by Sue Edge
“What about?” Skye murmured sleepily.
“I don’t know.” I wracked my brain. “What do you want to be when you grow up? What sports do you like to play? Do you have a favourite book?”
“I want to be a zookeeper. I love animals.” She sighed. “Jasmine always says that cleaning up lion poop sounded like the perfect job for me. I’d get so mad at her.”
I laughed, trying to block my last memory of Jasmine staggering up the driveway. “Sounds like a typical big sister to me.”
She smiled a little. “She’s so annoying.”
“Yeah well. Sisters grow out of that eventually and end up becoming your best friend.” The sadness I felt for her was overwhelming. Her mother and sister were dead. Getting to know her sister as an adult was an experience she would never have.
The garage door opened and Mike slipped back inside. I noticed some fresh blood splatters on his white t-shirt. He jangled the car keys and grinned.
We lifted Skye and placed her gently on the back seat. Mike climbed into the driver’s seat of the little sedan while I rode shotgun. He pulled out the walkie-talkie.
“Lucas, is Ken there with you?”
“I’m here, Mike.” Ken’s calm voice came over the air.
“We’re bringing the girl with us but she’s injured. We’re taking the car and I plan to park it right under the stairs. We’re not going to have much time so be ready to grab her as soon as we arrive.”
“We’ll be ready.” Ken replied.
Mike looked at me as he prepared to press the remote for the roller doors. “Ready?”
“Yeehah.” I said unenthusiastically. He grinned and pressed the button. As the door rolled up, it revealed zombies. A lot of zombies.
“Yeehah.” Mike echoed, putting his foot down hard on the accelerator and ploughing through the creatures as he charged out of the garage, straight across the road and up our driveway.
As he neared the top of the driveway, he veered off the driveway and across the dirt to the stairs, braking to a stop just beneath it. Fortunately, most of the zombies had not made it back yet.
“As soon as you’re all inside, I’ll release the handbrake and let the car roll back down.” Mike glanced around at the zombies gathering around the car and pulled out his rifle. “I’ll cover you.”
“What about you?” I asked worriedly. He looked at me and his lips did that quirky thing that was sometimes cute and sometimes irritating.
“I’ll be fine. Now go. Lucas and Ken are waiting.”
I glanced up and saw the men leaning over the stairs. I heard the sound of the rifle firing as I squirmed into the back seat. Skye was looking ill and drowsy. “Okay, Skye. We’re almost there. We just need to climb onto the roof.”
Skye nodded, her eyes dull. With an effort, she sat up and followed me out of the window and pulled herself onto the car’s roof. I could tell that the effort had drained the last of her reserves but, thankfully, it was enough.
Ken and Lucas reached over the railing, grabbed her upstretched arms and pulled her over into the safety of the stairwell. A quick look around showed that Mike was doing a great job of keeping the immediate area clear but all the noise was attracting more and more zombies. We would be overwhelmed within minutes.
I thumped on the roof to let Mike know we were clear and then jumped up and pulled myself over the railing. Running up the stairs to the verandah, I peered anxiously over the balcony to see how Mike was doing. As the car started to roll backwards, Mike flung open the door. With jaw-dropping agility, he jumped first onto the moving bonnet and then the roof before turning and springing like a leopard towards the balcony as the car passed underneath on its one-way trip down the hill. His fingers latched around the railings of the balcony, taking the weight of his body. Calmly, Mike then swung his legs up onto the ledge and pulled himself up.
I stared at him, open-mouthed, as he climbed over the balcony. He looked up as he brushed his hands clean and saw me gaping at him. “What?”
Realising my mouth was still hanging open, I shut it abruptly and shook my head. “Nothing. Just wondering where your batcave is.”
Mike frowned in confusion as I walked away.
10
Inside, Skye lay on the sofa, wan. I quickly pulled over the box of medical supplies we had pulled out of the ambulance. I set up an intravenous fluids line and put an oxygen mask over her face. An anxious time followed as I watched her closely for signs of response. To my relief, colour started to return to her cheeks and her eyes became alert once again. I was grateful as the next step was giving her a blood transfusion. And that would mean setting up an iv line between her and someone here with an O blood type. I knew in theory how to do a field blood transfusion but I wasn’t keen on trying it if I could avoid it.
Once I was confident that Skye was out of immediate danger, I had her moved to the spare room. In truth, I wanted her to be comfortable but I also wanted to put some measures in place to protect my family in case she turned.
There was a knock on the door. Michele stood in the doorway, smiling shyly.
“Can I come in?”
Skye turned her head and smiled back. “Sure.” She looked so young at that moment, more child than woman. Michele came and sat next to her. I decided to leave them to talk for a while; Skye didn’t present an immediate danger.
In the living room, the adults were gathered around the CB again, trying to raise someone. On the dinner table, Kaye had provided the babies with play dough and utensils, not that Sarah was interested. She was content to watch as Jessie tried to show them how to make some animal figures
I walked over and stroked Sarah’s fair curls. “Can I play with you?” She smiled a wan smile at me. She was probably more interested in sleeping, poor chook, but it was important to get her up and about again. For the next half an hour, I rolled and flattened dough for the kids, shaped moustaches, and hair and funny noses. For a moment, it felt like a normal day in the Nelson household.
Michele poked her head around the corner. “Um, Mum?”
My spidey sense immediately flared up and I was off the chair and in the bedroom within a minute. Skye was flushed and sweating profusely. She looked up at me with scared eyes.
“I don’t feel good.”
Sitting down beside her, I took her hand and smiled reassuringly into her eyes. As I felt Michele coming up behind me, I firmly told her to leave. She didn’t argue, for once.
Skye coughed.
“My head hurts so bad.” She whimpered. My stomach plummeted as I felt her feverish forehead. I had hoped so much that she would escape the virus. If life were remotely fair, she would have escaped it. At my age, I should have learned by now that, in real life, the good guys don’t always win. Even so, my heart screamed over and over in anger and frustration, not fair, she’s just a child!
I patted her hand calmly, trying to look confident and in control. “I’ll get you some medication. You’ll feel better in no time.”
As I started to get up, she clutched my hand. “Please don’t leave me!”
Frightened and vulnerable, she clung to me like I was a lifeline.
“Okay, okay.” I soothed, sitting back down. “I won’t go anywhere.”
I stroked her forehead. God, she was so hot. I reached across to the side table and picked up a glass of water. With my other arm propping her shoulders up, I urged Skye to drink. She obediently drank a few mouthfuls, her eyes on me all the time. As I lowered her head back down, she rolled over to lay her head in my lap instead, curling into a fetal position.
Hesitantly, I stroked her hair as she stared into space, her hands clutching my clothes. For long minutes, she said nothing as I ran my fingers through her long curls.
“I’m going to become one of them, aren’t I?” She finally asked in a small voice.
I closed my eyes and, for a moment, wished with all my heart that I were anywhere but here. “It’s hard to say, Skye. You might just have an infection.”
&nbs
p; “No.” She said flatly. “Mummy was like this last night - and she became one of them.”
She rolled over to look up at me. I saw the fear on her young face, the memory of what her mother had become. “That’s what’s happening to me, isn’t it, Lori? I can feel it.”
I looked away, fighting the tears that sprang to my eyes. I could feel her desperate need for me to be honest with her. “Yes, I think so. I’m so sorry, Skye.”
“It’s okay.” She whispered. “I don’t want to be here without my family, anyway.”
I didn’t comment, not wanting to confirm what she seemed to suspect about her sister’s fate. Instead, I resumed stroking her hair. I wished I knew how to make this easier for her. How do you help a fourteen-year-old face death without even her mother here to comfort her? All I could do was be here and hope that the presence of a mother, someone’s loving mother, was enough. I tried to project my love to her, through the gentle touch of my hands, the warmth of my body, the soft sound of my voice as I hummed soothingly.
A few minutes later, she spoke again. Her voice seemed to be weakening. “Mum believed in heaven but I’m not sure what I believe. Do you think it’s real?”
Wow. Good question, kid. How the hell does one answer that honestly in the face of death? “Maybe. There is so much about the universe we don’t know. Maybe death is just a stage of life, like the chrysalis is for butterflies. And heaven is our name for the next stage of our existence.”
I took a deep breath as I saw the scepticism in her face and rushed on. “Or else death is the longest sleep we will ever take. Either way, there really isn’t anything to be scared of, is there? I don’t know about you, but I always enjoyed a good sleep!”
Skye smiled a little. “Me too. Mum always said I was sleeping my life away.”
Sadness fell across her face at the memory. “I hope heaven is real. Then I can see her again.”
“I hope so too.” I whispered. Impulsively, I leaned down and kissed her hot forehead. She closed her eyes at the touch.
“I don’t think I can hold on much longer, Lori.” Her childish voice cut through me like a knife. Her eyes opened suddenly. “You won’t let me become one of them, will you, Lori?”
I shook my head, tears blinding my eyes. “No, Skye. I won’t let that happen.”
She closed her eyes again, so trusting. I don’t know how long I sat there with her head in my lap, stroking her hair as her breathing gradually slowed, and, finally, stopped.
I kept my promise. She didn’t become one of them.
11
When I walked into the living room, I saw all their eyes on me, questioning. Unable to talk yet, I shook my head miserably.
“Oh, the poor child.” Emma whispered. I saw compassion and sorrow in all their eyes. Michele’s golden brown eyes were shiny with tears. She had lost two friends today, both, ultimately, at my hands. Would that affect the way she saw me? God, I hoped not. I wanted to comfort her but I felt too numb and raw. I knew that if I opened my mouth right now, I was likely to burst into tears.
Always good at picking up my emotions, Kaye stood up. “Come into the kitchen, Lori, and help me make some more coffee.”
Silently, I followed her into the kitchen.
“Do you want to talk?” Kaye sent me a sympathetic sideways glance as she put coffee into the percolator. “You look like you’ve been hit by a sledgehammer.”
I snorted, feeling some of the tightness in my throat releasing. “That good, eh?”
“It must have been hard in there.” Kaye offered tentatively, not wanting to push me. I felt a wave of affection for her, mingled with sorrow that Skye would never have the chance to experience this bond.
“She was just a kid, Kaye. No kid should have to die alone like that. This whole mess just sucks.”
Kaye reached over and touched my arm. “She wasn’t alone, Lori. She had you and I just know that helped.”
I searched her eyes. I wanted so much to believe that I had reassured Skye in her last moments. “How can you know?”
She smiled gently. “Because I know you, Lori. Kids gravitate to you, always have. There is something about you that makes them trust and like you immediately. I’m sure that Skye felt that connection, too, and was comforted in the end.”
Some of the knot in my chest started to unravel. If she was just saying that to make me feel better, it was working. “Thanks, Kaye. I hope you are right.”
“I know I am.” Tucking her dark, straight hair behind her ear, Kaye’s manner became brisk. “Now help me get this coffee out there before the troops start a revolt.”
Not really ready to face the others, I handed out the coffee and went to check on Sarah who was having her dressing changed. In the babies’ room, Sarah was whimpering as Emma changed her dressing. The misery on my baby’s face made me feel like crying. I would have given anything to spare her the pain and discomfort I knew she must be feeling, in spite of the medication we had her on.
“It’s all looking good, Lori. A bit inflamed but nothing to worry about, I don’t think.”
“Hey baby.” I cooed, lifting Sarah carefully up into my arms. “Let’s go see what the other kids are doing, shall we?”
She laid her head on my shoulder and wrapped her remaining arm around my neck. My heart clenched with grief and guilt.
Walking straight past the closed spare room door, I carried her into the living room and placed her carefully on the beanbag in the play area. The other kids crowded around and talked excitedly to her. A smile lit her face up. Nothing like attention to brighten a child’s day. After ensuring that the kids understood the need to be careful around her, I left her in the care of the teenagers.
Joining the adults around the coffee table, I immediately noticed the solemn looks on their faces.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Kaye beckoned me over. “We’ve managed to contact other survivors!”
“That’s great.” I responded hesitantly, confused by the serious mood. “So why the long faces?”
Ken spoke up. “It’s not a pretty picture out there. At the beach, in the suburbs, in the business district - they’re all surrounded by zombies. The group in the dental clinic is reporting thousands of zombies in the streets.”
“More worrying,” Mike added grimly. “is the fact that the army seems to be failing to contain the situation.”
Frankly, seeing Mike look so serious was seriously unnerving me. I had come to rely on his unflappability. “Who says they’re failing?”
He grimaced. “I’m reading between the lines. Three different groups reported seeing army units engaging the zombies and being overrun or forced into a retreat. Add that to our own observations, and it does not spell success.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “But once they realise what they’re up against, they’ll change their tactics. Surely, it’s just a matter of time before the army gets this under control. We just have to hang on until then.”
Mike hesitated and then nodded. There was something he was not saying, I could feel it.
Just then, the CB crackled to life. “Hello, is anyone there?”
Mike grabbed the microphone. “Yes, this is Mike Bridges. Who am I speaking to, over?”
“Happy to hear a friendly voice, Mike! I’m Travis.”
“G’day Travis, where are you hailing from, over?”
“Smithfield, mate. We’re stuck in a warehouse.” The voice crackled. I met Kaye’s eyes. That was only about fifteen minutes from here, halfway to the beaches.
“How many are there with you, Travis?” Mike was asking.
“Thirty. There were more but some died last night.”
Mike’s grey eyes sharpened with concern. “Bitten?”
“Yeah. One was infected and before we understood how it worked, she’d attacked a few others. We got it under control, though. Over.”
“Glad to hear it. Can you tell us what the situation is there? “
“The whole area is overrun
with those creatures. I think we might be the only ones still alive. We were lucky. A girl came running in yesterday, screaming about some kind of riot outside. She had blood all over her, so I made the decision to lower the security screens. Only got them down just in time. Those creatures just swarmed in, attacking everyone in the other shops! Man, it still seems unbelievable. Those poor folks were slaughtered, torn apart before our eyes. And those creatures…they were dead, man! Over.”
We looked at each other solemnly. What percentage of the hundred and sixty odd thousand who lived in Cairns was still alive? Thousands? Or just a handful?
“What about the army?” I interrupted.
The man snorted in derision at the question. “Oh yeah, saw them in action last night. There was a hell of a firefight right outside the centre, in fact. Let me tell you, the army got their asses handed back to them! Now we’ve got what seems like half the army banging on our security screens. I’ll tell you straight up, man, I’m worried. I’m not sure how much pressure these screens are designed to withstand.”
My heart went out to him and his group. As bad as our situation seemed, it was clearly a lot worse elsewhere. After arranging to talk again tomorrow at the same time, Mike signed off. Looking around the group, he stated firmly, “I don’t think we can rely on the army to save us. I want to see for myself what is going on in this city. Are there any spots nearby where I can do that?”
There was silence in the room as we pondered the question.
“What about the dam lookout?” Lucas suggested, a bit tentatively. “It’s a bit of a hike but we’d have pretty good views of the city from there.”
“You’re right, Lucas. Copperlode Dam would be a perfect lookout!” Michele chimed in enthusiastically. Her eyes were shiny with admiration, causing him to blush a bit. I grinned inside but was careful to keep a poker face. I knew my daughter would never forgive me if I embarrassed her in front of a boy.
“But what about the zombies?” Emma asked, still looking worried.
Kaye shook her head. “There is only rainforest between us and the dam. I guess some tourists at the park could have been turned, though.”