Finding Fraser(94)

July 18

Up this morning, and feeling well enough for a bit of guilt to seep through. I hadn’t mentioned a word to my sister, and cranky as she is, she might be worried at my radio silence. Checking the coast was clear on the Morag front, I gingerly pedaled my pockmarked face, (shrouded in my biggest hoodie) into town. I figured no one would recognize me at the Internet cafe, but discovered that sometime over the time I had been sick, it had closed down.

I slunk into the library to post a quick note to my sister but was immediately caught by Katy.

She looked so horrified by the sight of my face that I turned and fled in shame. As I pedaled home, I thought about her expression and felt a wash of relief that I hadn’t run into Hamish.

But as I wrestled my bike through the kissing gate, I thought – why hasn’t Hamish run into me...?





To: emmasheridan@gmail.com

From: JackFindlay@*range.co.uk

July 20



Dear Emma,

Haven’t seen any new posts from you in a while. I hope that means you are settled and happy, with no time to write, now that your quest is over. It is over, yes? Things haven’t changed?

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that the first advanced copies have come back from the printers. My agent emailed me the day after I sent the manuscript to her, saying she’d stayed up all night reading it. Never had a response like that from her before, so hoping it’s a good sign. She tells me they are fast-tracking it, whatever that means. I’m just glad she liked it.

Thank you again for your honesty.

And…you are well, yes?



Jack





Finally Finished Fever…

12:15 pm, July 21

Nairn, Scotland



So, it turns out that a person can have the chickenpox twice. I clearly remember being very itchy and missing a few days of school when I was in the fifth grade.

Apparently it was not enough.

I have to say, that memory doesn’t really compare with what my life’s been like for the past couple of weeks. It’s been brutal. But I am feeling better now. It takes more than a kid’s disease to bring me down for long.

Unfortunately, it’s set my earnings back a bit, but that is soon remedied. I’m looking forward to life returning to normal.



- ES



Comments: 7

HiHoKitty, Sapporo, Japan:

Be well, Miss Emma. So good your Highland warrior can nurse you back to health.

(Read 6 more comments here…)





I woke up in the morning actually feeling like myself again. I’d kicked off the covers in the night, so I lay there and took a good long look at myself in the first light of dawn. The blisters had all scabbed a few days earlier, and it seemed like most of them had finally dried up or fallen off. My body was still red and speckled, but I no longer looked like an active plague victim. And not only that, but from the angle I was lying, I could have sworn I could see the shadow of one hip-bone.

I’m fairly certain that’s never happened before.

This cheered me enough to send me into the shower, and then to take another ride into town.

I got lucky and arrived as Katy was lying outside on the lawn, taking in the sun on her lunch break, so I had time enough to make the post and send Jack a quick reply, telling him briefly what had happened. Then I headed back out into the sunshine to see about getting back to work.

The long ride had left me a bit winded, so I walked my bike the three blocks or so between the library and the cafe. And while I walked, I thought about HiHoKitty’s remark. I did have a somewhat vague memory of Morag announcing that Hamish was immune to chickenpox.

So why hadn’t I heard from him? Not even a phone call to Morag’s?

I wasn’t about to go see him, especially in my speckled state. But since my head had become clearer, I definitely needed to give my Highland warrior some further thought. I mean – even if he hadn’t been immune, he could have sent flowers. Or even called …

And speaking of which, Sandeep was on the phone when I arrived at the cafe.

“Aye, now. Righ’. See yeh.”

“I’m better,” I announced, as soon as he rang off. “I’m ready to come back to work.

He took one look at me and dragged me back into the kitchen. “Like hell,” he said.

“No, seriously—I am feeling better. And the doctor said I was only contagious a week, so …”

“So, yer not working here still looking like a poxy whore.”

“Oh, very nice. No ‘Welcome back, Emma!’. No ‘How’re you feeling, Emma?’”

“I’m sorry, luv, but yeh still look awful.”

“Look, Sandeep—I can’t afford to be off any longer. I’ve already lost, like, two week’s pay.”

He sighed. “I know. And ye’ve been missed. No one makes a latte like you do. But I can’t have yeh driven’ me customers away wi’ yer face.”