Serendipitous

7.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to you, Shane. I can't begin to express it." My dad says as we all sit around the fire—Everyone except for Wyatt.

Shane and I explained to my dad that Wyatt had tried to forcefully make a move on me in the woods. He showed up and took care of it, but what he didn't know was the other reason Shane punched Wyatt. Wyatt subtly threatened to inform my parents about hearing us last night in the tent; something we both didn't want to happen.

"There go those words falling short again, partly things." I hear Dale speak.

Shane gives my dad a nod as he sits quietly across from us at the fire. As I watch the glow embers, I begin to wonder why Shane told me my dad died that day. I want to talk to him about it, it ask him why.
But my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of wood hitting the small fire across from us. One of the lesser liked men—if not the most disliked men here, Ed put another log in his fire where his wife and daughter sat around with him causing the fire to grow.

"Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log?" Shane's voice brings me out of my trance as I look over at him.

"It's cold man." Ed grumbly whines.

"The cold doesn't change the rules, does it?" Shane responds cooly. He looks over to Ed's direction. "Keep our fires low, just embers so we can't be seen from a distance, right?"

"I said it's cold. You should mind your own business for once." Ed mumbles dryly. Shane stands up from his current seat as he walks over to where Ed is sitting as the rest of us watch quietly.

"Hey Ed..." Shane begins softly. "Are you sure you want to have this conversation, man?"

Ed let's out a breath as he look at his wife Carol. "Go on. Pull the damn thing out."

I watch as Carol hesitates. "Go on!" Ed continues this time louder.

Carol gets up from her seat as she pulls the log out from the fire while Shane mutters something under his breath. Shane steps on the small fire putting the remainder of it out as a soft glow surrounds the four of them. I watch as he kneels down beside Sophia before speaking.

"Hey, Carol, Sophia, how are y'all this evening?"He says in a kind voice.

"Fine. We're just fine." Carol responds softly.

"Okay."

"Sorry about the fire" Carol apologizes sheepishly.

"No, no, no. No apology needed." He responds meekly. He pauses before speaking again. "Y'all have a good night, okay?"

"Okay." Carol smiles weakly. Shane gets up and walks over back to the campfire.

"I appreciate the cooperation." He says dryly to Ed as he walks by him.

We all continue to make small talk around the campfire as I occasionally glance at Shane. I have to talk to him tonight, I want to find out why he said my dad was dead.
One by one as everyone gets up to go to bed, the embers grow dimmer until there isn't anything left of them. Shane stands up from his spot as I follow him magnetically, it's just the two of us now.

"Can we talk, please?" I ask him quietly.

"I don't see why not." He responds. I follow him into the tent. When we both lay down beside one another I turn to face him.

"When you went into the hospital get my dad, you came out alone. You made it seem like my dad was dead, and I believed you. Why?" I ask whike keeping my voice soft and quiet.
Shane hesitates to speak for a moment as his eyes hold mine.

"Because when I put my ear up to his chest—I didn't hear a heart beat. They were shooting the walkers and I didn't know what to do. If I would have taken your dad they would have seen his bandage and shot him. Maybe even both of us. He was hooked up to so many wires, I had to get out of there."
As he speaks I can see the worry in his eyes as he remembers that awful day.