by Dziekan, PJ
“You do what you always did,” she said, taking his arm, her fingers touching the bandage hidden by his sleeve. “You treat me like me, you trust me to watch out for you. Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed.” His voice was a harsh whisper. “You’re pregnant with my child. I was scratched by a fucking zombie. Everything is changing, Sarah. Please let me take care of you.” He raised a hand to her cheek. “Please.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them, she said, “Just don’t make it obvious, OK?”
Mick grinned. “Discretion is my middle name,” he said before he kissed her. Despite herself, Sarah laughed against his lips.
♦
Ryan and Jack got the Explorer ready for their trip while the rest of the group worked in the garden. They only took two days’ worth of supplies, figuring they could scavenge enough to eat and drink on their travels. Both had their survival backpacks, Sarah’s idea that spread around the group. Even the children kept light packs that carried items essential to their survival. Ryan and Jack also packed the .410 shotgun and a .22 that they had found, with limited ammo for each. They hoped they wouldn’t need them, but it was best to be prepared.
Dinner was stew, made with venison jerky that had simmered all day until it was soft, canned tomatoes and canned beans. The chocolate bars were pieced out for dessert, with the kids getting the lion’s share. Sarah ate everything despite not liking tomatoes. She told herself she would do better. For Mick. For the baby.
Because Ryan and Jack would be leaving at dawn, everyone turned in early. Mick and Sarah lay in the quiet of their room, Mick’s arm wrapped around her. Sarah’s hand brushed the bandage on his wrist. “How are you feeling?” She whispered.
“Fine,” he answered. “It doesn’t even hurt.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.” Maybe they were wrong. Maybe a scratch was simply that and not a death sentence. Her hand covered his, both resting on her belly. She hoped.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ryan and Jack left when the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. Everyone but the kids woke up to see them off. “Be careful out there,” Sarah said. “It’s not just zombies you need to watch for.”
Ryan’s eyes found the barely there scar on Sarah’s face, courtesy of some raiders who tried to steal their supplies. “I know. We’ll be careful.” He looked at his brother, who stood behind Sarah. “You guys be careful. It’s been quiet, but that can change.”
“Dylan and I will check the sensors; make sure the batteries are still good.”
“We’ll have a party when you come back,” April said.
“I could go for a party,” Jack said.
“When you come back, kid.” Sarah studied Jack. He had grown so much since they found him and Mikey. Or rather, since Jack found them. A sensitive kid, killing the zombies was difficult for him, but he had developed into a good fighter. Sarah knew this trip would be hard on him, yet it would help make him stronger. They all needed to be strong.
“C’mon, let’s get going,” Ryan said, heading to the Jeep. He opened the driver’s side door and looked over the roof at the group. “We’ll go about a week out, no more than ten days, then turn back.”
Sarah nodded. “OK, then. We won’t start worrying until winter.” She smiled.
“Ha ha.” Ryan swung into the driver’s seat.
“Good luck!” Julianne called out, waving. Jack smiled and waved back as he got into the Jeep.
They watched the departing vehicle until it disappeared under the canopy of trees. “Well, since we’re up…” Mick started.
“Fuck that, I’m going back to bed.” Sarah turned and headed back inside.
♦
The days passed. They worked in the garden when weather permitted, huddled inside when it didn’t. While Becca and Dominic were the primary caretakers of the children, everyone sat with them, some passing on knowledge, some just playing. Sarah watched as Dylan of all people crawled on the floor with Mikey and Elizabeth, building cities with blocks. Maybe there was hope for him after all.
The bright spot for Sarah and Mick was that the scratch on his hand faded with no other effects. They realized that it was something in the zombie’s saliva that caused the change. With that news, they thought that maybe they could be overcome. Maybe humans could wipe them out completely, take over the world again.
Sarah suffered quietly with her pregnancy. Nauseous nearly all the time, she hid it with a smile and hard work, not wanting her secret out. Even Mick didn’t realize the severity of her illness. She blamed her wan complexion on having to stay cooped up inside more days than not due to the typical spring weather. She blamed her lack of energy on hard work, dropping into bed each night and immediately falling into a deep sleep. She hoped it was a phase, that she would feel normal again.
♦
The day was warm, but drizzling slightly. Sarah and Julianne were weeding the garden. Mick was trying his hand at fishing. Becca, Dylan and April were teaching the kids on the front porch and Dominic was making lunch. The sensors on the old logging trail went off, the beeping reminiscent of the car alarms of pre-ZA. Sarah stopped weeding, staring towards the trail. Ryan and Jack had been gone three weeks. Could they be coming in that way?
“Dylan and I will go check it out,” April said, getting up. Dylan rolled his eyes, but he stood. “Get the party ready,” she said with a smile.
Sarah laughed. “As long as they’re bringing the food. We don’t have anything fit for a party.” She bent back to her work, hoping that they found sunflower seeds. She was craving sunflower seeds.
April and Dylan disappeared down the trail, Dylan toting a rifle in case it was a deer. April had her modified baseball bat, a wooden bat with spikes pounded into it. She was lethal with that thing.
Ten minutes later, Sarah heard her name being called, a thread of panic in April’s voice. She dropped the bucket she had been using to collect weeds for the compost pile and ran towards the logging trail. She stopped halfway in, her eyes widening when she saw Jack being supported by Dylan and April. “Jack,” she breathed. “What happened?”
His voice was raspy, laced with pain. “Ryan…” He stopped, wincing in pain as his leg bumped against Dylan’s.
“Jesus Christ!” Dylan exclaimed. He stopped and in one quick movement, lifted Jack into his arms.
“Dylan, no!” Jack protested. “You can’t carry me!”
“Yeah. I can.” Dylan tightened his grip on the boy and started forward, moving rapidly.
“Where’s Ryan?” Sarah asked, fearing the answer. She doubled her stride to keep up with Dylan.
“I don’t know. They got him.”
Sarah’s heart sank. She looked over at April, who was also keeping pace with Dylan. “Get Mick.” She turned to Dylan. “Can you take him into Ryan’s room?” Dylan nodded, his face grim.
Sarah’s mind raced. What the hell happened? Where was Ryan? Who were ‘they?’ How would they tell Mick?
Mick and April were waiting at the head of the trail. “What happened?” Mick asked as he moved beside Sarah.
“We don’t know yet,” Sarah replied. “Let’s get him inside and comfortable then we can find out.”
“I had Becca and Julianne take the kids for a walk,” April said. Sarah nodded.
Dylan laid the barely conscious Jack on Ryan’s bed and stared down at him. “Think he got bit?’ He asked, his voice low.
“Not bit,” came Jack’s voice. “Just tired. Hungry. Thirsty. Hurt.”
“Where are you hurting? What happened?” Sarah asked as April left the room.
“Where’s Ryan?” Mick asked softly.
“We—we were on our way back, had a bunch of supplies,” Jack rasped. “We stopped for the night. I was off –uh—I had to – I was in the woods going to the bathroom.” Even under the dirt on his face, they could see his cheeks pinken.
April came back with a glass of water. “Here, hon,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and helping
him to a sitting position. “Drink this. I have some stew heating up for you.” She guided the water to his mouth, but he took the glass, drained half of it.
“Thank you.” Jack leaned back against the wall and sighed, looking up at the worried faces around him. “I heard a car when I was in the woods,” he continued, his voice somewhat stronger. “I rushed through the trees and I could hear voices. Ryan saying, ‘No, I’m alone.’ I stopped at the edge of the woods and watched from behind some bushes.” His eyes found Mick’s. “I figured that’s what he wanted me to do.”
Mick nodded. “I’m sure it was.” He felt Sarah take his hand. He looked over at her, then back at Jack.
“There were three guys there, talking to Ryan. Not really bad looking guys, a little scruffy. A short blonde guy, a guy with bright red hair, and another guy wearing a baseball cap. I couldn’t hear everything, but the voices were getting angrier. Ryan was trying to stay calm, but the short blonde guy pushed him down. Ryan got up and punched him, knocked him flat.” He smiled at the memory then the smile quickly faded. “The other two started beating on Ryan, then I heard another voice and they stopped. An older guy walked from our car, holding both backpacks, said something about Ryan lying, that there was two of us.” He took a deep breath. “I heard Ryan yell, ‘He’s dead! He’s gone!’ and I knew he wanted me to leave, but I couldn’t.”
He shifted in the bed, winced, but waved off April’s offer of assistance. Instead: “I moved closer, so I could hear them better. Two guys were holding Ryan up while the one who found the backpacks asked questions. He kept asking Ryan where our camp was and when Ryan said there wasn’t one, the blonde would punch him. I lost track of how many times they hit him.” He looked up at Mick, tears in his eyes. “I tried, Mick. I tried sneaking up on them. I heard one of them say something about Sugar Creek, but then I tripped and almost fell, and they heard me. Ryan screamed at me to run and I did, but not before I saw him fall to the ground. I’m so sorry, Mick.” Tears spilled down Jack’s cheeks.
“It’s OK, Jack.” Mick released Sarah’s hand and clasped Jack’s forearm. “You did the right thing.”
“I don’t know where he is,” Jack said. “I don’t even know if he’s alive.”
“Don’t worry about it, Jack,” Sarah said. “Let April take a look at you, see what’s wrong. And we’ll get you that stew.” She smiled at the boy. “We’ll find Ryan.” She touched his hand and left the room.
Becca and Julianne were in the living room, the kids playing quietly in the small kitchen. “What happened?” Becca asked.
“Jack came back without Ryan,” Sarah said. “Some other group grabbed him.”
“Oh my God!” Becca exclaimed, her hands going to her mouth. “What are we going to do?”
“Go get him.” Sarah headed into her bedroom.
CHAPTER FIVE
Mick came into the room to find Sarah dumping her backpack on the bed. “What are you doing?” He asked.
“Repacking.”
“For what?” He leaned against the dresser.
She tossed most of her clothes aside. She could wear the same thing more than a couple days. “Because we need to travel light. I don’t know how much gas we have, so if we have to walk –”
“Wait, you think you’re going?” He interrupted.
Sarah turned to face him. “Of course, I’m going.”
“No, you’re not. You’re staying here. Me and Dylan can go.”
“I’m not staying here, Mick. I’m going to look for him.” She threw a sweater on the bed. “He saved my life, the least I can do is try to find him.”
“You’re not going.” Mick started repacking her bag.
“The hell I’m not.” She yanked a tee shirt from his hands. “You and I are the best equipped for out there. We stand the best chance of finding him. We could get Dylan, maybe Becca to come along. We really shouldn’t go out with just two, look what happened to them.”
“Fine, I’ll take Dylan and Becca, but you are not going.”
She frowned at him as he kept throwing items back in her bag. “Mick, I’m going whether you like it or not.” Her voice was low and full of steel.
“You are pregnant with my fucking child and you are not going out there!” He roared.
Sarah stopped what she was doing and looked at him. “It’s still my life, my fucking decision. And I’m going to find Ryan.” She threw the socks she was holding at his chest and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Julianne and Becca busied themselves with chores as soon as she walked out. She knew they had heard Mick, that her secret was out. Gritting her teeth, she went into Ryan’s room, where April was tending to a nasty looking gash on Jack’s calf. “How is he?” She asked softly.
April avoided her eyes. “He’s OK. Tired, hungry and a bit dehydrated,” she said. “His ankle’s sprained and he’s got this nasty thing, but he’ll heal.” She finally looked up at Sarah. “How are you? Are you OK?”
“Just dandy,” she lied. “Where’s Dylan?”
“He went out to check the Jeep.”
“Thanks.”
Sarah found Dylan filling the tank of the blue Jeep. “I want to leave as soon as possible,” she said, bracing herself for a nasty comment from Dylan about her pregnancy.
“Trail’s probably cold, but we might find something,” he said, draining the gas can. “Me, you and Mick?”
“Uh, yeah.” Where was his cutting remark? “Becca, too, if she’ll go.”
Dylan snorted. “Becca? What the hell good would she be?” He carried the empty cans to the barn.
“Becca’s fine,” Sarah defended her friend. “She’s not as tough as us, but we need all the help we can get. She can hold her own.”
Dylan shrugged when he came out of the barn. “Whatever.” He put a five gallon can of gas in the back of the Jeep and strapped it down. “When are we leaving?”
“I want to gather a few supplies, eat lunch, but we’ll leave as soon as we’re done.”
“OK.” Dylan walked back to the barn, effectively closing further communication.
Sarah headed back to the house, stopping in the kitchen to help Dominic with lunch. She didn’t want to waste any more time. The kids were already at the table, eating canned stew and fruit cocktail. She asked what she could do to help. “If you want to get the table cleared, I’ll bring the plates in,” he said as he measured out the stew and fruit onto plates.
She went to the living room and cleared the coffee table of the morning debris. The adults typically ate in the living room, since the kitchen was too small for everyone. Dominic began to bring the plates in, Sarah moving to help him. “I got it, Sarah,” he said.
“OK, I’ll get everyone else.” She went into Ryan’s room. April was sitting by the bed, watching Jack sleep. “Lunch is ready,” she whispered. “How’s he doing?”
April pulled the sheet up over his bandaged leg. “He’s OK. Just needs sleep.”
“He’ll be fine, he’s a tough kid.” Sarah bit her lip. “Where’s Mick?”
“Uh – your room.” April stood up. “Is everything OK with you guys?”
Sarah nodded as she left. “See you at lunch”
Becca was sitting on the bed when she walked in, talking to Mick. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Sarah. Sarah pasted a smile on her face. “Hey, Becca. Do you want to come out with us to find Ryan?”
“Uh – sure. But do you really think you should –”
“We’re leaving after lunch, which is ready now,” Sarah interrupted. “Be ready.” She didn’t acknowledge Mick as she went back to the living room.
Mick sagged against the dresser. “Becca, I don’t want her to go out there,” he said. “She won’t listen.”
“You can’t tell her, you have to explain it calmly, rationally,” Becca answered. “Not by screaming at her.”
Mick looked down. “As soon as I said it, I knew I was wrong.” He looked back at Becca. “She didn’t even want anyone to know
, but I blew it.”
“You know Sarah. You love her. You need to talk to her.” She got up from the bed. “But you won’t get her to stay here while you go out. She feels responsible for us. That includes you, too.”
“She’s having my baby, Becca. That’s all she needs to be responsible for.”
Becca shook her head. “Then you don’t know her as well as you think.” She smiled sadly at Mick as she left the room.
♦
Dominic had the plates out on the coffee table when Sarah left her room. She sat in her usual seat and picked up her plate. As she reached for her fork, she noticed that her plate held more food than the others. “Dominic?” She said, putting the plate back on the table.
“Yes, Sarah?” He came in from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel.
He looked worried, a little stressed. Sarah sighed. She couldn’t add to it. “Are you going to eat?”
“Yeah, sure, I just need to get Dylan.” He limped through the front door; his brace left in the kitchen.
Lunch was awkward, a few words here and there, punctuated by long silences. Sarah ate her food, not speaking to anyone until her plate was clean. Once she had taken her last bite, she stood and addressed the group. “I want to leave as soon as we’re finished here,” she said. “Becca, just take the bare minimum in case we have to walk.”
Becca nodded, her mouth full, her eyes a little worried.
“Sarah, why don’t I go?” April asked, noticing Becca’s apprehension. “Becca can stay here with the kids.”
Sarah shook her head. “It would be better for you to stay here. Jack might need your help. You’re the closest thing to a doctor we have. I don’t want to risk anything happening to you.”
“I understand, but Becca –”
“I’m fine, April,” Becca interrupted. “I’m happy to go. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the road.”
“If you’re sure?”
Becca nodded. “I am.” She forked up the last of her fruit and stood up. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
