One Second After [65]
He glared at her coldly, a sick thought crossing his mind that perhaps she was turned on to him because of what he had just done, that or as an "outsider" she was ingratiating herself with a man who now obviously had power in the town.
She stepped back slightly.
"John. First, you're getting an infection; in this situation you could lose your hand, or maybe even your life. Second, I heard about your father-in-law and the nursing home. I volunteered to go up there to help clean and take care of the folks. After I'm done with you, it's a far shorter walk. Third, John, your little girl—Jennifer, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Monitoring her diet now is going to be tough. She should be checked every couple of days by a nurse or doctor. So just take me home with you; I'll get done what needs to be done and then go up to the nursing home for the night."
"OK." It was all he could say.
He got to the car, Washington and the two boys standing by it. Jeremiah handed the Glock back to John.
"It's cleared and empty, sir. Tom gave me a fresh clip; you'll find it in your glove compartment."
Washington took the AR-15 and the two shotguns out of the vehicle.
"We'll walk back to campus, sir. Why don't you just go home?"
Phil stepped around and opened the door for Makala, who got in.
John looked back to the blood-splattered wall and then, almost ironically, fifty yards beyond it, the flagpole and the flag floating atop it. The sky beyond it was darkening. A late afternoon thunderstorm building.
He thought of Jeremiah's question and wondered. Can we still keep this as America? Are we still America?
As he drove home he did not say a word.
"Vomited, didn't you?" she finally said, breaking the silence. "Yeah."
"I thought you were a soldier."
"I am. ... I mean I was. Not many soldiers, though, are trigger pullers. I was in Desert Storm, exec for a battalion with the First Cav. Saw fighting from a distance, but never actually pulled a trigger. Most of the time I was just hunched over a computer screen trying to direct the action."
"Sorry, that came out wrong," Makala replied. "I didn't mean it as an insult. It's just the way you handled that guy in the drugstore the other day. You struck me as someone who had seen combat before."
"No."
"It's all right. I still get queasy at times during an operation. I damn near died when I walked into that nursing home last evening." "Thanks for doing that." "My job now, I guess." The conversation died away.
They pulled into the driveway. The two fools Ginger and Zach came running up, and at the sight of a stranger they showed typical golden retriever loyalty and went running straight to her, ignoring John.
She laughed, scratching their ears as they jumped up to lick her, both starting to bark as they danced around her. John headed for the door where Jen stood.
"Thank God you're home," Jen said. "What happened? I've been worried sick all day about you."
"Went to Asheville like I told you."
She looked past John to Makala, who was coming up, the dogs trailing beside her. Jen's eyes widened slightly and John could sense she was not pleased, that this woman was an invader in her territory.
"Mom, I'd like you to meet Makala Turner. Makala, this is my mother-in-law, Jennifer Dobson."
The two nodded and shook hands.
"Mom, you might recall Makala; she was the woman on the road the first evening."
"Oh, oh yes. My dear, I didn't recognize you, given how you are dressed now."
"She's a nurse, Mom. Head RN with a surgical unit, actually. She came here to check on Tyler, Jennifer, and this." He held up his hand. Jen's talons retracted and there was a smile. "Oh, come on in, dear." "How is Tyler?" John asked. "Resting comfortably," she said quietly. "The girls?"
"Jennifer's taking a nap. Her sugar level was up and she just took a shot. Elizabeth is out for a walk with Ben." "Fine."
John walked into his office and left the two women, who went straight to what was now Tyler's sickroom.
John took