Chapter 2: Aftermath

Once seated in the police car, Tamara was fascinated by the radios and computer as well as a little in awe of the shotgun clipped to the dash between them. It only took a minute, and when she got out, she was surprised that the officer got out as well and not only walked her to the door of the school but insisted on taking her to the office.

Mother Superior was called, who thanked the young man for his help and invited Tamara into her office. It was, Tamara thought, a day of firsts. First time she’d ever seen such strange exercises, first time she’d ever seen a real gun. The first time in a police car and the first time in Mother Superior’s office. Her diary, tonight, was going to get a big dose of newness. She vowed she wouldn’t dwell on comparisons with her own past history.

“Are you okay, Tamara?” Mother Superior asked.

Tamara had always wondered how Mother Superior had gotten her job. Unlike most of the other nuns, who were mostly older women, Mother Superior was in her late thirties and was quite pretty and even the rather strict habit she wore didn’t do much to conceal it. She was very short, tiny, and thin, oriental in appearance.

Tamara nodded, suddenly unsure how you were supposed to speak to Mother Superior. She’d been told a thousand times, but right then, she couldn’t remember. It wasn’t as if she’d ever had occasion to practice.

“If you’d like, I would understand if you didn’t feel like going to class today. I would see that you were taken home.”

“Mother Superior,” Tamara said, “I’m fine. Really. And I live north of Vancouver. It’s too far.” There were still a lot of periods when she talked, but it was getting better.

Mother Superior shook her head. “It’s not that far. Lieutenant Rhymer talked to me briefly a few minutes ago. He said that you had been very brave, that you were taking it well, but might just be a little more tired than you realize.”

Tamara shook her head again. “I’m fine, really.” All she’d done was fetch a first aid kit and two blankets, for heaven’s sake! And hold the driver’s hand. That hadn’t been hard! It was something she increasingly looked back on with pride. She’d been able to help someone, just like someone must have once helped her. She wasn’t tired, maybe a little excited, but not tired.

“Well, I’d like you to sit here for a few minutes, until classes change. There are only ten minutes until the bell and there’s no need to disturb your teacher this period.”

“I have PE this period,” Tamara said.

“I imagine you can probably afford to skip the shower.”

Tamara looked at her sharply. She’d never grown accustomed to taking a shower with 250 other girls, too many of whom had comments about other people’s state of physical development that were unkind, rude, and none of their business. All of the comments were about her small breasts, her thin body but not one about her scars. It was one reason she had more contempt than any other emotion towards her peers.

“Wait just a few minutes, rest, and then you can go. If you feel tired or need someone to talk to, you know where to find me.” Tamara nodded, and went out to sit in the outer office to wait for the class change.

Tamara sat and read a library book, an old Heinlein juvenile about farming on Ganymede, and when the bell rang, simply put the book in her pack, and walked out to her Modern Literature class. After Literature was History, and after that, lunch. Tamara had pretty much put the morning behind her by then.

When she stood to leave class for lunch, Mother Superior met her in the hall.

“Miss Hart, you and I didn’t think, and I regret that. It would seem that we forgot to call your parents.”