May I: About Existence

Sitting out of a deep sleep, Gillian sat up in the dark and let out a dry cough. After the spell of coughing, she looked over at the clock and groaned. The neon green numbers flashed 5:13 AM. She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. 

She could hear Sophie beside her, breathing heavily and stirring in her sleep. There was no way that she was going to be able to back to sleep now being wide awake. So she left the door cracked open and went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Letting the shower water run over her body, she had turned the water to as hot as she could stand, hoping that it would help her coughing that had most likely begun during the night. She felt like she hadn’t really slept much—but probably the best that she had slept in her own bed this entire week.

Giving herself a couple minutes more, she could tell that today was already going to be a long day. After she had dried off and had gotten dressed, she went downstairs to where she had left the envelope. Pulling out the packet again, she looked for a contact number for Corbin and found a card in the bottom of the envelope.

Making a mental note to call him later, she placed the card on top of the envelope and made herself some tea. Because she was starting to feel shortness of breath like she had yesterday, she sat down and nursed the warm cup in her hands.

Taking small sips, she let out a few coughs and heard little footsteps padding down the steps. “Mama?” Sophie called out, taking it slowly going down the stairs. Looking through the bars at her, Sophie’s lip trembled as she let out a whimper; looking quite disheveled and not quite awake. “Where mama?” 

Walking down the stairs, Gillian could see the little girl was just trembling as she stopped a few feet away from her. She rubbed at her already reddened eyes, while her lower lip jetted out in a pout.

“Did you have a bad dream?” The little girl nodded, looking down at the floor. “Come here.”

Slowly, the little girl walked towards her, as Gillian helped her climb up into her lap. Holding her for a few minutes, she continued to feel the little girl tremble. “You’re cold.” Standing up, she brushed a blonde strand away from her face and grabbed the blanket from off the couch and wrapped it around her.

After about ten minutes, she felt the trembling cease. Sophie had laid her head down on the same shoulder as before and she stood there, slowly rocking her back and forth in the middle of the kitchen. 

The microwave oven showed the time was already six-thirty. Usually at this time, she would be eating a quick breakfast and trying to cram everything into those last few minutes before she had to leave for work. Today, she didn’t even have to consider leaving the house, if she wasn’t worried about having the necessary items for Sophie.

Just then, the shrill tone of her cell phone, echoed through the house. Sophie sat up as Gillian walked over and set her on the counter and dug through her purse. “Gillian Foster.”

“My little sister, the doctor. You sound so professional.”

“You do know that it’s six-thirty in the morning.”

She felt him mentally shrug over the phone, probably with a big smirk on his face. “Well, I knew that you were awake.” There was an awkward pause as she heard a commotion behind him; an airport announcer that boomed through the speaker. “Look, I do watch the news, and I don’t say it lightly when I hear that my only sister was assaulted.”

“Ryan—“

“Don’t do that…Ryan thing that you always try to do all the time. I’ve been trying to reach you for the past four days.”

“I’m fine.” She pressed; keeping one hand near Sophie, so she wouldn’t fall off the counter.

“Look, I have a couple days off from work. I don’t have to stay the whole time—but know that I’m not the only one worried about you. Sean talked about coming down and beating the crap out of the guy. Susan wanted to come down as soon as it happened.” He took in a breath. “I told them not to come.”

“So you told them that you would come instead.”  She took in a sharp breath. “The tone of your voice . . . sounded innocent, but the tone in your words has every intention of telling me that you’re coming down here—whether I like it or not.”

“You always did know just how to read people, Gill. Look I just landed at Reagan National about half an hour ago. At least let me see you.” There was an awkward pause as she looked over at Sophie. She let out a sob, covering her mouth. Day six: nothing was getting better.

She had told both Ryan and Sean about her failed adoption, and divorce and they had both respected the circumstances. But now that she had Sophie back, she wasn’t quite ready to explain that just yet.

“You’re not thinking of hanging up on me, are you?” Ryan’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. That was the last thing she heard, because she had pushed the end button of her phone --efficiently cutting him off.

Absently, she put the phone back into her purse, and let out a frustrated cry, tears springing to her eyes. “Don’t cwy.” Sophie reached out, almost falling off the counter in the process.

 Grabbing her just in time, she held her close. Her phone rang again, but she ignored it and mustered a smile. “How about we have some breakfast.”

---

Walking into the office around eight o’clock, he wanted to be there sooner—but there had been an accident and had been stuck in traffic. Cars had been backed up, and it took him almost an hour and half to get to the office.

When he did, he walked into the office and shut the door. Sitting behind the desk, he pulled up the video and whatever he could find when Gillian had been here. He was watching a clip for the second time, when there a knock on the door and it opened. He closed the feed and Eli appeared at the door.

He looked up sharply. “What is it Loker?”

“Oh good, you’re here.” Loker offered sarcastically, to no one in particular. “I almost thought that you and Foster didn’t exist.” He mumbled the last part.

“Did you need something, or did you come in here just to tell me about existence?” His furrowed his brow in irritation.

“No. I came to tell you that we just got a new case.” Looking back outside the door, he looked partially preoccupied. “But I think you’re going to want to see this first before we take it.”

Making the suggestion, Loker walked out of the room. He got up, noting that the video feed would have to wait, and followed him into the conference room.

As Cal approached, he saw many of his employees gathered together; some sitting, others standing.

“This is a great victory for God’s soldiers across the world. For the first time, America has seen one of its own turn against us.” A man stated on the television. “This was the only the first of many American bomb mortars who will attack in the days to come . . . “