Page 51 of The Godhead Complex
“Jackie would be vomiting if she were here, that’s for sure,” Trish added.
Sadina tried to block out the noise and commotion, but thinking about Jackie made her think about Isaac which made her think about her mom and Old Man Frypan. Her heart ached.
Dominic was never fazed. “I cook them down here so it makes more sense to prep them down here. I like the smell! Plus the deck is extra windy today.”
“Oh that’s right, Dom gets cold,” Miyoko teased. Sadina opened her eyes.
“Hey.” Dominic stood tall with a fish head in his hand. “I didn’t know when we packed for this adventure that we’d be freezing our assesandour heads off.” He put the fish on his own head, mouth down, like a hat.
“Gross. Stop.” Miyoko waved.
“What? I’m the Godhead of fish.”
“You’re the Godhead of nothing.” She swatted the fish from his head.
Trish laughed and looked to Sadina, but Sadina, worried about her mom, didn’t feel like laughing. Today, for some reason, she felt like something bad was about to happen. She kept telling herself that they likely made it to the Villa safe and sound, but not knowing what was really going on only made the feeling worse—it gave that bad feeling room to spread out and take over.
“You look like you’re going to throw up,” Trish said as she came over to Sadina.
“I’m not seasick, but I don’t feel good.” She wasn’t nauseous. But she wasn’tright. It came from a different place in her gut. “I think I’ll go up for some air.”
“And I shall honor your space.” Trish smiled and blew her a kiss. She was taking their talk particularly well, which Sadina was thankful for. It seemed like the farther theMaze Cuttergot from her mom, the sicker she felt and the more space she needed.
Sadina climbed the steps to the deck; her eyes squinted at the change in brightness. The sun setting off the water was blinding, a brilliant contrast to the dim cabin below. And Dominic was right; it was cold. She walked over to Orange and Roxy along the railing.
“Hey,” Orange said; her fair skin looked redder by the day. “What’s wrong? You going to be sick?”
“No, just. . . I don’t know. I have a bad feeling that something might happen to my mom.” Sadina unloaded this before even thinking that something had most definitely happened to Orange and Minho’s moms—and dads. “Sorry, that was insensitive.”
“It’s okay. We grew up knowing our moms were prolly dead in Flare pits somewhere. That’s why this sunburn doesn’t bother me. It could be worse.” At times, the things Orange and Minho said felt dark—and this was one of those times.
“I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s really wrong,” Sadina said again as Minho walked over carrying ropes in his arms.
“Why didn’t you stay behind then? Stay with your mom?” Minho always caught Sadina off guard. He was so direct with his questions in a tone that sounded like he judged her. Truth was, his comment hit her so hard because she hadn’t even considered staying behind. The pressure of their mission, the call to Alaska was so great—it didn’t feel likenotgoing was an option. But he was right—it had been. Isaac didn’t think twice about staying with her mom so that she could go to Alaska. She could have stayed behind, too.
“I don’t know. I mean . . . the Cure and all, I think if we get to the Godhead and we can help them with that, then—”
“But if you’re the Cure, shouldn’t you have stayedwith her?” Minho pushed further and tears just about welled up in Sadina’s eyes.
“But she doesn’t have the Flare, right?” Sadina looked at Minho, Roxy, and Orange. Did they know something she didn’t? Roxy took a deep breath and shrugged.What did that mean?“Roxy?” She searched the woman’s body language.
“It’s okay sweetie, you weren’t wrong to leave her. You did what you felt you needed to do. Just . . . something that Kletter lady wrote in the log made Minho wonder about things.” She put her arm lovingly around Sadina’s shoulders.
“Wonder what?” She examined each of their faces for a clue.
Orange didn’t say anything.
Minho just looked at Roxy.
Sadina shrugged off Roxy’s arm. “What is it? What did Kletter write?”
Roxy sighed and threw her arms up. “Well, I don’t know, I can only read a few words here and there, but she chronicled a lot about infection and expiration, and . . .” She looked at Minho and he nodded. “And she wrote a couple pages about your mom.”
“She what?” The waves against the boat rocked Sadina extra hard. “What did it say?”
Minho handed her the captain’s log.
“We can’t understand it, but back here,” Roxy pointed, “these pages are where she wroteSeñoraCowana couple times next toinfección.”
