.
Jake, panic chilling his blood, raised his voice so everyone could hear. "I need ta know right now who was tha last damn person ta see Alex," his voice steady and cold. People started responding, "I saw her at breakfast," "I saw her leave the bunkhouse after breakfast." They were all canceling each other out. No one had seen her since they found out about the fire.
"I… I filled the bathtub for her…" Christine said quietly, hugging Joey tight to her chest. "Oh my god… I… I left her there! I was supposed to go back and help her dress for the wedding… but the fire… I panicked and all… all I could think about was Joey," Christine sobbed, breaking down in hysterics. Sally and Scott managed to get Joey away from her while Betty and Norma comforted the woman between them.
Jake was fuming. Alex. They'd left her to die in the bathtub! He started for Christine, but Scott was in front of him, mouth moving furiously as he tried to get through to Jake, but Jake couldn't hear what he was saying, the blood was pumping through his ears, drowning everything else out.
Jake pushed Scott to get him out of his way, he needed to go back and get Alex. Scott refused to move. Jake tried again, this time putting his whole body into it. The next thing he knew he was face down on the hard cold ground, someone's knee pressing his neck down.
Scott's face was suddenly right there in Jake's eye line, on the ground with him. Jake watched his lips move for a moment before the words started filling his ears. "...Gotta calm down Jake… can't go back… just think…"
The pressure was suddenly gone from his neck and Jake laid there for a moment catching his breath. Scott was right; he had to calm down in order to come up with a plan. He sat up slowly, not wanting anyone to set on him again. He needed to be able to get out of here.
"Christine said she left her in the bathtub, this morning," Scott said. "Just think Jake, that was over eight hours ago. There's no way Alex stayed in the tub for eight hours. Even if she fell asleep, there's no way she's still there. Not our girl," Scott said, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than Jake.
Jake was quiet, trying to get into Alex's head, thinking of the terrain between the ranch and the mine. What would Alex do?
If she got out in a truck, she'd be there already, he was certain of that. If she couldn't get out on the main road, she could take the back road in the opposite direction of the mine, but she wouldn't do that if there was a way for her to go forward, toward the mine. The fire was pushing from the north east so she should have been free to head south, on foot. That's what had to be what she did, it was the only thing that made sense.
Next would be how she got to the mine. The smoke was bad, limiting her navigational options. Her pack should have a compass in it, but she may not know that since he'd only stuck it in there a few days ago. With no sun, moon or stars to plot her direction, she was going by landmarks and common sense, the latter of which would be unreliable if she didn't have her wits about her. It was Alex. She would have her wits about her barring some sort of injury. Jake had to assume that she was headed in his general direction at this very moment.
"Last look I had, tha fire looked like it'd slowed a bit near tha town," Jake said thoughtfully. "If it stalled short of tha mountain, she coulda gotten out in a truck. But she'd be here by now. So either she took tha back road in tha opposite direction or she's on foot. Long as she wasn't stopped by tha fire, she's headed this way. Only trick is how off course she got cuz of tha smoke," Jake explained, leading them through his thinking. "I think we should start searching to tha west an' swing slightly south, that's tha most likely direction she'll be comin' from," Jake postulated.
He looked from Scott to James and the rest that were standing around, expecting more argument, but it seemed his plan was sound, as no one offered any other considerations. Volunteers quickly teamed up and they began their search.
It had been almost two hours and Jake was more than frustrated. They were roughly a mile from the mine, almost due west. They were far from the road and they could see the orange glow of the fire in the distance to the north. The breeze had died down from that afternoon and the smoke was settling in the valley with the cooler night air.
Jake was about to push the group further south when he heard it - a single, weak cough. He froze in his tracks, hoping to hear another, but when none was forthcoming, Jake sprang in the direction the sound had come from, shouting to the others as an afterthought. He almost tripped over her limp body, sprawled out on the forest floor. Jake was at Alex's side in an instant, checking for a pulse. As soon as he felt how weak it fluttered against his fingers, he scooped her into his arms and started running back to the mine.
His nostrils filled with the smell of smoke, burned hair and burned skin. When he'd flashed the light over her he hadn't seen any burns on her face or her arms, but he wasn't really looking. Something was clearly wrong or she would wake up.
Jake ran into the mine, calling for Dr. Benson as he ran. He was ushered to one side of the living area where he carefully set Alex down on the clean sheets that had been hastily laid down. Jake took a step back while Benson, Hobbs and Nurse Cindy went to work, attaching IV's, administering drugs and checking her body for any other injuries.
A large chunk of Alex's hair came off in Dr. Benson's hand when he ran it over her scalp checking for bumps or anything that would explain the loss of consciousness other than CO poisoning, which was his first guess. There was a small burn on her scalp, just behind her ear where the hair came off, probably a large ember fell on her and Alex didn't notice in her fight to stay ahead of the fire.
When the rest of the check came up clean, the only thing left was a lack of oxygen. They continued with the oxygen mask at 100% and treated her superficial wounds. There wasn't anything to do but wait. Either the oxygen would restore function to her lungs and her breathing would improve or the damage was already done and slowly her body would stop functioning. Dr. Benson didn't think it was that serious, since Alex hadn't really sustained any burns. Her lips were cracked and bleeding and she had a number of bruises and cuts, from the brush probably, but nothing serious on the outside.
It was lucky that Dr. Benson had decided to bring several of the oxygen tanks along. They had enough elderly and children that were susceptible to breathing problems from prolonged exposure to the smoky air that he had decided to bring them, just in case. If he hadn't, they would just be waiting for Alex to die.
As it was, things were not looking great. The longer she remained unconscious, the less confidence Dr. Benson had in her waking up at all. Her breathing was still very shallow, though she was breathing on her own, which was about the only good news in it all. If she stopped breathing, they could intubate her, but someone would have to pump the bag by hand, her every breath would depend on someone squeezing the bag. Add to that the high rate of infection for this type of lung damage under ideal circumstances, not in a unsterile cave with damp, dank air - Alex probably wouldn't survive a lung infection, not in the mine. No, the best thing was for her to keep breathing on her own.
While Jake was out looking for Alex, the council had decided to send out scouts to keep tabs on the fire's progress, to the best of their limited ability. They seemed to be safe for the moment, but the wind could change that any second.
The mine was actually an excellent place for them to wait the fire out, as long as they had enough food. When the old part of the mine had been converted to a tourist attraction, the owners spent a considerable amount of money installing a solar ventilation system. The system still seemed to be running okay, Scott had checked it out when they first arrived. It was basic, but it did the trick. They wouldn't be able to run power from it for anything else, not without some serious improvements, but they had clean air, even with a fire raging outside, and right now that was everything.
The next morning, Jake sat at Alex's bedside, her hand clasped between both of his. He barely spoke, refused to eat and wouldn't leave her side. Dr. Benson checked on her every hour, but nothing seemed to be improving. Her breathing was still weak and shallow.
The scouts reported back that the fire had flared up when the wind picked up around noon. It was once again headed in their general direction, though it was not the wind-whipped frenzy they'd seen yesterday. They were hopeful the fire would turn long before it got this far.
In the late afternoon the wind died down and the fire along with it, though the ominous red glow was still too close for comfort. What they'd thought was smoke turned out to be clouds and that night another thunderstorm swept over the foothills. They hoped it would put the fire out, but scouts watched all night as the red glow only got brighter as some of the smoke cleared out. In the morning, the rain was gone but smoke was billowing where they knew the fire to be.
One day turned to three, and still Alex didn't wake. Dr. Benson was surprised Alex didn't wake up after the first twenty four hours with the oxygen mask. Without a CT scan, there wasn't anything more he could do. They'd given her steroids to decrease the swelling of her airways and antibiotics to fight any tiny infection to which her lungs were now susceptible. This type of coma was never seen without severe burns, usually on the face. It was typical of firefighters and people that had literally been pulled out of a burning building. But Alex didn't show any signs of having encountered actual flames.
Confused by the contradicting evidence, Dr. Benson conducted a more thorough inspection of Alex's body. He had to have missed something. He had several people hold lanterns and flashlights so he could inspect her carefully. The skin on her lips was blistered, but not badly. Extreme heat, but not open flames, perhaps? The inside of her mouth was sooty, she had inhaled copious amounts of smoke for a long period of time, as he originally suspected.
It was possible there was some sort of chemical in the smoke, but without being able to run tests, he couldn't treat it, since the treatment depended on the chemical. And he couldn't just treat her for all of them, since some of the treatments might react with one another.
He continued his examination, returning to the burned area behind Alex's ear. He carefully palpated the area this time, not relying solely on visual examination. This time he felt it, and his heart sank; a tiny fracture in her skull, behind the ear. She must have hit it when she fell to the ground, landing just right on a rock. He quickly examined her eyes with a light; both of her pupils were blown. Dr. Benson had checked them when she was originally brought in and during each morning and evening vital check. Her brain was swelling from the injury and had likely caused a stroke in the last few hours. Even if this had happened in the clinic the result would still be the same, since he wasn't a brain surgeon. Alex was going to die. It was only a matter of time until her body started shutting down.
Dr. Benson stood slowly, signaling for everyone to turn the lights out. Jake returned to his position at Alex's side with her hand firmly between his. Dr. Benson went to look for Scott, unsure of how to deliver the news to Jake.
"We need to talk," Dr. Benson said to Scott before leading the way outside.
"What's wrong with her," Scott asked when they got outside, away from prying ears.
"That spot where her hair got burned? I missed something, the burn happened first, but she managed to fall and hit her head in that exact same spot. I felt a tiny fracture there when I reexamined her just now. When I checked her eyes, both of her pupils were blown, and they weren't like that when I checked them this morning. Her brain is badly swollen. It's pressed on her ocular nerve and blown the pupils, and I'd guess the swelling is also the reason her breathing isn't improving, it's pressing on her brain stem. It's just a matter of time before her body starts shutting down. I'm sorry," Dr. Benson said sadly. "Even if I had caught it yesterday, in these conditions there isn't much I could have done differently. Even at the clinic… I'm no brain surgeon; any attempt to drain the fluid is extremely risky, even in fully equipped hospitals with accredited surgeons."
Scott wiped the tears from his eyes and took a breath to steady himself. "Does Jake know?"
"Not yet," Dr. Benson admitted. "I wasn't sure how to tell him, so I came to find you."
"That's probably for the best," Scott admitted. "Hang back. I'll tell him, but he may have questions for you," Scott said.
Scott took another minute for himself before going inside to deliver the worst news of his life. He knelt down next to Jake and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Doc found something, son," Scott started. Jake continued to stare at Alex. "That spot where she got burned, this time he felt it instead of just looking at it. Says her skull is fractured, son, and it's causing her brain to swell. It's pushing up against her brain stem, the part that controls breathing. It's why she never improved with the oxygen like she should have," Scott explained, though he knew Jake knew those things.
"There's nothin' he can do, that's what you're here to tell me, right," Jake grunted.
"Sadly, yes. Even back at the clinic there would have been a limit to what the doctor could have done," Scott said. "It's a matter of time before it stops her breathing, Jake."
"Alrigh',' Jake choked out, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. "Gonna stay wit' 'er til then."
"Okay, son. You keep her company, give a holler if you need anything," Scott added, brushing away his own tears.
§
Alex lingered for two more days. After Scott told him she was dying, Jake lay on the floor next to Alex, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head against hers. He whispered to her all night and through the next day, telling her everything he'd never had the chance to say. When he couldn't think of anything else, he started repeating the wedding vows that he'd written but never got the chance to say. It was the saddest thing Scott had ever witnessed.
Scott explained to the group what happened. Christine was beside herself with guilt; she couldn't even look at Joey without bursting into tears. Sally was holding up well, though Scott thought that was partly because Joey needed her. Christine wouldn't hold him, refused to feed the poor baby. Scott and Sally managed to get him fed when Christine laid down - Scott laid down behind her so she couldn't roll over and Sally held Joey to Christine's breast so he could nurse. It was awkward, but when the alternative was a screaming baby, awkward didn't last too long.
Scouts were reporting back that the fire had moved on and the ground was cool enough to go check out the ranch, see if there was anything there for them to salvage and rebuild. It was likely they were facing a hard winter without the shelter, food and electricity the ranch provided.
Scott was among the group that went to see what was left. As they drove in, it was easy not to get his hopes up, everything across the main road from their road, in the direction of their small town, was burned. Fences gone, trees burned to sticks, houses only represented by a chimney. Their little part of the world now looked like the dead, black and decayed.
The first hope Scott had was when they turned the last corner before the road to their gate. Jake's truck was burned out in the middle of the road and several people got out and pushed it out of the way. When they got past the truck, Scott started to notice that the trees hadn't burned as badly here, like the fire had been hot and fast, not burning in one spot for too long. The dry underbrush and dead grass was gone, but the trees were relatively okay.
The metal gate was still intact, but the wooden fence posts were not, so they dragged it out of the way before proceeding. They came around the bend to a soaking wet barn, sprinklers still running full bore. It looked like the fire had run along the gate side of the creek and miraculously not jumped it. The fire seemed to have burned up the mountain but spared the buildings.
Scott stood staring at the barn. He and Jake had been the last ones out, or so they thought at the time. They hadn't put the sprinklers up, so it must have been Alex. She must have risked her life and spent too long breathing in the smoke to set this up. Scott broke down crying, waving anyone off that tried to comfort him. Saving the ranch had probably been her undoing.
It soon became clear that Alex had saved this place for them. There were plenty of small burn marks near the barn, where embers had floated down and set the grass on fire. But the sprinklers kept them from igniting the structures. If any of the buildings had caught, the fire probably would have taken out everything on this side of the creek as well.
After verifying that the ranch was safe, Scott, Hunter and Chris climbed to the top of the mountain to survey the damage. It was extensive. The fire was still burning to the north, a path of black, charred earth left in its wake. They studied the landscape for a long while, searching for movement, specifically human movement. But they saw nothing and eventually returned to the others waiting at the barn. They silently climbed back into the truck and returned to the mine with the good news.
Alex had finally turned down the path, heading to her final destination. Her body was starting to shut down and her breaths were coming in irregular, ragged gasps. Scott told the others what Alex had done, saving the ranch for them at the risk of her own life. He told Jake that they should take her back there, just the two of them, so she could pass at home. Jake didn't say anything, just carried Alex carefully to the truck where someone helped him inside. Scott carefully drove them home.
He stopped briefly at the barn to grab a couple of shovels and something to wrap her body in. He settled on the Indian blanket she used under her saddle. It was her favorite, with an unusual blue color that wasn't usually found in Native made textiles. She'd done a report on them in grade school, Alex even managed to track down an expert that came to her school and explained how only one tribe made the blankets that had blue dyed wool in them, as they were the only ones to acquire blue dye in trade with the white men. Scott smiled at how her persistence resulted in an Ivy League professor flying across the country to talk to 5th graders about an Indian blanket.
They drove to the top of the mountain, the landscape alien now in its blackened state. They parked near Alex's mother's grave, and Scott helped Jake out of the truck. Jake carried her to the rocks that faced the west, where the land remained as it ever had, golds and browns and greens gently swaying in the breeze. He sat there, repeating his vows and telling her that he loved her while cradling her limp body in his arms. She passed just as the sun dipped below the horizon, its light extinguished with hers.
Scott knew she had passed because Jake was crying loud enough to be heard. Scott was ready, slowly inching his way closer to them, afraid Alex would turn, afraid Jake had forgotten what happens next. But he need not have worried. He was close enough to hear what Jake said to her.
"Promised ya I wouldn't let ya turn, so I gotta do it now, Al. I love ya, an' I'm sorry I couldn't protect ya. Hope ya can forgive me," he said as he gently slipped his knife into the back of her neck. He pulled it out and let the knife slip out of his hand as he collapsed over Alex's body. Scott went back to the truck and got a shovel to start digging his only daughter's grave.
It was almost dark by the time Scott was finished digging, and still Jake hadn't moved. Scott carefully approached the grieving man.
"Jake, it's ready," he said softly. Jake got to his feet, never letting go of Alex. Scott laid out the blanket; Jake placed her on it, kissing her cheek one last time before they wrapped her up. Scott offered to lay her to rest, but Jake insisted on doing it. He also insisted on covering the grave and piling rocks on top to protect it. They worked through the night, with the help of a mostly full moon. When it was perfect, they each sat there, lost in their own grief.
As the sun started to peek over the horizon, Scott stumbled to his feet and dusted himself off. He took the few steps over to Jake and clapped a blistered hand on the man's shoulder.
"Come on, son. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. Alex gave her life protecting this place for us, and the hundred or so people waiting for us back at the mine. She stayed here setting up the sprinklers even after she knew we had left her behind. For all her faults, she loved this place and these people, no matter what happened. We've got to honor her and make this place something she'd be proud of," Scott said gently.
"I don' know if I can, Scott. I can't jus' leave 'er here," Jake said in a slow and shaky voice.
Scott was quiet for a minute, understanding how Jake felt completely. He felt the same when Joey was hovering between life and death. "She's here with her momma, watching over all of us down there," Scott assured him. "You can't do this to yourself; you know she'd hate this, watching you waste your life crying for her. She'd hate it."
"I know," Jake said. "I jus' don' think I can do anythin' else. Everythin' hurts, Scott. She wasn't s'posed ta leave me, we jus'... thangs jus' got better… tha weddin'..."
"I know, son. I know. She was too young, too hard for this to happen to. It should have been me, or you or anyone else but her. I keep saying the same things. But of course it was her. Alex was always rushing into things without thinking them through, certain she could take care of the problem and spare anyone else from having to get dirty. She liked to show off and she was damn good at it too. It was easy to think she was invincible, because that's what she thought of herself. We've got to carry that spirit on with us now, make sure that no one forgets what she did, what she sacrificed for all of us. Will you help me bear that burden," Scott asked, choking back tears as he extended his hand to help Jake to his feet.
Jake stared at the rising sun, shedding light on a new day. He griped Scott's hand and got to his feet, dusting himself off and wiping the tears from his face.
"Yeah, I can do that," Jake agreed.
THE END
Just a short author's note to say it was really hard to write this chapter and bringing this story to an end is really bittersweet. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.