PODs

by Michelle Pickett

  Even so, I spent most of the time laughing at Craig’s jokes, and it sure beat the heck out of sitting next to a cold, steel fence waiting for a man who’d made it clear he didn’t want me in his life.

  “I guess you weren’t expecting me tonight,” Craig said as he walked me home after dinner.

  “No. I was definitely not expecting you,” I agreed with a smile.

  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t expecting you, either.”

  “I didn’t think so.”

  “But I’m glad Nona went behind our backs and fixed us up.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I just smiled at him. I wasn’t sure if I was glad Nona had fixed us up or not. Even though I’d had a great time with him, I wasn’t over David and I didn’t know if I was ready to start dating.

  “I hope your silence doesn’t mean you don’t feel the same, because I’d like to see you again, Eva.”

  “I…ah…no, I mean, that sounds great. There’s just one problem. There’s kind of someone else.”

  “Ah.”

  “No, it’s not like that. I think we’re through. I just need to make sure before I do…anything…”

  “Okay. I’ll see you around school. We can talk later in the week?”

  I let out the breath I was holding. “That’d be great.”

  The next morning, I didn’t wait for Nona. She came by my classroom just before the first bell rang.

  “Pissed at me, huh?” she asked.

  “You know I am.”

  “Why? Craig’s a nice guy. You two would be great together.”

  “Nona, did you think to ask me first?” I asked through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to see Craig. You’re right, he is a nice guy, but there’s someone else.”

  “Really? But I’ve never se over my headororskouen you with anyone. Wait, is it that George guy?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “It is him! Well, he seems nice enough, but he lives in a different district. You never get to see each other.”

  “It’s not George.”

  “Then who?” she asked, her brow furrowed over her eyes.

  I tapped my pen against my scarred wooden desk, glaring at her. “He’s someone from my POD. And, no, he doesn’t live in this district. He doesn’t even live in this compound. But I’m not ready to give up on the chance we might be able to be together again when this virus thing is under control. I’m not ready to date. And if you would’ve asked me, I could have told you this. Now I have to tell Craig and risk hurting a really nice guy’s feelings.”

  “I’m sorry, Eva. I didn’t think to ask. I thought I was helping.”

  I looked over her shoulder at the white wall.

  She should’ve asked. But she seems genuinely sorry. I can’t stay mad forever—not when the only other people I know in the world are in other compounds…or God knows where.

  “Don’t do it again. Next time, at least ask.”

  “Deal. Do you want me to tor you?”

  “Nona! Didn’t we just decide you were going to butt out? I’ll talk with him. You stay out of things. From now on, no more secret blind dates.”

  She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Gotcha. I’ll see you after work.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. My class is about to start.”

  “Go.” It was lunch hour and George sat across from me at the fake-wood table. Trays clattered and silverware clinked together. I could hear people crunching their food at the table next to us, and boisterous laughter from a group of boys across the room. The sounds made my head pound.

  “No.”

  “Eva, go. You said yourself he’s a nice guy. You should go out again. You never know what might happen.”

  “Would you? If I fixed you up with one of my teacher friends, would you go?”

  He didn’t answer me. He looked down and drew circles on the tabletop with his finger.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  It was cold. I shivered and wrapped my coat tighter around me as I sat with my back to the fence, leaning against it. I knew he was there before he spoke. I stood and turned to face him.

  “I thought you’d give up on sitting out here every night, Evangelina.”

  “And I thought you’d have come to your senses before now.”

  “Eva, you are so stubborn.”

  “I’d watch calling people stubborn, David. They might tell you the same thing. How do you know I’ve been here?”

  “Because I’ve been here every night watching you.”

  “And My eyes never left David’s face.op computerou you said nothing?”

  “I thought you would give up. Have a life with someone on the other side of the fence. A real life.”

  “Well, David, there’s one problem with your thinking. A person doesn’t get to choose who they fall in love with. Fence or no fence.” I sighed. This wasn’t how I had imagined our reunion would go. “You lied to me. When you said you were leaving.”

  “Yes,” he admitted.

  “I didn’t believe you. I knew you were still here.”

  “I know.”

  “Weeks of me sitting here. Crying over you. Hurting. And you just watched? Why? Why didn’t you see that I don’t want anyone else? Why didn’t you come to me? And why did you decide to come out of the shadows and meet me tonight?”

  “I came out to meet you tonight because I couldn’t see you hurting anymore. And because you haven’t been coming as much and I was afraid that you were forgetting—”

  “But that’s what you just said you wanted!”

  “I know I said it, but I don’t want it. George told me about the other guy. What’s his name? Greg?”

  “Craig.”

  “Yeah. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being with him.”

  “You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to be with me. Is that it, David?”

  “You’re half-right. I don’t want anyone else to be with you. You’re wrong when you say I don’t want you. I do want you, Eva. But there’s a problem with us being together. I can’t give you what you want, what you need. We’ll always be separated.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “So how long? How long do we wait before we realize things aren’t going to change? When do we call it quits, Eva?”

  “I don’t know! I don’t know any more than you, but I think it should be a mutual decision. We need to communicate. Tell each other what we’re feeling. Our thoughts and fears.

  “Look, you said you didn’t feel like you knew me. So I wrote these for you,” I said, pushing the stack of letters I’d written through the gaps in the fence. “Read them. Make a decision one way or another. I’ll be here tomorrow night. If you don’t come, I’ll know it’s over and I won’t come back.” I took a shuddering breath. “I hope I see you tomorrow, David.” I turned and walked home.

  I walked to the fence the next night. I didn’t run. I didn’t rush. I wasn’t even that excited or nervous about what I’d find. I was resigned. He’d be there and I’d be happy, but there’d always be a hurt, a longing, to be together. Or he wouldn’t be there and that would be another kind of hurt.

  “Here.” He pushed something through the chain links.

  “What is it?”

  “Open it. I had Seth help me get it.”

  I opened the bag, tipping it to catch the distant glow from the gate lights. What I saw inside made me smile, and I knew I had my David back.

  “I got peanut and maintenance personnelRkupl f butter and caramel because you didn’t say which you liked more. I even got regular chocolate. I read your letters, Eva. I love you, too. And I want to be with you. I’ll wait. We’ll find a way to be together.”

  That’s all I needed to hear. “It’ll work out, David. I can feel it.” I reached through the fence and pulled him into a kiss.

  We fell into our old routine. We met almost every night at the fence in our meadow. We’d talk and kiss and hold hands through the
fence while we looked at the stars in the inky, black sky. But an hour was never enough. I pushed it as far as I could, staying an hour and a alk to Craig f

  Chapter 20:

  Nona

  The spotlight shone bright in the dark meadow. I jumped up with a scream. It took me a millisecond to understand what was happening.

  “Run!”

  He looked at me, a pained expression on his face.

  “David, run!”

  He grabbed his things and ran into the brush. He made it to the tree line before the soldiers were able to find him again with a spotlight. I sighed, my shoulders slumping in relief. I didn’t know what they would have done to him, but I knew they wouldn’t let him inside the compound. They wouldn’t put him in quarantine.

  “Stand up and show us your hands,” the man yelled through a bullhorn. How ridiculous for him to use a bullhorn—the meadow was quiet, except for the sound of the Humvee and the idiot’s voice booming out.

  I stood up and raised my hands so the soldier could see. A man dressed in a hazmat suit approached and used a zip tie to bind my hands. He grabbed me under the arm and pulled me roughly to the Humvee, pushing me inside.

  They drove me to the clinic. There were two of them in the back with me, and they never put their guns away. My hands were slick with sweat and my heart pounded painfully, each contraction sending more and more adrenaline through my body.

  The drive to the clinic seemed to take an hour, but was actually just a few short minutes. We didn’t drive to the front entrance. Instead the vehicle stopped next to a large green dumpster behind the building. The smell of rotting garbage filled the air. I put my hands over my nose and mouth, trying not to gag.

  The MP to my right got out first. The other jammed his elbow into the small of my back, pushing me toward the door. I slowly climbed out of the vehicle, the MP close behind me.

  A single lightbulb hanging over the clinic’s door provided the only light in the alley. The MPs herded me through the door to the small reception desk that faced it. The men stopped, one man’s fingers biting into my armve taken Josh’s place.adl making with my harder than necessary.

  “One resident for quarantine.”

  The nurse looked at the soldier who had spoken, and then at me. “It took four of them to bring you in? What’s your name?” the nurse asked me. She wore green scrubs, thick latex gloves, and a facemask.

  “Evangelina Evans.”

  “She was found fraternizing with a member in the infected zone.”

  “‘Fraternizing’?” The nurse laughed. “You guys really like to toss your military jargon around. Tell me what happened, Evangelina.”

  “Call me Eva, please. One of my friends lives in the infected zone. I met him tonight and we talked through the fence. But he isn’t infected,” I said in a rush, “he’s a POD survivor, not a topside. He lived in the same sub-POD I did. That’s how we know each other.”

  “Okay, guys, I got her from here. Come on, Eva. Let’s get you washed up for quarantine.”

  “But—”

  “I know, sweetie. He was a POD survivor. I hear ya. But I have rules to follow. Anyone in contact with an infected zone resident has to do their stint in quarantine. Sorry. we’d ma

  Chapter 21:

  Going Home

  I spent six weeks locked in a glass-lined medical prison. The nurses took blood every day through a box in the wall, just like the first time I was in quarantine. The doctors were the only people who entered the room. Dressed in protective clothing that made them look like space aliens, they poked and prodded me. They never told me what they were looking for. In fact, they rarely spoke to me at all. George was right. I was a human guinea pig.

  George visited when he was working at the clinic. We talked through an intercom in the thick glass surrounding the stark white room I was locked in. I asked George about David every time I saw him, but he didn’t know…or he didn’t want to tell me. Worrying about David was the worst part.

  Nona tried to visit once, but I refused to see her. She had one of the nurses carry in a note, which she passed along with one of my meals.

  … did it to protect you. I was worried for your safety…

  I crumpled it and threw it on the floor.

  She didn’t visit again. I was surprised they had let her in to begin with. It seemed Nona had extra privileges in the compound, which explained how she knew so much about everyone. George’s friend in security confirmed Nona actually worked for them. Undercover security personnel throughout the compound spied on residents and reported any suspicious behavior. Nona over my head.ime lifted his head and favorite movie’s job at the school was a sham. Her real job was as a snitch.

  Like in quarantine before I entered the PODs, there were books inside the room to keep me occupied. Every once in a while, the nurses would send a new book through the chute with my dinner. I read all the books there—twice. No television, no music, and no book I hadn’t already read. Quarantine was hell.

  “Today’s the day.” The nurse looked younger than me and I wondered what kind of medical training she’d actually had.

  “What day?” I asked, afraid I was going to endure another painful test.

  “You’ve been given the all-clear. You’re outta here.”

  “When?”

  “Now. You don’t want to stay longer, do you?”

  “Ah, no. But thanks for asking.”

  The nurse pulled out a ring of keys and inserted one into the thick metal door. The lock clicked open and the door squeaked loudly when the nurse pulled it aside.

  I hurried out of the room before they changed their minds and decided I needed to stay another six weeks.

  “Where are my clothes?” I asked the girl.

  “They were burned. You can wear home what you have on. Transportation will give you a ride so you don’t have to walk home in pajamas.”

  “My other belongings?” I was afraid I already knew the answer to my question.

  “Burned.”

  I didn’t really care about my clothes, or anything else I had, for that matter. The only items I was interested in were David’s photo and drawings. They must’ve been burned like the rest of my things.

  “Go straight down this hall and out the door. Transportation is waiting to take you home. Take care, Eva.”

  “Thanks,” I murmured.

  “These are your new papers.” An MP handed me an envelope as I walked out the door.

  I didn’t look at the papers. I just clutched the envelope and climbed into the car. I wanted to go home, take a long, hot shower, and get out of the ridiculous white pajamas.

  I sat with my head resting on the back of the seat, my eyes closed. I didn’t open them until I felt the car turn into my drive.

  “Here you are,” the driver said.

  “This isn’t my house. I think you have the wrong address. I live at 12 Maple Brook Lane.”

  “No, this is the address the MP gave me. Check your papers and make sure.”

  I pulled out the paperwork and scanned the documents. “183 Oakwood Drive.”

  “That’s where we are. Do you have your keys?”

  I dumped a set of keys out of the envelope. They clinked when they landed in my open palm. “Yes.”

  “Well, then you’re right as rain.”

  “Thank you.” I slowly got out of the car, standing in the driveway as I watched him drive away.

  The house was light-brown with burgundy shutters. I missed my cheery yellow house. I fit the key in the lock and it turned. I don’t know if I was relieved or disappointed that the key opened the door. elephant sitting in the middle of I It waslil f I wanted to go home—to my other home.

  I walked slowly inside. Something was wrong. My things weren’t there. The drawing David had made wasn’t ip. Throw your

  Chapter 22:

  Together

  Some people in the crowd screamed for the guards to open the gates. A few homemade picket signs waved and bobbed in the sea of bod
ies, but most of the hundreds of people outside the gates stood or sat in silent vigil, lines of suffering showing in their gaunt faces.

  The MPs stood in a line in front of the fence, their guns aimed at the people trying to get into the compound. A truck pulled up to the gate, and the crowd reacted, surging to its feet and pressing in. An occasional pop, pop, pop was heard when an MP fired his riot gun at someone getting too close to the fence or the truck. The rubber bullets gave people one heck of a jolt.

  I saw him on the other side of the gate, standing silently in the midst of the crowd. People bumped and shoved him, jostling him while they fought their way closer to the opening outer gate. He looked at me and smiled. I didn’t return it. I watched him. He never took his eyes off me. They widened the moment he realized what I was going to do, because I wasn’t looking for a way in.

  I was looking for a way out.

  I stood behind the inside gate, separated from the outer gate and the mob by a large, open area. Several MPs in riot gear stood guard just beyond the inner gate, watching the crowd. Additional soldiers were within the compound, and the weapons they carried didn’t look like the kind that shot rubber ammunition.

  David watched me, his eyes pleading. “Evangelina!” he yelled. I could barely hear him over the shouts of the people swarming around him.

  I walked to the inside gate and pushed the tall door. The hinges groaned. I grunted as the heavy door dragged through the dirt and gravel. The metal clanged against a large rock, vibrating with the impact.

  “Eva, don’t!” I heard David yell. I turned and leaned against the gate, closing it behind me. The latch came down with a loud clang. Dust stirred up by the crowd billowed around me like a fog. I put my hand over my face to protect it.

  Turning to the closest guard, I pointed to David on the other side of the gate. “Let him in.”

  The MP clutched his rifle across his chest. “Miss, you aren’t supposed to be out here.”

  “Let him in,” I said again.

  “He’s in the infected area. Go back to the compound,” he ordered. He swung the rifle bar over my head.imn an attempt to favorite movierel around, not quite pointing it at me.