Page 40 of Harbor (The Wanderers 3)

Chapter 18

Maya had tears in her eyes as she hugged Stuart one last time. “Please be careful.” She wasn’t usually the teary-eyed type. Not ever, really. But she’d been emotional the last few days.

She was grateful to have spent some time with Stuart, but he needed to get back to the compound before his family started to worry.

Maya was standing. She was wobbly and had a long way to go, but she was on her way to recovery. She grabbed Stu by the shoulders. “I’m so sorry about Rush.”

He nodded. “I know. All we can do is hope he’s somewhere doing what he loves, helping people. I know he is. I have to believe that. The Republic snagged him for a purpose. They wouldn’t do anything to harm him. He’s too valuable.”

She agreed. She doubted they would ever see him again or even that he was still in the area, but she would never lose hope that he was somewhere out there doing good things even if his work was now helping less than desirable people. “Tell Ariel I said hi.”

“Will do.”

“Tarin and Kester too. You’re a lucky man, Stuart.” She patted his biceps.

“I’m extraordinarily lucky.” He hugged her again, his mouth coming to her ear. “You can be too.”

She smiled at him when he released her to grab his pack. It was filled with the supplies he and Rush had come to get. Stu wouldn’t be returning with the doctor, but he at least had the supplies desperately needed by The Wanderers.

Dario, Keanu, and Advic all shook hands with Stuart.

Advic helped him adjust his pack. “As soon as Maya is able to travel, I’ll accompany her back to your compound and check on your medical staff. Maybe I can stay a few weeks and help train a few people to pick up the slack.” The slack created by the unexpected absence of Rush was left unsaid.

“Appreciate that. Thank you.”

Maya held her breath while Stuart exited the living space. She tried not to let her emotions overwhelm her, but it was tough. Stu was definitely one of the good guys, and as far as she was concerned, her best friend. He always would be, no matter what life tossed at them.

Advic set a hand on Maya’s lower back as the hatch was closed. “Shall we get you ready for your next marathon?”

“Ha-ha.” She rolled her eyes.

The men had backed off badgering her emotionally for the last few days while Stuart was visiting. They had worked her hard physically though, setting up a physical therapy routine that made her sweat. But she was grateful. She wanted to get stronger as fast as possible, so she never complained when the pain was worse or when it seemed there was no way she could endure another repetition of whatever stretches they planned.

Maya took a deep breath. She hadn’t realized until this moment, but Stu had been a buffer for her. His presence kept the three other men from pressuring her directly or indirectly. Now that he was gone and she was alone with the doctors, she felt all their gazes penetrating her.

She clapped her hands together. “Let’s get to work. I need to get out of here before you three consume all the oxygen.”

It felt like she had three cheerleaders with all of them vying for her attention and practically shoving each other out of the way to be the one to help her.

She spent the next hour lying on her back, her side, and her stomach while each man took a turn bending her leg in every conceivable direction. It hurt. Her muscles protested. From what Dario had told her, recovering from this kind of injury was often worse than a broken bone. She’d never broken a bone, but she believed him.

When they took a break, Keanu made lunch while Maya insisted on walking on her own toward the kitchen table. It took her a while. She had to stop often. She had both Dario and Advic at her sides to make sure she didn’t fall on her ass, but she made it.

She was gaining the rest of her strength by the hour and her appetite was back too. After lunch, she was about to insist on doing some more exercises when the doorbell rang. It had happened several times in the past few days. A steady stream of people came and went from the clinic.

Maya had learned a bit about the surrounding community. Most of the people living in the area were living on their own. They grew their own food, kept their heads above water doing odd jobs, and kept to themselves. There weren’t many women, and most of the ones who did live nearby stayed in hiding. Families that were still intact kept their wives and daughters out of sight. If anyone came by to question them, the men would insist they lived alone.

It was a tough way to exist and sometimes things didn’t go as planned. Sometimes militants tore through the area and found hidden women. Usually, they were never seen again.

Maya was used to the doorbell, but she flinched every time it rang, scared to find out who might descend the stairs. She couldn’t imagine living down here all the time, having no idea from day to day what the doctors might face.

She’d also learned what kept them in business. Mostly the generosity of the surrounding community who relied on the doctors when they had a health crisis. A broken bone was one of the scariest injuries because without medical help, the person could be left permanently disfigured.

Pregnancy ranked up in the top few also, though that didn’t happen as often since there weren’t many women in the area.

Unfortunately, gunshot wounds weren’t uncommon. Disputes over land or encounters with militants could leave a stream of injured citizens.

Maya had also learned there was a scope that afforded the doctors a way to see who was above ground before they popped the latch to permit entry. Most of the time, at least one of them recognized the visitor and let them in quickly. Sometimes, they exchanged communication before unlocking the entry.

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