by Dalton Wolf
While the others washed zombie gunk from their armor, the doctor returned to the balcony to stand watch. He gave a nod to Calvin, who returned the nod and headed inside through the main lobby to finish their conversation. But instead, he ran into Athena, Sarah and Brick in the inner lobby, just at the base of the stairs. None of the trio seemed entirely happy to see him. Athena’s face smiled, but her eyes seethed. She was at once relieved at seeing him, but apprehensive about something else. Sarah stood in his way, but her soft heart-shaped face was an impassive mask. Brick’s eyes were bloodshot and he hadn’t combed his hair in hours, which was not normal for ‘Brick Wall’ Jacobs at all and Calvin noticed his jaw was doing that obsessive-compulsive clenching thing it did when he was really mad about something.
“There are sandwiches and drinks on the table over there,” Athena coldly informed the others over Calvin’s shoulder. She then trudged over with a tired smile holding a Dew and sandwich for him.
“How did everything go while we were out?” he asked hesitantly, stomping a few times in his tinkling armor to shake off the final dripping remnants from his delousing.
Shaking the water from his hair like a dog, he enthusiastically snatched up the sandwich from her and popped the top of the drink, planting a sloppy kiss on her lips. Then, as no one responded to his question, he headed for the stairs, sparing a brief look at each one as he moved on through. He didn’t have time to pry answers from them. If they had something to say, they could say it or he would move on. Maybe the doc could clear things up.
Athena shot Brick a look that spoke whole paragraphs of unhealthy things and he returned one of equal meaning. No one else seemed to notice, being far too busy attacking the promised drinks and food to notice the sudden animosity between the others. The group appeared none the worse for wear, so she didn’t have to ask how their mission had gone. If only things had gone as smoothly in the library. But Calvin didn’t need another thing to worry about. She would handle it. Swallowing her anger, she fell in line beside her man. “Fine, Calvin,” she said after a dragged-out pause. “Everything went fine,” she stepped up and pulled him to a stop, planting a firm, soft kiss squarely on his lips and rubbing one armored arm affectionately. He patted her rump and squeezed a little, but it just wasn’t as good through the chainmail.
“I love you, babe,” he said. “But if there’s nothing else, I need to talk to the doctor before we head out for Lucy and Lola.”
He looked to Sarah and then Brick.
“Yeah, nothing to worry about around here, mate,” Brick assured him lightly, stepping between them and brandishing a careless, and more to the point, fearless smile first at Athena, then on Calvin. He seemed almost to bounce and roll on the balls of his feet. “You ready for a real man out there now? I’m tired of sitting back with the useless women making the meals.”
Athena glared death at him and squeezed tighter on Calvin’s armor. Sarah’s eyes blazed from the corner of the room and she fingered the trigger of her rifle. Scooter noted the reactions of both women. Looking to Brick he saw something he’d never seen in his life—a challenge. Though there was a charming smile on his face, all of the warmth from that smile was dissipated by the chill of those wintry blue eyes. Calvin leaned back the slightest bit to look up at one of his oldest friends in the world only to see a stranger’s ice blues glaring confidently back. The former jock seemed to actually be looming over him, daring him to say or do something. About what, Calvin had no idea.
Clearly there was more of a mystery going on here than he had time to solve, some kind of coldness between Athena and Brick, something worse between Sarah and Brick, and now a new tension between he and Brick—the common denominator there being Brick. Calvin decided to keep his old friend a little closer until he could sift through some things. Perhaps the doctor was right after all. Brick needed to go with them. And he certainly needed to learn some respect for Sarah and Athena.
“These aren’t worthless women, Brick,” he said with deliberate phrasing. “Each one is worth their weight in whatever we’re going to be using as a measuring stone in the near future. Since this thing began they’ve each already earned their place in this group on multiple occasions. You have yet to do so from my point of view. So, yeah, you’ll be riding with us on the next trip. And don’t believe for a second that our past will let you fail to contribute to this group, Brick. Everyone will contribute in a positive way or find another group to join. Get out to the street. We’re loading in ten minutes,” he snapped.
Brick stood for the briefest of eternities, looking for all the world as if he were going to challenge Calvin, who sat the drink on the edge of a desk and stared back, appearing to calmly eat a sandwich as he sized up his old friend. But the hand Brick couldn’t see was firmly on his axe handle ready to spin it into Brick’s gut if he so much as blinked the wrong way. He directed a nod in the direction of the lobby that said ‘leave, you’re dismissed’ and Brick’s boldness dissipated. Shoulders slumping, he stumped from the room in frustration.
“Have Tripper pull you a weapon from the pile!” he called to the jock’s retreating back. “Boomer took the last good set, but there are a few leather vests that might be the right size. We’ll get you something better later!”
“We’ll start on dinner in a bit,” Athena kissed him on the cheek and walked away, Sarah in tow behind.
Briefly watching the two women retreat, now even more concerned about the Brick situation, he dashed up the stairs to where the doctor waited.
What the hell happened? Isn’t the end of the world enough drama?
“You saw how he is right now?” the doctor asked when he reached the upper lobby just inside the patio.
“Yes. He’s a bit off,” Calvin agreed.
The doctor snorted. “He should be sleeping. I shot him up with enough meds to have knocked him out for a day.”
“What do you think, Doc?”
“I did a background workup on him with what he would tell me…”
“And?”
“And I think he’s been doing some very strong drugs for a much longer time than he should have been,” the doctor said.
“He’s been on pain meds for an accident he had,” Calvin explained.
“Yes. These meds?” the doctor showed him a list.
“Some, yeah,” Calvin admitted. “Maybe all of those.”
“Well, he has most likely been depressed.”
“He lost his full ride to college and an NFL career because of the accident.”
“Yes. I understand. There’s no easy way to say it, so…I believe Brick has been overdosing with some very powerful drugs and his mind is not doing well, Calvin. I believe he is either on the verge of, or has already had a Psychotic break. He might be dangerous. Knowing this, I did not wish for him to remain here with only me to protect the ladies. And you should be extremely careful with him out there. He really needed the rest, but refuses to go back to sleep now. Perhaps being part of the group again can bring some peace or normalcy to his disturbed mind. Perhaps you could confiscate the drugs?”
“Can’t really blame someone for wanting to get blazed at the end of the world, Doc,” Calvin offered the realistic view.
“Yes, perhaps. But his is not recreational use. I believe he is quietly, deeply addicted. In his case, it will do him much more harm than good.”
“Right. Got you, Doc. Thanks. I don’t really know what to do other than keep an eye on him. He hasn’t shown any truly negative behavior in front of me yet. I’ll try and straighten him out somehow, maybe talk to the others when he’s on watch or something. We’ll get it worked out…or I’ll explore other options. I’ll let you know how it goes. I need you to look at Scaggs before we go.”
“What happened?”
“I think she broke a few fingers. If so, I’ll need to take Sarah or Athena instead and she can stay here and help with dinner.”
They went downstairs and the doctor made Scaggs remove her chainmail glove. Wincing as tea
rs filled the corners of her eyes, she gingerly slid the heavy mit a few centimeters at a time. The doctor prodded, squeezing the sides of each knuckle. “How does that feel?”
“It hurts.” She stated firmly.
“Do you see that picture over there?” he asked.
She looked to where he nodded.
“What does that—aiee!” she screamed as he popped first one and then the other finger back into position. “You son of a—”
“—now, now. I learned a long time ago this goes better when the patient is distracted. They were just dislocated, not broken.”
“You still could have warned me.”
“How do they feel?”
“That’s beside the point.”
“How do they feel?”
“Better,” she wiggled all of her fingers and made a few fists. She then grabbed her spear and jabbed it into the wall a few times. “Much better,” she nodded and wiped away the tears before once again putting the mail glove on. “I’m still a bit sore, so I’ll need some Aspirin or something.
The doctor handed her a red bag with a white cross on it.
“There are three different pain medicines in there. Keep it handy.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Calvin patted the man on the shoulder.
“Anything else I can help with?”
“Nope. Right now we need to get down to the Plaza.”
“Be careful out there, Calvin. And watch your back.”
“Thanks again, Doc. See you when we see you.”
Two Smiths
Back in the massive structure they were calling The Dungeon, Hephaestus and Quinn turned down their earpieces to a nearly imperceptible level. They had been eavesdropping on the others from the start because someone always seemed to have a mic open. But it had become too much of a distraction and the pair needed to get some work done without interruption.
“Help me to move this over there, please,” Hephaestus said to Quinn, pointing to a long silver tank tread laid out on a table.
The big red-haired smith stepped over to the work table and without being told immediately grabbed the exact spot he needed to be in to carry his half of the weight of the giant tread they were going to attach to the vehicle. Hef smiled, but received an uncertain frown from the new man in return.
“What is your concern?” Hef asked.
“I don’t want to step on any toes, or jump into anyone’s cupboard and start eating their cereal, but do you know that man, the one they call Brick? The one we rescued before coming here?”
“Yes. I have known the Brick Head for many years,” Festus said flatly, offering the smith no hint of his feelings, other than a not so flattering nickname, which was, in fact a decent hint after all. Hephaestus silently cursed himself. He liked to remain neutral until he heard what people thought of each other.
“Well,” Quinn grunted. “I know you all are friends and everything, but he isn’t jousting with armor on.”
“I do not understand.”
“No string on his bow, if you know what I mean.”
“Do you mean that he is crazy?” Hef asked.
Quinn nodded. “And I don’t like the way he was eyeing some of the women before. Someone needs to keep an eye on that one.”
“Calvin will handle it,” Hephaestus explained with a note of finality, as if that statement alone ended the discussion.
But Quinn didn’t know these people, and if he was going to hitch his wagon to this team, he wanted to know that they could circle with the rest of the train when the trouble hit. And he wasn’t so sure Calvin was the right Wagon Master. He was affable, sure enough, and they could throw money at problems until money was no good anymore, but who was going to lead from then on?
“I kind of thought that since we were here now, you’d be taking over,” Quinn suggested. “I mean, you seem to have the financial resources, tools, forethought, and everything else going in your favor. They all seemed pretty jazzed about coming here.”
“No. You are mistaken. Calvin is the party leader for all of our expeditions. Whether it is a night of old school Dungeons and Dragons, a Football game, or white water rafting on the moon, Calvin takes care of the planning and details and is completely in charge. My immense wealth helps make things…easier for my friends, this is true. But make no mistake…Calvin is the leader.”
“Good leaders see everything.”
“Some would say this. Others would disagree. No one can see everything”
“He doesn’t seem to see this problem.”
“He is very busy right now. But it will not remain this way. Calvin will soon begin examining the party more closely. He will see that Brick does not fit in with decent society, or even with a group of geeks like our group. He has never fit in and the way things are now will bring that to light. No matter what Calvin believed, Stephen Jacobs has never been a good person.”
“Never?”
Hephaestus shook his head. “The three of them, Brick, Tripper and Calvin grew up together so Brick still does not realize that Calvin has changed much over the years. All he can see is the young Scooter he grew up with. The inhaler-breathing, braces-wearing dork Brick had to always defend from bullies. But that protection is the extent of his goodness. He shielded his friends when he was younger because he has trouble making friends so they, in turn, stuck with him even when he was being a jerk. I think he has always been a sociopath, but I believe he has become even more unbalanced since his accident. And he has only gotten worse since last we met. This world has a rude awakening in store for men like Brick Jacobs.”
“So he was really already out of it before the zombie thing?”
“Brick was not allowed into my home. I did not like him; he did not care for me.”
“Mind if I ask you why not?”
“It is private, but let us say that he has always been looking at women as you saw him tonight. As if they were an object, and not individuals. I would catch him eying some ladies with a…well, I do not know what kind of look it was, but it made me very uneasy. And he says things he should not about them when he becomes inebriated.”
“That’s kind of what I was talking about. I got the feeling he had some definite ideas towards one or two of them, and I’m not sure about leaving him in the fortress with those two girls—”
“—Athena and Sarah will each watch the back of the other. They are good friends. And they are neither blind nor stupid. They have surely seen what you have seen. We are not all as open-minded and good-natured nor as patient as Calvin Hobbes. He would see an old yellow brick road where the rest of us see only a lonely, broken highway overgrown with weeds and painted with the blood, pain and death of thousands. But then he would take us down that yellow brick road never doubting all along that the good wizard will be on the other end to save us all. And we would follow him, foolishly believing whatever he chose to tell us, because we are certain it will work out in the end. That is Calvin Hobbes.”
“You think that sounds like a guy who should be in charge of our survival under the circumstances?”
“I always expect the wizard to be there. And he always is.”
“But should we be following a man who doesn’t have a plan?”
“Calvin always has a plan.”
“You think he knows what he’s doing?”
“That has nothing to do with making a plan. It does not matter.”
“How does it not matter?”
“Because Calvin doesn’t need a brilliant plan to make things work out; he just needs to do the right thing and it always does. I do not exactly know how he does this.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“What are you doing here?” Hephaestus asked suddenly.
“I’m helping you.”
“But why are you here?”
“You mean on the planet? Are we going to take in some philosophy, too?”
“Yes. I am always doing that. But I do not mean in the metaphysical sense. I mean, why are you here, physically, with
me now? What brought you to my Dungeon?”
“Well, I was working at the Renaissance Festival minding my own business, literally. Then your friend and his girlfriend came up to me and told me they wanted to buy everything in my shop because…um…because the…oh…I see…” he laughed heartily for a few minutes before continuing.
“You should have believed he was a crazy man and called the police. Instead, you are here. Do you understand now?”
“Calvin convinced me the world was going to end and then got me to drive him into the heart of the disaster and help rescue his friends from real live zombies. Well, not live, but you know what I mean. And now he’s got me helping finish a super vehicle to take us all to the promised lands…”
“You see? Calvin will handle it. He nearly always does. The times he has failed I can count on one hand. No one understands what determines his fate. But we have learned to believe in him. Still, we will keep an eye on Brick Jacobs when we can, you and I, if it will ease your mind. Is this agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Good. Now let me show you what we will be doing with this…”
City of Fountains
Calvin guided them down a deserted I-35 to The Paseo. This stretch was normally a very quick drive, but they were cruising slow and listening for cries of help so it would take them several minutes to reach his favorite road. They didn’t have to deal with any road rage and that was always a nice change on the interstates of any major metropolis. He silently congratulated himself on finding the silver lining. But clouds, and the sliver linings they housed, could be blown away by any steady breeze and they were in the middle of a storm. He let out a resigned sigh as Boomer leaned down from his turret and hissed to get his attention. With both of them in the back of the vehicle, his friend must have realized there was no better time to talk about whatever was bothering him. Calvin had been ignoring the meaningful glances Boom had been shooting his way since the rescue. He was bound to have to face his friend sooner or later; he just did not need another problem right now.