Aim to Please

7 | Burdened

They found a place to stay for the night in a settlement at Jamaica Plain; Aurora felt she had to repay their kindness by offering her medical knowledge. So, as MacCready rested his leg in one of their wooden shacks, she was out being a nurse to those sick or injured.

All he could think about was what she had told him about Joshua. He still found it hard to believe that she had had a kid; she gave off a cold first impression, one who preferred distance—not at all like a caring mother should be. But now that he's gotten to know her, her natural caring personality made more sense as just being repressed to protect herself.

He could imagine her having a happy, carefree life with a son—the picture of her laughing just fit her. But now, she smiled little, and he could tell she wasn't happy—Joshua being taken from her must have caused her change. How else could a mother and a devoted nurse be driven to become a mercenary?

She had just exposed herself to him—told him her reason and purpose for life. Why couldn't he do the same? Aurora had been so brave to stay with Joshua and hold his hand as he died; on the other hand, MacCready had run—abandoning Duncan to suffer alone. He told himself he had left to search for a cure, but he only kidded himself—he had left out of selfish reasons. He was a coward.

Aurora walked in when it grew evening outside. "How's my patient?"

"Fine; room service here sucks, though."

She cut her eyes at him as she seated on his bed. "Careful; I'm a nurse, so I know medicines that can mess with you." She unwrapped the bloody bandages to check on his wound. "Does it hurt much?"

"No, I barely feel it."

"The stimpak's doing its job, then." Aurora completely unwrapped his leg and replaced the bloody bandages with fresh ones.

No, it's because of the nurse I have.

The thought came out of nowhere and shocked him; he hadn't so much as looked at another woman since Lucy died. Aurora was a beautiful woman and admirable for her strength and her inclination to help others; she also taking part in inappropriate activities—like stealing, breaking into buildings, and cursing—made her even more attractive. There was just something about a woman up for breaking the law; Lucy had been such a stickler about the law that he didn't want to disappoint her by being himself. With Aurora, though, she didn't look down at him—she was right beside him stealing something.

He braced himself to talk. "Aurora, can I—"

A male settler walked in and interrupted. "Aurora, there's a group of settlers that just came in; some are suffering stings from Stingwings. Can I ask you to help?"

She looked at MacCready; he waved her on. "Later; go help."

She gave him a small smile, then got up to follow the settler out to the new patients; he would talk with her later, after he took a nap.

***

MacCready's thoughts running rampant didn't let him sleep, so he went out in search of Aurora. Night had fallen when he limped out of the shack: settlers were seated around campfires talking and eating. The smell of cooking food made his empty stomach growl; he would eat after he talked with his employer.

He spotted her seated on a bench and eating by herself; a fire burned in the wire barrel in front of her, highlighting her face as her black armor blended into the darkness. She picked at the boxed food with a fork—looking to be Cram. He headed over to her.

MacCready sat down beside her on the bench without a word.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"I'll eat later."