Authors: Rain Stickland
“Wow. From urbanite to goat and chicken rancher. A bit of a culture shock. Neil the new guy?”
“Yeah, that’s him. The goats are the only culture shock, though. I had chickens growing up, remember?”
“Oh right. You told me that.”
“Yes, I told you that. Are you heading to the pharmacy?” She could hear the wind blowing into his headset, so she figured he was driving.
“Well, I have to go teach a class right now.” Mac wanted to scream.
“Ian, be ten minutes late. Tell the other guy you’ll be there when you can get there. He can handle it for ten frickin’ minutes. The two hours may not make any difference, but maybe they will. Don’t take the chance. Once the cascade starts, it’s going to happen very fast, and your pharmacy may not be willing to fill your script if they don’t have power.”
“Okay, okay. Jeez you’re bossy.”
“I have to be. Gotta keep all my self-destructive friends in line. You know I’m right, though, or you wouldn’t agree to it. You’d brush me off. So, just follow your usual instincts and listen to me. Thank Christ Kirk and Leigh were a lot easier to convince, and they’re supposed to be young and foolish. Then again, you’re old and crotchety now.”
“Ha! One of these days I’m coming up to Canada to kick your ass.”
“Good luck with that. Especially now. Hey, at least you probably won’t need a passport after this goes down. You’ll just have to walk, that’s all. Or sail a boat.”
“You’re kidding me! All the way up there?”
“It’s not the north pole, Ian. Jesus. It’s only about two and a half hours north of Toronto, and the way you drive I’d say more like ninety minutes.”
“You saying I’m a reckless driver? I’ll have you know, when I was a cop...”
“Yeah, yeah. Pizza, sirens, radio, high speed chase. I remember. The scary thing is, you were the cop in that scenario. I can only imagine how crazy your suspect was.”
“Ha! No kidding. Alright. If I get all this crazy shit, and you turn out to be wrong, I’m seriously coming up there to kick your ass.”
“Well, it would be about time you got off your ass and did something worthwhile with your life. I’m only the greatest thing in the world, and you haven’t even bothered to come and meet me. I’m good enough to put up with all your weird website demands, but not good enough to be seen in public with. Yeah, I see how it is.”
“Exactly. So tell me about this new guy. He some hot young stud you hooked up with in a bar or something? Half your age and you gotta wipe his nose for him and all that?” Mac was laughing.
“I can’t talk about him right now. He standing beside me, so I can only tell you the good stuff. He might, you know, beat me or something if I tell you the truth about him.”
“Uh-huh. I’ll believe that when I see it. You tell him you’re an honorary black-belt. I’ll back you up on that.”
“Because the ‘honorary’ means so much, right? Just like an honorary degree will get you what, exactly?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Might buy you a good ass-kicking from someone who actually has a black-belt, maybe.”
“Probably. Anyway, I have to get going. I think I might go for a swim.”
“What, you got a pool up there at your posh Canadian resort?”
“River, and yes, I told you about it. I have a river on my property. In fact, I share it with my sexy new neighbour.”
“Hey, I thought you said you had a boyfriend. You cheating on him with your neighbour now?”
“Right. ‘Cause that’s just who I am. Jackass. No, my sexy new neighbour
is
the guy I’ve been seeing.”
“Oh, okay. I thought you were being a hussy again.”
“Uh-huh. I gotta go. You go get your insulin, okay? You said you would. I’m gonna hold you to that. If you don’t and I have to come down there and rescue you, I’m gonna kick
your
ass. I don’t care if you
are
some hotshot martial arts master. Talk to ya later.” She felt Neil’s arms slide around her waist as she hung up.
“You’d really do that, wouldn’t you?”
“What? Kick his ass? I couldn’t if he had three limbs tied to a telephone pole. Might be able to shoot him, though.”
“You know I meant going down there to give him insulin.” Mac shrugged.
“Honestly, I’m probably going to have to anyway, even if he gets his insulin now.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s fully insulin-dependent. He has a rare form of diabetes. If he goes three days without it, he’s dead. Insulin has a maximum of a one-year shelf-life before it turns toxic. His test strips only last for so long, too, but they’re not as important as the insulin. He’ll need a fresh supply of insulin within a year, no matter how careful he is to stretch it out. Then it’s a slow and painful death.”
“Okay, I understand that part, but how do you intend to help him? Do you have a background in pharmaceuticals or chemistry?”
“No, but if I have to I’ll learn to make it myself. It won’t be what he has now, but it’s better than nothing. I have the lab equipment and precise instructions on how it was first altered for use in humans. I do
not
want to be making this stuff. It means having to use animals in a way I’m not sure I can deal with, but I won’t let him die either. We’ll just call that plan C for now.”
“What are plans A and B then?”
“Plan A is to find someone who knows how to operate the equipment at the plants that make synthetic insulin, and then provide a power source. Any type of insulin is better than nothing, though the long-acting stuff would be best.
“Plan B is to find a chemist, or a pharmacist since they understand chemistry better than I ever will, and have them make the insulin for me. There are going to be a lot of people who need it, and a lot of them will die, but maybe I can help some other people at the same time.”
Neil sat down on the bed again, still not having bothered to dress, and shook his head.
“How do you plan to get to Cleveland?”
“I’ve got lots of stabilized fuel, which will be perfectly good in six months, and possibly years from now. I’m sure you have a bunch yourself. Half of it is treated with PRI-G and the other half with STA-BIL. I wasn’t sure whose claims I believed more, so I used both. I’ve been cycling the cans for a while.”
“Okay, but you know what’s going to happen if you have to stop anywhere to put fuel in and there are people around.”
“Oh yeah. I’m well aware. People are assholes, as Kirk is fond of saying. It’s more like people are
murderous
assholes, but that’s why I’ve learned archery and firearms, among other things. I won’t be going unarmed if it comes to that. My other option is a sailboat. I can get from Skeleton Bay all the way to Cleveland by boat. That’s the better plan, but it means learning to sail without anyone to teach me.
“If I can find someone in this area to make the insulin, I can show up there with it, and I won’t need a vehicle to drive all over the place. He can just meet me. Before things got bad I was about to start looking around for someone who would agree to help me in exchange for whatever power generator I could sacrifice.
“In fact, instead of swimming I should do some research and maybe make some calls, for as long as I’m able to. There isn’t much time left. I might not need the information for months, but pretty soon I won’t be able to access it.”
“First, come and sit beside me here for a second. You’ve got a bit of time, I think.” Mac decided to humour him for the moment.
“I’m curious about his reaction when you told him you were seeing someone.” He held up a hand before she could snap at him.
“Maybe I should explain why I want to know, so it makes more sense to you, and doesn’t piss you off. I want to know if he’s worth you risking your life to help him. Not to mention your daughter, whether she goes with you or stays here. I’d also like to see if he took you seriously, since it will give me an idea when you plan to leave.”
“Why do you want to know when I’ll be leaving?”
“Because I want to be prepared to come with you if it’s possible.” Mac almost choked, though she didn’t know why she was surprised.
“What about Billy? He’s only eighteen. You wouldn’t leave him by himself, would you?”
“No. There are other options, but you and I can talk about that when it’s time. Like you I’m preparing for a worst-case scenario, but I’m preparing for a best-case scenario, too. I’ve got some goals and dreams I’d like to fulfill if possible.”
“I’m not going on a spirit-quest here. I’m only considering this because I don’t want my best friend to die.”
“I’m not referring to the boat trip. I’d only go because you’re going. Staying behind, not knowing if you’re safe, would be torture for me, and I’d rather spend that time with you. I want to hear your stories, and learn pretty much everything there is to know about you.”
“Pretty much?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t need to know every instance of you scratching your ass, for example, but I’d like to know what formed you into this amazing person you’ve become.”
“Oh, okay. For the record, I don’t need to know the ass-scratch-count either. We’ll keep that information
off
the record. Word to the wise, as they say, be careful what you wish for. I’ve had a long forty years. Lots of stories, lots of boring shit, lots of pain. Sunshine and roses aren’t what formed me, except maybe the burns and thorns.
“Why don’t I just send you the recording of the call? Just keep in mind when you listen to it, that he cares a lot about me. He just knows better than to try to be parental about it. He acted like that a couple times and I bit his head off.
“The last thing I wanted, especially when I had an interest in him, was for him to think of me that way. He’s quite a bit older than me, and I’ve never been interested in having a daddy-daughter relationship, so I made damn good and sure we would never have one, whatever happened.
“He cares about people a lot, just in general. So many people think of him as their mentor, and that’s because they
know
he cares. It’s only been in the last couple of years that I’ve let him nag me about things, but then he lets me nag him. Our business relationship meant it was still important that he saw me as an equal, even when the possibility of anything romantic was gone.
“I wasn’t a cuddly kitten when it came to business, and being a woman I had a lot of guys trying to treat me that way. I made sure they learned differently right from the start, so they never tried to pull a fast one on me again. If you’ve ever seen or read
Ender’s Game
, you’ll probably remember the part where he kicks the shit out of the bully at the very beginning, and they ask him why he beat him so bad.” Neil nodded.
“He says it’s because he wanted to win all the fights after that one.”
“Exactly. That’s the corporate world. Hell, that’s just the world. I worked my ass off to show it made no difference I was a woman. That’s the kind of feminism I believe in. I also believe that damn near anything is possible, but you have to be willing to pay the price to have it.”
“Alright, what price do you think I’m going to have to pay to have your love and companionship for the rest of my life? Because whatever it is I’m going to pay it.” Mac smiled at him, as he reached for his jeans and rooted through his pocket as though he was trying to pull out his wallet.
“Well, you might have to sit through more of my ridiculous lectures that you don’t actually need to hear because you’re so strangely perfect for me. I don’t charge for them, though. You can put your wallet away.”
“Done. Here.” He was holding out his loosely-fisted hand, palm down. She automatically held out her own, mystified. Then she felt something drop into it, and she stared in disbelief.
17
C
ARPE
D
IEM
“What... You can’t... I can’t...”
“...speak, apparently. It’s okay Mac. It’s for later, when you’re ready, but with what’s happening out there I wanted to make sure it fits you. It’s better to find out while there’s still a chance to get it sized. Just try it on.”
Mac was sure her mouth had opened and closed like a guppy’s several times already. Not the most attractive reaction to an engagement ring, but she couldn’t help it. Neil started putting on his clothes.
“When
I’m
ready? And you are? Right this minute, you’d be willing to go through with this?”
“Hell, yes.”
“It’s the same colour as your eyes,” she said, tears in her own as she watched him pull his t-shirt over his head.
“What?”
“Your eyes. They’re emerald green. You have such beautiful eyes.” Mac just stared at the flush-mounted, princess-cut stone in the centre of the ring, trying not to be an idiot. What he was suggesting was impossible.
Neil started humming the opening bars of
I Feel Pretty
, and Mackenzie started laughing. He sat beside her again.
“I chose it because it’s your birthstone, not for my eye-colour, but I hear proper accessories can really make the outfit. You can dangle me off your arm like a purse, so long as I get to keep my eyes where they are, for whatever length of time I’m still using them. After all, I want to be able to see you. Especially when I’m able to call you my wife.”
Mac’s lungs burned in her chest, and her heart pounded. Just hearing him use the word was enough to conjure images of a life together. A small voice in her head wondered,
Why aren’t we both terrified of this?
“Neil, I cannot try this on if it’s not official. It’s bad luck. I’m sorry.” She held out the ring to him. He blinked at her in confusion.
“You? You’re superstitious? Level-headed, pragmatic, logical you?” Mac smiled at him and gave him a wink.
“No, not really, but if you want me to put it on you’re still going to have to ask.” The twinkle was back in his eyes when he looked into hers.
“Okay. Will you please try it on?” Mac rolled her eyes.
“You already asked me that.” Neil sobered.