Over the course of the next few weeks,
the weather turned from cool to downright freezing. It was unusually cold for
the Southeast. Now mid-December and snow had started to stick to the ground. In
these parts, you may get some flurries, but it never stayed that way for long.
And if it did flurry, school was canceled and people stayed home from work.
That’s how rare snow was in the South. The wind had also been stronger and air
colder.
The cold slowed progress on the perimeter
fence, but it was finally completed. It was nowhere near an architectural
masterpiece, but it served its purpose well. Only a few zombies had slipped
onto the property before it was completed, but since, none have made it past
the fence. The plywood was too slick to climb over and the lack of visual
stimuli made the effort of climbing seem less appealing to the dead.
Tori had the idea of adding a small ditch
around it, a moat almost, adding a couple more feet of height to the wall. With
the two feet deep ditch and the six-foot tall fence, the only way a zombie
could see over that was if it died riding on the back of someone’s shoulders
who also died at the same time. In other words, not very likely.
On top of the ditch, other additions had
been made to property’s defense. Booby-traps, for a lack of a better name, were
now placed all throughout the woods. Most were holes with sharp objects placed
in the bottom, although one had a bear-trap found on one of Josh and Jeremy’s
many runs.
Other traps included a few with a rope
harness, designed to disable zombies more than harm them. George, Josh’s
father-in-law, had taught CJ how to tie them and how to set them up properly.
The inside fence that surrounded the
house and the yard was also built up with the leftover plywood. Cut into
half-sheets, it was only three feet tall. It was more of a last barrier, in
case anything were ever to get in. To give everyone more time to react to an
attack from the dead.
With the defenses well in place, there
was really only one obstacle left.
Laura’s pregnancy.
Anne had given Josh a list of things that
were needed and on supply runs; he would find what they could. So far, he had
most of the basics: clothing, diapers, wipes, blankets, a pack and play, jars
of baby food, and few baby creams and lotions. Most raided from nearby
neighborhoods, although several books were “borrowed” from a library in a town
over. Anne had asked for books on home birthing and one copy of
What to
Expect When You’re Expecting.
She had been reading up on what it would take
to have a successful birth at home. Between her and Amy’s experience and
Chris’s medical training from the Army, she seemed confident that everything
would be okay. Josh tried to share the enthusiasm of his mother-in-law, but was
still nervous. He knew it was possible to have a healthy baby without doctor
supervision; he just worried because it would be Laura’s first. She normally
did not take to pain well.
Knowing this about her daughter as well,
Anne pulled Josh aside one day.
***
“There’s a few more things we need for
the birth.”
“Like what?” Josh asked.
Anne’s eyes fell for a second, but
bounced back just as quickly.
“Well, for starters, we’re going to need
medicine.”
Josh nodded. He knew this was coming. It
was the one thing that was always missing from the lists she gave him.
“We’ll need antiseptic solutions and
other things for clean-up,” she said slowly.
“Stop stalling, what do we really need?”
Josh said, the agitation in voice growing.
Anne paused, not bothered by her
son-in-law’s attitude, but actually hesitant on answering.
“We’re going to need pain killers.
Narcotics to be exact. With this being Laura’s first pregnancy, and her not
knowing what to expect, she is going to need those painkillers. Mine and Amy’s
labors were both intense, I’m sure Laura will be no different.”
Josh’s heart sunk. He knew they were
going to need some kind of medicine; it was a fact he tried to avoid thinking
about.
“Okay, Okay,” He said, rubbing his hands
over his face. “What’s it called and where do I need to go to get it?”
Anne looked over his shoulder. Down the
hallway, Laura waddled by, smiling at her mother as she did.
“It’s called Demerol.”
“Okay. Where do I get it, Anne?”
“The hospital.”
Josh let out a deep breath. The hospital.
The nearest hospital was in Statesboro, the one place he was trying to avoid.
The largest town in the area, it was also the most populated. Translation:
Crawling with dead.
“The hospital? I won’t be able to find it
in a pharmacy?”
Anne shook her head.
“No, and we’ll need a few more medical
supplies from there as well. A blood pressure monitor, a Doppler sonicaid,
oxygen, and…”
“And what?”
“Resuscitation equipment in case of an
emergency.”
Anne watched her son-in-law’s face fall.
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Just in case Josh. We want to be
prepared for anything.”
“I know, I know. How long do we have?” He
asked.
“She’s somewhere between 36 and 38 weeks.
Two, four weeks maybe.”
Josh’s mind raced. Two weeks. Two weeks
until he was going to be a father. And that’s only if he can gather up the
right equipment first. No pressure.
“Alright,” he finally said. “Can you
write that all down for me? And is there anything else?”
“Yes, I can write down. And yes, there is
something else.”
She paused again.
“We’ll need resuscitation equipment for
both Laura and the baby.”
Josh nodded slowly, turned, and walked
away.
***
Jeremy sat on the couch in the living
room, flipping through his mother’s Bible. Josh walked in and smiled at the
sight of him reading?
“Whatcha reading?” Josh asked.
Jeremy looked up from the book.
“Oh, uh, just looking through all of my
mom’s notes really. There’s a lot of them.”
“Did she read it a lot?”
“Yeah. Every morning.”
Josh sat in the reclining chair opposite
of Jeremy.
“It’s good you still have a little piece
of her,” he said, as he leaned the chair back, popping up the footrest.
Jeremy nodded. He was glad he did take
it. And reading it did make him feel better. His mom left many little nuggets
for him to ponder. She would write notes on what she read, prayers, and even
the occasional doodle. They were his favorite part.
“So, you up for another run?”
Jeremy looked at Josh. His face seemed
serious, something rare for Josh, who always seemed to keep the mood light.
“Yeah, sure. This afternoon?” Jeremy
asked.
“No, tomorrow. Early.”
“What’s up man? Where we got to go?”
Josh’s mouth twisted, as if he was
holding back the words.
“Statesboro.”
“Oh…” Jeremy said.
“Yeah.”
They both sat in silence for a couple
minutes.
“For the baby?” Jeremy asked, breaking
the quiet.
Josh nodded.
“Okay then. What you thinking?” Jeremy
said.
“Well, most of what we need will be at
the hospital. So, that will be our main objective. I don’t know how bad it will
be, but I’m guessing the place will be crawling with z’s. Plus, with the
college nearby, I’m sure there will be more wandering around all over.”
“So, an easy run then?” Jeremy said, a
smile appearing around the corners of his lips.
“Yeah, a real cake-walk,” Josh said with
a chuckle.
***
“Just you and Jeremy?”
Laura stared her husband down in their
bedroom, waiting for him to respond to her question.
“We’ve done alright so far,” he said.
“Yeah, but those were small little
po-dunk towns. This is Statesboro we’re talking about.”
Her left hand sat on her hip, the other
rubbing her belly. Her eyes narrowed. She was at the point in her pregnancy
that she was not willing to put up with much. She had a human growing inside of
her. She had enough going on.
“What do you want me to do Laura?” he
said with a sigh.
“You’re smarter than you look, Joshua,”
she said, taking her hands and placing them on the sides of his face. She ran
her fingers through the beard he had taken to growing. He looked up into her
eyes and he could see that she was only concerned about him.
“See if Tori and Lexx will go with you.
I’d feel better if you took them.”
She pulled in his face and planted a kiss
on his lips.
“I need you to come back to me,” she
whispered. “I can’t do this without you.”
He kissed her back, their lips locking,
saliva exchanging.
“You have my word,” he whispered back.
They kissed again, and it wasn’t long
until they were making love.
Tori was surprisingly on board for the trip to
Statesboro. Despite her hesitations about having a baby around, she was all for
a healthy delivery. Josh was relived, as he was expecting some pushback from
her.
“Besides, I need to get out of this place for a
while. You and Jeremy get all the fun of going out,” she said.
They prepared for the trip the night before.
This time they would take more than the hunting rifle. Chris lent Tori his
AR-15, Lexx took one of the shotguns, and Jeremy and Josh both took a rifle. On
top of the firearms, they each took a bladed weapon. They did not want to leave
anything to chance, if there was a problem, they would be able to get out of
it.
The next morning before they left, Josh pulled
CJ aside, away from everyone else. They walked in the backyard, Bacon trotting
behind them.
“I need you to look after things while I’m gone,
CJ,” Josh said.
“I will.”
“I need you to look after your Aunt Laura for me
too.”
“I will.”
Josh looked at his nephew.
Does he look older?
The boy pushed the now shaggy hair away from his
face. The features of his face seemed more defined and if it wasn’t for the
peach fuzz under his nose, he could easily be mistaken for an older teen. Josh
smiled at him. CJ noticed and looked the other way. When he looked back, his
uncle was still staring.
“What?” He asked.
“Nothing. You just look older,” Josh responded.
“Right, sure I do.”
“No, really, you do,” Josh said. “I’m really
proud of you, CJ. You haven’t shied away from responsibility and you can pull
your weight around here. You’re an asset to our family.”
“Thanks,” CJ said, unsure how to take the
compliments.
“You’re welcome.”
They walked a few more steps until Josh stopped.
Bacon came up behind CJ and rubbed its snout on his leg. CJ knelt down and gave
the pig a rub behind the ears. It lifted its little head; a smile crossed the
piglet’s face.
“You’re in charge when I’m gone.”
“Huh?” CJ said, pausing his pig scratching.
“You heard me,” Josh said.
“Me?”
“Yes, you. I’m not talking to Bacon.”
“Why me? Why not Dad or G-Dad?”
Josh glanced back at the house and then back at
CJ.
“Because I think you’re the only one with your
head on straight. Your dad and G-Dad will both think they’re in charge, but
know that it’s really you I’m counting on.”
CJ soaked in his uncle’s words with a mix of
emotions. While on one hand, he was glad his uncle saw him fit to look over
things, he was also worried about what he thought about his dad and
grandfather. Yeah, his dad had been having a rough time, but CJ hadn’t doubted
in his father’s ability to lead. Why did his uncle? What did he see that CJ
didn’t?
“Um, ok, I guess,” CJ finally said.
Josh put his hand on CJ’s head and gave his hair
a ruffle.
“Everything will be fine. We shouldn’t be gone
more than a day. It’s more just in case it takes us longer,” Josh said.
“Do you think it will?”
“No, we know what roads to take to get us there
without having to worry about roadblocks. And once in the city, we’ll avoid Georgia
Southern as much as possible, and try our best to get in and out.”
Josh smiled at his nephew.
“No problemo.”
***
The four of them left without much fanfare, even
though everyone seemed tense and worried. Josh and Jeremy had made quite a few
trips to the surrounding area, but nowhere as populous as Statesboro.
“Hey, at least it’s not Savannah,” Lexx joked
before they left.
It was met with half-hearted laughter. He was
right though, at least it wasn’t Savannah. The fight to get out of there had
almost been the death of them all. Who knows, they could all just be worried
for nothing.
The four of them crammed into the cab. It was
too cold with the wind for Tori and Lexx to sit in the bed, the thermometer in
the truck reading in the forties. It was nice and toasty inside with all the
extra body heat, but nobody complained. Josh drove, Jeremy next to him in the
middle of the bench seat, and Tori and Lexx sharing the remaining space. She
was half-sitting on the seat and half on him. He made a joke about her scooting
over more, which was answered by groans from the guys and an elbow to the ribs
from her.
“I would tell you guys to get a room, but…” Josh
said.
“Don’t be hatin’,” Lexx responded.
Jeremy started laughing, which in turn made Tori
start giggling, leading to all four of them bursting into a fit of laughter.
“Ah, I missed this,” Lexx said.
“Yeah, in a weird way it’s kinda nice,” Tori
added.
It had been a while since the four of them actually
spent some time together. Lexx and Tori had been preoccupied with getting the
fence finished, while Josh and Jeremy focused on gathering what they could from
nearby towns. This road trip almost felt like a vacation. Of course, their
mission was a serious one, but it doesn’t mean they can’t have fun on the way
there.
They winded through the woods, Jeremy reading
from the map Josh marked up. They were making good time. All the supply runs
had been good for something else: they knew which roads were blocked and which
were not. Josh told Jeremy it would be good information to have in case they
ever had to leave the cabin in a hurry. He was not planning on that happening,
but he said he would rather be safe than sorry.
“So, Josh,” Lexx started. “I gotta ask you
somethin’.”
“What’s that?” Josh asked.
“Why in the world are you and the fam still
doing the church thing? Like what’s the point? I don’t think anybody is keeping
track anymore!”
Josh laughed.
“What do you mean keeping track?”
“I mean, you think God still cares if y’all are
still doing the church thing? If he’s even there, cause I don’t know about you,
but it doesn’t look like he bothers with us anymore.”
It was quiet as Josh pondered Lexx’s questions.
“Way to make it an awkward ride, Lexx,” Jeremy said.
“I’m just asking,” Lexx mumbled.
“No, it’s okay, Jeremy,” Josh said. “I don’t
mind. Lexx, it’s not that we striving for a perfect attendance award, so that’s
not it. And to differ in opinion, I don’t think God has abandoned us at all.
Actually, I would push for the contrary. The fact that we’re all alive despite
the things we’ve gone through, the fact that I found my family, the fact that
we have a safe place to live, the fact that we haven’t starved to death… You
want me to keep going? I understand it might be weird for us to still worship
on Sunday, and maybe a part of it might be that we’re clinging to something
normal, but mainly we worship because that is what we believe we were created
for. Does my rambling make any sense?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I just don’t understand how
you stay so upbeat about this shit.”
“Upbeat. Hmm, it gets to me sometimes. I just
have to remember that no matter what happens, God is in control. He wasn’t
taken off guard by these events.”
“Yeah,” Lexx interrupted. “God’s in control. I
hear you. But doesn’t that mean he’s responsible for this whole thing? Doesn’t
that make him kind of a dick?”
“I’m going to give you the textbook answer, but
to be honest, it’s still something I have to struggle with sometimes. The Bible
teaches that God is sovereign over all things. He created everything in the
universe; therefore, he has certain creator rights over everything. But when
sin entered the world, it fractured everything. That’s why we have things like
sickness, catastrophes, and death. This plague is not from God, but God just
may be using it. You tracking with that?”
Lexx slowly nodded.
“We have no idea how this started. We may never
know for sure. But one thing we can know is that humanity has been hit by some
hard times before, and we always find a way to bounce back. To put it simply:
it ain’t over, ‘til He says it’s over.”
Josh flashed a smile in Lexx’s direction, but
quickly put his eyes back on the road. They were coming around a sharp curve,
the overhanging branches of Oaks blocking the upcoming view. Lexx did not have
time to respond, because as they came around the last of the bend, Josh slammed
on the brakes. Tori slid forward towards the dashboard, but Lexx pulled her
back tightly against himself. Everyone braced for what seemed like an immediate
impact. But seconds passed and the truck did not strike anything.
Out in front of them, several yards ahead was a
stopped minivan. A family huddled on top as dead surrounded the vehicle.