Parchman, стр. 41
Chuck joined them. ‘Scott, they’re bringing Seth in now.’
Jose and another man were carrying Seth into the room and lay him ontothe bed next to Nathaniel. ‘I’m so sorry,’ said Logan, turning and lookingat Scott.
‘That boy would have followed you into Hell,’ said Scott. ‘And so wouldI.We don’t follow you through some misguided sense of loyalty. Wefollow you because you are a leader. A good leader. We live together, wedie together and that’s why this is a win, whether you believe it or not.’
‘Scott?’ came a voice from the bed.
‘Seth! Are you ok?’ said Scott.
‘Feel like I’ve been in a war,’ said the battered Seth.
‘Welcome to the other side,’ replied his brother.‘Did we win?’
‘Yes,’ said Logan standing up. ‘Yes, we did.’CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Logan sat by hisfather’s hospital bed awaiting some kind of improvement.
Seth had recovered and along with the rest of the injured been moved intotheir own quarters within the prison. Logan however had continued tosleep alongside his father who had been moved to a smaller infirmary onthe lower ground.
The clear up had begun and whilst plans were being made without Logan,he was still very much in everyone’s minds, as was Nathaniel. The twomen had been instrumental in the victory over the Commander Generaland everyone would pop their head round the door on a daily basis forprogress on the ex-President and Logan.
Outside the dead were being buried, which was no easy job. But everyonepitched in. McGregor and Jackal has decided that they would stay until theprison was completely up and running and until the remaining members of the community, who had no idea what had gone on, were reunited at theprison.
Tallulah, Chuck and Scott had been very much involved in the plans torescue the outstanding people from the base and bring them into the prison.Jose had also been a big part of this, taking on his new role in lieu of thedeath of his friends Isaac Mendez and Professor Brittle.
It was never in question that the prisoners wouldn’t accept the community into their world and in fact they now looked forward to forming a newalliance.
Logan’s focus never broke from his father though and he would talk tohim and explain every little thing that happened in the days following thebattle with the Commander General to his dad, even down to the weather.
Every now and then Abuelo would come into the room and check on Nathaniel. Abuelo would check his pulse and look at his watch, nod, andwalk back out the room.
‘Any improvement?’ Logan said on the oddoccasion Abuelo hadremained in the room longer than a minute.
‘Yes, yes, look at his cheeks. He gets more color every single day,’ saidAbuelo. ‘It won’t be long now.’
Logan stopped him by placing his hand on his arm. ‘What were you beforeallthis? A doctor?’
‘Of sorts,’ laughed Abuelo. ‘I was drafted as a trainee doctor into the armyback in 1973. Mexico were neutral but as an American Mexican theyneeded bodies, quite literally. If I learnt one thing from that war it was thatI never wanted to be involved in another, yet here we are.’
‘You’re a veteran?’ said Logan.
‘Yes,’ said Abuelo. ‘I am one of the lucky ones that ended up in here ratherthan in the ground. Prison seemed the better option than death at the time. When I came back from Vietnam there was nothing waiting for me.’
‘What did you do?’ said Logan.
‘Mmm,’ said Abuelo. ‘Do you really want to know?’
Logan smiled at the man. ‘If there’s one thing I now know it’s to judge aperson based on their life now and what they do next, noton their past. It’sa recurring theme in this place.’
Nathaniel coughed, and his whole body shook.
‘Dad!’ exclaimed Logan. Abuelo rushed down to his side.
‘Here give him some water. Wet his lips.’
Logan took the small flannel and wiped it around his father’s mouth.Abuelo raised his hands, ‘Take it slow Mr.Mathers.’ Logan was unsure whether he was talking to him or his father.
‘Dad?’ Logan asked hoping for a response.
Nathaniel’s hand twitched against Logan’s and slowly his eyelids,fluttering at first, began to open. The bright light stung and seeing thisAbuelo switched on a side light and closed the curtain.
He looked to both Logan, then Abuelo and back to Logan. ‘We won?’‘Yes dad, we won.’
‘How long have I been out?’ said Nathaniel.
‘Coming on two days Mr.Mathers,’ interjected Abuelo.
‘Abuelo?’ asked Nathaniel.
‘Yes sir,’ said the man surprised that he knew his name.
‘I heard every word Logan,’ he said turning to his son. ‘All of it. I thoughtI was dreaming, but I heard every word. Son, you take so much on yourshoulders for someone so young. What you have done is way beyond youryears, but you’ve taken everything thrown at you and come out the otherside,’ he took a gulp of water spilling most down his chin.
‘You should be very proud,’ said Abuelo. ‘I shall leave you alone to talk,’he added leaving the room.
‘I am proud. I always have been. These three months have been too much,but it is over now. I heard everything you said about Tallulah. That is truelove. The love your mother and I had. She is good for you. You will live along happy life together,’ he smiled, pushing himself up the bed. ‘There isonly one thing I disagree with. You are not responsible for yourbrother’sdeath. I never once believed that because it isn’t true. I miss him too. Neither you or I have had time to grieve or fully accept what has happened.’
Logan sat there listening to the words coming from his father not knowingwhether to cry or laugh, smile or run.
‘The world didn’t change. The people inside it did. We were