Dan came to the fence, “Beckett, Luna, I’m sorry to interrupt, but if I’m going to get you to the bus station in time, we should probably move.”

Beckett said, “Aargh.” He ran his hands over his head. “Can I run away again?”

Dan smirked, “Proving that dumbasses go army. We got your girl, none of us are leaving until she goes home. With your aunt Chickadee. We’re out in the rain. You can trust us.”

Beckett nodded, his eyes on Luna. “You’ll be okay Luna, right?”

“I trust you, them, I’ll be okay.”

Chickadee stood from her chair. “Hug your Aunty, Beckie.” He wrapped up in Chickadee’s smothering hug. Into his ear she said, “You take care of yourself. You’re doing good work, important work. You’re placing sandbags keeping the water at bay. You’re a hero. You go be a hero and we’ll handle this. No worries.”

Beckett nodded into her shoulder.

Next Dilly hugged him then she leaned back to look up at his face. “You have to keep your heart focused on the long goal, but your brain concentrating on the present time. Do what you have to do minute by minute and the moments will slide by. You’ll have a weekend with us in three months. And you’ll call every week. We’ll be waiting.”

Beckett was unable to speak he was so overcome. He was home, but he spent the whole time in jail, all that precious time — what he wouldn’t do to have it back. He turned back to Luna. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Of course you will, and you know where to find me.” She gave him a bittersweet grin.

“I do, it’s a house on a mountain, northeast of here by about two hours.” He gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you something to think about while I’m gone.”

She said, “It’s okay, I have enough.”

Dan gave him another reminding pat on the shoulder and Beckett turned to go, but suddenly Luna’s hand went to her stomach with a low moan.

Beckett spun. “You okay?”

She nodded, grimaced, and swallowed. “I just — ugh.”

She leaned over, hands on her knees, retching. “Ugh,” she said again.

Beckett crouched and peered up into her face. “Luna?”

She spit onto the cement. “Ugh, it’s okay, I’m fine I—” She vomited all over her feet.

“Luna, you okay? Dr Mags!”

Dr Mags rushed the fence. “Sit down so you don’t fall down.”

Luna slumped to the ground. Waterfolk gathered around her. Dr Mags said, “Jeffrey go to the building. Tell them I need access to Luna.” Jeffrey darted away.

Dan said, “I’m sorry to say this Beckett, but you have to go. Or you’ll be late.”

“I’m not going, I won’t.”

Dan stepped in front of Beckett. “You won’t go?”

“You heard me—”

Dan stepped into Beckett’s space, “What, the dumbass won’t go?”

“Fuck you.”

Beckett tried to step around him, but Dan planted two hands on his chest and shoved him backwards up the hill. “You going back to the fence? Because only dumbasses go back to the fence.”

Beckett tried to swipe Dan’s hands away.

Dan shoved him so hard that he stumbled three steps. “Dumbasses stay here.”

“Stop calling me a dumbass. I’m starting to get pissed off.”

“Oh yeah? Well I’m pissed off too. Look at you — with your scarred hands, your busted face, your girlfriend in a pen. And the only reason you’re not in jail is because you have the best lawyer in the world, and he got you off. Well guess what — he can’t do it again. You blow this chance and you’ll rot in that jail or worse, East, the front. Is that what you want?” He shoved Beckett so hard he fell on the slick grassy slope.

Beckett, from down in the mud, asked, “Dan would you leave if it was Sarah? Would you leave?”

“I wouldn’t want to, but I hope I’d have a friend who would kick my ass to make me. Because you friend, have to get on that bus. And if you don’t leave now, you’re going to miss it.”

Luna raised her head and called across the crowd to Beckett, “Go, I’m fine. I didn’t eat very well —” She retched and heaved again.

“I can’t leave, crap, I can’t—”

Dan said, “You have to. We’ll give you updates — you have to go or they won’t allow you to come back.”

Luna wiped her mouth on her wrist. “Beckett, I have a stomach bug or something. I probably ate too many apples or. . .” She swallowed, fighting down another upheave.

Chickadee leaned into Beckett’s field of vision. “What are you going to do here? Watch Luna throw up what she ate, then sit in jail? You can’t help, so go. You’re the first to hear when she’s all better.”

Luna threw up again.

Dilly said quietly, “You have to Beckett.” She offered him her hand, helped him up, and turned him away toward the parking lot. Dan pulled beside him as escort.

Beckett asked, “You’ll call me, right? Dan? Dilly? You’ll call?”

Dan and Dilly both nodded and assured Beckett all the way to the car.