start but feel a familiar choke come to my throat and have to pause to let it pass. The one I felt the night that Phillip tried to...hurt Sherry. “Thank you.”
“Don’t, Merrick. Don’t thank me. I should never have let her follow me out there,” his voice cracks when he says ‘never’.
“This is Sherry we’re talking about, Cain. She’s stubborn and doesn’t always follow orders very well,” I say lightly and try for a weak smile.
Sherry has stopped heaving and is quiet and still so I assume she’s fallen back asleep in my arms. I’d hate for her to hear us talking about her like she’s not here, but I continue.
“She does what she thinks she needs to do no matter the cost to herself, especially when it comes to these people. Someone was yelling for help and any one of us that had been in that kitchen would have ran to help them too. It’s not your fault and it’s not Sherry’s. I think ya’ll have been through enough to atone for it anyway.”
I can’t ever repay you enough. Thank you. You don’t know what she means to me. She’s...everything...
He nods solemnly and I get a few echoes of my out loud sentiment to Cain. He gets a few pats on the back and ‘well done’s. Simon beside him puts a hand on his shoulder.
Cain still has blood running down his neck and forehead. His arm is bleeding too. A quick look around shows me he’s not the only one who took a beating along with Sherry.
There isn’t anyone that is clean and spot free. For the most part it’s all minor cuts and scrapes, bruises and I can’t help but notice one thing. One major thing.
“We didn’t lose anyone. Everyone made it. We’re alive.”
Best Laid Plans
Chapter 4
I feel Merrick laying me down in our pallet. I still refuse to open my eyes. Carefully, he shifts me and is so gentle with my leg. He thought I was asleep while they were talking out there. I might as well have been, I couldn’t open my eyes and face them. The shame is still too raw. My body just shut itself down and refused to let me participate.
This wonderful group of people who would never blame me or Cain even when we so deserved it. It’s my fault more than anyone. I’m weak and had no business going out in the dark to help anyone when I can’t even help myself.
Stupid.
And people paid the price for my ignorance.
Calvin. Just the name makes me choke. And Lily.
I know they all said we’d get them back but how? Where? When? How could I let them down like this?
Merrick leaves briefly then returns. I can feel him climb in beside me and he rubs my shoulder lightly.
“Sherry, I brought you some tea. You need to get something in you.”
I open my eyes and look up at him leaning over me. There’s a flashlight in the corner, pointed to the ceiling to illuminate the room. He’s holding a glass of sweet tea and a napkin with a few slices of cheese and rolled ham on it. There is no blame in his eyes. Nothing but concern and love.
“Merrick. This is all my fault. I know you’ll say that it’s not, but it is. I was so stupid. I was so-” a sob chokes my plea.
“Stop, Sherry.” He frames my face, forcing me to look at him. “Don’t do this to yourself, sweetheart. No one blames you because it’s not your fault. You tried to help someone. Who could blame you for that? If that were the case then I’d be to blame for what Phillip did to you, the first time.”
“What?! No! How?”
“Well, he told me how he felt and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. If I hadn’t done that and made sure to-”
“That’s not the same thing, Merrick.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Merrick.”
“Sherry,” he breathes, ordering and begging me to understand and let it drop.
“What do we do now?” I say, my voice cracking.
“You eat and tell me how the heck you survived the night. I stay here with you and keep you warm until you fall asleep. Then tonight, we kill some Lighters and get back our kids.”
I have never been more proud
“Don’t, Merrick. Don’t thank me. I should never have let her follow me out there,” his voice cracks when he says ‘never’.
“This is Sherry we’re talking about, Cain. She’s stubborn and doesn’t always follow orders very well,” I say lightly and try for a weak smile.
Sherry has stopped heaving and is quiet and still so I assume she’s fallen back asleep in my arms. I’d hate for her to hear us talking about her like she’s not here, but I continue.
“She does what she thinks she needs to do no matter the cost to herself, especially when it comes to these people. Someone was yelling for help and any one of us that had been in that kitchen would have ran to help them too. It’s not your fault and it’s not Sherry’s. I think ya’ll have been through enough to atone for it anyway.”
I can’t ever repay you enough. Thank you. You don’t know what she means to me. She’s...everything...
He nods solemnly and I get a few echoes of my out loud sentiment to Cain. He gets a few pats on the back and ‘well done’s. Simon beside him puts a hand on his shoulder.
Cain still has blood running down his neck and forehead. His arm is bleeding too. A quick look around shows me he’s not the only one who took a beating along with Sherry.
There isn’t anyone that is clean and spot free. For the most part it’s all minor cuts and scrapes, bruises and I can’t help but notice one thing. One major thing.
“We didn’t lose anyone. Everyone made it. We’re alive.”
Best Laid Plans
Chapter 4
I feel Merrick laying me down in our pallet. I still refuse to open my eyes. Carefully, he shifts me and is so gentle with my leg. He thought I was asleep while they were talking out there. I might as well have been, I couldn’t open my eyes and face them. The shame is still too raw. My body just shut itself down and refused to let me participate.
This wonderful group of people who would never blame me or Cain even when we so deserved it. It’s my fault more than anyone. I’m weak and had no business going out in the dark to help anyone when I can’t even help myself.
Stupid.
And people paid the price for my ignorance.
Calvin. Just the name makes me choke. And Lily.
I know they all said we’d get them back but how? Where? When? How could I let them down like this?
Merrick leaves briefly then returns. I can feel him climb in beside me and he rubs my shoulder lightly.
“Sherry, I brought you some tea. You need to get something in you.”
I open my eyes and look up at him leaning over me. There’s a flashlight in the corner, pointed to the ceiling to illuminate the room. He’s holding a glass of sweet tea and a napkin with a few slices of cheese and rolled ham on it. There is no blame in his eyes. Nothing but concern and love.
“Merrick. This is all my fault. I know you’ll say that it’s not, but it is. I was so stupid. I was so-” a sob chokes my plea.
“Stop, Sherry.” He frames my face, forcing me to look at him. “Don’t do this to yourself, sweetheart. No one blames you because it’s not your fault. You tried to help someone. Who could blame you for that? If that were the case then I’d be to blame for what Phillip did to you, the first time.”
“What?! No! How?”
“Well, he told me how he felt and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. If I hadn’t done that and made sure to-”
“That’s not the same thing, Merrick.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Merrick.”
“Sherry,” he breathes, ordering and begging me to understand and let it drop.
“What do we do now?” I say, my voice cracking.
“You eat and tell me how the heck you survived the night. I stay here with you and keep you warm until you fall asleep. Then tonight, we kill some Lighters and get back our kids.”
I have never been more proud
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