Beginning Anew

Behind the lies, lies he truth

Barbara's phone buzzed for attention, startling her out of the first half-way decent patch of sleep she'd had since Walter disappeared back in Prague. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, yawning as she pulled out her cell.

She shot upright in bed when she saw the name on the screen. "Walt!" She held the phone to her ear.

A pained wheeze rattled through the receiver followed by a desperate gasp for air. "Barbara...?"

"Walt...? Are you okay? What happened?" Barbara asked, worry gripping her.

"I... I managed to get rid of my pursuer," Walter said. "I'm alright."

"You don't sound alright," Barbara countered. "Where are you?"

"I... I..." Walter's voice grew distant as he leaned away from the receiver to hide a sharp cough. He struggled to speak the rest of the sentence, "I managed to find shelter under a bridge. The water pipeline – I am in there." He covered another sickening hack and subsequent gulp of air.

"Where is that bridge?" Barbara prodded, fear threatening to throw her into panic. She pushed away the urge to cry. If being a doctor taught her one thing, it was that fear was the enemy of effectiveness. She had to stay calm.

"East of the city you're in," Walter managed. "It's a bridge for cars – on a country road... I think the areas close by are corn fields. Sheep – not too far away." He let out a muffled groan. "The water in the river – it looks clear." He chuckled, bringing on another sharp bark. "That's kind of surprising – now that I think about it."

Barbara swallowed the lump in her throat and swiped at her burning eyes. It wasn't like Walter to give such vague directions. In fact, she wondered if he knew where he was, or was just guessing.

"It's okay," she assured him. "I'll find you. Just stay where you are." She knew the answer before she asked the question, "Are you hurt? Do I need to bring you anything?"

"Barbara, you should know human medicines aren't effective on trolls, as we are not made of flesh," Walter rasped between breaths. "Don't worry I'll be fine. I'm not that seriously hurt."

"That's not true, and I know it!" Barbara exclaimed. "When I get to you, you are going to tell me what happened. Do you hear me?" The tears she'd tried to push back welled up, but she managed to keep her voice even. "And don't you even dare move from that spot."

A soft laugh sounded from the other end, punctuated by a muted yelp. "I wouldn't even dare," he replied. "I'm glad you're okay."

"You're a stupid idiot," she scolded. "I'm not the one who sounds like he's dying." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I'm glad you're okay too... Even if 'okay' seems a very loose term right now. I'll be there as soon as I can. Hang tight, Walt."

Walter wheezed, "I'll wait for you."

Barbara sighed shakily. "See you soon." She started to hang up but waited for another moment as Walter breathed heavily into the phone. He was alive... but her experienced ears told her he was not alright. She comforted herself in the knowledge that he wasn't locked in deadly combat, and though she wasn't with him for the moment, he wasn't truly alone.

She clicked the red "call end" button. "You're not going to lay out in the middle of nowhere to die, you stubborn idiot." She bit her lip, tearing up again.

In minutes Barbara was speeding down the road, keeping an eye out for corn fields and sleeping sheep. The few possessions she brought with her into the B&B jostled around in the back seat as she stuffed her wallet, less the money she owed her host, into her purse, hastily thrown into the passenger seat.