Beneath THE BLEEDING SKY

Episode 5-Darkness(II)

Davin led the way with Patty cradled in his arms. His deeply tanned hands were a startling contrast to the child's pale skin. There was a rhythmic grace in his movements and once again Elizabeth gave a prayer of thanks for his presence.

Little blond Debbie walked with her head turned to one side, not looking ahead where she was going but responding to the guiding touch of Mrs. Tompkin's hand in hers. Marietta, who had returned from her errand, had her arms full with a second load of pillows and blankets.

The roar of the thrashing wind and rain was like the rising crescendo of an orchestra in the center corridor. Elizabeth was relieved to see that the tongue of water had not reached that far. All of the doors had been shut along the inner hall and as they hurried past them, the corridor seemed like a confining tunnel that might close in on them at any moment.

Elizabeth was afraid that Buddy Benson would throw his head back and charge forward in a crazed fashion-the way he usually reacted to stress. Even though he was small for a seven-year-old, he was a handful when he became belligerent. Fortunately the storm didn't seem to intrude upon the boy's private world.

Watching Davin stride ahead, she was conscious of the way his damp clothes molded the muscles of his back and legs. The hard sinews of his back flickered with each step and she remembered how his body had felt curved around hers. Even before she had looked into his face, a bewildering sensual attraction arched between them. She had been shaken by her reaction to his protective embrace under the desk... and frightened by it.

It was the storm, she rationalized. Only the hurricane made her long to bury her head against this stranger's chest and close out the world. She jerked her eyes away from his imposing figure and denied the warm desire uncurling within her.

Her relationships with men had always been the feet-on-the-ground kind. No wild thumping of the heart, no breathless anticipation. Before any commitment, she'd been careful to calculate the pluses and minuses of any affair. Not that she hadn't made mistakes. A case in point was the charming doctor whom she'd met recently at the clinic. He was a credit to his polite Southern upbringing-only he turned out to already have a wife of fifteen years. He apologized profusely for the deception. Elizabeth's pride had been hurt, but the pain had not gone much deeper than that. She'd always been guarded in her romantic relationships, but now she was experiencing wanton desires that defied her true sensible nature, and it dismayed her. She couldn't keep her eyes off the stranger's commanding stature, and his rugged handsomeness made her want to touch the lines and planes of his face.

As if he felt her eyes upon him, Davin glanced over his shoulder and gave her a smile that made her feel vulnerable in a way she didn't understand. On some level she welcomed the inexplicable magnetism that was drawing them together, yet a warning flickered deep within her.

They passed the closed doors of the business offices, dispensary, record room and staff lounge. Muffled sounds of destruction outside the building warned of the storm's increased velocity. Elizabeth uttered a prayer of thanks when they reached the recreation room without incident.

Davin quickly surveyed the room, which was filled with exercise equipment, mats, game tables, chairs and a variety of other casual furniture. There was a small kitchenette in one corner. Two doors led to adjoining rest rooms and another into a small storage room lined with shelves of recreation equipment. He set Patty down in a chair and then dragged a huge exercise mat out in the center of the large room.

"We can bed the children down on this." He picked Patty up again and gently set her down on the padded mat. "Nice bed... a nice bed," he said in a soft reassuring voice. He motioned to Marietta to give him a pillow and blanket, which she did in haste, backing quickly away from him."Good boy, Buddy," Elizabeth cooed as she eased him down on the mat. The little boy began rocking back and forth on his knees, singing frantically, "Row, row, your boat...row, row, row your boat...row, row your boat." Over and over and over again he repeated the same refrain. His voice got louder and louder. Elizabeth was familiar with this outward sign of stress. Her chest tightened. What would they do if things got worse and they had three uncontrollable children on their hands?

The nurse laid Debbie down with another pillow and blanket. A loud whimpering came deep from her chest and Mrs. Tompkin sent Elizabeth a worried look.

"Where's the storage room?" demanded Davin.

"I'll check and see if I can find anything that looks like emergency supplies."

Elizabeth told him and with a sinking heart watched him stride out of the room. What if he didn't come back? Last time he had returned disheveled and shaken. Maybe a second time he wouldn't be so lucky. Please... please come back safely.

Mrs. Tompkin began to organize the things they'd brought with them. Elizabeth checked the kitchenette where drinks and simple snacks were usually prepared. The small refrigerator held cheese, peanut butter, a package of lunch meat, milk and juice. "We'd better fix them something now," she told Mrs. Tompkin. Supper was going to be a lean affair.

The nurse nodded. "Marietta, you help."

Elizabeth did the best she could to encourage the children but none of them ate very much. Her own tense stomach muscles mocked the idea of food.

When Davin came back, she felt a spurt of relief.

"Did you find anything?"

He set down one box marked Emergency. It contained one Coleman lantern and four flashlights. His expression was grim. "There might have been more but that part of the building is taking in water. Big chunks of the ceiling have already fallen in."

"Well, one box is better than none," she said with an optimism she didn't feel.

"We have the medications that the children usually need," Mrs. Tompkin assured him. "All three of them are on mild tranquilizers but I'm wondering if we shouldn't give them an additional mild sedative to keep them under control."

"Do what you think best," Elizabeth told her, worried about Buddy's growing agitation. She had to trust the nurse to know what medications to give. It would be better for everyone if the children slept through the brunt of the storm.

"I sure could use a cup of coffee, though," the nurse said regretfully as Davin opened cupboards and closets and made a pile of towels, ropes, canvas and extra gym clothes in the middle of the floor.

"I'll slip down to the staff lounge and bring back the coffeemaker from there," Elizabeth said. "We ought to brew a pot while we can. No telling how long we'll have power," she said as a shiver of apprehension made her breath short. The lights could go any minute.

"I don't think you should leave this room," countered the nurse.

"It'll just take a minute. The lounge isn't that far away."

"I'll go with you," said Davin, coming up behind her.

"No-"

"We might find some other things we need." He took her elbow as if the matter were settled.

She knew she should show him that she was an independent woman who could take care of herself, but to be honest she wasn't keen on flying any women's lib banners at the moment. She was grateful for his arm around her waist as they hurried down the hall to the staff lounge.

"Here we are." She held her breath as they opened the door and then let it out when she saw that the room was still intact. The lounge was usually a haven of quiet, a place to escape from the emotionally draining demands of patients. There was no peace and quiet in the lounge now as the storm wreaked its havoc upon the building. Metal shutters on a high narrow window vibrated as if ready to give way at any moment and demolishing blows against the outside wall sounded like a giant wrecker's ball.

The furnishings included a daybed, various chairs and a sectional sofa in front of a television set that had gone dead. A microwave oven, refrigerator and a three-burner stove provided the staff with the comforts of a private kitchen.

"I'll get the coffee." Elizabeth said, reaching into a cupboard for a can of coffee and boxes of packaged sugar and creamer. "We have several nurses with a sweet tooth. There's probably a hoard of cookies and crackers in the cupboard," she told Davin."You're right," Davin said as he retrieved cookies, three large Hershey bars and a box of chocolate covered cherries. "Have one?" he offered, holding out the opened box of chocolates.

"No, thanks... we have to hurry."

He took one of the chocolates out of the box and popped it into his mouth. A look of utter enjoyment crossed his face as he savored the candy. A wet strand of hair dangled on his forehead and for the first time she saw a boyish glint in his eyes. She was surprised by the surge of tenderness that swept over her. He had lost his formidable brooding air. She found herself smiling at him as his tongue swept over his lips to savor the last speck of chocolate. Her gaze fastened on his moist mouth, soft and inviting. She wondered what it would be like to share the sweet warm taste of his lips. "Are you sure you don't want one?"

"There isn't time."

"There's always time," he corrected, and then added ruefully, "but not always enough of the right kind."

She found herself smiling at him as his tongue swept over his lips to savor the chocolate. "You missed some." She lifted a drop of chocolate from the corner of his mouth with her finger and held it in front of him.

With a knowing smile he took her hand and licked the sweetness, nibbling and kissing her finger. The brush of his tongue stimulated a spiral of startling warmth.

"We have to go," she protested as he pressed a kiss in the soft curve of her palm. She quickly took her hand away but his face remained breathtakingly close to hers. "We have to go," she said again, but the protest was hollow. She closed her eyes as his mouth found hers. His kiss claimed her with a fierce passion that was bewildering.

"My precious love," he whispered as she clung to him. "Mine... mine..."

She was aware of a timeless, boundless tie to this man that went beyond rational thought. His kiss deepened, his hands shaped the curve of her back and waist, and an explosive force like the storm arched between them. At that second a deafening crack like the strike of lightning exploded close by.

The lights went off.