The Deathless Trilogy

3.9. Logistics

By the time everyone else is waking up, our poem is done. Badly, but it's done. We pick up the pieces of paper and head back to the tent to keep them safe beneath the crate. I wonder if Daniel is still in there, I think. I'm not sure I'm ready to see him in the light of day, but when we get inside, I see he's already gone.

"Where's Daniel?" Dad asks Eleanor and Mom as they get ready for the day.

"He's at training," Celia answers.

He would have seen me and my dad by the lake, which means he snuck past us. My heart sinks to the pit of my chest.

"That's fine," Mom says, "They need to get in as much training here as they can before we move out."

"When are we moving out?" I ask.

"Next week. At least, that's the plan. That way we should make it to Virginia with time to get our defenses set up before Roberts' crew lands. Declan will let everyone know after we hear Dr. Sanders' report today." Her face brightens. "Or I guess you could let them know, or I could even let them know."

Eleanor beams. "I leave you alone for only a few months, and I come back to find you two ruling the world. So, are we going to celebrate your promotions with some breakfast and OJ or what?"

Mom laughs. "Of course. How else do people celebrate?"

My parents and Eleanor gather what they need for the day, and Celia leaves to wash her face in the lake. I hide my words back beneath the crate, and once we're all ready to go for the day, Mom wraps her arm around me. Together, my mom, my dad, my would-be mother-in-law, and my sister head to the Immortal for breakfast celebrations without Daniel.

***

Celia walks me to my office. Well, Dr. Patel's office. No matter how long I sit here, I will always feel like an intruder. I take a seat behind the desk, and Celia rests her elbows on the edges. I stare at her, wondering if Dr. Patel thought I looked as thin and unintimidating as I think Celia does now.

"Daniel didn't say anything to you before he left?" Celia asks.

"No."

"He didn't say anything to me either. He's probably still upset. I'll try to catch him before he comes back to the tent today and see what's up. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course. Thank you, Celia. I appreciate your help," I say.

She smiles. "No problem. Well, I should get back to the lab and work on the armor. Feel free to come over if you need anything."

"Thanks. I will," I say, and then I'm left alone. It's the first time I've been alone in a while, probably since before Mom and I were saved from the Prowlers. As much as I want to head into the lab with a clipboard and pen like Dr. Patel used to do and prove Dr. Guzman wrong about hardly seeing me here, I need this time now to be alone. Now I sound like Daniel, I think, but I don't even know when the last time I just stopped and did nothing was, so I give my body this opportunity to rest.

But my mind never rests. I remember what I told Mom last night at the funeral: If I plant a garden, I'll feel revived. I need to plant a garden.

First I'll need to find seeds. I'd rather not bother Declan right now for seeds, since it's the start of our work day, so I begin searching through Dr. Patel's drawers. In the top drawer are abandoned nuts and bolts now rusting and screws that don't seem to belong anywhere.

In the middle drawer I find a photo of a group of people in white coats, doctors obviously. I search the faces for anyone familiar. There's Dr. Patel in the front, and in the back left corner is Joe Wilkes. They look so young. I place the photo back into the drawer for safe keeping, and open the final drawer.