Becca (12 page)

I told him the whole story. How the guys were treating the women, how I got scraped while fighting the infected on the way back, how I got out of the car and was going to go back and try to save them, and even how the others refused to let me go.

“You did what was right, coming back with them. You took care of what was most important.”

“I feel like a failure. Why would anyone treat someone else like that?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart.” He gave me a hug. “Has Bridget or any of the others given you any trouble?”

“No. Not really. Other than a little whining when I assigned rooms.”

“What did you come up with?”

“David has the first room at the top of the stairs, Bridget and Amber have the one on the east side at the back and Tash and I share the west one. It’s too dangerous to use the bottom floor. One of those things might break in a window, or maybe even someone who isn’t infected.”

“Yes. Well, what we can do there is put up some heavy shutters that we can close from the inside. We should get back and do that. I’m sure there’s some wood in the barn, or we can tear some off the barn if we have to.”

“Dad... I... I’m so sorry.”

“For what, Becca?”

“I gave up on you. I doubted you, and... I didn’t think you were coming.”

“That’s okay. You couldn’t know.”

“And... and... I shot a guy. He wasn’t even infected, but I thought they were going to try taking the car from us, and I couldn’t risk it. So I shot him in the leg.”

“I’m sure you had no choice.”

“And I almost got Bridget killed.”

“But you didn’t get her killed. She’s safe, and it’s because of you.”

“Because of luck.”

“Rebecca, when I sent you kids this way I was so worried. The rest of them were panicked. They couldn’t be trusted at all. You held it together for them. You did a great job.”

“Oh yeah, and I sort of kidnapped Amber and David.”

“I noticed that.”

“I couldn’t leave them home alone.”

“You did the right thing.”

We headed back to the cabin. He paused along the way and sat on a huge bolder that was at the edge of the road. He nodded toward another and waited until I took a seat.

“I don’t want your sister to hear this. I’m not sure I should be telling you.”

“What?”

“Your grandparents had been infected when we got there. It was hard on your mom.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Bill was fine when we got to him, but before we even left he was attacked and killed by one of the sick people. It happened right in front of us. It was pretty bad.”

“Wow. Mom was already pretty shaky. It must be hard. For you too.”

“It was. She’s going to be okay, though. I think it does her a lot of good seeing you two doing so well.”

Dad and I, along with David, spent the day putting boards up. We nailed them directly over part of the windows, but some of them we put on hinges so we’d be able to open them for light and to see out.

Tasha, Bridget and Amber took care of Mom. They moved her into the downstairs bedroom, made her some soup, got her some Tylenol, got her something to drink. They did a good job making her feel as good as they could.

“I think the house is sealed up pretty good.” Dad told me. It was bed time already. “I don’t think you’ll be needing the bells across the stairway.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

“Becca, I’m here now. You can relax a little. You don’t have to worry now.”

“I hope so.” I shrugged. “I still feel responsible for them.”

“Just go on up to bed now.”

“Goodnight Daddy, I love you.”

“Goodnight.”

I went up and changed for bed, then climbed in next to Tasha. And we were talking for a few minutes, and then we started kissing. I rolled over and was sort of straddling her, bending down and kissing her. It was the most aggressive thing we’d done so far.

“Before you go to sleep I was wondering...” Dad began. I hopped off of Tasha and pulled the covers over myself.  I didn't even hear the door open. “It’ll wait.” he said. He turned around.

“Dad, wait.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s okay.”

I feel like he walked in on us having sex, except we were just kissing. Okay, we were getting kind of hot and heavy with it, but it was still just kissing.

“I wanted to know if you would be ready to do a supply run in the morning.” he said. He glanced over at us, and then turned completely toward me after seeing that I was on my own side of the bed and covered now.

“Yes. Sure. We should.”

“Are any of the others good enough with a gun to keep everyone safe while we go?” he asked.

“I’ve shown them all.” I told him. “David is good, but he gets scared easily. You can trust Tasha.”

“Natasha, would you stay here and make sure everyone is safe while we go?”

“I’d be happy to, Mr. Lang.”

“Good then.” He said. He shifted from one foot to the other, then back. “Rebecca, you’ve earned the right to do what you want in your life. You’ve done a lot of growing up in the past couple of weeks, so I’m not telling you what to do. But I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you two sleeping together.”

“We were just kissing, Dad.” I said. This is so embarrassing.

“Okay. Like I said, you’re basically an adult now, you can make your own decisions. I had no idea it was like this between you two.”

“It wasn’t. It is now.”

“Goodnight. Go to sleep, we need to get going early tomorrow.”

“Goodnight Mr. Lang.”

When he was gone, Tasha rolled over against me and threw her arm over me. She was shaking a little, but she started laughing.

“We’re going to have to get a lock for that door.”

“Oh, you say that like you think we’ll be doing something we need privacy for.”

“Maybe.” She giggled. “Some day.”

“I love you, Tasha.”

“I love you, too.”

It’s weird to be so incredibly happy in the midst of all this horror. Almost everyone on the planet is dead, but I have my family with me, and I have Tasha. I can’t believe I have Tasha. I hope she’s happy.

Monday, April 18
^th
 

I was up early so me and Dad could head out to gather supplies. I got up, got dressed,

headed downstairs. Bridget was sitting up on the sofa, crying. I sat next to her.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“You were right, Bridge, Mom and Dad did come.”

“Yeah.” She wiped her face. “Do you think of all the kids you went to school with?”

“Sometimes.” I put my arm around her. “You miss them. I miss my friends, too. There’s nothing we can do for them, honey.”

“Why did we survive and they didn’t?”

“Some of them may have.”

“
Some
of them.”
 

“We survived because Mom and Dad taught us how. And we were incredibly lucky.”

“I think we survived because of you.” She whispered. “We were so scared and would have just huddled in a corner and waited for some infected person to come along for us.”

“Dad made me do it.” I told her. 

“Thanks, Becca.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Mom is really sick.” She told me. “You need to go talk to her before you and Dad leave today.”

“If she’s that sick I should let her rest.”

“No. You really have to see her. In case.”

Wow, Bridget is really scared. Mom must be bad. I suppose I should see her. Maybe we shouldn’t go if she’s that sick. We have enough food for a few more days.

“Morning.” I said to Mom. I went in and sat next to her.  

“You ready to go?” Dad asked me.

“Yeah, whenever you are.”

“I’ll give you a couple of minutes, then we should go.”

He got up and left. Mom is awake, but her eyes are darting all around and she looks really bad. She is sweating and shaking. I felt her forehead and it was hot.

“You’re going to be okay, Mom.”

“Take care of your father.” she whispered.

“Me and Dad are going to go for some food in a little bit. Do you want anything?”

“Make sure your sister gets the best education you can manage.”

“There aren’t any schools left, Mom.”

“It’s up to you now.”

“I’ll help you, but you know more...”

“I may not be here.” she said.

She started coughing and it just kept going and going, and she rolled on her side and kept coughing. After a while she rolled on to her back and laid there, wheezing, gasping for breath.

“You’re going to be okay.” I told her again.

“I love you, Rebecca.” she mumbled.

“I love you too, Mom. You’ll be okay.”

“Do your best to be as happy as you can, honey.” she said.

“Stop talking like you’re not going to be here.”

“I may not.”

“You will.” I squeezed her hand.

“Just promise you’ll try to build a life, even with all this.”

“Okay.” I leaned my head down next to hers. “I told Tasha how I feel. At first it was a little uncomfortable, but when she thought I was dying...”

“Why would you have been dying?”

“I...” I thought we told her this last night. I know we did. “I was attacked by one of the infected people. And now Tasha and I are together.”

“Good for you, honey.” she said. She smiled.

“I have to get going, Mom. You rest and try to get better, okay? We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

I went into the living room and everyone else was in there. It was like they were waiting for me. I really couldn’t make eye contact with Bridget, because she was right. Mom is so sick. I hugged Tasha and kissed her, then Dad and I headed out.

“We need to find some medicine for Mom.” I told him. We were heading to a city about a hundred miles away.

“I wouldn’t begin to know what.” he said.

“Some Tylenol, some antibiotics?”

“Where would we find antibiotics?”

“How about in the pharmacy?”

“Great, Becca. Except how do we know which medicines are which? How would we know the dosage?”

“They write that stuff on the label and on the drug information. All we have to do is go through the orders that have been filled and not yet picked up and we can find it out. Antibiotics are really common, Dad. I mean I’ve taken them dozens of times. If we can find like cephalexin or something, it would probably work.”