“Very well, I will control my urge to vaporize the good doctor until he has a chance to explain what happened. However, he must never be allowed to fall back into the Augs’ hands, and I will prevent it at all cost!” Richard warned.
“Fair enough,” Josephine replied. “Now that we have that settled, would you prefer to room back here where it is more private, or up near the opening of the glacier?”
“Near the opening would be best. That way Dakota will have easy access to food and water and I can keep an eye on him,” Richard replied.
“You really love that little horse, don’t you?” Josephine said with a smile.
“He’s grown on me,” Richard replied as he looked down the tunnel at Dakota who was licking the ice on the wall.
“Do you think he is the last of his kind?” Josephine whispered.
“I don’t know, he’s the only horse I’ve seen in over a year… but if he made it, it stands to reason others may have also survived. Sadly we’re not the only casualties of this event,” Richard added, as he followed Josephine towards the entrance. When she led Richard into a vacant room not far from the opening, Dakota followed him in, sniffed the place, and proceeded out to the alpine meadow.
“Well, I guess now that he knows where your staying he’s going out to eat?” Josephine remarked.
“Probably,” Richard replied.
“Okay, wait here and I’ll be right back with some items to make you feel at home.” A few minutes later Josephine reappeared with a couple of blankets and a few rudimentary items for Richard’s new room. “I hope this will be enough to keep you warm,” she said with a smile.
“That’s plenty… and thanks again for all your hospitality. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a place to call home,” Richard sighed.
“Don’t mention it, but before you get too comfortable, there are a couple of things we need to talk about.”
“Sure, what is it?” Richard responded with a concerned look on his face.
“First off, when you didn’t want me to come with you to the production facility it was because you think females are more important than males because we can bear children. I understand that our numbers are dangerously low and I agree with your overall view, but I can’t have children. Not now and not ever. Even if I stop taking the fern powder, I can’t get pregnant because I’m barren,” Josephine revealed.
“I’m so sorry. It was wrong of me to assume you could, and I shouldn’t have insisted that you stay behind to guard the clan,” Richard replied apologetically.
“I understand you were only trying to protect me, but I make my own decisions and I have valid reasons for everything that I do,” Josephine insisted.
“I understand, and I wont make that mistake twice,” Richard replied.
“Okay, that is important, because from the moment that we met, I have been drawn to you, and I know that you have feelings for me. I also know that the instant a major problem arises, you will feel obligated to resolve it. You have an incredible sense of duty, and you place the survival of humanity above all else, even your own life. I can respect that, but it seems to me that you have done enough for the cause. I want you to let someone else take the lead, so that you can remain with me at the settlement. If you cannot make such a promise, then I will not put another ounce of energy into our relationship so that it can be ripped apart by some future crisis,” Josephine said in a stern tone.
“You can’t expect me to just sit idly by and do nothing if I’m needed… please do not ask me to make such an unmalleable promise,” Richard pleaded.
Josephine’s eyes started to fill with tears and her lips began to tremble. Richard could almost hear her heart breaking, and he half expected her to start yelling at him, but instead, she gave him a hug, and then started to walk away. Richard felt as if the life had been sucked out of him. He didn’t realize how much she meant to him, until he was forced to choose between losing her or his innate duty to fight the Augs.
“Josephine wait! I don’t want it to end like this,” Richard cried out. “What if I only went on the most important of missions, and you came with me. Then we would always be together and you wouldn’t have to wonder if I was coming back or not.”
“You will not leave me behind even if you’re going into combat?” Josephine asked.
“I promise,” Richard replied. “Revenge and hatred have all but consumed me, but you have given me a reason to live. I will choose my battles carefully, and you will be by my side every step of the way,” Richard promised.
Josephine paused at the doorway as she considered his offer. “I agree on one condition, as long as we are together, I have veto power if I deem the mission too dangerous, or not worth the risk.”
“Agreed,” Richard said without hesitation.
“Good, now I can keep you safe.”
“You make a good wife,” Richard said mimicking a cave man.
“Who said I was going to marry you?” Josephine replied. “We haven’t even been on a date.”
“You’re right, how about dinner in my ice cave?” Richard offered.
“You’re on,” Josephine replied.
“Your sister is welcome to come too,” Richard added.
“Regrettably, she left a week ago to join the Augs. She was suffering from a degenerative illness and implantation was her only option for survival,” Josephine replied in soft voice.
“I’m sorry to hear that, my apologies,” Richard said as he lowered his head.
“It’s okay,” Josephine sighed. “It was her choice. Let us not forget that in the beginning people lined up by the millions to be implanted. I know the lure of enhanced performance was their primary reason for doing it, but others wanted the procedure so they could rid themselves of disease. People still volunteered even after they knew the process would erase their identity, just so they could prolong their life. My sister never liked living on the fringe of society, so in truth, her illness was the justification she needed to leave this minimalistic lifestyle behind.”
“I am sorry, it’s hard when someone you love is on the other side,” he said as he walked over and gave her a hug.
“It’s fine, there may be an Aug out there with her body, but in reality she is gone forever… and I’ll miss her,” Josephine sobbed.
“She is still in your heart, and that’s what counts,” Richard whispered in her ear.
“I love you,” Josephine replied.
Chapter 13
The following morning Richard woke to find Josephine curled up next to him in bed. He could not remember falling asleep, but waking up with her in his arms was a pleasant surprise. After a few minutes Josephine began to stir and he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, how are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said smiling back at him lovingly. “Thank you for letting me stay with you. I guess I needed a little more comforting than I realized.”
“No problem,” Richard replied as he gently stroked her long brown hair.
“You know what… I’m going to put the sorrow behind me and embrace what I have, rather than what I have lost,” Josephine announced.
“Just like that?” Richard asked, somewhat perplexed by her announcement.
“Yes. My sister is gone, but it was her choice. The last thing she would have wanted me to do is question her decision, and sit around here wallowing in self pity. Instead, I’m going to remember the good times that we had and forgive the bad, that’s’ how I’m going to honor her life,” Josephine announced.