Just Us

by Stark, Collin

  "I've seen that before, now that you mention it. Back in the city, we... Kern and I... would watch them from the windows in the early days. I was too hungry and tired to really make any note of it, but they always seemed a little smarter than the ones we encountered later on. How do you know so much about them?"

  "We did our fair share of observing, too. Not only out the windows but right there in the hospital when someone would turn, not to mention the ones we strapped down before they died and wheeled off to run tests and experiments."

  "I bet that was terrible. Kern and I..."

  The woman's screaming didn't pierce their conversation at first, but as it got frenzied and louder, Quinton's ears pricked. Other voices soon joined in, and Quinton was out of his chair and off the porch before the gun shot completely echoed across the farm. Kern! Dad felt a gut wrenching sensation as he followed Quinton down the hill. Even though everything seemed safe, he never should have left his son alone. Dad lost his footing and tumbled to the ground, his face raking against the sun-baked dirt. Others ran past him. Shoving himself up and kicking his feet at the same time, Dad yelled for Kern as he continued.

  A large group had formed in a circle. Dad could hear a woman screaming at the top of her lungs. Another voice, though, was screaming as well. In pain. Kern! After shoving through the group, he saw Kern laying on his side grabbing his leg, trying to swat the two people trying to help him away. Blood was oozing away from him, soaking into the dirt. Dad slid next to him, shoving a woman away.

  "What happened? Are you okay?" Dad screamed. Kern writhed and looked up at Dad, a look of fury on his face.

  "She shot me! I came looking for you and that crazy woman shot me!"

  Dad followed Kern's accusatory finger across to the group of people. A woman was being held by two men. What little struggle she was putting up now must have been all that was left in her. She began sobbing, her hair covering her face so that Dad couldn't see her. Rage bubbled up inside him. On instinct, he leapt from the ground and charged at her. His fist managed to hit it's mark before he, too, was restrained. Dad knew there were people pleading, yelling, and crying. Seeing red blocked that out, however, as he struggled against the men and women trying to hold him back.

  "What is going on here?" Quinton roared, firing his pistol into the air. As the shot echoed off in the distance, the tumult faded to a low murmur.

  "It's the darn'est thing," Pete said, cupping his ball cap in his hands. "Lori just started screaming hysterically and attacked the boy. We tried to stop her, but she got a shot off before we could."

  "Pete, you and some of the guys get Kern up to the infirmary," Quinton said.

  "We'll be taking Lori to the cell," Kevin said. His black baseball cap had a police emblem on it.

  "No!" Lori screamed, starting to struggle again. "You don't understand!"

  "You know the rules," Kevin said, as he motioned to the men holding her to follow him. Some of the residents cried their dissent. "She tried to kill someone!" Kevin roared.

  "Those two are evil!" she screamed, throwing her head back. Dad froze. Her face was fuller, and she wasn't filthy like she had been that day on their doorstep, but he was sure it was her. Lori was the woman who had been with Julie.

  "You're the one who tried to rob us!" Kern yelled as they tried to haul him away. "She's a thief and now she tried to kill me!"

  The residents of Kings Mill were now in an uproar. Apparently she was a member of the community in good standing, because a couple of people tried to pry her from the arms of those holding her. Others, who had seen what had happened, were trying to shout them down. Quinton raised his pistol and fired again.

  "Calm down!" he yelled. "Right now we have a hurt kid and an attempted murder. Get Lori to the cell, get Kern to the infirmary. Aaron, I want to see you up at the house after I look at Kern."

  The people huddled up and conversed amongst themselves as Quinton's orders were carried out. Dad followed Quinton up to the infirmary, listening to Lori's cries of protest. Kern was loud and mouthy as they dressed his leg, but soon grew drowsy. Quinton had given him a sedative as he sewed up his leg

  "Dad," Kern said, his eyes fluttering, "I don't think we should have came here."

  "I know son, I know. We'll head out as soon as you are better." Kern nodded and slipped off to sleep.

  "You two won't be traveling anywhere for a while. Kern's injury isn't life threatening, but she did damage his calf muscle pretty bad. He got lucky Stephen stanched the bleeding. Walking won't be on the agenda for him for a couple of weeks, and then I would give him two to four more weeks before he could start doing anything strenuous like hiking long distances." Dad started to protest, but Quinton held up his hand, the blue glove slick with blood. "Right now, we need to talk."

  Displaying all of the stiffness and grandeur of a medical professional, he stripped off his gloves and stepped outside, Dad following him.

  "I guess you want to know how we know each other?" Dad asked.

  "That's an understatement. I assume it had something to do with Julie?"

  "Yes, how did you know?"

  "When she came here, she was a mental mess. She wasn't sleeping, nauseous all the time, and told everyone who would listen about how two guys murdered her friend in cold blood." Dad stopped, causing Quinton to turn.

  "She wasn't murdered," Dad said.

  "Then you better explain yourself, because I don't know how long everyone will remain calm without an explanation." Dad ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

  "They knocked on the door of the house I was telling you about. I opened it, and Julie came in wielding a knife, like she was wanting to rob us. Kern shot her when she wouldn't leave. There isn't much more to say."

  "What was she trying to 'steal'?"

  "I don't really know. I tried to calm everyone down, but the girl..."

  "Julie," Quinton corrected.

  "Julie kept brandishing her knife, trying to push past. I don't know what she was planning, I just know she was threatening us with a knife. I would have given them some food, even let the stay with us, but Kern shot her when she wouldn't leave."

  "Why did it turn to violence?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "Why did it turn to violence, man? Both of you had guns, she only had a knife. What harm could she do?"

  "To be honest? She could have stolen everything they could carry if Kern hadn't shot her, or she could have killed one of us if she had gotten close. I don't think she would have killed anyone, but you don't know the things my son has seen out there. You also don't know what it's like to starve, or have others take advantage of you. What happened that day has stuck with me since it happened, but I don't blame Kern for what he did, either. It changed him. I don't think he wanted to do it, I just think he was trying to protect us."

  "So, you are saying that what happened was in self defense. Lori is saying two guys killed her friend, whom she had been with since the beginning, in cold blood. I don't know how this is going to go over with everyone."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, we don't have a lot of rules here, but the ones we do have we are very strict about. Shooting someone in the Mill without provocation or threat is definitely against those rules. Still, Lori has shown she is a good person. Everyone may opt to send you and your son off and forget this whole thing ever happened."

  "But you said he couldn't go anywhere for at least six weeks!" Dad said, exasperated.

  "I know, but while I may be the de facto leader, since this is all my land, the tide of public opinion may be against me on this. If it's all black and white, then she needs to go for attacking Kern. To keep the peace, they may opt to send you on your way. She has a few friends here, close ones. I'm not sure I could keep anyone from acting on what she has said."

  "Well, who do you believe?"

  "I don't know, Aaron. All I do know is that you saved my son. I can't ever repay you for that, but Lori has been a good, productive member of the community since we f
ound her. She is a very caring and giving person, from what I have seen, and she always helps. She actually just got back from searching for my boys when she saw Kern."

  "So you're going to let that dictate what happens to me and my son? Even though we haven't done anything to you and helped you?"

  "People are fickle," Quinton said, rubbing his forehead. "By saying that, their unerring adherence to our little code of law could go by the wayside if they feel that one of their own is the victim of it against the outsider. I also know that Kern cannot travel, and he and you are under my care. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go play PR guy and make sure this doesn't get out of hand."

  Dad watched him as he walked out the door and out towards his people, exhibiting his characteristic calmness. Anxious was an understatement for what Dad felt. With Kern injured, it seemed they were now trapped in a town that was increasingly hostile to them. Sure, he had thought already about taking Kern and leaving, but just how far would they get? It was a nasty wound, and Dad knew that if Lori's angry friends didn't get them, the dead or infection would. Their best chances lay here for the moment, but Dad hoped Kern's recovery would be quicker than what Quinton had said.

  The only thing he could do was to sit by Kern's side, watching over him as he slept. As a rule, he went and got their packs and their weapons. Pete had tried to talk him into giving up his guns on the way back to the infirmary, but Dad would have none of it, telling him that unless they wanted someone else shot, it would be best to leave him and his son alone. At the moment, they were sanctioned to a degree not only by Quinton's protection, but also by the fact that they had brought Jacob home. The mass confusion of the morning had no doubt helped. As long as everyone was asking what was going on and why it happened, they would be less likely to form any kind of organized efforts.

  Hospitals never really impressed Dad, but the makeshift infirmary make him appreciate the forethought of Quinton. It was a larger house than most. Inside the front door was a type of lobby, with a desk that a young woman sat at. Later, he found out that she was a med student and she only manned the desk when there was a patient. There were four rooms down the roughly hued hallway, and there were portable heating and air units in the rooms. Only the one in the lobby and the one in Kern's room were on. At the end of the hallway was a door with a sign that read Surgery.

  Bare essentials was an understatement, but Dad knew the power grid couldn't sustain everything for an extended period of time. The room had a bed on a sturdy wooden frame, simple white sheets with a pillow and two blankets, a random stand-up cabinet, and a table with two folding chairs. All the medicine and what medical devices they had would be locked up in the surgery room they had just come from. Dad was reading one of the magazines from the lobby, an archaic medical journal, when he looked out the window and saw a group of people heading towards the infirmary. Dad pulled up the rifle and stood between Kern and the window.

  The doors to the rooms didn't lock. Dad cursed his bad luck and stepped closer to the window and watched the group. There were four of them, two men and two women. There didn't seem to be any guns between them except the pistol that one of the men, a scrawny and bald creature, had holstered by his side. The two men and a woman were walking with purpose, while the other woman seemed to be pleading with them. Sharp words were exchanged between the two women, and then with the bald headed man and the pleading woman. Kern didn't know what was going on, but it looked like trouble. He strained his ears to listen to what was being said, but it was hard to do over Kern's loud snoring and exhales. Whatever Quinton had given him had knocked him out good.

  Suddenly, the group turned. Hidden from Dad's view, someone was coming up behind the group. More loud words were exchanged, and the bald headed man began pointing at the infirmary and yelling, waving his hands. The other two instigators turned towards the infirmary and there was a brief scuffle behind them. Ole' Baldy fell hardly on his rear and Dad let loose the breath he had been holding as he saw Kevin firmly grip the other man on the shoulder and spin him around. Other members of the community were surrounding the group now. Baldy got to his feet and stomped towards Kevin, only to be restrained by some of the men. A few heated words were exchanged, and Kevin took the pistol from the man's holster. With a wave of his hand, Kevin dispersed the crowd and headed to the infirmary.

  "Sorry about that," Kevin grumbled as he stepped into Kern's room, then motioned at the rifle "I don't reckon you'll have to worry about using that thing."

  "I'm not too sure about that. I don't know why those people were heading up here in such a hurry, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with me and Kern."

  "Oh, I can promise you that, but don't worry too much about Yosniel. He's a bit of a hothead and has the hots for Lori, so I guess his way of trying to get her is by causing a scene. Pretty harmless, really."

  "That pistol doesn't look too harmless."

  "What do you want me to say? That he might have come in here and killed the both of you? I doubt it. He was a little riled up earlier, but it was made worse by that troublesome little sister of his. Not bad folk, usually. Just give them a little time to settle down and everything will be fine."

  "Well, what are you doing here?" Dad asked. Kevin smiled and shrugged.

  "I'm pretty much the law here. I'm the only member of law enforcement so far to make it here and settle down. I guess it's my job to make sure no one gets at ya', so I reckon I'll homestead in here for a while." Dad sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

  "This is so stupid," he said. "If we had just left, none of this would have happened."

  "Well, it did. Look, I really don't care what you and your boy did out there for the most part. I was out there for a while, and it got pretty bad. Everyone is just trying to make due the best they can. I also learned a long time ago, dealing with criminals and people in general, that there's at least two sides to every story. I can't pass judgement on what happened out there. Sure, if you were a known looter or murderer we would decide to do something, but all I can really worry about is what happens here. We have a good thing going here. The only thing keeping it that way is some semblance of law and order."

  "I thank you for that," Dad said coldly, then crossed his arms. Kevin chuckled.

  "I can't say that I blame you, Aaron. I'll leave ya' be now. If you need me, I'll be in the lobby."

  Once Kevin had shut the door, Kern sat up.

  "You alright, son?"

  "Give me my pistol."

  "You don't need it right now." Kern was still groggy, moving his head from side to side. "The last thing we need is the nurse coming in here to dress your wound and you shooting her."

  "We messed up," Kern said, settling back onto the bed. "We should have never helped him." Dad thought it about for a minute, grimacing.

  "As much as I want to agree with you, I can't. Morally, I don't think I could have stood by. Even then, it wasn't his fault you got shot, it was her's."

  "She better hope she never sees me once I get better," Kern said heavily, his eye lids drooping.

  "I don't think she will," Dad said, but before the words left his mouth, Kern's eyes were closed and he was fidgeting to get comfortable.

  xxxxxxxxxx

  Over the next few days, Dad and Kern got their fair share of visitors. Kevin had stayed true to his word and set up shop in the infirmary. While Dad wished he would have checked everyone for weapons, he understood that might have been going too far. Most of the faces were forgettable, a few women stopping by to offer some food and drink, a few of the men picking Dad's brain about the general area they found Jacob in to try and find the bodies, dead or undead, of John and Derek. The only notable ones were Quinton, checking in on Kern, and Pete. Had it not been for Pete, Dad would have gone stir crazy. The old man was well versed in the art of keeping one's mind from wandering, and Dad appreciated the card games and talks.

  Dad had also struck up a kind of friendship with the nurse, a young girl named Katie. She would come in an
d dress Kern's wound, check his vital signs, and administer the antibiotics and pain medication. She was a nice enough girl, but scrawny and bookish. It wasn't hard to imagine here in some dark corner of a coffee shop reading the newest romance novel. Her strawberry blonde hair was more unkept than most, but not dirty. Most of the time, Kern was asleep. Dad was alarmed at first, but Quinton told him it wasn't as much from the wound as from malnourishment, dehydration, and exhaustion. Those times he wasn't asleep, Katie would joke with him and laugh.

  For all the excitement they had caused, things seemed to have quieted down. There weren't anymore attempts to storm the infirmary. As Dad watched out the window, weary with exhaustion from trying to stay up around the clock ( although one time he passed out when the sun was high and woke up after the moon had taken it's place ), he saw the people going about their daily routines. It had been four days since Kern was shot when Quinton came to see him.

  Even though he had an ice bucket with some beer, Dad could tell by the way he entered the room and gave him a weary smile that something wasn't right. After accepting one of the brews, he offered Quinton a seat on the small cot they had brought for Dad to sleep on. Quinton sat down and popped open his beer, taking a swig.

  "You know, I rarely ever drink. I think I have drank more in the past week than I have in the last year."

  "I bet," Dad replied. "This whole end of the world thing is enough to drive anyone to drinking, let alone what you've been through. I bet this is another one of those times, isn't it?" Quinton nodded and took a long sip, savoring it a bit, to have time to gather his thoughts.

  "There's a big push by most of the people to have a trial of sorts," he said slowly.