The Empath

Clutching her daughter to her chest, she opened the door wide enough to peek out into the hall. Eva was shaking with fear. How could she have forgotten to keep her arm covered? The exhaustion must be wearing on her to overlook such a thing. Checking three times to be certain none of the other boarders were awake and the hallway was empty, she slipped out the door and bolted to her room.

Closing the door quickly, she turned and set the infant in the middle of the bed. They had an hour to get to the train platform, she wasn’t taking a chance on being late. It had been nerve-wracking few days, waiting to get papers signed that would clear them for travel.

She had been terrified through the entire process that they would ask her to remove her jacket. When the doctor had finally decided she and her child hadn’t been exposed, and were displaying no symptoms of the virus, she had almost fainted with relief.

Her heart skipped a few beats, thinking what would have happened if they’d been denied. There were camps filled with those afflicted. And each time the medical trucks passed, they carried others to the quarantined areas. It was horrifying, what the country was going through. To survive the years of war and then have millions fall ill with some deadly influenza. She only glimpsed the headlines of the newspapers as she passed them in her travels, but it was everywhere, it seemed.

Moving to the mirror, she studied her reflection. Her cheeks were hollowed and dark circles were under her eyes. The months of stress and worry were catching up to her. She sighed, her white cotton shirtwaist wasn’t stained, but the wrinkles were adding up. How many days had she been wearing it now? If there had been more time, she would have given it a rinse, but she couldn’t risk missing one of the few trains still running out of the city. “Lord knows my brassiere and bloomers are in desperate need of a rinse as well,” she whispered to the scared woman looking back at her. Smoothing a hand down her skirt, she smiled, thankful it was a little longer than current fashion dictated, as her stockings were beyond any condition that a mere washing could remedy.

Her heart ached as she looked at the tattoo covering the length of her left arm. She touched it gingerly and closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. He had to be all right. She didn’t know what was taking so long, but she knew that he would come back to her. When he did manage to cross back over, the caretaker of their building would give him the message, then he would come and get Alona and her. Please, Levi, come soon.

The baby’s soft whimper made her open her eyes. She turned and smiled. “Not to worry, love, your daddy will find us at your aunt’s.” Going over, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her child, her whole world. “We have to go; I don’t have a choice. The sickness is spreading, and if we stay here any longer,” She let out a ragged breath, “we won’t be able to get out.” Alona was a beautiful baby, she looked so much like her father. Picking up her bonnet, she placed it on the child’s head, over her thick black hair. “You’re my strength, little one, never forget that.” The baby watched her with pale eyes. She was certain they were going to be the same pale green his were, well when his weren’t red that was.