you don’t have to tell us though,’ Pea adds quickly, ‘it’s fine, honestly.’
‘Stop saying it’s fine,’ Sam says reaching a hand out to squeeze her friends. A gesture seen by Lilly who smiles warmly at Pea.
‘Maddox wanted to disarm the children,’ Lilly says, whispering carefully, ‘but he passed out from being tazered and…well, Sierra appears to given them all their guns back.’
‘Aren’t you in charge of them?’ Sam asks Lenski. ‘Can’t you just tell them to put them down?’
‘I no say this,’ Lenski replies. ‘I not in charge like this way.’
‘And now we’ve got armed children in here again,’ Lilly says, ‘but without Maddox’s authority to tell them what to do.’
‘How is Maddox?’ Pea asks, ‘is he okay?’
‘He fine,’ Lenski says instantly.
‘Er,’ Lilly pauses, choosing her words carefully. ‘The doctors said his vital signs are good but…well they don’t know really. He’s had a back shock so…’
‘He fine. He wake up soon.’
‘But er, but just in case he doesn’t wake up…’ Lilly says.
‘Maddox not die.’
‘Oh god no, I never said that. I mean…no of course he won’t but… well, just in case he doesn’t wake up for a while…’ Lilly says as both Pea and Sam nod in understanding.
‘So what now then?’ Sam asks, ‘It’s a right mess down there…is Mr Howie coming back?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Lilly says, dropping her gaze.
‘Sierra is alright though isn’t she?’ Sam asks.
‘She see Darius shot.’
‘Darius was her boyfriend,’ Lilly says in explanation, ‘and she didn’t seem that fine a minute ago.’
‘Shock,’ Pea says, ‘maybe you could talk to her. You know, like tell her she shouldn’t be in charge right now?’
‘This no work,’ Lenski says.
Pea watches the two women. Lilly so young yet full of a natural authority and the way she speaks makes her seem so much older and mature and Lenski, stern faced with a coldness in her beauty and behind that mask Pea can see pain and deep worry in the Polish woman’s eyes. ‘You two look exhausted,’ Pea says softly, ‘it’s still really early…you should rest.’
‘We have much to do,’ Lenski says.
‘You both look knackered,’ Sam says, agreeing with her friend, ‘you two can rest here with us…we’ll keep a watch for a bit.’
‘We should get on,’ Lilly says but her body responds to the suggestion of rest and she seems to sink further into the ground as her body relaxes with Billy’s body curled round her. Too many problems. Too many things to do. The hole in the wall. The children need water and food. The mess in the fort needs cleaning up. The night has been pure hell and the day before was long and hot. The pressure building and never relenting. The heat sapping the strength from her body until it felt like she had nothing left to give. The frantic hours in the hospital and the bodies of the dead now stacked that need to be moved. She breathes out heavy and hot from the heat of her brother’s body. Sweat on her forehead again.
‘Let me take him,’ Pea says softly, warmly, almost maternally. ‘You rest now.’
‘But…’ Lilly flicks her eyes open, not realising they were closing.
‘It’s okay,’ Pea says, seeing and sensing the worry in the girl. ‘He’s your brother I know…I have children. We both do.’
The tone makes Lilly wake enough to see the two women properly. Both of them are late thirties, maybe early forties. The maturity is there to be seen. The experience of lives lived and the sadness of loss so evident. There is safety here. Lilly knows this and smiles weak and tired.
‘He is very hot,’ she whispers, ‘would you mind…I don’t want him to wake up and me not be here though.’
‘I’ll stay right here,’ Pea says, nodding earnestly. ‘I promise you.’
It’s too much. The kindness of the words, the soft brown eyes of the woman and the sadness of it all. She can’t speak for the lump growing fat
‘Stop saying it’s fine,’ Sam says reaching a hand out to squeeze her friends. A gesture seen by Lilly who smiles warmly at Pea.
‘Maddox wanted to disarm the children,’ Lilly says, whispering carefully, ‘but he passed out from being tazered and…well, Sierra appears to given them all their guns back.’
‘Aren’t you in charge of them?’ Sam asks Lenski. ‘Can’t you just tell them to put them down?’
‘I no say this,’ Lenski replies. ‘I not in charge like this way.’
‘And now we’ve got armed children in here again,’ Lilly says, ‘but without Maddox’s authority to tell them what to do.’
‘How is Maddox?’ Pea asks, ‘is he okay?’
‘He fine,’ Lenski says instantly.
‘Er,’ Lilly pauses, choosing her words carefully. ‘The doctors said his vital signs are good but…well they don’t know really. He’s had a back shock so…’
‘He fine. He wake up soon.’
‘But er, but just in case he doesn’t wake up…’ Lilly says.
‘Maddox not die.’
‘Oh god no, I never said that. I mean…no of course he won’t but… well, just in case he doesn’t wake up for a while…’ Lilly says as both Pea and Sam nod in understanding.
‘So what now then?’ Sam asks, ‘It’s a right mess down there…is Mr Howie coming back?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Lilly says, dropping her gaze.
‘Sierra is alright though isn’t she?’ Sam asks.
‘She see Darius shot.’
‘Darius was her boyfriend,’ Lilly says in explanation, ‘and she didn’t seem that fine a minute ago.’
‘Shock,’ Pea says, ‘maybe you could talk to her. You know, like tell her she shouldn’t be in charge right now?’
‘This no work,’ Lenski says.
Pea watches the two women. Lilly so young yet full of a natural authority and the way she speaks makes her seem so much older and mature and Lenski, stern faced with a coldness in her beauty and behind that mask Pea can see pain and deep worry in the Polish woman’s eyes. ‘You two look exhausted,’ Pea says softly, ‘it’s still really early…you should rest.’
‘We have much to do,’ Lenski says.
‘You both look knackered,’ Sam says, agreeing with her friend, ‘you two can rest here with us…we’ll keep a watch for a bit.’
‘We should get on,’ Lilly says but her body responds to the suggestion of rest and she seems to sink further into the ground as her body relaxes with Billy’s body curled round her. Too many problems. Too many things to do. The hole in the wall. The children need water and food. The mess in the fort needs cleaning up. The night has been pure hell and the day before was long and hot. The pressure building and never relenting. The heat sapping the strength from her body until it felt like she had nothing left to give. The frantic hours in the hospital and the bodies of the dead now stacked that need to be moved. She breathes out heavy and hot from the heat of her brother’s body. Sweat on her forehead again.
‘Let me take him,’ Pea says softly, warmly, almost maternally. ‘You rest now.’
‘But…’ Lilly flicks her eyes open, not realising they were closing.
‘It’s okay,’ Pea says, seeing and sensing the worry in the girl. ‘He’s your brother I know…I have children. We both do.’
The tone makes Lilly wake enough to see the two women properly. Both of them are late thirties, maybe early forties. The maturity is there to be seen. The experience of lives lived and the sadness of loss so evident. There is safety here. Lilly knows this and smiles weak and tired.
‘He is very hot,’ she whispers, ‘would you mind…I don’t want him to wake up and me not be here though.’
‘I’ll stay right here,’ Pea says, nodding earnestly. ‘I promise you.’
It’s too much. The kindness of the words, the soft brown eyes of the woman and the sadness of it all. She can’t speak for the lump growing fat
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