by Cooper, DJ
Red replied, “No problem, I would be excited too, sorry I didn’t have more news.”
John smiled, saying, “It’s good to hear any news. This trip has taken far longer than I ever would have thought and it helps being reminded of our friends.”
Danny and Jules were both in rough shape. Danny’s wound had mostly healed, but the massive infection took its toll on his recovery. His leg was getting stronger with the help of Amy and Laurie getting him to stretch it each night, but he was becoming frustrated at his limitations. Jules was getting worse each day, at this point everyone knew there was something terribly wrong and it was making the others uncomfortable not knowing.
John looked at Dickie as he stood looking at her and said, “It is time to tell the others what is going on with her.”
Dickie looked down and said, “Yeah I know.”
John replied, “It might ease the burden on Amy and Laurie as well as you.
Dickie had tears he was holding back when he said, “They don’t know if she is going to hold on long enough.”
John looked horrified, saying, “We might lose them both?”
Dickie looked at him almost pleading for guidance and asked, “Was it wrong to let her keep the baby?”
John put a hand on his shoulder and said, “My friend, if things don’t start righting themselves, you would have lost her either way. She is type one diabetic and insulin dependent, the supply would have run out eventually. No my friend I don’t believe it was wrong.”
Dickie, tears rolling down his cheeks said, “We talked long ago and she knew I wanted a son, the doctors told us no more children, that her body couldn’t handle it. John, she knew this before she got pregnant. I don’t know how I’ll go on without her.”
John became stern saying, “You will go on. You have a daughter to care for and God willing, a newborn. You need to get it together.”
Dickie nodded and said, “Thanks mate, not only for this, but for everything you have done. We never would have made it to Dez if it were not for you.”
John began to shuffle his feet, saying, “Aww shucks.”
They both laughed, Dickie regained his composure and they walked over to where the food was laid out and began making a plate. John and Dickie sat with Roger and Jenny chatting about how much further they had to go, when Amy came over and sat down.
John looked at her saying, “To what do I owe the pleasure of the company of such a fine lady as you?”
Amy smiled slightly and said, “I wanted to talk to you.”
John said, “What’s up sweetheart?”
Amy replied, “Take a walk with me?”
John stood, saying, “a change to go walking with a beautiful lady? Sure thing.”
Once they were outside the barn, John could see she was troubled about something and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Amy looked troubled, saying, “We can’t keep up this pace, at least not without at least a few days’ rest.”
John was agitated, saying, “But we are so close.”
Amy scolded him, “What good is it if we can’t all arrive together?”
John stopped and looked at her, brushing his hand through his longer than usual hair and said, “What do you mean?”
Amy wrung her hands and said, “Its Jules, she is too weak to go on right now. She needs some rest.”
John hung his head in thought for a moment, recalling the conversation he and Dickie had only a short while ago and said, “This is a good place, we have shelter and good defensibility. We will stay here, it will be good to get our bearings and prepare things for the next leg of our journey anyway.”
Amy was shocked he didn’t put up more of a fight and asked, “You’re not going to argue this with me?”
John looked sad and said, “No, I guess I knew we couldn’t keep up that pace. How is Jules?”
Amy looked sad saying, “I don’t really know, she stopped telling us what was going on with her but I know it is bad. Her color is off and she is not eating much, honestly, I don’t know how she keeps going.”
Amy continued, “At some point her kidneys are going to quit working all together and we are going to have to do something. I have been reading up on C-sections and I’m really worried about the baby as well. I just don’t know that much about diabetic kidney failure and the implications for the baby. Eventually Jules will fall into a coma and die, there is nothing we can do about that. My concern is knowing the right time to take the baby. The longer we can wait the better she is only twenty six weeks and there is a chance this premature we will lose them both.”
John looked pained as he said, “We will stay put as long as we need to.” Then kissed her on her forehead and sent her back into the barn.
A few moments later Dickie came out with Roger and asked if everything was ok. John said that they would be taking a break here for a few days and that they should prepare a watch rotation and get the group settled in.
Two days they remained in the barn, by now everyone knew that Jules was not doing very well. She did not get any better with rest, but instead progressively got worse. Amy told Dickie he was off watches and all other duties because she needed him to pay constant attention to Jules right now. Amy and Laurie knew Jules was fading, but didn’t know how to help her.
On the fourth day Amy awakened to Dickie shouting, “Jules, Jules…. Please baby wake up!”
Amy came over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder saying, “I’ll tend to her, will you please make us some coffee?”
Dickie looked quizzically at her saying, “Coffee? We haven’t had coffee in weeks.”
Gently Amy spoke, “There is some coffee in the duffle bag near the cart. I’ve been saving it for when we had snow, thinking it might lift spirits. Let’s have some, shall we?”
Dickie knew today would be the worst day of his life as he walked to the cart his wife had been riding in. He found the coffee right away along with a perk coffee pot. It didn’t take long for the smell of coffee to arouse everyone. Amy had Georgia and Matty read a story to Jules so the adults could talk.
She sat in the midst of everyone and sighed as she spoke, “We need to take the baby. Laurie, Melinda and I have been preparing for this, it is important that everyone knows their role here.”
Dickie let out a small sob asking, “What do I need to do?”
Amy said, “For now? Be with your wife, when we are ready, I need you to stay close to Georgia. Matty will help you.”
Then she began handing out assignments. John and Ray were to go to the creek and get lots of water, filling every container they had. Roger, Ray and Mark were needed to set up a perimeter to keep watch. Jenny would assist Dickie with the kids while Laurie and Melinda would assist with the C-section. Kimmie, Renee and Danny would keep the fires going to boil the water. They all agreed without any complaints and everyone hurried to their task.
Jules never moved or woke up while preparations were made. Dickie was grief stricken and nearly immobilized with sadness. Georgia and Matty did not really understand what was going on but Amy feared Dickie’s grief would upset Georgia. Jenny took the kids outside to help gather firewood for the fire. They were admonished by John to stay in an area where he could see them at all times.
The preparations made, it was time to deliver the baby. Following the procedure set forth in all the readings the ladies began the terrifying task. They were not at all sure of themselves and were noticeably shaky.
Dickie reached out for Amy’s hand, saying, “The best you can do is more than we hoped for.”
Somewhere during his moment Dickie had found some clarity and was now the rock Amy needed to steady her hand. Following the procedure like a textbook operation, they successfully delivered the baby and stitched up Amy. She was still not awake, but the baby, a little girl, Dickie named Kayleigh, after his favorite song by Marillion back in the eighties, lay next to her. She was small and struggled to breathe, what she really needed was an incubator, but she was holding her
own… for now. Dickie and Georgia spent the remainder of the day with Jules and the baby, they slept that night all cuddled up as a family.
Chapter 24
“Bittersweet arrival”
“If this is victory, then our hands are too small to hold it.”
-J.R.R. Tolkien
During the night Jules quietly died, her family huddled around her. The sadness of this morning was palatable, everyone was silently going about the tasks at hand preparing for the inevitable funeral they would soon need to attend. Jenny cared for the children while others prepared a grave. Dickie was silent, never uttering a word to anyone as he stoically helped dig the hole that would become his wife’s final resting place. This worried John, fearful his friend would retreat into his grief and be unable to carry on.
Amy further worried about Kayleigh, she was still struggling to breathe and she was so tiny she could practically fit in the palm of her hand. They had plenty of formula and she was being fed every hour hoping to quickly boost her weight. Only time would tell if this little miracle would survive in the new and harsh world.
They stayed another night in the barn, but knew it was time to move on. In the morning they would pack up and head for their new home. Dickie was still quiet and reserved, barely even acknowledging anyone and refusing to hold or feed Kayleigh. Jenny kept Kayleigh with her, holding the baby girl against her skin to help keep her warm, hoping her father would soon take up the task.
Georgia remained quiet but seemed more worried about her father than she was about her own feelings. Matty stuck to her side, never letting her be alone. Ever since the loss of his mother, he had become almost cold to anyone but Amy and Georgia. He seemed to have a unique understanding of her grief.
The sun rose and the barn was awakened to the smell of coffee once again. It was Dickie, he made a warm fire and some coffee and tea for himself, to start them on what they hoped was the last leg of their journey.
While everyone gathered around the fire for warmth and coffee, Dickie approached Jenny saying, “I cannot thank you enough for all you are doing to care for my Daughter.”
Jenny replied, “It is my pleasure, she is such a precious little girl.”
Dickie leaned over and kissed the top of his daughter’s head saying, “You hang in there my sweetheart, your mom won’t have no quitters in this family.”
He then headed over to John, stretching out his hand said, “Cheers, mate for everything.”
He then reached out to Amy squeezing her in a big bear hug.
John was happy to see his friend in better spirits, but Amy was troubled.
John asked her what was wrong, she replied, “Stick close to Dickie, he is not alright. He’s not being thankful or moving on, he’s saying goodbye.”
John looked shocked and said, “Are you sure?”
Amy replied, “Yes! Do not let him out of your sight until he deals with Jules’s death. There is yet more, Kayleigh is not out of the woods, without proper medical facilities six months along is very premature and she has at best a fifty-fifty chance.”
John told her he understood and would keep him busy and make sure he was never alone. Dickie was distraught over the death of Jules and struggled to maintain his composure. Georgia fared far better with Matty at her side, they became inseparable. They had a commonality each losing their mother tragically in this, the world they now lived in.
The camp was packed and the travelers prepared to move out. A head count was taken and all were present. They paused a moment as a group to say goodbye to Jules, each either silently or openly saying a prayer or goodbye. John did not worry about leaving anything at this location as they were leaving behind a grave and were not about to leave it unmarked.
They set out along the railroad tracks that would carry them to the next junction of power lines. They needed only travel twenty-seven miles along the tracks and after only a few hours, even the kids wished for the easy trials of the power lines. The tracks were more difficult to navigate, each side was overgrown making it necessary to travel on the tracks themselves. At first the kids loved it balancing on the track and making a game of it, but soon grew tired of it. The cart was difficult to pull, each step followed by the whump, whump, of the hard wheels falling between the railroad ties, then climbing the next.
The sun began to sink on the horizon and it was time to start looking for a place to camp. Beside the tracks about twenty feet there was a small clump of pine trees surrounded by the thorny whips of raspberry bushes. Ray had them stop so he could check it out. Pine needles would be good bedding and the thorny protection made it a good site he said.
Ray and Roger parted the raspberries while Dickie grabbed some pine boughs to place over the newly made path into their little haven. Once they all crossed into the pines they removed the pine boughs and let the raspberries return to how they were. Camp was set up in what seemed like moments, they were all becoming very efficient in its set up and tear down. Laurie pulled out some things for dinner, which consisted of jerky, some previously boiled eggs, cold beans and precooked hot dogs. There was also PBJs on some flat bread they made the night before.
They sat eating as Ray looked over the map, John approached him asking about their position. Ray looked up from the map chomping on a piece of jerky saying, “I figure we have made it a good eight miles, judging by the overpass we crossed about a mile back.”
John looked pleased, saying, “Wow, I didn’t feel like we made very much progress, that is a respectable distance.”
Ray replied, “If we can maintain close to that we should have no more than another day and half, maybe two of these tracks.”
John nodded and turned to walk away when Ray asked, “Is Dickie alright?”
John turned back to him, saying, “I don’t really know, he has been off on his own, I’m hoping he snaps out of it soon.
Ray looked down and said, “Me too.”
They sat silently drinking a hot cup of… What exactly it was no one was sure, except Laurie, but it was hot and sweet with a minty taste.
While they sat staring into the woods, Roger came over and asked, “Hey, do we have a watch rotation established yet?”
Ray looked up at him with a chuckle saying, “You didn’t do that yet?”
Roger shrugged and said, “It’s always the grunt that has to do the shit work.” He smiled and walked over to recruit Mark to help him.
The night was quiet but there was a hint of smoke in the air. They wondered if it was their followers camped nearby. Before the other campers could catch up and even the sun came into view the next morning, they were packed and back on the railroad tracks.
John carefully checked the campsite, pretending the need to relieve himself before getting onto the railroad tracks. He told them to go ahead and he would catch up. He found an arrow made from sticks on the far side of the camp. He was stunned that someone would betray them.
The arrow pointed in the direction on the tracks that they were going. John quickly rearranged the sticks to point in a direction leading off into the woods. Hoping this would at least delay their trackers for a few hours or so.
They hoped the group would make at least another seven miles this day, but they made it twelve miles, so much better than they hoped or expected, this left them only six miles to the intersection of the tracks and powerlines that they would next need to follow. At that intersection they also reached another cache location marked on the map.
Ray could not believe how much help they’d been given, saying to John, “I don’t know how your friends did it, but the help we have is making this journey much more bearable.”
John replied, “Matt and I have been friends for years and I would never have thought this was possible. But Dez? She is the one that has the resources.
Ray looked impressed, saying, “Sounds like a handy person to have around.”
John chuckled, saying, “I’m still trying to figure out what she sees in Matt.”
Ray winked saying,
“Maybe some handsome devil in camo will come steal her from him.” Running his hands through his hair as if slicking it back and raising his eyebrows.
They laughed a moment and then set off on the perimeter check. The location was not as secure as the previous night’s camp and was easily visible from the tracks. There was a long trestle ahead that spanned between two ridges and John wanted to scout the area before getting into the open or worse yet trapped on a train trestle. The plan was to get the camp secured and then Roger and Dickie would do a little recon to see if it was safe to cross, or if they should skip it and go down into the valley. Doing so would add miles to their journey, if they felt it safe to cross it they would do so.
That evening they smelled fires again, and after dark Dickie and Roger headed to the trestle. Approaching the area where it was open to the valley they were stunned to see the number of small fires scattered through the woods. They were definitely not alone. Dickie made the gesture to have a look at something, pointing with his index and middle fingers to his eyes, then pointing to an area just below the beginning of the trestle. There just below was a small fire with a number of figures sitting around it. Silently they crept closer, trying to hear the conversation and maybe get an idea of who they were, and if they were a threat.
In the stillness a voice boomed out from beside them, saying, “We know you’re there and who you are, show yourselves.”
Startled, Dickie stood, pushing Roger to the ground as he did. Dickie put his hands up saying, “I was just trying to see who you were.”
The voice responded, “The other one too, stand up.”
Roger stood, looking around, he could see no one.
The voice said, “You know the routine, we don’t want to know you nor you us. The bridge is not safe in the daytime, go get the others and cross tonight. Another team is on the far side and will lead you to a different camp spot.”
Dickie looked at Roger and then into the darkness saying, “Are you with…”
The voice cut him off, “There is an update from Arthur at the intersecting point. Go now, get the others and cross. This area is not secure and you are not safe here.”