The Silver Ship and the Sea Read Online Free Page B

Steven yell for her, then I heard him scream.” He looked up at the ceiling. “I couldn’t help them.” Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes. “I…I felt it here, felt the quake rock my body, but I’d already felt it up the hill and they were dying, so my attention stuck there, with them.”
    His voice was shaky, and I wanted to hold him, but I didn’t want anything physical to break his thoughts. His pain was too deep for me to touch away. When he fell silent a moment, I whispered, “Do you remember sitting in the park?”
    “I sensed you all, you and Kayleen and Bryan, and Tom once. Bryan stayed with us.” Finally, he looked at me. “Is everyone else okay?”
    Okay? Of course not. But I nodded and fetched him a glass of water. His lips looked dry and chapped and his eyes were the wrong shade of black, like thunderclouds about to pour rain and fire. I watched him take a long, slow drink. Only when he handed me back the empty glass did I say, “No one died here. Denise broke her wrist and Hilario’s face got banged up by a falling roof tile. Gianna hurt her ankle. I heard the hospital was full, but they released most people. We were lucky.”
    “Were we?”
    A knock at the door saved me from answering. I dragged myself from Joseph’s side. Something as normal as answering the door seemed impossible, like walking through waves. As I pushed the door open, the widening crack spilled light and birdsong into the short hallway. The happy normal sounds scraped at my confused grief; I wanted the world to be silent and respectful.
    Bryan stood just outside, his bulk filling much of the doorway. He folded me into his arms. He whispered into my hair. “I’m so sorry. I would have come sooner, but I couldn’t.” I didn’t answer, just stood in his arms, drawing strength from his bulk, his steadiness. After a minute, he asked, “How’s Joseph?”
    “He’s awake. Come in.” I stepped back and Bryan passed me, heading for Joseph’s room. The empty place he left in the doorway filled with Kayleen, damp from a shower, but not fresh; her eyes drooped and she moved slowly. “Sorry I just couldn’t come earlier. Nava made me and Mom run tests on the data nets until after midnight.” She pulled out a kitchen chair, sat down with a thump, and started combing her hair with her fingers, watching me. “You don’t look like you slept. You look exhausted. Just a minute, I’ll find us some breakfast. How’s Joseph?”
    Seeing her lifted my spirits a tiny bit. “He’s…he’s hurting.”
    Kayleen headed for Joseph’s room, still trying to untangle her hair. I followed her, so the four of us crowded into the small square room. There was only one chair, which Bryan filled, soKayleen sat on my rumpled bedding and I perched on the narrow bed by Joseph, who had turned back to the wall.
    Bryan’s voice was low and even. “…need to talk. I know you don’t want to, I know it’s not a good time yet, but Kayleen and I are worried. We need to come up with a plan for you two.”
    I blinked, startled. That was my job. I hadn’t been doing it. I didn’t want to do it, not yet. I put a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. “He’s right. We need to plan.” There would be too much to do to let anyone grieve long. Nava wasn’t one to wait on emotions, and certainly not on ours. The town couldn’t wait. A fresh wave of loss washed through me. Therese and Steven. “We’ll probably all be called to work today.”
    Joseph groaned and whispered, “I can’t.”
    “We’ll be okay.” I rubbed his shoulders lightly. “We’ll manage. They need us, and I’m sure we can do something easy.”
    Joseph burrowed into the pillow. “How come you’re always so positive?” he mumbled.
    Bryan twisted his hands in his lap. “She’s made that way. Now, come get some breakfast. You need to eat.”
    Joseph pulled the covers tighter. “I’m not hungry.”
    “Do I have to carry you?” Bryan asked. He glanced at Kayleen and me.