The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of survival) (19 page)

“
Did you hear anything about what they
’
re going to do to get rid of this jam?
”
Paula asked, ignoring the bag.
“
We
’
re never going to get across the border at this rate.
”

Frank wiped at his. forehead wearily.
“
It
’
s closed.
”

“
What?
”
Paula asked loudly.

“
I said the border crossing is closed. Arizona has refused to let any evacuees in. They don
’
t want any radiation contamination brought over.
”

“
Well, for God
’
s sake! You mean you brought us all this way to sit outside this stinking town!
”

“
Paula, how was I to know? I mean, if we
’
d been a few hours earlier last night we might have made it.
”
He hesitated, dejected.
“
The best I can tell there
’
s supposed to be some Red Cross relief showing up before long....bringing food and water, I guess.
”

Paula snorted in exasperation. Seeing the bag she picked it up. She opened it and turned it upside down. A single, flat can fell into her lap. She stared at the can for a second.
“
Sardines! For crying out loud, Frank! How in the hell do you expect us to eat sardines for breakfast?
”

Her outburst caught the interest of several people nearby. They paused to hear what was to follow. Paula glared up at them, quickly getting to her feet.

“
Paula,
”
said Frank,
“
don
’
t yell. I told you this was all I could get.
”

Paula turned her glare on him.
“
But sardines...greasy fish!
”
She looked down into the empty bag then inverted it once more and shook it. Nothing else fell out. Wadding the bag into a ball she threw it away from her.
“
And there
’
s not even an opener for the can. Just how do you think we
’
re going to get this open? With our teeth?
”
she taunted, waving the can at Frank.

Frank grabbed the can from her and pitched it into the car. He took her by the arm.
“
All right, Paula,
”
he said quietly.
“
There
’
s no need for you to show your butt in front of all these people.
”

Paula jerked free of his grasp. She was dead tired and hungry. Her temper was on edge and Frank, for his coolness about the whole crazy matter, was not helping one bit.
“
Just tell me one thing, will you? Why in the world did we have to come this way? Why this...this....whatever this place is.
”

Lowering his voice as if to set a precedent for his wife, Frank replied,
“
For heaven
’
s sake, Paula, I
’
ve told you a dozen times. I
’
d hoped that we
’
d get over to Arizona and stay with Billy Joe until this is over.
”

“
Billy Joe, Billy Joe,
”
snapped Paula.
“
How
’
s your brother going to help us, Frank? He doesn
’
t have a pot to piss in.
”

“
Paula! Will you please keep your voice down.
”

“
We could be eating breakfast with my parents right now if you
’
d just listened to me for once. But no,
”
she said viciously,
“
no, no....not old man Jorgensen. Not a nice comfortable house in Oakland where the air is clean and there
’
s no trouble to worry about. Oh no! You have to do everything the hard way, don
’
t you?
”

Frank stared at his wife a long moment. Then he reached down and shook Jerry by the shoulder.
“
Come on and get in the car, son. You
’
ll feel better inside.
”
Once the boy was in, Frank got in under the steering wheel.

Speaking through the open window, Paula said.
‘
Okay, Frank. It
’
s obvious that we
’
re not going to get to your brother
’
s house. Now....where are we going? How do we get away from here, anyway?
”

Lowering his head on the steering wheel, Frank was near defeat.
“
I don
’
t know.
”

A woman
’
s voice carried through the morning air. It was a sound at once familiar to both Paula and Frank. They looked up in surprise as Flo, with Harry behind her, threaded a path to the Warings.

“
Paula....Frank,
”
said Flo breathlessly.
“
I told Harry it was you. I heard you, Paula, from way over there and knew it was you.

The Wintons appeared as tired and disturbed as the Warings felt.
“
Flo, have you been here all this time?
”
asked Paula.

Flo nodded.
“
All night. We got here late yesterday evening.
”
Frowning, she added,
“
Have you heard? They
’
ve closed the border.
”

“
Yes,
”
answered Paula,
“
we heard.
”
Then recalling that the last time she
’
d seen Flo and Harry was yesterday after the accident, she asked,
“
Where
’
s Rickey? You found him, of course?
”

Harry stepped forward.
“
We found him. He was up near the reactor site just where your boy had said he
’
d be.
”
His face was contorted with worry.

Paula, sensing Harry
’
s concern, asked,
“
He
’
s all right, isn
’
t he, Harry?
”

The big gruff man, normally at ease around people, replied haltingly.
“
He
’
s...no, he
’
s real sick.
”

Paula turned to Flo for some explanation. But none was forthcoming. The reactor site—radiation. Paula felt she knew the nature of Rickey
’
s illness. Maybe Frank had been right about the dangers of being near the White Water ruins.
“
Can you get him to a doctor?
”

“
That
’
s just it,
”
said Flo, distraught.
“
It
’
s such a mess here, there
’
s no one to take him to. Can you imagine that?
”
she said tearfully, turning her head.

“
Then what...?
”
began Frank.

“
We
’
re going back,
”
said Harry firmly.
“
We
’
re going back to San Mirado and wait this thing out.
”

Frank got out of the car.
“
Harry, I don
’
t think you ought to do that. You
’
re free of that area now, and sure it
’
s bad here, but there
’
ll be help coming in pretty soon.
”

Shaking his head stubbornly, Harry stayed firm.
“
No, we
’
re going back home.
”
He glanced over at Flo.
“
Everything we own is back in San Mirado, we
’
ve got food and water there, and well, it can
’
t be any worse than it is here.
”

Paula gazed at the people around them, squeezed together like cattle herded in for slaughter. Harry was right about one thing, anyway. Conditions were bad here. And she guessed they were destined to get much worse before this ended. But returning to San Mirado was insane.
“
You can
’
t go back,
”
she said.

“
We have to,
”
answered Harry.
“
There
’
s no other place for us to go.
”

“
That
’
s nonsense,
”
snapped Paula.
“
Stay here. Go to another town. Do anything but you
’
re crazy if you return to San Mirado. My God, Harry, there must be people back there who
’
d give their eyeteeth to be where we are. As bad as it is here....
”

“
It would be better at home,
”
he said.
“
Don
’
t you see, we
’
d be in the house....we
’
d have beds to sleep on... food. We
’
d be able to get Rickey to a doctor.
”

Frank interrupted.
“
But Harry, there won
’
t be any doctors treating anybody, or if there are, they
’
ll be swamped, too. Damn, man, be sensible! Wait it out here. There
’
ll be food and medical people brought in before much longer. I know there will.
”

Shaking his head, Harry replied.
“
I just don
’
t believe the radiation is that bad, Frank.
”

“
Then what
’
s wrong with your son?
”
demanded Paula.

“
Well, he
’
s sick,
”
answered Harry.
“
But that doesn
’
t mean that the radiation is what
’
s making him sick.
”

Paula nudged her husband.
“
Frank, talk some sense into Harry!
’’

Frank obligingly began when Harry held up his hand.
“
No, Frank. My mind is made up. If we
’
d been smart we never would have left there in the first place.
”

“
All right, then,
”
said Paula.
“
Come with us. We can travel in separate cars or together.
”

Flo asked.
“
You aren
’
t staying here?
”

“
No,
”
replied Paula. She saw Frank cast a glance at her.
“
We
’
re going to my parents in Oakland.
”

Frank turned away and got back into the car. His anger at Paula
’
s decision to go to Oakland showed.

“
My parents won
’
t mind you
’
re being there one bit,
”
Paula assured her friends.
“
They
’
ll be glad to help.
”

But Harry declined.
“
I
’
m not going to be a burden on anyone. I
’
ve been fending for myself since I was the age of Jerry, there, and I
’
m not about to become someone
’
s welfare case now.
”

Helplessly, Paula looked at Flo. Flo shrugged.
“
Harry makes the decisions in our family, Paula.
”