Until Time Stands Still (12 page)

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            Once he got back from his mission, they both attended Jacob’s funeral. She felt awkward going, being that she barely knew the man, but…he had died to save her, so it was the least she could do to honour his memory. She met some of the other men at the base who were Mykel’s superiors. They seemed to take quite an interest in her, asking questions about her life. The General spoke some eloquent words about honour and duty, integrity and the warrior spirit. His team carried his casket and one by one, stood at attention and saluted until he was lowered into the ground. Not one of them shed a single tear while she stood beside them. The twenty one gun salute was not done, like she had expected, and she briefly wondered why. She made a mental note to ask Mykel about it later.

It was that night, when they were alone, that Mykel broke down. She found him in the kitchen, washing the dishes from that morning, and crying into the sink, his shoulders shaking silently. Slowly she walked up behind him, and touched his shoulder. He stiffened.

“It’s okay Mykel.” She whispered. “You don’t have to always be the big strong warrior with me.” She said softly.

“Yes I do.” He said hoarsely.

She grabbed him at the elbow and turned him around to face her. He tried to wipe his face and be all stoic, but his lower lip trembled. She kissed him softly.

“Not tonight you don’t.” She whispered. “I’m here for you.” She kissed him again. Slowly she led him to the bedroom and stripped him down. Without a word, she led him to the shower, and washed him head to toe while he stood uneasily on his newly healed leg. Neither of them spoke as she slowly ran her hands over every inch of his body. When the water ran cold, she turned it off and dried him off, then herself. His hand in hers, she laid down on the bed and pulled him onto the bed with her. She pulled him half onto her chest, and let him use her breasts as a pillow.

“Do you remember when you said I would never have to be alone again?” She asked softly. He nodded silently.

“You aren’t alone either, Mykel. I’m here. You don’t have to be alone, or keep things bottled in. I know he was your friend. Like a brother to you.” She said. “And it’s okay to cry, and rage and feel however you feel, now that he’s not here anymore.” She stroked his hair and his back as she spoke. “I’m here.”

Tears pooled in his eyes. “It’s my fault.” He whispered finally. “If I had stayed on mission he wouldn’t have died.”

“But I probably would have.” She said softly. “You saved me. I doubt he blames you. The sniper is the one responsible. No one else.”

“Yeah, but I…”

“Mykel, it’s not your fault. No one blames you, so stop blaming yourself.” She whispered.

“How?” He asked. “Why do I live when everyone around me keeps dying? What’s so special about me?”

“You are a great man, Mykel, and you are special to me.” She said, kissing him.

He pulled away, stunned. “Really?”

“Yes, you goof, really.” She laughed. "Look. I could feed you a line about how you are the first person I've ever been able to really talk to. The only one I can be honest with. But we both know that's not true. You're not the first person to see this side of me, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the first to see the demons running around inside your head.”

She took his face in her hands and brought him right up to her mouth. “I’ll chase away all your demons, if you’ll let me.”

            He lifted his head and kissed her, losing himself in her taste, her essence. They made love slowly, passionately and then again, frantically, until he was utterly spent and exhausted. Finally they slept, his hand on her breast and his other wrapped around her waist. She held him to her and wouldn’t let go.

Over the next weeks they spent every moment they could together, in bed and out. He gave her a tour of the base. They set into an easy rhythm of daily life. She taught him how to cook, and he taught her to play chess. They spent a lot of time reading books out loud to each other. Over time, she learned more about his life, and life in the future, yet she always felt like there was something he was keeping from her. He was holding something back and she didn’t know what it was. She didn’t press though. She figured he would tell her when he was ready.

One morning she got up before he did, restless and wanting to run.

“Baby, do you want to go running with me?” She asked.

“On purpose?” He grumbled.

“Yes.” She laughed, tossing a pillow at him.

“Nope.”

“Seize the day with me Mykel.” She tried to pull the blanket away.

“You go ahead and start seizing the day without me. I haven’t had any coffee yet.” He yanked the blanket back over his head and rolled over.

She left the room laughing.

She found her way to the exercise field and was on her third lap when one of the other men jogged up from behind her. She did her best to ignore him, but he was right on her heels. She moved over into the next lane so that he could pass her if he wanted. He moved over with her. She turned her head and glared at him.

Something about the way he grinned back at her made a cold shiver run down her spine. She decided to cut her run short and slowed down to a walk. She headed across the field, when the strange man ran up and grabbed her butt.

“Hey!” She swatted at his hand.

“Who do you belong to baby?” He sneered. “I bet I could take care of you a lot better than he could.”

“Belong to?” She frowned.

“You unclaimed then?” The man’s sinister grin spread across his face in a way that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“I’m not available to you.” She said stiffly, and kept walking.

“I don’t see no ring on that finger!” He shouted. “I’ll marry you…you can give me little babies like a good little breeder woman.”

“EXCUSE ME?” She spun around and kicked him as hard as she could in the balls. He dropped to the ground soundlessly, his mouth open in a silent scream, slumped over on his side. She ran back to the house as fast as she could, her heart thudding and her legs and lungs burning.

“Mykel!” She shouted. She hit the key pad with her thumb and barged into the living room. “Where are you?” She ran back to the bedroom they shared and poked her head in. He was gone. She sat on the edge of the bed and shook. Rage and fear taking turns battling in her mind, finally giving way to tears. More than anything, she wanted Mykel to be there, to hold her.

There was a knock on the door and she wiped her face quickly, drying her tears. She blinked a few times, hoping her eyes didn’t look too awfully bloodshot and went to answer the door.

“Ma’am. I’m here to administer your daily vitamin drink.” A young woman came in. She was the nurse who normally gave her the weekly blood draws. “You missed breakfast.”

“I wasn’t hungry.” She said.

“Have you felt sick?” The woman asked.

“No.” She frowned.

“Well, you should take your vitamin drink anyway.” The young blonde woman handed her a small sealed container.

“What’s in this anyway?” She took the drink and pulled back the sealed tab. The stuff still smelled vile. It was thick and chalky, and even when she plugged her nose, she could still taste the awful flavour.

“Oh…it’s just trace minerals, vitamins, protein and other things to keep you healthy, since the food supply can be a bit limited at times. All the women get this drink.”

“What about the men?”

The woman laughed. “They don’t need it.”

“Why not?” Isabelle frowned.

“They aren’t sick.” The woman said. Then she paused as if she knew she shouldn’t have said that.

“Sick?” Isabelle put the drink down. “Am I sick or something? Is that why you all keep poking me and taking blood?”

“Oh no,” The woman shook her head. “You are one of the healthiest women I’ve ever seen here. The General is very happy about that.”

“Why would he care?” Isabelle asked. “Just give me a straight answer.”

“You’re genetic code is different than ours, with less mutations than ours.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Isabelle demanded. “Why is that so important?”

“Hasn’t anyone told you, dear?” The woman said, flustered.

“Told. Me. What?” She growled.

“An announcement was made public months ago. Almost none of the women of our time can have children.” The woman said quietly. “Our government has been authorized to bring women from the past here. Healthy women, who aren’t sick like we are, to help restore the human population after so many have died.” She said.

In an instant, everything slid into place. What Mykel was doing when he saw her in her time. He was hunting for a woman. He just wanted someone to give him children. That’s why he insisted she come here, and why he insisted she go to the doctors every week, to run those damn tests, even when she felt fine. How he had been demanding in bed, taking her nearly every day, sometimes twice a day. The son of a bitch was deliberately trying to get her pregnant. Then today, the creep on the field talking about breeding her. She felt like vomiting.

“Get out!” Isabelle shouted. “Get out of here, right now!” She threw the cup of green vitamin crap in the woman’s face. “Don’t you dare come back here with this junk!” She shoved the woman out the door and slammed it. Fresh tears spilled from her eyes and she sank to the ground in front of the door and sobbed.

            She found him in the mess hall, laughing at some joke one of the guys were telling. There was a hushed silence through the entire room as, one by one, they all saw her stalk over to the table in the back of the room, fury in every step.

            “Uh oh.” Bryant grinned. “Your woman is on the warpath.”

            “Dude, what did you do to piss her off?” Johnny asked.

            “I don’t know.” Mykel said, putting down his drink. “What’s the matter baby?” He asked.

            “When, exactly, were you planning on telling me about this little breeding program I’m a part of?” She growled. There was utter silence in the room.

            “Oh that.” He cringed. “Who told you?”

            “So not the point!” She hissed. “I can’t believe you would lie to me like that!” She screamed, “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out you were just using me?”