We walked past the bedroom doors and through a covered walkway then down a flight of stairs. I was so dog tired and almost delirious that I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I was simply blindly being led by this slightly officious, blood stained woman.
The floor leveled out and we bumped through a set of swing doors. Jayne led me through another corridor with a labyrinth of rooms spurring off the main thoroughfare. Some people busied themselves in these rooms, loading up baskets with towels, blankets and bandages from rows of shelving racks running along the walls.
I was heartened to see Spot, our little Jack Russell dog still in the land of the living. He was busy shaking a discarded towel between his teeth in one of the adjacent rooms. It was good to see the little guy safe and well. I’d neglected the poor animal lately but he had a lot of people willing to feed and take care of him so he wasn’t going without any comforts. It all seemed so long ago now that I’d rescued him from that car wreck back in Brynston, Pennsylvania. He was only a small puppy back then and probably saw horrific images in his younger days. Spot seemed happy enough with his new environment and that was good enough for me.
Finally, we stopped outside a closed door that had a ‘Do Not Disturb’ notice pinned in the center. Jayne smiled briefly at me before knocking on the door gently.
“Come in,” somebody said from the other side of the door.
Jayne opened the door and ushered me into the room inside. I entered through the doorway and saw Sarah Wingate standing on the left side of a bed and Chandra Yadav leaning over whoever was in the bed. He glanced around, saw me and stood back. Batfish, sweaty and pale lay in the bed, cradling a small human wrapped in a blue blanket.
Wingate smiled at me. Batfish smiled at me. Chandra smiled at me.
“Congratulations, Brett,” Chandra said, beaming. “Come and meet your son. He was born a few hours ago.”
I took in a deep breath and my legs almost buckled beneath me. The strangest sensation came over me. It felt as though somebody had punched me in the stomach but it didn’t hurt. It felt nice.
“A boy?” I muttered, staggering forward on rubbery legs. I leaned on the foot of the bed, gazing at the baby in the blanket and took a long look at his wrinkled, red face. “He’s amazing,” I whispered. I looked back to Chandra. “He’s okay, though, isn’t he? I mean the fire and all the shooting…he didn’t get harmed in any way?”
“Relax, Brett,” Chandra said, in a soothing tone that only doctors can manage. “He’s fine and healthy. He has strong parents. Although, it was hard work getting her off that plane like you wouldn’t believe, man.” He flicked his eyes to the ceiling.
“And you are okay?” I asked Batfish.
“No, I’m not fine, Brett,” she sighed. “I just gave birth to what felt like a spiky melon after I got lowered down off that plane in a gurney like a pregnant fucking cow. You weren’t there, shit head. You owe me a good drink when I’m up on my feet again, mister.”
“That’s a promise,” I said.
“What about the other thing, Brett?” Wingate asked. The smile had gone from her face and I presumed her serious expression referred to The Marshall and his cronies.
“All taken care of,” I said. “Those guys won’t be coming back ever again. In fact, the whole complex is clear up in the next town. It’s got all the facilities we need so we can move on up there when everybody is ready.”
Wingate breathed out a sigh of relief.
“That sounds pretty fucking good,” she said. “Well done, you.”
“It wasn’t all me,” I muttered. “Couldn’t have pulled it off if it weren’t for the guys around me.”
“God, I think I’m going to puke,” Batfish wailed.
“Are you okay?” Wingate asked.
“No,” Batfish sighed. She nodded at me. “If that douche bag gets any more gushing, he’ll expect an award.”
Wingate laughed and nodded. “She’s okay.”
I felt my face redden slightly and realized I’d sounded a little over the top. Once again, I’d embarrassed myself. Oh, well, it was in keeping with the special moment.
Batfish yawned. “I could really use some sleep, guys,” she muttered.
“Shall I take the baby?” Wingate asked.
Batfish nodded and Wingate lifted the tiny, sleeping mite from her arms. I reached out and gently touched his small fingers.
“Brett, go get a wash before you touch our kid, huh?” Batfish mumbled. “You fucking stink, man.” She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.
“Yeah, you could do with a shower, Brett,” Wingate agreed, wrinkling her nose and staring me up and down.
I had to admit, I did reek of sweat, cordite, dirt and smoke but I’d grown accustomed to the stench.
“Okay, yeah,” I muttered. “I do stink don’t I?”
“Come back later then, okay?” Wingate said.
“Will do,” I said. “Can I tell everybody?”
Wingate looked at Chandra.
“Of course you can,” Chandra said, still smiling.
I nodded and returned the smile. “Thanks, Doc.”
He flashed me a wink. I turned and Jayne closed the door after I’d walked through the entranceway. I didn’t wait for her and almost floated on air back up to the ground floor.
It was almost too unbelievable to be true. I was a dad! I had a son! He was okay and we were okay. Everything was good. I wanted to savor the moment forever.
The neo Nazis were gone. The undead were still around, sure but we could move into a fenced compound within a few days and keep a watch out for any zombie hordes from there. Water was in good supply from the rivers in the park. The resort at Lajitas would make an ideal home for me and my family, even if Batfish didn’t want a relationship we could still live happily.
For once in my life I felt as though things were good and going to stay good. Nothing could dent my happy, ecstatic mood.
First, I was going to take a shower and secondly I was going to get drunk, celebrating the birth of my son and the victory over tyranny. Sleep could wait. Sleep could go take a hike. I’d have a nice long sleep when I was dead.
Today, whatever date it was in whatever year it was, had turned out to be one of the best days of my life.
THE END
Left in the Cold (The Left Series) Page 26