Sartes on a Train

Riding a camel across the Sahel to manage cocaine routes was a piece of cake. Learning rudimentary Quechua to negotiate coca harvesting and cocaine production in the Andes was challenging. This was impossible. Joe spent the last 10 minutes asking the Conductor how he got on the train, and the only response he kept getting was, "you boarded appropriately." His head hurt, and he was thoroughly confused and slightly nauseous; about 10 minutes ago, he figured out that he was aboard the Zephyr a half hour from Denver. Now, he was annoyed.

Joe sat down next to Stella who told him earlier where they were. "Asshole won't tell me anything."

"Yeah, he's like that." She kept tinkering with her crossword.

The last thing he remembered was shooting heroin with his girlfriend for the night in Omaha. It was a good night.

"9-letter word for "intentionally uncomfortable waystation" with an "a" in the middle?"

"Huh?" Joe looked at Stella, noticed the crossword for the first time, and asked, "you going to Denver?"

"I'm going to gowherever we're going. Oh… Purgatory!"

Joe looked at her questioningly and was about to ask something when Agnes walked up from wherever she had previously wandered off to. "You may as well admit it."

"Admit what?"

"Whatever you did - why you're here." She sat down next to Stella and put her arm around her. "My special friend here aborted her child and drove her boyfriend to take his own life after taking hers. My cousin gassed me and his wife after I stole her from him."

Stella shifted uncomfortably and moved next to Joe. She leaned towards him, rested her head on his shoulder, and quietly said, "Just say why you're here."

Joe froze while he processed. Eventually he cleared his throat and slowly admitted to himself and the other two that he was horrible to his wife and eventually ran off when they found out that she was diagnosed with lung cancer. "But I'm not a horrible person, am I?"

"Sweetheart, what do you think of our companion, Joe?" Agnes asked with an amused smirk.

Stella lifted her head, looked Joe in the eye, and said, "You could be so much better."

Agnes cackled loudly, kneeled in front of Stella, turned her head towards her and kissed her on the mouth. "That's why I adore you, honey. You always see the best in people - even complete cockroaches."

Stella pushed her away, Joe stood up, and the Conductor announced, "Denver in 5 minutes."

"Don't listen to her, Joe. You know you should have tended to her, right?" As she spoke she stood up and put her hands on his shoulders.

"I…" He slumped his shoulders, withdrew, and walked to another seat to stare out at the passing city as the train braked.

"Union Station… Denver!"

Joe stood up - momentarily confused why the other two didn't get up too - walked to the open door and looked out at the bustling platform. After a moment, he sighed and sat down on the other side of the aisle from Stella and Agnes. "May as well get on with it."