“I’m sorry, is this romantic?”
“Yes.”
“Ok, I’m not romantic. But…. I’m spontaneous.”
“No. No you are not.”
“Then enjoy the moment, because it won’t happen all that….” He paused to sing ‘My girl’, and continued talking. “All that often.”
“What’s with the mood?”
“I went out this morning. Saw the sun. I was happy.”
“Me, too.”
“And I realized,” Tony slowed down in dancing. “I’m alive. I looked at that sun, and realized I am alive… because of you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “We’re alive, all of us, because of each other. You’re in a really good mood.”
“I am.” He winked. “I was thinking about us. And, you’re going to tell me I am corny.”
“Go on.”
“How it took something so bad for me to find something so good.”
His words made me stop.
“With all that’s gone bad,” Tony said. “Am I wrong for feeling very happy that I have you?”
“No, it’s not wrong at all. You promised me you’d be there every step of the way, and you were. You are. Not wrong at all. I honestly kept going for you and Joie.”
Tony smiled gently at me, lowering his head to kiss me. “Thanks for taking a moment for this.”
“Thanks for finally showing me your romantic side.”
“Yeah, well, I’m about to get even more romantic if you’re…”
The hiss of the radio brought Tom’s voice. “Tony. Tony, come in.”
“Oh my God, are you kidding me?” Tony stepped back from our dance. “Seconds away from me going over the top and telling you that I love you and Tom ruined it.” He lifted the radio, smiled and winked at me. “Thank God. I could have looked pretty dumb.” He brought the radio to his mouth. “Yeah, Tom.”
“We may have a problem. Need you up here STAT.”
We didn’t need more than that. Moment tossed aside, both Tony and I made our way to the Switch room without hesitation.
“What’s going on?” Tony said as soon as he entered.
“This.” Tom pointed to the monitor. “Intruder. One. What do we do?”
I looked and saw the person walk through the gate. They staggered, carried a huge bag and even fought to stay upright without falling. The person had difficulty, so I moved closer to get a better look. In fact my eyes widened and I looked again because only when I took that closer look, for a moment I couldn’t breathe.
“Anyone else out there?” Tony asked.
“Not that I see,” Tom replied. “Just the one intruder.”
“Oh my God.” I gasped out. “Oh my God!”
“What?” Tony questioned.
I spun from the monitor and ran to the door. “That’s not an intruder. That’s Gil!” I grabbed the arctic coat from the hook, and raced out.
43 – ARRIVAL
I didn’t need to see his face, or even a close up to know that it was Gil.
Even on that little screen, I knew. I just knew. I heard them calling to me as I ran, to stop, to wait.
I didn’t need to.
“Anna!” Tony blasted my name. “Stop.”
I kept going.
“Anna, I mean it. Stop.”
When I finally reached the doors, I did. I didn’t want to stop on the steps. It was the first time I could recall not getting winded, I was so excited. The coat was a larger one, but that didn’t matter. I wouldn’t be out too long and although the temperatures were cold, they had been a lot colder.
“Anna,” Tony spoke breathless. “What are you doing?”
“It’s Gil. He’s out there.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“It was a brief one inch figure on a gray scale screen. He’s wearing a coat. You don’t know.”
“And again, I do know.” I zipped up the jacket and slid the first lock open. “I’d know him anywhere. He could be a face in a crowd and I’d spot him. It’s Gil.” I tossed on the hood, and undid the remaining lock.
I saw Tony reach for a coat.
I opened the door. A fine mist of snow blew in. Not heavy, but more like ice crystals.
Tony blurted out a ‘Son of a bitch’ as I ran to the man that had dropped to his knees.
If it were possible, I don’t think I felt the cold as I stayed focused on getting to him. Was Tony near me, beside me? I didn’t know.
He wore a classic pea coat, knit cap, and his jeans were tucked into his old work boots. Along with an old pair of gloves, his clothing offered little protection from the elements. He was on his knees, hands to the ground, ahuge bag beside him and his head was down. The sun glasses that he wore had dropped to the ground.
It was as if he were frozen there.
I knelt down to him and he raised his head.
There was a moment of exhilaration that could never be topped or replaced. All the hurt, sorrow and pain I felt up to that moment were temporarily suspended.
Gil.
His shoulders shook and he brought his hands to his face, then dropped them. Gil tried to speak but only exhaled. His handsome face was white with areas of blue. It was easy to tell it pained him to make any expression.
After another failed attempt at speaking, overwrought with emotions, Gil just grabbed onto me in gratefulness.
Gil who could barely walk, gathered up his strength and walked to the bunker. Tony and I were on both sides of him as a guide. Once inside the safety of the doors, Gil grew weaker. He made it half way down the stairs, before telling me he was sorry and passing out.
His heavy bag rolled with a thunderous bang down the stairs.
It took Tony and Tom to carry him the rest of the way, and Craig met them with a stretcher.
Gil was out.
When Craig finally let me in to see him, he was hooked up to a monitor and IV.
But before letting me and Tony into the medical room, Craig told us his condition.
“He’s suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. He has healing burns, that I am going to attribute to the heat we had,” Craig explained. “Right now he has second degree frostbite on his face. His body temperature is ninety degrees and all his vitals have slowed down. He’s still unconscious and needs lots of rest.
“Where did he come from?” Tony asked. “Do you have any clue? Obviously he never made it to Texas.”
“No.” Craig said. “We don’t. We’ll have to wait for him to wake up. I’ll put a round the clock watch on him. Anna, did you want to take one of the shifts?”
“No. I’d like to see him though.”
Craig allowed it and I went in alone. Tony said he had something to do.
Gil looked peaceful and Craig had cleaned him up, which I appreciated. It was like a dream and was hard to accept as reality.
I was told he didn’t make it, yet there he was. How did he get there?
It was a mystery that would only be solved once he woke up.
I stayed with Gil for a little while. Duke, Peter and Nelly all stopped in to see him and to tell me they were excited for me.
Excited was not a word I would use to describe my feelings. Waiting for Gil to wake up started to feel more like something I dreaded. In reality, I did.
After an hour of sitting with Gil, Skyler came in and I left. I told him to radio when Gil woke up and I went to seek out Tony.
Rumor had it he was in his office and that was exactly where I found him.
He had Gil’s bag and was going through it.
“Can I ask why you are going through his bag?” I asked.
“Trying to find a clue as to where he was. Look what I found.” Tony tossed the frozen item on the desk.