"What about the aliens? I'd want to meet them."
Jim lies down next to his friend and looks up at the stars. "Eh. My dad said they look just like us. It'll be a lot more exciting to eat something that doesn't come out of a can." Both boys chuckle.
The next morning, the Parkers are awakened by a very loud horn. They pack their tent and head to the dining area. They hand over their food vouchers at the gate and stand in line to get their last cooked meal before the march — refried beans studded with "ham."
A nearby intercom crackles to life. "Attention, everyone. The march to the east will begin in ten minutes."
The Parkers join the caravan and head toward a new beginning.
Chapter 6
Zack wakes up feeling awful, bathed in sweat, with a throbbing headache and excruciating pain in his shoulder blades and back. What's going on? He asks himself. What happened to my recuperative powers? How did I get out of the fire? Where are my parents?
Is Amy okay?
Dr. Buchanan walks into the room. "About time you woke up, kid. How are you feeling?" he asks Zack.
"I've been better," Zack admits. "Is Amy okay?"
"She was completely unharmed." Buchanan sits in a chair next to Zack's bed. "Do you remember anything?"
"No, nothing at all. How long have I been here?"
"Three days. I had to put you into a medically induced coma. I couldn't risk having you heal up immediately. That would have made everyone suspicious. But it seems we're out of danger. Nothing that exposes you or your sister was captured on video, and your friend Amy told a credible story that doesn't compromise you or your sister in any way. Let me tell you what she said, so your recollections can coincide with hers." Dr. Buchanan recounts Amy's version while Zack listens attentively, trying to memorize every detail.
"Is that how you remember it?" Buchanan asks.
"Yes, that's exactly what happened," Zack replies, wondering why Amy lied to protect him. His stomach churns with the thought that he could have exposed his family by saving Amy — though if he had a chance to do it again, he knew he wouldn't hesitate.
"Now that we've gotten what happened out of the way," Buchanan says, "I'll ask you again. How do you feel?"
"A little better, I suppose. The headache and the body pains are starting to subside."
"Feeling any different besides that?"
"Well... yes, but I'm not sure how to describe it."
This seems to intrigue Buchanan. "Bad or good?"
"I'm not entirely sure. Good, I think. Like I tapped into something I've never had access to before. I'll let you know once I have a little more time to think."
Buchanan studies him seriously for almost half a minute before he says, "Fair enough. If you remember anything else, or if you continue to feel different, please let me know before you speak to anyone else. You and Olivia need to keep a low profile in the coming months. And please allow your body to mend naturally. I'll let your family know that you're awake."
Dr. Buchanan excuses himself from the room. Olivia sprints into the room a moment later. "Zack! Are you okay?" She gives her brother a big hug.
"Wow, sis. It's good to see you, but you're killing my ribs."
"Oh! Sorry! I'm just happy to see you."
"Zack, my boy! How are you?" Jim asks as he and Isabelle enter the room.
"I'm all right, Dad."
Isabelle gently kisses Zack on the forehead. "It's good to have you back."
Zack quietly tells them what Dr. Buchanan said, and how he's going to adopt Amy's version of what happened. Isabelle looks at her husband with a worried expression, then back at Olivia and Zack. "Can we trust her?" she asks.
"Of course," Zack says. "I'll talk to her."
"I agree," Olivia says. "I think she's more confused than anything. And she's already lied to protect us."
Zack's left arm shivers under the blankets. His healing and skin-regeneration powers are acting up. He keeps smiling at his family as they talk, while he concentrates on regulating the healing. He takes a deep breath, and prepares to experience the sharpest pain he's ever felt in his life.
❖❖❖
Amy wakes up with her heart pounding furiously. Her skin and sheets are damp with sweat. She worries that she's losing her mind, or suffering from some sort of PTSD, which is not only causing her to have recurring dreams about this character named Zec but also making her mind churn all day with questions about the fire.
Why did Zec start appearing in her dreams right after the fire? Could it be that Zec and Zack are connected in some strange way — or are even the same person? Actually, that seems right, somehow.
She lifts her arms above her head and stretches. Maybe if she keeps drawing pictures of what she dreamt of when she wakes up — which she's been doing all week — she might eventually discover some hidden detail that can help her unravel at least part of the mystery.
Just then, her phone buzzes. Sure enough, it's Mike: a text with a smiley-face emoji and the message, Morning, see you in 25 minutes max!
Amy takes a quick shower, gets dressed, and puts on a little makeup. She's about to open the front door when she hears Mike's car horn. When she climbs in, moments later, he surprises her with a bouquet of carnations. "These are for you to give to Zack when you see him at the hospital," Mike says.
"That's sweet of you to do that for him," she says, a little befuddled by Mike's gesture. She kisses him on the cheek.
"It's not sweet," Mike scoffs. "Guys don't do sweet things for each other, except to impress their girlfriends." He glances at her sidelong. "Is it working?"
On the way to the hospital, Mike makes Amy laugh with his stories about his grandfather. Apparently the old man liked to drink cod liver oil straight out
