by Lynn Lamb
“The cooking staff will be preparing some coffee and oatmeal. So, if you can, please enjoy the refreshments while you meet with your groups. Now, please begin to make your way to where you should be, and if there are any questions, I will be right here on the stage. Thank you.”
I watched as a stunned crowd slowly turned into a fury of activity. I was adamant with myself that I didn’t show nervousness in any way. I sat down at the table that had been placed on the stage, and tried to ignore the bees that were stinging from inside my stomach. If I didn’t have radiation poisoning yet, I probably was developing one hell of an ulcer. All of this would fall apart if these people sensed my uncertainty. I turned and focused on the children that had gone over to the brightly colored play set. It wasn’t big enough for them all to play on, so some children just sat. I was relieved when Shelby came and asked to make an announcement on the microphone.
“Will the child care staff and all of the children under the age of twelve please come into the Town Hall, conference room B? We will begin child care immediately,” she said with confidence that I frankly hadn’t expected. That was a perfect example of leadership, and just in time. She walked over and gathered the children and herded them into the building with a smile on her face.
Jill took the next step by announcing the rebuilding group would be meeting at Matt’s house in one hour, after they had gotten their morning refreshments. And then a line of the leaders began to make their own announcements, one after the other.
Mark came and stood next to my chair, his jaw hanging down. I whispered to him to close his mouth, and it snapped shut.
The first person to come to me to ask a question was Levi Samuels, a former orderly and driver at an old age home. I had him leading the Human Resources Detail based on his bio. He looked nervous.
“Ma’am, I am not sure I am the best person for this. It says here,” he held up the envelope, “that I am supposed to coordinate with the head of Security, Colonel Phillip Jackson, to go to the homes with a moving truck and collect dead bodies.” His face was a ghostly pale, and I was wondering if the leaders I picked would all be up for their tasks. I was glad that I left myself some wiggle room.
“Mark, would you help Levi get his group together and stay with him throughout the meeting?” I asked him.
“Sure thing, let’s go, brother,” he said as he led Levi away. He looked happy to be given something to do and went on his way.
When it looked as if people were finding where they needed to be, I went in to check on Shelby and the kids. They were happily sitting in front of the TV and DVD player Billy had set up for them, watching cartoons and coloring, while Shelby met with her group in the back of the room going over plans.
I went and sat cross-legged on the floor between Jared and Bailey. “How are you two doing?” I whispered. They both nodded their heads, engrossed in the show. No one had watched TV since the power went out. I actually envied them. I told them that this morning I would be in the Town Square, and that Annie would be in the kitchen and to go to her if they needed anything. She would be sure to find me amongst the throng of people if they needed anything.
“We’ll be fine,” said Jared, only slightly paying attention to me.
“We will be,” mimicked Bailey. She gave me a soft hug that remained me of my nieces. I sadly got up and made my way to the medical tent through all of the people, but stopping in the kitchen first.
“Annie, would it be possible to send a tray of about seven coffees to the medical tent?” I asked.
“Are they all for you, or are you sharing this morning?” she teased. I actually needed that after such an intense meeting. I laughed, then I was off to meet the day.
Doc Malcom stood in front of the tents, stretching. He looked horrible, and I knew the news would not be good.
“Hey, Doc,” I said, giving him a hug. “How’s it going?”
“That was quite a speech,” he looked too tired to act amused, but chuckled anyway.
“Oh, you heard that, did you?” I laughed, knowing perfectly well that he had heard every last word due to the proximity of the med tent. “What are the stats, Doc?”
“Not good,” his expression turned back to grave. “We lost three people last night. The hospital is at their capacity, and so we kept some of the most ill here. I have twenty-five people, and about half are pretty bad off, Laura. I need to get them away from the general population immediately, before this thing does us all in.”
“I am on it. Coffee’s on it way,” I said as I turned on my heels and headed to the stage.
“I need Mark Balous, Levi Samuels, and Colonel Jackson to the staging area, STAT.” I hadn’t meant to sound like a page in a hospital, but they all came to my side quickly, just the same.
“Do you know the houses near the strip mall? No one seems to come out of them. We need to transport some of worse medical cases away from this area, and I mean now.”
“Don’t worry,” said Mark. “We can take care of it.”
I looked at my husband and suddenly began to worry about him being with those sick people. “Ask the Doc to make sure you are wearing the appropriate protective gear, please Mark.”
“Like I said, I will take care of it. Let me prove that I am as capable as you are,” he said.
I was relieved to not have to figure out the details on that one. With everything that I had set in motion, I had too much to do. I guess that’s why delegation is important in the leading process. I am learning.
My next stop was Lizzie. She had a line stretching far past the building and her “staff” was in chaos. “Help,” was all she said as she looked at the line. I was on it.
“Okay, I need the Human Resources Staff to gather around please. I began to pass around the legal pads and a pen to each. “I am going to get the line going, and each of you will take a seat behind the desk. Lizzie has been getting the names, addresses, socials, prior occupations, and hobbies that might be helpful in the Village, from every person. Don’t let them argue with you about the socials, we need an official list in case the military ever get here. If you tell them that, they should stop, but if they don’t, threaten to come and get me. I think that should be enough,” I stopped to take a breath before starting to guide people into six lines, a row for each staff person.
Within an hour, their group had thinned. They all went to nearby houses or meeting rooms in the Town Hall to meet with their new groups.
I checked back into the medical tents and things were going smoothly. They were starting to load the worst patients into a moving van that was meant for removing the dead. I figured that they would do that after the sick were moved.
Some of the very sick had sores and welts on their bright red skin. I looked away, ashamed that I couldn’t watch as they were carefully moved onto the truck by the team wearing thick, blue plastic gloves and surgical masks.
Malcom looked pleased. “Thanks, Laura.”
“Whatever you need, Doc, let me know immediately. The medical needs are a priority.” He nodded and I continued. “Do you know anything about Jared’s mother, Crystal Warner?” I asked him.
“No,” he pointed at his walkie. “It’s on the hospital channel. Just talk into it, and they will get you to the right person.”
I took the walkie outside, into the bright sun light. I closed my eyes and looked up, letting the warming sun hit my face. It was good to be outside.
“Hello, this is Laura, is anyone there?” I asked a little unprofessionally into the walkie.
“Oh. Hi, Laura. Didn’t know that we would be getting a call from such a high place today,” said a teenage male voice. I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Okay, hi. Well, I am looking for an update on a patient. Her name is Crystal Warner,” I said.
I sat on a parking cinder block to wait. Gita came up to me with a steaming cup of hot coffee and some plain oatmeal, both in a Styrofoam cup.
She giggled as she placed the coffee in my hand and the o
atmeal on the ground next to me. “Annie sent these. She said that you had better eat every single bite.”
“Thank you, Gita,” I said. “Please tell her I will.” Even after the end of the world, my mother was looking out for me.
“Hey, Laura,” came the same voice from the walkie. “I found Doctor Riley, and she said that she is improving a lot. Her fever is gone, and she is able to eat. She thinks that she might be sending her down to the tents this afternoon to make room for the more serious cases.”
I was so relieved that I returned the walkie to the tent and practically flew to tell Jared about his mother’s improved state.
The kids were sitting around a table, eating oatmeal and drinking cold, powdered milk, thanks to Mr. Young’s generator. I kneeled beside Jared and told him the good news.
“Can I see her, can I?” he asked in his excitement.
“As soon as Doc Malcom says you can, I will bring you to her,” I answered, looking at Bailey’s sad face.
“Hey, Bailey, you want to get out of here and help me direct traffic?” I asked her.
“I’m not allowed in the street,” she replied innocently.
I laughed and grabbed her hand. We were on the move again.
~~~
Later in the afternoon, after I had returned Bailey to Shelby’s already well-oiled child care group to play with some donated play dough, I was off to the meeting with the Council in the room down the hall.
“Hello,” I said to the ten solemn faces looking up at me. They were sitting at a long, rectangular table, and they were definitely ready for me to begin.
The group consisted of Mark, Jackson, Joseph, Jill, Billy Young, who I had made the lead on Generators and Electricity, Annie, Malcom, Katie, Reverend John (whom I added, albeit reluctantly) and Lizzie.
“So far, this group is the Council. It may change over the weeks ahead as necessity dictates, but for now I plan on relying on this group for counsel and guidance through what will undoubtedly be a painful transition from our old world to whatever it is about to become.
“I know that each of you is going through a lot right now, but it is essential that we put our feelings aside for the greater good. And, from what I have seen today, you are doing so admirably.
“Mark, you are my vice-whatever it is I am. I am not even sure I want a title for either role. The rest of you know your positions as leaders of one group or another. All except for Katie and the Reverend.
“Katie, I need you to have a presence in every group, if you can. I will have you summing up the general group demeanor and also looking for anyone who might pose a threat to the Village. That is of the greatest importance. I do not want to see a gun in the hand of anyone who is even slightly unstable.”
By the look in her eye, I knew Katie had caught on quickly, “I would like to meet separately with any person who carries a gun and run some evaluations on them,” she said.
“Absolutely, I will have Jackson give you the list that he has prepared. And that brings me to the next order of business; security.”
“I have between thirty and forty men and women on the list of possibilities. Some will have to begin immediately, so I will take the fifteen current military and start with them until Katie has a chance to get me her findings. Mark, along with your current Deputy Mayorship,” Jackson said sarcastically, “will you still be able to work a detail, starting tonight?”
“On it,” was Mark’s whole reply. I had actually hoped that Mark and I could have a little alone time tonight, both as leaders, and husband and wife. But security took a high precedence in our growing Village.
“Good,” said Jackson. “I am going to create some makeshift barriers until Jill gets the wall started. I am going to use some traffic pylons I found in the debris. They are heavy, so I will need to have some of the construction workers help, and that tow truck guy, too.”
“I will walkie them as soon as this meeting is over. I will have them meet you by the Monte Vista Village sign,” Lizzie said.
I wondered to myself, when did walkie become a verb?
“Great, I’ll round up our military and have them join us while we are out-bounding, just in case. They need to be armed,” Jackson looked over to see if I was going to object.
“That’s fine, just as long as you realize that people could very well be coming to us looking for help. Their previous address has no bearing on if we will help them or not; we will,” I said, thus creating a new law.
“Jill, how are things going with the wall?” I asked.
“Great, I will be working on the plans for the next few days, but we can get started tomorrow with the skeleton. Here are the plans for that,” she handed me what appeared to be a rolled up sketch.
I thanked her and moved on. “Mark, how is the Human Remains Detail going?” I said to my strong husband. He was doing so much right now. I looked at him and wondered how he was holding up.
“Levi is a mess. He can’t handle death, but I have it under control. We started going to the houses one-by-one. We have not found any living yet,” he said. My heart sunk into my stomach at that.
“There is a pool way down Munras Street. I would like the dead to be placed in the pool until we figure out how to dispose of the bodies. I need everyone on that detail to know that each and every body was a living person, a family member, and our neighbor. They are to be treated with the utmost dignity. Malcom, what do you think of burials?” I asked, fearful that the bodies may contain too much radiation or other toxins to put them into the ground.
“Laura, I want to say yes, but I am not sure that it is best for us that they go in the ground. Some of those folks took no precautions and they may contain any number of contaminants,” he said, tiredly.
“Reverend John, what do you think?” I asked.
“Well, different religions have differing views. I am Episcopalian, and my particular Church is progressive, so cremation is fine in my eyes. Others would disagree,” he said.
“Mark, as a Muslim, I know what your general views on burials are. Under the circumstances, what do you think?” I asked him.
“In Islam, it is important to get a body in the ground as soon as possible. I am troubled for the Muslim souls whose bodies have been out as long as they have. We did have several Islamic families in the community, too. I am very torn on this, Laura,” he said.
“I would like to put this to a private vote,” I said, finally. I hadn’t been ready to have to do this yet, because it brought with it a whole Pandora’s Box worth of problems, but I could not make this decision on my own.
“Lizzie, will you hand out some paper, please,” I requested. “Just write either the word “burial” or “cremation” on the paper, fold it, and bring it back here and place it in this mug,” I instructed. “But be warned, if the consensus is burial, we will then have to come up with some type of plan for it.”
I filled out my vote; cremation, and waited for everyone else to fill out theirs.
Lizzie tallied them up; three for burial and seven for cremation. I couldn’t help but wonder who voted for burial.
“So, that is decided. Reverend, would you please preside over the transportation of the dead and the cremations so that we are as respectful of as many faiths as possible?” I asked. “As soon as you have enough bodies to be cremated, please walkie me. I would like to be at every service. I imagine it will take several days or more. So, we will have one service a day until it is done. I will tell the Villagers about the plan, but it will not be opened for debate. If they would like, they may attend services, as well.”
“Annie, how are food supplies holding out?” I asked hoping for good news.
“I don’t have good news for you,” she said. Sometimes I swear that woman can read my mind. “At the rate we are going, and if we ration carefully, we have about two weeks.”
“Okay, I need a temporary Out-bound leader from this group to go out for a food supply run, any volunteers?” I asked, knowing how busy everyone was.
“I’ll do it,” said Billy. “I am a hunter and an avid camper. I am guessing those skills will come in handy.”
“Yeah, I think they will,” I said. I was pleased to have a volunteer. “We can’t let our food or water supplies slip under three weeks, at the very least. We have no idea what Mother Nature or the enemy, whoever they are, might have in store for us.”
“I think that should be enough for today,” I said, ending the meeting.
~~~
After the meeting, Katie caught up with me.
“Can I have a bit of your time in the office?” she asked.
“Sure thing,” I said. “After I use the Portable Potty? I really need to go.” She smiled and headed toward my office as I headed for the bathroom, happy they have found four of them, in working order, at an old construction site nearby.
“As I walked back, I noticed a horrible, pungent odor. The dead are being brought out, I thought sorrowfully.
My feelings must have been showing on my face when I walked into the office. Katie looked at me, empathically.
“I am worried about you, Laura,” she started. “You didn’t attend one Therapy Group meeting when we were inside, and you look so worn down.”
Oh great, here comes a ‘come to Jesus talk’ on mental health, I thought.
“Laura, what we all have gone through has been a nightmare, and you have shouldered so much of the burden on your own already. It’s enough for anyone to have a mental breakdown if they don’t have someone to talk to,” said Katie.