CHAPTER 25

   Nate realized that he had gotten back into the army, landed what any grunt would have considered the most cushy of jobs, simply because there was nobody else. He was the most qualified but, in the end, that was really saying very little because the truth was that being 'most qualified' did not make one actually qualified. Of course, having dealt with the Orcs was only the circumstance that had gotten his foot in the door. Nate had worked hard on the project to make himself irreplaceable and, as near as he could tell, had largely succeeded in the task. Nate had suspected that Didi had initially sent him in those cages, with Tigger and Pooh, because he was expendable. Now she sent him in because the two Orcs had imprinted on him at an early age and would not respond to anyone else or, at least, not like with him. When some of the higher ups in the military, that did not like him, tried to get him removed from the project, Didi put her foot down and Nate stayed. Nate knew this because Didi constantly reminded him.
Since Nate was so needed in Atlanta, he supposed that was why the Army had decided to order him to Washington DC when he left Britain. Didi had some meetings with people in the White House and at Capitol Hill while, Nate was stuck reporting to his official boss at the Pentagon. Nate seemed to have lots of bosses these days. Didi was the real one but, this Colonel O'Rouke was his commanding officer, on paper, despite the fact that Nate had never even met the guy until yesterday. O'Rouke also had the distinction of being in the camp that did not like Nate, thought he was an embarrassment to the Army, and wanted him gone. In fact, this colonel made it clear that Nate had no future in the army, that he was only tolerated because his current job was out of sight, and when it was finished, so was he.
What could Nate say about that other than, “well, I guess used cars will always need to be sold.” Nate had only come back because it was the only chance he had to get back to Feyland. Now that he knew Angie was still in the ranks of the living, he could not shake the feeling that he owed her that much. The strange thing about his emotional state was, Nate was no longer even sure he was doing it for the reasons that he thought he had. Most of the time, Nate was not even sure why he was still looking for her. He also knew there was only one person who could help him sort that out, so, it was why he paid a visit to Walter Reed Army Hospital. Unfortunately, the person he went there to see was dealing with her own issues. Because of that, Nate never bothered to bring his own conflict up.
Katie was awake and, more or less, lucid right now. She was also perpetually gloomy. She had always radiated energy and joy. Nate had never really thought about why but, now, he realized it was because she had loved what she did. Why not? Unlike Nate, Katie was actually good at her job. Nate had always just assumed  that Kate's joining the army was because of her father but, now, he realized she had her own reasons for pursuing her career. It was also a career that everyone was telling her she no longer had. Then she dropped the bomb on him and, it had nothing to do with the army.
Katie squeezed his hand and with a tear, along with a vacant stare, she told Nate, “they had to take out my ovaries.”
Nate had a hard time making eye contact. He took a deep breath and replied, “uh.” Katie actually laughed at his response. That surprised Nate and he did look at her now, “I didn't know that.. I mean...”
Katie looked away but still had a smile on her face when she told him, “you have no idea what to say. Same old goofy fuck up I always used to like having around.”
“It's just,” Nate was still trying to figure it out, “Katie, you never even talked about having kids and...” Suddenly Nate realized something and his eyes got big when he asked, “you did?”
“Just because I didn't talk about it Nate,” Katie relented, “didn't mean that I never wanted any. I might have been a soldier but, in case you didn't notice, I was still a girl.”
“Um,” Nate licked his lips again and then he said, “yeah I... I mean I...” That caused Katie to laugh again and this time she stopped because it obviously hurt. Nate decided to halfway scold her by saying, “now don't you start this crap Katie. I get hit on everywhere I go these days. Talking to you has been a breath of fresh air cause you still treat me like I'm a real person and not some blow up doll.”
“That's cause I know you're a fuck up,” Katie told him bluntly. Then her voice mellowed and she told him, “but you're a fuck up that could always make me laugh.” Then Katie backed off and said, “but don't you do it now. It hurts, ok?”
That was why, as Nate sat in his hotel room, trying to get past the endless army forms on his laptop, he had a hard time concentrating. Nate was sure that these reports were just busy work that O'Rouke was punishing him with and would not have been easy under the most normal of circumstances but, right now was anything but normal. That's why Nate pushed his laptop away and then jumped on his bed. He turned on the television and, unfortunately, every single channel seemed to be about Coven Hill. He kept right on flipping until, suddenly, he saw a familiar face. It was Dana Thompson.
Angie's mother was practically crying for the television screen and Nate had to wonder how much of that was real, and how much an act. He finally decided it was about half and half as she told the camera's, while standing in front of the Washington Monument, “they're not even humans! How do we even know they didn't start this stupid war? Why are we sending our children, my child, to die for them? I haven't heard the president bring that up, have you?”
The footage had obviously been shot earlier since it was dark outside right now, and Dana had been talking in daylight. Who knew how old it was? Nate figured he could probably look on Youtube and find out but, why bother? Since he knew the woman personally, had seen her operation first hand, Nate knew that Dana was carrying out some well crafted theater but, there was also another matter. No matter how much Dana put into her public relations work, she still had a point that could not be ignored. Her questions were not something Nate had ever given much thought too. Why were the elves fighting this war? Did they really start it and, more important, did anybody in our government even bother to ask that question? Then Nate realized something else. If Dana's questions made him think about it then, what were they doing to other people that were not in the loop?
That was why Nate turned off the television and wandered down to the hotel's restaurant. This wasn't the classy kind of joint you normally found in DC. There was no way the army was going to spend that kind of money on him. The food was a few notches above what you might get on an airplane but, not by much. It didn't matter anyway because he was far from hungry. Nate just wanted a distraction. Unfortunately, he got more of one than he would have ever dreamed. He saw her at the restaurant entrance, looking like a little lost puppy dog that was begging to come in out of the rain. The waitress walked up to seat this person and while they talked, Nate noticed a few bags sitting out in the lobby by a couch. He mumbled to himself, “oh you have got to be kidding me.” Nate took a second but, finally, he did the only thing he could and waived Sara over to his table.
Nate's first words were not even words. He was busy looking around as if he were expecting to see someone else. Sara could guess who and she told him, “Clancy's not here. Mom's not here. They don't even know where I am.”
Nate blinked at that, “is that such a good idea, Sara?”
She snapped at him, “I'm eighteen now, ok? I can do what the hell I want to.”
“Uh,” Nate simply nodded at that and then asked, “how did... you know....”
She actually snorted a contemptuous laugh at him, “find you? Oh brother.” Sara held up her phone and said, “you sent me a text when you got back?” Before Nate could point out that he never mentioned anything about his location, in his text, Sara could see those words forming on his lips. She rolled her eyes at him, “you don't use Facebook, much, do you? Dumbass, you got your tracking turned on. It told me where you were.”
Nate gulped, “tracking?” Sara sighed in resignation but, Nate saw something else in the teenagers face. Was that fear? He huffed and then pushed his meal across the table, “I haven't touched it. Not really hungry if you want to know the truth of it.” The way she hit the food told him a lot more. The pieces began to assemble.
When Sara thanked him by revealing, “the dollar menu's were getting kind of old and, I'm out of dollars now.”
Nate approached the subject in a circumvent kind of way, “I didn't know your Mom was still in town.”
In between bites, Sara casually stated, “she's not.” After another bite, Sara admitted, “at least I don't think she is. They should have went back to Orlando yesterday.” Finally the girl shrugged and added, “mom knows how to turn her tracking off.”
It did not seem that Sara was all too repentant about any of that so Nate put forward the idea, “you know, if you run away, she might still be...”
Now Sara snapped at him, “I didn't run away, Nate! I'm eighteen fucking years old!”
“Ok,” Nate backed up just a bit as he said, “call it what you want Sara. The point is, I'm pretty sure that Dana is worried sick right now. Has she even tried to call you?”
Sara rolled her eyes, “oh yeah. I'm not talking to the bitch, all right?” After finishing off the mash potato's, Sara noted the looks she was getting. She forcefully put her spoon down and looked Nate in the eyes, “I'm sick of her and Clancy and all their bullshit, ok?” After thinking about it she then hesitantly admitted, “and if you want to know the truth, I'm sick of Angie too.” A silence fell on the table and, after Sara collected her thoughts, she finally became a little less hostile when she admitted, “look Nate, I loved my sister, ok? I never really liked her though. I want her back and I want her to be safe. I just don't want to destroy my life because of her, ok? Does that make any sense?”
Nate almost mumbled when he admitted, “more than you might realize.”
When Nate pulled out his phone, Sara became alarmed and asked in an accusing tone, “you're not calling mom, are you? I thought that of...”
“Relax,” Nate said sternly, almost like a parent scolding their child, “as you keep wanting to point out, Sara, you're an adult now. So I'm treating you like one.”
“Good,” admitted Sara with an uneasy tone. Then she sounded like a little child, all over again, when she asked, “does that mean you're kicking me to the curb? Cause, look, Mom got me fired when she dragged me up here and...”
“Hush,” Nate commanded and then he talked on the phone for a second before leading Sara, and what proved to be her bags, back up to his room. The knock came not a minute after they arrived and Nate let Didi in. She almost had a heart attack and Nate grunted in frustration, “it is not what it looks like Didi!”
“Nate!” She actually slapped his arm and with a good bit of force, “are you insane!”
Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to Didi and she actually stepped back from Nate and waived her finger at him, “I don't know what you had in mind when you called me but I do not do things like that! I...”
“Didi!” Nate growled back, “I have not touched her, ok?”
Sara seemed almost unconcerned when she related, “he hasn't, honest. I mean, trust me, I really tried.”
That did not make the matter any better and Nate snapped, “oh thanks Sara, that really helped here.”
Now Didi gulped and her eyes got even wider, “Sara? This is...” Didi screamed, “Sara Thompson? This is Angie Thomspon's little sister? Nate!” Didi wanted to cry and she stomped around the room as she grumbled, “my project is over! I just...” Finally she stopped and looked at Nate with her red face, “you know I honestly didn't believe all those websites Nate! I defended you and...”
Sara then injected, “don't blame him. I mean those websites, well, those were all my mom's doing.”
Nate blinked, “you're kidding?”
Didi screamed at Nate, “her mother too?”
“I didn't sleep with anybody,” Nate growled in frustration.
Sara corrected him with, “Angie.”
“Well,” Nate stumbled, “except that and..” Now he looked at the teenager with fury in his eyes, “and why is that everybody's business?” Nate grabbed Didi by the shoulders and told her, “forget what you read on the internet, for just five seconds and...” Now Nate blinked again and seriously asked, “why in the hell were you looking at porn sites?”
Didi backed up, “never mind!”
“Whatever,” Nate waived all of it off and got past it. Suddenly, he also realized that his entire life seemed to be doing just that, as of late. Nate calmed down and explained Sara's situation. Sara added to the tale and the result was an emotionally confused Didi.
The Doctor grumbled and was obviously torn when she looked to Sara and asked, “how did you put up with all of that?” Then she looked to Nate and said, “look Nate, I feel sorry for her, I really do, only you have to understand how this looks and...”
“Why do you think I called you,” Nate pointed out. That sent Didi's thoughts right back to her original assumption and Nate could see that. He snapped at her, “and I'm not looking for a threesome!”
Didi became flustered once more, “well what am I supposed to...” Her phone went off and she grunted because she knew who it was. Didi pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen, “damn I knew it.” Before Didi answered the phone she looked Sara over from head to toe and realized something. After that she looked at Nate with a smile and said, “I got an idea.”