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"Where are you?" she asked

"Here Co into the water slowly, she felt disoriented and afraid Behind her the wind howled

"Coain "Come to my voice"

"Ralph?"

Noater up to her waist, she felt the ater lapping up around her hands as she held them out at her sides

The howl of the as louder now, al in her ears

"Don’t look behind you, Nerit, just come here," Ralph’s voice persisted

Slowly, despite his words, Nerit turned Behind her the shore was filled with the undead, screa to enter the water behind her

Then a hand reached out of the water, grabbed her and dragged her down into the salty depths

In the tiny clinic rooers tre chest, she tried to focus her eyes and take a deep breath It hurt at first, then the pain in her chest lessened and she pressed her hand to her forehead

The IV was an annoying pain in her wrist, but she ignored it as she caught sight of Kevin asleep in a chair near the door

"Kevin?"

She was sure the voice in her dream had been Ralph, but now she wasn’t so sure

Slowly, Ralph stepped out of the shadows near the bed and sat down in the chair closest to her He smiled softly at her and reached out to take the hand still clutching the bed covers

"Nerit, you’re okay You’re awake It was hard to get you back You were so far gone"

"Ralph," she whispered, laying her other hand over his "I can feel your hand"

"Only for a little bit, hon," he answered, giving her a s?"

"No, hon You’re awake Out of the co up for you, you know," Ralph said with a wink

"What’s happening?" Nerit asked slowly, cautiously

Looking sad, Ralph sighed and squeezed her hand "What happens next is gonna be hard Not toProbably not to yours But how it is"

"Ralph, you’re frightening y and unsure of the world around her The dreams of Israel had been so vivid they had felt real to her

"Soood We gotta do the hard job The thing that hurts hed softly

"Lots of prayers for you, like I said Lots of fear here Lots of need"

"Ralph, please, I know I have cancer, I know--" She dreaded that he was here to take her for good

"Not no one I wanted you holy sad and Nerit squeezed his hand tightly "But, you got an extension You got more time They need you here They need who you are and what you can do I even prayed myself for you to stay here"

"Ralph, I’ll always love you and-" The sense of relief she felt was overwhelht on for the fort, it was all she wanted, yet; she felt so sad to not be with hies everything for the fort Time is not set in stone Some of us on the other side realized that

We saw it all: Past, Present, Future We knehat could happen and e found a place in ti to turn out okay, but you guys got a better chance now"

"I don’t understand, Ralph," Nerit said softly