“We’ll do a better job of scavenging. We may be able to trade for the meds he needs,” Wolf said to Tabitha.
When they hit the outskirts of town, however, it became evident that the place had essentially been abandoned. It felt strange to be walking into what looked and sounded like a ghost town.
“Where is everyone?” Regan whispered.
“Probably hiding. It’s a fairly small town. They may not have had enough supplies and moved on,” Wolf reasoned.
“We need to look for meds,” Tabitha reminded them.
There was a small gas station they checked first. It was empty, and the shelves had been picked clean. Geno held up a small travel tool kit that he found on a shelf. “Ha! Found some tools, and they’re light enough to carry,” he said with excitement.
Everyone feigned joy, but they all knew fixing a car was a farfetched idea. They just felt a new level of patience for the guy because of his obvious illness, which seemed to be getting worse.
The tiny town resulted in no other real finds, and the group kept moving. It started to rain once again. Wolf assured them it wasn’t dangerous because the temperature was mild. However, it was either the rain or the constant walking making Geno’s cough worse, but they were helpless to control either and they had to keep moving. It wasn’t safe to stop and ride out the storm.
“Looks like a bigger town ahead,” Fred announced. “We need to check any farm stores or places where they sell livestock feed. Those places usually have animal antibiotics. Pen-G is what we want to find.”
“Pen-G?” Tabitha asked. “What’s that?”
“It’s penicillin. Ranchers use it for cows and other small livestock. It’s used to treat bacterial infections in animals,” he explained.
“Uh, is that safe for a human to take?” Regan asked with concern.
“Yes, it’s the same medicine, except you can buy it without a prescription. It may be a little tricky to figure out the dosing, but generally livestock is dosed by the pound. It won’t be hard to use a little math to figure out how much Geno needs,” Fred assured them.
Tabitha looked intrigued. “I hope we find one of those places. We should check any farms we come across, and veterinary clinics, as well,” she said excitedly. “I didn’t even think of the vets and the animal meds. They’re often the same as human medications, but most people don’t know it; maybe they won’t have been looted yet.”
“I should add,” Fred said hesitantly, “that penicillin is usually kept refrigerated. Since the power has only been out a couple weeks, I imagine what we find will still be potent. Without refrigeration, though, the potency will diminish over time. It’s probably already been affected to some extent.”
“If by some chance we come across a natural food store, we check there, as well. I know plenty of homeopathic options that will take care of his cough,” Tabitha added.
“Homeopathic?” Regan questioned. “Is that the herbs and stuff?”
Tabitha shook her head. “No. Mostly, you will find them in one very small section. They are little white pills in small white or blue bottles. If you see anything like that, holler and I’ll come running!” she said.
“We’ll find something,” Regan assured her.
The group set out, encountering a few people roaming the streets. Fred asked about any veterinary offices or hospitals. There were two in town. He would take Tabitha and Geno to check those while Regan and Wolf knocked on doors, asking for any antibiotics.
Before long, it was clear that they’d have no luck—even the people who answered looked at them suspiciously and seemed unwilling to give them the time of day, let alone medicine.
“I hope they had better luck,” Regan mumbled as they walked toward the designated meeting place.
“Me, too. You know, my grandmother always fed us garlic when we were sick. I don’t think I ever took antibiotics. We should be able to find garlic,” Wolf mused aloud.
“Do you think that will work? I mean, if he does have pneumonia, won’t he need antibiotics?” Regan asked, not buying the garlic theory.
Wolf smiled. “Garlic is nature’s answer to an antibiotic. My ancestors survived without manufactured antibiotics for hundreds of years.”
“What about elderberry? I knew an old lady who swore by that stuff. She carried around a bottle of elderberry syrup. She was never sick. When I got a cold once, she was nice enough to share some with me. I don’t know if it helped, but I didn’t get any sicker and the cold seemed to go away pretty fast,” she added.
“Any option we can find is better than nothing. Maybe there’ll be vitamins to be found in grocery stores. It’s possible, by some chance, those will have been left alone. People may not think the vitamins are worth anything,” he said in a quiet voice. “How wrong they are. The vitamins are going to be more valuable than the cans of food they took.”
Regan scoffed. “I doubt that. You need food. I’ve never taken vitamins a day in my life. That’s all a lot of old wives’ tales, you ask me.”
Wolf actually laughed. “I will agree; some vitamin supplements are unnecessary. However, without electricity and modern farming equipment, the population is going to start getting sicker. We’re not going to be eating balanced diets. People are going to be lacking the nutrition they need to stay healthy and keep their immune system in good shape. Those vitamins, like C and the Bs, are going to be very helpful. I have vitamins stockpiled at my place in case my farming skills aren’t what I hoped for.”
Finally, Regan and Wolf turned a corner and came in sight of the other three; judging by the looks on their faces, they had struck out also.
“We’ll find something,” Regan assured Tabitha.
By the time they hit the outskirts of the next town, they were all very worried. Geno seemed to be going downhill fast. They were close to Naples now, but if they couldn’t find the drugs they needed in this last suburb, they would have to try to find what they needed in the city. That could be risky and come at a much higher cost.
“There’s a clinic,” Fred pointed out. “I’ll check it out and see if anything is left.”
The other four checked the businesses alongside the clinic in a small strip mall.
“I’ve got a bunch of Tylenol,” Regan said, coming back with a handful of small packages. Each pack had two pills each.
“That’s a start,” Tabitha said, ripping one open and giving it to Geno. “I gave him some of what I had out of the first aid kit, but it isn’t doing much good.”
She put her hand on his cheek and then his head. Geno looked miserable—there were purple circles under his eyes and his shoulders were slumped forward.
“Worse?” Wolf asked.
Geno only grunted in response, but Tabitha nodded. “Yeah. I’m convinced it is definitely walking pneumonia. He needs rest and fluids. We’ve got to find more water.”
Wolf nodded. “We’re going to have to use the filters for now while we’re on the move. We can boil water tonight. We’ll fill up our bottles here.”
They all walked to the edge of the lake that the town was built around. There were plenty of other people doing the same thing, filling pots and every other vessel they could carry.
“Use the canteen to collect the water,” Wolf instructed. “Then, we’ll use the purification tablets and boil it before it goes into your water bottles.”
Fred cleared his throat. “I think we should do all that somewhere else. People are going to notice that we’ve got some purification tablets left.”
Wolf looked up and saw one man in particular who looked a little too interested in the group of five people that had come to stand beside the lake’s edge.
“You’re right,” he acknowledged softly. “Tabitha and Regan, why don’t you take the children over there,” he pointed to a tree. “I’ll send Fred over in a second with the first canteen full of water. Use your bodies and the stroller to hide the filter. Then, you ladies take turns filling the cup and returning. Hopefully, the people here will
assume we’re drinking the water straight from the lake.”
The women quickly did as he’d asked. While Wolf filled the canteen, Fred made small talk with the man who had been watching them earlier. It proved to be a solid distraction, aided by Fred’s body.
It was a tedious process, but Wolf insisted they not put their somewhat sterile water bottles directly into the lake. It would only contaminate the bottles and, without a way to purify the containers, they could potentially get sick. He told them it was unlikely, but out of an abundance of caution, they followed his advice anyway. Seeing how sick Geno was and how seriously he was struggling, the importance of staying healthy was clearer than ever.
Rehydrated, they walked through town, stopping on occasion to chat with some of the locals. Some were friendly while others made it clear they weren’t interested in helping anyone out.
“Did she have anything?” Regan asked Tabitha when she had rejoined them after knocking on a door and finding a friendly elderly woman.
Tabitha shook her head. “No, she offered me some jam when she found out Geno was sick, but I think it was about all she had. She was a really sweet woman. I told her to hold onto it.”
“We’ll keep looking. I see a lot of stranded cars up ahead. Hopefully, we’ll score something,” Wolf commented.
As they walked, they checked every car. Every car they walked past had been thoroughly ransacked. They didn’t find any food, or anything else of real value.
“I guess we’re a little late to the party,” Regan quipped. “These people have had almost three weeks to scavenge and search every inch of this area. Everything has been picked over.”
“There’s always something. We have to keep looking. We’re looking in the most obvious places,” Wolf replied. “If we get off the main road, I’m sure we’ll find homes out of the way that haven’t been searched.”
“We can’t do that,” Tabitha interjected. “We need to get to the city. We don’t have time to waste hours walking out of our way, only to come up empty-handed. You said you have meds at your place, right?” she asked hopefully.
Wolf nodded, his lips pursed in concern. “I do.”
“Then that’s where we go. No more wasting time looking around here. We go where we know there’s food, water, and medical supplies,” she said with finality.
Regan looked at Wolf and smiled. “You heard the woman.”
He chuckled. “I did. Let’s get moving.”
They stopped checking every car and did only cursory walk-bys. They were on a mission. Geno’s health was deteriorating fast. Regan actually had a feeling they were going to have to try and find a wheelchair for the guy to get him the rest of the way. His big shoulders were drooped forward, and his feet were dragging. He would be going down soon if they didn’t get him some medicine.
“I’ll find something in the city,” Regan vowed, more to herself than anyone else.
16
At dawn, other people could be seen stirring, which was typical of homeless camps. They had camped out in a park outside the city with other displaced travelers. Regan realized a lot of these people had simply found themselves without anywhere to go because they’d been visiting the city when the EMP had struck. It wasn’t like they could check into a hotel or make good on their flights home from vacation.
She could hear a baby crying from where she’d lain down to sleep, and felt especially bad for the parents. She couldn’t imagine the stress of trying to keep a child alive with no food to feed them. The harsh reality of the situation slammed into her yet again as she sat up and looked around the park. The early morning sunlight highlighted the trash strewn about, and a soft breeze brought around a stark reminder of the lack of sanitation. The stench was powerful and seemed to come in waves, never quite letting up.
Regan looked over to where Tabitha and Geno were huddled together. She had heard him coughing throughout the night, but she hadn’t always been able to tell when it was him. It seemed like everyone in their homeless camp in the park was coughing, sneezing, or in some cases, vomiting.
“It’s going to be worse in the city,” Wolf whispered.
Regan turned to see him moving up to a sitting position. “What do you mean?”
“The crying, starving children and the sounds of people in despair. It’s going to be worse.”
Regan nodded. “I hate that we can’t help them all.”
“I know. It’s sad there’s nothing we can do for them, but we don’t have the resources.”
“Why isn’t the government doing anything? Where’s the Red Cross, and FEMA?” she asked.
“If they were even able to mobilize, I imagine they already ran out of supplies. They were probably here days after it happened, but anything they’d gathered would all be depleted by now. Citizens would have overrun any aid stations that were set up. It isn’t like they could have had anything trucked in. What they already had in the area was it,” he explained.
Regan shook her head. “This is so bad. I wonder how many other cities are like this. What if the whole country is like this? How many people are going to survive?”
Wolf didn’t answer. She knew he had no clue. No one did. It was truly down to survival of the fittest and it had been only a few weeks since the outage had begun. If it was this bad now, it would be even worse in another week. The full magnitude of what they were dealing with seemed unfathomable.
She looked to her left and right at the people she was currently hooked up with. Was this who she wanted to be with for the foreseeable future? What if Geno died? What would Tabitha do? Regan didn’t want to deal with grief and all the feelings that the death of someone close to her would bring up. It was so much easier to be alone.
Without there being anything more to say, Wolf and Regan woke the other three. It was time to go into the city. There were several hospitals, and they were hoping at least one was still operational.
“This is where you live?” Regan asked as they crossed over a bridge.
Wolf nodded. “Yes, kind of. We need to get to the southeast side of the city. Guys, I know I’ve said this a lot, but stay on guard.”
“Your island is close to the city?” Regan asked.
“From the city limits, it’s going to be about a half day’s walk to the place where my rowboat is stashed on the coast. It’s about seven miles south of Naples. Depending on what the situation is, we may need to take side roads and move at night. I can’t risk anyone seeing us and following us,” he said in a low voice, making sure no one passing by overheard.
Regan nodded in understanding. “Is your wife there, as well? I’ve only heard you talk about your dad and daughter.”
“No. I only have an ex-wife, and she won’t be there,” he said in a clipped tone.
“Won’t she be worried about your daughter? What’s her name?” Regan asked, trying to remember.
“Lily, and no, my ex-wife is not Lily’s mother. Lily’s mother died shortly after she was born.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Regan said, feeling bad for bringing up the subject.
“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “It was a long time ago. Gabrielle and I only dated briefly, and had actually parted ways when I found out she was pregnant. We were on good terms, but we weren’t in love. When she died, it was hard, but that’s when I decided it was time to make some changes in my life. I retired from the military and finished getting my Bachelor’s in history. I thought I was going to be a teacher, and then I realized I had to be outside. I couldn’t be cooped up in a classroom.”
Regan smiled. “And that’s how you became a survivalist?”
He nodded. “Basically. My studies included learning about how our ancestors survived. They lived off the land. That always intrigued me, and from there, the interest blossomed into who I am now.”
“Cool,” Regan replied, not sure what else to say.
He chuckled. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“I gave you my life story. Tell me you
rs.”
She heaved a sigh, but realized she couldn’t argue with his logic. “It isn’t nearly as awesome. My mom was fifteen when she got pregnant with me. Her family was poor and couldn’t help her much. She was going to school when she had me. Or, at least she tried. She dropped out so she could work. We lived in a studio apartment that should have been condemned. I didn’t blame her for how poor we were. I knew she tried.”
“Where is she now?” Wolf asked.
Regan shook her head, wishing she hadn’t let him draw her into all this. “Dead,” she answered simply.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Regan shrugged off the pity in his voice. “It was a long time ago. I’d been pulled out of her custody and put into foster. She was hit by a car walking home from work one night.”
“Why were you put into foster care?” Wolf asked.
Regan looked around and noticed they had separated themselves from the other three in the group. That had turned into a habit with them, she realized.
“It’s a long story, but basically, I got hurt. She took me to the hospital and the nurses started asking questions. We were homeless at the time, and food wasn’t always a guarantee. They said I was malnourished and not being properly cared for. My mom was crying when they dragged me away from her. It’s the last time I saw her,” she explained quietly.
Thinking of the scene hurt. She never talked about that moment. It stirred up memories she’d rather forget.
“I’m sorry, truly, I am,” Wolf said.
He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she cringed, not wanting the sympathy. He seemed to understand and pulled his hand away. Thankfully, he didn’t ask any more questions. They rejoined their group, which had been partially swallowed up by the crowd of people flooding the streets of the city, all of them apparently hoping to scavenge for food. Everywhere she looked, Regan could see people. This was the urban environment she was used to. It was easy to blend in and move like a ghost in and out of the various groups of people.
She separated from the others and blended in with the crowd, her ears open, listening for any clues about where they might find food or medicine. Her recon mission paid off even more quickly than she might have expected. She casually slowed her pace and fell back in with her own group.
Surviving the Swamp (Survivalist Reality Show Book 1) Page 16