Blue Plague Survival

  “Danny, I know y’all aren’t real brother and sister but sometimes when that boy looks at you in full tactical gear. I mean with knee and elbow pads, fully loaded vest, gloves, boonie hat, glasses and weapon across your chest. I want to get a water hose and hose him down then slap him around some and I love that kid, otherwise I’d beat the shit out of him. I think Matt has a thing for badass women. I still want to take a water hose to him when he looks at you like that and probably will the next time he does. I don’t even know why he looks at you like that, he’s not your type,” Bruce told her picking PJ up and playing with him.

  “Daddy, you better not take a water hose to him. That would embarrass him and how do you know what my type is?” Danny spoke up for Matt’s dignity.

  “When you sit down by him in full gear, he turns beat red. Of all the boys that have ever liked you, Matt is the only one I ever liked and approved of. That’s strike one there. Danny, all the boys you have liked are whinny, with long hair, wanting someone to take care of them that is strike two. Matt wants a girl that will stand by him and not try to take care of him. That’s why I think he has a thing for tough women. The only upside about you wearing fatigues is when you wear the same camouflage pattern for a week he gets used to it. He still looks at you but I don’t want to get a water hose. Then you change ACU or BDU patterns and it starts all over again. Since the plague started and you being in fatigues all the time, I want to pop his eyes out of his head and eat’em. I don’t want to talk about it anymore because I want to break his legs now,” Bruce said as he tried to get PJ’s belly button making him laugh.

  “Daddy, don’t hurt Matt please,” Danny begged holding her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

  “Baby, I love that boy and can’t hurt him like that, even though I want to. I just don’t like him checking out my daughter,” Bruce said with a grumpy look on his face. Then Bruce turned back to PJ trying to get the belly button.

  Danny looked at Bruce as he played with PJ chewing on her lower lip. Danny jumped up, “I have to get ready to teach class.” Danny said then took off at a full sprint heading upstairs. A few minutes later she came down wearing her knee and elbow pads, her hair was in a ponytail, she had on her Oakley sunglasses and her boonie hat. Danny grabbed her vest and weapon running out the door.

  Bruce looked up from playing with PJ at Debbie. Debbie was looking at him with squinted eyes studying him. “What was that all about?” Debbie asked Bruce.

  “Nothing sugar mama,” Bruce told her.

  “Bruce, the nonchalant verbalizations works on the younger form of girls, not the older,” Debbie said. Bruce just looked at her smiling. Debbie took a step back. “No,” Debbie gasped.

  “I’m surprised you and Nancy haven’t seen it,” Bruce told her.

  “How long?” Debbie asked feeling bad. Mamas should see stuff like this.

  “You remember the last time we played paintball?” Bruce asked as he sat on a barstool beside the pool table.

  “Yeah, we invited the boys you tried to kill at the paintball field out here to make it up to the girls because you embarrassed them,” Debbie told him.

  “Whatever,” Bruce replied waving his hand through the air. The attitude sounded so much like Danny, Debbie almost slapped him.

  “So what about the boys at the paintball field?” Debbie asked him still fighting the urge to slap him.

  “The girls were using those punks to make the boys jealous,” Bruce told her.

  “Girls? Boys?” Debbie said out loud looking to Bruce who was just smiling.

  “Jake and Mary,” Debbie asked in a shocked tone. Bruce just continued to smile.

  Debbie just collapsed down on the floor. “I’m a horrible mother. My baby boy and my baby girl, falling in love right under my nose, I suck,” Debbie said more to herself than Bruce.

  “You’re the best person I’ve ever met and as far as being a mother goes, none even come close to you. You never had much of a chance to catch them because the boys are covering the escapade. Secret looks, where to meet and stuff like that. Do you remember when you got to my first assignment, you and I were laying in the bed. You asked what the secret to boys was. What did I tell you,” Bruce asked Debbie and she closed her eyes trying to remember.

  “You said boys are simple, but that’s bullshit. How do we handle the kids?”” Debbie asked.

  “What do you mean?” Bruce asked with a puzzled look.

  “Bruce, they are boyfriend and girlfriend with someone in the house,” Debbie said.

  “Yeah,” Bruce said wanting her to understand.

  “We have to do something,” Debbie said.

  “See, there you go thinking complicated again, just like Danny and Mary. They devised this whole big plan to make the boys jealous. The plan was complicated, involving numerous people, leaving a lot to chance. All they had to do was talk to the boys and it would’ve been problem solved. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it if they had done that but the problem they had would’ve been solved,” Bruce said then continued. “If you remember, when we all moved in here I told you Danny was going to marry Matt. I do admit, I never saw Jake and Mary. With Danny, I could see it in her eyes even as they played in the dirt together. I saw those same eyes follow me from Sunday school to sitting in front of me right now,” Bruce told Debbie.

  “Bruce, if I ask you a question will you give me a true, honest answer?” Debbie asked. Thinking for a second Bruce smiled and nodded his head. “All the times you’ve gotten in trouble with me how many were on purpose, just so I could catch you?” Debbie asked.

  “Most, at least 98% but you know that,” Bruce told her.

  “I know, I know that but that takes all the fun out of it baby. If you know that I know, then why do it?” Debbie asked smiling.

  “It makes you happy to scold me. You solved a riddle. That’s good enough for me,” Bruce told her.

  “That’s all, so I can scold you, that makes me even more dreadful,” Debbie protested.

  “No, you just like solving a riddle and giving me a scolding. Then you have to remember the making up part is really good. Girls have a guilty conscience. I always know two to three days afterward it is happy time,” Bruce told her walking over handing PJ to her and kissing her on the head.

  “I’m going to check the last UAV flight to make sure our friends stay away. Then I’m going to walk the property and just look around. Nancy, Angela and Stephanie will be here soon so you can make the list. Remember I’m going out tomorrow to see if we can thin the blues. We will be on horseback, I want Danny, Jake and Conner, you can come if you want. I want seven on the patrol so two can stay with the horses if we dismount,” Bruce told her and did not need to name Buffy. His shadow always followed him.

  At 1500 Debbie, Nancy, Stephanie and Angela were in Nancy’s room on a card table working on the schedules for projects, guard duty, night duty and patrols. The group had been working for an hour not saying much to each other as they concentrated on the task. Nancy sat down her pen and closed her laptop.

  “Debbie, you have to tell me how was it?” Nancy requested.

  “Bruce and I just walked around the farm after the wedding, that’s all,” Debbie replied looking around nervously.

  “What are you talking about?” Nancy asked. “What’s it like, the wave?” Nancy clarified as Angela and Stephanie stopped working looking up at her.

  “I can’t even describe it Nancy,” Debbie told her.

  “When you came in, you looked like you were on the best drug ever made,” Nancy told her wanting information.

  “It is like a drug but this is the most dangerous drug,” Debbie told her wanting Nancy to stop asking questions.

  “Debbie come on, you’re killing me,” Nancy begged.

  Debbie looked at the closest friend she had ever known. The want on Nancy’s face made her give in. She could see what Bruce was talking about now. It was in Nancy’s eyes but there was something that would not let the wave out. That co
uld not be said with the other two.

  “Ok Nancy, I’ll tell you about it. The reason I don’t like talking about it is some parts of the wave are very scary. You can do things you can’t believe. You feel like you are moving in slow motion but you’re really moving fast. You can see better, feel things around you and detect smells that you never knew existed. I could smell fear, not that I couldn’t see that they were afraid, but could smell fear and it is intoxicating. This is where the bad part comes in, if you don’t keep the anger in check you will do things just to hurt for your pleasure. That will haunt you and eat away at you. That has not happened to me, it almost did but Bruce stopped me each time,” Debbie told Nancy and made sure she understood.

  Debbie continued closing her eyes leaning her head back reliving it, “Nancy, just remembering the wave is vivid, its nothing like riding the wave but shit. It’s good, but you can’t dwell on it long because you want to find the wave. That is the bad part.”

  “Bad part, how can that be bad? Debbie, you looked like you were heading to ecstasy just then,” Nancy said with envy.

  “I was,” Debbie said. “Imagine if you did a horrible act and that act came back to haunt you like an LSD trip every time it crossed your mind.”

  “That would be bad,” Nancy admitted.

  “You have no idea. It’ll drive you insane or you learn to live with it which in my opinion is just as bad,” Debbie said.

  “You said it has never happened to you so how do you know?” Nancy asked.

  “What is said here stays here,” Debbie looked at each woman as they nodded their heads in agreement.

  “It has happened to Bruce. I don’t know what or how and I’ll never ask him,” Debbie told them.

  “How and why did he learn to live with it?” Stephanie asked.

  “The how: I have no idea and don’t want to know. The why: I asked him to leave the military,” Debbie said. “I see it clearly now. Bruce volunteering for everything to find the wave to block the pain for something he did out of pleasure to chase the wave,” Debbie answered.

  Debbie answered questions for twenty minutes then she told them she did not want to talk about it anymore, she was getting a headache. Nancy told her it was because she had missed lunch. Nancy got up telling Debbie she would bring her a snack, something to drink and something for her headache. Before Nancy left, Angela said she would help her bring the stuff back and they left.

  As they walked out, Stephanie just stared at Debbie in wonder. She admired this woman so much. Debbie was everything she wanted to be brave, pretty, smart, mother and a total badass. Yet she was in love with Debbie’s husband. The guilt was killing her and had been since she met Debbie. When Debbie spoke it scared her.

  “What Stephanie?” Debbie asked rubbing her temples feeling Stephanie look at her.

  “I have something I want to tell you. If you want me to leave after I tell you, I understand and I’ll leave,” Stephanie told her. Stephanie started taking deep breaths, working herself up to tell Debbie her harbored secret.

  “You’re in love with Bruce,” Debbie replied looking at Stephanie taking deep breaths. Stephanie was taking a breath in when Debbie spoke and she held it, forgetting to let it out.

  Shock spread across Stephanie’s face. Debbie knew, but how could she.

  “Let the breath out Stephanie, before you pass out, baby,” Debbie told her patting her hand and Stephanie let it out seeing stars dance in front of her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know why or how but I do. I will load up and leave tonight Debbie? Please don’t think too bad of me,” Stephanie told her fighting back tears. She had brought this on herself and she would reap the consequences. She would probably be dead tomorrow but at least Debbie knew.

  “If you try to leave over something that stupid, I’ll beat the shit out of you. Stephanie you’re more than a sister to me, just like Nancy. I love you more than I love members of my own family. You’re caring, loving, kind and those are your strong points but also your weak points. That and you are smarter than any ten people I know,” Debbie told Stephanie holding her hand.

  “I’m in love with your husband. How can you love someone like that?” Stephanie asked.

  “When I met you that first day and I saw you look at Bruce, I knew. I’m not goin’ to lie, when I first saw you I did feel threatened, for about an hour. Here is this younger gorgeous auburn haired woman, with a perfect body. She’s smart, successful and a joy to be around. I’m not going to lie to you, I did think about shooting you and saying it was an accident in that first hour. Then I got to know you and saw who you really are. Stephanie you have a stripe of honor that is a mile wide. I’ve never seen that in a woman before or since,” Debbie told her.

  “You are much prettier than I am Debbie,” Stephanie stated and Debbie started laughing.

  “Please, Stephanie don’t make me laugh, my stomach hurts too much,” Debbie told her.

  “I wasn’t trying to make you laugh. Why won’t you make me leave?” Stephanie asked.

  “I tell you what, Stephanie tonight come to my bedroom. I’ll get out of bed you can get in. Wake Bruce up and have sex with him. You have my permission and he’ll be half asleep. It won’t be bad, I promise. Don’t worry about Bruce he won’t realize it’s not me for a while,” Debbie told Stephanie watching shock spread over her face.

  “Debbie I- I couldn’t do that to you. Even if you said to, it would hurt you, then when Bruce found out it would kill him,” Stephanie told her.

  “I rest my case,” Debbie said. “Stephanie you’re probably the only woman on the face of the earth I would trust to sleep naked with my husband. You will not do anything, if it hurts someone you care about. You’ll suffer so others won’t.”

  Stephanie looked at Debbie not understanding her. “Thank you Debbie, for not letting me leave and for letting me come and stay here,” Stephanie said smiling.

  “Stephanie, if Bruce would’ve been here, we would have come for you. Stephanie, you mean a lot to this family because you’re a part of it,” Debbie told her.

  “Thank you Debbie, I love you,” Stephanie said looking down at the table.

  “I love you too Stephanie, and don’t feel bad about loving Bruce. He’s the best of the best,” Debbie told her.

  Stephanie looked up at Debbie, “When I was in Bruce’s group on the blue hunt he talked about the male psyche for three days. He said you knew more about boys than he does. I made notes if you want to see them.”

  Debbie started chuckling then looked at Stephanie, “Well you’ve learned the first rule on boys. When you want to know something, get their mind on a task and their mouth will ramble on. How did it start?” Debbie asked holding her sore stomach.

  “Mindy, the teenage girl from the gas station, she asked Bruce if guys though she was ugly because what happened to her. Bruce told her boys really don’t care about the act. They care about her being hurt but not see her as less for being raped,” Stephanie told Debbie.

  Debbie sat up, “Bruce has never went over this with me, keep going.”

  “I wrote it all down so you-,” Stephanie started as Debbie held up her hand.

  “How much did you write down?” Debbie asked her.

  “All three days. Debbie, I will never make the mistake again of saying something about a boys toy-,” Stephanie stopped again as Debbie held up her hand.

  “You mean to tell me you wrote down, from memory, the conversation that your group had over three days? How many pages?” Debbie asked with a look of amazement on her face.

  “My hand written notes are four hundred and seventeen pages but the typed version is three hundred and seventy four pages,” Stephanie told her.

  Debbie looked at Stephanie and a thought crossed Debbie’s mind, “Stephanie, recite Bruce’s speech last Sunday afternoon.” Stephanie closed her eyes and recited Bruce’s speech from last week. Debbie knew it was word for word because it held Bruce’s attitude. Stephanie stopped speaking and opened her eyes
as Debbie spoke. “Stephanie, you hold a true power. No man would argue with you with that memory. I want to read the notes but I would ask that no others do,” Debbie told her not believing what she had just heard.

  “Don’t worry, that’s great information and it just can’t be out in the open,” Stephanie informed Debbie.

  “You’re able to do that with anyone? Just remember what they said and recite them?” Debbie asked her.

  “Yeah and I can remember where they were standing, who was sitting where and what they had on. Now, once it gets a few weeks out, it does start to get fuzzy. That’s why I have a journal so I can write down daily what happens,” Stephanie replied in an offhand way.

  “Stephanie, I have kept a journal since I was ten years old but it’s only the highlights of the day’s events, not a complete hour by hour dissertation of the day’s events with accurate dialog,” Debbie told her and hearing Nancy and Angela coming down the hall. “We’ll talk later,” Debbie said as they walked back into the room carrying drinks and food.

  “Well what have we figured out,” Nancy asked as she and Angela set down the drinks and food on the table.

  Debbie looked at Nancy and said, “Stephanie finally admitted she loves Bruce.” Stephanie looked at Debbie in shock not believing she had let out her secret.

  “Thank God, I thought she was going to hold it in forever,” Nancy said sitting down. Stephanie jerked her head, looking at Nancy with a shocked expression. Nancy seeing her reaction looked at her and said, “Stephanie, everyone in this house, except Bruce, knows. It has been the topic of conversation many times here. I thought it was cute because the boys felt bad that they could not compete with a daddy, with this hot, young woman.”

  Stephanie just looked at Nancy then to Debbie. Even the kids knew and they still loved her. She loved their daddy in a way more than a friend. Stephanie wanted to crawl under the bed and die.

  Nancy could see that Stephanie was not dealing very well with it and spoke up, “Stephanie, let me tell you something, more than once Debbie has told me she trusts you explicitly. At first I was a little nervous with you here, when you first came to the farm, but after getting to know you. I realized you were too good of a person to hurt someone like Debbie. Debbie has told me before, she trusts you more than me around a naked Bruce. Not that the desire has ever crossed my mind but I have seen him naked a few times.” Stephanie just stared at Nancy with her mouth open. Debbie had just told her the same thing.