Nothing To Fear ....

Unsettling News

      Hawley woke the next morning to the welcoming smell of coffee , and pulled himself out of bed , seeing that Ashley was already gone , and CC was in front of the mirror adjusting the bandanna holding his hair out of his eyes .

      "Rise and shine , dude , or you might have to fight somebody for breakfast ." , the lanky drummer greeted him . "I heard Jinxx mumbling something about waffles on his way downstairs , and I can tell ya , Joe and Jesse could probably put away most of them on their own ."

      "Thanks , man , I'll be down in a minute ." , Hawley replied . Rummaging through his bag , he found a comb to tame his hair , then threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt . Pulling on his boots , he made his way downstairs and found Jenny , Yanni , and the Jakes assembling breakfast , while the others set the table , poured drinks , or engaged in other activities .

      "Good morning , Master Hawley ." , Crane said . "How is your shoulder faring today ?"

      He moved his arm experimentally , and replied , "Better , thanks . Still a little sore , but I think I'm good , as long as nobody wants me to arm - wrestle in the near future ."

      "Glad to hear it ." , Faith said , mussing his hair as she walked past the chair he was in the process of seating himself in . "I'm hoping that they can get the roads passable today , so someone can get Mr . Devashar into town and get a real doctor to work on his wrist . That splint is okay for a day or two , but if it doesn't get into a cast soon , they'll probably end up having to re - break it , if not do surgery ."

      "If we can't get the truck out , we can call Chief Potter and see if they have snowmobiles or something to get out here , or maybe a helicopter ." , Jon reassured her . "I'm sure somebody around here has some way to get around in shitty weather like this ."

      "Okay , everybody ! Food's ready !" , Yanni announced , as he and the others began placing serving dishes on the table . Everyone found a seat and began loading their plates with waffles , hash browns , and scrambled eggs , with the exception of Andy , who was given a grilled vegetable wrap in place of the eggs .

      As they ate , Jenny suggested that they spend more time going through the books and papers they had brought back , to try to find anything that might resemble the spell mentioned in Eli Horton's journal , or at least provide a clue where else they should look . Crane agreed , and they started planning out how to divide the task , to check everything thoroughly , in the shortest period of time .

      After everyone had eaten their fill , Faith began gathering the dishes and carrying them to the sink to wash them , since the dishwasher wasn't connected to the generator . Hawley rose from his chair , and said , "I'll give you a hand there , kid . I should do something to help out while I'm here , I suppose ."

      Ashley volunteered to help as well , and they divided the task between them , deciding that Ashley would empty and scrape the dishes , Faith would wash , and Hawley would dry . They worked quickly , and had almost finished when Hawley glanced toward the living room and remarked , "I guess Abbie must've had stuff she couldn't get out of at work , since she's not with them . Usually her and the Professor are basically joined at the hip ."

      Faith's head snapped toward him , and she gave him a look that Ashley couldn't decipher . "Abbie ? Are you talking about Jenny's sister ?" , she asked .

      "Well , yeah , that's the only Abbie I know ." , Hawley responded . "Kicks ass just as well as Jenny , but just a tad more diplomatic . Have you met her yet ?"

      Ashley began to feel slightly uneasy when Faith put down the cloth she was holding and placed a hand on Hawley's arm . "How long have you been away , Nicky ?" , she asked in a quiet voice .