He stared up at her, swaying unsteadily.
“You're a good girl… Rachel. Do you know that? I… wasn’t the best… father to you, so I don't blame… you if you hate me. I was a coward… and just went along… with everything your mother… believed to keep… the calm. I didn't really have any particular… gripes about you being… you know… into girls. I just… wanted the best for you… whatever that even fucking means. You have… a good heart. I should have been more supportive than I… was”.
“It’s okay dad, none of us are perfect”.
He placed his sweaty, God-only-knew-what covered hand on her cheek and she shuddered with disgust, trying her very best to put up with it, it was only temporary.
As the two of them chatted, Lori returned with tissues and water in hand. She passed the water to Rachel to sober her father up with.
“Do you need to puke, dad? Might help”.
“No… I haven't slept properly… because I haven't been back to the cabin… so need sleep. I'll sleep it off”.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah”.
“Okay. Lori, help me take him back to his cabin”. Before she could even sigh hesitantly, he only added more problems to their list.
“No! Not my cabin… I can't fucking go back there… not with those women… no… not yet… not like this”, he protested.
Rachel looked over towards a bewildered Lori as though seeking guidance, before returning her gaze to her father.
“So what then, dad?”
“It’s okay, just leave me here, I'll sleep on this bench… I’ll be fine”.
“Fuck that! I'm not leaving you on the bench, then you'll seriously look like a vagrant, not to mention how uncomfortable and cold it'll be. You need a shower and proper sleep. Lori, help me”.
“Where are you planning to take him?” Lori enquired.
“Our cabin”.
“What? Are you serious? He's a mess!”
“Exactly, which is why I'm not leaving him here. He's my father, Lori and while we may not have always seen eye to eye, I'm not some heartless bitch. Anything could happen to him out here”.
“But… what about the infirmary?”
“I'm not dumping him there either, Lori. Please, it's just for one night and he'll be out of our hair”.
Frustratedly, she ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.
“Fine, but you owe me big time!”
“You can count on it”.
“Let's get this over and done with”. She grabbed his arm and swung it around her shoulders. “The things I bloody do for love”.
Rachel laughed.
They carried Rachel’s father back to the cabin and dumped him on the bed. Even with two females carrying him, for one man he was tremendously heavy. Their shoulders were in agony by the time they reached the cabin.
He merely touched the bed and already he was snoring like a bear in winter.
“Well guess it's too late to get him to have a shower”, Rachel muttered.
“Aww man, we're going to have to change all of those bed sheets now… maybe even burn them… and fumigate the fucking place”. She ran over to the corner of the room to grab her perfume, spraying it quite literally everywhere. “Where are we supposed to sleep now?”
“Hmm. We could sleep on the floor, like the good ol days”.
“Festivals and party days? They weren’t exactly comfortable days, I don’t recall ever getting much sleep, which is something I would relish right about now”.
Rachel approached her and placed her hand on her cheek.
“Bear with me, I know I’m being a selfish cow right about now and I’m sorry. He’s my dad, y’know. Regardless of how much they get right under my skin, they’re still my parents and I can’t change that. I’ll convince him to talk to my mum tomorrow, but he needs to sober up and have a shower first”.
Lori sighed.
“When I signed up to a life with you, it included all your annoying baggage, so I might moan, but I’m with you every step of the way”.
“Thank you, baby”, Rachel replied, planting a kiss on her lips. “How about we take a shower together, I’ll treat you”.
“What? Your dad is just there”, Lori replied, startled by the proposal.
“And he’s in cloud cuckoo land, if we’re quiet, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, your aggressiveness has had me thinking about you all day. I’m horny and I don’t care who is in our cabin right now, I’m going to get some tonight”.
“Well when you put it like that who am I to say no? Besides, you stink”.
“Oi! That’s fucking rude, so do you!” The two burst out laughing, before Rachel leaned in to kiss her.
Giggling, they slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind them.
CHAPTER 13 - CHRISTINE & LORI
11:11am - Outbreak
. . .
. . .
Lori groaned as she rolled over onto her side. What a horrible night. Everything fucking ached, these floors were horrendous, even with the extra duvet they requested over at the supplies unit and lain out on the ground to lie upon. So much for thinking it would offer even the slightest semblance to the comfort they had in mind. One night though it may have been, her back would probably remind her of this for the rest of the week.
Rachel lay besides her lost in a world of blissful slumber. At least she looked fine with this arrangement.
Up on the other side lay her dad snoring away on the bed, sprawled across it stomach down and his right arm hanging off the side. If Lori had been told that there was come a night when she'd be sharing
