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We were slowly toasting in the sun while we waited, sweat running into eyes, down our backs, the air stifling, the sun relentless. The two groups now arriving at the same time. One from the north, the other from the west, each group wary. If there was the slightest misstep, I fear the whole gathering would burst into chaos.
With a nod, “My name is Luke, the… quasi leader of this small group currently hiding east of here, give or take a mile. I must admit, surprised you actually showed up.”
“I’m Jesse, and this is Addison, Cort, Brett, Joshua, and Frank. Likewise, although your greeting party has grown, wondering, should we be concerned?”
“Always, you know the phrase, trust no one. My mantra and to be clear, I’ll not trust you. But pretty sure you can count and since you returned, as stated, hoping you will consider an arrangement. So time is short. After the last encounter with what now is a common foe seeking revenge, need to move this along. Here are three options. We all walk away, we agree on an exchange, or this turn ugly.”
“Of course, so let’s hear what you got in mind.”
“We have injured members who badly need medical care, perhaps a doctor which are few and far apart, so we’re hoping you, as a larger, self-contained community, you might have medical personnel. We have no medical staff, but we have a cache of medical supplies. So…, you take three injured needing care, and a trainable community member with several boxes of materials, address their needs, teach her, and return upon which we will provide additional medical materials, capeesh?”
“Medical supplies, such as,” Jesse asked.
“Medical supplies… bandages, splints, ointments, a first aid kit, stuff,” Luke responds, irritated.
“Okay but you need to understand, I’m but a bottom feeder, a professional gopher, because, believe it or not funny story, I had an unfortunate encounter with our highly qualified surgeon, who is no longer, ah, with us which, may have been my doing. So anyway, I’m a fan of no one, more of a marked man. So… give me a moment to confer with my colleagues. Hold that, though. I’ll be right back.”
Whispering, “Well, folks?”
“Like you said, you’re as low as you can go,” they replied in no particular order.
“Sound like a plan, Lets’ make it so,” Brett concluded while others shrugged their shoulders in agreement.
“Okay, let’s give it a shot, oops sorry, poor choice of words, let’s make the exchange, but no guarantee we can save your the injured, but will do our best.”
“We expect them to return, healed.”
Buggy pulled forward, patients transferred to the wagon, injured all in distress, hanging on to life, along with supplies and one, guessing, twenty-something female, Diana. Red hair, dark brown eyes, about 5 ft. 6 in. slender, trusting, confident, wearing aged jeans, T-shirt and, really, a white smock. Transferred made wagon moves out, slowly, with care. Luke now moving near, watching the wagon pull away, leans in. “That’s my daughter and if anything happens to her, anything, I will hold you personally responsible and promise to hunt you down, and you will pay,” a stark warning rendered.
“See that building, the east most end, I’ll hang something over the side. We can meet the next day. I would not recommend just dropping by unannounced,” I replied.
In that moment, saw my daughters, my wife as I left home that fateful night promising to return, never to see them again, wondering, thinking, I couldn’t protect my own. I stopped hunting for their attackers. Moved with care up the pathway as gently as possible, Diana riding at the rear of the wagon, holding tight, holding a broken umbrella, swaying side-to-side, trying to keep the sun off their faces. This trip seemed to take forever. Meanwhile, Frank, watching the pack retreat, heading away, was visually familiarizing himself with our new guest.
Looking toward the stable, I was not expecting a warm reception.
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