20
"Eighteen of us" Douglas said as he watched his wife move around their bedroom. She was hunting through the drawer for something and slipped whatever it was into her pocket. Probably some tampons. She must be cycling or something "I mean … to lose three people just like that… in a heartbeat… Jesus."
"The gate was open too. I ran straight to them, I didn't stop to close it" she spun to face him "They were not just not expecting the attack … no one was watching. They were all in a world of their own … what the fuck were they even doing beyond the fences? Christ … one sleep-in and look what happens"
"Hey… you needed it, you know you are overly tired" he scolded gently, reaching for her with concern, "I've noticed the power surges and the sudden dips in your energy even if no one else has. I know you Kathy you are burning yourself out at this rate!"
She snorted as she leaned back to rub her face, knowing he was right. She had to slow down, start eating better and controlling herself more. They had to get through this, had to be OK. "I gotta pee."
Douglas let her go into the bathroom of their suite, turning to walk back down the hallway to see if everyone was OK. He felt something was wrong with Kathy and hoped that sooner or later she would feel like talking about it. With everything going on he knew it was a freaking horror show but he needed to be on the same page. This habit of not talking was the thing that started to divide them in the first place. Christ, takes a bloody Zombie Pandemic to get talking? He thought they were doing well, the least few weeks they had really started connecting again… for the last couple of months actually … and now … now here she was pulling away. Almost three months into god knows how long this was going to take before the cavalry came … they had to be strong a little longer.
Kathy sat on the toilet thinking the same thing. She had to find a way to open up to him, to stop hiding her problems, fears and thoughts from him if they were to keep these people alive. Right now she wanted to slap the shit out of them for not only endangering themselves but everyone else, the gate had clearly been left open. Biters could have overrun them then calmly entered the fucking yard where the kids were playing in the snow. They could have lost a lot more people today. She felt physically ill thinking about it.
Speaking of physically ill, she leaned over and slid her hand into the pocket of her trousers pooled around her ankles and pulled out the two mementoes that were of the handful of items she had slid into her pocket the day they ransacked the pharmacy at the village, keeping them for a rainy day had seemed like a good idea and as she opened the packet he felt the real tendrils of fear.
She could only hope.
.
.
.
.
"We ... we couldn't get the other two back but we buried Sally. Wasn't easy… the ground was colder than a witch's tit and as hard as…. Well. The kids are subdued. We have made them some food and Sierra and Dwight are trying to watch over them, waiting for any questions that might pop out" Danni said as she rose to check the fire "I just can't believe we were suddenly so stupid after being so careful."
"That's what happens. Complacency kills" Douglas nodded as he leaned in the doorway to the kitchen, and then turned as he looked back down the hallway wondering where Kathy was. He wanted her to be part of this talk. She could do a better job of talking them through things. People were never his strong suit, why he preferred animals ya know.
"Well … the fences have been checked and we have someone sweeping the inner and outer yards every hour on the hour … we have to calm the fuck down and take a knee for a moment, yea? We fucked up. it cost us … Jesus. Elvira and Tim. What a major fuckup, but they lived a life where their jobs could have taken them at any point, they knew what they were doing and should have been more alert too. Sally though. What the fuck was she doing out there with them?" Robbie asked. Everyone turned their gaze to Ghost who was crouched over in his chair with his handgun still between his knees.
"Elvira wanted or do a perimeter sweep and Tim offered to go with. I was doing the inner sweep when I heard the gate. It was Sally, looking for Tim. She … what… what's wrong with the baby?" Ghost hissed as Mark looked down and made a noise of alarm as the baby in his arms started to convulse.
Douglas rose and grabbed for the bundle, the little one barely half an hour old and it ws now clear to everyone that Kathy had not been quick enough. The bullet to his mother's brain has not been swift enough … the infected blood from the bite had reached him before the umbilical cord was cut.
Mark could only howl as Douglas calmly slid a knife into the baby's soft skull, killing it instantly.
In the bathroom down the hall Kathy looked at the stick and cursed softly, placing it next to the other one that had promoted a second opinion.
Great.
Perfect timing after all the trying and letting it go … damn it.
She was pregnant.
Then she heard the crying as Mark wailed for his losses.
What the hell?