CHAPTER TWO

The days passed slowly and Ryan fell in and out of restless sleep. He was too weak to stay awake for more than ten minutes at a time. He seemed to have little concern for his surroundings or his keeper. His questions were few and didn't require more than a one word answer at times. For the most part he didn't speak. He said nothing of his past and asked nothing of the future. He floated through a foggy sort of limbo. Seeming not to be fully aware of the seriousness of his present situation. He hadn't even asked about the severity of his wounds.

The girl watched him carefully and by looking after him, she figured things out on her own. He'd clearly been a city kid judging by his choice of clothing. The bright colors and high quality of the fabric suggested his tribe was an important one. Giving him access to the best and scarcest of items. Considering his diet in the mines, he had managed to stay somewhat strong and build muscle. Though the size of his clothes gave her the idea that he'd lost a lot of weight underground.

She kept close mostly, within earshot. Though she had to leave the cabin sometimes to fetch water from the stream. She had gotten lucky in finding the cabin. It was barely an hours walk from the mines and about seventy feet from the stream. It was far off the main road and the overgrown driveway gave some security. She was able to find canned goods and medical supplies. The camping stove was a bonus. Though it was obvious a drifter or two had spent time there, the cabin hadn't been looted during the time of the virus. Still she felt safer keeping Ryan and herself in the attic. In case someone should happen upon their sanctuary.

One night she was awakened by Ryan's whimpering. He was constantly mumbling in his sleep. Calling out for people he seemed to have no recollection of when he was awake. She turned over and stared at the poor boy. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness so she could make him out clearly. His breathing was labored and he seemed upset, just like all the other nights. Whatever it was he couldn't remember managed to plague him in his dreams.

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Ryan was running. Running through the darkness. The screaming kids surrounded him as they made their way towards the light. He could see her. Her soft heart shaped face glowed in the light. She was calling to him and smiling. Ryan panted as he tried to run faster. Something was holding him back again. What was he carrying and why couldn't he look down and see what it was? He looked up at her face as she called to him. She seemed to be moving away from him, disappearing into the light. She was carrying a baby...

"I'm coming!" He called after her. "Wait! Please, I'm almost there!"

She smiled as she and the baby faded away.

"Salene!"

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Ryan woke with a start, the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. He was shrouded in darkness and reached for the dirt walls he'd grown accustomed to. He jumped when he felt the softness of a bare arm instead.

"Shh. It's okay." It was that girl. Ryan sighed and tried to slow his heart down. "It was just a dream." Her voice was gentle. Suddenly there was a faint flicker of light. She'd lit a candle. Ryan could see the curve of her cheek silhouetted in the dancing light. "Shh."

She continued to calm him. She felt his head. He was wringing with sweat. Silently she grabbed a damp cloth from the water bucket she kept by the stairs. Ryan tried to steady his breathing as she mopped up his burning forehead. He could still see Salene's face. Her smile. The baby.

They sat in silence while she soothed him. Ryan rested his head against her thigh and stared at the candle. The memory was so clear. The day when everything he loved was stripped from him. He could see Salene crying. The apology in her eyes. He could hear her voice.

"I'm sorry."

"Tell me you didn't agree Salene." He heard himself begging. "Say you told him where to go, please."

"Ryan I had no choice." She broke down.

Ryan squeezed his eyes shut to block out the pain. The pain of knowing he'd lost her to the Chosen. That she'd promised their baby to Zoot. Knowing that with that promise he could never see his child. The tears stung his eyes as though he were living it all over again. There was only so much he could take and that had been the last straw. The Chosen would not get away with taking his unborn child. He could still feel his hands around the Guardian's neck. The death sentence still rang clear in his ears.

"Salene." He whispered tearfully.

"Who is she?" Ryan looked up into those almond eyes remembering where he was. "You keep calling her name. Was she your girlfriend?"

"My... wife."

"Oh." The almond eyes took on a look of sad realization. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Ryan looked back at the candle and swallowed his tears. Without thinking about it he reached for the girl's hand squeezing it gently. She gazed down at his pained expression and continued to caress his face with the cloth. They sat in a silence that wasn't so awkward this time. Both lost in their own memories.

"What's your name?" Ryan asked after a time.

The girl gazed down at him surprised. "Astrid."

"Astrid." Ryan whispered, his eyes heavy. "Astrid."

The candle dwindled down, it's wax spreading in an ever widening circle on the wood floor. The dying light flickered causing Astrid to look up. She wasn't sure how long she'd been kneeling, lost in her thoughts, though the dull ache in her legs gave her the impression that it had been awhile. She looked down at Ryan's sleeping face. His breathing was deep and calm. His grip on her hand had loosened but she could still feel the warmth of his palm. Slowly she got up, blew out the candle and crawled back into bed.