gargle, and then Lynn was kneeling beside him before she even realized she had moved.
Colonel Hermannsburg’s hand was clutching the side of his neck, where the end of a spoon stuck out from between his fingers. Blood oozed from beneath his hand, some of it running the length of the spoon and falling off in slow drips like crimson custard. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. Her father was Colonel Alfred Hermannsburg, and he was invincible. She placed her hand on top of his, feeling the warm blood under her palm. In that unfathomable moment her mind tore itself away, wandering off on thoughts it could handle. How embarrassing that her father had been killed by a spoon.
“Should I pull it out?” she asked.
Her father opened his mouth to answer, but coughed instead and drew in a ragged breath. He shook his head weakly, closing his eyes. No , Lynn thought, don’t close your eyes . She shook him ever so gently and they opened again. He smiled at her, then reached out and touched her cheek, brushing it gently with the backs of his fingers. Lynn didn’t notice the streaks of blood his fingers left behind and wouldn’t have cared if she had. She heard her father’s voice, softer than a whisper.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“No,” said Lynn forcefully, “don’t!”
Hot tears began to stream from her eyes as she lifted her head.
“Help,” she said, quietly at first and then louder. “Somebody please help! Help me!” She looked down at her father, saw his chest rise and fall. “You’ll be all right, Father,” she said, “you’ll be all right, won’t you?”
Colonel Hermannsburg’s voice was thinner than air. “Kitten,” he said, coughing gently, “promise me you won’t let anyone stop you.”
“Shhh, Father, don’t speak,” she said, her voice cracking around her grief.
“You don’t let anyone stop you being whatever you want to be,” Colonel Hermannsburg said, forcing these words out with the last of his energy.
“I love you,” Lynn said, rocking gently on her knees, her words giving way to sobs, “I love you.”
Lynn held her father. She didn’t notice exactly when his chest stopped rising and falling, but at some point she realized he was gone. Her soft sobs gave way to terrified screams.
“Help! Somebody please!”
He was gone.
CHAPTER 13
In her room Lynn sat on the edge of her bed staring out the window at the stringy clouds sliding quickly across the pale blue sky. How dare the clouds continue to move, didn’t they know her father was gone? She could hear the sounds of activity from the city, wagons, bio-trucks, people moving through the streets, everyone going about their business as if everything was normal. Was she the only one who cared? She wanted to yell out to them, tell them all to stop, tell them that her father was gone and there was no point to any of this.
She listened to the murmuring sounds of Ms Apple talking in the next room. Ms Apple had been staying at the house since her father had died. There was no one else to look after her. The person Ms Apple was speaking to had a voice Lynn didn’t recognize, but she could tell he was a male. Most of the conversation was unintelligible, though she overheard enough to know they were talking about the Administrator. Ms Apple hadn’t shooed whoever it was away as fast as the other visitors, so Lynn assumed that it must be important.
There was a soft knock on the door. Lynn guessed it was Ms Apple. She had come in to speak to her a few times over the past two days, trying, unsuccessfully, to console her in some way. It hadn’t worked then and it wouldn’t work now. Lynn didn’t care about anything. She was going to sit here and stare out the window for the rest of her life. Ms Apple knocked softly again, waited a short time, and then opened the door. She came in carrying a tray bearing a small white teapot and two cups. The news must have been bad; she had come armed with tea, surely a lady’s most
Colonel Hermannsburg’s hand was clutching the side of his neck, where the end of a spoon stuck out from between his fingers. Blood oozed from beneath his hand, some of it running the length of the spoon and falling off in slow drips like crimson custard. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. Her father was Colonel Alfred Hermannsburg, and he was invincible. She placed her hand on top of his, feeling the warm blood under her palm. In that unfathomable moment her mind tore itself away, wandering off on thoughts it could handle. How embarrassing that her father had been killed by a spoon.
“Should I pull it out?” she asked.
Her father opened his mouth to answer, but coughed instead and drew in a ragged breath. He shook his head weakly, closing his eyes. No , Lynn thought, don’t close your eyes . She shook him ever so gently and they opened again. He smiled at her, then reached out and touched her cheek, brushing it gently with the backs of his fingers. Lynn didn’t notice the streaks of blood his fingers left behind and wouldn’t have cared if she had. She heard her father’s voice, softer than a whisper.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“No,” said Lynn forcefully, “don’t!”
Hot tears began to stream from her eyes as she lifted her head.
“Help,” she said, quietly at first and then louder. “Somebody please help! Help me!” She looked down at her father, saw his chest rise and fall. “You’ll be all right, Father,” she said, “you’ll be all right, won’t you?”
Colonel Hermannsburg’s voice was thinner than air. “Kitten,” he said, coughing gently, “promise me you won’t let anyone stop you.”
“Shhh, Father, don’t speak,” she said, her voice cracking around her grief.
“You don’t let anyone stop you being whatever you want to be,” Colonel Hermannsburg said, forcing these words out with the last of his energy.
“I love you,” Lynn said, rocking gently on her knees, her words giving way to sobs, “I love you.”
Lynn held her father. She didn’t notice exactly when his chest stopped rising and falling, but at some point she realized he was gone. Her soft sobs gave way to terrified screams.
“Help! Somebody please!”
He was gone.
CHAPTER 13
In her room Lynn sat on the edge of her bed staring out the window at the stringy clouds sliding quickly across the pale blue sky. How dare the clouds continue to move, didn’t they know her father was gone? She could hear the sounds of activity from the city, wagons, bio-trucks, people moving through the streets, everyone going about their business as if everything was normal. Was she the only one who cared? She wanted to yell out to them, tell them all to stop, tell them that her father was gone and there was no point to any of this.
She listened to the murmuring sounds of Ms Apple talking in the next room. Ms Apple had been staying at the house since her father had died. There was no one else to look after her. The person Ms Apple was speaking to had a voice Lynn didn’t recognize, but she could tell he was a male. Most of the conversation was unintelligible, though she overheard enough to know they were talking about the Administrator. Ms Apple hadn’t shooed whoever it was away as fast as the other visitors, so Lynn assumed that it must be important.
There was a soft knock on the door. Lynn guessed it was Ms Apple. She had come in to speak to her a few times over the past two days, trying, unsuccessfully, to console her in some way. It hadn’t worked then and it wouldn’t work now. Lynn didn’t care about anything. She was going to sit here and stare out the window for the rest of her life. Ms Apple knocked softly again, waited a short time, and then opened the door. She came in carrying a tray bearing a small white teapot and two cups. The news must have been bad; she had come armed with tea, surely a lady’s most
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