(Book 2)What Remains Read Online Free PDF Page B

water. Maddox held out both
bottles and said very seriously, “I don’t think you should take
these.” He shook the bottle that contained the drowsy pills.
“Calise is really excited about dinner and would be sad if you
aren’t there with us. While you were gone she talked about you every night during dinner.”
    “Every night?”
    His head bobbed up and down in an exaggerated
acknowledgement. “Not just during dinner… but all the time.
She asked Mommy a lot of questions about where you were and if you
were okay. I just told her you were fighting the monsters and you’d
be home soon.”
    A familiar tug of tears filled my eyes. “That’s
what I was doing. I’m sorry she made you talk about it so
much…”
    “How many did you have to fight?” he asked
shyly.
    Visions of the endless dead came through my
mind. I could still feel the impact run through my arm as my Kukri
cut through each harbinger of evil. Then I thought… where the hell
is my beloved weapon? I hadn’t seen it since I woke up from my
coma. Frankly, outside of nightmares, I hadn’t even thought of it
since then.
    My son’s eager questioning forced me to dismiss
the thought. How long was I going to be able to shield him from
this? The reapers were going to be something we had to deal with
every day for as long as we had left alive. I simply couldn’t hide
the irrefutable horror of this from him forever.
    “I…” debate raged inside my bandaged head. “I
fought more than I’d like to think about. For now that’s all you
need to know, Monkey.”
    He looked disappointed but accepted it. “Okay,
Daddy. I’m just really glad you’re home.” This was followed by a
hug that had the loving roughness usually employed by Calise.
Quickly breaking from the hug, Maddox extended only the non-drowsy
medicine. With a childishly devious grin he said, “So which
medicine do you want?”
    I wiped away a tear and laughed. “Well, doctor,”
he immediately giggled at that, “I think the non-sleepy pills will
do, thank you!”
    I washed two capsules down my gullet. Exhaustion
was ready to overtake me. I kissed the boy’s shaggy head and said,
“Go help your mom with dinner. I’m going to nap until it’s
ready.”

Chapter 4 – Seeking Normalcy

1900 hours:

    I awoke to Calise’s loud whispers. “Daddy!
Daddy! It’s time for dinner. Come back upstairs!”
    My eyes opened to a bouncing flashlight beam.
Sleep had hit me so hard that I thankfully had no room for dreams.
This was the first time since waking up at home that I had been
able to enjoy a nightmare-free period of rest. That could have been
attributed to my improving health, but I think it was thanks to the
time spent with family. If it wasn’t for this improvement in mental
health I wouldn’t even have a reason for my body to heal. After
all, I had battled through the hell outside only to reach them once
again.
    Calise hopped on the bed’s blanketed end. It was
like a twisted version of those commercials for our mattress brand
with the girl jumping and the wine glass. Regardless of the kinetic
energy absorption ability my resting place possessed, the jostled
wakeup call hurt.
    “Alright, alright! I’ll be right there,
Princess. Just give me a few minutes.” I was never very good at
waking up from a nap. Irritation had always been the first thing I
felt after being disturbed. All her life Calise has known me as a
midnight shift… zombie . She’d woken me from naps, many
times, and wasn’t at all bothered by my being short with her.
    Jumping down with a thud, she cleared the
cushioned platform and the flashlight beam scurried off accompanied
by an array of giggles. Now I had to complete the unpleasant task
of getting out of bed. Even though I was getting better, this chore
remained a difficult one.
    I let out a heavy sigh then followed my
dismounting routine. Soon I found myself both standing and hungry.
A family meal was something that sounded so good I’d probably kill
for it. This