The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker Read Free Book Online Page B

fond of my reddish-blonde hair, but I definitely preferred it to no hair at all.
    “Maybe it would suit you.” Joshua smirked.
    As I looked down again, the throbbing in my temples turned into a full-blown hammering, as if someone was trying to split my skull. My vision darkened and I sagged forward. Joshua moved over and
wrapped an arm around my shoulders to keep me in a sitting position. His grip was strong, his body warm. He smelled of pine needles and fresh laundry. I wanted to breathe in the smell and close my
eyes. Maybe it would alleviate the pain in my head.
    “I’ll only shave the hair around the wound. It won’t be visible.” Karen patted my shoulder gently while she pushed my hair away, and I could feel the blade go to work on
my skin.
    “Now I’ll do the stitches.”
    My shoulders stiffened. This wouldn’t be pleasant. Joshua held my hand. It was tan and strong, his nails cut very short. It gave me a sense of safety, like nothing could happen to me as
long as Joshua was around. I sighed. A second later, he straightened up. “I’ll look for Geoffrey. I’m sure he’d want to know that there’s a new arrival. He’ll be
ecstatic.”
    I watched him leave the room, quelling the feeling of panic in my stomach. Without him, I felt vulnerable.
    I tried not to wince when the needle pierced my skin. “Ouch.”
    Karen pushed my head down. “You’ll get used to it. In the beginning Joshua always flinched when I stitched him up, but after a few dozen wounds it becomes routine.”
    A few dozen wounds? I stared at the flowery design of the carpet. “Why does he need stitches all the time?”
    Karen let out a sigh and paused briefly with the needle, giving me a moment to breathe deeply.
    “The hunt is dangerous. I’m always relieved when he comes back with just a gash or a bruise. I worry that some day he won’t come back at all. Anyway, he won’t listen.
He’s too stubborn.”
    I opened my mouth to ask her about the hunt, but she kept talking.
    “You know, I was a nurse in my other life.”
    “Your other life?” I echoed.
    “That’s what we call the time before the rabies. Better times.” She paused. When she continued, it was almost as if she was speaking to herself. “Isn’t it strange
how we still call it ‘rabies’, even though this virus is so much more deadly? I treated people with the ‘old’ rabies in my other life and they didn’t try to eat
me.”
    I gave a nod, not quite taking in her words, then flinched as she began stitching again.
    “You need to keep still.” She paused. “Joshua didn’t even tell me your name.”
    “Sherry,” I said quietly. Tears prickled in my eyes from the pain in my head, and from frightening thoughts of Dad. They were never far from my mind, no matter how hard I tried to
force them away.
    “It’s nice to see a new face. It gives me hope.” Her voice broke slightly at the end. She cleared her throat. “Like I said, I was a nurse. Thanks to Joshua, I don’t
get out of practice. My husband was a teacher.”
    “Is he…?” I trailed off, uncertain how to end the question.
    “He’s alive. He lives here with me.”
    I was happy for her. I’d seen what losing a loved one did to people. Grandma had never been the same since Grandpa died.
    “How long have you been in Safe-haven?”
    Karen pursed her lips in thought. “A little over a year.”
    “Over a year?” How had they survived the Weepers? Dad and I hadn’t even managed to last more than a few hours on our own.
    “It isn’t easy, but we stick together,” Karen said.
    It was comforting to know that they’d survived in this new world for so long. Maybe there was a chance for my family.
    “How many people live here?” I managed not to move my head now as I spoke. I was a fast learner – though my homeroom teacher might have disputed that.
    “There’s Joshua, my husband Larry, Geoffrey, Marie and her daughter Emma, and Tyler, though we don’t know if that’s his actual name