4 страница

The small body started to struggle. "No, Reb, you got to hold still. The fire has burnt over us but it's still really hot. We have to wait a bit yet. You know like we practiced."

"I scared, Ryan," Reb whimpered.

"Me too," choked Ryan, in the smoke that now seeped under the wet fire tent. "Hang on!"

Ryan waited another two minutes, then cautiously she lifted the light aluminium blanket. The area around them was completely burnt out. The heavy smoke had dissipated and now a low misty blue surrounded them. Ryan pulled her wet cloth more firmly around her nose and mouth and sucked in air that after what they had just gone through, tasted surprisingly fresh. Reb clung to her like a barnacle, looking around in fear with big reddened eyes.

Ryan gave her a hug. "You were so brave, Reb! I was really proud of you! Wait until I tell the guys down at the fire hall! Now listen, I have to find Mom. You sit here under the tent and wait for me, okay?"

"No! Ryan, no go!" Reb bellowed, tightening her grasp on her big sister. Ryan didn't have time to argue. She had to find her Mom. She just hoped that what she and Reb were going to find would not be something that would live in their nightmares forever more. She pushed off the fire tent and stood knee deep in water, Reb still wrapped around her chest.

Looking around, she could see no one. Panic rose up like bile in her throat. She sloshed through the water, pushing hot debris out of her way and squinting in the smoke. Then she saw the blackened body, washed up on the opposite bank. "Mom?" she called, afraid of going over to see what she might find. "Mom?!" she called again, louder this time, the fear edging her voice.

"Ryan?" came a harsh croak.

"Mom!" cried Ryan, splashing over to the black form. Robbie's Bunker outfit was almost completely burnt through. Her hair that had just started to grow out was singed.

A face black and distorted with pain looked up from the ash. "You and Reb, okay?" Robbie whispered with effort.

"Yeah. Some small burns, that's all. Reb is scared shitless," Ryan stated, easing down beside her Mom and wandering what she could do to help.

"It's okay now, Reb," Robbie reassured. "Your Mommy will be here soon." She hid her fear that perhaps Janet had been caught in the firestorm too. "Ryan, you watch, Reb. Wait here until, your other Mom gets here. She should be here soon," she got out. For a few seconds she rested, the air wheezing as it left her lungs. Then, she continued. "Ryan, I love you. I'm really proud of you. Tell Aunt Janet I hurt. I promised always to tell her," Robbie's voice faded out.

Ryan sat beside her Mom afraid to touch her and cause anymore pain. She held Reb close to her and adjusted the rag over her nose and mouth. Then she quietly, told Reb about how they were going to build a sailboat and win the Bartlett Regatta this summer. All the while her eyes swung back and forth, checking her mother's breathing and looking down stream for her Aunt Janet.

Around their huddled forms, the roasted earth cooled, cracking and popping with released heat. The light smoke twisted into ribbons that threaded through the burnt out trunks of trees and the ash settled in a snowy carpet. It started to rain. The smoke and debris from the fire had salted the water laden air from off the Great Lake and created its own weather and death. Ryan shifted closer to her mother, protecting her body and Reb's from the big, heavy drops of dirty rain that formed craters in the ash around them until the world was pocked and streams of ash drained into the creek and swirled away in silver ribbons. Ryan had never felt more exhausted and alone.

Then the phone rang. Ryan leaned forward eagerly and undid the flap on Robbie's torn pocket. The phone came out damp and dirty but still miraculously working!

***

Janet had got the canoe as far as it was going to go. Ahead of her was an obstacle course of burnt and smoldering trees that had fallen across the creek. The rain that had started a few minutes before was steady now. Heavy splatters that stained everything in grey streaks of wet ash and smoke. She sloshed back through the water and shouldered her knapsack onto red hot, stinging shoulders. She pulled her phone out. She hadn't dared to use it before in case it slowed Robbie from running from the fire. The phone rang and rang. Janet could feel the cold ball of despair building in her cut when finally she heard a click and a hello.

"Ryan?! Is that you? Are the others with you? Are you alright?" Janet demanded, trying to keep the panic from her voice and staining to hear over the static on the phone.

"Aunt Janet, where are you?! I need you! Reb is asleep and Mom is unconscious. We are at the base of the ravine!"cried Ryan in relief.

Tears rolled down Janet's face too. "I am only about thirty meters down river from you. I'll be there soon. Hang on Baby, everything is going to be okay now," sobbed Janet, holding the phone with shaking hands.

The thought of her family pushed back her exhaustion and she scrambled forward through the debris. "Mom, I can hear you!" came a voice from up ahead. Then Janet was there wrapping her children in her arms and looking down with worry at where Robbie lay wheezing in the mud.

Her children still under one arm, Janet twisted to reach out and touch her lover. "She said to tell you she hurts," Ryan reported in concern.

Janet nodded, biting her lip. She leaned down and kissed her lover's dirty brow. "Hey, you in there?

Eye lids opened with effort. "Janet? Knew you'd come. Missed you."

"I missed you too, my silly olive," she whispered.

Robbie managed a horse laugh. "I feel more like Olive Oil!"

Janet smiled tenderly. "Hang on, I'm going to see if I can reach anyone on the phone. There is so much junk in the air reception isn't very good." Janet tried Bartlett numbers first. No luck. Then she tried the province emergency number. Someone answered but the static was so bad conversation was virtually impossible.

Janet leaned over Robbie. "Sweetheart, do you think you could walk to the canoe?"

Robbie nodded, saving what breath and energy she had for the grueling task that she knew she would need to do to help get her family out of there. "Okay, I'm going to help you up. Ryan, could you help Reb?"

Ryan nodded, worry for her Mom etched on her face. "Obby sick," Reb said. "You make her better, Mommy!" the little girl ordered fretfully.

"I'm going to, Hon," Janet reassured both her daughters as she helped Robbie to her feet. "You go ahead, Ryan and I'll bring Obby along presently."

Ryan nodded and lifting Reb up on her shoulders, she headed off leaving deep prints in the ash.

Janet turned and looked at Robbie. "How bad is it? I can't tell what is coat and what is you."

"I hurt. I've got some blistering on my back and legs that's for sure," she stopped to catch her breath, "But mostly my lungs are bad.....help me out of my Bunkers, okay. I'll be lighter... and it will be easier to move."

Janet nodded and with a grimace helped Robbie peel out off her burnt firefighter outfit. Thank God she had it on! It had saved Robbie's skin from really serious burns, Janet thought. She discarded the burnt material and could now see that Robbie's back and legs had been burnt extensively but at least it seemed to be mostly first degree burns with more serious second degree in some places, as the director had said. Robbie was suffering from smoke inhalation however, and was in terrible pain. Infection was also going to be a great concern. She pulled her own t-shirt off and insisted that Robbie slip it on to keep the dirty rain from infecting her wounds.

They traveled slowly, Janet being very careful that Robbie did not scrap or get anymore dirt into her blistering skin. Robbie just trying to get enough oxygen into her inflamed lungs to keep on going. They moved on, Janet talking softly offering encouragement and love and Robbie stifling the groans and gasps of pain that ripped from her throat when she stretched her puckered and dried skin too far. They were a long time in reaching the canoe.

With Ryan's help they lay Robbie on her stomach in the bottom of the canoe and placed a ground sheet over to keep as much of the rain as possible off her. They tucked Reb in the bow and then wadded through the water together, pulling the canoe along through the fallen debris. Reb was fretful and Robbie cried in pain each time they had to scrap the canoe over a fallen trunk that blocked the creek. Both Ryan and Janet kept stumbling in fatigue but neither complained. They just pushed on. At last, they came out of the worst of the burnt tangle and could get into the canoe themselves.

Janet took Ryan's arm and whispered, "Down around this bend is the burnt body of a man on the right bank of the creek. I....It's not very pretty. I don't want Reb to see him. When we get to the corner, I need you to distract Reb until we are past."

Ryan nodded. "It's probably the kidnapper. He jumped Mom in the ravine and they fought. But when Mom realized that the fire was coming, we all made a run for it." Janet squeezed her oldest daughter's arm. She was quite the kid and Janet was very proud of her.

"You get in the bow with Reb. I'll take the stern," instructed Janet. The blond wadded along the gunnels and reached in to touch her lover's hot face. "How are you doing?"

"I hurt," Robbie mumbled, barely conscious.

"Not long now," Janet promised. Janet stabilized the craft as Ryan settled into the canoe, kneeling in the bow with Reb in front of her. Then Janet, leapt in lightly, pushing off with her one foot as she stepped in. They picked up their paddles and started the next leg of the journey home in the pouring rain.

***

Robbie woke to the sound of hospital machinery and her sister's quiet voice. "Robbie, hi, how are you feeling?"

Slowly, Robbie managed to get her eyes open. "Janet, the girls?" she managed to ask.

"They're okay. David has taken Ryan and Reb to Burger King. Janet is sleeping over at the motel. I insisted that she try to get some rest. She's been sitting at your side for the last forty-eight hours until the doctor told her you were out of danger.

"I don't feel out of danger, muttered Robbie. "Tell Janet, I love her and not to worry," she muttered as she drifted off into sleep again.

***

The next morning, she opened her eyes to find, Janet was there. "Hi, lover, how are you doing?" the smaller woman asked leaning over to peck Robbie's lips.

"You call that a kiss!" protested Robbie sleepily.

"Hmmm, I can see you are better!" smiled Janet, leaning forward to do a better job of the hello kiss.

"Yeah, I feel a little better. Help me escape before the night nurse comes back on duty. She's gunning for me!" Robbie demanded earnestly.

Janet's eyebrows went up. "What have you done?!"

"It wasn't my fault! If that chocolate bar hadn't been sticking out of her pocket and if she hadn't just told me gleefully that the kitchen was not going to be open for another ten hours I wouldn't have stolen her chocolate bar and eaten it while she was getting me another pitcher of ice water!"

"Robbie!"

"I was hungry and it was the middle of the night!"

Janet laughed. "You are impossible! I'll buy you some chocolate bars so you can pay her back tonight. The doctor said another few days just to make sure the infection in your lungs has settled down."

"I want to go home!" Robbie protested pouting.

"Me too!" Janet agreed. "Just a couple of days, love. You wouldn't believe the cards and flowers that have come for you. I told the hospital staff to share some of them with patients who don't usually get flowers. There are a few messages from fans that we need to discuss by the way! Who is Sweetchops, who will proudly wear a tatoo of your name over her heart forever?!"

"Really?! Did you get her return address?" teased Robbie.

"Over my dead body! You belong lock stock and barrel to me, Robbie Williams and don't you forget it!" warned Janet with a laugh.

"Hmmm, I won't," promised Robbie, reaching up to pull Janet down for another kiss.

***

Robbie lay on the couch propped up on pillows, covered with a fresh sheet and feeling in a daze. When had all this happened? Janet was in the kitchen with David sharing recipes and making peanut butter cookies. Elizabeth was at Janet's desk loading a physics program that she wanted to work on, Ryan was sprawled on the floor reading the plans for the boat they were going to start building next week, and Reb was motoring a toy race car around Rufus who lay contentedly by the couch.

She supposed there must have been hints that she was developing an extended family life but somewhere along the way she had missed it. Janet's small cabin looked absolutely packed. They really needed to move over to the lodge as soon as possible. Damn! I'm happy, she thought, as a grin spread across her face. She looked up and met Janet's eyes. She knows what I'm thinking,

Robbie thought.

Janet blew her a kiss and the smile on Robbie's face spread even wider. What a year it had been! But it had brought them all together in an invincible family bond. Robbie thought contentedly. What could go wrong now!?

A brief firm knock came at the door and Janet wiped her hands on a tea towel and went to answer it. "Alberta!" Janet squealed with delight and wrapped her arms around the new arrival and gave her a quick hug. Robbie was up off the couch and standing behind Janet in one swift movement.

"Hello, Janet, it's good to see you again. Robbie," Alberta finished formally, offering her hand stiffly to the director.

There was a slight hesitation before Robbie took the hand in a firm and brief handshake. "Hi Alberta," beamed Ryan, coming up too the tall, quiet woman's side.

Alberta reached an arm around the teen and gave her a hug. "Hi, kid."

"Alberta! Alberta!" laughed Reb and Alberta bent down to stroke the head of the little child that was wrapped around her leg.

"Hi, Reb. Would that be Rufus I see over there? Are you two still best friends?"

Big serious eyes looked up at Alberta. "Rufus and Ryan are my best friends," she corrected. "Ryan is going to build a boat and take me on it!"

"Really, that's great, Reb!" laughed Alberta.

Janet bumped the sullen Robbie aside. "Come on in, Alberta. You know David and Elizabeth. I'll put the kettle on while Robbie gets you settled," she finished turning to give Robbie a meaningful look.

Robbie smiled weakly and gestured to Alberta to follow her over to the conversation area around the fireplace. She indicated a single chair well away from the one Janet usually used for Alberta to sit in. "So what brings you here?" Robbie asked bluntly with a tone that just barely past for friendly.

"I've been sent up to retrieve and identify a body that Janet reported to the police. I thought it would save the constable and me a lot of aggravation if I just stopped in here and asked for directions," Alberta stated.

Robbie nodded, feeling somewhat more relaxed but still suspicious of Alberta. Damn the woman anyway. Why doesn't she just leave us alone!

"Here we go, tea for everyone. And you are in luck we have freshly baked peanut butter cookies.

David and I have been comparing recipes. This one's David's and it is great!"

Alberta took the tea that Janet offered and a cookie from the plate that Elizabeth brought around.

"Hmmm. These are super! I won't mind the recipe too, David."

David beamed from where ha sat on the edge of Elizabeth's chair. "I'll write it out for you right now before I forget," he said, getting up and bustling off to the kitchen.

I'm going to throw up! Robbie thought disgustedly.

"David can turn his hand to anything," Elizabeth stated proudly, her eyes sparkling as they followed David into the kitchen.

"Alberta, you must stay for dinner! Robbie is going to heat up the barbecue and we're going to have burgers," Janet said, finishing handing the girls their milk and coming to sit next to Robbie and leaning her back against her lover's chest. Come on Robbie, relax! I love you! Robbie's arm dropped protectively around her but she didn't say anything. Janet filled in the silence. "So how are you? We were concerned when we read in the papers that you had almost been drowned!"

No, we weren't. We were delighted! A good dunking is what you deserved for coming on to my wife! Robbie thought grumpily.

"I took your advice, Janet, and went home. Despite getting myself and Dawn almost killed, it was the best thing I ever did! Thanks for forcing me into it!" Alberta stated, in the straight forward, sincere way she had of talking.

"You're welcome," smiled Janet, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "So who is this Dawn. She's someone special isn't she?"

Alberta blushed and swallowed. "Yeah, she's special," she admitted softly, looking into her tea cup.

"Is she married?" asked Robbie, dryly and got a annoyed poke in the ribs from Janet.

Alberta looked up and blue eyes met blue in open hostility. "No, she is not."

"Robbie why don't you see about the barbecue, Hon, and I'll show David how to make my home made burger sauce. Ryan, could you take the canoe and show Alberta where to find the mouth of Beaver Creek?"

"Sure thing, Mom!" Ryan stated, swallowing the last of her milk and getting up off the floor where she had been sitting. "Come on, Alberta, it's a great day for a canoe."

***

After Alberta and Ryan were safely out on the lake, Janet turned to Robbie who was moodily cleaning off the grill of the barbecue with a steel brush. "Robbie..."

"Don't start! I am very grateful that she helped get my miserable hide out of prison and took care of my family when I couldn't, but Sweet Jesus, she made a play for my wife!" snapped Robbie, using more force than was necessary to clean the grill.

"That jealous, huh?" Janet said, leaning on the porch rail arms crossed. The steel brush stopped dead.

"What?"

"You know, jealous, insecure because you don't think you can measure up," said Janet indifferently.

The brush dropped with a clang and Robbie was towering in front of her. "I can measure up just fine!" the director growled.

Janet snuggled into Robbie's arms. "Well, I thought so. That's why I married you because I knew that I'd never meet anyone else who could measure up to the love that I found with you but maybe you don't feel the same way. Maybe there is an insecurity about your...abilities that makes you so jealous of even harmless competition."

"I'm not jealous!" protested Robbie.

"Good, because I think you and Alberta could be friends if you two would just relax in each other's company," smiled Janet, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Robbie's throat.

There was silence for a moment while Robbie responded in kind. "Janet?"

"Hmmmm?"

"You just baited me and reeled me in didn't you?"

"Yes."

Blue eyes sparkled down into green. "Okay, I'll be good. But I don't have to like her!"

Janet grinned. "You won't be able to help yourself. She's nice. But she is not you, Robbie. I love you. You remember that. Alberta isn't even in the running and she knows that."

Robbie beamed arrogantly. "Yeah, I'm pretty good, aren't I?" she joked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Janet wet a finger tip on her tongue and ran it down Robbie's nose and onto her lips. "We'll see just how creative you can be tonight with that sore back of yours," Janet responded, as Robbie's lips lowered to claim her own.

***

Dinner turned into a merry affair and ended with everyone going for a walk along the lake shore on Robbie's jogging trail to see the newly renovated lodge. On the trip back, Alberta and Robbie found themselves some distance ahead of the others.

"I'm sorry, about the girls being kidnapped, Robbie. That must have been hell for you and Janet especially after what you had just come through," Alberta said, attempting a conversation awkwardly.

"It was awful. We felt so helpless and..and hell, it was our kids!" Robbie responded. She'd try. She had promised Janet she would try to talk to Alberta.

"Yeah. I imagine it was the publicity over your arrest that gave the guy the idea to try a kidnapping. There were enough pictures in the paper to i.d. the kids and in a small town like this it wouldn't be hard to work out your schedule in order to pick a good time for a grab."

Robbie nodded. "I've got some plans. I want to drop out of the public eye. It's not good for my family to have to hide from the media all the time. I want to work behind the scenes more."

"That's good. Janet and your kids, they are pretty special. She sure loves you very deeply. You are lucky," Alberta stated.

"Yeah, I am."

They walked a while in silence. 'I met someone out west. She has a daughter too," Alberta surprised herself by saying. Why was she disclosing such intimate information to Robbie? It was strange, despite the antagonism between them, she kind of liked Robbie.

"You two hit it off?" asked Robbie.

Alberta nodded. "Ever since I was a little girl, I fought to be some one. To get away from the ranch and have a life where I could use my mind and expand my horizons. I left guilty because I didn't want to be a mother to my brothers, or a house maid for my father or a good wife to some rancher. I felt I'd shame my family if they knew I was gay. Then, well, something happened that led to some pretty bad blood between my older brother and I and I just left and didn't go back.

Janet made me realize that I had to face those ghosts in order to really move on," Alberta explained.

"Yeah, she's good at that sensitive stuff," agreed Robbie, stooping to pick a handful of wild blue berries from a low bush growing in a crevasse of a flat rock outcropping. She shared the tasty treat with Alberta.

"Thanks. Yeah, she is. Then I met Dawn and Mackenzie. You know, I mean, I think I might be in love but...well... there were other issues to deal with and..and I just wasn't ready for a serious relationship."

Robbie stopped and looked at Alberta. "You panicked and ran, didn't you?"

Alberta sighed and looked over the lake. "Pretty much," she admitted miserably.

"You gotta go back," Robbie stated bluntly, as a way of showing her support.

"Going to. My brother's getting married in the fall. I told her I'd see her then."

"Good. You can work it out then," Robbie shrugged.

Alberta nodded and they walked on, the two women figuring that they had pretty well exhausted the subject and straightened out the problem. Robbie decided that Alberta wasn't so bad now that she had a girlfriend of her own.

Seasons: Summer Heat Part 3 by Anne Azel

Disclaimer: The characters of Xena and Gabrielle are the property of Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. The characters and events in the Seasons Series are the creation of the author.

Special thanks to Pat for her expert knowledge on rescue and firefighting methods. Thanks also to Sheri for providing the information on the beautiful island of Tobago.

My grateful thanks to the many readers who have traveled with me through the Seasons. You are the best! My deepest thanks to Lisa and Inga, my beta readers, who work very hard on my behalf and to Susan for her insightful critiques and for overseeing the character continuity. Lastly, to all those individuals who have written me about their own courageous life stories, my respect and my best wishes.

Note: The Seasons stories interrelate and should be read in the order they are posted.

Warning: This story is alternative fiction, please do not read on if you are under age or if such material is illegal in your end of the swamp.

Ryan sat on the snow mobile seat and watched as her Mom took her turn hand sanding the decking of the two person sailboat that they were building. It had been fun working with her Mom and she thought that she understood her famous mother a lot better now.

"Mom?"

"Hmmm," answered Robbie, as she worked the wood with capable, strong hands. Since the fire, she had finally found time to write and to move her family over to the lodge. Things were going well with the business and the foundations were in for the new studio and school. She was about as happy as a person had any right to be.

"How old were you when you lost your virginity?" Ryan asked conversationally.

The sandpaper in Robbie's hand slipped off the end of the wood and caused her to lurch forward. She came back up stiff with fright. "What?!"

"Your virginity, it can't be that long ago that you can't remember," teased her daughter.

"I remember just fine! I was forty-five!" responded Robbie, feeling panic growing in her stomach.

"Mom!" sighed Ryan, with a smile. "You are only in your early thirties and I'm fifteen."

"It was an act of God!" protested Robbie.

Ryan snorted. "Come on Mom, how young were you?"

"Too young!" Robbie stated emphatically.

Ryan looked down at her hands sadly. "Do you regret doing it and having me?"

Robbie put down the sandpaper that had somehow got all crunched in her hand and walked over to where Ryan sat. She slid in beside Ryan on the snowmobile bench and wrapped an arm around her daughter. "No, never. But I do regret greatly not being mature enough to care for you and provide you with a decent childhood. I will regret that to the day I die," Robbie answered honestly, leaning over to kiss Ryan's head. Ryan smiled and hugged her back.

"Did you love my father?" Ryan asked.

Robbie looked sad. "No. No, Ryan I didn't. He was a university lecturer. I had a school girl crush on my teacher. I was very confused and upset at the time. I thought I'd killed my father. All I wanted to do was live because I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life in prison."

"Have you slept with lots of people?" Ryan asked.

"Ahhh, this is getting kind of personal," stalled Robbie, feeling a burning heat now replacing the cold white that her face had gone when this conversation had started.

"Over the years, I've read about you in the tabloids, and about all the wild parties and lovers you have had. I just wanted to know how much was truth," Ryan explained.

Robbie looked at the cement floor and played with her wedding ring nervously. "You can't believe what you read in the tabloids, Ryan. I was never that wild. I couldn't have been and got to where I am now. But I have had a few affairs both with men and women," she answered honestly.

Ryan sat quietly at her side thinking things over. "Does Aunt Janet know that? 'Cause I don't think she slept with a lot of people before you."

"No, she hadn't and yes, she knows. I think she is as uncomfortable with my past as I am,"

Robbie sighed, feeling the pain of regret deep inside, where she kept the very special love she had for her partner.

"How many times have you been in love, mom?" Ryan asked, turning so that she could lean her back against the snowmobile handlebars.

"Once. When I met Janet. Before that, I'd had infatuations but never anyone I wanted to spend my life with. When I met your other Mom, I just couldn't get her out of my system. I...It was different," Robbie tried to explain. Christ kid! I can't handle this. Couldn't we have started with the birds and the bees? I'm good at diagrams! I think I'm going to throw up!

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16