Chapter 65:Reckonings
'It doesn't make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead.'
Becca was just about to doze off when she heard the loud bang. Everyone in the town hall sprung up from their sleeping bags, wondering where all the commotion was coming from.
She slowly pulled herself up from the sleeping bag and looked out the window. Her eyes widened when she saw the bar up in smoke. The building was practically demolished as fire and smoke erupted from it.
Tears filled her eyes and she took a deep breath. It was finally happening. They were finally here. She was beginning to wonder if they would show up or not.
People in the townhall started panicking as they scurried around trying to figure out what to do. She's never been more afraid. She could handle infected, but these were living and breathing people who knew what they were doing. That was the most dangerous part of all.
One of the elders was trying to calm everyone down and telling them to stay put. She could hear the frightened cries of the children and their mothers. They were so afraid.
All Becca kept thinking about is it shouldn't be like this. They should be happy and free. They needed to survive this. So they could make them pay for what they've done.
Maria was holding onto Sebastian as she knelt down in front of her,'Are you comfortable staying here or do you want to go somewhere else?'
'No.' She shook her head,'We stay here. This place is as good of a place as any. I can't leave without letting Joel know.' She frowned,'I can't worry him like that, Maria.'
Maria nodded as she placed her hand on her shoulder,'Then we'll stay.'
Ellie and Lizzie ran over to Becca and she wrapped her arms around the both of them. She could see the fear elucidated in the young girls' faces. Sadly, Ellie was used to this, but Lizzie wasn't prepared to handle a civil war or any war for that matter.
Ellie craned her neck to look out the window,'Where do ya think they got a bomb from?'
'They didn't find it.' Becca frowned as Betsy came running over to them,'They made it.'
Betsy's eyes were wide as tears fell from her eyes,'Are they gonna bomb the entire town? My son's out there!'
'Am's fine.' Becca shook her head and sighed,'Joel's looking after him.'
Just then the doors burst wide open. Becca's eyes widened when she saw a teenage boy on a stretcher. He was bleeding from his leg and she could see the shrapnel embedded into his skin. He had a gash on his head that was bleeding profusely and needed immediate attention.
A middle aged woman and man came running over to the stretcher as they cried. It was their son. Her heart went out to the couple. She couldn't imagine losing a child like that.
Her instincts as a nurse went into gear. She grabbed two of her bags filled with her supplies. She made sure to load up her bags with medical supplies, knowing she was going to need them.
She got up from the floor as Maria gently grabbed her arm,'I'm going to help him.' She stared down at the woman she's become to love as a sister,'If I can't fight than this is how I'm going to help. He needs me, Maria. I need to do this for them.' She shook her head,'If there's a chance I can help him.'
Maria sighed and nodded,'Okay. Joel isn't going to like it.'
'I don't care.' Becca shook her head,'He needs to learn he can't protect me from everything and I'm going to do what I want.'
Maria snorted as she watched Becca walk away from her. The woman was strong willed, but she was right. She was a good nurse. She would be of great help. There were going to be injuries and casualties. She wasn't naive.
All she could hope for is that she made it through on the other side.
Thankfully, Peter one of the other doctors was already assessing him. Peter was a Middle Aged man who arrived with his family ten years prior. He was an excellent doctor and neurosurgeon. They were lucky to have him.
Peter looked up at her and his eyes widened in surprise,'Nurse Ben…' He shook his head, correcting himself,'Nurse Miller.' A small smile formed on his face as he sighed exasperatingly,'Am I glad to see you.'
She smiled at his words. It made her feel good to know she was respected by people she admired. Sharon turned out to be a real kook, but Peter turned out to be a good one. His wife was Ellie's teacher. She always teased her about that.
Becca looked over the child. He had lacerations all over his body. He was breathing, but she pressed the stethoscope against his chest. He had a rapid heartbeat from the pain. His blood pressure was high as well.
Peter sighed as he shined a light into the boy's eyes,'He's concussed, but I fear there might be swelling on the brain.' He shook his head,'If we don't stop the bleeding on his brain he's going to die.'
Becca stared into the doctor's eyes, knowing what needed to be done. The boy's parents were pleading and begging for them to help him. They couldn't just stand here and watch a boy die. Not when they could save his life.
Becca saw Evelyn running over to them and breathed a sigh of relief. They could use the extra hands. Evelyn was a trained surgical nurse. While Becca had some experience, she was still learning the process.
Without any proper schooling in place, she learned on the job and was basically thrown to the wolves so to speak. She received the best experience firsthand and gained insight and knowledge. She always wanted to be a doctor one day. How does one prepare for that after an apocalypse?
Peter asked a couple men to help them carry out the stretcher to the hospital. Becca knew this was dangerous. The people who bombed the bar could be out there. This could be a trap to lure them out. They could have snipers all over them as soon as they walked out the door.
She could easily be kidnapped or killed. She heard the sound of her husband shouting out her name and rolled her eyes.
Or that.
She turned around and placed her hands on her hips, watching him running towards her in fury,'What the fuck ya think you're doing? I thought I told ya to stay put?'
She narrowed her eyes at him as he stood in front of her. His eyes were alit with anger. She didn't if he was angry at her or the situation. Maybe a little bit of both.
Joel shook his head and sighed,'Where are ya going?'
She crossed her arms over her chest,'Not that I answer to you, but we're going to the hospital. We need to save this young man's life.'
Joel stared at his wife with an exasperated look on his face and placed his hands on his hips,'Ya really need to be a Florence Nightingale right now?!'
'Yeah.' She nodded, ignoring his snide remark. She would check back up with him later on that one though, rest assured,'He has swelling on the brain. We have ten more minutes before we lose him.'
Her eyes left room for no argument. He was afraid she would get sick. Although, pregnant women were surgeons and their kids turned out alright. He knew this was important to her. She could be useful in other ways. Becca was the most vulnerable. They wanted her to cure the world. Their baby would be the future.
She's what they needed.
He nodded as his eyes searched her face,'I'm coming to watch over ya though.' He made sure he was also clear on where they stand,'Any fuckers try and come near ya.'
'I know.' She rolled her eyes as she caught up with the group, Joel trialing behind her. She looked back at him and frowned,'I don't need a bodyguard.'
'I ain't being a bodyguard.' His eyes softened upon her, whispering,'I'm being your husband.'
Tears filled Becca's eyes as she smiled up at him softly. She understood what he meant. He was supporting her through thick and thin.
They walked down the corridor to the surgical suite. Becca scrubbed up and for suited. She covered her face with an N35 mask and covered her hair with a bonnet. She covered her boots and hands as well. She wanted to take every precaution. She just didn't have herself to worry about.
Joel was standing outside the doors keeping watch with a few other deputies. She would be safe. Her husband would make side of that. She blew him a kiss over her mask and walked into the surgical suite.
She took a deep breath as she walked over to the boy's beside. Peter immediately gave her instructions on what to do. He had shaved the side of the boy's head and gave it a little slit. It was pried open and she could see his skull. She wasn't disgusted by it. Just fascinated.
Joel and a few other men kept vigil outside the doors. Their rifles were at the ready. Just in case anyone tried to break through.
He wouldn't be surprised if they tried to bomb the hospital next. He knew they bombed the bar to make a point. They were better equipped to handle things. All they had were guns and Molotov Cocktails.
He didn't know if they were going to be able to defend the town. He could care less about the town. The only thing he cared about was keeping his family safe.
He kept looking at his watch. They've been in there an hour already. He knew it took time if they wanted it done right. He may be afraid for Becca's life, but he was proud of her too.
If she couldn't go out and fight; at least she could be useful. She was so brave. She was a great nurse. Hopefully when this is all over they'll realize that and recognize her for the work she did around here.
He looked over at the mother and father, who were besides themselves with worry. He could empathize with them. He knew what it was like to lose a child. He wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy.
After almost three hours of being in the surgical suite, Becca and the rest of the group came walking out.
Joel sighed in relief when he saw the young man behind wheeled out on the stretcher and taken to a room. He didn't die. At least something good came out of all this.
He walked over to his wife and hugged her tightly, whispering,'You saved him.'
'Yeah right.' She snorted,'It was Peter who saved his life. All I did was hand him whatever he needed and tried to stay out of the way.'
He saw the blood all over her scrubs. She threw her blood soaked gloves into the hazardous material bin. She undermined herself and the work she did. He hated every fucker who made her doubt herself.
She slid her face mask down and took a deep breath,'You find the tunnels?'
'No.' He shook his head and sighed,'We were on our way there when we heard the bomb go off.'
She nodded as she leaned back against the wall, wiping the sweat off her forehead,'I need to stay here and keep an eye on him. Peter thinks we might be getting more injured. He's trying to rally all the nurses he can find. With Sharon being MIA it's only Peter and another doctor. We can't leave him alone.'
Joel wasn't happy about her staying here. It was too dangerous. This place could go at anytime.
He looked over her exhausted face and sighed,'I ain't changing your mind on this and I ain't gonna try.' He shook his head,'I can't be here the whole time, Becca.'
'I don't expect you to be.' She shrugged,'You know I've always been a nurse before anything else. If I can help this kid or anyone else. I'm going to. If not, then why the hell did I become a nurse in the first place? You don't want me out there?' She nodded,'Fine. I won't be, but I'll be here. I'm not leaving Peter and the rest of the staff.'
He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. She was incredibly brave and strong willed. She was stubborn too, much like himself.
He smiled to himself. Their kid was going to be one hard headed individual. He pitied any teacher who would have to deal with them.
He cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb gingerly swiping across her busted bottom lip,'I'm gonna make sure someone is guarding you at all times.' He frowned,'When this is over, we're getting the hell away from here. I'm building our house and getting us the fuck outta here.'
A small smile formed on her face as she leaned into his touch, whispering,'I always knew this place was too good to be true. People here were too…nice.'
He chuckled and nodded,'Seriously, who the fuck is happy and nice all the time?
'Right?' She laughed softly,'It's annoying being so nice all the time. Is that why you're always so grumpy around here? Trying to show them how it's done?'
He snorted as he kissed the top of her head. This is what he loved about them. No matter what, they could just find a moment to reminds themselves of what it's all about.
This. Being together.
As if on cue, Ellie came running down the hallway with Lizzie.
Becca's eyes widened as she pulled away from Joel and went over to them,'I thought I told you to stay in the Townhall where Betsy could keep an hee on you?'
Ellie seemed out of breath as she clutched Becca's hand,'They're shooting everywhere!'
Lizzie nodded with a frantic look in her eyes,'They broke all the windows and cut the lights off.' She started sobbing as Ellie held her,'These guys came in and started shootings. Kids, babies. My friends.'
Becca saw the blood on their clothes and tears filled her eyes,'Betsy, Maria and Seb? Are they okay?'
'We don't know.' Ellie shook her head,'We couldn't see anything and it was…chaos.'
Joel was already running out the door. Becca's heart pounded as she watched him run towards the exit. She prayed to God he would make it. She could handle him being injured. She would take care of him. Just as she's done plenty of times before. She couldn't bring him back if he died.
Please let him come back alive.
Joel hid behind a wall as he peered his head out towards the townhall. He could see over thirty men clad in black cloaks and military SWAT gear. He assessed their weapons. They all had machine guns.
He pressed his back against the wall and made sure his AK47 was fully loaded. He had a few other weapons on him as well. He didn't know where the other men went. For all he knew they could've turned on him too.
He heard the cacophonous wail of gunshots and the distinct sound of bodies hitting the ground. He poked his head out and his eyes widened when he saw the Peacekeepers or whomever the fuck they were being shot down one by one. He didn't understand what was going on.
He looked up and saw the people in their windows. They had sniper rifles aimed at the men as they shot them down. He saw the women on the roofs.
His eyes widened when he saw Becca's red hair. He would know it from anywhere. She shooting out of one of the windows and he sighed in exasperation.
Their kid was going to be hellfire.
After the men were killed, all he saw was the thick smoke from the gunpowder. These so-called military trained fools couldn't even shoot quick enough. People who weren't even properly trained using guns easily took them down.
He didn't think the second half was going to be that quick and easy. These men were just a buffers before the real thing came along.
Once he thought the coast was clear; he cautiously slid against the walls as he made his way over to the men. The heavy stench of blood, gunpowder smoke and fresh death filled the air.
Joel covered his nose and mouth with his bandana, tying it around his neck. He inched closer to them. They all seemed to have the same Peacekeepers insignia. He figured they were working for the council. But who in the hell was funding this kind of military research in a world like this?
Harold ran over to him and looked around at all the bodies, shaking his head,'There's more of them coming isn't there? This isn't it.'
Joel gained a newfound respect for the middle aged man. While his actions towards his wife were deplorable. He made amends to her in some way. She forgave him, which is good enough in his book.
No one would believe Becca is a great judge of character. They think she's filling and naive. She's endured more than most. Yet, she always has a smile for him. She could've turned her back on the world, but she didn't. He was so glad she didn't.
'No.' He crouched down in front one of the bodies and took his weapon. He smirked to himself. He almost felt like a Raider again,'These were just decoys to scare us. Distract us.'
'From what?' Harrows frowned,'Your brother and grandpa?' He shook his head and sighed,'I don't know. They're missing.'
Joel's eyes widened as he stood up and turned to the man,'What do ya mean missing?'
'Someone shot my deputy and got them out.' Harold bowed his head,'I don't know where they went.'
Joel closed his eyes and pressed his clasped hands against his forehead, taking a deep breath,'I told you to keep more eyes on them. I shoulda done it myself.' He wanted to rip Harold's throat out, but he digressed, knowing they needed him,'Do ya know if Betsy and Maria are okay?'
Harold swallowed harshly and shook his head,'We haven't gone in there yet. I think the shooting was to distract us so they could get your brother and that weirdo. Who is that man anyway? Is he really your grandpa.'
'Becca's actually.' He shrugged,'She assumed he died when she was little. He was the one who studied the bacteria that caused the infection.' He saw Harold's eyes widened and nodded,'Pretty heavy shit.'
'Any idea on why your brother turned on us?' He frowned,'That was shocking to us all.'
Joel frowned as he looked up at the sky,'He thinks the cure is gonna make the world the way it used to be.' He snorted,'We ain't ever gonna go back to that. I went into those tunnels. It ain't a fuckin cure. It doesn't stop the process. It just…' He shook his head. He didn't know how to explain it
'Stops it from progressing.' Harold sighed,'They were using us as Guinea pigs.' He narrowed his eyes at Joel,'Why are they so interested in your wife and daughter anyway?'
Joel took a deep breath. He wouldn't answer that question. He wouldn't compromise them like that.
'I'm gonna go and check inside.' Joel stomped away from him
Harold shook his head and sighed. He wondered why he was being so defensive. Then again, he would be too if someone were threatening his wife and child. Who was he to judge?
Joel was anxious with worry as he walked into the town hall. His eyes scanned the carnage. Women and child with their heads blown off. Babies. His eyes filled with tears. He knew every one of these people. He patrolled and worked with most of these men.
He searched for Maria and Betsy. He didn't find them anywhere. He hoped they got to safety. He didn't want to lose them too. Am was with a few men at the hospital. He didn't trust the green kid to go along for this ride.
He heard his name being called and ran out of the townhall. He saw Harold standing in the middle of the road, staring wide eyed as something ahead of him. He felt his chest tightening as he cautiously stepped outside.
Joel's eyes widened when he saw over a hundred infected breaching the closed gates. It would take some time for them to breakthrough. He gave it an hour at most. It was one of the first things he repaired when he moved into town.
Harold shook his head in disbelief as he glanced over at Joel,'We need to get to higher ground.'
Joel nodded as he stared at the gates undulating as the infected tried to push through the barrier. Higher ground would only go so far. This is only the beginning.