The Last of Her Kind Ch. 02

"I don't need... is that tea?"

"Yep." He had tossed her a tea bag that he had pulled from his pack. He had gone on a small trip to buy himself some comforts and the tea was one of them. He pulled the tea kettle from above the stove and filled it with water. "This will heat faster than the soup. I hope beef stew is okay."

"Seriously, I don't-"

"I'll call Louise. You said you were feeling sick, and now you look like you spent the night sleeping outside. And you're wet. Care to explain that one to me?"

She scowled, but he ignored it. He had once picked up a live grenade and thrown it back to its sender, pissing himself in the process. He didn't care that she was copping an attitude.

"I took a bath."

"You're doing it wrong."

Ana rolled her eyes, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with one finger. "You fixed the hot water, so I made myself a bath. I got too comfortable and fell asleep and the water got cold. It took me a long time to get out of the tub, and here we are."

"Next time, call for help." The water was already heating up. He cracked open the can of soup and poured it into a pot which he then placed on the stove.

"That's not a thing I do."

"Well, it should be. Sheriff Walters told me this morning that Louise wants me to look out for you, and I'm already a little scared of the woman."

His statement made Ana laugh. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound. "She can be a bit scary. But I'm not a cripple and I don't need a nanny."

Darren nodded his head. "I'm sure that's the case. But I often think the only thing that separates man from beast is our willingness to help each other out from the goodness of our hearts." He pulled another tea bag from his pocket and tossed it onto the counter. Rummaging through the upper cabinets produced a pair of chipped mugs that he set on the table. Once the water was ready, he took the teabag back from Ana and set it in her cup. He poured the water in and handed it back. "That'll warm your hands up. Let it steep for a few."

"It smells good."

"It's the stuff my grandma used to make. Brings back memories." He made his own cup and sat across from her at the table. The smell of ginger drifted through the room. "This was what she'd make in the winter. We'd sit at the fireplace and listen to the radio."

"Oh." Ana wrinkled her nose. "I'm not a big fan of ginger."

"That's fine. Use it for your hands if nothing else." He kept an eye on the pot, standing up to stir it.

"Who is we?" she asked.

"My brother Dwayne. We'd go stay with our grandparents on occasion, until they died, anyway."

"Where is your brother now?"

It was an innocent question, but Darren was no longer at the table when she asked it. He was thousands of miles away, watching a large portion of his brother's head disappear in front of him. From far away, he heard himself answer her.

"He died." Suddenly, he was back in the room. "He was in 'Nam with me."

"Oh." Ana sipped at her tea. They were both silent for several minutes, and then she added "I lost my sisters to a fire."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He took the pot off the stove and poured it into a bowl. The stew he had bought just hours ago smelled delicious. He set the bowl on the table and handed Ana a spoon. "You're already looking better. I'll take care of the dishes in the morning, so just get back in bed." He picked up his mug and gave her a wave. "Let me know if you need anything."

He was almost at his door, the world suddenly heavy around him, when she spoke.

"What about your blanket?" she asked, her voice already far away.

"Don't need it tonight." He walked into his room and closed the door. He set his mug down on the window sill and laid on his back, eyes on the ceiling. He focused on the scent of ginger and memories of a decade past, hoping it would keep the ghosts at bay.

When he finally drifted off, they were waiting for him back in the jungle.

I certainly hope you are enjoying this tale. Only 5 chapters left to see what becomes of Darren and Ana.

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