John was quiet for so long Norah wondered if he was pondering who he would call first—Briggs? No, better go all the way up the ladder to the director of the CDC. Or how about the attorney general? Straight to jail. Do not pass Go.
But the hard lines on his face softened, and he reached out and pulled Norah into his barrel chest.
The crying started again.
“Shhh…it’s okay,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “It’s okay.”
It wasn’t unlike Norah to just disappear these days, but it still frustrated Chase. Especially after the night they’d had together. Norah was so clearly still keeping a wall up between them, and although Chase understood, it pissed her off nonetheless. Norah hadn’t answered any of her calls or texts that morning, and Chase had no idea where she’d sneaked off to before the sun was up. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep tabs on Norah. But she did worry about her. She worried about her trying to do everything herself.
“Hey.” Norah’s eyes were puffy and rimmed red, and she was carrying two hot cups of coffee as she walked over to Chase in the mess tent.
“Well, good morning.” Chase smiled at her playfully. She knew Norah was upset, and riding her for disappearing wouldn’t help her.
“I’m sorry I went MIA this morning. I had to do something.”
Chase knew instantly what that “something” was. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
Norah sat down across from her at the large folding table and slid the paper cup to her.
“Consolation coffee?”
“I’ll take what I can get.” Chase offered her one of her famous winks, and Norah smiled, her eyes brightening just a bit.
“I went back to the hospital.”
“I figured as much.”
“Are you mad?” The way Norah’s face twisted with pain broke Chase’s heart.
“Mad? Of course not. I wish you’d told me so I knew you were safe. But I’m not angry.”
Norah took Chase’s hand in hers. She didn’t look around to see who might be watching. She just kept her eyes fixed on Chase.
“You might be after I tell you this.”
“What is it?” Chase couldn’t think of anything Norah could do that would make her as angry as Norah was worried she would be.
“John knows.”
Norah’s face contorted further, and she slammed her eyes shut, almost like she was expecting to be hit. No. She wasn’t expecting that. She was expecting Chase to abandon her again.
But all Chase cared about was Norah—protecting her, comforting her. Loving her. Let her tell John they’d done this together. Chase wasn’t even mad she’d decided to do it on her own after Chase had already suggested it. Whatever her reasons were, Chase knew they were valid. She trusted Norah. She only wished Norah could trust her not to run.
“You told him.” Chase kept her voice steady and soft.
“I’m sorry. I had to.”
“Nor, it’s okay. We’re in this together. I support whatever you want to do. I hope you can see that eventually.”
Norah squeezed Chase’s hand hard, the look in her eyes changing quickly from sadness and worry to gratitude.
“You aren’t mad?”
“Stop asking me that,” Chase said. “No. Not at all.”
“Well, you’ll be happy to know that he’s not going to turn us in. He’s pretty furious at us. And he definitely doesn’t agree with what we did. But he says he’s too close to retirement to ‘rock the boat.’ And besides, he understands why we went rogue.”
Chase laughed quietly. “I kind of figured he’d say something like that.”
