Part 27 (1/2)
”Do you want to watch TV?” I asked.
”Whatever you want,” she replied.
”I was asking for you. I'm going to take a shower and get into some dry clothes.”
”Oh. Sure,” she said.
”Do you need to use the bathroom first?” I asked.
”No. I'm good.”
I took some clean clothes out of my pack, then tossed Paige the TV remote and went inside the bathroom. I stayed in the hot water until the bathroom mirror was dripping with condensation. When I came back out, Paige was watching the weather on a local station.
”How is it?” I asked.
”It's looking better.” She smiled at me. ”You look like you feel a lot better.”
”Much,” I said. ”Any news on the storm?”
”It looks like the tornadoes are gone. It's supposed to clear up by morning.”
”I'm glad to hear that.”
As I sat down on the bed, she turned off the television. ”Tell me about your walk,” she said.
”What do you want to know?”
”What states have you been through?”
”I started in Was.h.i.+ngton, walked through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, then Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and here I am. Six more states to go.”
”You've walked nonstop?”
”Mostly. I stopped twice, but not by choice. Once was in Spokane when I was mugged.”
She blanched. ”You were mugged?”
”A gang attacked me. I was stabbed three times.”
She stared at me with wide eyes. ”Really?”
I raised my eyebrows. ”Want to see the scars?”
She nodded and I lifted my s.h.i.+rt.
She gasped. ”Oh, my.”
”Another inch higher and I probably wouldn't be here.”
”Wow,” she said. ”I didn't realize Spokane was such a tough place.”