“Yeah, mom. You’re the ones who aren’t going to have any backup, not us. It’s not like there’s a Coast Guard, or whatever the hell it used to be on the Great Lakes. If something happens while you’re on the boat, you’ll be on your own.”
“If y’all don’t stop this endless whining, I’m gonna turn this truck right around … ” Gilles left the joke unfinished, but Mac knew the so-called punch line.
Billy was the only one who wasn’t speaking. Mac could see that he was worried, and Cam’s comment hadn’t helped.
“We’re going to be fine on the water. We know the risks, and the lack of support, which was why we made sure to load the dinghy with everything in advance.” They had made it to the dock by then, so there was nothing left for them to do, other than say good-bye and get going. Gilles had only come along to drive Billy and Cam back to the farm, just in case they were too upset to drive.
Mac didn’t want them off the farm by themselves anyway. There hadn’t been enough time to assess the situation in the surrounding areas. They only knew that there were quite a few people still alive, because they had already been living on farmland. When they got back, Mac was going to see about getting in touch with more people for trading foods and services.
Neil had originally suggested they bring more people onto the farm, but Mac had been very resistant to the idea. At least he’d agreed that it was best to wait and see how things shook out in the aftermath. There had never been such a major test of humanity’s character before, and Mac wasn’t taking any chances.
People could pull together in the worst of times, but they could also turn on one another. It mostly depended on whether or not there were people who felt entitled to more than was fair. That also happened in the best of times, however. Like when there had been a group of one-percenters claiming the vast majority of the wealth and privilege. That selfishness was part of what had led mankind to the brink of extinction. And it still might. They were no longer polluting their atmosphere, but there was a lot of damage locked in and waiting to happen.
Mac looked at her daughter, hoping she would have a chance to raise a kid of her own, or at least grow old without struggling to breathe. Cam rolled her eyes when she caught her mother’s look.
“I’ll be fine, mother!”
“No,” Mac responded with a smile. “It wasn’t that. Believe it or not I was thinking about something else entirely.” She grabbed the pack with their clothes, while Neil grabbed the electric cooler with Ian’s insulin. They had just picked it up from Sarjit, the pharmacist they traded with. There was enough for a few weeks, just in case they ran into any issues along the way. They still didn’t know how long this stuff would keep, so Sarjit only made it up a month at a time, and his daughter was the only person they knew of that was taking it. Apparently the dosages had taken some fiddling, too. With all the test strips expiring, things were very complicated that way.
That made her wonder if insulin pumps would help. They had to continuously test the blood, so maybe that was a better long-term solution. She would have to find out how they worked if they managed to find one. That could wait until she got back and could talk to Sarjit, or “Sergeant” as most people called him, about it. She’d have to take Ian to see him anyway, so he could be shown how to make his own.
Mac didn’t think he was going to like having to do it himself, but like most people he would do what was necessary to survive. Mackenzie didn’t even like to think about what was done to the animals to get insulin from them, and she paid as little attention to that part of things as she could. Growing up on a farm meant she wasn’t naïve in the least. She just didn’t want to be a party to animal torture or killing. Hence the fact that they all lived on milk and egg products instead of actual meat.
It was time to get started, so Mac grabbed Gilles, then Billy, giving them each quick hugs. Then she turned to Cam.
“Try to put on some weight while we’re gone, would ya? I don’t mean this aesthetically, either. Ordinarily I don’t say anything about weight, since it has a lot less to do with health than people used to think it did. It’s more that there’s a very real possibility of people getting sick and not having medical attention, and having a little extra weight on us can mean the difference between life and death. After all, we don’t have to worry about zombies chasing us, and it’s highly unlikely those cannibals will be an issue for us. Be healthy, but pack on some pounds if you can. The fact that you needed all new clothes out of what we brought back worries me.”
“I think I’ve already started to gain some of the weight back. I’m not walking miles every day and forgetting to eat anymore.”
Mac pulled her into a tight hug, more relieved than she wanted her daughter to know. In fact, Cam’s emotional state had probably been even worse than she’d suspected, so Brian’s intrusion a couple of weeks ago had turned out to be good for her. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Okay, as much as I’d like to just stand here and fret all day, we’ve got a city to discover and a man in potential distress to rescue. Though I’m sure he’d hate being compared to a damsel in any way,” she said with a smirk. Mac got a kick out of teasing Ian with that one. He was so stereotypically masculine in that respect, she couldn’t resist giving him a good poke now and again.
“Good luck, mom. Go save Macho Man. We’ll be fine here, but you be careful.” Cam gave her a quick squeeze before stepping back.
“Don’t worry about us. We’ve taken steps to ensure the survival of this expedition,” Mac said with a wink. “Now, to boldly go where millions have gone before.”
“You ready, honey?”
“Yeah, let’s get this showboat on the road. Water, whatever.”
Mac untied the mooring lines while Neil started up the engines. They hadn’t actually tested them yet, because they hadn’t wanted to attract attention at the marina, so Mac was relieved when she heard them fire right up. The truck drew enough curiosity as it was, but people didn’t know what they were doing when they were driving around. Firing up the boat before they were ready to leave would have advertised the fact that there was a working boat that might have some supplies on board. The supplies could be replaced, but they didn’t want to have to convert more boat motors to vegetable oil. And motorsailers weren’t exactly thick on the docks, either.
She gave her daughter one more quick hug, and then climbed the ladder onto the deck of the boat. She ducked her head into the cabin.
“Get me outta here before I start bawling my head off, okay?” Her cranky order had Neil smiling at her in sympathy.
“Don’t worry. I might just make a fool of myself by joining you. I haven’t spent much time away from Billy since he moved back in with me.”
Since the boat had been left with the bow facing out, Neil didn’t have to try to maneuver backwards. When planning their trip and reading about everything they would have to do, they had both agreed that they wouldn’t try anything too complicated. Neither of them was very skilled or knowledgeable with any kind of motorboat, much less a sailboat, so they wanted to keep things simple and avoid potential mishaps.
One of the things Mackenzie had learned about the learning process throughout her life, was that trying to be really good at anything right from the beginning was a good way to set herself up for failure. She liked to be perfect, and to just know everything, but in practical terms, as opposed to theoretical, everything took time and practice. When she’d first taken up electronics, she’d been so frustrated when it had taken her weeks to learn how to solder. Her first time sweating a plumbing joint had been an unmitigated disaster, and she still didn’t like to think about it. She figured learning to operate a boat was going to run along similar lines, and they could not afford to screw it up, so they would do nothing more than the basics that were necessary to get them from point A to point B.
As the boat slipped away from the dock, Mackenzie shielded her eyes from the sun glaring off the water. It was bad enough that she already had
tears burning in them, but the glare was making it worse. She moved to the rear of the boat to keep Cam in sight for as long as possible. Saying goodbye to the ferrets that morning had been just as difficult. She knew Cam was right, and that they wouldn’t start to miss her for a while, so at least they were okay.
She reassured herself that it would only take a couple of weeks, assuming everything went according to plan. Then again, she rarely assumed anything would go according to plan. Shit happens, crap occurs, she thought with a mental shrug. They would get through whatever they needed to get through. When she could no longer see the marina, Mackenzie headed back to the cabin.
“I take it you talked to Ian about meeting us at that yacht club,” Neil said when she joined him.
“Yeah, Edgewater Park at any rate. He knows the way there. It’ll be a bit of a hike for him, so I made sure he still had plenty of insulin for when the extra exercise played around with his blood sugar levels. He’s used to working out every day, but not hiking for a full seven or eight hours. That’s a completely different type of workout.”
“He’ll be fine. You really like to worry, don’t you?”
“No, I really don’t. I just don’t have much choice in the matter. It helps me think of all the little details that everyone else seems to miss, though. Like storing our emergency supplies in the dinghy,” she reminded him with a jab in the ribs.
“Alright, ya got me there. Along with the non-perishable food, and the fishing stuff in case we need more food, though we’ll have to remember to grab the insulin cooler. Good thing we’ve installed a cigarette-lighter plug for it in the dinghy. Cam’s right about us being on our own out here, though. As beautiful and peaceful as it is, it’s a bit disconcerting. I’m glad we’re staying pretty close to the shoreline. We can always head for land if a big storm hits.”
“See?” Her sense of humour was back in full swing. “And who thought about that when they were busy worrying?”
“You know, maybe it’s not that you like worrying so much as you like being right about everything. Not to mention being bossy. Ouch!” His yelp indicated that her jab found its mark once again.
“And apparently you don’t much like your flaws being pointed out, either. Jesus woman. Trim your nails, would ya?”
For good measure she poked him again, grinned like a Cheshire cat, and then leapt nimbly out of reach when he made a grab for her.
“Keep that up and I’m going to tie off the helm so I can have a go at you.”
“Which would mean I’d have to have you walk the plank for mutiny and dereliction of duty. Stay at your post, sailor,” she ordered. Neil just snorted in response.
They had smooth sailing for the day, Mac taking her turn at the helm after Neil had been standing there for a few hours. She’d had a quick meal before taking her shift, despite a mildly queasy stomach, and Neil went to grab some food for himself once he was relieved.
“O captain, my captain,” Neil called out to her when he returned a while later. Mackenzie just laughed.
“Unless we’re putting a north and south dividing line on this boat and changing into grey and blue clothing, I’m not sure that line is appropriate.”
“Huh?”
“You’re quoting civil war poetry, cowboy. It’s got nothing to do with sailing as far as I know. It was written about Abe Lincoln. Don’t ask me anything else about it, though. Poetry isn’t my strong suit. It was one thing I never had any interest in. Aside from a little Poe, and that dying of the light piece from Dylan Thomas, none of them really spoke to me. And you can probably blame Rodney Dangerfield for my love of the Dylan Thomas one.”
“Rodney Dangerfield made you love a poem? That’s just weird,” he said in wonder.
“Oh, shut up. It was that movie, Back to School, where he’s a rich guy who falls for an English professor. He performs the poem for an oral exam. Did a good enough job that I just really responded to it. Every now and then I’ll go back and read it, because it reminds me to fight for my survival. Pretty inspirational for a prepper, actually.”
“Yup, still weird.”
“Oh, for cryin’ out loud,” she complained. “Can’t I just like a poem?”
“It’s the Dangerfield connection that weirds me out, not the fact that you like the poem. It’s actually a great one. I like it myself. Isn’t that the movie where he jokes that he’s going to donate his body to science fiction?”
“That would be the one. One of my first RDJ movies, too.”
“RDJ?”
“Yeah,” Mac said, much aggrieved by his lack of understanding. “Robert Downey, Jr. The guy is practically Hollywood royalty. Not that I was ever real keen on the whole celebrity thing, but he’s a hell of an actor. Weird, but funny. I liked seeing him get past a lot of his issues. Did you ever see the video for that Elton John song, I Want Love, with RDJ in it? Made me want to cry.”
When Neil gave her a look of skepticism, she got cranky.
“Okay, so what if I did cry? It’s not a crime, is it? I’m allowed to cry at things that move me.”
“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it. In fact, I didn’t say anything at all. But no, I didn’t believe you when you said it only made you want to cry. I know you too well, honey.”
“Huh. Anyway, what did you want?”
“When?”
“When you started quoting civil war poetry and we got off on this tangent about more of my numerous flaws,” she said grumpily.
“Oh, nothing really. Just seemed like something I should say in greeting. Guess I’ll know better next time.”
“You should have known better this time. Besides, you were just trying to illustrate how bossy I am by calling me captain. It’s not like you actually think of me as your captain.”
“Well, you do have a bit of an impact on the direction of my life, so it’s really not that far off, but you’re not my boss, no.”
“I beg to differ,” she said pertly.
“You can beg all you like. In fact, you could get started now, and then we’ll be ready for tonight when we’re at anchor.”
“You’re quite the comedian. You might even give Rodney Dangerfield a run for his money. Now that he’s dead,” Mac said with a sidelong look.
“I’ll be the one laughing tonight.”
“That’s probably for the best, since certain parts of the male anatomy don’t respond well to laughter.”
“Honey, I guarantee you will not be in any mood to laugh,” he spoke into her ear, sending a spear of heat through her body.
“You know, we could stop right here,” Mac began, slightly breathless.
“It’s your call, Captain.” Neil’s voice in her ear again was all it took to convince her.
In the grand scheme of things, losing half an hour for sex wasn’t that big a deal. She was feeling guilty, she realized, or she wouldn’t be trying to justify anything. Sex was just sex, Mac mentally lectured. It was a natural, and necessary, function of life. Then again, with Neil it felt more vital. Like breathing. Thankfully things were back on track there, now that she was making a conscious effort not to push him away out of fear for his health.
The additional jostling of her body, however, had left her feeling even more nauseous. Mac had made sure to bring Gravol with them, just in case one or both of them failed to adapt to being on the water. The only problem was, taking them usually made her fall asleep.
“Grab the wheel, would ya?”
Neil sort of stumbled over and did what she asked. She took a long look at him, and noticed he was looking pretty pale.
“Oh, shit. Not you, too. Well, this should be fun,” she said, and went out to the dinghy to pull the small bottle out of the medicine kit she’d packed. She used her teeth to pierce the seal at the top after she’d removed the safety cap, and shook an orange tablet into her palm. Mac replaced the cap, put away the bottle, and pulled her KA-BAR from its sheath. Once she’d split the tiny pill in half, she gave one pi
ece to Neil and stuck the other under her tongue. They each downed their portion of the pill with a swallow of water from the bottles they carried clipped to their belts, and then Mac took over again at the helm.
“Go lie down, cowboy. You look like you feel a lot worse than I do,” she said gently, and rubbed his arm. When his shoulders lurched a bit at her touch, she hastily removed her hand and left him to his own devices.
She ignored the nausea as best she could, taking comfort from the fact that it would probably be gone shortly, and concentrated on heading west to Tobermory. They were on Georgian Bay at the moment. Once they rounded Tobermory, they’d be heading almost straight south to Sarnia. They would take St. Clair River through to Lake St. Clair, and then use Detroit River to cut between Detroit and Windsor to Lake Erie. Once they hit Erie there was nothing complicated about getting to Cleveland.
Mackenzie chuckled a bit when she remembered Ian’s initial reaction to her plan to take a boat down to meet him. When she’d first told him that it was possible to get from the marina near her farm all the way to Cleveland, he’d thought she was kidding. He didn’t realize how interconnected the waterways were in the Land of Lakes. Of course, people who didn’t live in the area were often astonished by the sheer volume of water there.
It was actually kind of odd that Mac didn’t have any real boating experience. She didn’t count the canoeing she’d done at camp when she was a kid. Her parents had been more than happy to get rid of her for a couple of weeks every summer, so some of her best memories were of that time. It had only bothered her that the camp had been a Christian one. She’d hated organized religion even then.
She considered herself a spiritual person, but she didn’t believe all the crap written in the so-called holy bible. She had more of a connection with nature than she did incense and crackers, and she would never understand why people, who supposedly believed that their great and wonderful god had created their beautiful planet, would treat an amazing gift like that with disdain. It was like the boss level of hypocrisy and contempt to her way of thinking. And it was a terrible way of saying thanks for the life that they had been given.
Tipping Point (Book 2): Ground Zero Page 10