Chapter 30 - Day 7
As morning broke and the bird song celebrated a new day of calm, the couple stretched their bare toes on the ferns at their feet. Shannon's heart was heavy, but she held it, lifting Zeke into the sky with ease and coaxing a cute attempt at a laugh from his small lips.
“We need to catch something to eat soon,” she spoke, her gaze carefully avoiding eye contact.
“I know. The air rifle is calibrated, I know that it works. I suggest we move closer to the stream today. If we move to the edge of the trees nearest it, we can spend more time fishing and hunting and we can hopefully get some organic protein. I am well and truly sick of these bars.”
Shannon blew out her cheeks. “Let’s get packing. If we don't get something, then we must try going towards one of the towns to scrape some tinned food together. There must be something that has survived.”
Leighton felt a heavy weight of realisation. Thriving wasn't an option for them until they were at least self-sufficient. They had eaten a few berries that bloomed on bushes near their campsite, however a few blackberries and currents were not going to sustain them long term and so far, had only managed to keep their bowels regular against the synthetic food that was making up the rest of their diet.
“A fish would do nicely,” he said. “Let's get things together, it's only about quarter of an hour to move to a better spot. It will take longer to pack than to move, but it will save us an hour or two each day and allow us to set up fishing during the day. I don’t think we are at so much risk from the skies above now anyway.”
They packed up as quickly as they could. Zeke cried the whole time on a blanket to one side as they did so. Shannon kept a wary eye on him and in all directions, dreading that a person or creature would sprout from the woods and take him the moment she pulled together the tent or averted her eyes for more than a second or two at a time.
It didn't take long to reach the edge of the wooded area and running further down the slope the river flowed east. Leighton suggested they move further uphill so that in a short walk they could get a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view from the top, still reach the river much quicker and maintain cover from the skies. Shannon agreed with the suggestion and quickly fixed the tent while Leighton held Zeke on his lap and unpacked the tools needed to try and fish. Once things were carefully packed into the various pockets of his jacket, he gave Zeke back to his mother and carefully dropped down the slope towards the river with his air rifle in one hand and fishing pole in the other. He heard Shannon sniggering at him as he walked away, cumbersome as his walk was.
Once they were set up again, Shannon temporarily left the camp to pick some berries from nearby bushes and discern the driest branches and twigs from the floor. Having Zeke strapped to her chest in the carrier made for slow work and she only got together enough branches to have one fire and enough berries to give them a boost for two days. As the sun started to lower, she followed the path downhill to catch up with Leighton at the riverside. He was sat cross-legged on the river's bank, his fishing line taut in the current downstream and his air rifle nearby, cocked and ready.
Leighton swung around as she approached, smiled then groaned as he saw his line had caught yet again in reeds at the other side of the river. He carefully put the pole down on the ground, cut the line and stood up to give it sharp tugs until the hook freed from the plants and finally pulled towards him.
Grace gradually came to from a muggy and broken night’s sleep to find Mina in the bed next to her. She was on top of the covers with an arm flung loosely over Grace’s stomach. Her leg felt as though it was on fire. Having only had the option of sleeping lying on her back had proved difficult and she couldn’t move to satisfy her urges for comfort. Her eyes stung dully with tiredness. Sleeping in the bed with Mina didn’t make it any easier as her anxieties kept her body restless. She thought to herself that now was probably the only time Mina had been truly asleep.
“Mina. Mina.” Grace gently rolled her friend back and forth, continuing to call her name. Mina stirred a little and turned her back on her. “Mina, it’s morning,” Grace said with more vigour.
Mina groaned, opening her eyes on the white ceiling. “Stop it. I’m awake,” she said finally. Mina stretched her eyelids to take in the light, fighting against their will to close again almost instantly.
“You remember it’s arts and crafts day today, right?” Grace said.
“Arts and… Oh! I see what you did there.”
“Yay. I had a thought while I was trying to sleep, you know. I have never had a cast before so there will be absolutely no way that I will be able to judge your handiwork, whether it is actually good or not. I am imagining that it will be vastly superior to this clunk of junk.”
“Aw, I am glad you have so much faith in me,” Mina said.
“You know what I mean, groucho. This has stopped me doing any more – visible – damage to it, so count that as a success.” Mina, lifted herself up to sitting, with two large pillows that had been thrown to the ground during the restless night sleep behind her back. “Are you getting up?” Grace asked when Mina stirred.
“No, why?” Mina asked abruptly.
“No, don’t worry. It’s all good for now.” Grace waved a hand to dismiss her unasked question. “So-” Grace paused. “Where are we going to make this cast then?”
“I don’t know yet. I have everything together downstairs, but I think it would be easier to bring it all up here than you down there. What were you going to ask?”
“I was just going to inquire as to whether such a fine lady as yourself would be venturing to the kitchen for coffee and painkillers.” Grace pulled a wide grin with teeth showing and clutched her hands together pleadingly.
“You kill me.”
“That’s why I said to never mind. I’ll go make it if you like.”
“Are you taking the piss?”
“Yes.” Grace kept holding her exaggerated smile in place and fluttered her eye lids. Mina turned a stern face towards her friend, saw the smile and couldn’t help, but to let out a chirp of a laugh that she tried to subdue as quickly as she could.
“Fine. Only because you look cute and I’ve never seen you need help before this week.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Grace leant over and pecked Mina on the cheek.
Mina said, “That’s gross,” and dragged herself to the edge of the bed, partly to cover a reddening of her cheeks.
“I’ll make it up to you when I am better. I will do all the driving or something. Thank you.”
Mina dragged out her words to accentuate her tiredness, “You’re welcome.”
She stood up, stretching her arms high above her head and twisting her back to the left and then right. As she took her first steps she tensed her thighs and calves, lifting herself onto tip toes before slinging her arms into a night robe hung beside the door.
Once she arrived in the kitchen, she switched the tap on and to her surprise, nothing came out. She tried the hot tap and the same result occurred. “Damn,” she said aloud. She had already supposed that other amenities would be lost at some point, but it still came as somewhat of a shock. She buried her head in her hands while she thought of another solution. “Any water,” she said to herself. “The stream. Oh, that can wait.”
She opened the cool – but not cold – fridge to find an unopened carton of orange juice. Pondering it for a moment, she decided it would have to do and took that and two glasses back upstairs to the bedroom.
“Coffee is off,” Mina said sadly.
Grace let out an exaggerated “NO!” with arms outstretched in mock agony and outrage.
“I brought orange juice and your painkillers.”
“Well that shall do then, I guess.” Grace held a sullen look on her face with her bottom lip pushed out.
“Do you want to know why there is no coffee?” Mina asked as Grace chased down her tablets with a gulp of juice.
“Oh yeah. I guess that might be some useful in
formation. Why is there no coffee, Mina?”
“Well, Grace. We no longer have running water. I guess we used it all up last night.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It was inevitable. Luckily, we live near a pretty clear stream. I am not sure if we can drink it safely, but we will certainly be able to wash in, and most importantly use it for the cast.”
“Frustrating?” Shannon asked.
“Slightly. We'll get there.”
“Looks like you'd be better off shooting at birds.” She had Zeke clutching each of her thumbs, facing outwards from the harness on her front.
“Tried that already today. I haven't hit a thing yet.” He paused. “-With either approach. I do know I am getting closer. With the iron sights and me knelt, I saw my pellet chip the branch the bird was on. I only get one shot at any single target. No creatures have trusted my bad shot enough yet to let me try twice at it.”
“Well, take a break. I brought us lunch.”
“That’s the first good news so far!” Leighton said.
Shannon pulled two of their standard army surplus protein bars from her pocket and opened a broad leaf full of berries on the ground.
“It's like those picnics we had when we started dating, right?” Leighton said.
Shannon blushed as she thought about how some of those picnics turned out. “Perhaps. We were doing alright weren't we?”
“Don't say 'were', we are doing alright,” Leighton reassured her. “I'll have something sorted for dinner tonight. The law of averages indicates that at least one creature will die near me eventually.”
“I got some wood together in the tent that looks dry enough to light. I am ready when you are.”
Leighton continued, “Good. If I don't catch something today, I'll go down in to the town on the other side of the hill in the morning. I'll see what I can find for us.”
“Thank you. I always worry that if we don't eat right, I won't produce enough milk for the little man.”
“Shannon, don't think like that. Regardless of anything else I will get something sorted. I'll get proper food, if not today or tonight, tomorrow.”
Shannon leant over their picnic and kissed her husband on the lips.
“Thank you,” Shannon said again. She knew it would be a knock to his pride to have to go into town to scavenge for food rather than bring her something fresh. ‘At least he has enough pride to make the trip for us,’ she thought.
Chapter 31
Tariq had a day of slow walking behind him. He had set off at dawn, walked until noon and after eating, continued onwards until late afternoon when finally, his legs got too tired to continue. He had not slept well. He had lacked proper shelter when he had stopped so he merely rested up in a children’s play park. He had found a climbing frame in there with old wooden boards on the side that acted as a windbreaker and kept him sheltered from a cold wind that would have made his night of shivering worse without. It wasn’t until he woke up and ventured out that he noticed the ‘Keep Out’ signs by its gate and play equipment. He supposed that whoever would enforce that sign would no longer be bothered anyway.
Today had started out along a similar thread, however, yesterday had all been down narrow country roads and today he caught himself on a slip road to a dual carriageway. He hadn’t intended to take major roads, lest he find people or the wreckage of them. This one was empty as he walked up to a wide road. The lanes felt majestically wide with no cars on them and down the slight incline as it went, his tired legs seemed to carry him effortlessly.
He continued along the clear road, though as he did so, the concrete grew more and more potholed. Further along he started to see sharp scraps of heavy metal and he had to direct his eyes more towards his feet than the horizon ahead. It dawned on him that he would be getting closer to a town. He noticed the position of the sun at its highest point and realised that he had been turned from his targeted route and was heading directly south.
After traversing a large roundabout, the skeleton of tall industrial buildings came into view. The sight of the concrete structure, devoid of windows and walls all the way up the two sides he could see reminded Tariq of the drone pictures from Mosul and Tabriz from the British and American bombs on those cities after Muharid took control of them. It was shocking to see it in front of him in real life and he found himself rooted to the spot between two crater-like potholes in the road. With the trees no longer blocking his view from here, he could see out over most of the industrial estate. A multi-story carpark was collapsed on one corner, the two bottom platforms compressed onto each other. To the far right of the area, a low, two or three-story building with a huge footprint had its roof caved in at the middle. It also looked to have been struck on one end of the building with the outer wall, roof and the second floor splayed into the car park that surrounded it with the gleaming metal of cars underneath that showed in between some of the debris.
Tariq remained planted for five or ten minutes, maybe more. He lost track of time taking in the view. He remembered his recorder and started to describe the sights, the intricacy of the skeletal buildings that once stood as complete sheets of glass and concrete. He could have stood there for an hour or more, he felt like it would make a wonderful painting, with the contrast of light and dark around the deep shadowed pockets displaying the building’s innards. He felt something inside of his mind urging him on, though. Tariq looked all around him, the feeling of being watched crept up on him as he scanned the tree-line alongside the road behind him in detail. Eventually he lifted his foot, feeling the swell of blisters pull away from his sock and started on his way a little quicker than he had done before, ignoring the dull ache in the balls of his feet.
Leighton showed Shannon how to pull the fly and hook against the current, letting it out little by little and once she got the hang of it, he took his air rifle towards the woods. He looked out with his telescope, hoping to see an oblivious, stationary animal somewhere. A few times he saw squirrels and he desperately attempted to get close without being seen. He continued for some short time, but each lost opportunity and missed shot brought him closer to despair.
Shannon, meanwhile, let Zeke play on the grass a few feet away from the river and worked the line. He lay down on his back, tired, and played with his feet. Each time Shannon let the line out, the hook got caught in reeds and she had to walk down the river to alleviate the tangles. She made attempts short distances up and down river, each time having to pack and unpack the pole and tackle and carry that and her son to each new spot. As she moved down the river she got more paranoid about Zeke and set him down further and further from the water. Like Leighton, the lack of success quickly ran down her patience and after one last tangle, a show of frustration ended up with a snapped line and another hook lost to the riverbed.
Leighton gave up with his hunting after spending several pellets to no reward and returned to Shannon, who had resided herself to feeding Zeke, her feet swishing around in the river. She lied that she couldn't do much as Zeke had been needy and Leighton accepted the lie gracefully, sitting next to her and splashing his face with the cool water. They gathered everything together and returned to their campsite. The meal in a tube was even more disappointing than normal after their hours of effort ended fruitlessly.
Mina picked up a large bucket and went down to the side of the house where the small stream ran down alongside the path to town. This close to the source in the hills behind her house, the water seemed crystal clear. Mina dipped the bowl in until it was full and inspected it closely through the transparent plastic. It was a little murky with a white precipitate, assumedly from chalk in the hills, but Mina was happy enough with it for the purpose for which it was intended. She walked straight through the kitchen, and eventually placed the bowl down on the floor next to the bed.
After a few more trips, she had everything she needed upstairs. She laid out a few beach towels on the floor with the rest of the equipment to one side.
“Do you want me down there now?” Grace asked.
Mina thought a while looking around at everything. “I think so. We will take the frame off before I make the mix so that it stays good as we put it on.”
Grace groaned, puffed her cheeks out and started to take her weight on her arms. Mina stopped her with a hand up and got up quickly to help. Mina held Grace’s bad leg firmly, allowing Grace to do most of the work in moving herself along using her three remaining limbs. At the edge of the bed, Mina guided the bad leg out forwards and Grace gradually dipped herself until her bum reached the carpet.
Grace exhaled as if she had been holding her breath the whole time she was edging across. Mina wasn’t quite sure whether she had or not, though it must have taken more than two minutes to get Grace comfortably where she needed to be, leant against the side of the bed with her injured leg outstretched along the towels.
Mina and Grace both worked to remove the convoluted wooden frame and once off and the leg bare, Mina started to mix in the plaster to the water. She sat for a few minutes stirring and adding powder bit by bit while Grace sat awkwardly, clasping her hands under her calf to keep her lower leg from bending around the break.
It wasn’t long until Mina was happy with the thin paste and she started wrapping Grace’s leg with the dry bandage. She wrapped it twice over from knee to toe before she started submerging the rolls of bandage into the plaster mix first. After the third roll, it was starting to look a lot like plaster and Mina smoothed down the thickening mixture after each roll and after the fifth, Mina was proud of the results as she continued to rub her gloved hands up and down the leg to create a smooth finish as it gradually hardened.
“So, apparently, you must be really careful for a whole day for it dry,” Mina told Grace. “So as your doctor, I am telling you to stay in bed today. I will bring you painkillers and juice as appropriate and you can just read your book in between meals and naps. Sound manageable?”
Ousted: A thrilling debut novel of survival and humanity Page 16