The Fallout

by Knox, J. C.

  George is relaxing in the living room watching Sarah, wondering what is wrong with her? She’s on edge and has been snapping at him for days, he doesn’t know what her problem is but knows better than to ask again if she is okay?

  ‘I think I might be pregnant,’ Sarah said. ‘George, say something, did you hear what I said?’

  ‘Yes, I heard, you must get rid of it.’

  Sarah steps away from him, gasping. ‘Why? I thought you wanted children someday!’ she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears.

  ‘You know why.’

  ‘Just because other babies have died doesn’t mean ours will.’

  ‘Sarah, you have been exposed to radiation, if the baby doesn’t die at birth, it’s likely to have severe deformities.’

  ‘But I was only exposed for a short period when we went to Ireland. You’ve made sure that we were safe and not exposed.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I thought you were taking the pill?’

  ‘George, seriously! I am taking the pill now. But my pill ran out before we left the bunker. I wasn’t able to go to the chemist to get more before we came here.’

  ‘You must find out for certain, then we can arrange for you to get a termination.’

  ‘That’s it! No conversation? Your mind is made up, no discussion.’

  ‘It’s the only way.’

  A week later, Sarah sits in the sterile waiting room, listening to the soft music playing, she is furious and devastated at what George is forcing her to do. He wanted to come with her, but she can’t look at him, she doesn’t want to be anywhere near him. The nurse calls her name, but Sarah doesn’t stand; instead sits where she is, waiting until the nurse leaves.

  ‘I don’t want to do this; he doesn’t know that something will go wrong,’ she thought, standing up.

  Her mind is made up as she walks out of the clinic into the street. The sun is shining, and everything is green, Sarah loves the scenery in Borg, it is a beautiful landscape that is rugged, with dramatic waterfalls. It’s so different from home, but somehow reminds her of Blackcliff Island. As she walks down the street, fear runs down her spine at what she is about to do. Realising that the baby could be badly deformed, she returns to the clinic, explaining that she’s changed her mind about having an abortion, asking if she could get an ultrasound instead. Not a problem but the abortion is non-refundable, and the cost of the ultrasound is 300 ISK. Stepping back, Sarah tells the receptionist that she can’t afford the ultrasound and promptly leaves the clinic.

  Back at the house, George is frustrated, he wanted to go with Sarah, she can be pig headed sometimes. But mostly he wanted to make sure she did it; he cannot risk her getting pregnant again and has booked himself in for a vasectomy next week. Despite knowing that the Icelandic officials are monitoring the air for radiation, he still uses his Geiger-meter to test everything including the water from the tap. After the latest test, he is satisfied that all is good. Life in Iceland has turned out better than he expected, he didn’t think he would stay in the pale blue single-story terraced house, but he quite likes having Seamus and Connor on his doorstep. He’s quite taken with Connors dog Toby and is even considering getting Sarah a puppy after this horrible business is all over. Seamus’s girls are lovely, the younger one is underdeveloped for her age but being here she has a better chance of developing normally than she would have in Ireland exposed to radiation fallout. No, overall life in Iceland has been a positive experience for them all. He still has about three years’ worth of non-perishable food stashed along with medication and knows if the wind changes there’s always a chance the radiation will be blown as far north as Iceland. An issue with living in Iceland is the food, most dishes include fish, but no one is testing the fish for radiation. George knows that fish can travel for hundreds of miles outside of their local regions and refuses to eat anything from the ocean. He wishes Sarah would hurry up, her appointment was hours ago, she should be done by now. Pacing back and forth his annoyance turns to worry,

  ‘What if something went wrong?’ he thought.

  It’s more than an hour later before he spots Sarah walking down the road, relief washes over him, she looks fine. He knows she’s upset with him, but she’ll get over it and eventually she will understand it was for the best. He’s annoyed when she doesn’t come home but heads to the local café instead.

  ‘For goodness’ sake Sarah!’

  Anger courses through him, this is her fault, she knew her pill had run out but didn’t say anything, why would she do that? Unless she wanted to get pregnant. Surely not, she knows the risks, doesn’t she? Pacing back and forth he is furious, Sarah did this intentionally, she got pregnant without telling him.

  It’s another hour before Sarah emerges from the café with Connor. George watches through the window as they walk towards him. Is she sleeping with him? Would she do that to him? He didn’t think she would get pregnant without telling him, but she did. George can barely control the anger coursing through his veins as Sarah walks to the front door and steps inside,

  ‘Why didn’t you come straight home?’ he snarls, as soon as Sarah steps in through the door.

  ‘I needed to think.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘George, I couldn’t do it.’

  ‘WHAT?’

  ‘Don’t yell at me.’

  ‘DON’T TELL ME NOT TO YELL, YOU GET YOURSELF PREGNANT AND NOW YOU’RE KEEPING IT, IT WON’T SURVIVE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?’

  George can’t believe what he is hearing. His body trembles with fury, he can’t control it and starts slapping his head, it’s all wrong, he doesn’t know how to make it right. Pacing back and forth he wants to lash out, to hit something. He can’t see, he must get away everything is closing in on him. Opening the front door, he steps out and spots Connor talking to Seamus. Without thinking George marches over and grabs Connor by the back of the neck. He punches him over and over until someone pulls him backwards, George tries to hit whoever is behind him, but he can’t reach. He can’t get a breath, everything is spinning. Connor is yelling,

  ‘What the fuck George? What’s going on?’

  Sarah tries to calm Connor down. George feels something sharp in his neck, everything goes black.

  Chapter 11

  Where am I?

  George blinks his eyes open, everything is blurry, his cheek is cold and sore, his vision begins to clear, and he realises that he’s on a cold hard floor in some sort of prison. Flashbacks of what happened suddenly fill his mind.

  ‘Fuck! What have I done?’

  Pulling himself into a sitting position, his head spins as his stomach lurches as if he has been on a three-day drinking binge. There’s a pain in his neck and a lump from whatever was injected into him. Sitting on the floor he remembers that Sarah didn’t get rid of the baby, his anger begins to build again. How can he trust her anymore, she has betrayed him? There’s a noise outside the heavy metal door, realising that someone is coming he tries to stand, but the drug must still be in his system. Swaying, George needs the wall to hold himself steady as the door is pushed open. Magnus Jonsson steps in.

  ‘George, what happened?’

  ‘I don’t know. I lost my temper after Sarah told me she didn’t abort the baby.’

  ‘Yes, she told me she’s pregnant, you know the baby might be okay.’

  ‘Highly unlikely, it will need to be tested and monitored closely after birth, it’s likely to be radioactive. The babies absorb the radiation, it keeps the mother safe, but the babies die and need to be buried under heavy concrete immediately after birth to prevent contamination.’

  ‘We’ll deal with that if we have to, but George there’s something you must know,’ Magnus said, unable to make eye contact. ‘I don’t want to do this, but I don’t have a choice.’

  ‘What is it Magnus? Tell me.’

  ‘Our law states that any misdemeanour in the first five years of living here is punishable by 12 months in prison.’
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  ‘No…! Are you serious?’

  ‘I’m sorry George, you have to come to the court later today and you will be found guilty, one of our officers had to restrain you, they had to officially report the incident.’

  ‘Magnus that was the first fight I’d ever had, is there nothing that can be done?’

  ‘I’ll fight your case, but the law is the law, I don’t think anything I say will have an impact.’

  He lifts a bag he brought with him, pushing it towards George,

  ‘Sarah left you some clean clothes to wear.’

  ‘Is she okay?’

  ‘Yes, just upset at what happened. Get yourself cleaned up and I’ll see you in court.’

  George sits on the plastic mattress that constitutes a bed holding his head in his hands.

  ‘What the fuck have I done?’

  He can’t believe how yesterday he was thinking about how much he liked Iceland and today he’s in prison and is likely to spend the next 12 months here.

  The heavy door opens, and an officer calls for George to hold his hands out, placing metal handcuffs around his wrists before walking him down a corridor. The magnolia walls are covered with what look like boot marks. He’s taken to a heavy armoured police van and put in the back, he’s the only one in the van. He can see through the slits in the armour covering the windows and watches as the countryside whizzes past. It’s a short journey, his heart pulsates in his head as the van stops and the doors are opened. The light floods the inside, and he’s momentarily blinded as the officer guides him out of the van.

  ‘George!’ he can hear Sarah calling and tries to blink is eyes open, but it’s too bright.

  ‘George!’ he hears again and this time he’s able to find her worried face.

  ‘I’m sorry!’ he said, as he is walked past her into the courthouse.

  The courtroom is grand, with rows of empty benches. He’s walked through the middle and brought to the front pier where he’s told to sit and wait for the judge. The door bangs behind and he turns to see Sarah, Seamus and Connor with a swollen black eye enter, sitting behind him.

  ‘I’m sorry Connor, I don’t know what came over me?’

  ‘Forget about it, you were upset, you’ve got bigger fish to fry here,’ Connor said, indicating the judge that has just entered.

  The door bangs behind him again and Magnus walks up and sits down next to him, ‘I’ve tried to fight your corner, I tried to get this whole thing quashed, but no luck I’m afraid.’

  ‘So, I’m going to prison for 12 months? Is there any chance of getting out earlier?’

  ‘That’s not how the system works, everyone serves their sentence, unless you’re pardoned it will be 12 months.’

  Sitting in the dock, a criminal, facing 12 months in prison George wants to die, who will look after Sarah?

  ‘All rise for the honorable judge Helga Egilsdottir,’ an officer announces, as the female judge makes her way to the head bench.

  Once she has sat down everyone else in the court sits. The officer begins reading the charges against George and the intended sentence when Magnus stands to make a statement.

  ‘Your honour, my client George Thompson has been an impeccable resident since he and his wife arrived four months ago, he has made a significant contribution to the hydro power plant and his wife has just found out she is expecting a baby.’

  There’s a shuffling behind him and George hears Connor ‘Excuse me your honour, it was me that George assaulted, and I’m fine, I don’t want him to go to prison, it was a misunderstanding.’

  ‘Thank you, gentlemen! The thing is the law is there for a reason and as you just stated Magnus, the accused has only been here for four months and already he has committed a crime. She turns her attention to George, sir, what you want is inconsequential, nobody wants to go to prison after they have committed a crime,’

  ‘George Thompson can you please stand?’

  George can’t believe this is happening as he stands. His head spins, he can hear the judge asking a question, but he can’t answer.

  ‘Mr Thompson can you please answer your plea; did you commit the crimes you are accused off?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Thank you, in that case, George Thompson you are sentenced to twelve months in prison, to be served immediately. Your wife is expecting a baby and when he or she is born you will be given leave to see the child where if you choose, you can spend one night out of prison with a guard to be present at all times. Court is adjourned,’ the judge said, before standing and leaving the courtroom.

  George can hear Sarah screaming,

  ‘Nooooo!’

  He can feel her pulling him from behind as the officer nudges him sideways out a side door. He is walked down a corridor, out a door and straight into a police van. George is numb, this can’t be real, it must be a nightmare, and he’s about to wake up. The engine starts, and the van begins to move. The prison he is taken to is further away than where he was being held this morning. When they finally arrive the first thing, he notices is the coiled barbed wire around the top of the tall wire fence. He is walked to a reception area where they must pass through two locked metal doors to get too, when they arrive, he must give all his belongings including his clothing. He is strip searched before being given grey and orange stripy prison clothes to put on after showering. After he has been processed, George is led down another corridor and through several locked doors to his cell that has another inmate in it.

  ‘Your home for the foreseeable future,’ the officer said, unlocking the door and the cuffs on Georges wrists, standing aside to allow George in.

  ‘Thank you,’ George said, unsure why he was thanking the guard.

  He stands at the door certain someone will come and tell him that this has been all a big mistake.

  ‘You might as well sit down,’ the man lying on the bed said sitting up to look at George. ‘I’m Daniel Snorrasson, I’m here for getting drunk and pissing on the street, I’ve four months left of my sentence. What are you in for?’

  ‘I was fighting yesterday, but I only arrived in Iceland four months ago.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s tough, but it’s Icelandic law, keeps the riff raff in check.’

  Still standing at the door George takes two steps to the bottom bunk on the opposite side of his cell mate and sits down. Placing his head in his hands he can’t believe what is happening.

  ‘How can I be here? The fight I had was my one and only fight, I’m not riff raff.’

  ‘Well, you will have to do your time and prove it.’

  Chapter 12

  Six months later.

  ‘Stand back from the door,’ the guard calls, jingling his keys.

  ‘Who’s in the shit now?’ Daniel said, smirking at the officer.

  Daniel was supposed to be released by now, but he had another six months added to his sentence after fighting in the cafeteria.

  ‘Thompson. Turn around and show your wrists.’

  Determined not to do anything to extend his stay, George does everything he is asked, and has done since he arrived six months ago. He thought he would hate prison, but the constant rules and routines he finds strangely comforting. He would like to incorporate some into his real life on the outside. On the outside he is always on edge, whereas in here, he is calm, knowing he will get up at the same time every day, meals will be served at the same time, exercise will happen at the same time and lights out at the same time. He likes routine, always has. While he finds the routine of prison comforting, he hates being away from Sarah and tries not to think about her, if he thinks about her, it’s unbearable being here. It’s physically sore not being able to see and speak to her. After he arrived, she came to visit, and he asked her not to come again unless there was news about the baby, she has stuck to her word and sometimes he wishes that she wouldn’t. He’s been counting the days and knows the baby must be due soon, he assumes that’s why he’s being called for today as he walks alongside the guard to the visitin
g area. He can see her, she looks pale and has lost weight, in fact as he stares at her from outside the visiting room, he realises she doesn’t have a baby bump.

  ‘She must have had the baby,’ he thought.

  ‘Come on, hurry up I don’t have all day,’ the officer said, shoving George into the visiting area.

  This is only the second time George has been to the visitor’s area, he walks to the table where Sarah is sitting. Pulling out the chair, he sits opposite her and reaches out to hold her hand, but a guard shouts, ‘No touching.’

  George drops his hand. ‘How are you?’ he asks.

  ‘I had the baby, George, a little girl she was born a week ago.’

  ‘Is she still alive?’

  ‘Yes, but….’

  ‘What is it Sarah, what’s wrong?’

  ‘She’s badly deformed and unlikely to live much longer, the doctors said she is suffering terrible pain, if she was an animal, they would put her down.’ Sarah gasps as tears stream down her face. ‘You said this would happen, I wouldn’t listen, now she is suffering, it’s my fault.’

  ‘If I’d been allowed to come home after the fight, I would have supported you. I was stupid, and that’s my fault, I haven’t been able to help you through this. The judge said when the baby was born, I could get out for a day to see her. Shall I request the leave?’

  ‘Yes George, you should see your daughter before she dies.’

  As soon as Sarah left, George put in his leave request, it was granted almost immediately.

  George is up early this morning, the guard told him to be ready to leave straight after breakfast. Checking the communal clock outside his cell, he’s impatient when he realises its only just after 7am. He can’t stop pacing back and forth and not for the first time since he’s been here, he wishes time would go faster.

  ‘Fucks sake George would you just go to sleep the time will go faster,’ Daniel calls from under his covers.

  ‘Sorry, I can’t settle myself, what if she dies before I get to see her?’