by A. L. Jambor
She went down the stairs into the animal room and walked over to Calvin's quarters. She thought it strange that he lived here and not with the others. He’d told her it was his choice, that he liked the privacy.
Christie knocked on his door and there was no answer. She hated intruding, but she really wanted to talk to him. She turned the knob and it was open. She opened the door and didn't hear anything. She called his name, but he didn’t answer.
She went back to the field and walked to the back of the building. She saw the hazmat suit was missing and knew that Calvin had already left to visit the kids. She felt real disappointment.
Christie was getting hungry and decided to find something in the ground that was ready for picking. She sized up some tomatoes and peppers. She decided on the tomatoes. She picked two and took them to the shed to wash them. After they were thoroughly cleaned, she took them into her office.
She didn't have a plate or utensils so she decided to just bite into them. The flavor of fresh food awoke all her senses. The tomato was just right. She savored every bite and then ate the other one. Real, fresh food. It almost made her dizzy.
Just as she was finishing her tomato, she noticed the clock said 9:30. She had been here only three hours, but it felt like a whole day. Even though they drove her nuts, she was actually missing the kids. Maybe she should go upstairs and call a meeting on the PA system. If she could get all of them, kids and men, into one place at one time, they could figure out how to handle their present incarceration without Christie losing all of her hair.
Christie walked up the stairs and out the door. The city was alive with noisy kids playing and talking. Christie walked past the tiny houses and into the town square. She saw many familiar faces, but she also noticed some missing. She saw Katie and Alyssa, but not Maria Elena. That didn't happen very often.
Christie walked on to the cafeteria. Breakfast for the kids was over and the men were all sitting around a table drinking coffee. She came over and joined them.
“Listen, guys, I need your help.” She looked from face to face. No response. “I really mean it. I need your help.”
“Then just tell us what you want us to do,” Andrew said.
“LOOK AROUND! Don't you guys notice anything? These kids need supervision, and I’m the only one who seems to realize it. I need you guys to step up and help me with these kids!”
The guys still didn't respond. Apparently, they found nothing wrong with the way things were.
“You know, I used to think you guys were great. But now I think you're all useless, with the exception of George, who at least cooks.” Christie got up and stormed out of the cafeteria.
“Okay, does anybody have some suggestions?” Andrew asked.
“What do you mean?” Pat asked.
“You didn't see her just ream us up one side and down the other?” Andrew was getting where Christie was coming from. He hadn’t been much help to her in the last few days either. But she had never asked for help so they thought she'd had it all together.
“Women don't know how to just ask. They always yell at you,” Simon was saying.
“Gentlemen, I have been listening to you and I think I can help.” George had brought over a plate of cookies. “Christie has been watching over our charges for some time now. Maybe we should give her a vacation of sorts. Let her leave the compound, so to speak.”
The men listened to George and you could see their minds working.
“You mean suit her up and give her the keys to the truck?” Pat said.
“Well, maybe, but I think what she really needs is a few days in the Wilmer residence. Alone.” George's eyes were twinkling. He had spent a night there, and it had done wonders for his spirits.
“You're right, George. That’s just the place. It's quiet, it's clean, and the virtual room is a great place to sit. I have to get the sounds turned on,” Andrew said. He got up and went to his computer room to hook up the sound to the virtual room.
“George, you talk to her. Tell her what you said.” Simon got up and left the table with an old newspaper he had been carrying around.
“Must be going to the can,” Pat said. “But he's right, George, you talk to her.” Pat got up to leave and George grabbed his sleeve.
“Patrick, we have another birthday party coming up. I need your assistance in the kitchen today.”
Pat looked crestfallen. He had hoped to sneak away to his quarters and take a daylong nap. But George held onto his sleeve and wouldn’t let go.
“Okay. What do I have to do?” Pat sat back down.
“You just have to sift some flour and get some eggs from the freezer in Wilmer's. You can also grease the bread pans. While you're doing that, I’ll begin pulling the cakes out of the freezers.”
George got up and went to the kitchen. Pat sat at the table for a few minutes thinking about his bed. He then got up and followed George.
*****
Maria Elena had had a bad dream. She dreamt that someone was hurting her and she couldn't stop them. When she woke up, her left leg hurt and she pulled down her covers to look at it. On the top of her left thigh was a long cut with stitches. She didn't know how it happened and she began to feel sick to her stomach.
When she went to get out of bed, her leg was throbbing. Like all the children of the biosphere, Maria Elena had never been sick. Having pain like this was a new experience. In the past if she had scraped her knee or knocked her elbow, the pain would last only a short time, and the injuries would heal quickly. She didn't know how to respond to this kind of pain.
Maria Elena didn’t want to leave her house. For some reason, her injury caused her to feel shame. When Katie and Alyssa came to the door to take her to breakfast, she told them she wasn’t hungry and would come out later. Katie didn't like the way she sounded and decided to find Christie.
Maria Elena washed herself and got dressed. Her pants were rubbing against her cut so that every time she moved the pain would resume. She sat on her sofa and tried to watch a movie. She felt so sad and uncomfortable. Something about that dream would not let her rest. It was so real.
*****
Andrew went to Christie's quarters. He passed Gerald's lab and noticed Gerald sleeping in front of his computer. He walked over to Christie's quarters and knocked on the door. She opened it and let him in. She’d been crying.
“We came up with a way to help you. Well, George did anyway,” he said. “We want you to spend a few days in the Wilmer residence. It's really nice in there and the virtual room is very relaxing.” Andrew was waiting for her to jump in his arms and thank him with kisses. Christie just sat on the bed looking more dejected than ever. “Well, what do you think?”
“It sounds nice, but it doesn't solve the problem. You guys don't get it. I just can't do it anymore.”
“Do what? We can't help you unless you tell us.” Andrew sat down next to Christie.
“I should think it would be obvious. One woman, 200 children! These kids need attention, somebody chasing after them, reminding them to go to bed, to brush their teeth. I can't do it anymore.”
“Well then, we'll yell at them and chase them.” Andrew was truly perplexed. This was not such a big deal.
“But will you be there when they cry? Or when they fight and you have to fix it before they start beating each other up? Or will you just wrestle with them?” Christie’s face was covered in tears. “I’m a scientist. I finished first in my class. I had a child, but she died before I could even get to know her. I just wasn’t prepared for this. This can't be my life.” The tears were flowing harder now.
“I didn't plan on moving dead bodies around for three weeks either. Shit happens.” Andrew wanted to get up and leave her. All she could do was complain when they’d all been through hell.
“But you moved those dead bodies together. I have no one, Andrew. I’m the only woman here. You guys never think of that. I have no one.”
She had a point. The guys had each other. Even when Pat pu
ked each time they went out, they’d had each other to deal with it. She’d had the responsibility of all these kids on her shoulders for weeks now.
Calvin had worked the field, but he didn't help with the kids, and when the guys came back from a day of bone duty, they didn't want anything to do with the kids either. He felt like an asshole for never noticing.
“Sorry. I didn't think about it.” Andrew looked sincere.
Christie knew how hard it had been for all of them. If they would just take on some of the responsibility, she could relax a little.
“Will you guys just help me get them to bed at night?” she asked.
“We'll do whatever you want. Just tell us. We really don't know.” Andrew smiled at her. She smiled back.
“Okay. I will. You can count on it. And I’ll take up your offer and go to the residence. I’ll go tonight.”
She got up off the bed and began to take some things out of her drawers. She bundled them up in a plastic bag and then looked at Andrew.
“Is the door open,” she asked, “to the residence?”
“Oh, yeah, I left it open when I ran the sound check on the virtual room. You're all set.”
They left her room and she locked the door. They walked past Gerald's lab and he was still asleep. Christie turned to Andrew.
“He's getting stranger. I really don't trust him near the kids.” She looked very tired.
“I'll keep an eye on him while you’re away.” Andrew was walking towards the door. Christie grabbed his arm.
“I didn't tell you, but Gerald tried to take a sample from Austin the other day. He had him pinned down in his lab and was going to do God knows what to him. I stopped him, but he looked like a madman. Please, keep him away from them.”
Andrew thought a minute. She really looked scared. Something was going to have to be done about good old Gerry.
“I’ll watch them, and I'll get the guys to help.”
That seemed to make Christie calm down a bit. They left the lab area and went onto the landing. They could see the kids playing in the playground.
“They must get really bored sometimes, having to be in here all the time,” Christie said. She looked at them. “We have to get those detectors out of Gerald's lab. He can't hold us hostage anymore.”
“Hostage is a strong word.” Andrew's eyes were just a little too merry.
“That's exactly what we are, and it’s gone on long enough. When I come back, we’ll get those detectors.”
Christie then passed Andrew and went down the stairs. She started to run until she reached the door to the residence. She opened it and when she closed it, she locked it.
*****
Andrew thought about what Christie had said. He knew she was afraid of Gerald. He went to his quarters and found a baseball bat he had brought to the biosphere as part of his personal effects. He took it to Christie's lab and put it by her computer. He would feel better with it there in case Gerald ever came in to her lab when she was working there alone.
Andrew came down the stairs and saw Simon sitting on one of the benches. He was pretending to watch the kids.
“I saw her and thought I better look like I care,” Simon said.
“Yeah, really, but she does have a point. There are a lot of kids here. But that's not our real problem. Good old Gerry assaulted one of the kids the other day trying to get a sample. Christie broke it up, but she says he looked really nuts. We have to keep an eye on him. He may be getting dangerous.”
Simon nodded, which meant he was on board and would watch the lab doors while he sat on the bench. Andrew went into the kitchen and found Pat covered in flour and George covered in eggs. They’d had a little spat and were now cleaning up.
He informed them that they were on watch duty and they agreed it was the best course. He also told them Christie had gone on vacation and they all had to get the kids fed and in bed for the next couple of days. They said fine and finished cleaning. As Andrew left the kitchen, he saw Calvin walking towards him.
“Andrew, can I have a word?” Calvin asked him.
“Yeah, just me?”
“Yeah, just you, for now.”
They walked back to the animal room and to Calvin's quarters. Calvin poured Andrew a shot of scotch and one for himself, and then for the next couple of hours related the story of Mindy's parents and the purple babies.
Chapter 60
Andrew was thinking about everything Calvin had told him. All evening they’d been trying to come up with a plan to integrate the new group of children and adults into the biosphere.
Now that they could go outside, they wouldn't have to live here. It could be used as a sort of medical facility, or a gathering place. It had air conditioning, and the field was producing food. If they could import some animals, they could have milk and cheese.
Calvin told Andrew about meeting the group tomorrow at the Big Mart. Andrew told him to bring them over, that he would deal with Gerald. He then left Calvin to help Pat round the kids up for bedtime. As he was heading towards the houses, Katie walked up to him and asked him if he would check on Maria Elena.
“Is she sick?” Andrew asked.
“When Alyssa and I went to get her this morning for breakfast, she told us she wasn't hungry. We haven't seen her all day and she won't answer her door.”
Katie looked worried, so Andrew took her hand and walked with her to Maria Elena's house. He knocked and there was no answer. He opened the door and he and Katie walked inside.
“Hello.” Andrew called. There were no lights on and the room was dark. “Katie, put on the lights.”
Katie ran to the wall and flipped the switch. The lights came up and Andrew could see Maria Elena asleep on the bed. He walked over and put his hand on her hand. She was very hot. He felt her forehead and turned to Katie.
“Go and get George as fast as you can,” he told her.
Katie ran out the door and Andrew went to the bathroom to get a cold washcloth. He noticed towels on the floor with what appeared to be blood on them. He wet the washcloth and came back to Maria Elena. He placed the cloth on her head and she stirred.
“Donde estoy?” Maria Elena asked.
“Hey, sweetie, how ya feelin'?” Andrew was squatting next to the bed so she could see his eyes.
“Where am I?” She seemed very foggy.
“You’re in your bed. You haven't been outside all day.”
Andrew took her hand, and it was so warm. He turned the cloth on her forehead over.
“My leg hurts. It’s been hurting all day.” Maria Elena said tearfully.
Andrew thought of the bloody towels in the bathroom.
“Where on your leg?”
Maria Elena took his hand and put it on her thigh. She winced. He could feel a swelling even through her blanket.
“Can I look at it?” he asked. She nodded and he pulled the blanket down.
Maria Elena had taken off her pants and had only her underwear on. The wound was swollen and red. There was pus mixed with blood oozing out of the wound. Even with the swelling, Andrew could make out the stitches. She hadn’t done this on the playground.
Andrew became enraged. He suddenly remembered Christie telling him about Austin and how Gerald had pinned him down on the floor. Had he cut this sweet little girl? He pulled the covers back up.
“George is coming, sweetie. Does it hurt really bad?”
Maria Elena nodded her head. It was all he could do to keep from running to the lab and throwing Gerald down the stairs. Katie came back with George, who asked her to wait by the front door. George walked over to Maria Elena and felt her forehead.
“I need my bag. I'll have to go to the labs.” George could see the look on Andrew's face. “You stay here with her. Don't leave her alone.”
George went to the labs and saw that all his medical equipment was gone. He knew in an instant that Gerald had taken it. He walked over to Gerald's lab and tried the door. It was locked. He started banging on it and Gerald appeared in
the window.
“I need my bag, Gerald, and the medicine.” George was being as nice as could be. He wanted Gerald to feel safe enough to open the door.
“I felt it was safer kept in here since you spend so much time in the kitchen.” Gerald was smiling at George. His eyes looked strange.
“I thank you for your consideration. I do appreciate it, Gerald. But please, I need my bag. I need to remove a splinter from Pat's finger.” George knew that Gerald's feelings about Pat were neutral.
“Very well, I’ll get it for you.”
Gerald walked to the back of the lab. He pulled the bag out from under one of the cabinets and brought it to the door. When he opened it, George pushed his way into the lab.
“Oh, thank, you Gerald; now I just need to get some antibiotics.”
George began to walk to the medicine cabinet. Gerald followed him and watched as he took out the penicillin and a topical antibiotic ointment. He also grabbed gloves, sutures, a mild sedative and needles. Lastly, he took a bottle of alcohol and put the items in his bag. He turned and Gerald was blocking his way.
“Must be some splinter, George.”
“It is. He managed to embed it under his fingernail and now the infection may be in his blood. I have to hurry, Gerald. Please allow me to pass.”
“Yeah, Gerry, let him pass.”
Gerald turned around and saw Simon standing in the hallway with the bicycle lock in his hand.
“It's not nice keeping the medicine from the doctor now, is it?” Simon walked away, taking the lock with him. Gerald chased after him demanding the lock back.
“I don't think so, Gerry. I think we need to get everything out of there that you don't need to do your job. Oh wait, you don't have a job. All the animals are dead, except for some skinny chickens. Have you been by to see them lately, Gerry?”
