Part 7
I sit on my bunk, in the corner, folded into
myself for hours. I don’t get up to eat the pancakes and they grow
cold, the smell of syrup cloying, I’m sure it’s congealed by now.
I’m not going to eat them. I have to think.
I stare at the blank wall above the toilet
and see Conlan’s face again, the way his eyes grew distant when I
mentioned the child Marie carries. He knows Shanley can help her.
He knows it may be her only hope—how much longer does she have
before the terbute doesn’t work anymore and she goes into labor?
And loses another child. He can’t go through that again, I know he
can’t. Shanley needs to be able to land.
And get us out of here, I add silently.
Shanley lands and he’ll talk sense into these people. They’ll have
to release us and let us leave. Didn’t
