“Food runs? I thought you guys packed some food,” the newly identified Megan asked in a timid voice. Aby replied.
“We did. Enough for each of us to make it for a few weeks.”
“Then why look for more? That seems like an unnecessary risk. You saw that hill-jack with a gun!” Deron protested.
“Even if this is an isolated incident,” Aby said. “Even if Pittsburg was the only affected area, it would take months for the city to be safe again. Government response will be slow. Replacing the fried infrastructure will take years. People will be restless, and it will be difficult to get food from stores and such.”
“We could leave?” Megan suggested hopefully. “Why don’t we just look for someplace that wasn’t affected?”
“Won’t be able to make it,” said Jake. “This hunk of junk isn’t exactly fuel-efficient, and I’ve only got a couple of gas cans to fill. Gas stations won’t work since the pumps can’t pull anything without power. It would be too risky to drive without any idea where we’re going. If we ran out of gas somewhere without any way to refill the tank, then we would be exposed. Other people might try to steal our supplies or even kidnap us.”
“Why would anyone kidnap a random bunch of adults?” Deron scoffed.
Jake shrugged. “People get strange when there’s no society there to stop them. Nothing to hold them back from doing whatever they please.”
Deron grew silent then. Worry clouded his expression.
No one spoke for several minutes. Megan and Deron seemed to be pondering the state of affairs. Jake already knew Aby had nothing to say. They had both lived in Pittsburg all their lives and had no nearby family. Aby’s parents had moved to Florida years ago, and Jake’s sister lived in Portland with her own family. His mom had passed years ago, and his father just recently from cancer.
“What if we went to my family’s place?” Deron asked. “My parents own a cabin a few hours north of the city. I know the way, and no one else would be around. There’s even an old-timey well in the back that nobody bothered to fill in.”
Jake’s eyebrows shot up. That sounded like the perfect place to call basecamp. He hadn’t expected Deron to be so advantageous to have around. “That sounds great, Deron. Are there any other cabins nearby? We don’t want to be too close to other people right now.”
“Nah,” he said, waving his hand in dismissal. “It’s sort of a hunting lodge in the middle of nowhere. The land has been in the family for years. No one else for miles.”
“Sounds perfect!” Aby sounded. “How do we get there?”
“We’re heading in the right direction already. Just keep following this road for a couple of hours, then I’ll tell you where to turn. It’ll be a left near some farmland.”
Jake smiled a little. Things seemed to be looking up. They had had a rocky start, but now they were passing through the remaining neighborhoods without issue. They had even passed a couple of cops along the way, but none tried to stop them. He supposed that he should be thankful their systems were down. They couldn’t know to look for them or their vehicle. He sucked in a deep breath of relief. The moment even felt on the verge of normal. They could simply be a group of friends out for an afternoon drive.
KERTHUMF! SCREEEEEEEEE…!
The car began to fishtail wildly out of control. He let off the gas quickly, letting the car slow before hitting the breaks. They definitely just blew a tire.
“Shit!” Jake said aloud. He rolled down the window and shut off the engine.
“What just happened?!” Megan near shouted in a terrified but small voice.
“Popped a tire,” Jake grunted as he opened up the trunk. He started shoving the packs aside to access the inner compartment. “I’ll need to put on the spare. Gonna need a little help once I get the car jacked up, though. We need to be quick.”
He saw Aby turn to Deron. “You get out and help Jake,” she commanded.
“Why me?” Deron shouted in reply.
“Because Megan doesn’t look like she can lift more than her own arms up, and I have to confess that I am not much stronger. You look like you could do better,” she said.
“But I’ve been beat over the head! That crazy jackass kicked me in the face. I might have a concussion! I shouldn’t be doing physical labor,” he whined defensively. It was clear that he simply didn’t want to get out of the car. Jake said nothing. Aby was better at handling these sorts of things.
“You think you’re the only one? I got into a car accident when this all started, but I still walked home. This isn’t going to kill you but taking too long might. Now get out there and help with the tire,” she snipped.
Deron grumbled under his breath as he got out of the car. Aby had always been good at guilt tripping people. It was the main reason why Jake had started eating healthier after he had moved in with her. He smiled slightly at the thought.
He handed Deron the wrench. “Go start taking the bolts off the blown tire. I’ll start jacking up the car.” He turned to face the women inside. “Ladies, if you would be so kind, we are going to need you to get out of the car. Don’t want you accidentally tip it while it’s up on the jack.”
The two silently exited the vehicle. Jake cautioned them to stay close. Strange people were loitering around, watching them intently. They appeared to be average people, but something in their gazes gave him a weird feeling. The air almost simmered with tension. He closed the trunk quickly before any could get a good look at their miniature mountain of gear. They kept pacing around the four, never taking their eyes off of the activity. Jake hated being exposed like this.
Nine
Aby
They were all clustered outside of the SUV. Jake was working quickly to jack up the car while Deron slowly removed the bolts on the bad tire. Megan stood very near to Aby, making herself as small as possible.
How bad must that man have beat her for her to feel this frightened? She stopped for a moment and considered their situation. Perhaps I ought to be more frightened. We won’t even have a spare tire after this.
They were not safe here. Strange individuals lurked around the dead cars scattered throughout the road. An invisible perimeter seemed to exist around her group, but the hazy figures pressed around its edges.
“How’re we doing over there, Jake?” Aby asked with poorly concealed worry as her eyes stayed glued to the lurkers.
“Fine, Abs,” he responded. “New tire is on. Just putting away the blown one while Deron puts the bolts back on.”
Aby glanced briefly back to observe Deron’s progress. He moved with agonizing slowness.
This man is going to get us killed if he doesn’t hurry up.
Her gaze flitted around the surrounding residences while keeping the strange people in her periphery. She hoped that she might see some sign of the power returning. Maybe a light turned on in a bedroom or the flash of a television screen. She saw no such thing and returned her attention to the people. A few more had gathered.
“Ready to go!” Jake suddenly shouted. Aby was pulled from her focused worry. They each climbed back into the car. She locked the doors quickly before Megan had even finished shutting her door.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
They were speeding back down the road in the general direction of Deron’s cabin. Aby was relieved that they had not been attacked a while ago. With no sign of the power returning, the people outside were becoming more restless. The tension was palpable each time she met the gaze of a lurker on the street. They really needed to get the hell out of here.
“Hey… guys?” Deron spoke slowly.
“What’s up, Deron?” Jake asked.
“I think something's up with Megan. She’s been real pale for a while, but now her head is bobbing all weird.”
Aby whipped around to look at Megan. Deron’s vague description was correct. Megan was ghostly pale, even more so than when they had first brought her into the apartment. Her eyelids were fluttering and her head dropped and bobbed in a slow, arrh
ythmic fashion. She was burbling quietly. Aby couldn’t tell if she was just making noises or actually trying to communicate.
“Megan…?” she said. Aby undid her seatbelt and climbed into the back. She positioned herself next to the wobbling woman. “What’s the matter, Megan?”
Megan’s head rose. She faced Aby, but her eyes did not focus. She vomited in reply. Bile dribbled down her chin, and she began convulsing.
“Oh shit!” Aby shouted in alarm. She grabbed a jacket from the floor and used it to pad the far side of her head. There wasn’t much she could do for Megan as she seized, but protecting her head was paramount. “Jake, she’s seizing,” she told him in a concerned but calm voice. She was used to this sort of thing with his father. Once she had gotten over her initial surprise, the episode no longer phased her.
Megan’s head bobbed back down. The shaking had stopped, and she returned to burbling nonsense.
“What should we do?” she asked. “She’s really bad off.”
She shook Megan gently, attempting to get a response of any kind. “Megan? What’s going on?”
Still, mindless mouth noise.
“Maybe she’s on drugs?” Jake suggested.
“What do we do?” Deron blurted. His question seemed less aimed toward anyone in particular and more a fear-driven reaction.
Megan shook her head softly. The motion was barely perceptible.
“She’s saying she’s not on drugs,” Aby reported. She leaned down to try and catch Megan’s eyes. “What’s wrong then, Megan? Why are you sick?”
She continued to foam saliva out of the corner of her mouth, but her eyes focused on Aby for a heartbeat. “He—” she tried. She gasped shallowly. “He gave… Gave me—” She swallowed in a way that even made Aby feel nauseous. “—gave me something.”
“Gave you something?” Aby whispered to herself. Who gave her what?
Oh!
“Her husband gave her something!” she relayed to the rest of the group. She looked at Jake. “We need to get her to a hospital.”
“Absolutely not,” he replied curtly. “They’ll be useless. The hospitals will be in chaos right now. Overcrowded, no power, no functional machines… With the computers down, they won’t even get her the right drug… won’t be able to find it.”
Aby’s brow furrowed in frustration.
“So then, what do we do?” Deron asked.
Aby thought for a second before saying, “We get to a pharmacy. Get an emetic.”
“A what?” Deron asked.
“Emetic,” she repeated. “Makes her throw up.”
“Why don’t you try putting fingers down her throat?” Jake offered as he kept driving.
Not a bad idea.
“Megan, I’m going to try to make you throw up, okay? We need to get that stuff out of your system,” Aby said in a clear, gentle voice. She opened the woman’s mouth with one hand and stuffed two fingers down her throat as far as she could.
Nothing happened. She wiggled her fingers around and tried to go deeper. Still nothing. Not even a gag.
“Doesn’t work,” Aby announced. “Whatever it is has shut off her gag reflex. She’s going to need that medication fast.”
“Well what are we gonna do?” Deron shouted. “We’re gonna burst into a pharmacy and what? Rob them?”
“Yeah, basically,” Jake replied. “It’s not like they’ll sell us anything with their systems down.”
“But the cops are already after you!” Deron shouted again.
I’m not sure if this man fully grasps the situation we are in yet, Aby thought.
“We’re going to have to risk it,” said Jake. “If we do nothing, then Megan could die. Look at her. She looks like shit and just had a seizure.”
The car went quiet then, aside from Megan’s bubbling. Aby pulled some wipes and fast food napkins out of the glove compartment and worked on cleaning the vomit from Megan’s face. Most of it had gone down the front of her shirt, but little could be done about that now. She pulled her hair back into a stubby ponytail to prevent it from dragging in her own vomit anymore than it already had. Aby held her softly and stared out the window.
Soon, a Walgreens sign could be seen ahead. It was maybe a few blocks to their right. Jake steered towards it. Outside the building, the group found a surprisingly long line. The doors were closed.
“Stay here,” Jake said. “I’m going to go check things out. I’ll be right back.” He hopped out the driver’s side and shut the door behind him, locking the car as he did.
Aby watched Jake leave the car and approach the line of people. She got out and left the door open as she unbuckled Megan. “Deron, I’m going to need you to help me lay her on her side. If she seizes again, the seat cushions will protect her head.” He did as she instructed and turned Megan to her side, pulling her legs toward him across the backseat. The two of them managed to move her into what Aby thought was a more comfortable position.
At least this way I can keep her from choking on her own vomit, she thought.
Moments later, Jake returned.
“People in line say the pharmacy is letting them in one at a time to pick up stuff like insulin and essential medications. Apparently, they all rushed over here as soon as the power went out and the phones died. Some lady said she was scared she wouldn’t be able to get her medicine again soon, so she’s here to stock up,” he reported.
“So, they’re hoarding supplies?” Aby clarified.
Jake shrugged. “Can you blame them? A lot of them need this stuff to live.”
“So, what should we do?” Deron asked, looking to Jake for the answer. Aby turned to look at him as well.
“I tried explaining about Megan to people, but no one seemed to care. Maybe if we brought her up front, they would see how bad she is and let us in right away.”
“Worth a shot,” Aby said. “Help me carry her.”
Jake heaved the sickly woman up by her underarms. Aby took her legs, and the pair walked to the front of the line.
“Ey!” one man shouted. “What do you think you’re doin’?!” He was obviously less than pleased with their approach.
“It’s our friend, sir,” Aby stated. “She’s horribly sick. We just need to get some—”
“I don’t care what it is you need!” he barked, interrupting her explanation. “You think you’re the only bunch to try that little stunt today?” Aby looked at Jake in confusion, but the man continued. “Some other hooligans were saying the same thing a couple of hours ago! Went in and took most of the painkillers with them. I’ve been waiting my turn for three hours now. I’m not about to let some fools get in front of me again!”
“Yeah, me either!” An unseen woman yelled.
“Or me!” said the middle-aged man behind him. “I’ve been here for hours. You gotta wait like everybody else.”
Jake pounded on the front doors. “Somebody let us in! Our friend is dying!” No one answered. He kept hammering the door with his fists until an employee emerged several minutes later.
“Get to the back of the line and wait your turn like everyone else.”
“But our—!” he started, but the employee shut the door without even looking in Megan’s direction. “DAMN them!” he barked in fury.
How can all of these people be so numb to the sight of a dying woman? Aby thought miserably.
More disgruntled shouts from the line sounded before Jake and Aby waddled back to the SUV, carrying Megan like an extra long sack of potatoes. They carefully laid her down in the backseat once more. Deron assisted in getting her properly positioned, then looked up at them both. “What happened?” he asked.
“Won’t let us in!” Aby burst angrily. “They think we’re pulling an act so that we can go in and steal a bunch of medicine. Apparently, some kids did that earlier and pissed them all off.”
He looked at her quizzically. “But… aren’t we here to steal some medicine?” he asked. The man looked genuinely bewildered.
Aby scoffed. �
�Yes, but not bulk medicine to hoard. We just need one emetic to help her.” She fumed internally and looked at Jake. “What do we do now?”
“We’ve tried being civil. Megan can’t afford for us to look for another pharmacy. I’m going to have to sneak in and get it myself.” He kissed Aby on the cheek. “I’ll be back. Be ready to go the second I come back out.”
Aby watched him jog around the far end of the pharmacy, keeping to the shadows as he slipped behind the building. She continued to stare at the last place she saw him while absently stroking Megan’s hair. She felt more tremors and turned to find her seizing again, vomit dripping out of her mouth. Aby turned her head further to the side to keep her from choking on it.
“She’s… already vomiting,” Deron said quietly. “Will an emetic really help her?”
Aby looked back at the spot Jake had disappeared into the gloom. “I hope so.”
They would have to wait for Jake to get back.
Ten
Jake
Jake crept quietly around the back of the building. No one else seemed to be back there. The junk piled around the alley was making it difficult to see. He walked slowly, sliding his feet along the ground to prevent any surprises. One loud clatter from a kicked paint can or something, and the employees inside might come looking.
I just need to get in and out as quietly as possible. He breathed in slowly and approached the door. Someone hadn’t closed it correctly, and the door had not latched. Jake pressed himself against the wall. Slowly, breathing as shallowly as he could manage, he slid his hand through the small crack. The door pulled away. Jake peeked through the opening. The coast was clear. He slipped inside and left the door unlatched as before.
He was in the very back of the store where the household items were shelved. He needed to move several aisles forward to reach the medications. Crouching, he tread silently over the linoleum tiles towards the sign reading “Over-the-counter”. Jake held his breath as he inched around the corner and into the next aisle. He heard the employees assisting someone at the front of the pharmacy. There were few windows and it would be difficult for them to see him in the darkness, but the lack of patrons inside made his silence all the more important.
The End of the World Series (Book 1): Survive The Collapse Page 5