The Changing Earth Series (Book 1): Day After Disaster

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  “Oh, it smells good in here,” Greg said in a loud voice, so he could draw the attention of the owners.

  “It ought to,” a heavier-set lady with graying hair replied from somewhere back in the kitchen.

  “Is that Greg out there making all that ruckus?” a man asked as he walked out of the back of the building. He was also graying a little, but he smiled warm and welcoming. “Oh, my goodness, it can’t be, is that Erika?”

  “In the flesh, how are you doing, Clay?” Erika asked cheerfully. She was familiar with the owners of the restaurant before the quake, and she was happy to see faces she recognized.

  “I’ve been better, but it’s so great to see you. Laurie, come out here. Erika made it home,” Clay said joyfully, grabbing Erika up in a hug.

  Laurie came hustling out of the kitchen and gave Erika a hug. She started rambling at her, “You know, your husband has been here time and time again wondering if you came home. I’m sorry to tell you, but we all told him he was crazy to think you would ever make it back, but by God here you are. You just make yourself at home; I got to get back to my cooking. We are making up some goodies to eat with that meat that the river group brought in.” Suddenly it clicked in Laurie’s head. “You came in with the river group, didn’t you? Were you there the whole time or are you this ‘savior’ I keep hearing about?”

  “Oh my gosh,” Erika said rolling her eyes. “I guess I’m not going to be able to escape this for a while. I’m the ‘savior,’ I guess. It was more like I was in the right place at the right time and I helped them get away from some really bad men, but we didn’t save everyone and in the end, I needed as much saving as they did.”

  “Either way, it’s nice to have you home. I assume someone has sent for Vince,” Laurie replied, hoping that Vince was on his way. She knew how desperate he was to hear news of her.

  “Yeah, Greg sent Denton and Rob to go and find him. He wouldn’t let me go.” Erika glanced at Greg.

  “That’s good, looks like you could use some rest anyhow. Why don’t you guys sit down and have some coffee? We still have a little left. Clay, can you grab them some while I get back to my kitchen?” Laurie asked as she walked away.

  “Oh yeah, that’s no problem,” Clay said quickly.

  “No, that’s okay.” Greg broke in. “I’m going to show Erika the rest of the camp.”

  “There’s not much to see, everything got destroyed. We fought tooth and nail to keep our building standing. It’s still a miracle that it’s standing now with all these darn aftershocks,” Clay replied sadly.

  “I know, but Erika hasn’t seen any of it, so we’ll see you later when the food is served,” Greg said, grabbing at Erika’s hand to lead her away.

  “Sure, that’s all you worry about: where’s the food?” Clay said in a playful tone. “That’s okay, we’ll see you later.”

  “Bye, Laurie, bye, Clay,” Erika yelled while she waved and walked out the door with Greg.

  “Nice to know at least something is still standing,” Erika said to Greg.

  “Oh, that’s not all, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise,” Greg said with a gleam in his eye, knowing of her resentment toward surprises.

  “What, Greg?” Erika pleaded. Now was not any different than before; it would drive her nuts trying to think what the surprise might be.

  “Just come on,” Greg said. He knew he’d perked her curiosity and was going to revel in it for a moment. “You wanted to meet the doctor that was treating Star anyway, so let’s go do that now and we can worry about surprises later.”

  “Give it up, Greg, I don’t even care what the surprise is,” Erika said, trying to appear uninterested but she was bursting with curiosity. She made herself content with meeting this doctor instead.

  The two of them walked all the way to the other end of town where another restaurant once stood. They passed tent after tent and campfire after campfire. Once they reached the other side of town, Erika saw that the restaurant was totaled. They cleaned up the aftermath enough to look somewhat respectable and turned it into a makeshift hospital. The entire structure was covered, with tarps over it, and was lined wall to wall with cots and sleeping mats. People filled all the beds and a stocky man with a round head and white coat was walking from the side cupboards to the beds, back to a microscope, and back to the bed again. He looked up when Greg and Erika entered, and he waved for Greg to come over to him.

  “Greg,” the man said quietly, “we’re going to need more bandages and antiseptic. Plus, we need some more antibiotics.”

  “I know, Ryan, but we’ve already searched all the houses left in Cool and we’re running out of options,” Greg replied.

  “Then, we’ll have to search farther, Greg. More people are going to die without it.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, Ryan. We’ll get it for you. In the meantime I want you to meet Star’s mom, Erika.”

  Ryan did a double take while he was shaking Erika’s hand. “I expected Star’s mom to be taller and maybe a blond like she is. You two don’t look very alike. Does she look like her dad?”

  “I don’t know, Doctor, I found her on the way here. Her real parents are dead and now, I’m Mom,” Erika replied, painfully remembering the lady she smothered that day.

  “That explains it. Sorry to be so blunt, but as you can see, I don’t really have time to beat around the bush. I would have brought Star here, but as you can see, we’re full,” he said, looking out over his patients. “Oh yeah, and don’t call me Doctor, Ryan will do. I was only a nurse practitioner, you know.”

  “I don’t care what you were. I can see from what you are doing now that you’re a doctor and I want you to know, Doctor, that I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did for Star. Do you think that she will have a full recovery?” Erika asked, impressed by this healer. He looked sweaty, like he had been running around for days. His constant care for these patients was evident. The place was clean, and the smell of disease was not too thick in the air.

  “Erika, she’s going to be fine. The bullet did hit her calf muscle, but it was a clean shot. As soon as it heals she’ll be back on her feet, if she keeps it clean and infection-free until then. And believe me, staying clean is no easy task around here. That’s why I suggested that she stay in bed until it has a chance to heal further. At least then she will stay in a somewhat clean environment.”

  “Doctor . . .Ryan,” a man moaning from a bed called.

  “Sorry, guys, I have to go. Greg, please remember the supplies,” Dr. Ryan said as he ran off toward the bed.

  “Bye, Doctor, it was nice to have met you, and thanks again,” Erika called out softly as she and Greg left the tent.

  “He seems nice,” Erika said to Greg once they were out in the hot sunshine breathing the fresh air again.

  “I don’t envy him at all, but he’s been our ‘savior.’” Greg used this term on purpose and shot Erika a wink. “After the quake and the fire there were a lot more of us that gathered here; we were trying to get things figured out and contact someone who could help. After a while, it was clear there was no one to contact. Thank God all this happened in the summer when most people are healthy, but some people needed medications. There’s no pharmacy up here and we couldn’t get to a city. The medications they relied on started to run out. For the next couple of months people were dropping like flies. Ryan tried everything he could think of to make them better, but their bodies couldn’t recover without medication. There was nothing he could do except make them comfortable and watch them die. It was horrible. Some people stored larger stocks of their meds, but eventually they all run out and then what? If their bodies couldn’t learn to survive without it, or a natural substitute, then there was nothing we could do.”

  “I saw a lot of bodies when I was going through Auburn, but it doesn’t look like that here. What are you guys doing with them all?” Erika wondered.

  “Over the hill about a half a mile a huge fissure opened in the earth. We t
ake all the bodies there and throw them down the fissure. That way disease doesn’t spread, and people have a place to go to remember their loved ones. We call it Cool’s Trail of Tears. Anyway, there is still stuff left in people’s houses and we need all the supplies we can get. We remove the bodies and any supplies and mark the house, so we know we already cleared it. We’re working on a pretty good perimeter, but we never bring back enough supplies to make everyone happy.” Greg explained the operation in detail.

  “Same old story, you can’t please everyone. I’m glad you guys are laying the bodies to rest. It really bothered me to see all the decaying bodies just lying there in Auburn. No one cared; I think they were actually eating meat off them,” Erika said disgustedly.

  “Come on, let’s not get all bummed out. This is going to be a happy day, darn it. Plus, I still have a surprise for you,” Greg added, knowing the return to the mention of the surprise would entice Erika and get them off of depressing subjects.

  The surprise had been forgotten with all this serious talk and Erika’s curiosity was renewed. “What is it? Come on, you have to tell me,” she pleaded again.

  “No, I don’t, and you’ll see soon enough,” Greg teased back. “Oh man, it’s good to have you back, girl. I was so worried,” Greg told her, hugging her tightly. He added an extra squeeze at the end.

  Erika didn’t have to say anything. It was good to be with him again too. Friends had always been priceless, but Erika never fully appreciated that fact before. She could come and go, and it hardly made a difference, but now everyone knew exactly how important it was to hold onto those little things that really matter in life. Greg started walking toward an area of town that used to be where the feed store was located but it was no more. Erika assumed it burned in the fire. Anything that was of use was relocated to another survival location. They didn’t walk all the way to the feed store, though; they made a sharp right and headed for the area that used to be little fenced patios and porchways out behind the buildings. This area was darker and more cluttered. Erika followed carefully behind Greg until they came to a board that had a G on it. Greg moved it aside and the inside of the area looked welcoming. Greg collected rugs, blankets, candle holders, and so much more. It looked like the inside of some Persian prince’s tent. One side of it was more of a sitting area and the other side was definitely a sleeping area. Distracted by the lavish comfort Greg built himself, Erika didn’t even notice Greg’s dog, Dakota, sneak up on her. All 180 pounds of his bull mastiff body bounced at her leg and his full weight hit her. Dakota knew who she was, and he was excited. His big old butt wagged back and forth, and his curly tail swished vigorously.

  “Dakota!” Erika screamed with excitement. Erika was an absolute dog lover, and she suddenly realized that she hadn’t seen one in over three months. She petted him and hugged him. “Wow, seeing Dakota makes me realize how much I miss Ripper.”

  “He’ll be here soon enough, Erika. Why don’t we sit down and chill out for a little bit? Then we’ll go over and say hi to Mike and my dad,” Greg suggested, finding a spot in the sitting room on one of the cushions in the corner. “Hey, Erika, check this out.”

  Erika was finding her own cushion to sit on over by Greg. It was from an old sofa and looked comfortable. Sitting down, she asked, “What’s up?”

  Greg pulled back one of the blankets and he was stocked. He had alcohol, canned goods, and even some more smokes. “Why don’t we have a drink and a smoke?”

  “Oh yes, no need to twist my arm. I could use a nice break,” Erika replied, looking eagerly at the bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum that was on one side of the stack. “Greg, grab that Captain Morgan’s, everyone needs a little Captain in them, right?”

  Greg chuckled and grabbed the bottle. He also grabbed a pack of Camel Lights, Erika’s favorite. “Here you go. You can have this pack. Now where are those freakin’ shot glasses?”

  “Thanks, Greg. I have a couple of smokes left but I’m on extreme rationing now. Aren’t those the glasses over there?” Erika commented, spying the sparkle of glass in a corner. “Got a light?”

  “Sure do.” Greg reached over and lit Erika’s smoke and then grabbed two shot glasses from the corner pile. He poured them to the brim and handed one to Erika. “Here’s to old times.”

  Erika raised her glass and added, “It couldn’t last forever.” The familiar flavor of the rum burned Erika’s throat as they drank the shots down.

  Greg refilled the glasses and they drank slower this time. Erika never liked doing shots. She liked the fruity, girly drinks and the straight rum was a little overwhelming at first. As her insides began to warm, her nerves relaxed and she found it easier to drink. It felt wonderful to rest on the soft cushions having a drink and a smoke. Erika laid back, soaking in the restful feeling when all of a sudden, a huge tongue licked her right across the face.

  “Oh, Dakota!” Erika shrieked, sitting up quickly and wiping her face. He slurped a big, gross drool right across her. Greg laughed heartily.

  “I bet you really miss dogs now,” he said, catching his breath.

  Before long, their bellies ached from laughing over the incident. Being out of her natural element for so long, Erika almost lost herself. She could have forgotten her life and given into the despair of her situation, but she didn’t. Now, here she was relaxing and drinking with her old friend. A big feast was planned for tonight and, the most delightful fact of all, her family would be here soon. She would see them tonight! She could hardly contain her excitement.

  “Greg, I can’t wait to see Vince and Dexter. I never thought I would make it home. I can’t believe I’m here with you drinking rum,” Erika expressed, getting anxious.

  “Honestly, Erika, I can’t believe you’re here either. I never thought I would see you again. So many people are gone, I figured you were just one more of them. Come here!” Greg leaned over and gave Erika another great big hug. It was one of those hugs that goes straight through to your bones. A hug shared between friends that fills one another with strength and certainty. “All right, we need to keep moving,” he said, feeling the effects of the alcohol. “We need to go finish visiting and then go help get set up for tonight.”

  “I’ll agree with that,” Erika confirmed, slurring her words a little. “Plus, if I drink anymore of that, I’ll be way too drunk by the time the boys get back here, and I have a feeling it is going to be a long night. If you know what I mean?” Erika declared with a sly little look in her eyes.

  “I’m hearing ya’, sista’. That’s what I need, a little ‘somthin,’ something,’” Greg teased with his woman-eater look in his eyes. He was staring off into space in visions of grandeur.

  “All right, get your mind out of the gutter. Let’s go see Mike and your dad,” Erika suggested, quickly changing the subject.

  “Let’s go,” Greg agreed. They got up and headed toward the door of the tent. Greg turned back and gave instructions to Dakota, “Now, Dakota, you stay and be a good boy. Protect Daddy’s stuff; I’ll be back in a little while to take you out.” He closed the tent and they continued walking down a little trail in between tent after tent after tent.

  The sun was past the middle of the sky now and it was hot. Inside the tent it was cool, but the sun was blasting outside. Erika was in awe of the mass of people all living together. Normally everyone would have been home with tons of space in between each family but when the stuff went down, they banded together. They didn’t know one another. Each one lived their own life before, getting up for work and coming home. They grocery-shopped together or bumped into one another in line at the gas station, but never wanted to socialize. They all had their own friends. They were part of digital social networks. Now, here they were, all stacked together, all helping one another. Erika thought it was kind of miraculous and at the same time, sad that it took total devastation for people to look at one another and ask: how can I help?

  Finally, Greg and Erika came to a deck that used to be the back area of the
local bar. The quake and fire did its damage here as well, but the people pushed out the debris and put a makeshift roof over the building. This made it possible to pull a bench up to the bar and have a drink. Originally, the alcohol supply didn’t last too long but they were resourceful. People needed stress relief and the doctor needed the antiseptic properties of it. The owners were strictly rationing the original supply and they were constantly sending out gathering parties to look for more. But, that didn’t keep the supply full, so they made a still and were making their own. It was strong and tasted like crap, but it did the trick for the stress and the medicine.

  “Wow, they have really done a lot with the place since I’ve been gone,” Erika said sarcastically.

  “Hey, it’s a lot better than it was. I thought it was too far gone, but people wanted a bar, so they dug the bar out of the rubble. Then they threw this crappy roof on and here it is,” Greg declared. He was a construction man and was having a hard time staring at this world that was so piecemeal. He wanted straight lines and things put together properly, but they didn’t have the tools or the materials to make that happen, so he dealt with it.

  “Greg, we’re over here,” someone called from a table in the corner. Even though it was bright outside, it was amazing how dark it was inside. Looking around, Erika understood why: there were no windows left. They must have broken out and just been boarded back up. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust so she could see who was calling them over to the table. Nearing the corner, she saw on old friend. It was Mike Nostrem. Greg’s dad, Cliff, was up at the bar ordering another drink for himself and Mike. Erika was curious what form of payment they were using for the drinks. She quickly pushed the thought back and walked up to Mike, who was talking with Cliff’s girlfriend, Barbara. Erika didn’t know Barbara well, so she didn’t really react when Erika walked up behind Mike.