The Fight for Life

by S G Read

  Will said no more and climbed into the van after her. Ray closed the doors and climbed into the driving seat.

  ‘Where to now?’ He asked. ‘Clem needs a bit more time with the children.’

  ‘You wicked man.’ Will chuckled.

  ‘Go down that road to the left,’ Donna replied, ‘I know somewhere we need to go.’

  Ray followed her instructions again and parked where she told him to. The two men scouted round for wild dogs and when it was safe returned to the van.

  ‘Open that door.’ Donna ordered, pointing to the door in question.

  Ray did just that but made sure he could close it again, afterwards.

  ‘What is it?’ Will ask when the door gave up resisting.

  ‘A bookshop I enjoy a good read.’ Donna replied.

  ‘So do I.’ Will conceded.

  ‘We also need a few more children’s books I am fed up reading the three we already have!’ Donna added.

  They soon found out that it was better to stack the books and carry them out in stacks with one as a guard, rather than try to get enough in the baskets which were there. Will and Ray carried out stack after stack of books until they had all the books they wanted in the van. They would probably fall over when he drove away and cascade out the back when the door was opened but Ray could live with that. He screwed the door closed again and they drove on.

  ‘Anywhere else?’ Ray asked.

  ‘Just one more shop.’ Donna answered thoughtfully, we need a step for the toilet so that the boys can manage on their own and a child’s seat so they don’t get flushed away.

  Bob the Builder finished, Rachel picked up a battered book, walked over to Clem and thrust it into her hand.

  ‘Do you want me to read to you?’ She asked and Rachel nodded.

  Clem waited as Rachel settled down on her lap then began reading. The other three sat together on the sofa and listened intently.

  ‘Once upon a time there were three bears’- She read the story trying to make it exciting where it was exciting and interesting when it was not exciting. When that story finished Evelyn brought over another book.

  ‘Okay but put this one back where it came from.’ Clem said pleasantly.

  Rachel took the book back and her place was taken by Evlyn. Clem read the next book cover to cover and watched as Joe walked over to get a book. He chose the one they had not heard yet and when Evlyn took the second book back, he took her place on Clem’s lap. When that book was finished Clem watched Billy, the oldest, walk over to the other books and bring back the first book again but he took the third book and put it back on the shelf for Joe and settled back down on the sofa to listen. By the end of the repeated first book the children were all asleep. Clem wondered what to do next but in the end she just sat there and cuddled Joe. She woke when she heard the van driving up to the house and freed herself from Joe’s arms to go and meet them.

  Ray jumped out of the cab and stroked Blue who was doing the rounds. Clem stood in the doorway.

  ‘Don’t make too much noise they are asleep.’ She warned.

  Donna left the men to unload and went in search of a room she could store the things from the chemist shop in.

  ‘Did you see anyone?’ Clem asked as she tagged along.

  ‘No but someone had been there and made a mess!’ Donna complained.

  ‘Probably after the drugs.’ Clem answered knowingly.

  ‘I can’t see why they have to ruin stuff they don’t want though!’ Donna declared. ‘Why? What good does it do them?’

  Clem did not answer, as she took it to be a rhetorical question. Donna found a small room but big enough for her needs and it had a sturdy door.

  ‘This will do!’ Donna declared. ‘They can leave the stuff in here! Once I get some shelves up and have a couch or something for the patient to sit on while I patch them up. it will be just like a doctor’s surgery but without the doctor!’

  Clem walked downstairs and told them where Donna wanted her stuff, then she saw the books in the hall.

  ‘Any children’s books amongst that lot?’ She asked.

  ‘Yes.’ Will answered as he walked by with a box of things from the chemists.

  ‘Good, they have only three books and I had to read one of them twice before they fell asleep!’ She started to rummage for children’s books, as she found one she put it into a pile. When the pile was tall enough she carried it into the television room and stacked them in the corner. While she was there she checked on the children, then carried on looking for childrens books and stacking them again.

  Ray watched her as she tucked the blanket round the children as they slept. Donna joined him at the doorway.

  ‘Been a while since they were able to sleep peacefully.’ She whispered.

  When Clem came out they were gone and busily doing something else.

  They emptied the van and decided to drink their tea and coffee in the kitchen to save waking the children.

  ‘We’ll need bookcases.’ Clem said as she drank her coffee.

  ‘And shelving or lockable cupboards for the medicines!’ Donna added.

  Will looked at Ray. ‘Sound like we will be going back to the chemists!’ He noted.

  ‘It does doesn’t it and the book shop. We could go into a furniture shop as well just to see what they had in there.’

  Blue scratched the door. Clem emptied her mug.

  ‘I’ll walk round the wall with him to give us both some exercise.’ She announced and left them to it. As always she took a pistol and a back up piece as they did in the police stories. She had an ankle holster with a small pistol in it. It was good enough to get her out of trouble and she had been in a few tight scrapes since the day her parents had died.

  While she was walking Blue she saw the van go out again and assumed it was Ray and Will going to get the furniture they wanted.

  When she returned she fed Blue and checked on the children who were now awake. Donna was busy sorting through her things so Clem selected a book she had not read to the children from the new stack and started to read. Half way through the story she stopped to feed them, as they were hungry. She also took Donna up a plateful of sandwiches.

  ‘Thank you, that is very kind!’ Donna said when she saw the plate and the coffee. ‘What happened to the lazy little cow then?’

  ‘She caught a virus!’ Clem answered with a smile. ‘Everything alright?’

  ‘I had to put some of the stuff in the fridge to keep it cool’- She did not get any further as the children were eating in the kitchen, right next to the fridge.

  Clem ran down the stairs to find them sitting there and eating quite safely. She stayed until she had eaten, then took them back into the television room to finish the book. She enjoyed reading to them and later Donna joined them and cuddled two onto her lap. With one on Clem’s lap. The only one who sat on a chair was Billy, he was too old for sitting on laps!

  Donna and Clem bathed the children and put them to bed before the van returned and Clem looked out the window toward the gate a little worriedly, she had grown fond of both the men. When she saw lights approaching the gate she ran to the door and let Blue out. She picked up a rifle and waited, just in case. She could not see who was in the van but the door opened and Blue jumped in. That was good enough for her, she put the rifle down and went out to meet them. They tool the cabinets for the new surgery upstairs, as quietly as possible to save waking the children, then they took the book cases into the television room. They left Donna loading the cabinets and Clem loading the book cases while they carried the refrigerators up to the new surgery. After that they settled down to a glass of brandy with their feet up watching a DVD. Will selected a book to take up to bed with him but Ray was ready to sleep without any reading, it had been a hard day for an insurance man! Clem finished the books and started loading the DVD holders. She knew there were too many for the holders they had brought but it would get some from underfoot! She reflected on that as she worked, at fifteen she was sta
rting to think like her mother!

  The television room not only looked like a library now but it was starting to look like a DVD hire shop as well!

  She stayed up and filled the racks before she went to bed and stacked the remaining DVDs neatly against a wall in categories. The biggest pile was the grown ups and the smallest being the childrens. They would need more for the children to watch and therefore, she realised that they would need more storage room. When she was satisfied she went to bed. She stopped to look in on Donna who was still sorting through what she had there and securing what was not safe for children to get their hands on, in one of the cabinets. She had already put what should be refrigerated into the fridges in hopes of saving them.

  ‘Need any help?’ Clem asked through a yawn.

  ‘No I reckon I’ll give it best, I can do more when the children are asleep tomorrow.’ Donna answered, catching the infectious yawn. ‘Any plans for tomorrow?’

  ‘No one has told me of any but we will probably be going somewhere, good night.’

  ‘Good night Clem.’

  Ray walked down in the morning full of bright ideas and full of worries about the clan! He was the first up and made himself breakfast. He used the range to cook some bacon and sausages straight from the freezer. It took a little time but he was in no hurry. He looked out at the lorry standing there with the oil tank on it and started to plan the day. The cooking food brought Will and Clem down.

  ‘What`s the plan today then?’ Will asked.

  ‘We are going to get a lorry and supplies to build a base for the oil tank and I am going to bring back a digger.’ Ray answered.

  ‘That means I have to come to bring the car back.’ Clem noted.

  ‘Did you want to stay here then?’ Will asked.

  Clem thought for a few seconds. ‘No, not really but it was nice reading to the children. I had a nice cuddle.’

  Donna appeared before they drove off to see what they were doing and to have some breakfast. Ray explained what was going to happen and she waved as they drove away.

  ‘Where to?’ Clem asked.

  ‘Where we collected the van from on the first day, they have things there we need.’ Ray answered.

  They drove back there to see what they could use. They took another lorry with a crane attached, two electric cement mixers and Will was like a boy in a sweetshop when it came to the tools hanging in the shop. Some he took, might never be used, he just liked the look of them and there was plenty of room in the lorry. They took wheel barrows and buckets, to use with the cement and several long hosepipes.

  ‘You take that lorry Will, unless you want to drive it Clem?’ Ray said when he was satisfied and Will had all the tools he wanted.

  ‘What`s it like to drive?’ She asked.

  Will threw her the keys. ‘Try it, it will have power steering.’

  She drove it out into the street and met a pack of dogs. She was high up and merely opened the window to shoot as many as she could before the rest ran away. Ray and Will came out to see what she was shooting at in time to kill a dog each. The rest ran for their lives but the three knew they would be back to eat the other dogs as soon as they thought it was safe.

  ‘This is great!’ Clem cried. ‘I could really dig being a lorry driver, especially as there is no one to get in the way.’

  ‘I`ll drive the car then?’ Will asked.

  Clem jumped out of the cab. ‘No, I’ll drive the car, I’m sure you’ll get there before me in the car and I don’t want to be last!’

  ‘You won`t!’ Will replied. ‘Ray is going to be driving a digger and they are about as fast as a tractor!’

  ‘I’ll still drive the car this time, as I have the choice, it goes faster! I can remember my dad driving behind a lorry like this and he had steam coming out of his ears because we were late! All that getting upset, seems so pointless now!’

  They heard the digger start up and jumped into their vehicles. When Ray locked the gates again, they drove away, with Ray following behind them. He was getting farther behind as they went along.

  Clem was the first back and used the remote to open the gates. She stopped to let in Blue and cuddled the big dog before driving on, then they sat in the car waiting for Will to show. Ten minutes later Will drove up to the gates and made the prearranged signal. Clem opened the gates, watched him drive through and closed them again. Blue scrabbled over Clem and out the car door to go and see Will. Will opened the door and even though it was a lot higher than the car Blue still bounded inside. They drove up to the house and Clem waited by the car.

  ‘Do we wait for him outside?’ She asked.

  ‘No I think inside would be better, he will be sometime and I could do with a cup of tea!’

  Half an hour later the digger pulled up and Ray gave the same signal. Donna pushed the remote but watched when he drove in, to make sure he had no company. When he was inside she closed the gate again.

  ‘Do I get to have a go with that?’ Clem asked when ray walked in.

  He threw her the keys. ‘Knock yourself out but don`t knock the house down, we need that!’

  Clem went out to where the digger was parked and started it. She did not drive it but moved the digging arm up and down. It had three buckets inside the bucket which was fixed to the arm and she made sure they did not fall out. She put the feet down one by one and the back blade as she had seen workmen do. It seemed easy and she returned everything to where it had been before turning it off.

  ‘Nice toy.’ She declared when she walked back inside. ‘What are we doing with it?’

  ‘We are digging foundations for a base to move the oil tank on to and then digging a hole to put the generator from the supermarket into.’ Ray answered.

  ‘We are going to nick their generator?’ She cried.

  ‘They don’t need it anymore!’ Will answered. ‘We got most of the food off the shelves and there is nothing there to keep cold anymore.’

  ‘And it will run out of diesel fairly soon.’ Ray added.

  ‘Is that going to be what runs the house from now on then?’ Clem asked.

  ‘For the time being.’ Ray answered. ‘I do have other plans but until there are more of us, they can wait!’

  They ate lunch, then Will drove the digger round to where Ray wanted the base for the oil tank. He dropped the other buckets on the floor and moved the digger into position. When he started to dig Clem waved him to stop. She climbed up when he did.

  ‘You have to drop the feet!’ She shouted over the engine and showed him what to do. ‘Now you put the back blade down to stop you from tipping.’

  Will did what she said and tried his first ever dig. He was not very good at first but he soon got the hang of it. Clem and Ray stepped back out of the way.

  ‘How come you know about diggers but couldn`t drive a car?’ Ray asked.

  ‘I knew a digger driver once!’ Clem answered. ‘He was only interested in one thing but I got to learn about a digger for free and he got what he wanted, in the end!’

  Ray knew what she meant and said no more. He drove the lorry Will had driven home and lowered a cement mixer off it near the footings. Then he opened a bag of cement and started shovelling the ballast into the cement mixer with occasion shovelfuls of cement.

  Clem collected water from the tap in the garden until it stopped flowing.

  ‘There is no more water!’ She called.

  Ray looked up. ‘Go into the cellar and pass me the other hose out of the window.’ He called back.

  Clem walked down into the cellar, found the hose and passed the hose there out of the window, just as he had said.

  ‘Now turn that switch on.’ Ray called through the open window, and pointing to her left.

  She turned it on and the pump worked. Water spewed out of the hose.

  ‘Now we have water.’ Ray called in. ‘So let`s get cementing!’

  They laid a cement base down, using one of the ten levels Will had brought back with them. When it was finished
Clem took of her shoe and signed it with her footprint. The children who were watching did the same. Donna was summoned and in the end they all put their footprint in the new cement, doing it where no bricks would be laid.

  As darkness fell they called it a day and were relaxing in the television room. Donna was feeding the children and cooking the same for the others, Clem fell asleep in the chair before she ate.

  The next day they started laying bricks, Ray had done a little bricklaying at home but he would not consider himself a bricklayer. Will mixed up sand and cement and Ray laid the cement blocks, using one of the levels. He put in more than were necessary but then price did not come into it, he just wanted them to stay up!

  The following day they put the lintels on the blocks, just as they had been on the base he took the tank off of. They agreed to wait three more days to make sure the wall was ready before they lowered the oil tank on to the lintels. For those three days they decided to stay there and sat around talking about the future and how they saw it progressing. They found out that Will was fond of gardening. They formulated a plan to collect gardening tools and machines so that the lawns could be made into gardens with one path right round the outside. Ray had ideas on protecting the house from the clan in case they found out where they were staying, it consisted of burying explosives outside the gate with wires run into the house, so that they could detonate them from inside. Now they had the digger it should be no trouble to dig the trenches for the wires and to dig the holes for the explosives. Will thought he might be able to take them to a quarry where there would be explosives, if they had not already been taken. With that in mind they went there on the second day to liberate the explosives and the detonators. As they had still to wait they used the digger to dig the holes and trenches, then buried the explosives and wires ready for use. Will knew how to wire it up and where to put the detonators. In the house there was a small cupboard which they used to house the trigger for the detonators. The road was resurfaced the next day to make it look normal and they were now ready for an attack by anything which came up the road. If the clan used a tank and came across the fields they would be in serious trouble but they could not mine everywhere!