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As soon as Liberty was certain the anchor was secure, she lowered the ladder and climbed down the rungs two at a time. She ran all the way to Golden’s small cabin, refusing to believe she’d not be inside when she got there.
Liberty burst through the door, out of breath and scared.
Golden was standing over an old, cast-iron stove, stirring a steaming pot. She turned Liberty a startled look. “Liberty?”
Seeing a friendly face was all it took for all the fear she had been feeling over the last three days to come flowing out. Her eyes filled with tears and her voice trembled. “Golden, you have to come with me.” She pointed toward the open doorway. “It’s Father.”
The room tilted sideways and Liberty would have fallen had Golden not caught her.
Momentarily, Liberty rested her head on Golden’s shoulder but then pushed away. “He’s dying.”
Liberty didn’t understand how she could still shed so many tears. She had been crying for so long there should have been nothing left.
She sniffled and then straightened thin shoulders that had borne more than they had ever had to before, but she still needed to be strong for her father’s sake.
“He’s dying. We have to go.”
Golden’s expression quickly turned from concern to disbelief. “Aapeli dying?” but then her voice became sharper. “Don’t joke with me, child. Aapeli is the healthiest person I know. How could he be dying? The both of you were here just a few months ago.”
Liberty grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the open doorway. “After the fever set in Father insisted I set course to come here. All he has said for days now is that he had to see you. He must think you can help.”
Golden shook her head. Blonde curls fell from the bun on the back of her head. “I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“He broke his rule about going into Forbidden after dark and fell into a collapsed tunnel.”
“What are his injuries?” Golden said as she hurried them out of the cabin.
“I found him on top of an old rusted subway car. He had a huge open wound in his back. For a while I thought he was getting better, but then the spasms started. They’ve been awful, racking his body until he falls down, thrashing around on the deck. Neither of us has rested since. The first few days he did nothing but pace and curse. I’ve lost count of all of the times he’s fallen when his muscles have seized up, and then the spasms would start again. Each time they’ve lasted longer and longer, and each time I think he’s not going to live through it, but he hasn’t given up on me yet.”
Liberty stopped them as she grabbed Golden’s arm. “I’m going to lose him and I’ve no idea how to help.”
Golden hurried them on again and then Liberty warned, “He’s horribly bruised from thrashing about on deck. I’ve tried my best to stop him hurting himself, but he’s too strong and often pulled himself out of my arms.” Liberty’s own arms and face were also black and blue from the effort.
Her voice rose as she remembered her feelings of helplessness. “He’s just so strong and the spasms are only getting worse.”
Golden stopped and forced Liberty to face her. “What about his face and jaw?”
Liberty shuddered. “It’s awful to describe. We have to get back before he hurts himself more.”
“Can he eat or swallow?” Without waiting for an answer, Golden dragged Liberty on at a brisker pace, her face flushed as she intently studied the path before them.
“The stiffness is only getting worse,” Liberty told her. “Do you know what’s wrong with him?”
Hearing this Golden took off at a run, Liberty racing after her. It was such a relief at last to be able to turn her worries over to an adult. Now there had to be a chance of saving her father, surely. If anyone could help, it was Golden. Maybe all her father needed was to see her.
Although Liberty had worried about getting him to Golden’s in time what had each day worried her more was that the spasms had progressively got worse. What she hadn’t told Golden was that the night before her father’s jaw had finally clenched shut and there had been nothing she could do to reopen it to relieve his thirst. He’d writhed in pain and she’d worried all night that he was going to die.
Liberty’s hopes soared as they climbed the ladder. Golden would know how to fix Father. She had to. Liberty needed him. He was her world.
Once aboard, Golden asked, “So where is he?”
Liberty motioned for her to follow. “I finally got him off the deck and into his room. I had to tie him to his bed before I left to get you. I was afraid he would fall and hurt himself.”
Even though Liberty knew what to expect, the sight of his batter face and twisted limbs still took her breathe away. Golden drew in a sharp breath and ran to Aapeli’s side, her face somehow keeping its usual composed calmness. She looked across the bed at Liberty. “Go fill a basin with warm water and we’ll wash him off,” but she reached across the bed and took Liberty’s hand. “I wish I could do more for him.”
She released Liberty’s hand and brushed her fingers lightly over Aapeli’s contorted cheek. “The best we can do is to try and make him as comfortable as possible.” For a fraction of a second Golden’s composure slipped and her eyes revealed a sadness.
Liberty’s hopes plummeted. To steady her heart she ran her fingers through her father’s hair. He was such a factious man, he would hate how tangled it had gotten over the last few days. A tear slipped down her cheek but she impatiently brushed it away. There was no time for tears or sadness now. She couldn’t give up because he needed her to be strong. Liberty nodded and ran out to gather what they needed. Her father had taught her that she could only lose if she gave up.