Marc and Alana decided to take a walk. They were socially distant and very confused. Not sure what to make of Anat’s change. Or was it a change? Was she trying to deceive people and lead everyone into a trap?
The two walked and walked. They exchanged smiles. Alana was blasting a mix of unreleased U2 songs. She found them in a Rolling Stone article and downloaded everything from YouTube. Marc hates headphones. So he was humming tunes from the Alarm and Echo and the Bunnymen.
Anat was running in Riverside Park. She was wearing her new sweats, t-shirt, and Asics. And her Red Sox hat. She was thinking about one of her first wars with Marc outside the Stadium when his team was playing hers. To her dismay, Rivera ended the game by striking out Big Papi. Everyone in ‘da Bronx went home happy. Marc was so pissed baseball season has been delayed and may not even happen.
Anat picked up speed. The park was empty. She was feeling good. She always did keep in shape. She needed to maintain her fighting form. These days she isn’t fighting. She hasn’t fought since she got knocked out by Marc and Alana in Queens. She was cool when she ran into Alana delivering groceries. How long could she stay that way?
Her iPhone was cranking a mix of Love and Rockets, Sham 69 and the Buzzcocks. The music stopped. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to choose her next mix. Likely Pearl Jam, Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Smiths. She heard screams. Normally she liked it when people were in trouble. She hit play and kept running. As she steamed ahead she saw a little boy about three years old by himself on a park bench. He was screaming. She saw some blood running down his leg. She stopped and yelled out to him asking where his parents were.
He just shook. She looked around and saw no one. She was afraid to get closer — Covid-19 and she didn’t know this kid. She has come too far to get into trouble. But the boy needed help.
She yelled out if he was hungry. He shook his head in the affirmative. She shot more raisins than would be used to fill a bowl of Raisin Bran. Apricots followed. The kid was confused. But he ate them. She took her running towel and tossed it to him. Next came a fresh bottle of Poland Spring. She spilled it on his wound. Still wearing her gloves she tied the towel around the gash on his leg. She dialed 911 and explained what happened. There was still no one coming for him. He probably needed stitches. The operator told her to stay near the boy and that an ambulance was on its way.

She asked if he had any identifying objects on him. She said no. She described him.
The ambulance and NYPD arrived. She explained what happened. The EMT said she did a nice job cleaning up his wound. The kid wouldn’t answer any of the EMT’s or police officer’s questions. Maybe he couldn’t. They put him in the ambulance and headed for Mt. Sinai West.