Recluse Island

Chapter 47

March 2014

"Still miss Stormy Shore?"

Benedict Fairfield, Jack Chapman's latest trainee, looked up from a garbage can he was emptying in the Meadowlark Café and glanced over at Jack who had just tossed a large sack into the wooden cart with a hinged lid they used to transport trash to the sanitation center. Today Jack and Benedict were on café duty. Their orders changed daily, ensuring each member participated in all possible locations including each of the nine sections, residents' quarters, and all restroom facilities.

Benedict, Sanitation's newest recruit, was in Jack's opinion what he supposed Millie would call a good-looking guy. Not that he paid much attention to such things but in the short time they had been working together (three weeks now) Jack couldn't help but notice the looks and stares girls kept giving him. It must be the blond hair and blue eyes Jack concluded. They made him look all innocent and likable. Though likable is not a word Jack would ever use to describe Benedict. Of course, whatever attention he'd been getting Benedict hadn't noticed as he was pretty much oblivious to everything. Like now for example, he clearly hadn't heard Jack's question.

"Sorry, what?" asked Benedict, removing the heavy black garbage bag, and reaching into his back pocket for a twist tie.

"I said, do you still miss Stormy Shore?"

Benedict shrugged. "It's not really Stormy Shore I miss."

This was a typical Benedict response. Short, to the point and as usual vague. Jack still didn't know much more about him now than when they had first met. But what he did know was that Benedict's father Thornton had been a doctor in Stormy Shore, so it was quite flummoxing that in the compound he had been selected into Disaster Control. Something Jack didn't understand at all as the Trinity Clinic could always use more help, a fact he was even more aware of since he'd begun spending time with Hester Cruz.

Jack had first met Hester shortly after she began working in the Trinity Clinic. He had been sent by his head of section, Ira Henderson, to the clinic for treatment of a chemical burn he sustained when helping fellow sanitation member Joey Thornhill with what he claimed would revolutionize the cleaning of toilets.

Whether or not this would one day be true remains to be seen and unfortunately for Jack he happened to be holding the bucket Joey was mixing his concoction in. At one point Joey became distracted when someone called out his name causing him to pour the sodium hydroxide he had mixed with water onto Jack's arm. Jack immediately dropped the bucket, causing the contents to splash onto Joey and himself while both jumped back in fright. Ira hadn't been amused and after instructing them to proceed to the Trinity Clinic he also issued each of them an ISU Ticket.

It was just after three o'clock, so Hester's shift had just started. She helped Jack into a bed and assisted Dr. Silversteen in treating his burn. Jack was immediately intrigued by Hester and after Dr. Silversteen had finished wrapping his arm, gave him a shot for pain and told him she wanted him to remain in the clinic until supper for observation Jack began asking questions about her.

Jack learned Hester was twenty-six, four years older than Jack, and the oldest of eight children. She was also fluent in Spanish and a great listener. Jack knew, even at this moment, that any type of relationship between the two other than friendship would be impossible. She was from Stormy Shore; he lived in the Clinkirk Compound. She was older, he apparently had a lot of growing up to do, her words. She liked to remain on the sidelines, Jack thrived on the limelight. But that didn't mean he was going to stop dropping by the Trinity Clinic or corralling her into having lunch with him or requesting she attend band practice. He'd wear her down eventually, at least he hoped he could. Though Hester sure wasn't making it easy.