by Leo Nix
He crawled into the nearest bedroom and through the rubbish on the floor. He saw a single bed butted against the wall. It was neatly made so he dragged himself in and fell asleep. His sleep was as quiet and still as the bodies in the other room.
It was two days before Arthur could move. The first thing he did was put on the clothes that were lying on the floor. They smelled of mold and it made him nauseous but he didn't really care. He looked at his skin and his leg, he was a mess with scabs everywhere. His burned back, scrotum and buttocks hurt like hell and his leg was a mass of bruising and dried blood.
Arthur fashioned a bandage from the sheets and wrapped his leg. The pain was staggering. His leg was so swollen that the skin was `as tight as a mummified corpse' he thought to himself. Every movement tore open many of the hundreds of scabs and they would start bleeding again. The wounds opened and wept all over his clothes. He felt disgusting, itchy and dirty.
He found a tin of peaches in a cupboard and it tasted better than anything he'd ever eaten in his life. The juice moistened his mouth and he drank it greedily. There was a fish pond in the backyard and he drank the water from that. The sugary meal gave him energy and lifted his spirits. He started to think positively, `maybe I'll survive long enough to get back to Heidi?'
Later, lying in his bed he thought, `I need to get to the safe house and see if Tony's left a note or something. I need the supplies and I need to set up a signal for him.'
His mind was starting to work analytically just as Heidi had taught him. Arthur was a willing student when Heidi was the teacher. Thinking of Heidi made him emotional but drove him to work out what he needed to do. It was two days since he fell into the tunnel and was blown out again and he hadn't seen or heard any terrorist activity. Perhaps the terrorists chasing him had all died and no one knew he'd survived the explosion.
He felt his leg wound and explored the entry hole in his thigh and its exit wound near his knee. The bullet had travelled right through his leg, no wonder it hurt, he thought. Feeling around for more wounds he didn't find any. He knew that blood poisoning from dirt, cloth or other material stuck inside his wound, would kill him. A clean wound was essential for survival.
He found some disinfectant and various creams in the bathroom cupboard. There was enough water to wash and keep his wound free of puss while he dressed it with fresh bandages. Despite the pain he tried to move his lame leg gently but gave up trying to do his own physiotherapy after he passed out. After that first proper cleaning his leg was so stiff and swollen that he feared he had more bullets in there, but by the end of the day the inflammation had reduced considerably.
His burns, though not as severe as he first feared, irritated more than anything. He itched all over as the scabs fell off and new skin covered his buttocks, legs, back and head.
That night he felt well enough to make his way to the safe house he and Tony had shared a week or more earlier. It was only a few blocks away. Tony's backpack was gone but everything else was there. Arthur went straight to the food and water cache and had a wonderful meal of tinned food. Given his situation he didn't know when he might be forced to hide again and knew that building his strength was a priority. He didn't like the idea of dying hungry or thirsty.
Arthur spent the rest of the night in front of his small fire. Processing his situation the way Heidi had taught him, he decided to stay put and give himself time to heal. It was a two day bike ride to get home and in his condition he would be vulnerable all the way. If he came across a patrol they would easily capture or kill him. He didn't relish the thought of being shot again.
`Besides,' he thought, `how can I peddle a bike with just one leg? Those terrorists have crippled me just like they did to Charlene.'
He placed a small stone on top of a brick at the front and back steps. It was unobtrusive and anyone seeing it would walk right past. But to the trained observer it was a sign to say he was there. This was the signal Heidi and the two scouts had agreed upon in situations like this. While he waited Arthur carefully divided his food and water into daily allotments, he knew he might be there for quite a long time.
It rained on and off for the first half of summer and water filled a shallow children's swimming pool in the backyard next door. Not trusting the city water Arthur spent part of each day collecting water and putting it into the empty bottles he found. He also collected last years dried fruit lying on the ground and those still hanging on the trees in the neglected back yard. There was enough extra food and water for him to survive for a few weeks longer. He knew he needed a long time for his leg to be in any condition to ride home.
Venturing out to search the other houses for food was a no go. The best he could do was hobble and a hobble wouldn't save him if a patrol came around the corner. Going through backyards would mean climbing fences which would open his leg wound, so he didn't. Fortunately there was plenty of firewood to burn from the wood shed - the fire was good company when he was feeling miserable and alone.
His burns healed quickly. The fact he went head-first into deep, cold water, saved him from debilitating third degree burns.
`I'll keep my boyish good looks,' he cheerfully thought to himself as he checked himself in the bathroom mirror.
The best part of each day was spent reading. For a young man who truanted from school and avoided books like they were a disease, he soon become fascinated with the books he found. Reading everything he could find, he discovered an amazing world of fantasy he never knew existed. There were dozens of books on animals, dinosaurs and children's literature. He even found a fascinating collection of books on Australian history and fiction in the lounge room. Some days he just lay in bed to read, only getting up to go to the toilet or eat.
The hot summer days passed slowly, his wounds healed and his strength was returning. Still, no one had come to rescue him, and he began to worry.
Chapter 15 - Charlene - Tony's Torment
While Arthur was in hiding, the arrival of Tony put the dwellers in a spin.
Heidi asked him a million questions then made the sober decision to move house. Tony had only taken a single night and part of the morning to ride home. Phil suggested that perhaps Arthur had escaped to safety. He didn't want to verbalise the other possibility.
Phil also advocated that, just in case, they should immediately debunk to the safe house that only Heidi knew of. They started preparing that very morning. As soon as evening arrived they began dragging their trolleys loaded with food and belongings to their new home.
Tony was devastated, perhaps more so than any of them. He was never one to make friends easily yet he and Arthur had developed a strong and enduring friendship. They had grown especially close during their time on reconnaissance. There was also a destructive sense of betrayal. He'd betrayed his best friend by allowing him to walk into the ambush, it should have been him. He shouldn't have left Arty when he rode away, and when he heard the shots fired he should have gone back. Tony felt he should have waited to see if his friend had escaped and needed help… he should have, should have, should have…
Every night Tony lay awake going over every item in his mind. He saw, as clear as day, exactly how he should have done things so that his best friend would still be with them. He became hollow-eyed and morose. Lucy endured his long periods of silence. He wouldn't communicate with her, he'd just sit staring into space. She was worried and so was everyone else.
Charlene was worried too, she decided to step up to the mark and take him under her wing. Having lived with her own depression she thought she might be able to help him. Perhaps some of the things she'd learned in her books from the university would work. They began to sit together and talk softly in the evening by the fire. Tony spent a lot of time crying on her good shoulder.
Lucy was becoming a little concerned about the amount of time they spent together, and their shared intimacy. She feared they might get just a little too close. Charlene was a stunning young lady all of twenty years old, blond haired and single.
Lucy was in her early thirties and the trauma had done nothing to improve her looks, she thought. Before things got out of hand she needed to talk to Charlene.
The following morning Lucy walked over to Charlene sitting alone, outside in the screened back patio. She sat beside her on the bench seat, her face unreadable. “Charlene, I need to ask you something… but I feel very uncomfortable talking about it.”
“I think I know what you're going to say, I've watched you staring at me and Tony.” Through her own trauma Charlene had become quite intuitive and knew that this conversation had to happen, eventually.
Charlene decided to take the initiative. “I like Tony, he's so gentle, but I'm just not that interested in men. I, I think I'm a lesbian, Lucy. I think I love Heidi, but I could never tell her.”
She looked into Lucy's confused brown eyes and continued, “Please, can you keep that to yourself, just between us?” Charlene smiled and shifted her frozen left arm, it made her appear so vulnerable.
`You are so beautiful,' Lucy thought, `but I had no idea you might be a lesbian.'
“I didn't know, Chas, I'm so sorry for being jealous. You're so young and pretty… and I thought… your secret's safe with me.” Lucy set her shoulders square and moved the conversation to safer ground. “So, how is Tony going, do you have any ideas on how I might help him?” The conversation now shifted to psychotherapy, Charlene's favourite subject.
“I think he has `Survivors Guilt', it happens when someone survives a tragedy but everyone else is killed or wounded. I guess in some ways we all have it. I know I feel guilty for living, well so does Tony. He's also lost his best friend. He and Arty got on really well and now he's alone except for you and Annie. He carries an enormous amount of guilt for leaving Arthur behind. Tony needs a lot of love, hugs and time to heal. I don't know what else though.” Charlene waited for Lucy's reaction.
Lucy sat there listening and taking it all in. “I think I understand. And you're right, we all feel guilty. But now that Tony's lost his best friend, how do I heal all that? So hugs, hmm,” said Lucy, almost to herself.
“You can't do it all yourself, Lucy, he has to heal himself too. That's what the great psychotherapists did. We just provide the space for him to heal and that space is our friendship and understanding,” Charlene said. “Another thing is that he has to go back to find Arthur. But he can't do that until we've all agreed. And we need to wait for Heidi to find herself too, she's as lost as Tony, only she won't show it. I'm worried about her.”
Lucy stood up, in her mind a plan was forming. “I think I should go and talk to Heidi. Not about you, of course, but about finding out what's happened to Arthur. It seems that nobody's going to heal until this muddled mess is sorted.” The two girls went in search of Heidi.
It was nearly two weeks since Tony returned home alone and everyone was becoming depressed, irritable and restless. The thought of a two day trip back to the university was overwhelming, so they kept holding off discussing it. They were grieving too, and mindful that Tony and Heidi needed to come back from the dark place they were in.
The three girls sat around the fireplace that evening after everyone else had fallen asleep. They quietly chatted about food supplies, water and how everyone was feeling. Finally the conversation turned towards what they really wanted to talk about, finding Arthur.
Charlene blushed and automatically covered her face when Heidi asked her if she would sit closer, and keep her back warm. It was past midnight and chilly in the large house. Now that she'd told Lucy her secret she was extremely self-conscious. She shifted closer and reveled in the warmth radiating from Heidi's body.
“We need to go and check. I've had this dream nearly every night that he's in a safe house waiting for us. He keeps telling me not to worry. It's weird and driving me crazy. Am I crazy do you think?” Heidi asked her two friends.
“Not at all, Heidi, Tony said he never saw him shot, he'd just heard the gunfire and then an explosion. If he was wounded that would explain why he hasn't shown up. He's probably in a safe house somewhere just like your dream showed you,” was Lucy's delicate reply.
Lucy knew that this was a sensitive moment, Heidi hadn't said anything before about looking for Arthur. She'd normally clam up when people tried to talk about it. Something had shifted and now Action Heidi seemed to be back with them.
“I think we should try to find him the night after next, that gives us time to prepare. I'll go alone if no one else wants to come with me, but I hope Tony will.” Heidi looked at Lucy, her eyes moist and tears ran down her cheeks. “I want him back.” She began to sob.
Charlene's heart was flipping back and forth between wanting Heidi single and wanting her happy. She said, “Heidi, I'd go with you but I can't ride a BMX. I'm sorry I'm so useless, just when you need me.” She meant it.
In a daze Charlene's finger tips gently touched Heidi's cheek and traced the tears down to her red lips. When she noticed what she was doing she quickly pulled them away and blushed.
Lucy saw it and quickly spoke up, “I'll speak to Tony, I have a feeling he's ready. What's your feeling about it, Charlene, you've spent more time with him talking about this than any of us?” Lucy turned her face to Charlene as she spoke. The firelight played around her gaunt face and prominent cheek bones. Charlene thought Lucy was fabulous just then, and gave a heartfelt smile to her friend for rescuing her.
She reflected for a moment and replied, “Yes, I think he is. The past few times we spoke he didn't go over the same ground over and over like he usually does. He was more positive and mentioned that he wanted to go back. He didn't say when but he is starting to think about it. That's got to be a good sign, doesn't it?”
The girls stopped talking, the silence dragged on and finally Lucy said she was turning in. She grabbed her sleeping bag from the corner of the room and climbed inside. Lucy snuggled up close to her daughter and Fatima on the mattresses in front of the fireplace.
The only two left awake were Charlene and Heidi. Heidi put an arm around Charlene's shoulders mindful not to squeeze too firmly.
“You know what, you've been so wonderful to me since you saved me. I could never have asked for a better friend. You came into my life at my lowest point and stood by me, supporting every silly little idea I've had. Not once have you said `no' or `don't' or `did you consider', not once. Please Charlene, don't ever leave me.” Heidi kissed her gently on the lips then went off to find her own sleeping bag.
Charlene sat still, silently relishing Heidi's kiss, her warmth lingered on her shoulder. She stayed seated enjoying the warmth of that special moment, even fantasising that she was Heidi's lover. Charlene cherished every moment like this, storing these memories safely for when she might need them.
The next day Heidi, Lucy and Charlene called a meeting. Heidi brought up their plan of the night before and the dwellers each had their say. No one said they shouldn't go but there was a lot of discussion about how to go about it.
One of the topics was how much water to take. Did the water in the pipes still carry poison? Would there be enough fresh rain water lying in ponds and water tanks? Was it safe to drink? Charlene reminded them to take their iodine and sodium chlorite tablets to purify the rain water of bacteria and parasites.
Phil said he would prepare the spare bikes and make sure they were running just right. He'd even made carry bags for them out of the leather he'd cut from a neighbour's expensive lounge chairs.
It was Heidi who approached the difficult point of who would go with her, and there was only one, Tony, and everyone knew it.
“Tony, you haven't said anything yet. I need to know what you think because I really need you to come with me. There's only you and me and I'll go alone if I have to, but I want you to be my partner on this. I need you.”
He looked at everyone in the group as they sat under the spreading shade of the apricot tree in the back yard. “I know I need to go but I'm frightened of what I'll find. If I see Arthur…” he stopped talking a
nd choked back a sob. “If we don't find Arty alive I don't know how I'll cope.” He sat back and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “Yes, I am going, it's my responsibility and he's the best friend I've ever had.” He finally said what he'd wanted to say.
“If I can say something you might all think weird, I've been dreaming about Arthur since Tony got back. I keep seeing him in a safe house wrapped in bandages. It breaks my heart every time and I just couldn't bring myself to accept it. I've felt paralysed with fear all this time but now I'm ready, we go tomorrow night.” She stood up and walked inside. She busied herself making tea and coffee for everybody then came back out.
After she handed out refreshments Phil said he could get the bikes ready for tonight if she wanted. Fatima smiled and added that she had the food packed and Tony said he was ready to go now. Heidi stopped and looked at them. What wonderful people they were, she thought, and burst into tears.
“Tonight it is then,” she sobbed and hugged everyone.
“Mum, what's daddy and Heidi crying for?” Annie asked from half way up the apricot tree. “Is everything all right?”
“Hush, darling, daddy and Heidi are going to find Arthur and bring him back. That's all,” soothed Lucy.
“Oh, OK. Daddy! Will you bring me back some Phantom comics please? I've read them all twice and it's getting boring.” Annie climbed higher. “And tell Arthur to bring back some more books too. I want to finish the Famous Five series. Tell him to look a bit harder this time because he's always forgetting.”
That evening the dwellers prepared to say their goodbyes not knowing whether they would even return. Phil promised to keep a lookout at the crossroads safe house. He said he would prepare the halfway house for their return and stay there by himself for the next two weeks. There were tears and best wishes and the two set off on their BMX's complete with new leather carry bags and loaded back packs.
