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>>Thanks Larn for the compliments > >I only speak the truth! > >And thanks for giving us an orientation time line. >It's good to know where we are in the story. > > >> >>Heaven was falling to earth in a torrential >>thunderstorm. The Vega’s windshield wipers were having >>trouble keeping up. > >Nitpicky, but I think these two sentences should be >one with a great big and between them. Feels like it >mights flow a little better. > > >Valerie slowed down as much as she >>could without getting hit from behind. Concentrating >>on keeping the tail lights of the car ahead visible, >>it was difficult to even see the road itself, and >>every vehicle that rushed past sprayed standing water >>from the road over her car. >> >>Going on this errand with bad weather brewing had been >>a bad idea. But the tissue samples needed to be >>delivered to the university lab before 3 pm in order >>to have them analyzed and the results back by morning. >>Mr. Andraasen’s boxer had a mysterious lump suddenly >>appear. His chest films were clear so Alan wanted to >>go ahead with surgery if the results came back with >>something treatable. The storm had unleashed its fury >>just after she got back on the road. She didn’t dare >>pick the cell phone up and call while the driving >>conditions were so bad; besides, it was charging >>anyway. >> >>She felt the car buck and checked her rearview and >>side mirrors. Nothing. As far as she could tell, she >>hadn’t run into anything. The wipers slowed, then >>stopped. >> >>“Shit.” She flipped the turn signal on; it refused to >>work. The car was slowing and finally cut off as she >>eased it blindly to the side of the road. Once she was >>sure she was well clear of the asphalt, she tried the >>key. There was no response of any sort. Wipers, >>lights, radio, all silent and still. With a sigh, >>Valerie retrieved the cell phone from the passenger >>floorboards by its charger cord. She flipped the phone >>open and it too was dead. >> >>“You weren’t completely dead when I plugged you in. >>What’s up with that?” Her temper, simmering already >>with driving in terrible weather, boiled over. >> >>“Sonofabitchinggoddamnedpieceofshitcar!” she roared, >>banging the dash with her fist. “Bad enough you have >>to strand me here in the middle of the woods, but did >>you have to drain my phone too?” A few more well-aimed >>expletives stained the air around her, then she >>slammed the phone into her bag in disgust. >> >>Weighing her options, she realized her only choice was >>walking. She was within four miles of the house, five >>of the clinic. There was nothing between here and >>there except highway and pine trees. Nessa and Alan >>would probably start to worry soon and maybe come >>looking, but they may not. She hadn’t planned to go >>back to work after her errand. If they went by the >>lake house they’d probably realize she hadn’t gotten >>home yet, but their houses had five acres of pasture >>and trees in between. Unless they made a special trip, >>they wouldn’t know. >> >>Muttering imprecations against the weather, she >>reached for the umbrella in the back seat only to >>change her mind when lightning crashed close by, >>changing the eerie greenish storm light into a >>brilliant purple-white flash for an instant. A vision >>of a crispy blackened version of herself, holding what >>was left of the umbrella came to mind and she left it >>lying in the backseat. She steeled herself, then >>shoved the door open and started walking. Within >>seconds, she was soaked to the skin and getting cold, >>so she walked faster to keep warm. >> >>Her shoes squelched, her feet sliding around inside >>them with every step. Water ran off her head and nose >>and her skin was clammy and saturated. She’d lost >>track of how far she walked, concentrating on putting >>one foot in front of the other and not flattening >>herself against the ground every time the lightning >>exploded nearby. Sunk in a kind of numb misery, >>Valerie was startled to hear a quick beep behind her. >>Reflex sent her further away from the pavement and a >>familiar black BMW stopped beside her. The passenger >>window rolled down and a voice called, “Valerie?!” >> >>She ducked her head down to peek in, blinking the >>drops of rain out of her eyes. Daniel twisted sideways >>to peer out at her. >> >>“Get in!” >> >>“I’ll ruin your seat—“ >> >>“I don’t care!” >> >>Lightning chose that moment to flash and crash and >>more persuasion wasn’t necessary. She climbed in, >>shuddering as a blast of cold air-conditioning hit >>her. >> >>He twisted the knob off quickly. “Sorry.” >> >>“No problem. Thanks for taking pity on me.” Valerie >>assessed her state. Every inch of her was waterlogged, >>her shoes squelched and water ran in steady streams >>from her hair, down her nose and off her chin. She >>hunched in on herself, trying in vain to keep from >>getting any more of the upholstery wet. >> >>“Don’t worry about the car, for God’s sake. Are you >>okay?” He eased back out onto the highway carefully. >> >>“Yeah, goddamned car died and took my cell phone with >>it.” She dug in her bag and dragged it out. It was >>still dead. >> >>“There’s a charger in the console. Plug it in so you >>can call your family. I’m sure they’ll be worried.” >> >>“Thanks.” She found the universal charger and the port >>and got the phone charging, but still had to wait a >>few minutes for it to get enough charge so she could >>even turn it on. Reassuring Nessa that she was fine >>and relaying the information about the car, she >>clapped the phone shut and sat back in the seat with a >>deep sigh. >> >>“You need coffee and food.” >> >>“Coffee sounds fantastic.” Valerie shivered. She felt >>a bit off; not exactly bad, but not right. The car >>slowed to make the turn onto the secondary road. >> >>“Tell you what, what say we drop by your house so you >>can get into some dry clothes and then we’ll go get a >>bite.” Daniel glanced over at her. She nodded. >> >>“Sounds good to me.” Valerie looked sideways at him >>and grinned, a droplet quivering at the end of her >>nose. “Told you some disaster would find me. > > > >What happened to the samples? Not going to deliver any >more? Unless they are brought up later as a kind of >"oh crap I forgot" sort of thing, they should be >mentioned. > >Fantastic as per usual!
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