Chapter 9
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After the doctors gave her the ok to leave Jed and Mimi brought Zoey home. She was tired and went to sleep.
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Jed: Thanks for your help. You can leave now.
Mimi: Zoey might still need some comfort.
Jed: I can be here when she wakes up.
Mimi: I just mean se might need another woman right now.
Jed: We just killed our baby. Let us mourn her together.
Mimi: I'm not trying to overstep my bounds, I just want to help my friend, and my brother.
Jed: I'm not your brother, not anymore. You made that pretty clear.
Mimi: I can't undo what I did, but I am sorry.
Jed: You want forgiveness, go to church.
Mimi: What do you want to do, challenge me to a duel?
Jed: Actually, that's not a bad idea. One week from today, we'll fight with pistols. Zoey can be the referee.
Mimi: Are you insane?
Jed: No, I want to kill my enemy facing her in the open, not conspiring behind her back.
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Mimi thought about this. Maybe she deserved what happenned to her. She was guilty of treason and attempted patricide. Jed would come after her eventually, she was certain of that. At least this way she could face him in the open, and she would have a week to face him in the open. And if Jed really killed her, maybe her father would feel guilty enough to admit Rebecca into the Arks.
On Saturday October 15th Mimi and Jed met in a secluded spot in the woods. Zoey had agreed to be the referee, although she had tried repeatedly to talk them out of it. Nevertheless Zoey explained the rules. Each of them would be given a pistol with one bullet. They would each walk ten paces in opposite directions, point their pistols at each other. When Zoey dropped her hankerchief each one could fire at their own pleasure. Whoever fired first, if they missed, would have to stand still until the other took their shot. Both duelists took their pistols and aimed. Zoey tried one last time to talk them out of it, but to no avail. Finally she dropped her hankerchief. Mimi saw her brother. Why he was delaying she didn't know. She aimed her gun at the ground and fired. Then she stood there awaiting Jed to take his shot. She tried not to move, she couldn't stop shaking, or stop her tears. Jed saw her like this. He still hated her for trying to murder their father. But seeing her like this, he saw her as his big sister, the one who took care of him when he was sick, babysat when their parents were on the campaign trail. Jed fired, missing Mimi by a longshot. Mimi stood there, looking grateful and relieved. Zoey and Mimi weren't really sure if he missed on purpose, he didn't say, Jed just walked away.