Connie presented pluses and minuses. It was clear to me that many of Rachel’s habits and attitudes came from her mother. Connie reminded me of Rache... every day. In some ways, it was gratifying, comfortable – as if Rachel was still with us. In others, it as disconcerting. I had to work at avoiding the kind of casual intimacy that Rachel and I had presented each other with on a daily basis, avoiding the casual kisses, the caresses of a body that was almost familiar. Connie and I had always done. “You go ahead and drive Angie. I’ll take care of the dishes for you.” Patty looked at him with surprise – kitchen cleaning was his most hated chore. She usually had to pull teeth to get him to mop the floor, or even clean his own plates. In spite of that, Patty didn’t press him. She Saran-wrapped her plate and left it on stove (because she had only been pushing the food around on her plate anyway), and prepared to drive Angie across town.Twenty minutes later, Patty was finally ready to drive. My paper is on the free interchange of ideas during the last three plagues. Fighting those plagues was humanity at its finest." Huh. I wouldn't have expected that of you." What did you think I'd do, put in an after word about how some people chose to resist sharing information, and suffered even more? That only happened in a few places, and those were isolated. It wasn't like polio, for crying out loud. That's when Seventh Century social and political beliefs kept a disease alive long after it. Christmas and New Years were celebrated. The two Fathers, came up, with Tod, Robbi, and the biggest surprise of all. RICHARD!!! He had received a shore leave for the holidays, and didn't have to be back until the 5th of January. He had, unknown to them, been in the Base Hospital. He had been hit by a piece of shrapnel from a terrorist gunboat. He had been on deck, and had been hit by a stray round. It had hit him in his thigh, missing the bone, but had been painful. He had received a blood.