* * *
The door slid open,and Tuck tiptoed inside. “C’mon, someone wants to see you.”
“Channy?” Her eyes smiled.
Tuck nodded. “She’s awake, asking for you.”
“What about Kip?” She didn’t want to leave his side.
Tim Holland joined them. “I’ll take care of him.”
Harper burst into tears the minute she saw Chantal sitting up. “I love you so much. Holy spirits, she’s beautiful.” Harper used Chantal’s term.
“Tuck and Dr. Montgomery showed me pictures. Is she really going to be okay?” Chantal patted the bed.
“I think so. She needs time in the Easy Bake Oven for a while.” Harper giggled.
“Are you alright?” Chantal asked.
“Yep,” Harper lifted her scrub top, “see?”
“What happened during the storm?” Chantal asked.
“It’s still going on. There’s a lot of flooding. They took in a lot of displaced people. I’ve been helping triage them.”
“Kip must be proud of you.” Chantal gripped Harper’s hand.
Harper looked down. “Um…”
Chantal’s brows creased. “Honey?”
“He went out during the storm to answer a distress call. He sacrificed himself for a family. They found him hours later. He’s got a pneumonia and is on a ventilator. He wouldn’t let them knock him out until…he said he loved me. I didn’t have a chance to tell him I loved him.” Harper held on to Chantal. “This is so stupid. It’s too fast.”
“Rest with me. You look so tired.” Chantal rubbed her back.
* * *
Friday,August 31st
Hurricane Greta T+2 days
Rich walkedinto the command center. “Storm’s finally moving out.”
“Twenty long hours,” Bruce said.
“I need to call Kieran. Where are we at?” Kyle asked.
“Let’s start with the elephant in the room,” Julian sighed.
“He’s critical. Fever is up. Hunt called a friend in infectious disease and sent pictures of his lung goop to Bethesda,” Wes said.
“Tally is awake. Tuck got Harper to leave Kip’s side. They’re asleep together. The baby is doing well, and Kip’s twelve are thriving.” Kyle swallowed hard.
“Kip’s twelve.Merde.” Julian lifted his mug of coffee to his lips.
“We have, at last count, one hundred and three displaced people. We are good with supplies here. O’Mara said the water is receding from the hospital lobby. Engineering has checked the elevators and have cleared them for use. The hospital patient load is growing. O’Mara decided to keep the temporary ER working until at least three more tide cycles—a lesson from Katrina.
“I’ve been listening to the PD and FD transmissions. The smaller shelters have reached their capacity. They’re increasing flow to the Superdome. Kip called it,” Rich said.
