The Other Life

by Susanne Winnacker

  Karen and Bobby grabbed Dad’s legs, Geoffrey took his shoulders and head, and Joshua supported his waist. Dad hung limply in their grasp, his mouth slack. He didn’t look well. Not at all. His hair and clothes were soaked with sweat, his skin sickly pale.

  Mom walked beside them as they carried Dad into one of the small cottages, tears running down her face.

  “Well done.” Larry put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently.

  I gave him a weak smile. “He doesn’t look good. I’m scared that he won’t make it.” I pressed my lips together to stop myself from crying. Be strong, I reminded myself.

  Larry gave me a look of understanding, his eyes kind. “Karen is a good nurse. She’ll help him. I looked much worse when I arrived in Safe-haven. The muscles in my leg couldn’t be mended, but I survived.”

  Larry was only a couple of centimetres taller than me, so I didn’t have to crane my neck to look him in the eyes. “Are you immune to the rabies?” I asked.

  He seemed to consider my question for a moment. “I must be. The wound on my leg was the result of a bite from a Weeper. If I weren’t immune to the virus, I’d have turned into a beast by now, wouldn’t I?”

  “Probably,” I said. “How did you and Karen manage to escape them?”

  “I was too badly injured to do much and my memory of the events is a bit hazy. Karen saved us. She shot a few of them, hot-wired a car and drove us here. She’s an amazing woman.” He smiled.

  “So you knew about Safe-haven?”

  He nodded. “Yes. Karen and I had been in touch with Geoffrey while we were still in our bunker. When we ran out of food, we decided to come here. Unfortunately, we noticed the Weepers in our front garden too late.”

  We’d been lucky. I wasn’t sure if Dad and I would have survived if a group of Weepers had attacked us right in front of our home. Joshua wouldn’t have been there to help us.

  Larry clasped his hands behind his back and raised his head to stare at the cloudy sky. “Karen will do everything in her power. What happens after that is not up to us.” He patted my shoulder. “Maybe you should try to rest a bit.”

  I shook my head. “I’ll check on my dad.”

  He turned around and limped towards Rachel, who stood in front of the house, looking lost. I’d totally forgotten about her.

  “You must be hungry and probably want to take a shower. Come on, I’ll show you around your new home,” Larry told her.

  Rachel glanced at me. I gave her an encouraging smile and nodded towards Larry. She followed him and the front door fell shut behind them.

  I leaned against the car. So much had happened today. The Weepers. And the poor man who’d fallen from the fire ladder. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d lain on the concrete, sprawled out, wide-eyed, lifeless. I wished I could banish the memories from my head, forget everything that had happened. I couldn’t check on Dad like this. A crying daughter wouldn’t help him.

  “Hey.”

  Joshua’s voice made me jump. I hadn’t even heard him approach. He stood in front of me, his forehead creased in worry. He reached out, hesitated a few centimetres from my cheek and then cupped it. My skin grew warm under his touch and I leaned into his hand. So strong. So good.

  “You alright?” he asked quietly, his blue eyes searching mine. They were so light, like a cloudless sky. I tried to smile, but instead my face crumpled. I shook my head. I wasn’t alright. Not at all. These last two days had been hell. Everything I’d seen, all the fear – and so many deaths. I couldn’t hold back the tears any more. I hated being so weak, hated breaking down. I needed to be strong for my family. I wanted to be strong for them.

  “I’m fine,” I choked out, followed by a sob. It wasn’t very convincing, of course. I was so pathetic.

  Joshua shook his head. “You don’t seem fine.” He leaned against the car, wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him. He rubbed my arm gently, staring off into the hills.

  “You’re right. I’m not fine,” I admitted with a weak laugh.

  We stayed like this for a moment, but thoughts of Dad flashed in my mind. The fever, the infection, his paleness.

  “I’m worried about my father,” I got out.

  “Karen is taking care of him. She’ll make sure he gets better.” Joshua caressed my arms, his fingers gentle, our bodies leaning against each other. His warmth and scent were comforting.

  “But she won’t be able to help him if he’s got rabies. Nobody will be able to help him then.”

  Joshua’s hand tightened briefly on my arm, before he ran it up and down again. “If he hasn’t been bitten by one of them, the chances are slim that he’s infected.” His voice was flat. “Why don’t you go in there and ask Karen.” He nodded towards the small cottage.

  “Okay.” I lifted my head from his chest. My eyes lingered on his face. His gaze was steady as he looked at me.

  I stood on my tiptoes, took a deep breath. I’d fought Weepers. I could do this. I pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. My face grew hot, but I ignored it. “Thank you for helping me.”

  I hurried towards the small cottage and stole a glance over my shoulder. Joshua was staring at me with a look of surprise.

  I entered the cottage, a fluttering in my stomach. The hall was narrow and dust hung in the air. Voices were coming from the room to my right. It looked like an improvised infirmary. There was a bed in the centre and a table next to it, with all kinds of medical equipment. The floor was wooden and the walls were an odd yellow. Better than the sterile white walls of the bunker beneath my home.

  Geoffrey stood beside me, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His hair hung limply around his face. The shadows beneath his eyes and the deep creases around them made him look old. He spoke when he noticed my gaze on him.

  “We prepared this room because we didn’t know how many people you’d bring to Safe-haven and what condition they’d be in. It’s better than keeping them in the house. If they’re infected…”

  He trailed off, glancing at Bobby and my mother. How much had they been told?

  Mom bent over Dad’s head, smoothing his clammy hair. Her lips were moving fast, whispering words of encouragement. She’d stopped crying and looked composed. She seemed stronger than I’d seen her in a long time.

  Bobby stood next to the bed and stared down at our motionless father with a look of despair. His jaw was set tight. I could tell he was fighting tears.

  I approached the bed, scared of what I would see. Karen stopped what she was doing and glanced up from Dad’s leg. The gash in his thigh was long and deep. Even the muscles and tendons were visible. The area around the wound was red and the skin was swollen. She gave me a fleeting smile before she returned her attention to her patient and began cleaning the wound with a swab.

  “Can I help?” I asked, though the sight of the gash made me sick. I’d seen worse over the last few days, but the fact that it was Dad’s wound made the sight twice as bad.

  Karen shook her head. She poked against a part of the wound, and pus oozed out. My stomach tightened. Bobby retched, but he remained where he was. Karen wiped the pus off and rinsed the wound with water. She shook her head with a sigh. “It shouldn’t be inflamed like this.” She looked at Geoffrey. “There are antibiotics in the cupboard. They’ve probably expired, but maybe they’ll help.”

  “Do you think the fever is caused by an infection?” I asked. Mom glanced up from Dad’s face, her nervous gaze focused on Karen.

  “The infected wound might be the reason,” Karen replied. “But only time will tell.”

  Mom seemed satisfied with the answer and continued talking to Dad, but I’d noticed the caution in Karen’s tone.

  I leaned down, bringing my face closer to hers. “When can you be sure that his symptoms aren’t signs of rabies?”

  Karen began stitching up the wound. “It isn’t a bite wound. I haven’t found any on his body yet. Bite wounds are the main cause of a rabies infection. Your father is weak from ma
lnutrition. His body is probably just reacting badly to the injury.”

  “How long until we can be sure though?” My tone was sharper than I’d intended.

  Karen’s hand was steady as she continued stitching. “I don’t know exactly. Days, maybe a few weeks.”

  A few weeks?

  “Here.” Geoffrey handed a small bottle to Karen. She thanked him and began to prepare a drip. “He needs fluids. It’ll strengthen his body and help him fight this,” she explained as she put Dad on the IV.

  “Where did you get the medical equipment?” The liquid dripped down the small tube and into Dad’s arm. He looked so thin and breakable.

  “Joshua searched the local hospitals for anything we could use. I made a list for him and he brought the things that were transportable.” She finished the stitches and started bandaging the leg.

  Dad let out a low moan and squirmed on the bed. Mom’s head shot up and she looked at us, wide-eyed. I wanted to tell her it would be alright, but the words stuck in my throat.

  “He should wake soon. The IV will help,” Karen said. She patted my arm gently before she pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down.

  “You don’t need me any more. I’ll see what the other arrival can tell me.” Geoffrey dipped an imaginary hat before exiting the room. The door fell shut behind him without a sound.

  Mom sank down beside Dad on the bed and rested her head beside his. All their fights in the bunker were meaningless now. I stifled a yawn. My foot burned fiercely, the back of my head throbbed and my ankle hurt like hell. At least now that Dad was safe, I could rest them.

  “Karen?” I said.

  She glanced at me.

  “I think the stitches on my foot might have burst open, and one of the Weepers got its claws on my ankle.”

  “What!” Mom exclaimed, sitting up straight with a look of horror, her blonde hair hanging limply over her shoulders.

  “I’ll take a look at it.” Karen rose from the chair. She patted it, indicating that I should take her seat.

  I sank down and pulled off my shoes and socks. Karen grasped my left foot first. Claw marks were visible around my ankle. The skin was an angry red, but it had stopped bleeding. She turned my foot to the side and inspected the wound closely.

  “It isn’t too bad. The claws haven’t dug that deep.” She grabbed a swab from the table and dabbed it in a small bowl. My wound burned like crazy as she cleaned it. I pressed my lips together to keep from making a noise.

  “Will Sherry get rabies now?” Bobby asked from his spot next to Dad’s bed.

  I froze. My chest tightened. I hadn’t even thought about that. Mom looked like she was close to having an asthma attack.

  Karen shook her head. “No. Usually a bite wound is necessary. I’ll clean this and then it should be alright.”

  I slumped against the backrest. She bandaged my ankle and checked on my other foot, clucking her tongue in dismay. “You strained it too much. It needs new stitches.”

  I stifled a groan. But Karen made fast work of the stitches, and I barely noticed the pain. My eyelids felt like they were made of lead and every muscle in my body ached. I’d never felt so exhausted.

  Karen released my foot and patted my leg. “Bobby, Sherry, why don’t you go into the main house and have dinner with the others, then go to bed. You look tired. Your mother and I will keep watch tonight.”

  I wanted to protest, but I knew I wouldn’t be much help. With a weak nod, I began to pull on my shoes and socks, wincing every time I touched my ankle.

  My walk towards the door was an awkward hobble. Bobby came up behind me as I stepped out of the cottage. Outside, I looked at the vineyard and the sun setting in the background. It was beautiful. Bobby followed my gaze. He was as tall as I. He’d grown so much in the last few months. When we’d gone into the shelter more than three years ago, he’d still been quite a bit smaller than me. So much had changed since then.

  “Do you think Dad will turn into a Weeper?” he asked, trying to keep a brave face. The quiver in his tone revealed how he really felt.

  I turned away from the vineyard and faced him. “No. I’m sure he’ll be alright. Karen said it’s probably just the infection.”

  “I’m not stupid!” Bobby glared at me. “She only said that because she didn’t want to upset us.”

  I kicked some dirt with the tip of my good foot. The urge to reassure him was strong, but it would have been unfair to lie.

  “I want to believe her.” I shrugged, feeling helpless.

  Bobby looked at me, then nodded, satisfied with my answer. He’d probably expected me to lie. But I knew how it felt to be treated like a stupid child who couldn’t handle the truth. I wouldn’t do that to him.

  He took a deep breath. “Mia asked about you all the time while you were gone. We didn’t tell her what happened. Mom thinks it’s better if she doesn’t know about the Weepers.”

  “Mia wouldn’t understand. It would only scare her,” I said. Mom had been right.

  Bobby nodded, trying to look all grown-up and collected. “Tell me about them.”

  I wanted to forget.

  “Tell me about the Weepers,” he pleaded.

  I stopped and rested my hand on the front door. “Some of them look almost normal. They walk upright like we do and their eyes are intelligent. Others walk on all fours and their eyes look empty. They’re all terrifying and dangerous. They’re murderous beasts.” I shuddered and pushed the door open.

  Bobby followed me into the hall, his expression determined. “I want to hunt them like Joshua does.”

  I stiffened. Hadn’t he listened to what I’d told him? “It isn’t a game, Bobby. They want to kill us…to eat us. We’re their prey. They’d kill you.”

  “You don’t know that! I’d kill them all!” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, defiance flickering in his eyes. If he intended to look like an adult, he failed miserably.

  “Killing other creatures isn’t as easy as you think. They were people once.” Joshua’s voice came out of the darkness. He was leaning against the door frame of the living room, watching us. His face lay in shadows. He flipped a switch and the lights came on in the hall.

  “But you hunt them! I want to kill them like you do!”

  “You shouldn’t do what I do.” Joshua’s voice stayed cool.

  Bobby glared at him. “That’s stupid! I can do what I want! You can’t tell me what to do!” He stormed up the staircase.

  Joshua straightened, stretching his arms above his head, his muscles flexing. “Let’s eat.”

  I blew out a long breath. My legs felt too heavy to make them carry me anywhere and my feet hurt. I wanted to go to bed, but I was so hungry.

  Joshua took my hand and led me into the kitchen.

  Grounded.

  One week.

  Totally unfair.

  Not my fault I got detention. If Brittany hadn’t made fun of me, I’d never have gotten in a fight with her.

  Almost six.

  The movie would start at seven.

  I grabbed my cell. The movie was my chance to talk to Alex. He’d be there with his friends. It was the only reason Izzy and I even wanted to see that stupid movie. Tucking my phone in my pocket, I sneaked out of my room.

  Getting out of the house wouldn’t be a problem. Getting back in without my keys was another matter, and I could hardly ask for them.

  Dad always hid the spare key in the cookie jar. A stupid place, considering Bobby and I were addicted to cookies. I climbed on the counter and reached for the jar on the highest shelf.

  Pushing the cookies aside, something cool brushed my fingertips. The key. I pulled it out.

  The rest would be easy. I jumped off the counter.

  And froze.

  Dad leaned on the door frame. “You’re grounded for another week, young lady.”

  Marie sat at the table and watched the stove, her eyes half-closed. Something was cooking in a big pot. It smelled delicious – basil and tomatoes.
My stomach rumbled, demanding food.

  Mia and Marie’s two-year-old daughter Emma sat beside her on the ground, playing with dolls. I’d never been the doll-playing type of girl, though Mom had tried to turn me into one. I’d preferred building blocks and matchbox cars to Barbie and Ken.

  Mia looked up, dropping her dolls when she caught sight of me. She jumped to her feet and dashed towards me. Her little head collided painfully with my stomach as she threw herself at me. I hugged her back, despite wheezing for air.

  “You’re back! You’re back!” she shrieked.

  I crouched down to be face-to-face with her. Stroking her hair from her face, I smiled. “I’m back.”

  “How’s Daddy? Where is he?” She looked past me, as though Dad was hiding somewhere behind me.

  “Mom and Dad are in the house next door. You know how adults can be. They want to have an adult talk.” I rolled my eyes exaggeratedly.

  “Oh.” Mia scrunched up her nose, believing my lie, though I was a horrible liar. Emma watched me with wide, curious eyes. Her blonde hair was short and fuzzy and she looked like a little boy – a cute one. I straightened up. Mia clutched my hand, as if she was afraid I’d disappear into thin air. I pulled one of the chairs back and plopped down. My feet felt like they were made of stone. Too heavy to lift from the ground.

  Joshua was smiling at me, but something about his eyes seemed off. The smile didn’t reach them. I wondered what was going on in his head.

  Marie put the huge pot with our dinner onto the table. I propped myself up on my elbows and peeked into the pot. There were tomatoes, red peppers, onions and something that looked like chicken or pork.

  I glanced at Marie. “Is that chicken?”

  Joshua replied before she could. “We’ve got a few chickens and three cows in the garden behind the house.”

  912 days since I’d eaten chicken.

  “If you want, I can show you around tomorrow.” Joshua filled his plate with food and glanced up at me.

  “S-sure,” I stammered, suddenly thinking about the kiss I’d pressed on his cheek. Marie looked between Joshua and me with a grin. I lowered my face and filled my own plate.