Newsletter with Part 6 of Free Continuing Story!
And Book Deals!
Hello!
I hope this finds you well. I’m going to keep this part of the newsletter brief since it is late and we just got back from visiting my parents. Sadly, they are still not over the effects of Covid. Dad developed Covid pneumonia and may also have long Covid. They are still in nursing care and need help with their basic care. But they are in a good and kind facility. And we still have hope that they will progress.
I’m doing better, though I still have a cough. I needed to go back to regular life, but often find myself weak and tired. This thing certainly can take a while to beat.
However, not to pity myself too much because I’m aware others are in the same boat or worse, whether from Covid or another disease. My heart goes out to anyone who is dealing with hardships like this and their caretakers. Both sides are hard.
With all the problems, I’ve found a scripture that encourages me. Bible readers will probably find it familiar. Non-Bible readers may have seen similar advice in self-help books and magazines. It is in Matthew 6:34. It says: “Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will have its own anxieties.”
The old “take it one day at a time”. Good advice in most situations, in my opinion.
Take Care and Happy Reading,
Maira :)
What Used To Be series: Albert Anderson PhD (Part 5)
Copyright©MairaDawn2023
Previously: Albert is with the military in a secret underground bunker eagerly watching the beginning of The Fall. He begins to see all his plans for any experiments that make it to earth crumble when the Captain orders the larger debris to be broken up. In desperation, he uses his secret experiment—a transporter—to move some of the experiments from space to his lab. It was a one-in-a-billion shot, but it worked.
Knowing there are more experiments to find, Albert convinces two soldiers to join him in a search for more experimental boxes. Outside the compound, Albert finds more science experiments and an injured woman.
Part 6:
The soldiers nodded and carefully lifted the woman onto a stretcher, carrying her back to the facility, Albert leading the way.
As soon as Albert hurried down the stairs of the underground facility and made sure they safely hid the woman in his beloved laboratory, he asked the soldiers to keep watch. He then assessed the unconscious woman. Although he wasn’t a medical doctor, he was confident that his knowledge of biology would be enough to save her.
Her vitals were good, and though several deep bruises and cuts needed tended to, no bones were broken. How she had survived the fall was incredible.
His breath shaky over the excitement of yet another unusual situation he could study, he bandaged the woman’s wounds and hooked her up to an IV drip containing antibiotics and painkillers.
The woman stirred, moaning softly in pain, so Albert upped the amount of painkillers until she fell into a deep sleep. He patted her on the shoulder. The longer she slept, the better.
He took a moment to really look at her. Not as a subject, but as a human being. Staring at her sleeping face, he felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He yanked his hand off her shoulder and stepped back.
How strange that a stranger would evoke such powerful feelings in him, and so quickly, too. Strange and yet surprisingly comforting at the same time.
He turned to the soldiers. “We need to figure out who she is,” Albert said firmly. “And if she has any family or friends, who will come looking for her?”
The soldiers agreed. “Will do, Doc. We’ll do the best we can, considering there’s a—you know—apocalypse going on out there.”
“There is bound to be some information in the wreckage.” He glared at them. “You just need to find it.”
The men exchanged a look that clearly said this was an impossible mission. “There’s a fire in the wreck,” one objected.
The other hushed him. “We’ll take care of it, sir.” He pushed his buddy out the door.
Albert sighed, glad they were leaving.
He watched them walk down the hallway through the door of his laboratory. Then he slowly shut the sturdy metal door, more like a bank vault door than a regular office door.
It clanged against its frame.
He turned the lock.
It would take a bomb to get in here now.
Several hours later, the woman stirred.
Albert left the experiment he had been working on and raced to her side.
She looked up at Albert, instantly recognizing him. It impressed him. “Thank you,” she said, her voice weak. “I thought I was going to die out there.”
“You’re safe now,” Albert assured her with a smile. “You’re in good hands.”
The woman nodded, tears in her eyes. “What is happening out there? All of a sudden, it seemed as if every loose item in space was coming at me.”
Albert hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to tell her. But he knew she deserved to know the truth. “It is the government’s fault. They are destroying everything,” he said, anger in his voice. “But I’m doing what I can to salvage what’s left.”
The woman’s forehead wrinkled, and her expression showed her confusion. “I . . . I guess I’m just confused . . . or it’s the massive headache I have. I’m not remembering that part of it. But thank you for saving me. And . . . and for doing what you can to save the world.”
Warmth spread through Albert’s chest. Finally, someone who understood. Her understanding drew him to her. And he marveled that he already had a sense of responsibility toward her. But it seemed reasonable. He’d saved the woman’s life.
What he wanted more than anything in the world was to protect her. He couldn’t let her go back out into the chaos above ground. And if the colonel found her and told the government, they would take her away from him.
“It’s a horrible, dangerous mess outside. It’s a miracle you’re alive. For now, we’ll keep you safe here,” he said. “But we have to keep your visit a secret.”
Fear flashed over her face, and she shifted in her seat. “Why?”
“Because the government wants to destroy anything that came out of the sky. Including humans.”
She shook her head, then stopped and winced. “But that doesn’t make sense!”
“Since when does the government make sense?” Albert was very careful not to touch her as he reassured her. “I’m not saying you have to stay here forever. Just until we can sneak you out.”
He watched her carefully. She seemed a little less scared now. He pushed harder. A cooperative subject was better than a hostile one. “It shouldn’t take long. I just want you to be safe.”
She looked at the floor as if considering his proposal. It was a good sign. But women, they were tricky.
Finally, she nodded. “Okay. Let’s see what happens when the night is over. For now, I’ll rest here.”
Albert nodded and turned toward a medical cabinet, a cold smile on his face.
To be continued . . .
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