Page 72 of Warrior's Purpose

12 Second Thoughts

Abby

Abby roused with a groan and stretched to work the kink out of her neck. She’d spent an uncomfortable, long night in the chair by her father’s bed.

No, not a bed.

Her hand drifted over the lid of the strange see-through coffin. As frightening as it looked, it was the only thing keeping him alive. She’d memorized the pattern of lights and symbols on the console and was relieved to see they hadn’t changed while she slept.

She glanced over to find Ash wide awake in the nearby chair. He looked grim and had been very quiet since the rescue.

“Thank you for staying with us. Are you hungry? I’ll go get you something to eat,” she offered as she approached him.

“No. I need to go get your mother. I wanted to be sure you were fine first.” He abruptly stood.

She tried to give him a hug but he sidestepped her and headed for the door.

“Ash?” Abby grabbed his hand, confused by his demeanor.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe it would be best if you returned to Earth with Hope and your parents once Brennan has been healed,” Ash said gruffly as he pulled away.

“Wait. What?” Abby’s eyes widened. The comment completely blindsided her.

“I must go get ready.” His tone was curt.

“Not before you tell me what that was about,” she insisted.

“It’s for the best,” he rumbled with a bitter shake of his head then stormed out the door, leaving her behind in shock.

She was still standing there with confused tears running down her cheeks when Aculus entered the clinic carrying several plates of food.

“Mmm, that smells good.” Hope roused in her chair.

“It’s for you. What is wrong, Abby?” Aculus asked as he handed Hope a platter.

“Is something wrong with Dad?” Hope looked at their father in panic.

“No, Dad’s the same.” Abby shook her head. “Ash just broke up with me,” she sobbed.

“I don’t understand?” Hope swiftly enveloped her in a hug.

“I don’t either.”

“Where is that male?” Aculus asked, looking perturbed on her behalf.

“He’s going to get my mom.”

“I’ll go talk to him, Abby.”

“You do that, and give him a piece of my mind,” Hope snarled as Aculus left.

“I don’t understand what I did, or what changed. He was so upset when he thought I was refusing him. This is a complete about face.” She collapsed into a chair.

Abby replayed everything since Ash rescued her. They spent the night in the clinic with her father, and though Ash barely said two words, she assumed it was because of the somber situation they were facing.

I bet you’d have some profound advice. She looked down at her dad.

Then again, he would probably just want to knock sense into Ash. He was, after all, a military man through and through. When she was little and afraid of the dark, her tough as nails father would make a big deal of scoping out her closet and under the bed, frightening away the monsters. He was her hero.

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