The Heap by Sean Adams

Author:Sean Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2020-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

35

Further Complications

Orville pedaled furiously, Nina riding beside him on her own bike. They easily skirted a group of Displaced Travelers talking excitedly about custodial work, from the sounds of it. But just a minute later, rounding a sharp bend, they both had to clamp down on their brakes, and went skidding in opposite directions to avoid hitting boss and the doctor in the medicart. Though it was only just the beginning of the workday (if that) there was a six-pack between them. Boss leaped out and ran to Orville’s side, where he lay on the ground, a small scrape on his knee beading with blood. The doctor grabbed a can and followed. Neither paid Nina any attention.

“Christ, Orville, thank God!” the doctor said.

“We were coming to find you,” boss said, helping Orville to his feet. “To see if you were okay.”

“We thought for sure you were buried,” said the doctor.

“Buried?” Orville said, shrugging off boss and righting his bike. “I just needed time to think. Didn’t Lydia tell you?”

“She said you were at the apartment,” boss said. “Said you were going through some stuff. We thought, hell, maybe some company would help.”

“That’s not what I want,” Orville said. “Company’s the opposite of what I want.”

“Really?” The doctor nodded to Nina, who’d stepped up beside him and stood clutching her bike’s handles, ready to keep moving.

Orville felt himself losing it. He tried to control his voice. “Lydia was supposed to tell you to stay away from the apartment.”

“Orville, we’re just coming from the apartment, and we’ve got some bad news,” boss said.

“You went there?”

“It was Hans’s idea,” said the doctor.

Orville looked around. “Where the hell is he, then? Did Lydia say this was all right?”

“We didn’t talk to Lydia about it,” boss said. “Hans is still back at the apartment. Or where the apartment was.”

“What do you mean, where the apartment was?” Orville turned to Nina as he said this. He wasn’t hoping for an explanation from her. She knew less about the apartment than anyone. He just had a feeling they were about to get some bad news. The look she returned conveyed a blankness that terrified Orville.

“There was a Heap shift,” boss explained. “The apartment’s gone.”

“No,” Orville said.

The doctor waved behind him. “Go check for yourself. Hans is back there digging.”

Orville felt himself shaking all over. “What for?”

“You,” boss said. “We didn’t know if you were spending the night in there or what.”

Orville got back onto his bike. Nina did the same. “Tell him I’m okay. Tell him to stop.”

“Honestly, a little sweat wouldn’t hurt him,” boss said. “He’s still pretty drunk from last night.”

“Guy might have a problem,” said the doctor, popping the top on his beer.

“I said tell him to stop,” Orville said.

“Fine,” boss said.

“Right away,” Orville said.

“Sure, sure, right away,” boss said. He looked to the doctor, who halfheartedly nodded while taking a long drink, some beer dribbling onto his chin.

Orville didn’t have time to make sure they followed through. He got on his bike and he and Nina took off back toward CamperTown.

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