Village E3: Survival of the Human Spirit by James Holler Page A

when they got back in
camp, Katie wondered. She knew something wasn't right, but as much as she
tried, she couldn't make sense of it.
    John held a stick with two fish on
it, as Hailey positioned the first stick over the fire, then getting down on
one knee, he knelt beside her and positioned the second stick in place. As he
was getting it in place, Hailey got up using John's shoulder as an aid. As she
rose, she brushed her hand along the back of his neck. It wasn't something that
many people would have noticed, but Katie did. It wasn't exactly jealousy that
Katie felt, but more like envy.
    "I just want you both to know
that I plan to be a better helper around here," said Katie. "Don't
worry about it. You've been through something that most people can't imagine in
their worst nightmares," said John. "We're just glad you're OK,"
said Hailey, as she reached for Katie, and gave her a big hug. As they hugged
each other, Hailey couldn't help but notice how fresh and clean Katie smelled,
and how her clothes even looked and smelled clean.
    After a prolonged hug that was
comforting for both Katie and Hailey, they all settled into their spots around
the fire. Each of them had a large chunk of wood they could sit on, but much of
the time, they chose to sit on the ground. After watching the fish cook for
several minutes, Katie stood up, then walked over and picked up the cooking pot
and went to the pool and dipped some water to boil.
    "I think we should tell
her," said Hailey, in a whisper. "Go ahead if you want to, but I'm
not sure she will believe you," said John. "Ok, let's sleep on it,
and talk about it again tomorrow," said Hailey. Katie positioned her pot
full of water over the fire. It was a scene that Hailey and John had never seen
before. Although it seemed odd at first, the unexpected help was a welcome
relief. After getting the pot situated, Katie settled into a spot on the
ground, near the fire. For several minutes the three sat in silence.
    "Hey Katie, feel up to a little
expedition tomorrow?" asked John. "Sure," she said. "What
kind of expedition?" "I thought maybe we could go explore the stream
that Hailey and I found," said John. "What do you think?" he asked,
looking at Hailey. "Sounds good to me. If we are going to do that though,
we better get up early, so we can beat some of the heat," said Hailey.
"I can't wait to see it," said Katie.
    Most evenings, they went to bed
pretty early. On this evening though, they stayed up and talked for a few hours
after the sun went down. Having Katie to talk to was almost like having a new
person around. John and Hailey were used to doing things together while Katie
stayed in the hut. They now found themselves having the same conversations with
Katie that they already had with each other. The new Katie was definitely a
vast improvement over the old Katie. Having a third person capable of helping
with chores would make life much easier.
    John's mind wandered, as he watched Hailey and Katie talk. He thought about how close he
and Hailey had become, and wondered how Katie's sudden recovery would affect
that closeness. He also thought about the math involved: one man, and two
women. If he and Hailey got together and left Katie out, that wouldn't be fair
to her.
    She might not even find me attractive
though, John
thought. I'm not going to even worry about it. Whatever happens, happens. Just as John started to get lost in his thoughts of Hailey, Katie, and their
future life together, there it was....anger. He didn't feel it every day, but
it was always lurking in the shadows of his mind. He could never be totally
happy here, no matter how well his life with Hailey and Katie went. Even though
there were no bars, John still felt like he was in prison, just as surely as if
he were.
    Wanting to break his thought pattern,
John stood up. "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm going to hit the
sack," said John, as he stretched. "Yep, we better hit it too,"
said Hailey, also standing to her feet.