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Chapter 13

In the cabin, Harold was passed out while Janet sat staring at him from the kitchen table. She was nervous and felt guilty. The only reason Harold had almost died not once, but twice, was because of her. 

She kept thinking about how she was the one who put her cute, chubby husband in these awful predicaments. If she'd just ordered another Sweep-o-Matic and been done with the nonsense, none of this would have happened. 

Bobby had gone outside to bring in some more smaller logs for the wood burner. He had the pile stacked up as high as it could without toppling over. The burner was pumping out as much heat as it possibly could. 

It was so warm in the cabin that the cold from the outside was barely felt when Bobby came in every once in a while with more logs. Bobby also went back and got some fresh water from the stream for Harold to drink if he awoke. The dishes and everything were back in their respective places. 

Janet couldn't get over the feeling that they should be back home in bed where it's safe watching their hologram displays. The thought made her begin to weep and Bobby, who was taking his boots off, noticed and went to her side to console her. He wrapped his big arms around her from a kneeling position and assured her Harold would be alright. 

"Don't worry Janet, he wasn't in there long and we got him back here right away," Bobby said, still kneeling down but no longer hugging her. 

"It's not that. I know he will. But this is the second time I've almost killed my husband all because I was selfish and stupid," she sobbed falling back into his arms. 

"You're not selfish or stupid. Don't say that. Harold wouldn't want you talking like that," he continued to console her. 

She caught her breath and gained some control of her sobbing. Crying wasn't something she'd done in a long time. Janet thought to herself how long it'd been since she'd felt pain. 

It reminded her that she was alive, she could still feel. This made the tears start back up and the emotions and thoughts and everything over the last few decades that had been bottled up suddenly were released. 

"I thought I was helping us!" she yelled to Bobby. 

Startled, he moved her away from his chest and looked in her eyes, "You need to relax for Harold's sake. You need to be strong. He needs you. Listen to me Janet what you did was right. How those people there in town live is wrong. They aren't living. Even if Harold died here tonight in this cabin at least he went out aware of what was really going on back there. The lies people were living. Walking through life mindless and escaping into worlds that don't exist. Now I want you to stop blaming yourself, ya hear me?"

"You're right. You're right. I know," Bobby's stern words had snapped her back to reality. "I'm sorry for this. I just haven't felt these emotions in so long it'll take me some time to remember how to get them under control." 

Bobby smiled, relieved she was calming down. 

"It's okay. I understand. Just remember what I said. You two made the right move leaving that way of life to come live out here in the woods," Bobby said as he got up to tend to the wood burner. 

Part of Bobby's last sentence caught Janet off guard, "Live out here?.. We aren't going to live out here." 

Bobby was opening the wood burner door to put another log in.

"Well sure you are. What do you think you two are just gonna walk back into town and go back to just living normally?" 

Janet was confused and didn't see his point.