Mathias nodded. Not much was left of the room to tell about its occupant, but he knew this was it. The crumpled and tortured remains of Alec’s wheelchair wrapped around a support strut only reaffirmed this. His own room, the one he lived in with his family, had been next door. It was gone now. Everything they had was burnt to a crisp. Everything he and Riley still had from their old life and all of Hope’s toys, were gone. A rage burned deep within Mathias’s belly, but he had nowhere to direct it.
“And you said he was going back to his room and would meet you for dinner later? Why did he go back to his room?” James continued. He was acting as the mouthpiece for the ship’s leaders, willing to take the brunt of Mathias’s anger if he lost control.
“He said he wanted to wash up before dinner. I think he was just upset about Shoes and needed a moment to himself.” Mathias turned to the five leaders, his hands in tight fists and his teeth clenched. “Don’t you dare think he had anything to do with this. Alec was a good man.”
“We’re aware,” Commander Crichton nodded curtly. “Why don’t you go spend the rest of the night with your family?”
Mathias shook his head. “It’s my watch.”
James placed his hand on Mathias’s shoulder. “Well, there’s nothing else you can do here. We should let the professionals take a look.”
“I know about bombs,” Mathias told him.
“And I know that you do. I remember you fire bombing the tower at the prison.” James carefully directed Mathias back down the hall, away from the destruction. “I know probably as much about bombs as you do, but there are people on this ship who know even more than us. People without as high an emotional stake in it and won’t get distracted.”
Mathias pushed James away from him. “I understand why you don’t want me investigating this, you don’t need to explain it. Just promise me that you’ll tell me everything you find out. And I mean everything.”
“Yeah. Sure.” James nodded, although whether he was being honest or not was debatable.
Mathias never completely trusted James. When they first met, James had run Mathias and his group off the road, stuck them into the back of a large truck, and driven them to a prison full of other survivors who had been rounded up. Marble Keystone was planning to use the people there as some sort of labour force. However, Mathias was to be executed, having worked for Keystone and turned his back on them. James had wound up telling him all of this to give him and his group a chance to escape. He had a two-faced quality that made him hard to read.
Understanding that he couldn’t keep hanging around, Mathias left the area and headed down to the lower decks. He would continue to perform his duties throughout his shift.
The lowest decks were usually quiet this late, but not tonight. More people than usual were travelling from room to room. Mathias spotted Cameron and flagged her down.
“What’s going on down here? What are you still doing up?”
“The explosion disturbed all the animals,” Cameron sighed, sweeping her hands through her very short hair, which was the complete opposite of Riley’s long braid. The difference in haircuts was the way most people told the twins apart, although Mathias had known them both long enough to pick out several other different features. “Most of them are delicate as it is, with the minimal amount of space we have for them. We’re starting to get things under control now, but we lost a few.”
There were roughly two hundred rooms down on the second deck, and all of them were occupied by animals. They had sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, some geese, a few ducks, and two horses. At any time during the daylight hours, people could be found down there taking the larger animals on walks through the hallways. Most of these animals were grazers, not built to be cooped up in small staterooms, but it was the best place they could find for them. They even converted the larger conference rooms into a kind of veterinarian clinic, so that they wouldn’t have to move the animals up or down the stairs if they got sick. All of deck two had been given the name, Noah’s Ark.
“We didn’t lose one of the horses, did we?” Mathias asked. The horses were the most prone to becoming agitated by the constant confinement, but they really came in handy the few times the Diana was within a few hours journey by tender boat to shore so that the off-shippers could bring them. Any tender boat trip longer than a couple hours became too dangerous for the horses.
“No, they’re both okay.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” If anything could take Mathias’s mind off what happened, it would be caring for large animals.
“Yes, you can keep Billy company while Nedry helps me with some pigs.”
“Who’s Billy?” Mathias wondered while Cameron led him down the hall. The top halves of all the doors had been cut off so that all the animals could be viewed as they walked by. The rooms were similar to those upstairs, with portal windows instead of balconies, no furniture, and the carpeting removed and replaced with dirt and hay in most cases. The closets were used to store feed and tools, while the bathrooms were usually used to assist in waste removal. Animal poop was never allowed to sit around for too long. Most of it was bagged and turned into fertilizer, while the rest was mixed with human waste that ran through the purification process. The human survivors hated the idea of drinking water that had been filtered from their own piss, despite being repeatedly told it was completely clean, but giving it to the animals and plants was acceptable. The humans stuck to desalinated ocean water.
As Mathias thought about waste and fertilizer, he began to wonder if maybe the explosive had somehow been derived from it. He didn’t think on it long before Cameron opened one of the doors and led him inside a room. A large, black and white cow stood in the middle of the space, while a man gently stroked her face.
“This is Billy.” Cameron walked up to the cow and patted it gently. “She’s pregnant.”
“Billy is a girl cow.” Mathias slowly approached the cow, not wanting to startle her.
“We don’t always bother with gender correct names,” Cameron shrugged. “Now, she’s rather nervous, but is quite fond of human contact. We’re afraid of her losing her calf, so we need someone to stand with her. Keep her calm, and monitor her, while we finish checking on the rest.”
“I guess I can do that.”
“If she starts bleeding, or bellowing, call for someone right away,” the man who Mathias assumed was Nedry told him. “Feel free to give her some hay or water if she looks like she wants some.”
“Okay.” Mathias didn’t know how he would know if the cow wanted some hay or water, but considering that the bale and bucket weren’t far from her, he figured she could take care of herself on that front.
“Come on, Nedry.” Cameron left the room without so much as a thanks, or an encouraging remark. She was very focused on what she was doing. Her room had also been destroyed by the fire, and she was clearly trying not to think about it.
Mathias was alone in a room with a cow, and he had no idea what he was doing.
“Hi, Billy,” he said, taking a slow step toward her, “I’m Mathias. I’m good friends with your keeper there, Cameron. Don’t bite me, okay?”
Moving very slowly, he placed his hand on Billy’s nose. She didn’t seem to care, so Mathias began to stroke her.
“There. That’s not so bad.” Although Mathias saw the animals all the time during his nightly patrols, he never paid too much attention to them. Usually, the lights in their rooms would be turned off and they’d be sleeping. He found he rather liked this dim-witted-looking creature.
The next several hours were spent in the peaceful company of Billy. The cow was never bothered when Mathias’s walkie-talkie went off, so he could give orders and direct people when he had to, but most of the night was quiet. It seemed that even though a lot of people weren’t sleeping this night, none of them were making trouble. They were probably too frightened, and Mathias couldn’t blame them. He found himself telling Billy about Alec, and how the man had saved his little brother
’s life. Danny most likely wouldn’t have survived the Day without him, and he and Mathias never would have been reunited.
Mathias wept for his dead friend.
***
By the time Cameron returned, Mathias was drained. All his rage and grief had been poured out of him into the attentive ears of Billy the cow. His physical exhaustion had also managed to catch up with him.
“Your shift is over soon. Why don’t you leave now and get some sleep?” Cameron told him. She then covered her mouth, hiding a yawn behind it.
“You look like you could use some rest, too.” Mathias said goodbye to Billy, giving her a mouthful of hay.
“Maybe I’ll squeeze in a nap if someone can cover for me, but my shift is actually starting soon.” Cameron shooed him out of the room. “Now go see my sister and niece. I’m sure they’re worried about you.”
Mathias nodded slowly and made his way toward the stairs. Climbing them was more tiring than usual, and he almost went to the wrong deck before realizing that Riley and Hope were now on the eighth. He could barely remember the room number, but got lucky and picked the right door on which to knock.
Riley answered the door and upon seeing him, wrapped her arms around Mathias and gave him a huge bear hug. Her eyes were swollen from lack of sleep. She must have had a rough night.
“How’s Hope?” Mathias asked, glancing into the room behind Riley. Hope was asleep on the bed.
“She’s doing okay. I don’t think she knows what happened.” Neither of them asked about the other, already understanding how they felt.
“Is she still going to school today?”
“Yeah, Abby and Lauren don’t want to change the kids’ routines, and a lot of parents can’t take the day off to look after them. I think Lauren is going to try to explain things to them in a way that they’ll understand but won’t terrify them.”
“I’m terrified,” Mathias admitted.
“Me too,” Riley sighed. “Do you mind waking her up and getting her ready? I don’t know if you heard, but some of the off-shippers were left behind. James is already out there bringing them in. One of them is apparently hurt pretty badly, and I’d like to make sure everything is in order before they arrive.”
“Of course. It’s not Jon that’s hurt, is it?” Mathias hadn’t seen him last night, and so assumed he was one of the off-shippers left behind. Jon would have been in the middle of the relief effort had he been there for it, because that was just the kind of guy he was.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Everything has been so crazy that we’re not getting all the information we should, but I think the injured person is female.”
“You go to work. I’ll take care of things here.” Mathias kissed Riley on the forehead. She kissed his cheek in return. After looking around and realizing she had nothing to bring to work with her, she departed.
Mathias walked over to the bed and kneeled down beside it. He didn’t often get to wake up Hope. Every morning, when he came off his shift, he’d come home to find Riley getting ready for work and Hope getting ready for school. After they left was when he slept. In the afternoons, Mathias would pick up Hope from school and they’d spend an hour together before Riley came home. Both Riley and Mathias would put Hope to bed, and then they’d have a few hours together before Mathias headed back to work. He liked this routine, and was hoping it wouldn’t be long before they got into its rhythm again.
“Hope. Hope, wake up, sweet-pea.”
Hope mumbled and rolled over.
“Come on, it’s time to get up and go to school.”
Eventually Hope got moving. It was a rough time getting her ready. They didn’t have a toothbrush, so Hope had to use her finger. Although she liked using her finger, she didn’t like the toothpaste here, and complained about wanting the regular kind. There was no hairbrush, as the doctor who gave up his room was basically bald. Mathias had to brush Hope’s long, wavy, auburn hair with his fingers. She was displeased about this, saying it looked messy.
“Sorry, pumpkin, there’s nothing I can do about that right now.”
“Mommy would know what to do.”
Mathias sighed. Riley probably would know what to do. “Maybe one of your teachers will have a brush you can use.”
Hope huffed, not liking the idea. “Why do I have to wear the same clothes as yesterday? I want to wear my pink shirt today.”
“We don’t have any other clothes for you to wear.”
“Where’s my pink shirt?”
“Can we talk about it after school?”
“I want to wear my pink shirt.”
“Not today.”
Hope was getting very grumpy, and Mathias worried she’d start crying and screaming about it soon.
“Come on, let’s go get you some breakfast.”
With Milly trotting along behind them, Mathias walked through the ship holding Hope’s small hand. After getting their breakfast, they ate quickly, and then Mathias walked her to school. The Diana had already had a kids’ centre at the back of the ship on deck twelve, which had been very easy to turn into a school. Lauren and Abby worked there as teachers, along with the one remaining crewmember who had worked there previously.
“She’s very grumpy this morning. Do not mention what she’s wearing,” Mathias told Abby once Hope had run into the room to see Peter. “If you have a hairbrush here, you might be able to recover the day.”
“We’ve got a lot of supplies here,” Abby reassured him. “I found out which kids weren’t able to return to their rooms last night while Lauren found some clothes and supplies to give them. Although she won’t have as many things to wear as she used to, we should be able to supply her with a few new outfits.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You look exhausted, Mathias. You should really get some sleep.” Abby sounded quite concerned.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that.”
On the way back to the room, however, Mathias spotted the doctor who lived there. He looked bone weary, even more tired than Mathias felt. Mathias didn’t much feel like crashing on the man’s couch while he was likely to be asleep in the bed. He decided he would head to the library and sleep on one of the couches there, or if they were taken, he’d go out on deck four and snooze in a lounge chair. But first, he should probably tell Riley where he’d be in case of an emergency.
With Milly in tow, Mathias made his way all the way back down to deck one. Whereas the spa and wellness centre were used for regular check-ups and minor injuries, the actual medical centre was used for returning off-shippers and surgeries. Riley would be down there today.
Mathias arrived at the same time the tender boat returned from picking up the off-shippers. He stood out of the way as masked Brewster and Brunt rushed past, carrying a girl on a stretcher between them. Mathias recognized the girl as Rose, and saw that she was deathly pale and not conscious. She might be dead. All the other off-shippers followed behind them. They would all be tested for infection before being allowed back into the general population. Mathias followed the group into the medical centre, but stood off to one side with Milly. Riley was nowhere to be seen; likely she was in the back room to where Rose had been rushed.
Observing the off-shippers being processed, Mathias spotted a man who didn’t belong. He looked wasted, and was far thinner than anyone else aboard the Diana. He must be a survivor from the other ship. Seeing Jon, Mathias headed over to him to ask about the strange man.
“Yeah, he’s from the other ship,” Jon confirmed.
“What’s he saying?” Mathias couldn’t hear the man over the din of the busy medical centre, but could see his lips moving.
“ ‘Not bit.’ It’s the only thing he’ll say.”
“Jon!” Robin, a girl who worked in the medical centre as Riley’s apprentice, made her way over. She and Jon had an off-and-on thing for the last six years or so. When she reached Jon, she held his hands in her own, which were covered in latex gloves. Any contact closer than that was forb
idden until Jon got tested.
“You’re all right,” Jon smiled.
“I’m all right?” Robin turned to Mathias. “He just got back from the death ship, his wounded partner in tow, and he’s relieved to see that I’m all right?”
Mathias shrugged. “We’re men. It’s what we do.”
Robin shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“Is Rose okay?” Jon asked.
“She’s in good hands. I’m not even sitting in on this one because they want only the best in there looking after her. She’ll be fine.”
“What happened?” Mathias wondered.
Jon just shook his head, not quite ready to talk about it.
“Well, let’s get your blood tested so you can get out of here.” Robin turned to a nearby table and pulled a needle out of a jar of alcohol. They often had to reuse their needles for blood testing and sterilized them constantly. After drying the needle off, Robin expertly tied off Jon’s arm and began to take a small sample of his blood. Looking at the blood under a microscope was the quickest and most effective way to tell if someone was infected.
“You look worse than I feel,” Mathias commented on how exhausted Jon seemed.
“Yeah, I didn’t sleep last night. What’s happened here? We didn’t get a lot of updates.”
“I’ll fill you in later,” Mathias promised him, “after you get some rest.”
“You both look like you could use some rest,” Robin told them. “Once we’re done here, Jon, I’ll let you into my room so you can get some sleep.”
“I can’t sleep in my room? Is it because of the explosion?”
“They’re still determining which rooms are safe enough to use.”
Jon’s room was near enough to the area to have been affected, but might still be okay. Robin’s room was on the other side of the ship, where it had been safe from the fire.
“You should take a shower, too. I recently got a new bar of soap that’s much better than the last batch they made. Smells better, too,” Robin chatted as she prepared the blood slide. “It’ll be nice when they finally get that soap making process down, and we won’t have to rely so much on scaven-” Robin cut off mid-sentence, gasping and backing away from the microscope. She suddenly ran out of the room.
Survival Instinct (Book 3): Fighting Instinct Page 5
