“Thanks.”
There were sirens closing fast. “Don’t mind those. I had already called your emergency services to report that a man had been shot in the chest at this address, so that they would be able to render aid in a timely manner.”
“That was really thoughtful of you, Chris. Not the shooting me part. That part I was never on board with. But having paramedics already on the way was a nice touch.”
“Like I said to begin with, I didn’t want to kill you. I’m just supposed to shoot you in the heart. The crystalline entity was very specific, right atrium because that’s the lowest-pressure zone.”
Stanley staggered to his feet and waved his arms overhead so that the approaching ambulance and police cars would see them. He didn’t want Chris to die, but it would be great if they could lock him up in some maximum-security prison for future robot people or something. “Over here!”
“Hey, Stanley, one last thing.”
“Yeah, Chris?” He turned back to discover that one of Chris’s arms hadn’t been impaled, he still had his pistol, and it was now aimed right at Stanley’s chest. “Aw, come on, man.”
POP!
* * *
—
When Stanley came to there was an angelic being shining a light in his eyes, and for a second he was worried that he was going to have to rethink his longtime commitment to snooty evangelical atheism, but then his eyes focused and he realized he was staring up at . . .
Lisa the Trivia Queen?
“Hey, Stanley. You’re finally awake. You’re probably a little confused. That’s normal. You’re in the hospital. Don’t worry. You’re going to be fine. Luckily for you, the best heart surgeon in the state had just barely got to work when they brought you in . . . That’s me, by the way. Not to brag but I’m pretty amazing at my day job.”
Stanley looked down at the gold name tag on her white coat. Holy shit. She was Dr. Lisa. No wonder she always got all the science questions right.
While Lisa told him about his injury, the surgeries she’d performed to save his life, and how it was going to take months of recovery, his eyes wandered over to the flowers and get-well cards on the table next to his bed. There weren’t very many, which was a shame, but not unexpected. However, one card was leaning against some flowers, and it stood out because the handwriting was very loopy, with an excess of happy faces and stars drawn on it.
Stanley! Good move with the land sharks. Those things are the worst! Because I think you are so cool I asked the boss. It turns out sometimes the universe has to be mean to be nice. He says the doctor needed to see you at your most vulnerable so that she could fall in love with you so your great-great-great-granddaughter can defeat the Glorgan Armada at the Battle of Io. Shhh. That part is secret. I told you that you should have asked her out. You are the best.
—Facilitator Chris
PS What are you waiting for? Go for it!
Stanley managed to croak, “Lisa . . .”
She leaned in close to hear him. “Yeah, Stanley?”
“Wanna team up for couple’s trivia night?”
She grinned. “I thought you were never going to ask!”
NO GREATER LOVE
KACEY EZELL
Jennilee Abrams put her fingertips to her mouth in order to keep from crying out. Tears ran unheeded down her face as her mother crushed her other hand in a grip hard as iron. Anna Abrams was, in truth, only about ten years older than Jennilee, but her marriage to Jennilee’s papa, Dalton Adams, made her Jennilee’s second mother. Anna eased up for a moment, causing Jennilee to sigh in relief, but then another contraction hit hard, and Anna clamped down again.
Papa stroked Anna’s sweaty hair back from her brow, kissed it lightly. “You’ll be safe here,” he whispered, his words broken by worry. “I’ll come back in a day or two, after the storm has blown over.