Page 37 of The Tomorrows After You
I nodded, smiling at the fond memory of my parents’ excited grins after buying that camper van. They spent an entire summer gutting it and building their dream home on wheels.
“Yes, they are. Retirement is treating them well.”
“That’sgreat to hear, what brings you back to Godot?”
I opened my mouth to give him one of the excuses I’d concocted but his fatherly interest melted my exterior. I blew a breath out.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Istartedwith an assignment. A big one. With big opportunities.”
Ipicturedmyselfpackingmy bags and moving to the documentary studio in California, big sunglasses on my face,strollingthe red carpet into the screening of the Riot Asher Story.
“But... now? There’s something about it that feels... misguided.” I shook my head, realizing how confused and cryptic I probably sounded. “But after coming back and seeing how half the town deteriorated… I don’t know, it just gave me that old feeling of something being off.”
“And what canIhelp you with?”
I bared my teeth and dug through my bag, pulling out the plastic baggie of leaves I had collected from the water tower.
“For one, I was wondering if you could have these tested?”
He raised his dubious eyebrows. “For what exactly?”
I pressed my lips together. It was important not to lead him in any specific direction, but I had to give him something.
“Any kind of chemical that might not organically belong in the woods of West Virginia?”My hopeful voicewentup.
Dr. Moorelaughed.“There’sthat old Nicolette Parker evasive line ofquestioning. You know being purposefully vague in hopesI’llreveal something doesn’t work on an old man like me?”Heleanedin andwinked.
“It could be nothing, and I could bebarkingup the wrong tree. Literally. But it’s a hunch.”
“Well, if I’ve learned anything in my lifetime, it’s floss twice a day and never ignore a Nicolette Parker hunch.” His smile touched his wrinkled eyes, his tan skin was weighed down with more gravity than the last time I’d seen him. “Do you think this has something to do with the health reports?”
I remained quiet for a moment, hoping he’d go on, but he didn’t. “Which ones were those?”
“Godot hasn’t exactly had the best luck when it comes to keeping its people healthy. The cancer rates are astronomical and climbing. The reports come out every couple of years.”
Inodded, measuredly.“Godot’s lung disease and cancer rateshavebeen higher than any other county in the country. Itgotso bad, theyshutthe mine down because of it.”
Dr. Moore gave a short chortle. “Really?”
“Yeah, the churchownedthe land, so theyoutsourcedit to another company to manage. Itdisplaceda lot of people’s jobs, I guess.”
Heregardedme intently.“Seems unnecessary, but I can see how the church wouldn’t want to be liable.”
“You don’t think the coal mine has any relation to the increased cancer rates?”
Hegazedup into the fluorescent lights of the hospital cafeteria andtiltedhis head back and forth.
“Extendedactive coal mine exposure presents anincreasedrisk of lung disease,there’sno doubt. But unless wetooka hard look at the makeup of that specific coal mine to see if therewereany extenuating factors… I wouldn’t draw a direct correlation to it, no.”
Ifrowned. If therewasno direct link between the cancer rates, why would the churchoutsource it?
“Think about it…” he went on. “Your aunt passed away from lung cancer, right? Non-smoker if I remember correctly?” I nodded. “Did she ever work in the mine?”
I chewed on my lip. She had been a librarian.
“Sheusedto take kids on a field trip once a year but otherwise, no.”
Hetiltedhis head in my direction.“Therearealotof active coal mines in this country. Outside theexpectedhazards of the job, no other area suffers with the rates Godot does.”
