Authors: J.R. Tate
“Cracked rib. It’s not helping much, but there’s not much the medical staff can do. They were able to scrounge up a few things and it’s better than nothing.”
“Look at us. It’s like we’ve gotten hit by a damn freight train.”
That made Cecilia smile, and she tiptoed and pecked Ryan on the lips. “I guess technically we have. Isn’t that the way all the rednecks describe the way twisters sound on the news? Like a big train?”
Ryan laughed and kissed the top of her head. “Everything is going to be fine. I promise.”
“Mr. Gibson, we really need to look at your leg.” The nurse motioned him toward the gurney. “Sit right here relax. We’ll have you feeling better in no time.”
Ryan couldn’t tell if she really meant it, or was being sarcastic. With the lack of medical equipment available, he was sure it was the latter.
After an IV of fluids and a thorough cleaning of his wound, Ryan felt like a new man. The nurse had done a good job of stitching him back up, and with a clean pair of pants, the chances of infection had been reduced. Cecilia had put it correctly – everything had been a blur.
Harper Springs was a small town, but the lack of people around was shocking. There were maybe ten people in the respite area. He didn’t have the stomach to go across the street to the morgue. He’d probably recognize more people there, and he couldn’t handle seeing people he knew, laid out like trash. Out of sight, out of mind, and if he hadn’t officially seen their lifeless bodies, it gave him hope that most of his friends were still alive, just holding out until someone came to rescue them.
Going against medical advice, he went back up to ground level to begin his search for tools to fix the car, or another means of transportation to get his son reunited with his mother and get him help. There were several trashed cars around town, but most were in even worse shape than being flooded.
Steve got his head stitched up and was back out, helping him. When he got to the area of town where his shop was located, he wasn’t surprised that it was the same story as everywhere else. The two cars he had left in the garage the night everything had changed were gone. One was an old Ford Bronco and the other, a Camaro, no signs that he was ever in possession of them. He stopped in front of where Mrs. McElroy’s bakery once stood and took his baseball cap off, taking a moment of silence for her.
He found a couple of wrenches pushed down in the dirt, and a few car parts to things that wouldn’t be compatible with the Dodge Neon. Sifting through debris piles, he came up short, but he was able to gather a couple of towels and a hammer to add to his arsenal. He was going to have to get creative when fixing the car. He doubted he’d be able to figure it out.
Nightfall set in over the area, and the moon was bright, the stars twinkling, giving false security to the ones left behind.
“Let’s call it a night and get back to the church,” Ryan said. “And Steve, you don’t have to help me. Stay here where it’s safe. I appreciate all that you’ve done, but this isn’t your problem.”
“What else have I got to do?”
Ryan knew good help was hard to find, and though he still didn’t know much about Steve, he was thankful for the bond they had developed. He found Cecilia in the far corner of the basement. Thankfully it was a big enough area, and with not many around, they had some privacy. What he’d give to have a complete moment alone with her, but neither were in good enough shape to even think about it.
“Find anything you can use?” Cecilia asked, pulling the blankets back on the pallet she had made.
“Not really. And even if I did, it’s still a good hike back to where we left the car. I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do, Cecilia.”
“You’ll figure it out, Ryan. And I was thinking. I want to come with you.”
Ryan shook his head and bit his bottom lip. “Say that again. I want to make sure I heard you right.”
“I want to come with you. He’s my son too, Ryan. I want to help him.”
“No, that’s not a good idea, Cecilia.”
“Why not?”
“What if something happens to us? You wanna leave Ryan without both parents?”
“You can’t talk like that.” She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. “All this time apart and all I could think was that you were dead. Now you’re here and I don’t want to let you out of my sight. But we have to get our baby, Ryan. And the only way to keep you near to me is to go. I want to help Ty just as badly as you do.”
Ryan was too tired to argue with her, but he couldn’t let it go. “Both of us getting killed out there isn’t going to help him. I can get back to him. I made it this far. I can do it again.”
Cecilia went to say something, but closed her mouth and looked away. Ryan guided her to face him again, his index finger under her chin. Leaning in, he skimmed his lips over hers, gently kissing her, his free hand sliding down the side of her breast.
She pulled away first, smoothing her hands down her hair. “You’re going to come back safe to me, right?” It was a whisper, and so quiet that Ryan had to read her lips.
“I am. And Ty will too. And then we’ll work on finding your parents. You’re a damn good woman for wanting to come, but for me, please stay here. Will you do that for me?”
She nodded and closed her eyes, kissing him again. “I love you, Ryan. I still can’t believe this is happening.”
“Me either. Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day. One step at a time, yeah?”
“Cecilia smirked and laid back on the blankets. “I guess there’s one plus to all of this.”
“What’s that?”
“Your attitude. The Ryan from before wasn’t too good at the one step at a time plan.”
If only she knew the inner struggle he had faced every day. Some things were best left unsaid.
Snuggling beside her, he hugged her from behind. Burying his face in her neck, he almost felt guilty for snuggling since Ty was still out there in danger. But he couldn’t pull himself away. It felt like he’d wake up and it’d all be a dream, and he’d have to accept the reality that Cecilia was gone. The scent of her hair and the feel of her skin against him confirmed that this was happening, even if it seemed too good to be true.
~~
After the storm passed, Darryl stuck true to his word. Ty was suffering, they were hungry, and he couldn’t sit around and wait, watching his grandson die a slow, painful death. Water was low, food was even lower, and now that he had a fever, the sense of urgency was intensified.
He found a duffel bag in the cabinet and filled it with water and the rest of the food. Ty was asleep, and Darryl didn’t know if the boy would even be able to walk, much less trek the twelve miles into Harper Springs.
“Ty?” Darryl gently touched his shoulder, but he was a sound sleeper, so he nudged him again, a little harder the second time. “Ty?”
His eyelids fluttered open and he blinked a few times, squinting against the lantern beside the lawn chair. “Grandpa?”
“You ready to go?”
“Where are we going?”
His eyes lit up some, but with the dark circles and bags around them, he didn’t look like the same kid Darryl once knew. “I’m going to take you and get some help. Sound good?”
Ty nodded and sat up, and Darryl skimmed his hand across his forehead. His skin was still blazing hot and sweaty, and Ty’s eyes looked heavy. He was definitely running a higher fever than the last time he checked him, and he couldn’t bring himself to shove another painkiller down his throat. He didn’t want to risk the organ issues on top of everything else.
“Can you walk?” Darryl asked.
“Yeah, I can walk.”
“I’m going to carry you up.”
They got to ground level and Darryl remembered Doug, tied up, suddenly a hitch in his plan. What in the hell was he going to do with him? Ty followed him to the stranger, but Darryl kept himself between the two of them in case Doug tried to do something in retaliation. It never occurred to him to take Doug in when the storm hit, but it turned out to be nothing more than rain anyway, the brunt of the strong weather staying north of them. His mind had been on Ty, and he was thankful the weather wasn’t severe. Even with Doug’s history, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he suffered.
“What are your plans, Doug?”
Doug looked up at Darryl in surprise, his eyes wide as if the question was taboo. “I already told you what I want you to do. A free pass to kill me, and you won’t do it. You sure didn’t hesitate when you shot me.”
“It’s a scratch. You’re fine. And I’m not going to kill you. I don’t think you really want me to do it.”
“Are you leaving?”
“We are.” Darryl didn’t want to go into more detail with him. He still didn’t trust the man, which was why it was so damn hard letting him go.
“That’s a death sentence. You two won’t last the day out there.”
“I’m willing to take my chances. No one is coming. It’s a death sentence if we stay here. And I don’t have to justify a damn thing to you, Doug. You’re the one who decided to loot. You’re the one who tried to take advantage of others, which got your brother killed. I don’t blame Ryan for locking you in that cellar.”
Doug looked away, the mention of his brother silencing him up. “That’s a blow below the belt, old man. You asked what my plans were?”
“Yeah.” Darryl shook his head. For a second, he felt some sympathy for Doug.
“Just leave me here. Tied to this tree.”
“You don’t want me to do that. I know you don’t.”
Doug clenched his jaw and looked back up at Darryl. “If you let me go, I’m going to come after you. I’m going to go find Ryan and finish the job, for my brother. I can’t let him die in vain. So your best bet, old man, is to just keep me where I am.”
“If you’re so dead set on taking out revenge on my family, why tell me? Why not let me untie you and then do it?”
Doug didn’t answer him and dug his heel into the soft ground.
“I know why. Suicide by way of reverse psychology.” Darryl laughed and swiped the sweat from the back of his neck. The humidity felt like it was picking up again, which meant they needed to get moving, or be stuck there even longer. “I’m not going to let you do that.”
Kneeling down, he untied the ropes, and when he stood up, he kept one hand on the butt of the gun in his pocket, just in case Doug had a change of heart. He could have been playing him all along, trying for the sympathy card, and Darryl couldn’t risk it. But Doug didn’t do anything. He got to his feet, dusted his pants off, and double checked the bandage over his shin. The wound wasn’t bad at all, and he’d be fine to walk.
“Just keep in mind, I have the gun. I’m going to watch your every move. You’re coming with us to Harper Springs.”
“Can’t you just let a man be? Why take me along?”
“For several reasons, Doug. I see potential in you. If you can lead a sting of looting and mayhem, you can lead for something good. And I also can’t keep looking over my shoulder if we do go our separate ways. I don’t know you from Adam. I can’t risk you coming back and finishing the job, as you put it.”
Doug hoisted his backpack on his shoulder and scoffed. “Going north is our funeral, but since I want you to put me out of my misery anyway, you have no objection from me. We’ll be dead long before Harper Springs is on the horizon.”
~~
Ryan woke up early the next morning. The rescue team had brought in another victim, and it was a teenaged boy who wasn’t in good shape. He had blood stained down his face from what looked like a head injury, and just like most of the people, he looked tired, hungry, and ready for all of it to be over. He seemed familiar, but Ryan couldn’t place his name. He knew him from somewhere.
Cecilia stirred beside him and he smiled, gently kissing her cheek as she sat up, stretching out.
“Best night of sleep I’ve gotten since the night before hell on earth started,” Ryan said, kissing her again. “Hey, who is that kid they just brought in? How do I know him?”
Cecilia yawned and looked in that direction. “Hard to tell with all that blood on his face.” They both watched in silence for a few minutes, and she snapped her fingers and said, “That’s Bryson Taylor! Basketball star of the Harper Springs Panthers. Starting point guard two years in a row and he’s just a junior.”
“That’s right! Damn, talk about a reality check. At least they found someone else alive. We’re outnumbered in comparison to the church across the street.”
“And you better not add to it, Ryan. I thought about it a lot last night. Is this our way of life now? Staying underground, small portions of food, and someone has to risk their life to get to the river for water? There’s no quality of life in that scenario.”
“No, there’s not,” Ryan agreed, holding her hand. “Something has to give. This can’t be a new normal. I have to believe that.”
“Me too. And you’re a good man for everything you’ve done. Just make sure you come back to me. Make sure I see sweet little Ty again.”
“You know I will.” He pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. “I am gonna go back out there and see what else I can find. I’ll check in with you in an hour.”
When he stood up, his leg felt even sorer than the day before. The tension of the stitches made his stomach clench, remembering the pain ripping through his body when he had to outrun the storm. He’d probably have the limp for a long time and hopefully, it wouldn’t be something permanent.
Steve joined him outside. They went back to the former area of Ryan’s shop and dug through debris piles. It was hard staying positive, but Ryan made himself not fall into a negative slump. The fact that he had found Cecilia alive was a boost to get him out of the sudden rut he found himself in just a few days ago.
“Are you the one who is looking for a vehicle?”
Ryan looked up and saw Tommy Wilson coming up the road. He was a fellow firefighter on the department with him, and it was great to see a familiar face.
“Tommy! Good to see you!” Ryan shook his hand and spread his arms. “Just going through all this shit. Hoping to find something salvageable from my shop. Coming up empty handed.”