kicked by the mule in a Mexican donkey show. “What happened to you?” She asked, looking directly at Tanya.
“ My back was broken,” she said.
“ Your back? Yeah, didn’t that happen a couple of years ago?” Jessie asked, trying to make sense of it.
“ Right, that was fixed. It was broke again in the plane crash.”
Jessie stared at her, then turned to look at Carl. He lifted his hands.
“ When I broke it before they put microchips in that read the signals from my brain. It sends them to other chips in my body, replacing my spine. When it broke in the crash I was so shook up and shocked I never felt or noticed it,” Tanya explained.
“ You don’t have a spine?” Jessie asked, shocked.
“ I have one, my spinal cord was severed and never healed. Carl checked us over to make sure we were okay and noticed my back was broken again. He fixed it.”
“ Does it hurt?” Jessie asked, her child-like curiosity pushing past her other issues.
“ Not much,” Tanya said, smiling at Carl.
Jessie’s eyes narrowed as she caught the look. She turned and saw him smile back, although it was only a faint twitch of his lips.
“ It hurt when he set it, but it’s okay now. It has to heal and it’s swollen and tight, but mostly I just feel the stiffness. Without a working spinal cord I lost most of the feeling in my back,” Tanya continued.
Jessie made a noise only a step or two above a grunt acknowledging what she said. She turned her attention away to Dustin, who was watching her. “How ‘bout you, big guy? How’re you doing?”
He matched her smile with his own, thrilling Jessie inside and making her cast a triumphant glance at Tanya. Her smile faded slightly when she saw Tanya was not looking back at her.
“ Ribs are messed up, but not too bad Carl said,” Dustin replied. “Gonna hurt a while though, but they’re already feeling better and it’s only been a couple of days.”
“ Couple of days?” Jessie asked, her mouth staying open in shock. “I slept a couple of days?”
“ You ain’t done yet,” Carl said behind her.
“ Ain’t done what? Sleeping? I sure as shit ought to be!” Jessie said.
“ Ain’t done getting over the shit you done to yourself,” he said.
She glanced at the others then back at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m fine.”
He walked over to her, fast enough to make her draw back with eyes wide in alarm. He grabbed her arm and held it up in mid-air. When he was sure she was paying attention and understood, he let go. “Just hold it there,” he told her.
She frowned at him and smirked, as though he was an idiot that just left his village behind. In a few seconds though the tremors that had been making her hand quiver and spasm had their way with her and her hand began to shake. She pulled it away and cupped it to her stomach, covering it for the first time in her life with her disfigured hand.
“ What about them?” she asked, quickly changing the topic. “They tell you their story?”
“ Yep,” he said, scorn for her visible in his yes.
“ You gonna help us?” She asked.
“ Us?”
“ Yeah, I promised them I’d help them get back.”
“ You’re bad news,” Carl stated flatly.
She stared at him, her lips parted in shock again. Warring emotions made her stomach twist and her throat tighten. Moisture threatened to gather in her eyes while she wanted to get up and scream at him or slap him.
“ I saved them!” she managed to gasp finally, and that gave her strength to continue. “Some motherfuckers stole my car and I got them out of there! I pulled them out of a burning plane! How the hell does that make me bad news?” She had stood up at some point in the altercation.
“ Were you looking to help when you went to the crash?” Carl said calmly, unperturbed by her near shouting.
She opened her mouth, ready to retort. Ready to tell her latest story. “I…”
Carl just shook his head and turned away to take care of the
“ My back was broken,” she said.
“ Your back? Yeah, didn’t that happen a couple of years ago?” Jessie asked, trying to make sense of it.
“ Right, that was fixed. It was broke again in the plane crash.”
Jessie stared at her, then turned to look at Carl. He lifted his hands.
“ When I broke it before they put microchips in that read the signals from my brain. It sends them to other chips in my body, replacing my spine. When it broke in the crash I was so shook up and shocked I never felt or noticed it,” Tanya explained.
“ You don’t have a spine?” Jessie asked, shocked.
“ I have one, my spinal cord was severed and never healed. Carl checked us over to make sure we were okay and noticed my back was broken again. He fixed it.”
“ Does it hurt?” Jessie asked, her child-like curiosity pushing past her other issues.
“ Not much,” Tanya said, smiling at Carl.
Jessie’s eyes narrowed as she caught the look. She turned and saw him smile back, although it was only a faint twitch of his lips.
“ It hurt when he set it, but it’s okay now. It has to heal and it’s swollen and tight, but mostly I just feel the stiffness. Without a working spinal cord I lost most of the feeling in my back,” Tanya continued.
Jessie made a noise only a step or two above a grunt acknowledging what she said. She turned her attention away to Dustin, who was watching her. “How ‘bout you, big guy? How’re you doing?”
He matched her smile with his own, thrilling Jessie inside and making her cast a triumphant glance at Tanya. Her smile faded slightly when she saw Tanya was not looking back at her.
“ Ribs are messed up, but not too bad Carl said,” Dustin replied. “Gonna hurt a while though, but they’re already feeling better and it’s only been a couple of days.”
“ Couple of days?” Jessie asked, her mouth staying open in shock. “I slept a couple of days?”
“ You ain’t done yet,” Carl said behind her.
“ Ain’t done what? Sleeping? I sure as shit ought to be!” Jessie said.
“ Ain’t done getting over the shit you done to yourself,” he said.
She glanced at the others then back at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m fine.”
He walked over to her, fast enough to make her draw back with eyes wide in alarm. He grabbed her arm and held it up in mid-air. When he was sure she was paying attention and understood, he let go. “Just hold it there,” he told her.
She frowned at him and smirked, as though he was an idiot that just left his village behind. In a few seconds though the tremors that had been making her hand quiver and spasm had their way with her and her hand began to shake. She pulled it away and cupped it to her stomach, covering it for the first time in her life with her disfigured hand.
“ What about them?” she asked, quickly changing the topic. “They tell you their story?”
“ Yep,” he said, scorn for her visible in his yes.
“ You gonna help us?” She asked.
“ Us?”
“ Yeah, I promised them I’d help them get back.”
“ You’re bad news,” Carl stated flatly.
She stared at him, her lips parted in shock again. Warring emotions made her stomach twist and her throat tighten. Moisture threatened to gather in her eyes while she wanted to get up and scream at him or slap him.
“ I saved them!” she managed to gasp finally, and that gave her strength to continue. “Some motherfuckers stole my car and I got them out of there! I pulled them out of a burning plane! How the hell does that make me bad news?” She had stood up at some point in the altercation.
“ Were you looking to help when you went to the crash?” Carl said calmly, unperturbed by her near shouting.
She opened her mouth, ready to retort. Ready to tell her latest story. “I…”
Carl just shook his head and turned away to take care of the
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