If I don't get to you before someone else does, just tell them that you're the brat assigned to me. Your shift ends at twenty-one hundred. That's ni...e o'clock , in case your limited capacity makes military time too difficult to compute," She's speed talking, but I am able to keep up and understand that I've just been insulted. I suppress my urge to beat her over the head with the clipboard that she is now handing me. I give her a tight nod and begin my shift. Over the next couple hours,. They had gathered fruit and sold it at different towns and settlements. None of them were young enough to get into an orphanage even if there was room for them. The youngest was 12 and the oldest 15. Alison said she was 15 but she was sure small. The only boy was 13 and Jimmy had already convinced him that he could be world champion tractor driver one day. We set around and talked for another hour before Rita and her helpers got back. Jimmy and Rae got them in the showers and into new clothes.. It was the security guard who came for rounds. From the rest room I heard her telling the security guard that she is leaving in 5 minutes. I was almost frustrated but tried to be patient. I wore my dress and came out after the security left. She turned at me and said "We need to leave. We'll meet tomorrow." Saying that she started to pack her things. But the heat in me that she created did not come down.I walked straight to her, turned her towards me and kissed her tight. She also enjoyed the. "Nothing, I guess," she said, trying to turn her lips back into a smile. "I was just ... thinking that I almost turned down your offer to come here and recuperate. I don't know why --" she broke off and looked away from him, but her hand slipped into his again and pressed."I understand," he said, folding his arms around her again, and letting her hair wisp against his lips as he murmured. "I do. I've been there ... to survive the horrible day-to-day -- yes, I do know, l--" he stopped, just.