“I could use some help out here, if it turns out Wilkins doesn’t need you for a while. Three of my hands are making preparations at home and can’t work for a while.”
“Yeah, I know. Mr. Jacobson stopped to fuel up and said he and Mr. Smith were headed for Wyoming and that Bernard Robert’s wife needed him at home again. I was going to see if you needed me to help when I wasn’t working here at Wilkins.”
“Thank you, Andrew. I appreciate that. I would like you to come out any time Wilkins doesn’t need you. We can discuss the pay when you come out the first time.”
“I don’t really need pay. Maybe some groceries, like you barter sometimes. I think things might get hard to get, with what’s happening in California.”
“We’ll come to some arrangement, Andrew. What about your father? Do you want to bring him out here?”
“No, Mr. Jackson. Whatever happens I couldn’t take care of him. He needs to stay in the rest home. I’ll do what I can for him there, but the daily care needs… It’s just really not possible. I was there last night when the quake hit. He’s upset that he can’t help, but knows he has to stay there. It’s all that’s keeping him alive. He doesn’t want to be a burden on me. Pop knows I don’t have the resources to take care of him.”
“Maybe out here…” Percy suggested, knowing the response he would get.
“You know Pop. He just won’t go for it. It’s okay his veteran’s pension is paying for the rest home. He wouldn’t take your help or anyone else’s.”
“I understand, Andrew. I just wish there was some way I could help.”
“I know. Thanks. Pop is where he needs to be, no matter what happens.”
“Okay, Andrew. Just come on out any time it suits you. Day or night.”
“I will, Mr. Jackson. Thanks. Say hello to Susie for me.”
“She’s right here, Andrew. You can tell her yourself.”
“Andy,” Susie said, “I’m glad you apparently agreed to come out here. Especially work for Mr. Jackson. But I don’t really appreciate you checking with him after I told you what I did.”
“I know. And I believed you. It just one of those guy things, I guess.”
“Guy thing, huh? It’s a good thing I love you or I’d hang up on you for that.”
“You love me? Really? I love you, too, Susie. I wish I’d told you sooner.”
“Oh, Andy! I do. I wish I’d told you sooner, too. Please, please, come out here if things look bad. Please.”
“I promise, Susie. I promise. I love you. Bye.”
“I love you. Bye, Andy.”
“Well. That’s nice to hear,” Percy said.
Susie threw her arms around Percy. “He loves me! He really does. He was asking these kinds of leading questions the other day. About marriage and all. But he didn’t ask me and I was afraid I gave him the wrong impression. I don’t think so now. I’ve got to go tell Mother.”
“Okay. But don’t forget about Doc and moving your stuff.”
“I won’t.”
“Tell your mother, too, that I’m headed for the Bluhms. I want to talk to them about coming here if there are more problems. That’s a nice house, but not good enough for anything as serious as what this may become.”
“Good. I really like them.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It didn’t take all that much convincing. The terrorist attacks and the resulting earthquake had scared them. They were closer to town, but agreed to head for the estate if things got worse. He gave them a hand held radio and charger for it. “We’ll be monitoring that most of the time. If you need one of us, just keep calling until someone answers. It would make me feel better if you called just to check in so I know the radio is okay. A couple times a day would be fine, if you don’t really mind doing that.”
“No. That sounds like a good idea,” Jock said. “Will it reach all the way to the city? We may have to take Judy Franks in. She’s had some labor pains, off and on, the last few hours. It’s probably false labor, but we’re not about to take a chance, considering the circumstances.”
“It’s on a repeater system. As long as commercial power is on it should work. On the direct link, only about halfway to the city.” Percy hesitated a moment, then asked the doctors, “Do you want me to take her in using the Suburban? There’s plenty of room, and I do have an errand I need to run there, anyway.”
“No…” Jock said slowly, after looking at Melissa for a moment. “It’s not like the weather is bad or anything. But… If you’re going pretty soon, we might just tag along with Judy and her family. Just in case. You know.”
“Sure thing,” Percy said with a smile. “I have a few things to do in town, and then I’ll be ready. Meet me at Rosie’s when you’re ready.”
“Okay. I’ll call Judy now and make the arrangements. She thinks it’s false labor, too, but it is her first and she’s a little apprehensive. Her mother will take her in and we’ll take the Bug. We need to do a couple of things ourselves.”
“You know, I have a Jeep I don’t use, if you want something besides the Volkswagen and the Taurus. Winters can get pretty severe here, you know.”
“I don’t really like Jeeps,” Melissa said. “I had a friend roll one, one time. We’re thinking about trading in the Taurus on something like an Explorer before winter.”
“That would do you a good job. Okay then. I’ll be on my way and see you in a little while.”
The trip went well, until Percy stopped to see Sara. Percy tried to convince her to move out to the estate. He even offered to supply all her fuel to go to and from the city every day to go to work.
“Are you asking me to move in with you, Percy?” she finally asked.
“Of course I am. I thought that was clear. Oh.” He turned slightly red. “Not like that… Just stay in one of the extra rooms. I’m not… Sara, I’m just not ready for that next step.”
“I understand, Percy. And that’s okay. I just want to be sure. And I appreciate you offering to provide my gasoline, but it’s not quite proper, don’t you see?”
“Yes. I guess I do. But you will promise me to come out if things get worse. How did your apartment fare, by the way, during the quake?”
Sara frowned. “One of the plates my mother left me broke. I had it on a stand and it walked off the shelf and broke. It’s not as if I was all enamored of it, but my mother loved Elvis and that plate was her favorite. I hate to have lost it.”
“I’m sorry. I wish I could replace it for you. And I’m sorry if I upset you. I just… Well… I guess I’ll be going, then.”
“Okay, Percy. And Percy I’m not mad at you or anything.” She stepped up to him and gave him a long hug. “I appreciate you trying to look out for me, but I’m a big girl. And I will come to the estate if something worse happens.” She leaned back, her arms still around him and looked him in the eyes.
“I care about you, Percy. A lot. I want you to promise me you won’t do anything stupid if things do get worse.” She brought her face forward and kissed him lightly on the lips before he could protest.
“I… I care about you, too, Sara.” Then he frowned. “I don’t do stupid things. What made you say that, anyway?”
Sara stepped away from him and smiled. “Oh, Percy. Don’t worry about it. I was just teasing. Sort of.”
“Well… Okay. I guess I really should go. I want to stop and get a couple of things before I go back to the estate.”
“‘Bye, Percy.”
“Goodbye, Sara.”
Percy brooded about the exchange a little, but quickly put it behind him when he went to the medical supply shop. There were no delays this time when he picked up several more medical items. They were glad to help him load them into the Suburban.
When he met the Bluhms’ at the hospital again, they told him they were staying in the city to have dinner and thanked him again. Judy was doing fine, but was going to stay in the hospital overnight, then stay with a cousin in the city until the baby came.