Chapter 28

I woke up, and for some reason I didn't feel alone on the couch where I slept. Feeling the little body cuddled up to me, I realized that Sarah, sometime during the night, had slipped into the bed with me. It was light enough that I could see her hugging her teddy bear as she lay next to me. I felt a little irritated at first, but thinking about it, I knew I was overreacting. I lay back down, listening to her soft breathing, remembering my daughter and how many times she had slipped into bed with me when she was little. Although I was a light sleeper for some reason she, and now Sarah, never seemed to wake me when they did. Any other movement or noise never failed to bring me wide awake from the soundest sleep. I wondered where my daughter and hers were now, and if they were safe.

I finally managed to slip out without waking her and went in to do my morning thing. This morning I speeded up 'cause I just knew there would be a knock on the door saying a little someone had to pee. I chuckled to myself because almost as soon as I had my socks and pants on, that little knock sounded. "Are you gonna be much longer, Pops? I really have to go." I opened the door with my boots in my hand and she rushed past me, shutting the door as she went inside. I sat down on her couch, lacing my boots, chuckling to myself as I did. I stopped by the bathroom door and told her to wash up and get dressed as I would be in the dining room waiting on her. "Don't forget to brush your teeth." "I will!" was the reply as I went out. When I got to the dining room I only saw four or five women, sitting around looking half asleep. Then I finally looked at my watch and got a helluva shock. 4:00 AM! What the hell was I doing up this early I wondered. I drew a cup of coffee from the seemingly never empty pot on the table by the wall. I went and sat down near the pot, sipping my coffee, thinking about what I was going to do today. A rather large woman got up and came to where I was sitting and sat down across from me. She seemed familiar, but I had never been introduced to her as far as I could remember.

"Marshal, my name is Gertie. I was the head cook here before all this happened."

"What can I do for you, Gertie?"

"I would like to talk to you about that little girl you brought in."

I had known that someone would ask, but it was the way she asked that got me a little pissed. I sat my cup down and looked her straight in the eyes as I asked; "What about her?"