Nuclear Winter (Book 1): First Winter

by Nathan Jones

  “Like what? I'm stocking up on food for the family as well as anyone.”

  His cousin gave him a pained look, as if asking him why he was making this difficult, then got straight to the point. “I've been talking with Matt. All the animals in the community are going to need shelter, and since we'll be building shelter for the town's livestock anyway he's agreed to make it communal. Everyone who has animals can house them there, as long as they help with the barn's construction and gathering fodder.”

  Lewis gestured idly at the shelter group's animal pens. “We'll be putting the rabbits and chickens in there too, since the natural heat of the animals will make it a good spot. And having all of them together will make things simpler and more comfortable for doing chores, as well as making it easier to guard them.”

  Trev nodded slowly. “Okay. I still don't see what that has to do with me, though. You guys all got your animals while I was gone.”

  That drew another pained look. “Yeah. Well the thing is there aren't actually that many people in town with livestock to house, and a barn is a big project.” Trev gave him a flat look, and Lewis hastily continued. “Which is why Matt's promised to give anyone who helps out a lamb or kid from the next ones born.”

  In spite of his slight cantankerousness that drew Trev's attention. A dairy goat was a pretty tempting offer. Although he wasn't sure if it was worth the labor of helping construct a barn. “A doe?”

  His cousin sighed. “Everyone's asking for does. But in this case, all things considered, Matt will probably agree. Which is lucky for you, since so far the only other person he's thinking about guaranteeing a doe to is Robert, and the guy's a skilled carpenter.”

  “I'm getting paid as much as a skilled carpenter,” Trev repeated doubtfully.

  “Well no. He's going to promise Robert the first twins born that include a doe, which could mean two does or a doe and buck.” Lewis gave him a pleading look. “Come on, the shelter group needs that barn. We've got a good chunk of the town's livestock between all of us. I promise if you end up doing more work than a goat's worth, I'll make it up by helping you build your hopefully-not-for-long bachelor pad.”

  Trev sighed. “You're all going to just keep assuming I'm building this so I can marry Deb, aren't you?” His cousin just shrugged, smiling slightly, and he sighed again. “All right, let's go build a barn.”

  Chapter Seven

  Newly Wed

  The 28 injured veterans Aspen Hill had agreed to take in arrived the day before Rick and Alice's wedding, brought by Corporal Bryant in a troop transport and a medical truck.

  There were 27 men and a woman, all under the age of 30. Six of them were still bedridden recovering from serious but non-crippling wounds, while the others were either amputees, had suffered injuries severe enough that they'd lost the full use of their limbs, or had other injuries rendering them unfit for combat. The woman, a young private named Carrie Grant, had been blinded in one eye by shrapnel that had also seriously scarred that side of her face. Another private named Nick Davis (no relation to Sergeant Ethan Davis), had been deafened by mortar fire close to his emplacement.

  Lewis knew it was a bit cynical to think, but he was relieved to see that the veterans didn't seem nearly as helpless and unable to care for themselves and contribute to the community as he'd expected. But at the same time it wasn't completely cynical, because what was good for the town was good for veterans as well, and vice versa. Ultimately it meant they had the ability to provide for themselves and prosper with the rest of the town.

  Most of them had brought their service rifles and sidearms with them, and still had the capacity to use them. The six seriously injured would hopefully recover fully. Only four of the veterans had some or all of a leg amputated, and of them two had already been fitted with basic prosthetics that allowed them limited mobility. Three others had lost a hand or part of an arm. Several were there because they'd lost fingers or toes, or for one man a thumb.

  The town gave them a hero's welcome. The same pavilion as before had been set up and a huge (under the circumstances) meal prepared with some of the best food available. The veterans were given their space, but also received an endless stream of townspeople who came by to introduce themselves to their new neighbors and briefly thank them for their service.

  After the meal the veterans were shown to their new homes. Houses were being constructed for them, but like with the refugees for the moment they'd been welcomed in with families. Lewis's own family had offered to take in three; Lewis and Jane would move back into the main room for now so the veterans could share the extension. And the women from Jane's group had welcomed Carrie into their cabin, which was now quite crowded with Deb in there as well.

  Those still recovering from injuries had been moved into the clinic, and Dr. Langstrom had moved in to care for them at all hours while his family stayed with another family. And Terry, April, and Sam had committed to being there as often as possible to lend a hand.

  With so much to do the welcomes were a bit truncated as everyone got back to work. Those veterans who were fit enough joined in, helping with a variety of projects or seeing to settling into their new home.

  For Lewis, Trev, Matt, and several others, the immediate project was the barn. The chilly nights were only going to get worse, and even though it was only the beginning of September and winter still had to be months away the nuclear winter effects put all that into question.

  Better safe than sorry, and do anything that couldn't be done after the snows fell as soon as possible.

  As might be expected, building a barn was a far, far bigger project than building a cabin. Especially since they planned for a loft to store fodder. Even with as seemingly few animals as the entire town possessed the combined livestock would still take up a lot of space, and it would be wise to plan for more just in case. No telling when they might discover more abandoned animals running wild, or find opportunities to purchase some, and if nothing else they'd want to prepare for when their own herds and flocks expanded naturally.

  All Lewis could say was thank goodness Robert was there now. Lewis had experience building smaller structures, but something like this required real experience to prevent major mistakes that they might not notice until during the late stages of construction, which would be a disaster. With the carpenter's help they'd drawn up a simple but solid design, and under his supervision had all got to work. Even after less than a week they had a solid beginning on it, and he was confident another week or two at most would see the job done.

  Rick was one of those helping with the construction. Pete Childress had left his ewe to Alice after he disappeared during the fight against the blockheads, so the couple had their own investment in the barn.

  As they worked shoulder to shoulder on the project Rick endured a bit of good-natured ribbing about nervousness for tomorrow's upcoming nuptials, as well as early congratulations and well-wishes. He accepted both with good grace, giving as good as he gave with the banter.

  “Seriously though,” Lewis told him during a water break, “nobody's surprised if you're a bit jittery. It's a big day.”

  “Says the guy who got married without telling anyone for weeks,” Rick shot back with a grin.

  Lewis tapped his canteen to his forehead to concede the point.

  “But I really don't have any doubts,” his friend continued. “We went through hell together fighting the blockheads, and that sort of thing cements your convictions. I can't imagine having anyone else beside me through whatever life tosses our way.”

  Considering his and Jane's own experiences Lewis knew exactly what Rick was talking about. He clapped his friend on the shoulder and they got back to work.

  Chopping logs was always one of the biggest parts of any building project, aside from the stick-and-mud huts. While Lewis and Trev were out on another run, ranging much farther from town to find trees big enough for a structure like the barn, his cousin looked around at the expanse of stumps. “We're going to have to
be more sustainable going forward,” he said.

  Lewis nodded. He'd already thought about that quite a bit, but unfortunately starting a tree nursery for saplings to replant involved more time and effort than they could spare. At his recommendation Matt had made it town policy for woodcutters to find any saplings growing too closely together in the wild to relocate where trees had been cut down, as well as relocating saplings that might be damaged by a falling tree.

  It wasn't much, and before too long the town would really need to dive headfirst into reforestation, but at the moment survival was a priority. Although at the rate the town was going maybe sooner rather than later would be better. “I'll talk to Matt about it again.”

  Trev seemed satisfied with that, and changed the topic. “So how was your excursion a couple days ago gathering windshields and windows from cars with Trent?”

  Lewis grimaced. It had been a surprisingly difficult and tricky process removing the safety glass without damaging it, then hauling the significant weight back to town. By the end of that day's run he was exhausted and a bit frustrated, more than happy to leave the business to Trent if his friend chose to pursue it.

  “It wasn't the most enjoyable outing,” he admitted. “But we got a decent haul, and now I've got my share of the glass, which should be handy. I plan to use a few for mine and Jane's room.” He grinned at his cousin. “And now's as good a time as any to ask if you want any for the room you're building.”

  “Sure, that would be awesome.” Trev grimaced. “I'll have to figure out if I have anything worth trading.”

  “We can worry about that later.” Lewis pointed towards a decent tree and started over.

  They got to work felling it. After about fifteen minutes of strenuous work Trev called a break, taking a gulp of water. As he handed his canteen over to Lewis he asked, “How're you doing finding what you need for reloading?”

  Lewis paused from hydrating for a moment to move his hand in a “so-so” gesture. “I've got the tools locked down, and at a good price. I just need to go pick them up at some point. But I'm really drawing a blank on the smokeless powder and primers. Even the military prioritized ammunition over the components to make it when they were bringing stuff out here, which means they won't be a source.”

  “So basically you're still nowhere,” Trev said with a grin.

  “Reloading supplies are potentially a useful commodity,” he defended. “Eventually someone's going to raid a factory, warehouse, or sporting goods store with some, and I've got half a dozen people promising me I'm at the top of their list if they get their hands on any.”

  His cousin clapped him on the shoulder. “Well let me know if you need me to ride along with you to pick anything up.”

  “Will do.” They got back to work, their idle chatter going back to their friends' big event scheduled the following day.

  The subject of the wedding didn't just dominate conversation during the barn building. The ceremony was planned for tomorrow at noon in a meadow a stone's throw from town, and that evening the Watsons and their friends took a break from other work to go out and prepare the spot. That involved building a simple platform, setting up the best decorations they could manage, arranging the chairs they'd begged and borrowed from neighbors, and laying out smoothed logs and stumps as additional seating.

  The food arrangements were potluck, as most town gatherings these days tended to be. Everyone was invited, but it was very politely hinted that if you were going to eat, you'd better bring something to share as well. However, in the spirit of previous celebrations Matt was donating some powdered drinks from the town's stores for everyone.

  The preparations drew a crowd of volunteers happy to lend a hand, but since there were only so many things to do most just ended up watching and chatting with those who were working. It quickly became a celebration in its own right, and when people started bringing food around for their evening meals Sam suggested they make it a rehearsal dinner.

  Since no formal dinner was actually planned for the wedding it was a bit unnecessary, and since it was unplanned it all went hilariously wrong. But everyone seemed to have a good time even so, most importantly Rick and Alice. When people dispersed for the night it was with great anticipation for the next day.

  Lewis appreciated how the event was lifting the town's spirits, and Matt definitely seemed pleased about it. He just hoped people were equally eager to get back to the necessary work once the celebration was over.

  When he got back to the family cabin he remembered he'd moved his and Jane's bed into the main room so their veteran guests could have the extension for now. That dashed any plans he'd had to see if his wife shared his celebratory mood.

  On the plus side they all got a much needed early night.

  * * * * *

  Lewis felt honored that Rick had invited him to be a groomsman at the wedding, along with Trev, Gutierrez, Wes, and Chauncey. As a concession to Chauncey's amputated leg they'd set up chairs for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to sit on. The display looked a little odd, but Lewis did have to admit it did a good job of focusing attention on the bride and groom.

  Considering Rick was wearing a suit he'd nearly grown out of, he'd cleaned up pretty nicely. As for Alice, as she made her way down the aisle escorted by Chauncey (only a short distance as another concession to his limited mobility), the young woman looked radiant in an old but lovingly cared for wedding dress that fit her slim form surprisingly well, her long blond hair piled in elaborate braids atop her head.

  She joined Rick in front of Matt, who'd agreed to officiate the marriage as Mayor, as Chauncey gratefully sank into his chair next to Lewis with a relieved sigh, massaging the tender flesh around the wooden prosthetic his son had made for him.

  As the Mayor hesitantly but earnestly went through the ceremony the bride and groom held hands and eagerly rushed through their responses. If either of them felt nervous they didn't show it, just happiness and excitement at the prospect of the life they were starting.

  Watching them Lewis felt a bit sad that his and Jane's own wedding had basically been eloping without going anywhere. He knew his wife had preferred it that way, and it definitely didn't need to have been anything formal. Even this wedding, more casual and outdoors with the whole town invited, was a bit much for his tastes. But maybe just something small with family and a few close friends attending.

  Then again, none of their family had been in Aspen Hill when they got married. Maybe things had gone the best they could under the circumstances.

  But that slight regret aside Lewis was sincerely happy for his friends, and it was a good ceremony. The applause and cheering was polite but enthusiastic as the couple kissed for the first time as man and wife.

  The reception pretty much began immediately after the ceremony ended. Lewis provided a decent digital camera so they could take couple and family photos, and he'd also volunteered to take pictures throughout the day. Although they didn't have the equipment available to print the photos, at the very least he could transfer them over to his friends' phones, which could be charged using the town's solar panels, or the shelter group's.

  The line to congratulate the bride and groom circled around the meadow for over an hour, guests drifting between it and the potluck tables which had an equally long line. After getting in their own congratulations near the beginning Lewis and Jane wandered around, taking pictures and chatting with friends and neighbors. Or at least Lewis did, while his wife did her best to be present in a crowd that clearly put her on edge.

  Children ran and played, darting around legs and roaming off up the slope above the meadow as far as they dared before parents called them back. A few of the teens led by Alvin and Wes started up some of the planned games early, tired of waiting for the adults to finish shaking hands and exchanging hugs.

  As the eating and congratulations began winding down Chauncey got to work behind the sound system he'd rigged up, playing a classic song from the massive list Lewis had loaned him for the
occasion so the couple could enjoy their first dance.

  Alice had taken multiple dance classes growing up, and she'd obviously done a good job teaching Rick. They looked natural together, grinning ear to ear and unable to take their eyes off each other.

  When the song ended they paused to more applause and cheers, along with Lewis snapping pictures. Then Chauncey began another song and couples flooded the dance area, packing it almost to the point where people were bumping into each other with every step. Nobody seemed to mind, and where there were collisions the response was usually laughter as opposed to complaints. Lewis kept to the periphery, taking pictures of the Watsons and their close friends for memories.

  Although the current dance was a fast one Matt and Sam were dancing slow, holding each other close around her prominent belly. They seemed to be in a world of their own, enjoying the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves together when so often their responsibilities kept them apart for a lot of the day. They didn't even seem to notice the occasional jostle.

  Lewis was surprised to see that Robert, the town's new carpenter, had convinced Mary to join him on the dance floor. He knew his sister loved to dance, but her shyness made it awkward so she usually only danced with someone she knew. That was usually him or Trev or one of their dads.

  Not this time, though; Robert led the steps with easygoing confidence, whatever he was saying making her smile and even laugh once. By the time the dance ended he'd teased a bit of conversation out of her, and they chatted as they waited for the music to start for the next dance.

  He noticed Trev and Deb out on the floor. They were doing that sort of awkward, dancing by yourselves next to each other thing that seemed popular in high school dances or at concerts. Lewis wasn't sure if that was because it was what they preferred, or if they were still tiptoeing their way around the brown-haired woman's difficulty with physical contact. Either way they seemed to be enjoying themselves.