by catt dahman
“Why, thank you, Miss Toni.” Mark chuckled, feeling Misty nervously nudging his hand. He finally took her hand in his, butterflies in his stomach. Johnny told them to move along. “Sally said you both need rest; you all go on now. And, Beth, I wanna hear about this ‘women as prizes’ thing later and how I won, Len. I wanna know what I’m supposed to do with his ass?”
Toni giggled.
They checked on Julia and Hagan; both were asleep. Chauncey complained that he wanted out and back to the action and that Sally was way too wicked for him. They laughed.
Beth changed into scrubs, ready to sleep. But Mark knocked on her door. “Come in, Mark.”
“Can we talk?”
“Sure. Julia is in the clinic area, dunno where Misty is; the other spot is Johnny’s, but she’s helping Sally and Doc, so we are alone. What can I help you with?”
“Misty.”
“Oh? What’s wrong?”
He blushed. “Beth, I like her. And she likes me.”
“I see. Well, I knew she had a crush on you.”
“You know she’s just turned sixteen.”
“Yep.”
“I’m twenty-six,” Mark said.
“Does that worry you? Does the age thing bother you or her?”
He chuckled, “She doesn’t care a bit. I feel a bit strange about it ‘cause, well, a man my age can’t date a sixteen year old unless he wants to get in legal trouble.”
“Not that there is a legal system now,” Beth said.
“I wanted to ask your permission, I guess. To be with her.”
“Mine?”
“I trust you, and she admires you.”
“When I was twenty-five, I went to this AA sponsored dance…where the alcoholics gathered and drank a bunch of soda and danced and didn’t worry about being tempted. I went with my friend, Bobbi, whose friend was on the twelve-step. I was bored and tagged along.
Anyway, I met this cowboy there. He was younger than I, only nineteen, cute and fresh faced as could be, blond and blue-eyed. We danced the two-step, then a waltz. I found myself dancing every song with him.” She smiled, remembering. “When we danced, he felt so nice, so strong, and he smelled good; I was just like jelly.
“We talked some. But to be honest, he was just the most handsome thing I had ever seen and was a year sober. As the night went on, I gave him my number but wondered if he’d really call or if I would really go out with him. I wondered about the age thing.
When the dance ended, I walked out with him to go home with my girl friends, but he wanted to show me his truck. He kissed me there beside his truck, and I about melted.”
Beth smiled. “I wasn’t a virgin, but I was a good girl; I told my friends to go on without me, and I let him drive me home. We spent the rest of the weekend, all Saturday and Sunday together.
Three months later, he gave me what he could afford, a small engagement ring with a little diamond.
A month after that, Cody was killed in a rodeo accident. A horse threw him.”
“I’m sorry, Beth.”
“I told you this because of a few things. First, love or lust, which becomes love, can happen fast. Second, happiness and time together can be fleeting. Third, had I worried about the age thing, I would have missed out on four perfect months with Cody. You came to me ‘cause I watch out for Misty. If she wants you and you want her, then so be it. I’ll support you both. Don’t hurt her.”
“I won’t hurt her.”
“She’s young, and she may fall out of infatuation with you; I think she’s pretty mature though, and she means it if she says it, but don’t hurt her. If you sleep with her, then, you are a couple. You present as a couple, meaning you protect her, speak up for her, and put her first. And she needs to do the same. If you and she are ready to make love, then you are not gonna hide things such as a dirty secret, and you won’t flaunt it, but you will treat her as your partner.”
Mark blushed again. “I’ve just kissed her so far…”
“But you and she wanna do more than kiss.”
“Well, yes, it’s pretty intense, and I feel as if we’re gonna be kissing and then…well, you know. So I wanted to ask you now. Before.”
“I appreciate that. I’ll make sure Len and Kim know I gave my blessings and to keep their noses out of your business.”
“You do have a way with them.”
She laughed. “We’ve seen enough of small-minded people; it’s good to see anyone at peace or happy, now.”
Mark hugged her and thanked her again.
“I guess I’ll be sleeping in here alone tonight.” She laughed, making him blush again. She would speak to Misty, too, reminding her to be loyal and a good partner to Mark. He was a real gentleman.
Chilled, she wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and went out to find Len and Kim. Pulling them aside, she yawned. “Look, I’m tired, so this is gonna be short. Mark and Misty have a thing going, and I gave my blessings, so butt out and leave them alone.”
“She’s sixteen.”
“Len, had it been you asking for my blessing with her at your age, I would have given it. Life is way too short and tenuous to worry about the things that really don’t matter. If you find happiness, then be happy. There. The end.”
Beth walked away, leaving them baffled.
“Cute scrubs.”
“Shut up, Bryan.” He followed her. “Aren’t you on guard duty? Go guard something.”
He laughed. “You’re rude and sarcastic to me ‘cause you’re hiding your deep feelings of attraction.”
“Oh, is that it? Here I thought your getting on my nerves was why I was rude.”
“Len told me what really went on with the raiders. God, that must have been awful. Are you okay? Do you feel shaky?”
Beth groaned, “What…you think I’m having another delayed shock? Do you have to be told everything?”
“They told me the other day…told Sally, and I was there. It was all of two sentences about your having had a bad reaction. Then Len told me that you watched what he did to the raiders.”
“So did the rest. We all saw it.”
“And I was worried about you, is all.”
Beth sighed, “Sorry, I’m being a bitch. The last few days, I have seen the worst things of my life. I’ve had to do some rough things, yet I find myself laughing at times, and then like earlier, you’d think watching all of that would have sent me into shock, but it didn’t. I cried a little, for Warren. But I didn’t care about the raiders and what they got. So that makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with me. Yanno?”
“You’re normal, Beth. I was puking when we had to bash in the first heads; then, in the lobby, I could hardly stop; I wanted to keep doing it; I wanted them to keep coming so I could split their skulls, and I didn’t even care. I liked it.”
“So what’s wrong with us?”
“Not a thing. Remember stories about Vietnam and what our men went through? They burned villages and slaughtered women and children and were called names. But they were not bad people. They saw their friends killed over and over again; they went into this survival mode that told them to destroy and massacre with extreme prejudice. They went brutal.”
“Oh.”
“It’s the deepest part of us that tells us just to destroy and kill…no flight…just fight to the ultimate. Annihilate. Only one can come out alive, and we want it to be us.”
“The virus was a very sudden thing, and it caused a massive event...like when the meteor hit the dinosaurs,” Beth said. “Those who could adapt had to instantly. The rest died out. It was a lightning-quick evolution, survival of the fittest.”
Bryan nodded. “That’s right.”
“It still feels weird to get used to anything so…vicious.”
“To be honest, I suspect we have just seen the tip of the iceberg, Beth. I think we are getting used to this horror because in time, we are going to be faced with much worse.”
“Thanks. I do feel better after talking about this.
”
“I’m not a bad guy.”
“You’re okay. Sometimes.”
Bryan stepped forward, and before Beth could think, he was kissing her.
To her surprise, she kissed him back.
“Beth,” he mumbled.
She pulled away. Going to the door, she stood, pointing. “Out. Now.” She felt confused and angry. Why couldn’t he have left things on a good note?
He laughed as he walked out; she was so furious that she threw a boot at him as he stood in the hallway, “Stop laughing, you asshole.”
Alex had come in with the Reverend and Doc as survivors. He scooped up her boot and handed it back to her with a puzzled look. “Man trouble?”
“Yep. They’re all trouble. I hate men right about now.”
“Oh, me, too, Honey. Me, too. I have some snoring up a storm in my room, and I could just smother them all.”
She couldn’t help laughing. He fussed about her room, picking things up and looking at things, and he was so unexpected that she forgot her anger at Bryan.
Uninvited, Alex grabbed her brush and pulled her to a chair. “Sit. Tell me about that hot man.” He began brushing her hair.
“Bryan?”
“Yes…he is very hot. In a brutish way.”
Beth was so astounded now that she just sat and let him brush her hair, glad she hadn’t done like Julia and cut it off.
“He’s hot, yes, but he is so very full of himself; he thinks all women just want him.”
“And they don’t?”
“No.”
‘I would have thought they’d be chasing him.”
“He kissed me.” She sputtered.
“Aw, you lucky thing. Was it heavenly?”
“I dunno, not exactly. It was a good kiss, but he isn’t the one for me…like my heart didn’t race, or I didn’t go weak-kneed. He makes me mad most of the time.” She fumed.
“They all do that; he likes you, but he’s too macho to really be himself and show it.
That Len is another macho one, but bless his heart; he has a world of pain in his eyes. He will find a lady to take away the pain, but he isn’t ready for real love. He doesn’t love himself right now.”
Beth began to relax with every stroke of the brush going through her long hair. Her scalp tingled. “Tell me more.”
“That Mark…he is crazy for that girl, Missy.”
“Misty.”
“Ah. Okay. Now he’s a goodhearted one…true hearted, and he is already in love with her. She is smitten with him, too. She may be a teen, but she’s an old soul, and she loves him. He’s her hero.”
Beth grinned. “Good.”
“Your pal, Julia, is it? She’s a pistol. I bet she liked a lot of men...if you catch my meaning, but I like her. She’s very real.”
“Yes, she is.”
“I like Johnny. She’ll make a loyal, loving companion, and I bet she’s a beast in bed.” Alex chuckled. “I always had girl friends, never males as friends, but I acted tougher, masking my feminine side.
Then, the summer I graduated, I was with my parents at a beach house, and right there on the beach away from the water, I saw a god appear, bronzed with white-blond hair and pale blue eyes. I knew then I was gay,” he laughed.
“Not until then?”
“I wasn’t a hundred percent until then, but when I saw Todd, I was in lust. He taught me to smoke grass and make love. It was a glorious summer, and we kept in touch; he died of AIDS. I’m HIV negative, though.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” For the second time that night, Beth told about losing Cody.
“Poor thing, you need a good man. Don’t we all?” Alex suggested. “And now, with all this, what are the chances I’ll find another gay man? It’s even more impossible that if I find one, he’ll be cute, or we’d hit it off. One in ten, my cute ass; there aren’t five gay men in this group.”
“None here at the hospital?”
“None. And all these hot men with guns, oh, it’s a shame that Kimball is hot, you think so?”
“I guess.” Beth blushed.
“Aw, you do! Those long legs, wow. He’s a good guy but is used to being alone.”
“You watch people.” Beth noted.
“My favorite hobby. Now don’t you feel better with your hair neatly brushed?”
“Actually I do. I could sleep now.”
“I could but for the snoring.”
“Go get your stuff, and move in here. Misty is going to be shacking up with Mark, I think, and right now, I’m alone in here.”
“Okay.” Alex beamed with pleasure, got his things, and settled in.
Beth slept like the dead.
22
Divisions and Games
Another day, another bunch of drama.
Donna hated being trapped more than anything else. She hadn’t wanted to be at the hospital at all, but Paul’s mother had been there, and there was really no way to get out of it.
At least, they had been down in the cafeteria for the blast, and his mother had been up there where it all collapsed. Had the woman been down stairs, trapped with them, Donna would have chewed through to her own veins. Now, they were stuck here with people, expecting her to work for them like a slave. She did kitchen detail to stay away from the burned and injured people.
She was bored out of her skull.
Surreptitiously, she watched Bryan and Len, Kim and Mark, and Hagan. Why didn’t Paul want to be in the camp with the attractive men? Instead, he followed Roy, who was just a grumbling pest. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to be in that camp or with Paul.
What were the new rules of divorce?
She smiled and joined the crowd as they gathered after a breakfast of cereal, baked apples, orange juice, coffee, and powdered eggs, yuk!
Most of them were reviewing how to clean the weapons; they chattered as they learned how to clean each one; smells were odd but pleasant enough.
“Half my team is down,” Len complained, “But I want to raid the vending machines in the lobby where you put down the zeds. And those bodies have got to be moved out; they’re too close to us here.”
“We can handle it,” Bryan said.
“We’ll help if we’re included more. I still want to know where Theresa, Mark, and Tom are,” Chad said. He was one who had joined them the day before, after the battle in the lobby.
The fourteen of them had hidden in back rooms with snacks and water, waiting on rescue. Unfortunately, they had gotten too excited and run into the lobby where many had been killed.
Of the seven whom they had found, Bryan was able to bring back only four. Chad had complained since the minute he was rescued.
“Chad, I told you they were infected and didn’t make it.”
“Well, we were all standing there, waiting to come back here…seven of us. They made it. We saw them.”
Roy said, “Like I said, Chad, they made it, but they didn’t make it here. No one infected gets in. Bryan handled it.”
“Handled it? He isn’t a doctor.”
Sally was taking a needed break and sighed, “But I am. I have fifteen patients right now, though Maryanne and Toni are about to be released from my care.
Of those thirteen, Hagan, Julia, and Chauncey will be released next, and that means they were the least injured, which is substantial when you think that
Julia’s thigh was stabbed, cut to the bone and she could have easily bled out.
And Chauncey was shot. Those are the least serious; can you grasp how serious the rest are?”
“So you can’t take any more wounded?” Chad didn’t let it go. “We’d all help with them.”
Bryan snapped back, “She means she can’t and won’t treat those who are infected. None of us will let the infected come in. Do you wanna get infected?”
“So if we get bitten on these work details, we get shot?” someone asked.
“It’s not like that.” George stood. “A bite means you aren’t dead, aren’t al
ive; your soul gets trapped. What kind of hell is that? I’d prefer someone set me free as for me having to walk around like that.”
Roy shrugged, “What do you think, Padre?”
Bob thought before he spoke. “I saw those things we fought off when we were trying to get here. I won’t call them demons, as they are infected people, but the disease is certainly as evil as I’ve ever seen. In some ways, it is as if they were taken over by demons, and we set them free.”
“Amen.” George sat back down.
“I won’t say go on killing people with cruelty and causing them fear, but to release them in a kind way; I don’t know. It’s hard to say when they are still human, as we know them. I don’t have an easy answer. But that’s the best way I can understand and explain it,” Bob finished.
“And we don’t know…not at a hundred percent…if people might be immune to a bite. Right? Or if a virus could hibernate for years like rabies?”
“It isn’t rabies,” Kim said, remembering the ones who had thought themselves safe after taking rabies shots. Getting looks of disbelief, he told the group how they had taken the shots. “That’s what they said they did.”
“We don’t know a hundred percent,” Sally admitted. “But I won’t sit beside someone infected, waiting for him to turn and rip my throat out.”
Roy chuckled, “She still says some were dead and walking around.”
“They were.”
“Right,” he said sarcastically, “walking dead, now.”
“Call ‘em what ya want.”
“Can some of the rest of us learn to shoot?” Donna jumped in with a topic change. “May I?”
Mark slid her a pistol, empty; he had been cleaning it.
“It’s so big,” she purred, stroking it suggestively.
“Donna…what are you doing?” Paul demanded.
“Holding a big gun.” She handed it back and watched Mark and Misty go off together. “Cute couple.”
“We don’t need guns,” Paul snapped.
“We might,” his wife argued.
“Beth, you told Donna about the lottery for the men you all have going?”
Beth glared at Bryan. “Lottery?”
“Sure. Winner gets Len. Bryan, we have you down for the booby prize.” Johnny laughed as they lit cigarettes.