Page 17 of The Final Storm
I stretch my free arm to Caleb and almost yank it back from his glare. He cocks his head to one side and looks at me like I’m an exhibit at the zoo. He almost misses my hand, so perplexed by my presence. I understand this might be a bit of a surprise, but the way he studies me feels unnerving.
Sam notices and halts his conversation with Lori. “Caleb, get moving. Help my wife and kids.”
Those words jolt Caleb upright, releasing my hand. I lurch forward and catch myself on the side of the boat.
“Shit, Caleb. What’s wrong with you?” Sam hisses and moves next to him. He reaches both arms toward me and lifts me out of the bobbing vessel. Giving Caleb a searing look, he jumps back down to help Lori and Luke exit.
Caleb says nothing and keeps staring.
“You should help our friends,” I say to his blank expression.What the hell is going on with this guy?“Our friend, Luke, he’s sick.” I almost snap my fingers in his face. “Caleb, can you help him?”
Caleb gives a slow nod and brushes past me to assist. I see Sam give him a few curt words and direct him with a hand motion to Lori. Caleb rubs his forehead and then reaches out, helping her from the boat.
Caleb’s motions are robotic and his expression stoic, hiding whatever emotion courses underneath the surface. I notice him look in my direction every few minutes, his eyes full of questions.
Everyone stands on the walkway, unsure of where to go. Milo reverses from the Galene as soon as he’s able. He doesn’t want to be here a moment longer, and I can’t blame him. A wave of panic hits me, realizing that’s our only way out. Other boats float in the slips next to us, and I still myself, knowing we escaped once, and we could do it again if necessary.
It won’t be necessary. Everything will be fine.
Luke leans next to Lori, but when he takes a step, he falters, falling to the ground. His hands slap the metal as a few coughs of blood spray the ground.
Sam and Caleb go to each side of him and throw his arms over their shoulders, lifting and carrying him toward the open doors. Sam gives us a motion to follow, and I walk beside Lori. Her face pinches as she takes in a shuddered breath. I grab her hand, and she squeezes back.
“Everything will be fine,” I repeat.
“Please stop saying that,” she bites out.
“Right, okay. Everything will be slightly less shitty than it has been the past few days.”
“I don’t want to say things can’t get worse,” Lori sighs.
“But they could,” I admit.
“Especially if you say everything is going to be alright again.” Lori pumps my hand a few times. “I don’t want to hear that unless youknow.”
I sigh and kiss the back of her hand.
“Did you see that exchange?” I whisper to her. The hallways stretch out in front of us, and I laugh remembering the boys constantly griping about their hatred of hallways. Not all memories were terrible on the Thalassa.
Lori doesn’t respond right away. She bites her fingernails and stares at the men ahead of us.
“Between me and Caleb,” I continue, a feeble attempt to distract her. “He freaked out when he saw me.”
“What?” Lori murmurs. Her voice raises in the question, and she doesn’t take her eyes off Luke whose body drags up ahead between the two men.
“That Caleb guy with Sam, they know each other, but when Sam introduced me, he… I don’t know.”
“Oh,” Lori replies. “I’m sorry, I’m all over the place. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I lower my shoulders and exhale. “I get that. I’m sorry. How are you feeling?”
“Um, I don’t know. Scared and nervous. I wish I knew more about Luke. What’s wrong with him? Why do we have to be here? I know Morgan is a little early, but I feel like Luke is in a lot of danger. He’s withering away and so quickly.”
“I can’t tell much from my visions.” The image of Luke in the medical room coated with blood comes to mind. Machines blare in my ears for a moment, and I swallow hard, letting the picture stay, hoping it will give me more. There’s nothing, and I don’t tell Lori, because it won’t change where we have to be or what we must do. He would have died on that island. “I’ve seen us here. I’ve seen him in a hospital bed. Everything-”
Lori shoots me a look, and a single tear falls down her cheek. “Don’t fucking say it,” she orders.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
