“Rook?”
He jolts and his eyes pop open, refocusing on me.
“Thank god. I thought… never mind. Here.” I sink to my knees and dig inside the basket, pulling out Henry’s red thermos. I pour a drink into the cup that serves as the thermos lid, then hand it over gently.
“Thank you.” He takes the offering and drinks slowly, wincing around the cut on his lip.
“Do you know how long you’ve been here?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Are you hungry?”
“I… maybe?”
I push aside the potatoes in the basket and retrieve the singular apple. “Take this. The sugar will help replenish some of your energy, at least.”
He nods and takes the fruit, biting into it quickly.
The apple cracks open beneath his teeth and juice runs down his chin.
I swallow hard.
Toto groans beside me.
“Where were you headed?” he asks between bites.
“Um… the Emerald City?”
He spins the apple between thumb and forefinger, biting as he goes.
“Have you heard of it?” I ask.
“I don’t think so. Is it far?”
“I can’t be sure. I’ve never been here.”
“In the cornfield?”
“No. I mean Oz.”
“Oh.” He swallows. A lock of hair falls over his forehead and he swipes it back with a run of his fingers.
There is more blood peppered on the back of his hand, anda scrape running between his two largest knuckles. The movement causes the veins to rise beneath the skin like a tributary.
“If you’ve never been here,” he asks, “then where are you from?”
I refocus and look away from his hand. “Kansas.”
“Hmmm.” He thinks, then, “I’ve never heard of Kansas either. That’s a bit troubling.”
“Actually, you aren’t the only one. I seem to have landed far from home.”
He takes the last bite of the apple and tosses the core into the cornfield. Color has already returned to his face.
“Can you walk?” I ask him.
He nods at me and slowly rises to his feet. But once he’s upright, he sways and I have to catch him beneath the arm.
