Second Dead

  Chapter 32: Major Charles Penri

  Anthony and Dad put Penri onto an old worktable tucked in the center of the barn. Jane cut away his pant leg and grimaced at what she saw.

  “This will hurt,” Jane said. “A lot.”

  “I have a medic-kit in the Humvee. Lots of morphine,” Penri gasped.

  “Are you an addict?” Voice even, Jane eyed him with suspicion.

  “Might be. I’ve lived on the damn stuff for weeks,” Penri groaned.

  Klara and Susan ran to the Humvee to retrieve the Major’s kit. Squeals of astonishment followed. Klara exclaimed, “Sanguis.”

  They returned and Klara nestled in her arms a black and gray cat with white paws and a large white patch on its chest.

  This had to be some sort of a cosmic joke. What were the chances of finding a cat, any cat, much less a black and white tabby?

  I was being, well, something. This cat was not really black and white. Nor could it be Winford’s feline. Gray stripes were the cat’s predominant feature. The small white chest and paws were a coincidence.

  Hell, cats and people have coexisted for thousands of years. Nothing supernatural here. The cat had been hungry. He came across Penri and associated him with a source of food. No need to imagine something that wasn’t.

  “Is he yours?” Susan asked.

  “No. He found me,” Penri said. “So in a way I’m his human.”

  “Does he have a name?” Susan asked.

  “It’s Sanguis, and he’s a she.” Klara showed us its underbelly. “I found Winford’s cat, just like he asked.” She walked away to show the children.

  “Father never had no damn cat,” Jane hissed.

  “Yeah, well, don’t tell Klara. She--” Susan paused, watched Klara walk away and whispered, “Needs this, I think.”

  Jane rummaged through the major’s medic bag and appeared pleased with the contents. She pulled out a medi-pen and injected Penri’s thigh.

  She threaded a curved needle with suture string and grinned at Theo. “If I had this yesterday I could have stitched you up better. Want me to do you when I’m done here?”

  “Uh, no. I’ll live with the scar.”

  “An idiot and a coward,” Jane said, not unkindly.

  She shooed Susan and I away and announced she needed a volunteer to help clean Penri. Dad and Anthony had the good sense to disappear.

  “Over here, people,” Dad called from the fire. He said to Jane, “I’ll want to talk to him when you’re finished.”

  Dad glanced from Anthony to Susan. “Listen, I need Chris and Maria down here. Susan, you and Anthony go relieve them for a while. Jane will speak for your family, son.”