All The Good Things

Chapter 10 - "Why are you following me?"

Ash rolled over in her bed and grimaced as pain woke her. Her eyes fluttered tiredly open against the early morning light coming in through her window. She looked around her room and discovered her extra blanket neatly folded and resting on top of her extra pillow.

Zach was gone.

She wasn't surprised he had left without saying goodbye. She was surprised he had managed to leave without waking her. Even the smallest rustling noises usually woke her up. Had that been a part of his CIA training? Because he had in fact worked for the CIA. But he didn't anymore. What had happened?

Ash stopped herself before the flood of questions could begin. She was honestly glad he was gone. With the clarity of the morning light, she didn't even know why she had wanted him to stay. She hadn't been in her right mind the night before. She was grateful he had snuck out. It was one less thing she had to avoid from the day before.

She turned her attention to the things she couldn't avoid. The pain. She gently stretched her arms out and wasn't surprised to find pain shot through many different parts of her body. This wasn't a welcomed feeling but it was a familiar one.

She held her hands up and examined the white bandages covering them. Her fingers are stiff and the bandages would need to be changed. She clumsily pushed herself up, slowly planted her feet on the ground, and began the task of inventorying her pain.

When she was younger, she had tried to pretend the pain didn't exist. Her simple child mind had thought that if she didn't acknowledge it, then it would somehow disappear. But experience had taught her that pain could easily overpower delusion. She had learned to give the pain the attention it was due.

As she slowly moved her body she found her biggest problems were her knees and hands, which in the grand scheme of things wasn't too bad. At least her ribs were intact this time.

She slowly pushed herself off the bed and stumbled to her desk. Somewhere, buried in one of the drawers, she had painkillers. She took two pills and slowly began to make her bed while she waited for the painkillers to kick in.

As the pain eased, she could feel her clarity returning and she started a list. She needed bandages and she needed food. She glanced at the clock. She also had a shift at the Busy Bean that started in an hour and she needed an excuse for not even calling out of her shift the day before.

She had a fantastic excuse but she didn't think her boss would believe it. She also didn't think Agent Morgan would appreciate Ash spilling details about a CIA investigation. She quickly thought through the most efficient order of events and then carried them out.

Forty-five minutes later, she had new bandages on her hands and a full belly as she entered the Busy Bean. She wasn't even two steps into the shop when her boss Michelle appeared from the back.

"Wright," Michelle called out roughly as she waved Ash over.

Ash knew that Michelle's bark was much stronger than her bite. Ash also knew Michelle craved a respectful fear from her employees so Ash lowered her head and let her steps falter on her way over.

"Yesterday," Michelle stated.

"I'm so sorry," Ash started, holding her hands up to convey her innocence but also to let Michelle see the bandages.

"What happened to your hands?" Michelle asked.

Ash laughed nervously as she quickly hid her hands behind her back. "Umm, the thing is...there was this event..." She knew if she kept the details vague Michelle could come to her own assumptions. "...at a cabin..." she said.

She peeked up at Michelle like she was embarrassed and was gratified to see Michelle shake her head in understanding.

"What happened?"