Page 14 of Lagoon

Today, someone was out here.

“Angela!” It was Nancy Manes. She waved, smiling a big smile that seemed fake.

“Nancy, you’re out in the woods,” said Angela, moving closer to the woman. That wasn’t like Nancy. Angela could count on one hand the number of times that she’d seen Nancy outside for longer than two minutes.

Nancy hated this job.

Nancy seemed to hate everything, though, and everyone. If she didn’t hate, she was dismissive and out of touch.

Once, Angela had been on the phone with her mother about health insurance. Angela had a great insurance package through this job, not that it mattered, because it was all supplied. Anyone got sick, the helicopter came in and got them and took them out to get treatment and it was always entirely covered by Anderson Scott. Anyway, she didn’t have any real way to help her mother, who’d just been given a bill from a recent hospital stay.

It was five figures, and this was after her mother’s insurance had kicked in.

Right now, her mother was calling Angela because she was experiencing symptoms again, and the doctor’s office was closed, and they’d told her to go to the emergency room.

“I’m not going, Angie,” her mother had said. “I can’t go further into debt like this. I don’t have the money for it. So, I might die, and I just wanted to say goodbye.”

Angela had money. This job paid well. She told her mother that she’d cover the hospital bill, even though her mother had argued that she could probably call and get the bill slashed if she’d offer to pay something.

“Don’t you do anything, Angie,” her mother said. “My mind is made up.”

Nancy had overheard all of this and said that Angela’s mother was being selfish. “You can’t put money above your health,” she said. “You get well and you worry about the money later.”

Sure, Nancy, it’s that easy,Angela thought.

Now, Nancy fought her way through the foliage, still smiling that too-wide smile. “Did you go and get the new scientist lady today? What’s she like? I started thinking, you know, that it’s not fair that it’s her first day, and they’re going to let her go up and see the, um, the lizardthing. I’ve been here years and I’ve never seen it. Have you seen it?”

“No,” said Angela. “But Greyson has always said that we need to be sure to limit the exposure that whatever-that-thing-is has with humans because otherwise, it could get frightened or whatever. It’s important to keep the interaction down to the scientists.”

“I guess,” said Nancy in a disparaging voice.

“I think Greyson knows what he’s talking about,” said Angela.

“Maybe.” Nancy shrugged.

“Well, she’s a scientist,” said Angela. “She seemed nice. I liked her. And it’s good to have a few women out here.” Currently, it was only her and Nancy.

“I know she’s a scientist.”

“I just mean, that’s why she’s seeing the creature,” said Angela.

“I want to see it,” said Nancy.

“That’s what you’re doing out here, then?”

“You going to stop me?” Nancy gave her a petulant look. “Let’s go together.” She nodded up the hill in the direction of the lagoon. “I think it’s up there. Aren’t you curious?”

Angelawascurious, but she also didn’t really want to spend any time with Nancy. “I’m not going up there. We’re not supposed to.”

“We’re not supposed to,” mimicked Nancy. “Seriously?”

“Well, it’s all fine and good for you. You answer to Anderson Scott,” said Angela.

“True,” said Nancy with a little shrug. “All right, well I’m going up there. But if you tell Greyson where I am, I’ll get you fired.”

Angela’s lips parted. “You didn’t just say that.”

“You could come with me,” said Nancy, fighting her way past Angela and up the hill towards the lagoon.

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