Enforced (Book 1)

Chapter 39

Benjamin grabbed my hand as we were walking. It had been an hour since we began walking, and it was about 9:00. "I am so glad to have you here with me. Alive." Benjamin whispered, "That could have been us, Bethany. You could be dead, leaving me with nothing but memories." He squeezed my hand.

"But it wasn't." I whispered back.

"And I thank God for that every day." He replied.

We walked for another half hour or so before we heard Sophie's stomach begin to growl. "Ready to stop for breakfast?" Benjamin asked our allies.

"I am hungry." Came Sophie's soft voice.

"Okay. " Benjamin said, "Let's stop and eat." We all stopped and took our backpacks off and pulled our water bottles out. I pulled out a bag of freshly picked berries, Benjamin pulled out a can of beans and a can of pears. Sophie pulled out a loaf of bread, Alex pulled out a box of granola bars, and Cory pulled out a jar of peanut butter. We all added it to a pile. We looked at it, mouths watering. Benjamin and I hadn't eaten anything but beans and vegetables and berries since the motel.

Benjamin pulled one of the pocket knives from his bag and cut the bread and opened the cans of food. We all shared the food. Benjamin and I ate graciously. When we were done eating we went to the nearest water source and refilled our water bottles. I gave everyone a water-purifying tablet and we began walking again.

"That was delicious." I said after we had begun walking again.

"Better than anything I had back at home." He replied. It always hurt to hear about Benjamin's sad past. I only hoped his future would be better.

"Benjamin?" I asked.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I promise I will do anything and everything in my power to make your- I mean, our, future better than the past."

"It's already better." He said squeezing my hand, "Because I have you.

"I smiled and squeezed back.

I felt someone tugging on my shirt and I looked down. "Yes Sophie?"

"Can you be my new big sister?"

I smiled. "Of course." I replied.

"Awesome." She whispered, grabbing the hand that wasn't holding Benjamin's. I looked back at Alex and Cory who were walking directly behind us. Alex nodded his head, silently giving me his approval and thanking me. I nodded back.

Benjamin adjusted his hand, weaving his fingers through mine. "You'll make a great big sister." He whispered, and I smiled.

After that we were all silent, so I jumped when Sophie started coughing. I started off slow, but eventually she was doubled over in a coughing fit. She was still holding my hand. I looked back at Alex, "She has a cold I think." He said.

"I'm not so sure," I replied, "It sounds like it might be Pneumonia." I stopped the group and put my bag on the ground and pulled out my medical kit, and from that, my stethoscope.   

I had Sophie sit down. I moved the stethoscope around her chest and back to listen to her heart and lungs. "I think it's Pneumonia." I said, "She needs to rest. We have to stop, unless someone wants to carry her. We can take turns."

"I'll carry her first." Alex said, "I'm sorry Sophie, I thought it was just a cold."

"It's okay." She replied, still inhaling deeply trying to get air.

"Sophie, I have a few doctor's orders for you. You need to drink lots and lots of water, take some of this Aspirin, and keep this hot pack on your chest to loosen the mucus."

"Yes, doctor." She said.

I smiled at her and gave her a pat on the head. I put my kit away and hoisted my backpack back on my shoulders. I tried to lift Sophie off the ground, and my ribs screamed in protest. Benjamin tried to help me, but I pushed him away because his shoulder was still healing. Alex came over and helped me. "Thank you." I breathed, exhausted.

"Yeah. No problem." Alex replied, "And you really should be careful, with, you know, everything. From what you told me, the injuries you sustained were pretty horrific. Even though it's been a long time you should still be careful, you don't want to reinjure yourself."

"Maybe she'll listen to you." Benjamin said, "She never listens to me, she's stubborn."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Let's get going." I said.

"See what I mean?" Benjamin whispered. They both chuckled. Eventually Benjamin and Alex stopped screwing around and Benjamin caught up with me.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I see you made a new friend." I said to him.

"Not yet," he said, "I only have one friend." He squeezed my shoulder.

"I think I'm going to miss when it was just us every once in a while." I whispered.

"Me too," he replied, "but it's nice to have someone on our side."

"Yeah," I said, "I'm just going to miss our, um, late night talks."

"Yeah," Benjamin laughed, "talking."

"We do have good talks."

"Yeah, and even better late night kisses." He replied. I nodded and smiled.

Behind us Sophie continued coughing. I turned around and tossed Alex the hot pack to put on her chest. "You're going to be a great mother." Benjamin said. "If that's what you want I mean. If you want to be a mother."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"You just care so much about others." He said.

"So do you, I think that you will make a phenomenal dad, if that's what you want." I replied.

Benjamin chuckled, "I hope so." Then he mumbled something I couldn't quite catch.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing." He replied, "I shouldn't have even said it."

"Tell me what you said."

"I said, if I'm not dead before then." He replied.

"Stop, Benjamin, don't talk like that. We've made it too far."

"Yes, we have." Benjamin replied, "I'm sorry for saying that, it's just, my whole life I feel like I have hanging on by a thread. I don't know how or why I made it this far. I feel like I am living on borrowed time. I mean, how did I make it passed my first couple years? I was too young and too weak to withstand what my family put me through, yet somehow I did, I survived. And after that, how did I survive all of those beatings? I should have died. No one should be able to live through what I lived through. Why have I made it this far? What could God have in store for me?"

I squeezed his hand, "You survived because you are strong. I don't know what God has in store for you, but it will be amazing, because you are amazing, Benjamin. You will continue to live Benjamin, because you are strong. We will make it through this. Together."

He squeezed my hand back and whispered, "Together."