by V. L. Dreyer
"Does she need us to send her any aid?" I asked.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "She said that she and her men already have things well in order. She's going to follow the same route we did, and estimates she should be here in under a month."
"That's good," I replied, then I sighed and admitted the truth to him. "I am concerned, though. New Zealand isn't that big. The mutants are going to keep spreading in the north, and eventually they're going to start roaming south. What if we haven't gone far enough?"
"Michael and I have been working on a plan for that," he said. "We've worked out that the mutants aren't a short-term problem anymore. They're a long-term problem. We need to stop thinking about what we can do about them today and tomorrow, and start working on how we can deal with them over the next decade."
I gave him a curious look and said nothing. He smiled sheepishly, but took that as his cue to keep talking.
"Right now, there just aren't enough of us to deal with them in an efficient manner," he explained. "So what we're going to do instead is create a firebreak between us and them. You know what a firebreak is, right?"
I nodded. "It's a strip of land where all the trees and brush have been cleared out, to prevent forest fires from spreading by restricting their potential fuel."
"Exactly," he said with a smile. "So the plan is that we treat the mutated infected like a natural disaster, and build a break around us. The regular infected don't move around much, so we're going to start taking teams out and clearing them from the area surrounding Lower Hutt and Wellington. Once this region is totally clear, we'll start moving north. Obviously we can't take anyone vital to the day-to-day running of Tumanako or our defences here, so it's going to take a long time for us to even finish the Wellington region."
"But we'll get there eventually," I finished for him. "Just by taking it one day at a time. That's as good a plan as any I've heard."
"Obviously, the mutated infected themselves can cross the break," he added, "but at least this will prevent those plague-bearer things from having any effect on us. Can't spread a plague where there's nothing to receive it, right? Eventually, once we have enough people, we can move up the North Island and clear out the old cities—"
Just at that moment, our conversation was interrupted when the door burst open and Priya raced inside. She glanced around frantically, then as soon as she saw me she scampered over and grabbed my hand.
"Mama!" she cried. "Mama, come quick, must see!"
"Whoa, what is it honey?" I asked, rising to my feet. She just squealed something inarticulate and dragged me out of the room. Gavin leapt up, shouted something to Doc, and hurried after us. The four of us raced down the corridor towards the north-west corner of the building. We completely forgot about Bobby in all the excitement, but he soon caught up with us of his own free will. Priya threw open the door to the corner suite and pulled me over to the window overlooking the front gates.
Outside the gate was a massive crowd of people.
"Good Lord, there must be two hundred people down there," Doc cried. "Where did they all come from?"
I glanced at Gavin, but he had no answer for me.
"I don't know," I started to say, but suddenly realisation struck me. "Wait! Yes, I do. We all do. It’s the South Islanders! Remember, they were camped out in Picton, trying to get the ferry working again? They must have done it, and now they're here! The South Islanders are here! Come on!"
This time, it was me dragging Priya along, with Doc, Gavin, and Bobby hot on our heels. The elevator was too busy to be of any use to us, so we took the stairs instead. By the time we reached ground level, the entire population of Tumanako was gathered outside. The chatter of excited voices and the bright-eyed looks on every face sent a thrill of excitement right through me.
I lost my grip on Priya's hand as I was trying to wriggle my way to the front of the crowd, but it didn't matter. We were surrounded by friends and family, no one would hurt her. Someone shouted my name, and then suddenly I found the way open before me and helpful hands guiding me through. On the far side, Michael and Skye were waiting for me, along with Anahera, Simon, and a few of the other more prominent members of the council.
"Sandy!" Michael cried as soon as he spotted me. "You're not going to believe this."
"Oh, yes I would," I replied.
I grabbed my advisors and led them towards the gates. The gates were still closed, but the people on the other side looked just as excited as my people. There wasn't the slightest hint of a threat in either their voices or on their faces. Someone I didn't know spotted me and shouted my name, then a spontaneous cheer went up from the crowd. By the time we reached them, they were chanting my name like a mantra. I came to a stop on the far side of the gates and held up my hands, but it still took a minute for the chant to die down.
Once it was finally quiet enough for me to be heard, I addressed them all. "I think I can already guess, but where are you guys from?"
"Nelson!" a woman at the front of the crowd shouted.
"Dunedin!" someone else cried.
"Picton!" called a third voice, then the noise level rose to impossible again as everyone announced their home cities. By the time they were done, there was a tear in every eye. Everyone fell silent, looking at me expectantly.
"To be honest with you all, I wasn't sure that you were going to make it," I admitted. "But, you have no idea how glad I am that you did. Welcome, everyone! Welcome to Tumanako! Your new home!"
A cheer exploded from the crowd, both inside the gate and out. I beckoned to the guards to unlock the gate and let the people in, and they did. A few moments later, we were caught up in a flood of happy, crying, excited people, strangers exchanging handshakes and hugs as if they were old friends.
For the first time in my life, I wasn't scared of being surrounded by strangers. I was excited. Truly, unbearably, ridiculously excited. These strangers were not a scary mob of potential danger, they were the living embodiment of the one thing that humanity needed more than anything else in the world: hope.
Chapter Twenty-One
The arrival of our Southern brethren more than doubled the population of Tumanako overnight. Even more critical to the survival of the human species, we discovered that there was a much higher percentage of adult women amongst the South Island survivors than the North. I could only guess that the thinner population in the South Island had given the women a better chance of making it through the years after the plague. Half of them were already married, but the other half… well, let's just say that there was a lot of friendly competition amongst the men of Tumanako to try and win the hands of the new arrivals.
It took us weeks to record everyone’s biographical information, but as we worked our way through them we were delighted to discover that we’d gained a number of useful professionals. Once we’d finally completed the monumental project, Doctor Cross called a meeting of the council to update us on what our newest citizens were capable of.
"I am thrilled to advise that I am no longer the only doctor here," he told us as soon as we'd all seated ourselves. We all laughed at his obvious relief, and he glared at us. "Oh yes, laugh your little heads off. You weren't the one faced with the prospect of having to tend the needs of four hundred and seven people!"
"Sorry, Doc," I replied. "We were just laughing at the look on your face. We’re thrilled there’s someone else to help out. Tell us about the new doctor."
"Oh, yes." He relaxed a little and adjusted his glasses. "Her name is Ngaire Madurrit, and she was a professor of obstetrics at Otago University before the plague. She managed to keep a small group of students from the school together, including a couple who were involved in the medical sciences." Doc paused and gave me a significant look. "One was studying immunology. I've already commandeered her services."
I grinned at him and nodded my approval. "She's all yours. And, is obstetrics what I think it is?"
"Yes, yes it is," he replied dryly. "I've set her up with an off
ice in the other spare room off the infirmary, and I expect you both to check in with her as soon as possible. You'll be spending a lot of time together."
Skylar shot me a quizzical look. "Does he mean us?"
"Yes," I said, laughing. "She specialises in pregnancy and childbirth. Thank goodness she survived – we're going to need her services a lot in the years to come."
Michael perked up and gave me a half-excited, half-terrified look. "We are?"
"That was a general statement about the community, honey," I replied, patting his knee comfortingly. "Don't worry, we've got to get through this pregnancy before we think about having any more kids. We're probably going to get divorced about ten minutes after I go into labour."
Everyone laughed again. Once the levity faded, Doc picked up his list and checked it. "We've also got a handful of builders and engineers who were in Christchurch helping with the rebuild, another plumber, a psychologist, a potter, a tailor, two teachers, three artists, and a bunch of farmers. Oh, and we've got four soldiers from Burnham Military Camp, and two officers from the Air Force base in Blenheim."
I sat up straight and looked at him with interest. "Are they pilots?"
Doc consulted his list for a moment, then nodded. "One is an engineer, but the other was a helicopter pilot."
I glanced around the circle of faces and raised an eyebrow. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Fuel is limited, but a helicopter could be useful in a pinch," Michael said thoughtfully. "We need to head down to Wellington to raid the National Library anyway, so we could check out the airport while we're there."
"Maybe," I said, holding up a hand. "Long-term plans. Right now, I want everyone focusing on getting Tumanako self-sufficient. We'll head down to check out the library once Erica gets here; she'll never forgive me if we go without her. How far away is she, Gav?"
"She checked in this morning, said she's about three days out," Gavin replied. "She should be here by the new moon."
"Hang on a sec, what do you mean 'we'," Skye interjected, giving me a dark look. "You are not thinking about going down to Wellington in your condition."
"Just to watch," I replied. "It should only be a day trip, and I plan to take good care of myself. I won't help with the lifting or anything, I just want to be part of the mission. Promise."
Skye folded her arms across her chest and glared at me. "You better not. If I hear about you fainting again, I'll kick your butt."
"I don't doubt it," I answered dryly, then I turned my attention back to the rest of the group. "We need to send a scouting party down to check whether there are any books worth saving. No point going if the place is a smouldering ruin."
"I'll take care of it," Michael said, rising to his feet.
"And I'll go organise their supplies," Skye chipped in.
"Wow, I don't need to do anything these days," I said with a laugh. "Thanks, guys."
"You just go see that obstetrician lady and check on our baby," Michael replied, his tone light and playful. "Don't make me nag you, woman."
"All right, all right," I said, easing myself up to my feet. Michael hurried over to help me, but I didn't really need the assistance. I might not have been used to lugging around the extra weight, but I was still an athletic person by nature and pregnancy had done nothing to change that.
Still, he liked to help me and I was happy to let him do it if it made him feel better. We headed down to the second level together, then he kissed me goodbye and hurried off to organise the scouting party. I let myself into the infirmary, where I found Franco and Tala talking to Rebecca. Tala's face lit up with a smile as soon as she saw me, and she waved shyly.
I waved back and returned the smile. "Hey, guys. How's the leg, Franco?"
"Good," he replied. "The doctor says I'll probably have a limp forever, but I'm just grateful to be alive and walking. Things could have turned out much, much worse for me."
"I'm glad to hear you’re recovering nicely," I told him. "I'm always impressed when I see you whizzing around on your crutches. You've really got that motion down to an art. I never could get the hang of it."
Franco laughed and nodded. "Practice makes perfect, eh? Life is good here. I'm glad we came." He put his arm around Tala's slender shoulders and kissed her cheek. "I just wish we'd come a little sooner."
"You can't change the past, and regrets won't fix what happened to you," I replied. "The important thing is that you're all okay, and you've been given a second chance at life. Anyway, I shouldn't interrupt your consultation. Is the Professor around?"
"She's in her office, reviewing our patient files," Rebecca replied, pointing me towards one of the doors at the back of the room.
"Thank you," I said, then I went over and knocked on the door.
A few seconds later, the door swung open and I found myself face to face with a tall, slender woman with dark skin, intelligent eyes, and short brown hair frosted with grey. She took one look at me, then smiled and beckoned me inside.
"Sandrine," she said by way of greeting. "I was wondering when you were going to avail yourself of my services."
"Doctor Cross only just got around to telling me what your speciality is," I replied. "I've seen you around, but I had no idea that you were an obstetrician until five minutes ago. I can't tell you how glad we are to have you here. And by 'we', I mean every woman of childbearing age in Tumanako."
Professor Madurrit laughed and reached out to touch my elbow, gently guiding me into a chair beside her desk. "I can imagine. Stewart just about had kittens when I told him, and I can understand why. Obstetrics is an intimidating field, where even the slightest miscalculation can cost more than one life if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Now, hold still a moment while I give you a check-up. Where did I put your file…?"
I waited patiently while she dug through the mound of paperwork on her desk, then she came back over and ran me through a series of quick tests. Though most of them were the same as what Doctor Cross did, there was something reassuring about being examined by a professional who knew what was best for both me and my baby. When she was done, she sat down at her desk again and made some notes in my file, then turned back to me with a smile.
"I'm pleased to advise that both of you seem to be in excellent health," she said. "I would like you to come back for an ultrasound once the scavengers manage to find a machine in working order, but I doubt there’s anything to worry about at this stage. Have you made plans for the birthing yet?"
"Plans for the birthing?" I echoed, giving her a confused look. "What do you mean? It's just point and shoot, isn't it? Oh, and scream. Scream a lot."
She laughed again and shook her head. "Don't worry, most first-time mothers think that's how it is. No, there are an assortment of different options for you to choose from in terms of where and how your delivery takes place. I've got a few books here that we can look over, and then we can start making plans together…"
***
By the time I finally left the infirmary, my head was spinning from all the new information. I'd made my choices, though, and I felt better for having a clearer understanding of what my body was going through. Yeah, I was still fairly terrified by the whole process, but the professor had a way of making it all seem normal.
Which it is, I reminded myself. Women have been having babies for thousands of years. They got through it, so I can get through it, too.
I took a deep breath, nodded firmly to reassure myself, then I headed for the kitchen to make myself a nice cup of tea. On my way through the dining room, I spotted Skylar talking to Aicel and a couple of other people I only knew in passing. She waved a greeting, finished up her conversation, and raced over to catch up with me.
"Hey! How did the obstinate lady go?" she asked.
"You mean the obstetrician?" I replied dryly. "Good. She gave me a list of exercises to do to keep my girly-parts in peak baby-pushing condition, and yet another lecture on nutrition."
Skylar laughed and nodded. "G
otta keep them girly-parts working nicely if you want to repopulate the earth, sis."
"I keep telling you, we're not doing that single-handedly," I teased her, which just made her laugh even more. It was a pleasant sound to hear, and one that I decided I was going to squeeze out of her more often because it meant that she was finally recovering from Ryan's death. Once she stopped laughing, I gave her a nudge. "Hey, weren't you supposed to be getting supplies ready for the scouts?"
"I was on my way there when I got distracted," she admitted. "Did you see how well the mural is coming along? I requisitioned all the artists from the South Island group, and some other folks who are willing to learn. You wouldn't think it to look at her, but Melody is really good with a brush."
"I'd believe it," I said, glancing at the mural. With every passing day, it was spreading across the blank stone wall, filling it with colour and faces both familiar and new. Suddenly, I realised that there was something out of place and shot a quizzical glance at my sister. "I thought there were three new artists? I only see two over there."
"The third one is a sculptor," she explained. "I've got him working on another project. It's going to take a while, but I think you'll like it when it's done."
"Oh?" I asked, genuinely curious. Skye wasn't usually the sort to keep secrets.
This time, she just shook her head and smiled mysteriously. "Come on, we've got a lot to do before Erica gets here."
***
The next couple of days flew by. Word spread about the impending arrival of Erica and her books, and I found myself with no shortage of volunteers eager to help me transform a large chunk of one of the spare levels into a vast library. Of course, the rain may have also had something to do with it; the weather closed in on the day we sent the scouts south, and it was still drizzling when Sergeant Bryce finally arrived.
