The Link

Chapter 6 - Sam

"They'll start a panic," I said, "everyone will want out of the city."

"And they will gain public support for a house to house search," Rose added, "Hitler tactics." I Iooked down at Stinky sucking on her bottle. Someone wanted her badly. So much so, they didn't care how. They just wanted her as quickly as possible.

"What would you do if Stinky left?" I asked. Maybe it was someone else who had bonded with her. The drug they must have back.

"If I thought her safe," Rose replied, seeing where my thinking was going, "I would be fine with it. You told me Charlie practically shoved her into your arms and pushed you away." I nodded.

"What if it was someone who had bonded more deeply?" I continued.

"Maybe, but would they want it so public?" Rose reasoned.

"The lie would make it difficult for more to bond."

"Do you feel jealous that Stinky bonded with me?" Rose asked.

"No," I thought for a moment, "in fact it was nice, except for the..."

"Cancer," Rose finished my sentence for me. "Maybe other bonds are different. Maybe some people get possessive."

"I'm afraid Stinky is in danger," I said, watching Stinky drain the last of the formula from the bottle. I took the nipple from her lips and smiled at the audible pop it made. "Whoever is after her, wants everyone else far away, and it looks like they can do it."

"Maybe it's the government," Rose said, thinking aloud, "the CDC and the large police presence. It would be easy for them to orchestrate this."

"I would expect men in suits running around," I surmised.

"Maybe they are," Rose added. I lifted Stinky to my shoulder, and she promptly burped, discharging some of what she had drunk on my shirt. It smelled foul.

"Give me your shirt," Rose said while laughing. I put the smiling stink factory back on the couch and pulled off my shirt. Rose started rinsing off the shirt while I took Stinky with me to retrieve another shirt.

We spent the rest of the day talking, interspersed with watching the news and changing diapers. Rose was trying to convince me to go to college. To me, that choice was made over ten years ago, and I didn't want to rethink it. She insisted I was more than smart enough and easily countered all of my arguments. I wondered what life would have been like with her my corner long ago.

I quizzed Rose on her daughter to change the subject. Natalie was obviously brilliant. That, and she had Rose backing her all the way. I laughed when Rose remembered Natalie's antics from childhood. I got a picture of an independent girl that disliked rules, at least, when she was young.

Rose harped on Natalie's law degree. She graduated third in her class and was heavily recruited. She accepted work at a prestigious firm in Phoenix and was on track to becoming their youngest partner. I could see the pride in Rose's eyes. I could also see that she missed her daughter greatly. I wanted to interfere and sneak a note to Natalie about her mother's illness. The breach of trust was the only thing that stalled me. It wouldn't have stopped me a few days ago. Actually, I wouldn't have cared two days ago. I was thinking differently. My mind was nicer.

The news after lunch changed. Stinky and I were still on, but the grand exodus of Flagstaff was the main story. I had been correct. Suddenly, a lot of people were taking vacations. The Ebola scare had families in a panic. The roads out of the city were bumper to bumper with the authorities checking every vehicle.

"This is insane," I said, "how will they undo this. Even if they catch us, the world will find out we don't have Ebola. It will all come crashing down on them."