“You’re not giving me much to work with,” I murmured. I took her hand in both of mine, chafed it softly. “It would really be nice if you would make an effort. My friends are going to be depressed enough. They could use some good news. Besides, with Kyle still gone… It will be hard to evacuate everyone without having to carry you around, too. I know you want to help. This is your family here, you know. These are your kind. They’re very nice. Most of them. You’ll like them.”

The gently lined face was vacant with unconsciousness. She was quite pretty in an inconspicuous way—her features very symmetrical on her oval face. Forty-five, maybe a little younger, maybe a little older. It was hard to tell with no animation in the face.

“They need you,” I went on, pleading now. “You can help them. You know so much that I never knew. Doc tries so hard. He deserves some help. He’s a good man. You’ve been a Healer for a while now; some of that care for the well-being of others must have rubbed off on you. You’ll like Doc, I think.

“Is your name Sarah? Emily? Kristin?”

I stroked her soft cheek, but there was no response, so I took her limp hand in mine again. I gazed at the blue sky through the holes in the high ceiling. My mind wandered.

“I wonder what they’ll do if Kyle never comes back. How long will they hide? Will they have to find a new home somewhere else? There are so many of them.… It won’t be easy. I wish I could help them, but even if I could stay, I don’t have any answers.

“Maybe they’ll get to stay here… somehow. Maybe Kyle won’t mess up.” I laughed humorlessly, thinking of the odds. Kyle wasn’t a careful man. However, until that situation was resolved, I was needed. Maybe, if there were Seekers looking, they would need my infallible eyes. It might take a long time, and that made me feel warmer than the sun on my skin. Made me feel grateful that Kyle was impetuous and selfish. How long until we were sure we were safe?

“I wonder what it’s like here when it gets cold. I can barely re-member feeling cold. And what if it rains? It has to rain here sometime, doesn’t it? With all these holes in the roof, it must get really wet. Where does everyone sleep then, I wonder.” I sighed. “Maybe I’ll get to find out. Probably shouldn’t bet on that, though. Aren’t you curious at all? If you would wake up, you could get the answers. I’m curious. Maybe I’ll ask Ian about it. It’s funny to imagine things changing here.… I guess summer can’t last forever.”

Her fingers fluttered for one second in my hand.