Page 73 of Hollow Valley

The Empath was still there when I woke.She sat on the cot across from me, hands flat on her lap, staring ahead with a blank intensity.Maybe watching, maybe waiting, maybe not seeing me at all.

Benedict was gone, so it was only the two of us in the locked room.

“Am I dying?”I asked, since that might explain why she hadn’t left me when the Sentry had.

“Not as far as I know.But I’m glad you’re awake.”She got up and walked over, then sat down on the cot beside me.“How are you feeling?”

“Great, except for the phantom ache where my dead toes used to be,” I said, and I was only slightly exaggerating.Beyond the throbbing pain in my foot, I was mostly tired and sore.

“Is there anything I can do to help you?”Alphie asked.

“Do you have any serious pain relievers you want to throw my way?”I asked.“Literally any analgesic or an opioid would be especially appreciated.”

She shook her head.“No, we don’t have anything like that here.”

“Figures,” I grumbled.“I guess expecting painkillers from someone who swears by mangoes and miracles was a stretch.Especially these days.”

“You knew of Nell before?”Alphie asked, intrigued.“Before the disease ravaged the world?”

“If you’re talking about before the zombies, sure, yeah, I was aware of her back then,” I said.“My mom was into fitness.She loved running, marathons, that kinda thing.And Nell had a few good workout courses, apparently.But as for the rest of her alleged ‘teachings.’”I snorted, remembering the way my mom had referred to her as aholistic hustler.

“So, you didn’t follow her then?”

I looked up at Alphie, studying her dark eyes to see what she was getting at.But all I could find was compassion and curiosity.Maybe the title of Empath wasn’t pulled entirely from thin air.

“No, I didn’t follow her,” I finally answered.

“So who do you follow then?”

“Nobody.I mostly just run from things.”

“And that’s how you want to live?”Alphie pressed.

“It’s not a matter ofwantso much as I don’t know any other way to survive,” I admitted wearily.“Why are you still here?”

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay,” she replied.

I smirked up at her.“I’m dandy.Can’t you tell?”

“I also … I wanted to ask you about something Benedict said,” she said, sounding almost cautious.“When you were unconscious, he told me that you had a cougar with you when you arrived.”

“Lion,” I corrected her.

Both her eyebrows raised excitedly.“What was that?”

“A lioness, technically,” I amended.“And yeah, she’s mine.Sorta.No one really owns her.But we travel through life together.”

“That is a very romantic way to describe your relationship with a cat,” she remarked.

“Well, you haven’t been friends with a lion.”

“I haven’t, but I do imagine it is something special,” she said.“Is there some way we can help her?”

“If Ripley needs help, she’ll go back to the boat,” I said, because that was what made the most sense.If I didn’t come back, she would return to the only other family she had.Boden and Stella on the Barbarabelle.

“What boat?”Alphie asked, her interest clearly piqued, and I realized I’d accidentally said too much.Losing two toes had really fucked with my head.

“It doesn’t matter.Why are you asking all these questions?”I deflected.“Why do you even care?”