The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of survival) (33 page)

This was wrong, allowing the subject of Edward to be opened. Wishing to stem the tide of old memories, Althea reached for the tumbler.
“
Here, try some more water. You must be awfully thirsty.
”

Her mother
’
s thirst was unquenchable as she greedily drank.

“
See, you
’
ve over-exerted yourself. No more talking for now,
”
admonished the daughter.
“
You must save your strength.
”

  The aged skin was very dry. Her face felt the warmth of elevated temperature. Gradually, the mother
’
s breathing became deeper, labored. Effects of the insulin were short-lived.

Althea watched over her. Within the following hour, the only noticeable change was in the increased demands for water.

By evening Lou Ella was hungrily sucking air into her mouth. Growing markedly more fatigued, she continued to ask for water, and eagerly drank glass after glass. Without cessation of the diarrhea, the liquid was doing very little toward restoration of the lost body fluids.

Althea resignedly filled the syringe with the last of the insulin. In the beginning she had been afraid that the extra hormone might prove to be too much for her mother; now she was afraid that it wouldn
’
t be enough. As long as the woman was conscious, she could have hope. Generally, unconsciousness could take from hours to days to come, according to the brochure, but once it occurred, then only intravenous fluids and large doses of insulin could save her. Searching until she found the right spot on the leg, Althea shoved the needle through the skin and sat back to wait.

             
             
             
             
Chapter Twelve

For the residents of Oakland, life went on as usual. The influx of Los Angelenos from three hundred miles south did little to slow the pace of the bay area people. Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward, and San Francisco were sufficiently large cities to absorb their share of evacuees without much confusion. It was quite a contrast for Frank Waring, after the Blythe episode. He still was not accustomed to the idea that just a day
’
s drive from his father-in-law
’
s home in Oakland would put him back into one of the most disastrous situations to affect modern mankind.

At the sound of the door closing, he looked up. Except for Kim playing in her room, he had been alone in the house the entire morning with no knowledge of Paula
’
s whereabouts. It was time for somebody to arrive. Unfortunately, it was not his wife who entered, but her parents. Mrs. Jorgensen acknowledged his presence with a glance and swept past him into the kitchen. Her action told him that something was in the air, for she was normally a friendly woman. He turned expectantly toward his father-in-law.
“
Where
’
s Paula?
”
he asked.

Mr. Jorgensen walked over to his armchair and took a seat.
“
It
’
s time you and I had a little talk, Franklin.
”

Sighing in exasperation, Frank replied,
“
Mr. Jorgensen I
’
m still worn out—physically and emotionally. All I want right now is to know where my wife is.
”

Peering out over his spectacles, Jorgensen answered,
“
Paula is at Dr. Hellman's.
”

‘‘
Well, all right then,
”
said Frank, starting to rise.

“
Sit down, Frank. There
’
s something that needs to be said and I figure this is as good a time as any for saying it.
”
   

Here we go, Frank thought. Another round with the old blowhard. But not another scene of no-balls, m
’
boy, that
’
s for sure.
“
Okay,
”
he said, dropping back down,
“
shoot.
”
Best to get it over with, finished.

“
Paula has been telling me what it
’
s like in San Mirado, Franklin. Now understand me, I
’
m not criticizing you. But Paula
’
s used to having nice things. She always had everything she wanted when she was living here. She even had her own car when she was too young to legally drive it. Now I know you do the best you can for your family, but I happen to believe they deserve a little more than you have given them.
”

Frank hadn
’
t moved so much as the tiny muscles that cause his eye-lids to blink.

His father-in-law continued.
“
You say you
’
re an accountant, but what you
’
re doing is fairly ordinary bookkeeping work, and your salary shows it.
”

“
Paula told you how much I made,
”
said Frank flatly.

“
Of course she did. She
’
s interested in getting ahead, my boy. But what bothers me is that you
’
re planning to move them to Arizona so you can bide your time with your brother. He
’
s never made it, if what Paula says is true, and I can
’
t see how you hope to do any better.
”

“
Billy Joe gets along.
”

“
That
’
s not good enough, Frank. A man has responsibilities to himself and his family. Why, you
’
ll be forty years old before long, and you still don
’
t have anything. Not even a job, now, though that
’
s a blessing in disguise, in my opinion.
”

“
Paula and I were doing okay. Maybe I didn
’
t make a fortune at Calmar, but I never had to ask anyone for help.
”

“
But you weren
’
t getting anywhere. If you
’
d taken my advice when you two first married, you could have worked your way up in the company. To an executive position by now, Frank. But no, you had to do it your own way and look what you
’
ve achieved. Nothing.
”

“
What else did Paula tell you, Mr. Jorgensen? She
’
s apparently felt free to discuss things with you that she won
’
t with me,
”
he said with bitterness.

“
Well, that
’
s natural, Franklin. She was always a daddy
’
s girl. You know, she
’
s in a position to inherit quite a large sum of money should anything happen to me. I want to make certain that. she handles it wisely, that
’
s all.
”

“
And you believe she could do that, if I worked for the family company,
”
said Frank.

“
Let me put it this way. Paula and I have talked it over. She knows my feelings on the subject and she
’
s inclined to agree with me, to the point where she has already said that she
’
s not going with you to your brother
’
s.
”

The old man
’
s statement caught Frank by surprise.
“
When did she say that?
”
he quickly asked.

“
Just this morning, while we were downtown.
”

So that
’
s why they had all left together—Paula and her parents—they couldn
’
t talk with him in the house.
“
Well, she
’
s going whether she wants to or not.
”

“
Now, Franklin, be sensible about it. This is her home. She
’
s happy here, and she doesn
’
t want to leave it. She never did, not even after her marriage when you dragged her off to a one- bedroom apartment in that dumpy housing development full of destitute Mexicans. Given her choice, she
’
s going to stay this time. And she
’
ll want you to stay with her.
”

How could he argue with her father until he was sure of Paula
’
s feelings?
“
Maybe we
’
ll be going back to San Mirado,
”
Frank answered lamely.
“
She mentioned wanting a new house there.
”

“
When will that be? You don
’
t know when the danger will pass, much less whether you
’
ll have a job or not. No, it
’
s time you decided to play it smart. For once, do it my way, Frank.
”

Frank felt his temper rise.
“
Why should I do it your way? Paula knew I would be an accountant when she married me, and she also knew that I didn
’
t want to become another cog in the family wheel. I just don
’
t happen to see licking your boots as leaving me much self-respect, Mr. Jorgensen. Furthermore....
”

“
Hell fire,
”
snapped the older man.
“
When are you going to get some sense in that head of yours? Here I am trying to set you up in business—a break you
’
re not going to get anywhere else— and all I get in return is a slap in the face. Christ alive, I told Paula years ago that you
’
d never amount to anything!
”

His hands knotted into balls as Frank worked his anger down. Of all the things Paula
’
s father could say, the offer of a job was the least expected. It was too bad that the old man couldn
’
t have made it without any strings attached, and without the derision he seemed to feel he had to cast on his son-in-law.
“
Not amount to anything, Mr. Jorgensen? Well, maybe not, by your standards. But I
’
ve always been my own man, by God!
”

“
And it pleases you to say that—when you don
’
t even have the money to pay your son
’
s hospital bills?
”

“
Who said I don
’
t have the money?
”
Frank snarled.

“
You did....when you checked the boy in you told admittance that you didn
’
t have the money... .that you
’
d get it together somehow.
”

“
My God,
”
he said,
“
the people at the hospital know what
’
s happened to us. They know I have insurance and I
’
ll pay the rest when I can get the money out of my bank. I don't know why it won't work with an ATM but it doesn't.  I guess because no one is at the place and there's no electricity there. And my credit card won't work either.
”

Jorgensen smiled benignly behind his glasses.
“
Well, my grandson
’
s bill is taken care of....you don
’
t have to be bothered by that.
”

Frank jumped from his chair and began pacing the floor.
“
You went over there to that hospital and stuck your nose into my business....what a presumptuous old ass you are!
”

“
Now you listen to me, Frank Waring! You can
’
t talk to me like that in my own house. No sir! I took you and your family in because you had no place to go.
”

“
Bull! You took us in because you
’
ve never been able to let go of Paula. You never did want her to leave this house, did you?
”

“
I want my daughter to have a good life....and it may interest you to know that I had hoped that I would find a son in the man she married.
”