Twelve: Apologies

I took off my socks and shoes, revealing my wrinkly white feet. There were broken blisters on some toes and on the side of one foot.

"Ouch," Eleanor winced. "That doesn't look good. I'll get the first aid kit and find out if the gym downstairs is still open so you can have a shower and get properly cleaned up."

Katja returned and Eleanor left.

"Here's your bag," Katja said. "Were you really at Heartly Station last night?"

"Yeah," I rubbed my face. "People got trampled in the panic and some got so desperate they started fighting the Boskies. The Boskies just looked like ordinary people you know. Then they took off their jackets or shirts and suddenly they were soldiers. Then the shooting started and all I could do was run. It was so scary."

"I'll bet," Katja agreed with wide eyes. "I was having dinner with a friend and all of a sudden there was that massive explosion. The whole place shook."

"So you managed to stay over at your friend's place?"

"Yeah," Katja said. "I guess I got lucky."

"I was talking to my Dad when the cell tower got blown up," I wiped my eyes. "He was trying to find out where I was and if I was safe. The Boskies had been chasing them on that side too, you know. When I got back to the Heartly Station area, there were people looting shops. There were fights and stuff. The most scary thing was that I saw the Boskies. They'd gone back undercover again. They threatened to kill me if I reported them. I could only run and try to lose them. It was a good thing I ran into a police patrol and the army. I don't know what might have happened to me otherwise."

"Sugar. That sounds so scary," Katja put her hand to her chest, her breath coming in faster puffs.

Eleanor had returned and heard the tail end of my story.

"Thunder balls," she said, giving me a sideways hug about the shoulders. "I'm glad you escaped, Jean. There's one worker in the gym downstairs, although it's not open for business. They said they'll let you in since we're regulars. Would you like some company?"

"Yes, please," I replied.

"I'll come with you," Katja said, taking my bag from me and the first aid kit from Eleanor.

"Don't put those runners back on," Eleanor told me. "They're too wet. We'll leave them here to dry. Take your time. There's no rush to get any work done today. I'd come too but Boss will likely have a meeting with all the managers and team leaders to discuss what to do. I'll see you later."

"Ok."

"We're going to hit the showers downstairs," Katja told the others when we emerged from the ladies toilets.

People looked down at my white wrinkled feet and oozing blisters and my bag in Katja's hands. There was a long moment of silence.

"I'll come down too," Maurie said. "I didn't get a chance last night."

"I'll come too."

"Me too."

Other people joined us until we had a small entourage.

We exchanged stories of how we passed last night's events. Most of them had stayed with friends or family overnight. One had made it to an emergency shelter without getting soaked. It seemed that my situation had been the most dangerous and intense, but at least all the sharing brought us back together as friends.

Priscilla seemed especially interested in my story and asked for lots of details - but then she would. She probably didn't know that I knew that she was a young government agent and had been monitoring her. If asked, I could even say that after work, she had hand to hand combat training on Mondays, arms practice on Tuesdays and swimming on Wednesdays. She had combat training with various hand held weapons on Thursdays, after which she always went out with her other young friends to the Milky Star Bar that was preferred and frequented by the military and government types. She usually spent Fridays and Saturdays writing reports, having theory classes and giving verbal reports to her superior.

I'd done my homework. I even knew how many personal email accounts she had and what channels she preferred to watch on video streaming platforms. Some of her theory classes had been quite interesting for me to listen in on too. It was just too dangerous for me to listen in regularly, in case their immature cybertech team in training stumbled across me by accident.

There was no reason to burst her bubble where she thought she was a competent agent. Besides, it was beneficial for me to tell her more information while she thought I was relatively relaxed. Nevertheless, I didn't dare tell them about meeting the Bosky soldier in detail or about how Henry had really crossed the flooded railway. Just in case.

"I'm sorry for doubting you earlier," Maurie told me quietly. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

He wasn't the only one to apologise. Other people came to speak to me quietly as well and say that they were sorry.

At least after that, I didn't feel so alone.