Page 90 of Lieutenant

It’s…something.

I drift in and out of consciousness. I’m even more certain I’m the worst of all of us from the way the two medics look concerned when they frequently check my vitals and study the portable monitor I’m now hooked to with leads that run under my shirt, which feels like it’s about twenty sizes too big, even though the tag said it’s a medium.

Not a weight-loss diet I’d recommend to anyone. I wonder how long it’ll take me to regain weight, or what the hell I’ll be able to wear in the meantime. I’ll look like shit for the pressers, and—

Jesusfuck, Susa. Can the politicianpleasetake a goddamnedbreak?

No.

The ship takes a roll and I barely manage to get my head over the side of the bunk before I puke in the bucket they’ve thoughtfully provided for me.

Hey, I’m not dry-heaving anymore, although the foul-tasting yellow liquid I puke up is almost worse.

“Just kill me now,” I beg once I’ve been given some water to rinse my mouth out and one of the medics gently towels my face with a damp cloth. “Please?”

The next bunk over, Connie weakly laughs where she’s sitting up. “I guess there are no cruises in your future?”

“Fuck you, honey. I didn’t make you drink your own pee, and I discovered crabs, so don’t bust my balls.”

“I willnevereat another goddamned crab again in my life.”

“A-fucking-men,” George says, with agreeing mumbles from Allen and Collin.

Connie laughs again, and at least thisonething I can hold on to that I’ve done in my life.

I’ve brought her home with me.

Well, I’ve brought her to rescuers. What happens now is out of my hands, but at least I didthisdamn thing.

George is on my other side and sits up, turns, and puts his feet on the floor so he can lean in and drop his voice. “Told you you weren’t dying,girl.”

I think I stick my tongue out at him, but with my lips so bad off, and my tongue kind of swollen, it’s hard to tell.

He laughs, so I guess I did.

“Hey,Sir,” I say, then don’t know how to proceed from there. I waggle a finger at him. “No tell-all book before eighty,” I warn.

He laughs. “What book?”

Then he winks and reaches over to pat my shoulder.

I guess we’re going to play it that way. Fine with me.

I’m sure Susa the politician will be cringing later and beating herself up for what I admitted to him during our ordeal, but for now the politician is just fucking happy to be on her way back to civilization.

One of the crewmen opens the door to talk to the captain, who’s stayed there to translate for us. He turns to us. “We are almost to port. We must wait for high tide. They will bring a tug to guide us in to the dock, and some of your families will meet us when we land.”

My eyes are so swollen, my face sunburned, but I cry anyway. I hope CarterandOwen are there. I selfishly hope my parents aren’t, because as much as I want to see Momma and Daddy, Ineedmy men.

Desperately.

I’m sure Carter’s done a great job pretending to be strong for Owen, but he’s going to need me as much as Owen does. That’s just how this works. We each rely on the others in different ways.

At least, Ihopehe’s done a great job pretending to be strong for Owen.

Then again, maybe they won’t be there. Maybe they’ll need to get to me from Florida. I honestly wouldn’t hold it against them if they aren’t here, because, hell, it’s been three fucking weeks. They probably thought I was dead.

Ithought I was dead.