by Nathan Jones
And his cousin intended that to be only the beginning. While closing the deal with Ned he'd mentioned to the trader that he might keep an eye out for more reloading materials. If he managed to find any he'd always have a buyer in Aspen Hill willing to pay a fair price.
Lewis had even spoken more than once about his dream to ultimately open a large-scale bullet factory and become a major manufacturer. Trev wasn't ready to think quite that long term yet, considering they were still barely past figuring out how to use the reloading equipment and had almost no practice at it.
Still, it was a good dream. Going from scrambling to survive in a post-Retaliation world to securing a prosperous future, not to mention greatly benefitting the town and the remnants of the US at large with what they produced. Most people were still at the point of scavenging what they needed, so anyone willing to go a step farther and actually make useful products would help get them all that much closer to restoring the society they'd known.
Trev thought of how many people he'd run into since the Gulf burned who'd become criminals and parasites and further added to the destruction. Almost everyone else was focused solely on survival and not on any serious rebuilding. People like his cousin who had the knowledge, ingenuity, and drive to push the advancement of society by leaps and bounds, assuming he was successful, were few and far between.
He felt lucky to be a part of it.
Although even though the reloading work would probably fill many of his waking hours, it didn't have much to do with the business of staying alive through the winter.
Once he and Lewis had exhausted their knowledge and advice about winter in the mountains, everyone went around the room providing their own thoughts and concerns. Things like running ropes between shelter group houses so people would be able to find each other in a storm, digging tunnels to get from place to place once the snow got deep enough, and ways to vary the meals so people didn't get sick of eating.
The conversation, solemn as it was, was also a good bonding opportunity for the family. After a few hours it became more relaxed, with more laughing and joking, at which point Lucas announced that they'd probably done as much good as they were going to here and called the meeting to a close. Most of the family stayed to chat after that, but Trev said goodnight to Deb and the others and joined Lewis and Jane in their room doing more reloading work.
Oddly enough the biggest concern with working long hours in winter was that the sunlight hours were going to be short, and often the light would be obscured by clouds, so solar lighting wouldn't be an option for as long as they'd probably have use for it. Even the efficient LED Christmas lights drained the batteries when used for long enough, which meant using other electronics would soon be off the table, at least as much as they had been. They'd have to ration electricity, and try to make use of the windows and daylight as much as possible.
Since the three of them were still getting used to the intricacies of reloading the work was quiet as they all concentrated on their individual tasks. Trev was glad he had the manual dexterity to produce good work even before the experience of long practice made him adept at it, since they couldn't afford to waste materials and every cartridge counted. Still, he made more than a few mistakes, and although Lewis and Jane were also making mistakes and they were all encouraging each other it was still frustrating.
They worked late, after everybody had gone to bed. And since they were working quietly they all pricked their ears when they heard whispering from the main room. Trev recognized the voices as Aunt Eva and Uncle Lucas.
“You're doing it again, Dear,” his aunt said quietly.
He heard Lucas chuckle, which became a short bout of wheezing and a single explosive cough. “You're going to have to be much more specific.”
She refused to relent to his banter. “You know what. Shouldering all the burden. Keeping your worries to yourself because you don't want us to have to face them. It's not what I signed up for.”
Trev exchanged uncomfortable looks with the other two. Either his aunt and uncle thought they were speaking quietly enough or they thought Trev had already gone home and Lewis and Jane were asleep. Still, it was awkward to overhear. Should he try to make a quiet escape without disturbing them?
His uncle sighed. “I'm not really keeping them to myself. They're the same worries we're all sharing, so it would be pointless to bring them up.”
“Do it anyway.”
There was a long pause. “The boys were optimistic, and I'm not discounting their knowledge. They've learned a lot that's going to help us. But at the same time they're very, very lucky. Things could've gone so wrong for them, and they wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.”
Eva made a disapproving sound. “You're not giving them enough credit.”
Another sigh. “No, I'm giving them as much credit as I possibly could. That's the problem. Last winter was harsh, and it killed a lot of unprepared people. But what we're facing now? This is the type of winter that kills even the well prepared. Our son and nephew might be the best qualified people alive to survive what's coming, and even they could still end up dead. All it takes is one thing going wrong, one disaster we didn't see coming happening at the wrong time.”
“Then see them coming. There's no one I know better at that than you. Something might go wrong. Tragedy might strike, God forbid. But if it does, at least we know it wasn't because we didn't do all we could to be ready for it.”
Lucas's only answer was another coughing fit. When he stopped Eva's voice was concerned. “The fits aren't as bad right now. Try to get some sleep while you can. You haven't been getting nearly enough. Or eating.”
“It's not as bad as you make it sound,” his uncle replied firmly. “Once the coughing eases up I'll be able to eat better and get more proper sleep.”
“Visit Terry and Dr. Langstrom again,” she insisted.
He chuckled, which turned into several seconds of wheezing he struggled to get under control. “They don't have enough symptoms to work with, or any equipment to diagnose me. A simple cough could be too many things.”
“This cough is feeling less and less simple, Luke. I'm worried. Drinking lots of water doesn't seem to be helping. Maybe we should have you try breathing steam.”
“Maybe. We can talk about it in the morning. Goodnight, Dear.”
A long pause. “Goodnight.”
After another exchange of uncomfortable looks Trev pulled on his coat and boots and nodded goodnight to Lewis and Jane. They nodded back, quietly shutting off the lights as he slipped out the door.
He could've done without hearing his normally confident uncle express doubts about their chances. And he was really worried about his cough. Sure, other people in town were coughing, sniffling, and suffering the other ailments that came with cold. And his uncle kept himself in good shape and had rarely been sick.
Still, he worried. He couldn't imagine what the rest of the Halsson family was going through.
* * * * *
The day dawned very windy, with a noticeably higher temperature. Trev knew enough about weather to know that wasn't a good sign.
“The warm before the storm,” his mom said as she handed him some jerky on his way out the door to do his chores.
“Rain, I hope,” Trev said. “Even facing nuclear winter and at a slightly higher elevation, it's not even the middle of October and we usually don't see snow until late December.”
“Well we can't go with what we usually see, since this is the first time the world's faced the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, and even the best predictions might not be accurate.” His mom's lips thinned in a worried line. “Although I'm hoping for rain, too. We've still got so much to do to prepare.”
He gave her a one-armed hug and kissed her cheek. “Speaking of which, I'll probably be out most of the day hunting and scouting good spots for firewood. See you at the party tonight.”
“Be careful,” she called reflexively as he closed the door.
Deb was
already waiting nearby, equipped to head out as soon as they finished doing chores together, and he felt his mood lighten as he made his way over to her. She pulled him into a brief, somewhat hesitant hug, which he certainly enjoyed while it lasted.
“Ready to get started?” she asked.
He nodded. “The sooner the better. Not only do we have Mary's party to get home to, but I don't want to be caught out there if this storm blows in early.”
Chores were routine by now. The company was pleasant, at least, and they finished quickly. Then they grabbed their packs and set off to the southeast. This was a less traveled direction, and with a bit of a hike they could make their way down from the mountains into the foothills, where Trev hoped the game would be more plentiful. Those slopes were also densely overgrown with scrub oak, and they also brought along sacks to harvest as many acorns as possible.
That would be a priority whether or not they found any game, since acorn flour would make a decent stable once the tannins were properly leeched out.
It turned out to be a good thing they set out with that goal in mind, because hunting was a bust. Between the cold driving game down into the valley, the refugees who'd been tromping around the area scaring everything away, and the fact that Aspen Hill residents might've already overhunted the area, he didn't see any good opportunities. Not even any critters or varmints worth putting in a pot.
On the other hand acorns were plentiful, to the point where it would probably be a good idea to talk to Matt about directing foragers this way. At the very least he was going to organize an expedition with as many members of the shelter group as possible to unleash their inner squirrel. This was something the older kids could do too, a way for them to be useful. But for now he and Deb filled their sacks to bulging and started home, backs hunched under the weight.
“Is it true your aunt baked a cake?” she asked as they toiled up a slope, sweat streaming down their faces that was quickly swept away by the strong winds.
Trev smiled slightly. “You'll have to wait and see.”
The dark-haired woman gave him a level look. “Never joke around where cake is concerned. I might just have to stab you with my fork.”
“What would you do if I told you the cake was a li-”
“Don't!” she snapped, although she was obviously trying not to smile. “That line's been used to death.”
“Too bad the internet's not around to give us any more fond memories.”
Deb's smile finally broke free. “Maybe we could build our own little internet using string and all these acorn caps, like those telephones every kid's made at some point.”
His own smile turned into a grin. “Okay we definitely need to get some cake in you, because that's talking nuts.”
She groaned. “That was a pun worthy of Alvin.”
The climb turned too strenuous for banter at that point, but the silence was companionable as they continued. As they got closer to town they waved a greeting to the defender on sentry duty and got a wave in return. Trev stopped in to chat with the man, mostly to help relieve his boredom after long hours standing watch, before they continued on.
Soon they were home, and it was party time.
Knowing Mary's personality, the family had settled on a smaller get-together with just family and friends. Mostly the shelter group, the Tillmans, and the Watsons. Even that small gathering was intended to be short, and then the extended family would retire for a more relaxed evening watching a movie and playing games Mary enjoyed.
There was in fact a large sheet cake Aunt Eva had made, but to Deb's disappointment with so many people everyone was limited to a small square. It was a simple yellow mix made with fresh eggs and topped with canned frosting, but after so long eating scavenged greens, venison, basic staples, and stale store food it was delicious.
Mary was the oblique center of attention, everyone congratulating her and wishing her well but not crowding her. She seemed to enjoy the attention in small doses from people she was fond of.
Although there were others drawing clumps of conversation. One of them was Sam, seated in a chair to avoid exerting herself. Everyone knew she was only weeks from her due date and might go into labor at any moment, and people kept dropping by to talk about it.
One of those was Scott Tillman as his family arrived. While his wife and daughter were still wishing Mary a happy Birthday, little Jen shyly holding up the family's present for the young woman, the man came over smiling broadly. “There's the expecting couple!” he called, shaking Matt's hand and leaning down to give Sam a hug. “Enjoying the party?”
“Aside from wishing for a bigger piece of cake,” Matt replied. Sam elbowed him lightly in the side, and he said. “By which I mean it's the perfect size and Mrs. Halsson is amazing for making it.”
“I look forward to even a mouthful,” the older man replied, chuckling. He nodded to Trev and the others standing nearby, then glanced down at Sam again. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good right now,” Sam replied, sharing an amused look with Matt. Trev had been there long enough to get their amusement. The concern was sincere, and he was sure it was appreciated, but that was also the first thing everyone asked her. But on the plus side, at least Scott wasn't asking-
“So have you picked a name yet?”
-that. Deb snorted, and Trev bit back a smile, and Matt exchanged another amused look with his wife as he answered. “For a boy we're torn between Hubert and Sir Awesome. For a girl we're thinking either Bird of Paradise or Princess Penelope.”
Sam jabbed his ribs again. “Matt!” She gave Scott an apologetic look. “If it's a boy we've settled on Edward Jonathan Larson. Give him both his grandfathers' names. If it's a girl we were thinking Chloe Olivia or Olivia Chloe.”
“She wanted Olivia, I wanted Chloe, so we decided to use both,” Matt supplied. “We're still trying to decide the order.”
Catherine, Tam, and Jen joined the group then, leading to another round of the same questions and more quiet amusement from everyone watching. Then Lucas, clearing his throat leading to coughing a few times, announced. “Thank you to everyone who brought parents. Mary is ready to open them now, and then we'll sing the birthday song and have cake.”
At that everyone gathered around Mary, who didn't seem to mind as long as she had presents to focus on. Few of them were wrapped or even had tags, and friends and family volunteered which one was theirs as she picked each up and inspected it.
They were mostly small things from family, either useful or homemade and decorative. Lewis had a pack of toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste for her, while Jane gave her floss and mouthwash. “Not that we're implying anything,” her brother said to chuckles from everyone; basic toiletries were getting harder to come by, and all the more treasured for it. In the same vein her parents hadn't advertised their own gift, which were feminine hygiene products purchased from the visiting trader. Those had been surprisingly costly, due to unsurprisingly high demand.
Jim had carved her a small but surprisingly well done wooden cat, curled up with its tail over its nose. Linda gave her an assortment of scrunchies and clips for her hair. Trev's mom gave her a set of beeswax candles while his dad gave her a small pillow stuffed with wool. The Watson family gave her a padded footstool they'd upholstered with hide from one of their goats. The Tillman family gave her a ski mask and goggles for the coming bitter cold. The Larsons gave her a glass cube with a 3D image of a rose inside. Deb gave her one of those little multitools with the scissors, nail file, and penknife.
As for Trev, Mary had mentioned a couple times that she wanted to try archery as opposed to learning to shoot, mostly because she never intended to use it and didn't want to waste their ammo. So he'd cleaned up one of the crossbows they'd gotten from the bandits, as well as a dozen arrows, and with Lewis's help had done maintenance on it so it was in good shape.
All in all a pretty good haul, although this was a big milestone for the young woman. As Linda less than subtly pointed out
while everyone was enjoying their cake.
“So come on, let's hear it,” Trev's sister said, voice teasing as she tapped her older cousin's shoulder.
Mary blushed, guessing she was about to be put on the spot. “Hear what?” she asked, then broke out into nervous humming.
“Come on cuz, you're 18! Time to settle down with one of your many admirers and start ringing the wedding bells. Which one were you thinking of?”
Trev winced at his sister's bluntness, especially when Mary blushed even deeper scarlet and wailed, “Lind!” Their cousin's eyes frantically darted among the small crowd, although she looked reassured that everyone seemed to be focused on their cake, politely pretending they weren't paying attention to the embarrassing exchange.
Linda looked around too, and her brow furrowed. “Speaking of which, where's Raul?” She rolled the “R” in an exaggerated fashion. “Didn't you invite your boyfriend?”
Mary's embarrassment faded to concern. “I'm not sure if, I mean, we haven't really . . .” She sighed. “I invited him, but he didn't come. It's no big deal.”
Trev was a bit bothered by that, since it obviously was. At the first opening he politely pulled his cousin aside. “Any idea why he didn't come? I thought things were going well.”
“They were, kind of.” She gave him a miserable look. “One moment I think he likes me, the next it's like he's trying to avoid me.”
“I could go talk to him and see what's up,” Trev offered.
The blond young woman looked mortified. “Don't!” Then, hesitating, she said. “Or maybe do. Just, um, don't put him on the spot. I'm worried about him, but I don't want to make him feel guilty. He probably had a good reason not to come.”
He patted her shoulder. “Don't worry. I'll go as a friend, not a snoop.”
It wasn't far to Gutierrez's cabin, which was a bit back from any of the main lanes between houses. In fact, everything about the structure seemed intended to avoid notice. Was that due to the man's training and mindset as a soldier, or his personality? Both?
He knocked on the door, and after a moment it cracked open. Unable to get a stove Gutierrez had built a small fireplace, and the subdued flames were enough to dimly light the interior.
