“Abby! Your leg!” cried Leanna.
Rick had already splashed through the water to dry land and was pulling tape and gauze from his first aid supplies.
“I have heavy-duty bandages in my pack,” said Ryder as he led Abby to a fallen tree at the edge of the creek. “I have a sterile wash and some antibiotic salve, too. Sit here until we can get you fixed up.”
“I guess I could have poured my water on the ground, huh?” Abby said dryly. Her face was bone white but remained expressionless. Rick gave her a curious look before bending down to staunch the blood flow with gauze.
Abby didn’t flinch when Ryder poured a stinging liquid on the wound. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” she said. “It’s wet, and the water makes it look bloodier than it is.”
“It still has to hurt like hell,” said Ryder. He was looking at her oddly, too.
“Thank god I didn’t twist my ankle. That’s what I was worried about. This won’t slow me down. As far as I’m concerned, I got off easy.”
“It’s going to leave an impressive scar,” Rick said as he studied her face.
“But I can still walk. Let’s just go, OK?”
Rick offered her a hand climbing up the bank but she refused it and clamored up herself, careful not to let the leg of her jeans rise enough to allow dirt to touch the thick bandages. Ryder retrieved her backpack from the boulder, dumped the water bottles, and tossed the pack onto the bank.
“Abby, are you really OK?” asked Leanna. “That looked really bad.”
“Drop it, Leanna. I’m fine.” Abby donned her backpack and began to walk. Her expression dared anyone to make a further fuss over the wound.
**********
The road, when they finally came upon it late in the afternoon, was at the top of a hill so its sudden appearance was a pleasant surprise. They paused for a minute to congratulate each other before scoping out the area.
“Excellent,” smiled Ryder. “The road is unpaved and mostly intact, and probably allowed the whole town to evacuate to the east.”
“How far is the town from here?” asked Abby.
“Just a couple of miles, according to my directions. Don’t get your hopes up, though. They will have lost all water, electrical, and communications services like everyone else, so we won’t find people. I don’t know how much of the town is still standing, but there should be some food to hold us over until help arrives. Hey, is that a dog coming at us?”
A black form was racing towards them from the direction of town and Caleb dashed forward before Rick could grab his collar. The dogs sniffed each other briefly before the black dog continued its sprint in their direction.
It was a Labrador Retriever, young looking and very thin. He was in a full body wag when he stopped to greet them.
“Damn humans,” said Rick after he kneeled to get a better look at the skinny animal. “He hasn’t eaten in days. How could someone just abandon him?” He removed Caleb’s food and water dishes from his bag and filled both to the brim with dog food. “Caleb is going to get an early dinner tonight since I can’t feed one dog without feeding the other.”
“He inhaled the food,” said Ryder. “Poor thing. The good or bad news is this: he is going to stick with us like glue from now on.”
“Rick, do you have enough food for two dogs?” asked Leanna.
“We will find enough food for two dogs. I am not going to leave this beautiful animal to starve out here. We can’t let this earthquake steal our humanity. It has stolen enough from us already.” He scratched the dog’s head as it gazed at him in adoration. “He’s just a puppy himself: maybe a month or two older than Caleb.”
“From now on, his name is Dante,” said Abby. “He will be our guide through the nine circles of hell.” She sat on the ground and allowed the friendly animal to slather her with kisses.
**********
“The residents of this town farm flowers for fresh cut and for bulbs,” said Ryder when they reached the town proper. “We are surrounded by fields of color. Honestly, I was hoping we would find fields full of edibles.”
“I would hardly call this a town,” Rick said. “A gas station, a convenience store, a doctor’s office, a combination fire department and police station, a small restaurant and bar, and a post office.”
“All demolished,” groaned Leanna.
“The police station looks OK,” said Ryder as he scrutinized the mostly decimated strip of buildings. “We can probably sleep there if we have to. The problem is going to be fresh water. We left the creek a mile back. Is having shelter worth it if we have to walk two miles every time we need water? It might be easier to camp by the creek. Either that or we can check out the surrounding farms, but not tonight. I just don’t feel like walking any further today.”
“It’s completely deserted,” whispered Abby, looking around her.
“I hope the evacuees had full gas tanks when they left, because they couldn’t get any gas at this station. It got hit hard. I can smell the gasoline from a hundred yards away,” said Rick.
“I’m thinking we should stay as far away from that area as possible,” added Ryder nervously. “I didn’t even think about underground tank leaks. It must be bad if we can smell the gas from here.”
“So what are we doing?” asked Abby.
“Food first,” answered Rick. “Then we will find a place to camp for the night.”
“I need to know our food situation before I call Headquarters with our coordinates,” said Ryder. “A helicopter can land here, no problem, but they have to prioritize our rescue since so many people are stuck in places where they can’t get out. Our food supply will tell them where to place us on the list. Come on, Rick. Let’s check out that convenience store.”
“Abby, Leanna, you guys rest here, OK? We will see what we can find for dinner while we do a quick inventory of the food stock.”
“Spam and mustard sandwiches on white bread, with cold baked beans,” announced Rick as he and Ryder approached the girls half an hour later. He had a ten pound bag of dog food and a case of canned dog food tucked under his arms. Ryder carried a case of bottled water with four cans of baked beans, Spam, mustard, bread, plastic eating utensils, and a manual can opener sitting on top.
“When can we eat?” asked Abby. “I am so hungry for something other than candy bars.”
“I used to tell people that I wouldn’t eat canned meat products if they were the last foods on earth,” laughed Ryder. “Now I’m eating my words. I am famished. To answer your question, Abby, we are eating as soon as we can get these cans open and the sandwiches made. There is enough food in that store for a couple of weeks, at least. Most of it is junk food but right now, I don’t care.”
“And there is enough bottled water to last us for several days. There’s also plenty of soda and sports drinks. I feel like I am rich as a king right now,” said Rick.
While Ryder called Headquarters with their location coordinates, Rick gave Caleb and Dante each a can of dog food as a treat, then began to make sandwiches for everyone. “We are lucky beyond words,” he said. “Tonight we won’t go to bed hungry.” He tossed a small bottle of aspirin to Abby. “I found this under an overturned shelf in the store. Your leg must be killing you. We can see about changing your bandages after dinner, before it gets dark.”
They set up camp on the western edge of town, across the street and several hundred yards away from the toxic smelling gas station. Ryder fell asleep immediately and Leanna dozed off shortly afterwards. “Let’s have a look at your leg, Abby,” Rick said, sitting down beside her.
“It is fine, Rick. I would rather not take the bandages off right now. They are still clean and it stopped hurting a few minutes after I took those aspirins.”
“Take a walk with me? We won’t go far. We have about twenty minutes or so before it gets too dark to see. We need to talk.” He tilted his head towards Leanna and Ryder to indicate that he wanted the conversation to be private. Abby kept a grimace from her face as
she rose; her leg still hurt although the pain had lessened. It wasn’t something she cared to share.
They walked in silence for a few minutes before Rick pointed to a grassy area under a tree. When they were seated, he said, “Your parents never called, Abby. Joshua gave them the number for Ryder’s phone and offered to let them use his satellite phone so they could talk to you.”
Abby was taken aback by the comment. It hadn’t occurred to her to expect a call. Joshua Zeem had told her parents she was fine, and that was that. “So? Why would they? They know I’m OK.”
Rick was looking at her with the same searching expression she had seen more than once since they met. “I guess I just don’t understand. They didn’t see you off when you were leaving for a two-week trip to Raptor Bluff, and after a major earthquake like the one we just experienced, they passed up the chance to talk to you?”
Abby had to speak over the lump in her throat when she replied hoarsely, “What I find odd is that you are worried about me when you just found out that you lost your whole family.”
Rick exhaled heavily and lay back on the grass with his arms behind his head. “I’ve known since we saw the tsunami wipe out Port Fortand that they didn’t make it. It wasn’t a surprise, Abby. Joshua’s confirmation hit me hard, but it wasn’t a surprise.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I plan to get through each new day as it comes. I can’t think past that.”
“I’m so sad for you…”
“I know you are. And thank you for the bottle of water you put by my head last night. That was you, wasn’t it?”
Abby nodded absently and whispered, “You have done so much for us. I just wish there was something I could do for you.”
“There is. You can tell me all about your family: your brothers and sisters and your parents.”
Abby hugged her knees to her chest and peered at him through the dimming light. “Why?”
“Because I have a theory and I want you to prove me right or wrong. It is something for me to think about. I need things to think about other than my own situation. Talk to me.”
“A theory about what? About my family? There’s nothing much to tell. Mom and Dad had four girls in four years. All of us are in high school at the same time, and I am the oldest. My little brother is eight. Dad works as an engineer and Mom teaches dance classes during the week.” Abby shrugged. “We are a normal American family. We are not that interesting.”
“Well, here is a fact. You and my mother are so much alike in personality that it is downright frightening. Everything about you reminds me of her. From the minute we met in the Zeemercise parking lot and you announced that you had no interest in socializing with the other kids, until today when you got that terrible wound and didn’t shed a tear or bat an eye, a theory has been building in my head and I want your take on it.”
“What is your theory?”
“A few questions first, OK? You just have to answer yes or no.”
“Okaaaay. Are you trying to psychoanalyze me?”
“In my own amateur way, maybe. Mostly, I’m interested in why you and my mom are so similar in disposition.”
“Well, I can promise you that I wasn’t raised by a sociopathic Nazi guard like your mom was.”
Rick barely smiled before he said, “Just answer yes or no. Between your father and your mother, your mother has the dominant personality. She calls the shots and your father goes along for the ride. It’s his way of keeping the peace.”
“Yes.”
“She does not like to be exposed to messy emotions; you do not show joy, fear, pain, or sorrow in her presence.”
“Yes.”
“She does not know who you - Abby - are.”
“Yes.”
“You would not consider telling her who you are because you know she isn’t interested.”
“Yes.”
“When she singles you out for attention, it is always to criticize or scold you.”
“Yes.”
“She treats your other siblings the same way she treats you. None of your sisters and brothers is close to her.”
“Yes.”
“What was her life like before she married your father and had children?”
“She was a ballerina. Her dream was to dance for the New York City Ballet but she didn’t make the final cut. She wanted to dance for them and no one else. When she didn’t make it, she stopped dancing.” The conversation was deeply disturbing to Abby and she wouldn’t meet Rick’s eyes when she asked, “Why are you asking these questions, Rick? This feels really weird.”
“Just working on my theory, Abby. Humor me, please? How involved is your Dad in your life? Do you talk to him?”
“Not really. He works a lot. When he comes home from work, he has his drinks and watches the news. We have dinner, and then we all go our separate ways.”
“How much does he drink?”
Abby shrugged, “I don’t know. He’s not a drunk, if that is what you are asking. He has a few drinks before and after dinner. So what is your theory?”
“My mother dropped a huge, cast iron Dutch oven on herself when I was in middle school. It broke just about every bone in her foot. She didn’t cry a tear or make a sound. Her facial muscles barely even moved. I was with her when it happened, and her reaction was the strangest thing I had ever seen. When we talked about it years later – after the Mutti secret was out – she told me that the only emotion Mutti ever showed was anger. Mutti went into a rage when my mother got upset. She couldn’t handle it. Does that sound like your mother?”
“Rick, I can assure you that my mother is not a sociopath,” laughed Abby uncomfortably.
“Yes or no, Abby. Does your mother freak out if you or one of your siblings comes to her in an emotional state – especially when you are upset?”
“Yes. We hide from her when we are upset. She can’t stand it. She tells us how selfish we are for dumping our problems on her.” Abby was so discomfited that she stood up.
Rick rose with her and took her shoulders. He stooped so their eyes were level and said softly, “You don’t believe that what you think or how you feel matters, so you shut down your feelings before someone else shuts you down first. You hide, Abby, and you shouldn’t. You are smart, you are honest, you have a strong sense of justice, and you have a good, good heart. Who you are does matter. You just don’t know it. That is my theory: you don’t know your own worth. Your mother’s heart has never told your heart that you are precious and priceless.”
“That’s it?” asked Abby, wondering why she felt like hiding someplace secret and bawling her eyes out.
“That’s it. It is no small thing, Abby, to reject your own self – to be ashamed of who you are - because someone who is supposed to love you makes you feel worthless. Think about it, OK?” He kissed the top of her head. “Let’s get back to the others. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
**********
They used plastic spoons to eat cold soup straight from the can for breakfast. Everyone saved their last bites for Dante and Caleb, who interrupted their wrestling game the moment they smelled food.
“We will probably be here for a week or more,” said Ryder. “Headquarters is trying to get to the injured first, then to people who are without food and water. Their big issue is fuel. They have access to helicopters with space for multiple people, but because there are no reliable fuel sources near the coast, they have to carry their own. The fuel containers take up space meant for people, and that is hindering the rescue effort.”
“No fuel?” asked Leanna. “How can that be?”
“Most of the underground tanks and lines were ruined in the quake so rescuers have to get their fuel much further inland. That means longer flights to rescue sites, then no way to refuel once they get there.”
“We should probably start looking for more food in nearby farm houses, just in case we are here for a while, but I want to camp in town. We can always shelter in the police s
tation if it rains. I’m just not comfortable being five miles out - in a farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere - if your team suddenly has an opportunity to pick us up,” said Rick.
“Agreed,” replied Ryder. “Why don’t you three take the farm access road that heads east? We already know there has to be a house there, and it will take all of you to carry back supplies. I’ll take Dante and Caleb with me and travel further down the main road to see if there are other farms within walking distance, and if so, we can hit the first one tomorrow. Let’s plan to meet back here at sundown. I will let Headquarters know where we are at all times in case they can get to us sooner rather than later.”
“Where are we going after rescue?” asked Abby.
“To a refugee site, probably, and from there we will be transported to an inland airport or a train or bus station,” said Ryder. “You won’t be going home any time soon, that’s for sure. It will be months, maybe years, before the coastal cities are livable again.”
“I will call Joshua soon, Abby,” said Rick. “He can find out from your parents where they plan to go once they are evacuated from Cleardon City. We can make arrangements to get you there. Leanna, I will talk to Joshua about where to send you. You may well be evacuated from here long before Lucy’s team makes it out of Port Fortand. The Zeems will want to keep you with them.”
“We aren’t going anywhere without Dante,” Abby declared.
“We aren’t leaving him behind, Abby. You have my word on that. How’s the leg, by the way?”
“Good enough to get me anywhere I need to go,” she replied dismissively. “I can feel it, but not in any way that will slow us down. It’s not infected, either, so you don’t need to check it. I already did.”
The farm house closest to their location was visible to Abby, Leanna, and Rick after they walked less than half a mile down the road branching east from the main road. A large metal storage shed lay tipped on its side, and part of the house had caved in. The smell didn’t hit them until they were a few hundred feet from the shed. “Oh no,” Rick muttered under his breath.
The Trip to Raptor Bluff Page 16