Message-ID: <44633asstr$1065532206@assm.asstr-mirror.org> X-Original-Message-ID: <20031007001237.64673.qmail@web20510.mail.yahoo.com> From: Lazlo Zalezac X-ASSTR-Original-Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2003 17:12:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: {ASSM} John Carter I 20-22 (mf mmf ffm ff mm sci-fi) Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 09:10:06 -0400 Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail Approved: Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d X-Archived-At: X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation X-Story-Submission: X-Moderator-ID: dennyw, IceAltar __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com <1st attachment, "JC20-22.txt" begin> DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If you are offended by sexually explicit material or are under the age of 18, stop reading now. This material cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes without the consent of the author. John Carter By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezak, 2003 Part 1: Shield, Staff, and Compass Chapter 20 John looked around at his surroundings slowly realizing that he recognized this place. It was where he had met the Goddess for the first time. This time, the stream was not in a ravine, but ran naturally along side the meadow. The region retained that eerie feel to it that threatened to overwhelm the senses. Maybe it was the fact that the life force was so close to the surface here that you could almost see it pulsing in each living thing. She was kneeling by the side of the stream, a hand in the water feeling the current while fish swam past gently brushing her hand. She was nude and just as beautiful today as she had been in the past. Looking upon her mesmerized him. Today she looked sad rather than sexy or forbidding. John looked down at himself seeing that was undressed. His cock was erect and hurting. He felt exposed, as though all of his thoughts were visible to her. He wondered if he was about to be raped again. He corrected himself, wondering if he was going to make love to the full force of nature again. The woman looked up at him with sad eyes. "I'm glad you came to my summons." "What do you ask of me?" She came to him and embraced him gently. It was the most amazing embrace of his life. The comfort conveyed reminded him of his mother's hug when he had fallen down as a child and scraped his knee. It was more than that, though. Their was an intimacy to it that was like a lover expressing her love. She stated, "I'm so sorry John. I had nothing to do with it and couldn't prevent it. I have no direct power against pure evil. That is his realm and he has no one there." John thought about her words. He asked, "She's dead, isn't she?" "Yes, John. She's dead." John asked, "was there anything that I could have done?" "No, John. You couldn't have kept her from going. If you had gone with her, you would be dead too." "Thank you," he accepted what she said. There was no reason for him to feel guilty. She had given an important gift him. "You need to return to Austin by four. The other will not live if she gets the news while alone at home." John woke up in a cold sweat. The top of his sleeping bag, where he had been lying on it, was soaked. He looked around the darkened room and knew what he had to do. Getting up, he went to the telephone. After a long call, he had reservations on the first morning flight to Dallas and a connecting flight to Austin. The price for the ticket was outrageous. They always were when you bought them the day you needed to travel. He would have to leave soon to make the flight. He dressed thinking about what he needed to do. Fully dressed, he picked up his backpack. It had all of his clothes in it. He threw in his toothbrush, toothpaste, and brush from the bathroom. His camping gear was scattered around the house and he didn't have the time to collect it. He threw in the latest draft of his dissertation. He would give it to his advisor in the current state, it was the third draft and pretty solid. Stepping into the night, he locked the door behind him with a dull click. There was no moon and consequently the stars were unusually bright that night. He walked across the street to Ed's house. It was just a dark silhouette against the starry background. Kelly's Honda was parked in the driveway. Knowing those two, they went to bed early and to sleep late. He hated waking them up, but he couldn't afford to wait. He walked up to the door and knocked on it. There was no answer. He knocked again. He heard someone stumbling around in the house. He thought how Ed would react to a stranger showing up in the middle of the night. It wasn't likely that he would invite them in for tea. He called out, "Ed, it's me. John!" Ed opened the door and mumbled for him to come in. John stepped in and stopped just inside the door. Ed stepped back and John realized that he was naked. Then he noticed the pistol in Ed's hand. The gun caught his attention much more than Ed's nakedness. Ed set the pistol in a drawer of a small table by the door. He mumbled, "Sorry, didn't know it was you." "I'm so sorry to be here this early. I've got to leave town right now." It took a moment for the statement to filter through Ed's sleepy mind, but when he had finished processing it he snapped awake, "What's the matter?" John was about to answer when Kelly came out of the bedroom naked as well. In his current state of mind, he didn't even think of her nudity. However, the image was stored for later appreciation. She was wiping the sleep from her eyes, "What's going on here?" "I've got to leave right now to catch a plane to Dallas and then to Austin." Ed asked again, "What's the matter?" "Betsy was killed in the middle east." Saying it aloud hurt more than he thought it would. He missed her already. Kelly cried out, "Oh my God!" The concern on Ed's face was clear. Anyone that knew them both would understand how much pain John had to be feeling at the loss of Betsy. Ed asked, "What can I do?" "Take care of the house and see if you can get the rent extended for another month. I'll be back to buy it." He handed Ed the keys to the house. John looked around numbly and saw Kelly crying. He said, "take care of Kelly. She needs some comforting. I better go or I'll miss my plane." Kelly came up to John and hugged him tightly. Her naked body pressed against him. He did not notice the nakedness, only the caring that motivated the hug. She cried, "Take care of yourself. If there's anything we can do, let us know." "Thanks. I really appreciate it." Ed nodded, "really, if there's anything we can do let us know. We'll take care of it. Call collect if you want." John turned to the door and opened it. He turned back to Ed, "a man can't have a better friend than you, Ed." The trip back to Austin was horrible. Connections were tight and the planes crowded. On the flight to Austin, he sat in a row with two other very large men; eight hundred pounds of people in a row that shouldn't hold three normal size people. He had the aisle seat and spent most of the flight leaning into the aisle. He was tired, hungry, and emotionally drained by the time he arrived in Austin. It was a little after noon before he landed, but he still had to rent a car to drive to the house. He stood in the rental line and ended up having to accept a larger car than he wanted because he didn't have a reservation. It seemed like an eon had passed between leaving Arizona and arriving home to Austin. Tired, he knocked on the door rather than letting himself in. Mrs. South didn't know he was returning and he didn't want to scare her. She peered through the eyehole in the door and then swung the door open. Happy to see him, she shouted, "John, you're home early!" John smiled at the warm reception. He stated, "I missed your coffee and just had to stop by for a cup." He entered the house and wearily sat down at the kitchen table. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was one o'clock. The news would get here in three hours. He wanted to stay between her and the telephone, but he was tired. She fixed a pot of coffee fussing the entire time about how tired he looked. He laughed it off, "I worked too hard on my dissertation." "Oh, you kids. You need to learn how to pace your life a little better." "I know. Youth is wasted on the young!" Mrs. South laughed, "but thank god for viagra. It gives us seniors a chance to make up for opportunities lost as youths." John shook his head in amusement. He really liked her attitude towards sex and life in general. He asked, "Where's your boyfriend?" "He said that he had to go home, but I think he went to the pharmacy to get his prescription refilled. He asked the doctor for a month's supply and the doctor asked if four would be enough. Jim told him he needed at least sixty. Damn doctor didn't believe him so he only got fifteen." John laughed, "Well, he might be home by half past three. Why don't you ask him to come by about that time? Give us a chance to talk a bit and then get out for one of those early bird dinners." Instead of answering, Mrs. South poured him a cup of coffee. He cradled the sides of the mug in both of this hands drawing on the warmth. He hoped that it would help warm the empty coldness that had crept into his heart. He couldn't act as if anything was wrong until the news arrived. He took a sip of the coffee and sighed, "You make a great cup of coffee." Mrs. South sat down across the table from him. She looked at the tired lines on his face and thought about his past behavior. She could sense that something was wrong and knew that John wouldn't tell her until he was ready. She nodded, "I'll give him a call to come down. After you finish your coffee, why don't you take a nap? I promise I'll wake you when he gets here." John took another sip of coffee and held it in his mouth for a moment. He wondered if Betsy's alarm clock was still here. If it were, he'd set that just in case Mrs. South, in her desire to be kind, decided to allow him to oversleep. He nodded, "Sounds like a good plan to me. However, I could use a bite to eat." "I just happen to have some chocolate cake here. I was gonna let Jim eat it off me, but I think I can spare a slice for you." "Oh you kinky lady! If I have to eat the slice off you, I will." Mrs. South laughed, "I'd do it, but it would make Jim madder than hell!" "You don't mean to tell me that he's jealous." "You know better than that. That old reprobate would be mad because he didn't get to watch you do it." John laughed and shook his head. Those two were ones for the record book. They had a more active sex life than most married couples a third their age. When he thought about it, he realized they probably had a more active sex life than he and Betsy had. The thought brought a tinge of pain that he struggled to cover. Mrs. South set a large slice of chocolate cake in front of him. She sat down, serious all of a sudden. She stated, "Something like your hero urge drove you back here, didn't it?" John finished the bite of cake in his mouth and washed it down with the coffee before answering. "Nothing is certain yet. I'll know more later." "It must be bad." "Probably, I'll know more later." Mrs. South studied him carefully for some clue. She watched as he finished the cake and coffee. When he sat back, he looked up at her. He suggested, "I'll tell you what I can when I'm certain." Mrs. South nodded, "Get some sleep. I promise I'll wake you when Jim gets here." John went into his room. Betsy's alarm clock was on the night table where she always kept it. He set it to go off at 3:15. He looked at the floor and then at the bed. He didn't have his sleeping bag here, so he decided to use the bed. The only time he used a bed was when a woman was there to share it. Despite the memories the bed raised, he fell asleep as soon as he lay down. The alarm rang on time. John woke up shaking his head and trying to rid himself the nightmares that plagued his sleep. It took him a minute to find the alarm clock and even longer to turn it off, but at least he was awake. He took a minute to collect his thoughts. He got up and headed out of the room. Mrs. South, seated in her favorite chair, watched the cable news program on television. He joined her. They were silent as the news program unfolded. This particular show was about the economy. John watched with interest and wondered how Jenny and Jack were doing with their business. The thought made him realize that he would need to call them tonight. He wondered how he was going to break the news to them. Mr. Jensen arrived right on time. In the time John had been gone, Mr. Jensen appeared to grow ten years younger. Maybe all of that sex was making him young again. John stood up and shook his hand. He stated, "I see you've taken good care of my landlord here." Jim had been over almost everyday since John had left. She had taught him things about sex that he had never known. He was still having difficulty walking after she had used the dildo on him last night. Jim chuckled, "She's taken better care of me." Mrs. South laughed, "John, can't you tell that he's sad you're back? He was getting used to getting a blowjob on entering the house. Now he's going to have to wait until we get to the bedroom." John acted like he was munching on his arm provoking a smile from Mrs. South. . John laughed, "Oh, don't worry about me. I want to see him eat that chocolate cake later tonight." Mrs. South started laughing and slapping her knee. Mr. Jensen looked puzzled. John made an exaggerated act of licking his lips. She finally burst out, "You keep me laughing like that and I'm going to wet my pants." John saw Mr. Jensen's puzzled look. "She told me that she was going to serve the chocolate cake on her body and you'd have to eat it off her. She threatened to make me do that, but said you'd be mad that you didn't get to watch." "God above, I just love a randy woman with a good sense of fun." It was almost four and John turned to look at the television. International news was going to be covered next. He sat back and realized how they were going to learn about it. He turned to Mrs. South, "Hey, have we got any of that coffee left?" "Sure." John made as if he was going to get up. Mrs. South saw his movements and stated, "Now you stay here. I'll get you a cup of coffee." John made a protesting gesture, "Mrs. South, I'm more than capable of getting my own coffee." "No. You stay there and talk with Jim. I'm old fashioned and don't think men belong in the kitchen." John slowly nodded his head, "Okay, Mrs. South." She went into the kitchen. John was pleased that his ploy had worked. He turned to the news program almost ignoring Mr. Jensen. His behavior did not escape the attention of the older man. He turned to watch the news. His mouth dropped as the first news story told about a number of volunteer nurses that were killed by a rocket propelled grenade attack in the middle east. He turned to John to see John looking at him. John nodded his head confirming the old man's fears. Mrs. South came back into the room with John's coffee. She saw the expressions on their faces and knew that something bad had happened. She set the cup down on the nearest table, "What happened?" Mr. Jensen went over to her and put his arm around her. John looked over in their direction. He stated, "There was a problem in the middle east." "Not Betsy!" "I'm pretty sure. I've got to call her parents and find out for sure." Mrs. South raced over to him and hugged him. She cried, "You poor man. I know how much you loved her. You must be crushed." John thanked the Goddess. His presence here had changed the news from being a personal tragedy for Mrs. South to his tragedy. She would be strong for him, rather than weak for herself. He answered, "I'm so lucky to have you here to help me at this difficult time. You are a life saver." John spent the rest of the afternoon on the telephone. The first thing he had done was call Betsy's parents. They had been informed only a few minutes before through official sources that it was definite that she had been killed in the attack. They had decided to have a memorial service in three days time in Austin. There would be a private funeral in her hometown once the body had been shipped back to the states. They invited him to both services and asked if he would give the Eulogy at the memorial service. He then spent the rest of the afternoon calling everyone that knew Betsy in the Austin area. The news spread like wildfire. By the time that he had reached the last name on the list of people he was going to call, they had already known. When he had quit making calls, he started receiving calls from the EMS, police, and fire department personnel that he knew. All conveyed their sorrow at what happened. That evening, when the long distance rates were lowest, he called his friends and let them know what had happened. Mrs. South helped as much as she could. She made sure there was always fresh coffee. She cooked a very nice meal for dinner that the three of them ate together at the table. At random times, she would come up and give him hugs. He knew that at her age, she had dealt with the deaths of many friends and relatives. She knew exactly what to say and when to say it. He knew this was a hard time for her. She thought of Betsy as a granddaughter. The next day, Mrs. South and John went shopping for a suit that would be appropriate for a funeral service. She was pleased to be included in helping him pick out a suit. She enjoyed making sure the men in her life were appropriately dressed for major occasions. Personally, he was glad that she came along. He would have bought the first suit that he came across. She had him try on several suits before picking out one of them that would serve multiple purposes. She made very good suggestions on ties, belts, and shirts. He was surprised when she asked them to tailor the shirt to fit him better. He had never heard of doing such a thing. Before heading home, they stopped by the university so that he could drop off his dissertation to his adviser. He told the department secretary about Betsy's death and that he would be unavailable for the next few days. She had met Betsy several times and had liked the young woman. She was pleased to meet Mrs. South. They had talked several times on the telephone, but never met. It always amazed her that he would choose to live in a room rented from an old woman rather than alone in an apartment. She knew that living with an old woman must put an awful damper on his love life. Returning home, Mr. Jensen gave him a long list of telephone messages. He couldn't believe the number of people that had called. There were at least thirty names on the list. He immediately saw that Betsy's parents had called and returned that call first. They had wanted to know how many people might show up at the memorial service. He thought about it for a moment and suggested that maybe fifty people or so might attend. Of course, there might be more than that depending on how many people from the hospital attended. They had their choice of a room for fifty or for two hundred. They discussed it and decided on the room for two hundred thinking that it would be better to have empty space than to require people to stand. He invited her parents to stay at the house, but they choose to stay in Betsy's apartment. The next day he picked up his parents up at the airport. The trip from Dallas was just a short flight, but crowded as always. John was surprised that they had checked their luggage until he saw how much they had brought. They had three suitcases for a three day visit. He used one backpack for three months. Maybe he did live like a monk. He had to stop by the suit place and pick up his clothes. The sales staff was very friendly and several of them knew John by reputation. The woman behind the counter remarked that it was nice that he brought his grandmother to help him pick out a suit. She tried to flirt with him, but her attentions went unnoticed by him. His parents noticed, but didn't say a word. His parents stayed in the guestroom at the house that night. It was the first time in a long time that he had a chance to talk with his parents. Everyone talked until late in the night. He didn't know how much his parents hoped that he and Betsy would marry. They had really loved her like a daughter. John understood how they could feel that way. Betsy had that effect on many people. After John went to bed, Mrs. South and Mr. Jensen talked to his parents for several more hours. His parents began to get the idea that John was a minor celebrity in the area. The morning of the memorial service finally arrived. John slowly got out of bed despite wanting to go back to sleep. There was just too much to do. His father came into the room while he was dressing. After looking at the scars for a minute, he left the room without saying a word. The scars disturbed his father very much, but it wasn't the time to bring up the subject. John had arranged for a wake to be held at the house. Mrs. South was actually pleased to be entertaining people, although the circumstances were not the best. She had hoped to be arranging a bridal shower for Betsy rather than a wake. Making sure that everything was settled, they waited for Mr. Jensen's friend to show up. He was there to house sit during the memorial service. Mrs. South had known friends that had their houses robbed during funerals and didn't want that to happen to her home. The result was that they left the house a little later than they had intended. Arriving at the memorial park for the service was an overwhelming experience for John. He had expected fifty people, but there were many more. As he drove up, he spotted police cars, ambulances, and even the fire marshals car. The parking lot was overflowing with cars displaying university parking stickers and tags from the hospital parking lot. He looked at Mrs. South and his parents, "What's going on?" It was the first time that his father actually understood how many people knew his son. His father answered, "They've come to support you." John was touched. The last funeral he had attended was that for his brother. He was not in any condition to even notice what was happening. His memories of it were just a blur. He had just quit drinking, he was feeling guilty, and he hadn't slept. He wondered how many important events, times of great stress, became nothing but blurred memories without detail. He drove around looking for a place to park and then saw a number of parking spaces blocked by orange traffic cones. A woman officer stood by the cones to move them out of the way when the people for whom the spaces were reserved showed up. John knew her and when she recognized John, she moved one of the cones out of the way. It took half a minute to park the car. He got out of the car and opened the doors for everyone else. His father put a hand on his shoulder, "Son, I'll take the ladies and Mr. Jensen into the room. You do whatever you need to do." John replied, "Thanks Dad. I'll make sure that Betsy's parents get a place to park." "Good. We'll see you inside." John watched them walk away. He stepped over to the police officer, "Hello, Officer McDonald." "Hi, John. I'm sorry about Betsy." "Thank you very much. Do you know if her parents have arrived yet?" "We're keeping a parking space for them, but I don't know them." "It was nice of the funeral parlor to arrange the parking spaces." "Oh, we volunteered. All of us know you and most of us knew Betsy. Very sad day indeed." John nodded, "I appreciate that. I'll wait here with you. From what I understood when I talked to them this morning they should be arriving soon." He had hardly finished talking when he noticed their car. He waved to them and gestured for them to drive over to where he stood. He turned to the police officer, "That's them." She removed the cones blocking the parking space and Betsy's parents parked the car. He opened the door for her mother. She stepped out of the car and stood there for a moment straightening her black dress. Her eyes were red from crying. She wore no makeup. She grabbed him and hugged him. She cried, "John. Oh John. She loved you so much. She wrote us that you had proposed and that she was going to accept." John was pleased to hear that she was going to accept his proposal. He wondered if there was a letter in the mail to him. He held her mother and answered, "I love her so much. She's always in my thoughts." John and Betsy's parents went to the building where the service was being held. There was a huge crowd standing in front of the building. John was shocked. Her parents turned to him in surprise. "Where did all of these people come from?" "I don't know," answered John. He recognized everyone there. He added, "I know everyone, but I had no idea they were coming." A man that he didn't know came up to them. He was the priest that was performing the service. In John's opinion, he was too young to be performing such an important ceremony, but he deferred to her parents decision. The priest greeted Betsy's parents and ushered them into a waiting room inside the building. Betsy's mother put her arm in John's arm so that he went with them. The priest was nice and did his best to make them feel comfortable. It was quiet in the waiting room. John looked around at the dark wood furniture and the red carpet. The walls were white and covered with plain paintings of generic flowers. Each chair had a box of tissues discretely located within reach. It was a sad little room, the site of much grieving. Everyone was lost in his or her own thoughts. John mentally rehearsed the eulogy. The service began after John and the family had been led from the waiting room into the hall. They were lead to seats along the front of the hall. Before taking his seat, John looked across the hall. He saw that all of the seats were filled and some people were standing along the back of the room. John looked around at all of the faces. He looked at the eulogy in his hand and wondered how he would be able to read it in front of so many people. The service started with prayers and singing hymns. John was unable to judge the quality of the service from a religious perspective, but others seemed comforted by the words. Finally, it was time for him to give the eulogy. He slowly walked up to the podium trying to control his nervousness. Reaching the podium, he looked around the room. He took a deep breath and began, "A little less than four years ago, I was shot and killed. I was dead for four minutes before I was resuscitated by the doctor operating on me. I did not want to return to the living, but the Gods and Goddesses saw it otherwise. They sent me back to this world." "I say this so that you will know that I speak from experience rather than faith or hope. Being dead is not awful and we should not feel sorry for the dead. In fact, for those that have lived a loving life, death is glorious. For those of you who believe in heaven, let me assure you that it is heavenly. No words can do justice in describing it." "Do not be sad for Betsy. Yes, she was young. It is true there is much of life that she didn't get to experience. She didn't get a chance to be a bride, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and all of those other things that a women can experience." "However, I must remind you that she is in a much better place now. She has no regrets for those things that she didn't get to do. She is happy now. Again, I say this from personal experience." John paused as he looked across the people gathered there. He was surprised by the expressions on their faces. The elderly looked relieved, the middle aged thoughtful, and the young entranced. He continued, "Despite what I know, I am saddened by the loss of Betsy. You might wonder why I feel that way considering what I've said. It is simple. I am saddened by the things that we didn't get to do together. I know there will be times when something happens and I will think to myself that she would love to hear about it. The sun will rise and set, but we won't share the experience. I will have to live with my regrets for all the things I hadn't had a chance to say to her and that saddens me." "What was there about Betsy that made each day together a beautiful day? She was a very pretty woman, but there are many pretty women. She was intelligent and witty, but there are many people with those same traits. The one thing that separated her from the billions of other people on this planet is that she truly cared about her fellow humans. As a nurse, she gave of herself to her patients. As a person, she took that extra moment of time to learn about the people around her. She listened to them, really listened. She helped those that were worse off than her. As a friend, lover, and daughter she gave of herself totally and without reservation." He had to pause as emotion threatened to overwhelm him. He noticed a glass of water at the podium and took a sip from it. He continued, "Her giving nature took her into danger. She didn't concern herself with the danger. She thought about the people that she could help. She thought about people living in tents, eating poor quality food, and suffering from disease. Should we have stopped her from going? No, for that would have denied that quality in her that made her special. We must accept that she valued serving humanity far more than she valued her own life. This is a noble trait. She was a noble person." "For those of us who knew her, we have lost a priceless jewel. For those who hadn't met her yet, they have lost a great opportunity. Yes, we are all saddened today. We are saddened that such a huge gap has been introduced into our lives. The world of the living is a lesser place. It became that when she died." He was at the point where his prepared talk had finished. He had not expected so many people to attend and felt that he had to address this. He added, "Looking over the crowd gathered here, I know she would have been overwhelmed that her life had touched so many people. She didn't keep score identifying those she helped. I feel her here in this room. I believe that she is pleased with the knowledge that so many care so much. There is no greater legacy that one can leave." He returned to his seat and watched the rest of the service. He was drained emotionally. When the service was over, her parents and he were led outside the hall to greet all those that had attended. It was decided that since he knew most of the people here, that he would stand first in line so that he could perform introductions. The emergency services people were the first to leave. Harry, George, Officer Rickert, and others gave their condolences. He was amazed to see so many of them there. The Mayor commented that he hoped John never ran for political office because no one could compete with his ability to make a speech. Her coworkers from the hospital filed by, all of them teary-eyed. They all thanked him for such a wonderful eulogy. The people from the university all exited together. He had not expected any of them to attend. His mother and father came out. He introduced them to Betsy's parents. Her father stated, "You've raised a good son. His eulogy was quite moving." His father laughed, "You just don't know him as well as we. I never knew what she saw in him. She was too good for him and we told her so." John shook his head. His father was his father and couldn't come out with direct praise. He had to hide it in humor. Behind his parents were Jenny and Jack. Jenny hugged him with tears in her eyes. She cried, "Oh John, I'm so sorry for you." "Thank you for coming. You are coming to the house later, right?" "Of course," replied Jack. Jenny turned to Betsy's parents. Unsure how to describe the relationship that she had with Betsy, she chose the broadest interpretation, "She was my best friend and taught me so much about love." More people passed by and the faces became blurred. He looked up and saw Beth hardly recognizing her. Beth, eyes swollen and red from crying, was devastated, "John, I loved her so much. How could this happen? I find happiness only to have it wrestled away." John hugged her wishing he could help her with her grief more. "Beth, you know that she loved you too. Please come by the house so that we have a chance to talk." "Of course." He introduced her to Betsy's parents and turned to see Ed and Kelly standing in front of him. He greeted them, "Oh, thank you for coming." Ed shrugged his shoulders, "Hey, I figured you probably needed us. I know that Beth needed us." Kelly added, "She's cried ever since I told her about Betsy. I've been staying with her through this difficult time. I'm really worried about her." John nodded, "That's very nice of you. I know you'll take good care of her, but she appears to be very fragile at the moment." Ed nodded, "We will. Kelly's been staying the night in the hotel room with her. Beth doesn't want to be left alone." He introduced Ed and Kelly to Betsy's parents. Turning back, he was shocked to see Shirley. Standing next to her was Maria. He stated, "My goodness. I really didn't expect you to come." Shirley wiped her eyes, "She was a very special woman. We only had a chance to talk twice, but you wouldn't believe how much she helped me. I had to come here for you and her both." Maria looked away shyly, "I liked you both. I'm so sorry for your loss." He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Thank you so much for coming. I hope you both make it to our house." John greeted more people that stood in line. Many of them were from the neighborhoods where he typically walked. One of the surprises was the presence of Virginia Hill in the line. He hugged her tightly and then held her at arms length. He smiled, "So nice of you to come. You are looking so good. How are things going?" "They're going fine. We've moved into a new house and things are looking much brighter." "That's good. How are the kids? How's your career?" "The kids are doing real well. I've put them in private schools. The career is going great. My income has almost doubled since our talk." "I'm so happy for you." It seemed like hours had passed, but the line finally ended. Betsy's parents turned to John. The father, with a tremor in his voice, stated, "John, I've never seen so many people that had such nice things to say about you and Betsy. I've never been prouder of her than this day." Her mother added, "Your eulogy was very nice. I know that you aren't a Christian and that the service was very Christian. I hope that it didn't upset you." John looked surprised, "Upset me? Not at all. Please understand I respect the Christian beliefs. Betsy was a Christian and the service reflected her and her beliefs. I would have questioned any other kind of service." Her father looked relieved, "We worried about how you would react." "Sir, you needn't have worried. I loved your daughter very much." The mother stood there for a moment looking at John. She cleared her throat and then stated, "Betsy never told us that you had died." John laughed, "I'm not surprised. It's not a common topic of conversation." "She worried so much about you getting hurt or killed. Ironic, isn't it?" Her father looked down at the ground in embarrassment. There was an unstated implication that he should have been the one that died. John understood that sentiment. "She was a better person that I. She loved you both. I shall miss her very much." John looked around realizing that they were the only ones left. He sighed, "We should get going to the house." Part 1: Shield, Staff, and Compass Chapter 21 John sat in the chair watching the false dawn break over the horizon. He stood and walked into the middle of the yard. Loading the lancet, he waited for the wind that would mark true dawn. When the morning colors dimmed and the sky turned blue, he put the pen to his finger. He felt the first tendrils of the morning wind and pushed the button. The sharp pain let him know it worked. Squeezing the finger, he forced a drop of blood to form on the end of his finger. With a little flick, he threw the drop of blood to the ground. He stated aloud, "for the Goddess." The wind stopped as the sun broke over the horizon. He turned to find Beth standing naked on the patio watching him. She stated, "You do that every morning." "Yes, I do." He turned back to face the sunrise waiting for the early rays of morning to strike him. "You won't tell me why." "It's a blood sacrifice to the Goddess." Beth looked blank. It didn't mean anything to her. He added, "That's as much explanation as is required." "You aren't yourself today. You haven't been yourself for a week. Why?" John took a deep breath as the sun finally reached him. His morning ritual was over. He replied, "Something bad is going to happen. Something real bad." "What kind of thing?" "I don't know." "Where?" "It's far from here; very far from here." "When?" "Not for a while yet. A week from now, maybe two." "What are you going to do about it?" "I'll go there and take care of the problem to the best of my ability." Beth stood there watching him. She recognized his mood. He would say that he was trying to hear something from far away. Usually it only lasted for a short time and then he would leave to perform some feat of heroism. This had been going on for a week and it worried her. He shook his head, "I'm not getting it. Maybe tomorrow I'll know in what direction to go." He turned and looked at Beth. He nodded in approval. She looked better today than she had in ages. He asked, "How are you doing?" She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm better. I can get through the work day now." "You've been working for six months now. You only missed a week." "I meant without crying." "Oh. Are you ready to be touched?" "No," replied Beth. She was terrified of admitting to love again. The death of Betsy had broken something deep inside her. John didn't know if she would ever heal. He watched her as she stood there naked. She had no problems walking around naked and staying in the house, but anytime he even went to touch her she lost all control. It was difficult living with a naked woman that wouldn't let you touch her. The only time she dressed was to go to work. He had to order her to go to work. Kelly stated that at work Beth was a complete professional. He hadn't had sex since Betsy died and felt he was being false to Betsy's memory. She would have wanted him to get on with life. It was time for a change. He had the feeling that someone was coming that could introduce the change. He cleared his throat, "We will have company today." "No, I won't allow it." Beth stated. She could deal with only one person at a time. If they had company that meant she would have to deal with John and someone else. John advanced on her. She stood defiantly with hands on her hips. He frowned, "slave, get into the living room and assume kneeling position two." Beth went into the house. He knew without watching that she was following his instructions to the letter. She would follow instructions exactly as ordered. The only exception was anything that involved any kind of emotional attachment, even the most minor. She required orders to do everything now. That included eating, drinking, and sleeping. He wondered if she thought that by being the perfect slave she could bring Betsy back somehow. He walked around the outside of the house and sat on the front porch. He waited for one of two things to happen. Either Ed would come over or his unknown visitor would arrive. He hoped Ed would come over now that he was between semesters. He needed someone with whom he could talk. Beth couldn't hold much of a conversation anymore. John was in a quandary. Several weeks ago, he defended his dissertation and was now Dr. John Carter. Although he wasn't a student anymore, he needed to get some work done. He had only planned half of the lessons for this coming semester and it was starting in three weeks. Something horrible was going to happen in a week or two that would require his attention. Beth needed help that he couldn't provide. He looked down the street and noticed an RV pass the end of the block. He got up and opened the front door. He called in, "Slave, make eggs with salsa, toast, bacon, and coffee for three." "Yes, Master." He turned and sat back on the porch. He had recognized the RV when it passed. It was five minutes later that it turned down his street and moved slowly towards his place. He stood up and walked to the curb. The driver spotted him and sped up. He waited for the driver to exit. "Hello, Lily." "Hi John." "I was wondering who was coming." She laughed, "I wondered where I was going." He motioned towards the house with his head. "Your patient is in there. Her name is Beth, but she'll probably run if you call her that. If you want her to stand still, call her slave and tell her to assume standing position one." "Aren't you going in?" "No. She can't stand having more than one person around at a time. She'll run out the back and head to the hills. It'll take us hours to find her if she does it." Lily looked at John for a minute trying to decide what to do. She preferred to have more information on the situation that triggered the problem. John didn't seem to be too forth coming. She asked, "What happened?" "I met a wonderful girl. Her name was Betsy and I was going to marry her. She came here for a visit and Beth came by. I had discovered that Beth was a natural submissive by accident and she wanted to explore that aspect of herself. Betsy took charge of the situation and the three of us ended up having a wonderful time. Beth fell deeply in love with Betsy. Betsy left shortly thereafter. She was killed in the Middle East. Beth flipped out and hasn't been the same since." Lily nodded her head. She suspected there was more to this story than John knew. She was about to go in when Beth called out, "Master, breakfast is ready." He answered, "Slave, fix my plate and take it out to the patio. Then return to the kitchen and fix two more plates." "Yes, Master." Lily looked at him, "Why did you have to be so explicit?" John answered, "If I don't tell her to eat, she doesn't. She won't sleep without a command." "Wow." John nodded, "Yes. I'll go around back and start to eat. I'll order her to get the door and let you in. From then on, you're on your own. I'll be in the RV after I've finished eating." "Okay." John walked around the side of the house to the patio. His plate was on the patio. At least he had beaten the ants to it. He called out, "Slave, open the front door and let her in. You will follow her orders as though they come from me." John dug into his breakfast only to realize that she had failed to bring out his coffee. He was about to order her to bring him a cup and remembered that Lily was here. He couldn't interrupt them now. He finished the breakfast without coffee. He cleaned the plate as well as he could and set it on the chair. He opened the door of the RV and sat inside watching his house and Ed's house. Undoubtedly everyone in town knew that he had a visitor. He wondered which of his neighbors would be over to investigate first. He was fortunate that Ed was the first to come out. He stepped out of the RV and crossed the street. He waved, "Hi, Ed." "Hello John. How's she doing today?" "I don't know. She's still strange." Ed pointed to the RV, "So who's your visitor?" John smiled, "Lily, she's another servant of the Goddess. She's a healer." Ed looked at John with a funny expression. He pointed to John's chest, "You mean she has one of those?" John nodded. Ed had figured out a lot on his own over the past few months. John asked, "You wouldn't happen to have some coffee, would you?" "Sure. Come on over." It wasn't long before they were sitting in Ed's living room drinking coffee. John decided to bring up a topic that hadn't been discussed since the day they all went to the university. He asked, "How's Kelly taking all of this?" "Not very well. She's been very upset about Beth." "Does she still want Beth as a wife?" Ed looked out the window for a minute thinking about it. Kelly had not talked about that subject for several weeks now. Each time she saw Beth, some small part of her died. Ed answered, "Well, she hasn't talked about it lately. As far as I know, she still wants Beth for her wife. I think she feels guilty right now. She's afraid that she'll take advantage of Beth's condition." "I can understand that. I'm terrified that I'm abusing her in some fashion." Ed stated, "Do you know how hard it is when I watch over her while you're gone? She's running around naked and all I can think of is doing it with her." "Tell me about it." Ed laughed, "You must have the worst case of blue balls in the world. Why don't you come over here and visit Kelly sometime?" John shook his head, "I'm not sure that's a good idea right now. Speaking of Kelly, any idea who she's identified as a second husband?" Ed blushed for the first time that John had ever seen. It was clear that something embarrassed him. He wouldn't look him in the eye, "You ask tough questions. I think you'll have to ask her." John looked puzzled for a moment and then the light went off in his head. He was the prospective husband. He stated, "Well, if it is the person that I think it is, then you two will have to move very slow. Can't really offer until Beth is better." Ed looked relieved. He really didn't know how to broach the subject with John. He couldn't imagine John being interested in them, but Kelly thought differently. He answered, "That's our thinking." John nodded, "Wise move. I guess I had better get out to the RV and wait for Lily. I have no idea how long this is going to take." Ed asked, "Do you think that she is going to help?" "If anyone can, Lily can. I met Lily over four years ago. I didn't call her, she came here. She didn't even know I was here until she pulled up in front of the house. Something called to her and she came." "Wow." John returned to the RV. Days passed while John watched his own house. He could see activity over there and knew they were both alive, but he had no idea what was going on inside. He ate all of his meals in town. He slept on the bed in the RV. Then, in the middle of the night a hand touching his shoulder woke him. He looked up and saw Lily. She looked tired, but she smiled down at him. "You might want to go in the house with me. She's up." John slowly climbed out of the bed. He felt dirty. The shower in the RV was very small and it was difficult to wash effectively. He had worn the same clothes now for almost a week. He followed her out of the RV and into the house. Beth was sitting on one of the patio chairs that had been brought into the living room. She smiled up at John when he entered the room. "Hello John." "Hello Beth." John examined her closely. She was clothed and her hair was combed. Her eyes sparkled again. Her smile was genuine. He added, "You're looking good." "Thanks," replied Beth. She looked over at Lily for a minute and then stated, "I guess I've been a pain in the ass." "I would prefer to say that you weren't yourself for a while." Beth sat there for a while as though searching for something to say. She took a deep breath, "I was waiting for her to return." "I know. We all knew." "I want to thank you for not taking advantage of me. I remember everything you did. Most importantly, I remember the things that you didn't do. It must have been hell living here with me naked all of the time." "Just remember that we love you." "We?" "Yes, we." "Who are the others?" "Ed and Kelly." "I hardly know them. I know they took turns watching me when you were gone. Kelly took me to work in the morning and brought me home at night. I don't think they love me though." John smiled, "next time you see them, watch them closely. They both love you very much, more than you can imagine." Beth frowned, "They only saw me at my worst." Lily interrupted, "Beth, you might want to talk to them tomorrow." John added, "I think that would be a very good idea." They talked for a little longer about different topics, all of them trivial and non-threatening. Finally, John suggested that every one get to bed. He offered the ladies the bed in the bedroom. He would sleep on his sleeping bag after taking a well-deserved shower. When he had finished his shower, he walked past the open bedroom door. The lights were out, but he could see both women wave goodnight to him. His sleeping bag was in the dining room. Settling onto it, he had the best nights sleep since Betsy died. It was well after sunrise that he woke. It took a second for him to realize where he was. Looking around, the first thing he noticed was the two women sitting in lawn chairs watching him. He had not put on any clothes after his shower. He stood up and stretched. "Good morning, ladies." Beth smiled, "Good morning, John." Lily frowned as her eyes took in all of the scars that covered his body. His medallion hung around his neck. The sight of it made her check hers with a quick touch to her chest. She stated, "I think your service is much rougher than mine." "No. I've just been stupid about mine." "I'd have had to treat my patients in a burning building in the middle of a shootout to end up looking like that." John laughed, "Been there, done that, and I've got the scars to prove it." Beth came over to him. She proceeded to point out each scar and tell the story behind it. Lily watched with a wide-eyed expression of disbelief. John wondered if she had memorized his medical history. When she finished, she turned to Lily. "Betsy used to consider them his medals of valor or his badges of courage." Lily nodded, "I can understand why. You've really had it tough, John." John shrugged, "I take it like it comes." Beth kissed him on the cheek. She cooed, "I'm all yours if you want me." John nodded, "I want you. Don't ever worry about that." Beth asked, "Now?" "Not yet. I want us to take our time." John shook his head. He looked over at Lily and then back at Beth. He stated, "I have to go today. Something big is going to happen west of here. I've known something was going to happen for two weeks now, I just didn't know where I needed to go." Lily looked up at him in shock, "You've felt it too. It's been driving me crazy." Beth interrupted, "You've told me several times that something big was going to happen. Do you know when?" John nodded, "Yes, in two days." Lily wondered how he knew, but decided this wasn't the time to follow up on that. She recognized the seriousness of the situation. She stated, "When I came through Colorado I stopped at the town where we met. I ran into Jed Hart. He's the guy that runs the camping supply store." John's eyes flicked over to his walking stick. He stated, "I remember him well." Lily continued, "He was packing up a bunch of stuff. Complained that something was happening and he needed to be ready." John whistled, "Three of us going there? Wow, this must be big." Beth was sitting there listening to what they were saying. Lily had ordered her to take a two-week leave of absence from work. She had spent a week of that time with Lily and still had a week left.. She shrugged, "I'm going." John looked up in surprise. "What?" "I'm going with you guys." Lily frowned, "Are you sure?" Beth stated, "I'm a trained doctor. If there is something this big, they are going to need trained doctors." John nodded, "Okay. If you are sure that you are up to it." Beth stated, "Yes, I'm up to it." Lily was still thinking about Jed. She suggested, "Can you go to the pharmacy and get some first aid supplies?" Beth looked outside for a minute. She decided it was time to prove to herself that she had taken control of her life, "Yes, I'll head down there right now." "Good." John stated, "I'll get dressed and packed. While you're at the pharmacy, I'll fix some breakfast." Lily listened carefully. She added, "I think we had better take two cars. There's no telling if we'll be drawn to the same area." "You're right." John nodded, "Let's get to it." The three separated and started on their individual tasks. John dressed and went outside to give his blood sacrifice. Lily went to the RV and started to straighten it up. Beth headed down the street to get first aid supplies. There was a knock on the door and John went to answer it. Ed stated, "I saw Beth heading down the street. Is everything okay?" "Yes, we are getting ready to head west. Something big is going to happen." Ed looked down the street. "So what's Beth doing?" "She's gone to get some first aide supplies. She's coming with me." Ed thought about it for half a second and then volunteered. "Can I help?" John paused to consider his answer and realized that it was really Ed's decision to make. "Would you like to come with us?" Ed smiled, "You bet. I'll call Kelly. She'll want to come too." John nodded, "Okay. I can't promise that you'll be safe. We could be walking into a riot for all I know." Ed shrugged, "I'm not asking to be coddled." John smiled, "Then you better get packed." "I'll be right back." Ed turned and raced across the street. John finished packing up his backpack. He took his walking stick apart and packed it in the backpack. He moved into the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast. He did a mental count and realized he was cooking for five. Checking the refrigerator, he saw that he only had six eggs. He guessed that it was pancakes, sausage, eggs, and coffee. John had just finished laying out plates with the food when Ed, Kelly, and Beth returned. He asked Beth to get Lily. They were all silent as they ate breakfast. Kelly kept looking over her plate at Beth with a happy little smile on her face. She was ecstatic to see the doctor acting like herself. Ed was happy to see Kelly happy again. John and Ed washed and dried the dishes. Each man was lost in his own thoughts; John wondering about what they faced and Ed wondering about Kelly and Beth. The women were busy dividing the first aid supplies into two sets; one complete set for them and a small set for Lily. John kept feeling the urge to leave grow. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He gathered everyone, "We have to go now." John and Ed sat in the front with John driving. Beth and Kelly sat in the back with Kelly holding Beth's hand. They pulled out of the driveway followed by Lily. John drove without a map. He took the roads that demanded his attention. He actually had no clue where he was heading so he couldn't plot a course. When they stopped for gasoline, Lily joined them and told him that she was being pulled in a different direction. The caravan split at a highway near the western end of Arizona. They drove until they were outside of Los Angeles. It was getting dark and every one was getting tired. John pulled into a hotel and shut the engine off. He sat back and relaxed. The tension that had been driving him all day had finally dissipated. He turned to Ed, "What do you guys want to do about sleeping arrangements?" Ed looked in the back at Kelly to see what she had to say. She shrugged her shoulders like she didn't care. John added, "I really don't want us to get spread out. I'd like to know that when things go south, that we are together." Ed nodded, "We either share a room or get connecting rooms." Beth spoke up, "Let's share a room. I'm so tired I don't care." "Okay." John got out of the car and went into the hotel. He got a room with two double beds. The room was located in the back of the hotel and on the first floor. They grabbed their suitcases and filed into the room. Kelly looked around at the tired people, "I hate to say this, but I'm hungry." "Same here." John suggested, "There's a chain restaurant across the parking lot. Let's go there and grab something. I'm exhausted and just want to get back here and sleep." After dinner, every one returned to the hotel. John took a very quick shower and walked out of the bathroom naked. He didn't even notice the looks from the others in the room. There wasn't an out of the way spot for him to use his sleeping bag. Lying down on one of the beds, he fell asleep. He woke to a sucking sensation on his cock. He looked down to see Beth's head bobbing up and down on his cock. Her tongue was active in licking the head of his cock. Because of the continuous excitement of watching her naked and the long dry spell without sexual release, he erupted very quickly. She swallowed his cum. He was recovering when Beth moved up to lie beside him. She smiled, "I couldn't wait." "That's okay," answered John. He put an arm around her as he rolled to his side in a spooning position. He looked at the other bed to see Ed and Kelly smiling over at him. He smiled, "Okay you guys, it's your turn." Ed laughed, "sorry, you're too late. You missed last night and this morning." John glanced down at Beth, "No wonder you couldn't wait." Beth blushed, "Who said that I waited until now?" "Oh." They lay in bed for several more minutes. The urge to go started growing in John. He stated, "We need to get ready to go." The others groaned, but they all got up. Four naked adults moved around the room taking care of their morning business. There was lots of good-natured touching as they got in each other's way. It wasn't long before they were ready to leave. John went around to the front office to pay for the room while the others loaded the car with their luggage. Ed drove the car to the parking lot of the restaurant to wait for John to join them. They went in as a group. Hours later, John was driving in the inner city of Los Angeles. He drove as though looking for something. They were in a part of the town that was extremely rough. Gangs, drug dealers, and prostitutes walked the streets. Every other store was a pawnshop, bar or liquor store. Iron bars covered every window. There were very few police in the area. Both Beth and Kelly looked scared. Ed was uncomfortable and wondered into what kind of situation they had gotten themselves. John stopped the car in front of a seedy looking hotel; a single story building that had been built in the fifties. Clearly, it had gone without a single repair since then. John pulled into the parking lot. When he got out to go into the office, Kelly leaned forward and locked his door. The people in that place scared her. He came back in a couple of minutes with a smile on his face. They had charged him for the room by the hour. He had negotiated the price down to two dollars an hour, rather than the five that was requested. They opened the door to the room he had rented. Inside the room, a horrible smell hung in the air. The furniture was ripped and the bed was worn. There were no towels in the bathroom. The lock on the door didn't work properly. The ripped and torn curtains were hung crooked. Beth looked around, "We can't stay here." John knelt down and opened his backpack. He removed his walking stick and assembled it. When he had finished, he looked around at the faces of the others. He sighed, "This is where we have to stay. It is the only safe place in ten miles. Kelly nearly screamed, "Safe? We're surrounded by thugs. They're going to kill us in our sleep." Beth echoed Kelly's sentiments. Ed adopted a wait and see attitude, but he wasn't happy with the choice of hotel. The conversation carried on around John. While they were talking, he took his hunting knife and cut the legs off a pair of jeans. He removed his pants and put on the cutoffs. He removed his shirt. He waited until everyone calmed down before stating, "I'll be right back. I promise you that we won't be disturbed." He went outside and looked around. A couple of people were hanging around the open doors of several rooms. He started walking along the walkway in front of the rooms. He could smell the sticky sweet smell of marijuana billowing from open doors. A smallish Hispanic man, steel hard body covered with tattoos, stepped in his path. John nodded, "greetings." "What you want here?" asked the man. His stance was aggressive. There was a dull look of meanness in his eyes. "It's what I don't want that is important." The man stepped back and looked over John. His eyes took in all of the scars. He recognized bullet and knife wounds from long experience in dangerous streets. He glanced over at the walking stick recognizing it only as a weapon. He decided this wasn't a guy to be taken lightly. "What is it that you don't want?" "I don't want to be disturbed." "And if you are?" John looked in the man's eyes and smiled. He stated, "We're in the room on the corner. Pass the word." The man stared at John for a long moment. He nodded, "Okay. No one will bother you." John started to turn and then turned back. He stated, "I may have need of your services tomorrow." The eyes narrowed, "What services?" "You'll see tomorrow," John turned and walked back to his room. He shut the door without ever looking back. Inside the room, everyone crowded around him as though seeking the safety that he seemed to provide. He stated, "We won't be bothered. Now lets get this place cleaned up. We'll move a chair to the door and hook it under the door handle. Flip the bed up so that it covers the window. I have the sleeping bag here and we'll open it up and sleep on it." "All four of us?" "Yeah. It'll be fun." Part 1: Shield, Staff, and Compass Chapter 22 Kelly dreamt that she was riding in a small fishing boat in the middle of a massive storm. The boat was purple. The waves were pink and they seemed to reach the sky. Her stomach tightened as seasickness threatened to overtake her. She was trying to find a life preserver that fit her, but her breasts were so huge that all of them were too small. Throughout, the boat seemed to rock in every direction. She was shaken awake by Ed. He was shouting, "Get up Kelly." She sat up thinking she must still be dreaming. The floor was moving and then it hit her. She screamed, "Earthquake!" Beth and John were seated on the floor getting calmly dressed. They seemed to be in no hurry. Ed saw that Kelly was awake and handed her some clothes. She accepted them and started dressing. She was rushing and tripping over herself as she struggled to stand on the moving floor and pull on her jeans. Ed looked around at the room and laughed, "John, you're right. This is the safest place to be. I bet this place has survived a hundred earthquakes." John shot a serious look at Ed, "Exactly." "What now?" "There are people that need our help." It didn't take long for them to get ready. The floor finally stopped moving. John went to the front door and opened it. The four of them walked out. They were greeted by the sounds of sirens and the screams of panicked people. John looked down the walkway and saw addicts streaming out of the rooms. Another couple that had rented a room for a morning tryst had run out naked and screaming. John motioned to the man he had talked to yesterday. The guy came running over with a freaked out look on his face. John turned to him, "I can use your services now. Collect all of the pain killers, amphetamines, and sedatives that you can find." He turned to Beth and Kelly. "We need the first aid supplies." He turned to Ed and pointed to the street. "Can you look up and down the street to identify where the problems are the worst?" As everyone went to perform his or her individual tasks, John stood there and watched. He knew that this was going to be big, but as he looked around, he realized that he hadn't known how big. Bridges had collapsed, buildings had fallen, and fires were burning some of the smaller structures. People wandered around in states of shock. A large number of them had minor injuries. He quickly loaded their stuff into the back of his jeep. The first one to return was the Hispanic. John turned to him, "I'm John Carter." The guy looked at him in surprise, "I'm Juan." John laughed, "John and Juan! What are the odds?" Juan nodded. "So what do you want all of this stuff for?" John stated, "You see those two women there?" "Yes." "They are the most important people in the world to me. One is a doctor and the other is a nurse. They are coming with Ed and me, but they will stay in the street treating people that we pull out of the buildings. I want you to stay with them and protect them. When they need medicine, provide what you can." Juan looked around for a moment, then replied, "Yeah, man. Sounds good to me." John nodded, "Good. They're back. Let's go." Ed pointed down the street, "There are a bunch of apartments down that way. I suggest that we go that way." As they passed each building, John and Ed checked them out for possible victims. At the door of a lawnmower repair shop, they heard a moan from inside. The door was locked, but John broke it down. Inside, an overweight man was trapped under a shelf that had fallen. Ed and John knelt down and removed the engines from the shelf until it was light enough to lift off the man. They lifted the shelf off him and he slowly stood up. He couldn't stand without support. Ed helped the guy out the door and set him down on the ground away from the shop. Beth came over and performed a quick inspection. She turned to Juan, "I need a pain killer." Juan handed over a pill to Kelly. Kelly looked at the pill and exclaimed, "Damn, we don't have any water." The man on the ground stated, "I have a large thermos in the shop and bottled water. Take it." John had just come out of the building. He went back inside. After searching for a few minutes, he found the thermos. It contained black coffee. He poured a cup and drank it down quickly. He then poured the rest out. He filled the thermos with water from the water cooler. He was about to leave when he noticed a stack of paper cups. He grabbed those as well. Exiting the building, he handed the stuff to Kelly. Juan took it out of her hands and stated, "Kelly, I will carry this for you." Kelly smiled at him, "Thank you, Juan." In a short time, the man had been medicated. Beth wrote out a note that stated his vital signs, her diagnosis, the medication that had been given him, and the time at which she had been there. She signed the note with the phrase, 'John Carter Rescue Squad.' Then she gave the note to the man and told him to give it to the EMS personnel when they arrived. While the women were busy with the guy from the lawn mower repair shop, Ed and John went to the next building. There was no one there. They went to the next building. There were several people inside. They had been outside, but had returned into the building to check out the damage. John and Ed went inside and told everyone to get out of the building because they could expect aftershocks. The women caught up with them and checked out the people. She sent them down to the other guy to keep him company until an ambulance showed. Ed and John went to the next house just as another tremor hit. They could hear screams from inside the house. The movements were too violent to move, so they just lay down until they stopped. Once the tremors stopped, John looked up at the house and saw smoke. He shouted, "Ed, stay out here. When I find someone, I'll come to a window, and call out for you. I'll lower them to you and you set them on the ground out of harms way." Ed replied, "Anything you say boss." John ran in the building. It was already filling with smoke, but he was well away from the flames. They were localized to the kitchen so far. He came across a middle-aged woman unconscious in the living room. He pulled her to the front door. He yelled to Ed, "Come get her." Ed came in and pulled her out of the house. John went deeper into the building. There was a bedroom along the hall and two kids were inside. He broke out the window and yelled out, "Ed!" Ed came charging around the corner. John lowered the first kid to Ed and turned around to get the other. He then lowered the next kid to Ed. He shouted, "There's still screams coming from the second floor." John disappeared into the bowels of the house. It took him a minute to find the stairs. The smoke was getting thick. It was beginning to obscure his vision. He turned on the light of his walking stick. Climbing upstairs, the smoke got even thicker. He heard cries in one of the rooms. He entered it and closed the door behind him. There were three kids in this room. He went to the window and looked out. The window opened onto the roof of the attached garage. He broke out the window and helped the kids onto the roof. He shouted, "Ed, over here!" Ed came around the corner and looked up. He shouted, "Lower them as much as you can and then let go. I'll catch them." The three kids were quickly lowered to the ground. John shouted, "Are there more people in here?" Ed asked one of the kids how many kids were in the house. He was told there were seven. He shouted up to John, "I think there are two more." John ran to the window he had knocked out and climbed back into the house. He checked under the bed in the room and the closets. He went out the door and dashed across the hall to the next room. It was empty. There was one more room on this level. He dashed into it finding one little girl scared to death. He asked if there was anyone else in the room. She pointed under the bed. He looked under the bed and spotted the other child. He pulled him out from under the bed. He ran to the window and looked out. It was a full two-story drop. He picked up the kids and headed to the first bedroom. Flames were licking their way up the stairs. They went through the broken window. He shouted, "Ed." Ed was where he had been standing. He shouted, "I'm here. Have you got them?" "Yeah," replied John. He lowered the kids to Ed. Once Ed had put the last kid on the ground, John handed his walking stick to Ed. He swung off the roof and dropped to the ground. Taking his walking stick back, they led the kids around to the front of the building. Beth looked up from her patient. "She's concussed. There's nothing I can really do here. I've wrapped the head wound and written a note explaining her condition. I also wrote a second note for her in case she wakes." "Ok." John headed to the next building while Juan explained to the kids that they needed to stay with their mother. They had finally reached the apartments. It was a two-story building. Half of the rooms on the top floor had collapsed into the first floor. John looked at Ed and stated, "This is going to get messy." "No doubt about that in my mind." While John and Ed broke into apartments and pulled injured people out of the building, Beth and Kelly were busy taking care of the injured. Juan dispensed the medicine as requested and made sure that no one threatened the two women. He had watched John race into the burning building and it had amazed him. He watched now as both men darted in to and out of buildings. In some cases, the buildings collapsed as soon as they left them. They ran out of water very quickly. He handed the pills to the Kelly and told her that he would return. Kelly looked at the bag of pills and couldn't make out which was which. It was about ten minutes later that he returned with a wagon loaded with several cases of bottled water. Kelly looked up at him, "Where did you get that?" Juan shook his head, "Can you believe the 7-11 is still open? I told him that it was an emergency, but the bastard took every dollar I had." Kelly answered, "Don't worry. We'll make it up." Juan, "Hey, no need to do that. I'm not doing much to help. You gals are doing all the work." Beth listened while she patched up another victim. She stated, "The drugs are helping tremendously. These people are in pain. I don't know what we would do without you." Juan watched John and Ed dash into another room. He stated, "Can you believe how brave those two are?" "If we didn't need you here so much, you'd be right there with them." "No way. I'd be back at the hotel getting high right now." Kelly smiled, "But you aren't, are you?" "No, I'm not." The conversation was interrupted by a shout from John, "We've got a bleeder!" Beth jumped up and ran over to them. They were staggering as they tried to carry the woman and keep pressure on the wound. Running, she shouted, "Bring the supplies." Juan had already grabbed the supplies and was right behind her. Kelly grabbed a couple of bottles of water. As soon as Beth reached John, they set the person down. An artery was squirting blood despite the pressure that John was applying to it. Beth took charge, "Juan, put your hand here and press as hard as you can." Juan did what he was asked. She ripped clothes off around the cut and frowned. She stated to Kelly, "I need a needle with suture. There's some in the bag." Kelly quickly satisfied her request and handed the needle to Beth. Beth started patching up the arm the best that she could. The three of them bent over the patient working feverishly. Beth would give instructions to Juan and he would do his best to follow them. John ran back to the building and joined Ed in extricating another person from under some debris. It took them some time, but they finally got the person out. Both were sweating. They were exhausted from the heavy lifting. Weakly, they carried him to the sidewalk and told him that a doctor and nurse would be there soon. Summoning what little energy they had left, they broke into the next apartment. Part of the ceiling had crashed down in front of a bathroom door. The door was open and a very overweight woman was shouting to them to get her out of there. She was holding a towel in front of her, but it barely covered her. Ed went into the bedroom and found some clothes. He returned and threw the clothes to the woman. Dressing seemed to calm her down tremendously. The two men studied the ceiling as it covered the door. They couldn't see a way of removing it without causing the whole ceiling to collapse. John asked the woman to describe the bathroom to him. She described the layout. The wall that was accessible from the apartment was blocked by a sink and toilet. Even if they broke through the wall, the woman wouldn't be able to get out. The other side of the room was shared with the apartment on the other side of the building. John told Ed to stay there and talk to the lady. He went to the other side of the apartment complex and broke into the apartment behind the one with the trapped woman. As soon as the door flew open, he realized the hopelessness of his task. The ceiling had collapsed in this apartment. He looked, but the only person he could find in the apartment was dead. He ran around the building and rejoined Ed. John stated, "We are going to have to get some lumber and push the ceiling up and out of the way." They went out and searched through the rubble to find some appropriate boards. It took them some time, but they finally managed to find four 2 by 4's of the same length. They went back to the apartment and braced the ceiling with two of the pieces of wood. Then they applied the other two to push up the ceiling about an inch. They removed the first two leaving the others as the support. Inch by inch they raised the ceiling to where it was finally thirty inches off the floor. Bracing it with all four boards, they stepped back. John told the lady to lie down under the ceiling. He and Ed grabbed an arm each and pulled her out. She followed John and Ed out to the street. The men collapsed. Juan came up to them with a pair of cokes. He was covered in dried blood and looked almost as bad as some of the victims that they had pulled out of the building. He stated, "Here, drink these. The doctor said that you needed water and sugar. This has both. I offered to get you some stimulants, but she said that might interfere with you later on today." The men drank the cokes and took the time to recover their energy. They had visited almost three-quarters of the apartments on one side of the building. Juan stood next to them, "You guys are working hard." "Thanks Juan. How are things going over there?" Juan looked at the ladies, "An ambulance has come by several times and taken away some of the worse cases. That doctor is amazing. The nurse seems to be able to read her mind and hands her stuff before she even asks for it." Ed nodded, "Looks like you've been busy." Juan looked down at himself. The blood was dried, but he expected to be covered again shortly. For the first time in a long time, he felt proud of something that he had done. He looked up, "The ladies are doing most of the work. I'm just helping out where I can." John laughed, "That's what we're all doing." John and Ed stood up and headed into the next apartment. Juan went back to join the ladies. They were busy checking out the overweight lady that had just been rescued. She was in fine shape and suggested that they make some sandwiches in her kitchen. Juan volunteered to make the sandwiches and allow the two women a chance to rest. They had been working non-stop since the earthquake hit. The overweight woman decided to help Juan. The woman and Juan went into the apartment. It didn't take them long to assemble a half dozen sandwiches. She found a bag of potato chips and a six pack of cold cokes. Ed and John had entered the rest of the apartments along that side of the building; this included the upstairs. Most of the apartments were empty. In a few, they found people that were uninjured. They found two people that had been hit by flying debris and had minor cuts and abrasions. They told people to wait away from the buildings since there was still a chance for aftershocks. John and Ed went over to where Beth was working. They took one bottle of water and washed their hands. Without anything clean to dry them on, they just shook their hands until they were almost dry. It reminded John of the hot air dryers in some bathrooms. He remembered the instructions: Wring hands vigorously in hot air and then dry hands on pants. The problem was that his pants were filthy. When Beth finished washing her hands, they all sat down and ate. John stated, "I don't think I've ever tasted a sandwich this good." Ed concurred, "This really hits the spot." Beth and Kelly murmured their agreement around their sandwiches. They were starving. Juan watched them eating and started on his sandwich. There was no conversation while eating. When they finished, Juan stated, "You guys know that you've saved about fifty people already?" John stated, "We have the other side of the apartment complex to get through yet. Then there are the buildings on down the way. We'll probably get another hundred or so by the time it gets dark." "You guys are amazing. Dr. Hayes, I've never seen anything as incredible as what you've done here." Beth smiled, "You really know your drugs." "Hey, it's my business." Kelly stated, "You might find some other way to use that knowledge." Juan bristled, "Don't go getting all moral on me." Kelly shook her head. "I'm not getting all moral on you. You jumped right in and helped save a couple of lives. You have a rare gift. Not many folks can take dealing with blood and stuff. Most of them end up puking their guts out or they end up on the floor in a dead faint. Not you." John interrupted, "You might think we are hero's because we go running into a mess like this. We're not. We will do this for a day. Those two ladies are the real things. They save lives every day." Ed nodded, "We won't say that you will be a better person if you learn how to do the things they do. I will say that the world will be a better place." Beth added, "A lot of doctors are complete assholes. However, day in and day out they save lives." Juan grimaced, "Hey, you're talking like I can be a doctor or something. I'm a high school drop out." Ed stood up and stated, "I'm just an old cowboy who's spent most of his life on a horse chasing the dumbest animals in the world around. Four months ago, I started college. Just think about it, okay?" Juan stared at Ed. He couldn't decide if he should be angry or not. He shrugged, "I'll see." John and Ed headed around to the other side of the building. The damage on that side was much worse than had been the case for the street side of the buildings. The other three followed behind them; Juan pulling the wagon with their supplies loaded in it. John and Ed went through six apartments and couldn't find anyone. The ceiling had completely collapsed. They hoped the people who lived there had been elsewhere when it fell. It wasn't until they went into the seventh apartment that they found someone alive, but in serious shape. John came out and waved Beth over. Beth walked over to find out what he wanted. John was silent for a minute and then stated, "We found one alive but in very bad condition. As far as I can tell, the only way for us to get him out is to amputate his legs." Beth swore, "Damn. That's beyond what we can do here. We don't have a saw and I wouldn't want to do it with a knife." John shrugged, "You want to come in and check on him?" Beth nodded, "Might as well." They went into the room. Beth examined the man and talked to him. After several minutes, she turned to John. "Get Juan." John went out and called for Juan. Juan came running and went into the room at a gesture from John. He was in there for a few minutes. John waited outside as he considered what would be involved in a field amputation. Beth and Juan came out together. Beth stated, "Do you want my opinion?" "Yes." "Leave him there. Get someone to flag down an EMS vehicle. They can take a saw to the building and extract his legs. They might be able to save them." John nodded, "How about the bleeding?" "I put a tourniquet on it. Juan gave him some pain pills and water. His condition is not life threatening yet." John nodded, "Good. I wasn't looking forward to an amputation. Can Juan or Kelly make the arrangements for someone to flag down an EMS vehicle?" "Sure. Now you two need to get back to work." She also considered getting another person to sit here with the man and monitor his condition. John and Ed entered more apartments. They encountered more dead people and a few living. The destruction on this side of the building had been nearly total. In one apartment, the damage was relatively minor. However, there was a pile of debris on the lone occupant, a young woman in her mid-twenties. With considerable effort, they cleared the debris off her. She was unconscious for no apparent reason. Ed stuck his head out of the door, "Beth! We need you here." Beth came into the room and checked out the young woman. She noticed the telltale signs of repeated injections. She smelled the breath of the young woman and knew the problem. She looked up, "Go into the kitchen and see if there is any insulin in the refrigerator." John dashed into the kitchen. He came back waving a vial, "Found it." "Did you find a syringe?" John dashed back into the kitchen and looked around. He came back shaking his head. He handed her the vial and then headed towards the bathroom. He searched and still couldn't find one. He heard Beth call out, "I found one." John returned to her side. He waited for her to perform the injection. When she had completed it, he picked the woman up and carried her out of the apartment. He set her on the ground. The ground chose that moment to tremble. It was a very minor aftershock, but one that caused precarious balanced debris to fall within the building. Beth came over and stated, "I'm going to have to watch over her for a while. She's in a coma." "Okay." John headed down the walkway along the apartments. He passed all of the doors that were open. Ed had continued searching apartments while he had been left behind. When he hit the door that was closed, he went back to the apartment right before it. Inside he found Ed, kneeling on the floor and with a hand over his eyes. John could see the tension in his body. "Hey, are you okay?" There was an old man lying on the floor. Since the apartment was undamaged, it was likely that he had a heart attack. Ed shook his head, "I've never seen so many dead people in my whole life." John put a hand on Ed's shoulder. He stated, "What you are feeling is perfectly natural. I'm feeling pretty awful myself." Ed shrugged his shoulders, "It isn't stopping you." John looked away, "My greatest fear is that it will stop me one day." Ed turned around in surprise, "Really?" "Yes, really. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that there are living people that need me." Ed took a breath. He thought about the fact there were living people that needed him. As much as he hated seeing another dead person, he would hate for a person to die because he couldn't take it. He stood up. "Let's get back to work. There's living people out there that need us." John smiled, "You're a strong man, Ed. I'm proud to call you friend." The two men went from apartment to apartment until there were no apartments left. They went on down the street. They searched buildings as they encountered them. They went through every room in each building. As they went, they pulled people out of the buildings in all states of health. Some were critically injured. Others were completely healthy. Most were in between. By the time the sun set, they had covered nine streets. They found themselves at a bridge that had collapsed. John noticed a crawl space and climbed into the rubble. The light on his walking stick led the way. He met a man who was working his way out. The man played his flashlight over John for a second and then aimed it away. "There's a little girl back there." John replied, "Do you want me to keep her company until you return?" "I'm not coming back." "Why?" "She's dying and there's nothing we can do to help her." John's first reaction was to berate the man for not staying with the little girl and comforting her. Then he looked at the man more closely and saw that haunted look on his face. He had been pushed too far already. He nodded, "I understand. I'll go to her and talk with her until she dies." The man had tears in his eyes. "I've seen too much of that today." John put his hand on the man's shoulder, "Friend, go and help more people. Many confused people need help too. You needn't deal with the dead or dying anymore. Let me shoulder this burden for you." The man hung his head and cried, "Thank you." John went the way from which the man had come. After twenty feet, he came to a crushed car. In the car was a frightened little girl that looked at him. She seemed relieved for the darkness to have been banished for the time being. He inched his way over and saw her situation. He knew it was hopeless. The bridge had collapsed the car on the lower half of her body. There was nothing left below the waist. The only reason she wasn't bleeding to death quicker was that everything was crushed flat. He looked at the little girl, "Hello. I'm John Carter. Who are you?" "I'm Cindy." "How do you feel Cindy?" "I don't hurt. Everything is numb." John smiled, "I didn't mean it that way. I meant how are you feeling?" "I'm scared." John nodded. He asked, "What are you afraid of?" "Dying." John took her hand in his and held it. "That's nothing to be afraid of. I died once for almost four minutes." "Really?" she asked. Her eyes were as big as saucers. "Yes, really." "What was it like?" John's voice was gentle, "Cindy, close your eyes and I'll tell you all about it." Cindy closed her eyes and John started describing his experience. He talked for a long time about what he felt and how it seemed to him. When he finished, Cindy was smiling at him. He stated, "Are you still afraid?" "No." In a very calm voice, John told her, "You can slip away now." Cindy looked up at him, "Thank you." John nodded, "Thank you, Cindy." She passed away even as John thanked her. John closed her eyes. He sat there for a moment, then smiled upwards and waved. He knew that she could see him. He waited a little while longer before he crept out of the collapsed bridge returning the way that he came. When he came out, he was shocked at the throng of people around the bridge. There were bright lights shining on him and people moving towards him with microphones. Amongst the cacophony of sound, he was able to make out one question, "Are you John Carter?" He answered, "Yes, I'm John Carter." The press descended upon him. He handled the questions the best that he could. He had not realized that Beth had included a note identifying their group as the rescuers with people she had treated. He attempted to make sure that they understood that he was only the figurehead of a very brave group of people. However, they had already talked to Beth, Kelly, Ed, and Juan. They had also talked to a dozen people who had joined them as they had worked. Some people had run errands to get supplies as needed. Others had walked up and down the line checking on injured people. Still others had flagged down ambulances and made sure they had picked up the most critical people first. A police officer, just as tired as them, finally gathered the rescuers and helped them get away from the press. Tired and hungry, they were deposited at a shelter where they could get a hot meal. Finally able to sit quietly and not feel rushed, they ate their meal in silence. It had been a long hard day. John looked around the table. Beth was nearly asleep. Her clothes were covered with blood and torn in places. Kelly was looking numbly off into the distance. Juan sat there shaking his head. His clothes were covered in blood. He had a few cuts on his hands. He had a black eye that he had received while holding a patient down. Ed looked the worst. He had cuts, scrapes, and bruises on his arms and face. His clothes were ripped. As each finished their meal, they stood up and walked over to the beds. John was left alone at the table. He decided to go to the restroom before getting in bed. As he walked over there, he encountered the man that had been in the bridge. The man put his hand on John's shoulder, "I saw what you did for the girl. It was the most moving thing I've ever seen." John stated, "Thank you for letting me be the one to do it." The man reached down and grabbed the chain on the medallion. As he pulled the medallion out, the chain snapped. John stared in horror at the medallion. He looked up at the man, "That can't be fixed." The man smiled, "Yes it can. Just go to the place where you got it." "That's not possible. You don't know where I got it." "If I remember correctly, it was in a park on Midsummer's Day around noon. She gave it to you." John stared at the man in shock, "What?" The man set the medallion in John's open hand. Closing John's hand around the medallion, he stated, "Be there at noon on Midsummer's day." John looked down at the fist that now held the medallion and then looked up. The man was no longer there. Numbly, he went into the bathroom and then back to the bed. It took him a long time to fall asleep. The medallion was warm in his pants pocket. <1st attachment end> ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ Notice: This post has been modified from its original format. 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