We need to move on from here to the next city. I want to leave early so that we will reach the next city late afternoon. It will also give enough time for bathroom breaks in between the drive. It is still dark outside when I try to wake up Zinnia. This girl can sleep!
I bump her on her arm but she does not move. I start to shake her a little but all she does is groans and goes back to sleep. How am I going to wake her up? I climb off the bed and remove the blankets from her. One thing that will wake her is cold air. She gets cold fast. I noticed she has socks on her feet and removes those too. Her feet will be cold soon enough. All I have to do is wait for the cold to settle on her body. Slowly the cold creeps up to her and she starts to move. In her sleep, she is trying to feel for the blankets but she can't find any. Her hand moves to my side where I slept and she finds it empty. She is starting to wake up.
"Wake up, Zinnia it is time to get up and get ready we need to leave," She groans and sits up in bed rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"It is way too early and too freezing cold to get up now." She complains to me.
"I know but we must leave early or we will be stranded next to the road during the night. It will be too dangerous to sleep in the middle of nowhere. Come get up." I stand next to the bed holding my hand out for her. She looks at my hand and decides to take it. Zinnia places her hand in mine I help her up from the bed. Her hand feels so small and delicate in my big hand.
Zinnia goes and gets her clothes for the day with my toiletry bag. I sort of forget to buy her own for her. I climb down first helping her to get down. I do not want her to fall in her half state of away and sleep. Placing my hand on her hips I lift her down from the leader. She feels like she weighs nothing at all. Gently I place her on the ground keeping my hand on her hips to steady her from falling over. She placed her hands on top of mine holding on to me. Her hands are soft and gentle on mine.
"Oh darn! It is still dark outside! What is wrong with you all?" Quinn shouts from her tent.
"You kept us up all night with your snoring. No one could sleep with the sounds of a chainsaw in their ears." Connor just has to tease Quinn. Big mistake on his part. Quinn slams her elbow into his tummy making him grab her elbow pulling her to him kissing her passionately. Zinnia immediately looks away blushing as she does so. Oh boy, she is still innocent. Then it hits me... She has never been touched by a man. What must I make with this information? I prefer more experience women, ones that I can enjoy to my heart's content.
We all make out way to the bathrooms to sort ourselves out for the day. It is still cold and rainy everything is wet and muddy. At least it is only a misty rain we can pack up our things without too many difficulties.
Zinnia comes out of the bathroom looking uncomfortable in her oversized clothing. We need to do a proper shopping trip for her. Hopefully, we will be able to do it in the next city. This city here is too dangerous to take the woman in to shop. Although we sent the rebels to Mars there is always a few hiding away. They are the ones that will hurt the woman just to get back at us. We cannot risk their lives.
We head back to our camp and start to pack up. Zinnia helps to fold up the blankets and put them back in the truck. She sorts out our clothing and packs them neatly in our suitcases. She has trouble reaching the higher things and just leaves them. She rather focuses on the things she can reach. Soon enough we are all set and ready to leave. I drive in front and the rest follow behind me. I have left one blanket out for Zinnia to cover herself if she feels cold. I remember the last time. The poor girl was cold and did not say a word.
Zinnia settles in for the journey to our next destination. She takes my phone and selects music ironically she chooses a journey song. I was about to complain about the music when I look over to her side. She is loving the song it must be one of her favourites. She reaches for the volume and turns the music up. Wow, she is feeling the music. Singing to her heart's content.
Don't stop,
believing,
Hold on to that feeling...
I let her be, she clearly enjoys music. I on the other hand like the quietness of a road trip. It gives me time to think and plan. Guess I will think and plan with music in my ears. We stop for lunch next to the road giving everyone a break to stretch their legs.
Henry helps Riley get out of the truck. I swear he will do anything for her just to make sure she is comfortable and happy. I left Zinnia to fend for herself.
Zinnia opens her door and gets out. The next moment she fell out of the truck landing on her knee and arm.
"Ouch." Looking at her I can't help but laugh. She tried over her long sweatpants and landed on the ground.
"It is not funny. Look at my hands it is dirty and my knee is bleeding. Why couldn't you just let me go and get my own stuff? Now I have to struggle in these oversize sweatpants!" Zinnia is upset and angry.
"Look at me? Nothing fits me, I look like the girl who never leaves the couch." Zinnia looks up at me her eyes full of tears threatening to spill over. I walk over to her helping her dust herself off. Her hands are bruised and the skin on her knee is broken. Lucky I have medical training, her knee is not too bad. A plaster and disinfection will do for her hands and knee.
I walk around to the back door to retrieve my medical bag. Looking for the things I need I take them out and walk back to Zinnia. Riley has rushed over when Zinnia fell. She is comforting Zinnia feeling sorry that she got hurt.
"Come let me clean your wounds." I do not feel sorry or guilty that she fell. She should look at what she is doing then this will not have happened.
"No, I will do it myself. I don't need your help." Oh boy, she is clearly upset with me.
"Let me clean you up, we need to eat and get back on the road. You are holding us back." I do not want to deal with her temper tantrum. This upset Zinnia more. She crosses her arms with a determent look on her face she is looking at me.
"I said no."
"Wrong answer little girl." I walk up to her place my hands underneath her arms and pick her up. Placing her in the back seat of my truck and goes to work on her hands and knee. Water is dripping on my hand. I look up and see Zinnia silently crying. Ignoring her crying I finished my work on her hands and knee. When I am done, I take out a piece of tissue and wipe her tears away.
"All done." I pack all my medical gear away and lift her out of the truck the same way I have placed her in the truck. Holding Zinnia in the air about to place her on the ground I felt a kick on my shin. No, it did not hurt.
"What's that for?"
"For laughing at me." She is still very much upset with me. I ignore her and place her on the ground and walk away. I am hungry and in no mood to deal with her.
The rain has decided now is a good time to come down on us. Lucky we are done with lunch and about to leave. Zinnia ignores me when she gets back in the truck. This time she does not take my phone but rather her pillow and blanket. She lowers her seat, covers herself and falls asleep. Bargain, peace and quiet at last.