Nick couldn't help but notice that the hundreds of people in the other part of the camp watched jealously through a chain-link fence as he and the other scavengers unloaded all these lifesaving supplies. The poor men, women, and children over there looked to be in equally dire circumstances, and bitter at the fact that the things they needed so desperately were all contaminated with Zolos.
They had to starve and shiver in a muddy camp, while everything that could alleviate their misery threatened certain death if they came within ten feet of it. It was a pretty terrible situation; maybe he could talk to Darby about the town providing these people with a bit more, since the scavenging was going so well.
In any case, by the time they'd got the rest of the scavenged goods unloaded in the town stockpile and were on the way back to Wensbrook, it was later than Nick would've liked. He was well aware that there were only so many hours in the day, and two trips there and back meant the better part of three hours of driving all on its own.
Not to mention they also had to worry about setting up their own camp for tonight.
So he told his group they'd just load the trucks today and worry about unloading them in the morning. With that good news to spur them on, they all worked extra hard to get the trucks filled so they'd get back in enough time that they'd still have daylight.
Nick also cheated a bit and let them finish up taking everything useful from the town's businesses, so they wouldn't have to waste their limited time searching houses. A lot of it wasn't food or other immediate necessities, but it was high priority compared to some of the things they'd grabbed from the houses, with the reasoning that it was better to take less useful stuff now than waste time going back for it later.
Although he had to admit that if the power stayed out for long periods of time, having things like board games and sports equipment, which he'd noticed packed into the other two trucks, would probably come in handy to keep people entertained and in good spirits.
Assuming anyone felt safe enough to play games with other people who might potentially be infected.
It was still a few hours to sundown by the time they finished loading all the trucks and set out. Tallie spent most of the drive back singing songs with Val and Lila over the radio. Nick was a bit worried Charlie would get tired of that after a while, but the man seemed content to slump in his seat and doze, smiling slightly at the five-year-old's enthusiastic and slightly off-tune singing.
When they reached Stanberry they parked as close to their clearing in the thicket as possible. Almost as soon as their truck's engine turned off, Chet and Ben wasted no time grabbing axes and shovels, resolved to clear away the underbrush and get to work leveling the ground.
The brothers also planned out a spot to dig a hole a stone's throw from camp, where they'd install a portable toilet they'd found in the sporting goods store. They had tarps to hang around it for privacy, and toilet paper and soap and hand sanitizer.
The camp had the potential to be pretty comfortable, with a little work and the right supplies.
Speaking of which, while the two young men worked the rest of them began moving the things they'd scavenged for themselves to their new campsite. That included tents and camping chairs, as well as blankets and sleeping bags and other amenities.
Charlie soon began showing signs of such deep exhaustion that Nick insisted he stop and rest. The man only reluctantly complied, obviously unhappy about not pulling his weight, so to give him something useful to do Nick asked him to prepare a fire pit and get a fire going.
They had a stove for cooking, and the nights were getting warmer, but even so there was something intrinsically comforting about having a campfire. Something for you to sit by, relaxing to the peaceful crackling of the flames and their mesmerizing dance, and the fierce warmth on your face.
Once the supplies were all moved, Nick got to work setting up tents. He'd originally thought maybe the women would like the cabin tent they planned to share to be a bit apart from the others, to give them some privacy. But apparently Val and Lila were both comfortable around the other men in the group, since they'd worked beside them caring for the recovering Zolos patients for a while now.
“We've become our own community,” Lila added, giving him a wan smile. “And as fellow survivors you and Tallie are a part of it now.”
Nick glanced at Chet and Ben, wondering if they agreed with that given their reticence with the other survivors. The brothers had warmed up slightly to Val, Lila, and Charlie over the day's work, but judging by their stony expressions at the teenager's comment he wasn't sure just how much.
Again, he wondered what was going on with them. And more importantly, whether he needed to address it.
In any case, the women seemed fine with camping close by. In fact, Val took a moment to subtly remind Nick that safety was Lila's highest priority, so he moved things around so the women's tent would be close to the fire, with the rest of the tents circling the edges of the clearing. At least some kind of perimeter, in case unfriendly sorts found their way into the camp.
Not that Nick felt particularly pleased about having Tallie at the edge of the camp in that circumstance. He took special care to position their tent so the entrance faced away from the fire, so he could sleep in front of it with his daughter closer to the center of camp at the back of the tent.
It was probably overly paranoid to suggest some sort of night watch, especially when they were right outside town with their friends' house a couple dozen yards away. Still, he'd sleep lightly just in case.
By the time he'd sorted out the tents the camp had come together around him, most of the basic preparations completed. The newly lit fire in its circle of rocks eagerly devoured a couple logs that the brothers had chopped from a small fallen tree, and the camp chairs had been set up around it. Chet and Ben were hanging the last tarps around the makeshift outhouse, Charlie was slumped in a chair staring at the flames, and Val and Lila had propped Tallie in her blankets on one of the chairs and were seated to either side of her, also resting.
The empty chairs waiting invitingly by the fire were tempting, but Nick had the stove which meant everyone was looking to him to manage dinner. Or at least delegate the job, although that didn't seem necessary at the moment.
He got the stove out and put it down in an open flat spot between the chairs, getting it lit. Then to celebrate what they'd gotten done that day, as well as the start of them all working together scavenging and living together in this camp, he broke open a #10 can of chili to heat up. He also tore open a bag of tortilla chips to either mix in or eat alongside, and a box of candy bars for dessert.
It wasn't exactly responsible rationing, but it was obvious that this was the best meal his new team of scavengers had eaten in a long time. One of the better ones he'd had recently himself, for that matter. They all eagerly waited for the food to heat up, then tucked into it with great enjoyment the moment it was ready.
Val half begged, half insisted that she be allowed to feed Tallie. When Nick agreed she looked more cheerful than she'd been all day, smiling as she gently lifted the five-year-old onto her lap and dutifully mashed up her chili, soaking up some chips in it to also mash up.
Seated beside the auburn-haired woman, Lila went to the effort of heating a candy bar with some water in a camping cup over the fire, mixing up a chocolatey sludge to feed the girl. For her part Tallie seemed delighted by the pampering. She'd had all day to warm up to the women, and it was obvious she now considered them her best friends, beaming like the sun and chattering away as they fed her.
It lifted Nick's spirits to see; his daughter was such an energetic and outgoing girl that it had been sad to see her cooped up in the apartment for so long. And even more so after she got sick and could barely move.
The opportunity for her to be around other people was a blessing in and of itself. And he could admit for himself that being able to enjoy this sort of socializing without being treated like a potential danger, even by friends, was welcom
e.
After they'd all finished eating, Lila and Charlie volunteered to clean up, giving Nick a chance to sit back and relax. For the first time since that morning, it felt like. He leaned his head back with a contented sigh, staring up at the first few stars twinkling merrily in the darkening sky.
Stars. Nick straightened again with a guilty start, realizing that for the first time since the Norsons let his family stay he hadn't watched the stars come out with Gen.
Was it too late?
He glanced over at Tallie, who was drowsing in Val's arms with her head on the woman's shoulder looking peaceful and cozy, and cleared his throat. “I'm going to go say goodnight to my son and our friends in the house,” he told the auburn-haired woman quietly. “I can take Tallie with me if you're tired of holding her.”
“I'm fine,” she murmured, gently rubbing the girl's back. “It would be a shame to wake her.”
He agreed, and anyway Val looked as content as his daughter. So he nodded farewell to the group and made his way through the thicket towards the shed, reminding himself that they needed to clear a path to the campsite for carrying water and walking in the dark. Having a branch come within an inch of poking his eye was good motivation for that.
To his disappointment, Gen wasn't waiting outside for him. Ricky was, though, and eager to hear how the scavenging had gone and what everyone in Nick's new team was like. So he settled down at the boundary of the shed and talked about his day, including finding the well-stocked house. He also listened to what his son had been up to all day.
After a few minutes the door to the house opened, and through the growing darkness he barely recognized Gen, wearing sweatpants and a sweater and fuzzy slippers with what looked like cute animal faces of some sort for the toes, as she stepped out onto the porch.
“Hey,” he called, more relieved than he'd expected to see her. “I was afraid I'd missed you tonight.”
“That's my line,” she said. He spotted a flash of white teeth as she yawned before continuing. “Long day?”
“Not as long as tomorrow's going to be.” As his friend made her way down to sit on the grass nearby he filled her in on what he'd told Ricky. Although he spent a bit more time with her talking about his new team and his hopes for future scavenging with their help.
“So after finding a treasure trove of vital supplies in one of the houses, how do you feel about searching them?” she asked.
He shrugged, then realized the gesture might not be visible in the darkness. Settling down on his back with a sigh, he stared up at the starry sky. “About the same. But since it's happening, and it's helping the town and everyone in the camp, I guess I need to push aside my reservations and just do it.”
Gen made a sound that could've been agreement, and he heard the rustle of grass as she also settled down to look at the stars. “Tallie already asleep?”
“I think so. She was dozing off when I left her with Val.”
“I wish she was safe to be around,” his friend said, sounding a bit jealous. “I miss her hugs.” She hesitated. “And I kind of wish we could be a bit closer than twenty feet, too.”
Nick couldn't help but harbor the hope that she meant that the way he thought she did. “Yeah, me too. Hopefully we won't be scavenging forever, and we can go through our three weeks.” He glanced towards Ricky's tent and saw that his son was sprawled on the grass inside his border, either asleep or looking at the stars with them. “I miss my son's hugs, too.”
Gen's voice drifted through the darkness, warm and sympathetic. “He's more than halfway through his three weeks since we stuck him in that tent on his own. The moment it's safe he's moving into the house with us, and while I know it's not the same, I promise you I'll hug him for the both of us.”
That meant more than he'd expected, and his throat felt tight as he replied. “Thanks, Gen.”
An easy silence settled between them as they just enjoyed being together. Nick wanted to broach the subject of asking her on a date when it was safe, but decided it was probably a bad idea. That could be a month away, probably longer, and there was no saying how things might change between now and then.
After a while he wearily dragged himself to his feet. “Well, I should get Tallie to bed, and get some sleep myself. We've got an early start in the morning. Good night, Gen. Good night, Ricky.”
His friend also stood. “Good night, Nick.” Off in the darkness he heard Ricky groan sleepily, then the sound of the tent being unzipped as his son climbed inside.
Nick watched Gen head into the house, then wearily felt his way through the trees back towards the light of the campfire. He found Val still sitting on her camp chair with a sleeping Tallie on her lap, the dying flames illuminating the expression of mingled tenderness and grief she wore as she stared down at the girl.
He settled down in the chair beside hers. “Thanks for watching her tonight,” he whispered.
“No need to thank me, she's an absolute joy,” Val murmured back quietly, still staring down at Tallie. She blinked, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “She's so beautiful,” she continued in a voice full of deep pain and grief. “A miracle. You should be thankful every second of the day that she made it.”
Nick felt his own eyes blurring. “I am,” he said, his own voice coming out thick. “I am.” The horror of nearly losing his daughter still haunted him, and he could only imagine what Val must be going through after losing her own children, along with her other loved ones.
She took a shuddering breath and wiped at her eyes, then forced a smile as she stood and gently held Tallie out for him to take. “I'm going to check on Lila and head to bed. We've got a lot of work to make up with the unloading before we even get started tomorrow.”
That was true enough. He gently cradled his sleeping daughter in his arms and stood as well. “Good night.”
Chapter Fifteen
Home
There were no tearful hugs, of course. But Ellie liked to think that if they hadn't all been afraid of Zolos, there would've been.
There were a lot of people who'd come to bid her and Hal farewell, however. Dozens of relief workers and guards stood outside the entrance, waiting for them to come outside so they could pay their respects and wish them good luck on their trip home. They were dwarfed by the crowd of well over a hundred camp residents on this side of the gate, who all stood in a loose cloud ten feet apart from each other offering their own well-wishes.
A lot of them had become good friends in the last few weeks. Ellie knew most of them by name, as well as a lot about the lives they'd lived before coming to this camp. And she liked to think she and her boyfriend had helped more than a few of them.
In fact, for some of these people she knew for certain she'd helped.
There was Jerry near the front of the crowd, a college freshman who'd gotten a call from his family while on campus, giving him the devastating news that they'd all contracted Zolos and were being sent to this particular quarantine camp. He'd hopped right in his car to come here, only to be trapped in the isolation cells for his five days. From in there he was forced to listen helplessly as a sympathetic relief worker relayed the news of one death of a loved one after another, until they were all gone.
After the last grief counseling session Ellie had led before turning the reins over to Cathy, the young man had pulled her aside to confess that before she'd convinced him to start coming and opening up about his grief, he'd stayed in his tent spending all his time trying to think of a way to end it all.
He'd promised that, inspired by her example, he was going to throw himself into helping other people rather than staying stuck inside his own head. And also that he was going to keep participating in grief counseling.
And there was Tricia, the young woman Ellie and Hal had met on their first day out of the isolation cells, who'd said her goodbyes when she'd been let out of the camp last week. Tricia had gone from sitting outside her tent in a listless daze, or rereading that same tattered paperback for the umpteen
th time, to actively planning for her future after she left the camp.
And there were plenty of other people who'd already left, who had gone back into the world with equal optimism and determination to make a new start. Ellie had high hopes for all of them, and firmly believed they were doing well outside these walls.
Although she'd know soon enough for quite a few of them; in spite of hers and Hal's resolve to get home to their families as quickly as possible, they'd let their friends talk them into visiting the new community going up outside the camp. Just to see how the work was going.
Although she'd firmly insisted that her boyfriend was not sticking around to help with construction projects, as a few people had clearly hoped he would. They'd stay no more than a half hour, see the new settlement's progress and offer what advice they could, but that was it.
She'd waited more than a month to be reunited with her children, and she didn't want to delay holding them in her arms for a single second longer than strictly necessary. Hal felt the same about his brothers and sister, waiting with their mom in his apartment in Kearney.
They hoped; neither of them had been able to get news of their loved ones for weeks now.
When Ellie and her boyfriend finally reached the gate leading outside, after briefly talking to as many of their friends as possible along the way, an expectant hush settled over the crowd as if they expected a speech. At her side she felt Hal tense at the prospect of public speaking, and she reached out to take his hand.
Okay granted, she felt nerves when it came to addressing a crowd herself. Most people did, which was why it was one of the most common phobias in the country, if not the most. But she'd had plenty of practice talking to groups, to the point where she could feel confident even when making a spur of the moment speech like right now.
Isolation (Book 2): Going Out Page 27
