Page 147 of Light in the Dark
She nods again. "I was rather precocious. I graduated high school at fifteen and received my medical degree at twenty-two. I have spent the last two years doing medical missionary work all over Africa. This trip was very important to me."
“You can't—I dunno, take out a loan? Borrow it from someone?"
A shake of her head. "No. With the war breaking out again, no one will fund me. I have tried, believe me. I am crying because I have exhausted every possible option to salvage the mission. I was up here begging the last people I know with enough money, and they refused to help. The risk is too high."
"I mean, shitisgnarly there, isn’t it? I don’t really follow politics or whatever, but I know the war is not good.”
“Yes. It is very dangerous. And that is exactly why I have to go. The people there are suffering. They need help and I am called to help them."
"How much do you need?"
"Eighty thousand dollars."
"Oof."
"Yes. I have to buy and transport all of my own supplies."
"I don't have that kinda cash, or I’d give it to you."
She shakes her head. "I appreciate that thought, Riley, but I am merely going to have to recalculate the vector of my life.” Her stomach growls, then, noisily and extensively. She grimaces in embarrassment. "I am sorry. It has been a very long day and I have not eaten in quite some time.”
'How long is a while?" I ask, starting to pick up on her unusual speech patterns.
She looks up to the left. "Since yesterday afternoon. I took the bus here from Chicago and then walked to my meeting with the Caterhams and then walked back. I could not walk anymore. My feet hurt too badly. I…I just sat down and started crying and discovered, much to my dismay, that I cannot seem to stop.”
I frown at her. "Wait, wait, wait. Youwalked…where?"
"The Caterhams live in Grand Lafayette."
My stomach twists. Grand Lafayette is a tiny little town about thirty minutes' drive from here. Which is a good two hours of walking…one way.
"Jesus shits, woman. You took a bus from Chicago to Three Rivers and thenwalked…by yourself…at nightfrom Three Rivers to Grand Lafayette and back?"
She just nods.
"You're mucho loco, sweetheart."
She just stares at me again, and I can see her brain working but I couldn’t possibly comprehend what she’s thinking. “As I have previously stated, the mission is very important to me. I believe that one does what is necessary without complaint when something is important."
I stand up and hold out my hand to her. "Well, come on, then."
She frowns up at me. "Where are we going?”
"I'm gonna feed you."
The frown deepens—and only makes her more beautiful, somehow. Although a smile would be better. I'll just have to work on earning a smile.
"All the restaurants in town are closed."
“Yup.”
"Then…where are we getting food?"
I grin. “Well, see, they have these things called houses. And in these houses are refrigerators, which contain food. And I, madam, happen to be the proud owner of just such a house with just such a refrigerator.”
She gives me a long, blank stare. “I understand the concept of houses and refrigerators.”
I grin, waiting. “Well? You comin’?”
