EMP Lodge Series (Book 1): Dark Retreat

by Grace Hamilton

  A composting toilet sounded a little icky, but Megan was sure it would be better than trying to use the outhouse in frigid temperatures. Rosie assured her there was no smell and no one saw anyone’s business.

  Now that Rosie had mentioned it, Megan realized she definitely needed to visit the outhouse or as the older woman called it, the privy. Megan was ecstatic to see the place was equipped with a small sink, soap and of course, toilet paper. There was a jug of water sitting on the floor that she assumed was for washing hands.

  Never again would she take a toilet for granted.

  She washed up and headed back inside. Rosie grabbed a pencil and a little notebook from a drawer and walked around the island to one of the stools.

  “You’ll have to forgive the crankiness around here this morning. We were living in the city until the worst of the winter weather cleared and only then, could we make our way here. It took us several days on foot and even though the snow has cleared, as you know, it’s still cold at night. I was never one for camping much preferring the coziness of a cabin with a warm bed and a fireplace and I know Willow feels the same. I suspect my grandson was the only one truly enjoying himself,” Rosie explained as she sat down. “Have a seat. Let’s go over what happened.”

  Megan pulled out a stool, leaving one stool in between them. She was keeping her guard up and wanted some distance between herself and the people she wasn’t quite sure about yet.

  She explained how Caitlin had been fine. She had been healthy and her usual bubbly self while they headed north. They had been managing okay, living off the supplies they had. Megan had done a little trapping, her specialty, each day and cooked some kind of meat each night. Since they were just coming out of winter, there had been plenty of snow and rain to catch and purify for drinking. Caitlin knew to stay close and never wander off.

  Megan thought back to the day her daughter had first gotten sick. Caitlin had come to Megan, who had been skinning a rabbit she had trapped and asked for a drink. She drank an entire bottle of water and asked for another. At the time, Megan had assumed she had been playing really hard since there were some children where they were camping and it had always been so easy for her daughter to make friends. Megan realized she had been focused on her task at the time and Caitlin had been quiet. Did she wander away from camp?

  Rosie nodded her head, “Does she go out wandering, maybe picking berries or what not?”

  “No, she knows better than that,” Megan replied confidently. “She is a really picky eater and I don’t see her eating anything she doesn’t know.”

  “Did she vomit? Have diarrhea? Cough?” Rosie asked in a very clinical manner. “Does she have any cuts anywhere that could have gotten infected? Did she happen to have a cold or anything before the symptoms started.”

  Megan took a second to think back, “That night she said she felt icky and vomited a few times. I don’t think she had any diarrhea. And she hasn’t been sick and no cuts.”

  Rosie nodded and wrote in her little notebook. “Fever? Just acting off in general?”

  “Actually, she did start to act very strange. Like she was drunk, really. She didn’t have a fever until about half way through the day yesterday.”

  Megan explained how Caitlin had been walking, albeit slowly, for the first part of their trip up here, but then became so lethargic and weak, she collapsed. “I assumed she was dehydrated. I tried to get her to drink water, but she fell asleep and I haven’t been able to wake her since.” The hitch in her voice was involuntary.

  Rosie reached out to rub her back as Megan fought back tears. Talking about her daughter’s sudden, unexplained illness made it all too real.

  Megan waited and watched as Rosie made notes and occasionally stopped to stare at the page for a few seconds in deep thought. “Could she have eaten undercooked meat or maybe something bad in general?”

  Megan shrugged, “I don’t think so. I do a lot of hunting and trapping, but I always cook the meat really well. We had been living off the food I had in the pantry before we left. It hasn’t been a lot, but I don’t think any of it was bad.” She paused, “I haven’t been sick.”

  Wyatt had walked in and was listening to the story. Megan met his eyes and she saw warmth and comfort. She was sure he was a good guy, but one could never be too careful. Ever since her husband had cheated on her and left her for another woman, Megan had pulled back from society in general and most definitely men.

  That was more than two years ago. She didn’t trust her own instincts anymore. No way did she want to feel that kind of pain and loss again and chose to focus on her daughter rather than finding more heartbreak.

  “Okay, now we have somewhere to start,” Rosie said getting back to business.

  Wyatt broke eye contact and bent down to the propane stove. He turned on a burner and used a match to ignite the stove. Megan watched. She wished her house had propane. She’d been heating water over a fire in a pit she had made just after the collapse. Starting a fire in the rain had not been fun. The EMP had happened in the middle of winter, which made going outdoors to start a fire miserable. Propane would have saved her a lot of trouble and could have helped keep them warm.

  This house and all its amenities seemed very normal. Wyatt set a full percolating coffee pot on the burner and turned back to the women. The coffee had been in a jar, shoved behind all of the cans of spoiled food. Megan realized it was back there for a reason. They had hid it on purpose, just in case someone like her broke in.

  “I am going to start with a bit of Feverfew tea,” Rosie explained, picking up one of her jars. “This is going to break the fever and hopefully make her feel a little better in general. I would like to talk to her about what she may have eaten or what she is feeling. I have found that simply breaking the fever can help kids feel good enough to start getting the fluids they need to get better.”

  Megan raised an eyebrow in question when she saw the jar full of what appeared to be dried grass and weeds.

  “With that range of symptoms, it could be food poisoning, especially if there weren’t any other symptoms like the standard sore throat, sniffles or a cough,” Rosie continued.

  Megan shook her head, “I really hope not. I am always very careful and usually char the meat to make sure it’s safe.”

  Rosie nodded, “Hon, not that kind of food poisoning. It could have been something like her picking up a rock or playing in the dirt and the germs found their way into her system. You know kids. They can pick up germs in a heartbeat.” As she talked, Rosie smiled, glancing over at Wyatt, “You said you had been camping out, which means you were around wild animals that carry all sorts of fun diseases.”

  There was a noise behind them and Megan spun around on the stool. A woman and child were walking down the stairs. Beside the boy stood a very large, intimidating dog. The woman was average looking. Brown hair pulled back into a messy ponytail revealed a pair of light brown eyes. She wore no makeup. No one did these days. Her small frame was dwarfed by the oversized plaid shirt she was wearing over jeans that were a couple sizes too big. Megan assumed she had probably lost weight since all of this had started. Everyone had.

  Next to her stood a boy that was a miniature version of the man, Jack, whom she had met earlier. There was no denying who this kid’s father was. Many people said the same thing about her and Caitlin. It always amused her how one parent’s genes could be so strong. They just squeezed out the other parent.

  Rosie jumped off the stool in a move that defied her age. “Megan, this is Willow, Ryland, and the furry beast is Duke. Guys, this is Megan and her daughter’s name is Caitlin. They are going to be staying with us for a while.”

  Ryland looked around the room, clearly looking for Caitlin. Duke didn’t have to use his eyes to find the intruder into his domain. He put his large black snout into the air, gave a good sniff and bounded off towards the bedroom where Caitlin lay.

  Megan jumped off the stool and ran behind the dog that looked to be a German Shephar
d mix. Her heart was racing in fear for her baby. When she got to the room, she stopped in her tracks at the door. The dog had jumped on the bed and was slowly and oh so gently sniffing her daughter. Caitlin moaned. The dog’s ears shot straight up into pointed peaks as he stared at the girl.

  “Duke, Duke, come here,” Willow called with authority. The dog ignored her. He was completely focused on the little girl in the bed.

  “I’m sorry,” Willow said to Megan. “He is harmless, just curious.”

  Megan nodded, but kept a close eye on the dog as it continued its very thorough inspection of her daughter. Once he was finished, he spun around on the bed a few times and plopped down beside her. Duke gave a big moan and put his head on Caitlin’s belly.

  Megan looked at Willow in question.

  She shrugged her shoulders, “I think he wants to protect her. He usually sleeps like that with Ryland.”

  Wyatt once again managed to sneak up behind her in complete silence. It was amazing how a man that size could move without making a sound.

  “She’s good. Duke will keep a close eye on her. No one is getting in this room without his approval.”

  Rosie called out, “Coffee is ready. Let the girl rest.”

  They all returned to the kitchen. Rosie handed out the coffee like an experienced waitress.

  “You sit here and let the caffeine hit. I’m going to give Caitlin some of this tea.” When Megan moved to go with her, Rosie put up a hand. “Sit, rest, she will be fine.”

  Wyatt spoke up, “She has been giving us horrible herb concoctions most of our lives. They taste bad, but I can honestly say we haven’t had to visit doctors much in our lifetimes. She knows what she is doing,” he assured her with a nod.

  Megan nodded, “Okay. Thank you.” She grabbed the cup of coffee and took a sip. It was delicious. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, relishing the aroma of fresh coffee. A little stronger than she was used to, but the caffeine racing through her veins was invigorating.

  It was the little things she missed.

  The glorious silence was interrupted by Chase and Albert returning. Albert was carrying a stack of wood, grumbling about something Megan couldn’t make out. Carrying the wood to the huge woodstove set between the kitchen and dining room so the rising heat would help to heat the upstairs, he dropped the armload of wood with a loud thunk.

  It was then Megan realized it was chilly in the house. She had been full of adrenaline since she had been awakened and hadn’t noticed the cool air.

  Chase added a bucket of kindling to the hearth before heading to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. Jack came in last, carrying a large bag and set it on the counter.

  Willow walked over and gave him a quick kiss. Megan watched the couple go through a routine that seemed so normal. It was odd to see a married couple drinking a cup of coffee together when the world around them was crumbling a little more every day. They had each other, their healthy child and a rather large family. They had it all. The entire group seemed to function as a unit. They each had a job and seemed happy to do it.

  Megan sighed and quietly chided herself for being sappy. These people may have each other, but they also had to deal with people like Albert. The guy was surly. Even now he was stalking into the kitchen, yanking open a cupboard door and attempting to pour himself a cup of coffee. She and Caitlin were better off on their own.

  “Really?” he growled as he realized the pot was empty.

  Chase smiled, “Guess you better make another pot, Albert.”

  Megan held back a smile. Served the old codger right for being so rude. Albert threw her a nasty look as he headed out the door with the pot in hand. She assumed they must have a stash of water out there or there was a well with a hand pump. That would be too perfect she thought to herself.

  After watching the routine for several minutes, Megan decided she best get back to Caitlin and see if she was ready to move yet. She didn’t want to stay around for a minute longer than necessary.

  5

  Wyatt watched Megan scan the room. He knew what she was doing. She was sizing everyone up. He still wasn’t sure about her, but she seemed harmless. Maybe a little cranky and definitely a lot protective, but that was to be expected with a sick child.

  This world had changed people. It transformed the nicest people he knew into some of the most ruthless. Brotherly love and human kindness in general was a rarity these days. Everyone was suspicious of everyone else and for good reason. No one was safe anymore.

  Wyatt had a feeling she was looking for the quickest way out. This woman didn’t feel comfortable in their home or around them that much was obvious. He got it, but she clearly didn’t realize the danger she was putting herself and her daughter in by trying to go it alone. This was not the time to be a lone wolf. She needed people and he intended to convince her of that and not just for her sake.

  It had been a long time since he felt any sort of attraction to someone and if he were being honest with himself, he had to resist the pangs of jealousy he felt when he saw his brother with his wife. Despite how quickly the world had changed, their bond only seemed to grow stronger. While Wyatt realized that given the existing climate, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever find someone like that, he was very attracted to Megan. She intrigued him and he wanted to get to know her better. A lot better. He felt a connection that couldn’t be explained and he wanted the chance to find out if there could be more.

  Wyatt had a feeling she could be an asset to them as well. While his mom had taken her to the outhouse, he had quickly searched the bag under the bed. He had seen it when he first saw her but, didn’t let on that he had. He’d found cable snares. After hearing her story about skinning a rabbit, he was convinced.

  She knew how to trap and that could help put food on the table as well as replenish the food stockpile they had built before the EMP. The petite woman didn’t look like a trapper, but he suspected there was more to her than meets the eye.

  As he watched her over the brim of his coffee cup, he got an idea.

  “Would you like to take a bath?”

  She swung around to look at him.

  “What?” The surprise on her face was evident as she stared at him.

  He realized that had come out wrong. “Not with me. That is to say—” Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain. “We can get you hot water if you would like to take a bath. We don’t have enough pressure for an indoor shower, but we can fill the tub upstairs,” he explained quickly. He felt like an idiot.

  Megan eyed him carefully. He watched the look of excitement cross her face. Considering that she probably hadn’t enjoyed hot water in months, it might go a long way toward easing some of her aches and pains and hopefully, improve her mood, which he was fairly sure he had just made worse.

  “I should probably get going.”

  Wyatt laughed and rolled his eyes at the ridiculous statement. “Your daughter is lying in bed, unconscious. Are you going to scoop her up and leave? Or maybe you are going to leave her in our care?”

  She glared at him and he swore he saw smoke coming from her nostrils. She was mad. It was a very attractive look on her, which made him grin. Damn, he had it bad. He really liked this woman.

  “Just relax. Let her heal. Take a bath. You will feel better. There’s no reason for you to rush out the door.” He leaned forward and touched her arm, “I think you know we aren’t going to hurt you. We want to help. We aren’t crazy.”

  A snort from Albert who was lighting the stove interrupted the moment.

  “Albert, quit acting like a grumpy old man,” Wyatt scolded as he fought back his grin at Megan giving Albert the look of death, “He is putting on a show. He isn’t quite as mean as he wants you to believe. Ignore him.”

  Megan looked to Willow and Jack who had been quietly talking in the corner of the kitchen.

  Willow spoke up, “A hot bath is a luxury that you do not want to pass up. Especially when you’ll have all these handsome men, carrying buckets of
water for you. I bet you’ll feel better.”

  An elbow in the ribs from Willow prompted Jack to respond, “Yeah, it’s no problem. Chase will get the fire going and we will heat the water on the stove. It will take about an hour.”

  “See, it’s settled. You are going to take an almost hot bath. My mom will keep an eye on Caitlin and hopefully, with my mom’s magic, she will be on the road to recovery in no time,” Wyatt assured her.

  Megan conceded. “I’m going to go check on Caitlin first, and then I will help carry the water. There is no way I will let you guys wait on me hand and foot.”

  Wyatt winked, “Of course not.”

  He watched as she slid off the stool. She was sore. He could tell by the way that she winced when her feet hit the ground. A bath would definitely do her some good. He had a feeling she had been on her own since this started, which was a huge burden for anyone let alone a single woman with a child.

  It was time she leaned on others. With each of them helping out, the burden was so much easier to carry. So much so, Wyatt couldn’t imagine trying to survive without his family.

  Wyatt had to admit that he was lucky. Not only was he close to his family but they’d always been of like mind when it came to prepping. While his father had been the instigator in all of it, his mom had always made a point of choosing more natural products over the convenience of store bought. Wyatt had long suspected that it had more to do with her upbringing than anything else did. One of several siblings growing up in a very poor household, from what his mom used to say, his gran had made foraging for food and herbs a game and despite often not having enough food on the table, they always knew they were loved.

  When she had married his dad, he would laughingly tease her about some of her more frugal ways reminding her that she didn’t have to worry about money anymore but he’d quickly grown to appreciate her efforts. Especially when he decided to buy the land for their cabin and was able to pay cash for it.

  Dale Morris had purchased the entire fifty- acre plot fifteen years ago to keep others from building around him or any kind of logging operations from removing the concealing trees. The location was extremely remote and because it was completely off the grid, there were no utility bills. In fact, most of the building had been built without permits, which meant records showed it was nothing more than a parcel of undeveloped land.