Heartbeat

Chapter 25- Win

Win awoke several hours later. She could tell by the light in the small window that it was morning, but the rain hadn't stopped. She rubbed her eyes that had crust in them. Not the most attractive thing. Win thought and then felt a pang in her chest, remembering Alevier. She was insulted that he could stray so easily. She didn't see the girl and couldn't judge her looks or compare them to hers.

With his face between the bars, Win glanced around the room and saw Vran blowing the smoke of a jays out of a jarred window. Three or four mice are sleeping in the room still.

"What are you doing?" Win whispered to Vran; he looked back.

"The smoke can't be good for them, ya know? Not while they're sleeping. The stimulant will wake 'em" Win saw the wisdom in this.

"You sleep, ok?" She asked in a whisper again.

"Got a few hours; you seemed out." Win nodded in reply. She looked at the sleeping mice. Everyone looks younger in their sleep. Nikita was lying next to her. Win had to pull her back into the room at least four times throughout the night as she wanted to go out and join Felix. An angry spitfire of a thing. Win thought she had heard she was 14, but she looked as young as Sal in her sleep.

Win pushed herself up off her mattress and stood. She heard a noise down the hall, coming up the stairs. Have Sol, Fara or Mouse slept at all? She was hopeful she would be woken if there had been news but was doubtful following the group's suspicion of her possibly splitting.

She stepped over the sleeping bodies and made her out of the room and down the hall. She walked down to the kitchen and saw Sara standing in it, making a batch of eggs on the stovetop.

"Morning," Win said. Sara turned and smiled gently.

"Good morning, Win." She said and turned back to the eggs. Win thought about Sara's motherly instinct to consider food for everyone during all this chaos.

"Did you get any sleep?" Win asked. Spotting the dark circles under Sara's eyes when she had turned.

"I got an hour when I came back. I'll get more after we all eat."

"Who else is still up?"

"Mouse, Sol, Fara. Rudy just got back ten minutes ago."

"What time is it?"

"Half past eight bells, I think." Win could hear the eggs frying in the several pans over the elements. Her stomach rumbled in hunger.

"How many people do you think you'll be able to feed?" She asked tentatively. Sara turned to her again and smiled.

"Don't worry, you can have an egg. I stopped at the market quickly on the way back. Not everyone will want to eat. Rage quells hunger." Win nodded, sitting at the large table in the kitchen on one of the many mismatched chairs. She couldn't help but feel relieved that no one else was awake to take over her turn to eat. A few moments later, Sara dropped a plate in front of her with a fork. On the dish was an egg with a few fried potatoes. Win ate greedily, finishing her plate too quickly. Finally, Sara offered her a mug of coffee, and Win immediately sipped it, ignoring the heat burn as it hit her lips.

Win heard a shout from upstairs. She got up slowly and looked at Sara. Sara held her look and motioned her head for Win to investigate. Win left the kitchen and tried to quietly move up the stairs. On the second landing, she checked the hall but only saw Felix sleeping on the floor of an empty room, still in damp clothing.

Win went up to the third floor, down the hall to the large meeting room. She entered it and saw Mouse, Sol, Fara and Rudy standing in a circle, a makeshift desk in the middle. They all turned and looked at Win standing at the doorway, holding her mug of coffee.