"Come on," Katie grumbled as she knocked again, harder. "Get up."
She stood in the hallway, tapping one foot impatiently. Knocked again, her knuckles already a little sore.
"One minute," a muffled voice called from inside. She heard rustling, fumbling, what sounded like glasses rattling against each other.
"Hurry up," she shouted. "You're already late, and I'm starving."
Fernando pried open the door, his face crumpled with sleep. "This is why I shouldn't have friends younger than me," he muttered. "How are you so enthusiastic this early?"
"It's ten-fifteen," Katie said, holding up her watch. "God, you look awful. What did you do last—" she broke off as she glimpsed Lieutenant Baranov crossing the room behind him, more skin than shirt. "Never mind. Sorry. No. Don't tell me."
"Tolya," Fernando called sweetly, "we seem to have a bit of a gnat problem this morning, give me just one second." He slipped through the door, ignoring Katie's mock-affronted face. "Katie, honey, I know I promised, but—"
"But you promised," she agreed. "And Molly promised she'd hold the corner booth for us until ten-thirty at the latest because it's DnD Tuesday and you know how those guys get."
He eyed her for a moment, running through a series of squints to see if she'd relent. Finally he pressed his hand to this forehead, sighed deeply. "Ten minutes."
"Six."
"Eight, final offer." He sighed again as he reopened his door, glanced inside. "Tolya, ya dolzhen idti, prosti." He rolled his eyes at Katie before snapping the door shut.
"Eight minutes," she shouted. "I'll be at Molly's."
"Nowhere I'd rather be right now," he lilted back.
Three minutes later she settled into the corner booth, eyeing the group sitting at the large wooden table by the window with the same disdain they gave her. The Seabrook Tabletop Club was small, but they defended their territory, and it had taken a bottle of 1998 Merlot and first pick of the next Big Farm delivery to get Molly to hold the booth for her.
"He's coming," she said hastily as Molly approached. "I swear."
Molly tutted as she poured Katie a cup of real coffee, something she saved for special occasions, or her favorites. Katie blushed slightly. "A bunch of grown adults," Molly sighed. "Not that I mind the game—I'm a halfling mage once a month myself—but they sit there all day shouting at each other. Of course Lee Gifford brings me his secret sauce and he gave me the recipe. And Rachel Sharp makes such nice mugs for the cafe so I guess I can't complain too much. But still, it's no skin off my nose who sits where."
"Thanks again," Katie said. "You got eggs and hash browns still?"
"Honey, if I ran out of eggs and hash browns they'd run me out of town. Scrambled and browns extra-burnt on the outside? You want some toast? Bread's real good today, I think Charlotte finally convinced the Arnold boy to join up at the bakery. You know, the one who did those rolls the other week?"
"That's great," Katie said, relieved at finally spotting Fernando ducking through the door. "Oh, it's Dr. Morales. You got another cup in that pot?"
"He owes me a massage already," Molly said loudly enough for Fernando to hear. "My shoulder is still doing that thing and I can hardly flip pancakes and lord knows my little David can't manage it, you saw what happened last time."
"Put it on my tab?" Fernando said, smiling sweetly. "And can I get a fruit salad and maybe some of that queso fresco I saw you pressing yesterday?"
"Of course. A little honey on it? I think I have a few roasted acorns I could toss on there."
"Better than mi abuela's," he cooed, giving her hand a formal little kiss. "But don't tell her I said that." Katie rolled her eyes as Molly swatted at him.
"Be careful or I'll tell her you taught me her special technique." Molly winked at him as she went back to the kitchen.
"Fruit salad?" Katie said, eyeing Fernando's dark circles.
"I'll get bacon later, just . . . let me pretend I'm a good person for a minute."
"Things seem to be going . . . well," she smirked.
"In many respects," he smirked back. "And how's your big strong farm boy?"
"I'm pretty sure I could carry him farther than he could carry me," Katie said. "He's more of the deworming type."
"Ew," Fernando pouted.
They fell into silence, each sipping their coffee and studying the tabletop until Molly came by, arms full of plates.
"Grab this one, would you, hon?" she tilted Katie's hot plate toward her, huffed up her bangs as Katie quickly set it on the table. "And for the doctor, our finest fruit collection, plus Abuela Carmelita's Queso con Miel. And so you don't have to ask later," she grinned, sliding a plate of bacon toward Fernando.
"Gracias, mi amor," he said, blowing her a kiss.
Molly refilled their mugs, gave them a kind smile. "Don't worry," she said gently, patting each of their hands in turn. "It'll all work out."
"To God's ears," Fernando murmured, stirring milk into his fresh coffee.
They waited until Molly had disappeared back into the kitchen before glancing at each other.
"Well," Fernando said, fiddling with his spoon.
"Well," Katie replied, turning her mug in her hands.
They sat silently for another moment.
"I'll need you to take over," Katie said abruptly, briskly. "I can still run things. You know, administratively. But you're a real doctor."
Fernando looked like he wanted to protest her choice of words, but thought better of it.
"I can work with Pierre on his taking full control of supply requests. He knows all the captains pretty well," she continued, her voice carefully neutral. "And Lieutenant Gusev seems to know a lot about how to manage the port and that stuff."
"Gusev," Fernando said, his voice distant. He shook his head, took a sip of his coffee. Cleared his throat. "Gusev, yes. The other men seem to respect him a lot. But we can leave the final call to them."
Katie nodded. "We should talk to Annie Kelly soon. She'll need to find a deputy. And another teacher, I don't know any more teachers, do you? And we'll need to help Charlotte find more people, and Julie—"
Fernando gently wrapped his hands around Katie's, rattling against her mug.
"Take a breath, honey," he said softly. "We don't have to do all of this. Not today, anyway." He let out a forced little chuckle. Katie frowned.
"We have to think about—"
"Katie. My friend. My colleague and partner in crime. They only went dark fourteen hours ago, that's nothing. They're fine." He tightened his grip on her hands. "They're okay, Katie. They're going to call in soon."
"But why haven't they?" Katie whispered, not looking at him. "Fourteen hours is a long time. It feels wrong."
"All of this feels wrong, hon," Fernando smiled sadly, then sat up straight, squared his shoulders. "But we mustn't catastrophize, right? It's good to know our . . . options, but it's still too early to update the town directory, okay?"
"Okay," Katie said, though her voice was thin and flat.
"Eat your breakfast," he said. "Then we'll go over to the clinic and do a little more organizing; that'll help, right? You love a good cataloguing system, I know you do."
"I do," Katie said, trying to suppress a watery grin. "Eat your bacon before I do."
Fernando gasped and snatched the plate close. "You wouldn't dare."
Twenty minutes and as many pointed stares from the Tabletop Club later, they found themselves sitting in Maura's office, the silence awkward and heavy.
They'd relieved Liz, who had taken the first day shift monitoring the radio after Pierre and Mattie, his wife, had spent the night in the clinic with their young daughter.
"Nothing," Liz had said. "But that's good," she added quickly. "They won't risk calling in until everything's safe, and it's a good sign that they're still dark. They weren't even sending scouts in until 0100 hours, and if it happened this fast—" she glanced at Leo Karpov, the Lieutenant she'd first encountered from the business end of her rifle, but had quickly become fast friends with over a mutual love of playing cards. She'd taught him gin rummy, and now they regularly volunteered for watches together, chatting over endless hands and keeping a running tally of their imaginary winnings and losses.
"Is good," Karpov nodded. "Too soon means there may be more injured or killed. To do a thing fast is to use force."
Katie eyed them both skeptically, and Liz reached her hand out and set it on Katie's arm. "No news is still good news right now," she said firmly. Gave her a quick squeeze, and Fernando a little peck on the cheek. Karpov nodded at both of them, his face serious but kind.
"We should think about where to house people," Katie said after Liz and Leo had left, setting her shoulders and clearing her throat. "We've got what, thirty or so units here? I don't mind asking people to share, but I'm worried it'll overwhelm us if everyone's suddenly in one place."
"Mmm," Fernando said. "What about the building on Sandpiper Lane, behind Molly's?"
"Could work for some," Katie said, mulling it over. "And we'll need to get everyone registered. Town Hall?"
He nodded. "Brenda talked with Annie Kelly about it before she left, Annie's working on coordinating that. One of us should be there to help triage anyone who needs to be seen at the clinic."
"Good," Katie said. "I'll be there, and you can stay here in case . . ." she drifted off again.
"It feels weird to be in here," she said softly, after a long beat. "Without her."
"I know," Fernando replied, just as softly.
They sat for another moment, avoiding each others' eyes, when the radio on Maura's desk crackled to life, startling them both.
"Get it, get it!" Fernando cried.
"I'm getting it!" Katie cried back.
They both sat, breathless, straining toward the tiny speaker. Static filled the room.
"Should I say something?" Katie whispered. Fernando shook his head quickly.
"We don't know who it is."
After another long, static-filled moment, the speaker fuzzed and a garbled woman's voice filled the room.
"—eabrook—unea—we're—too much—found—everywh—"
"Hello?" Katie cried into the handset. "Dr. Isles? Is that you? What's going on? Are you all right?"
"—eabr—k—night—coming—we—"
A piercing scream echoed through the tinny speaker. And then, abruptly, nothing.
"Dr. Isles?" Katie whispered through the handset, her eyes huge, her knuckles white around the plastic. "Dr. Isles?"
"Was that her?" Fernando breathed, his face taut, his breath high and shallow. "I couldn't tell, was it her?"
"I don't know," Katie said. "I don't know, I don't know." She stared at the radio, its faint glow washing her face in sickly orange light.
They sat again, hardly breathing, until Katie set the handset back in its cradle, the tremble in her fingers causing it to rattle slightly.
"What do we do now?" she whispered.
"I—" Fernando only stared at her, jaw slack, shaking his head.