19. “Why the Face?”
Ethan woke up with much less energy than he’d had the previous day, more groggy and drained than sore. He had slept soundly and without dreaming most of the night and woke only once when Maurice dropped a boot on the wooden floor. Ethan rolled his shoulder muscles before he stood up in the cold, damp bunkhouse. He stretched, yawned, tousled his hair, slipped into clean socks and underwear, and his still damp loggers’ faller’s pants that weighed more when the protective pads were wet. His Stanfields were damp, too. After he used the outhouse, he went to the cook shack, where he joined Maurice and Hacki for breakfast. Sheena took a quick look at Ethan and said, “Sit. I’ll bring you coffee.”
Sheena toasted more fresh-baked bread while she fried thick halibut steaks. The
