It turns out our hitchhiker’s an ex Army
nurse. We got lucky. Your hip got infected, Zoe, badly. He
had to lance it.” Boggs’ eyes were welling with tears.
“Boggs? What’s wrong?”
He sniffled and hung his
head. “I was so afraid, Zoe. Afraid of losing
you. Having to hold you down while he cut you like that…”
I used my elbow to sit up a bit
more. My hip stung. “C’mon Boggs, you can’t get rid of me that
easy.”
He tried to smile. “I’m
glad.”
“Thanks for taking care of me,
Adam.” I hadn’t called him by his first name in a long time.
He scooted closer to me and held my hand.
“You’re all I have left,
Zo.” He squeezed my hand in his and I fell asleep again.
When I woke, Gus had
returned. He had come back with a carload of split wood and some
supplies. The small woodstove had a cast iron Dutch oven and a skillet on
top and the smell of baked beans and frying bacon pleasantly filled the
air.
“Morning, Glory,” said Gus.
“Hey,” I said weakly.
“What’s all this?” I asked, slowly sitting up.
“Breakfast,” answered Boggs.
“Gus here was kind enough to scavenge a house nearby.”
“By yourself?” I addressed Gus, my tone full of concern.
He winked at me. “Don’t
sweat it. I’m fine. No harm done. Now let’s take a look at you .”
He came over and knelt next
to me and felt my pulse. “Much better, darlin’.”
He touched my forehead and nodded. “Good, fever’s down. But I want
you to keep taking the pills, ok?” He handed me a large capsule, half
yellow and half brown. It smelled funny.
“What is it?” I looked at it
skeptically.
Boggs answered. “Just the antibiotic, Zo.”
I put it in my mouth, trusting
Boggs fully. He handed me a bottle of water and I swallowed the
pill. Gus brought a plastic bowl full of beans and weenies over to
me. “Try to eat something, and then we’ll help you get cleaned up.
I brought one of those camping showers back, and a change of clothes.”
I took the bowl and spoon and ate
hungrily. I hadn’t realized canned beans and Vienna Sausages could taste
so good.
“If that stays down ok, we’ll try
some bacon,” said Gus.
“Where’d you get bacon?”
“The house I came across still had
electric. Found it in the freezer,” said Gus.
I noticed they were both clean
shaven and wearing new clothes. “Are we going there?” I asked
with my mouth full. “To the house?”
“No, darlin’. The house is gone,” said Gus.
“What do you mean?” I asked, not
understanding.
“When I went back for a second
load it was overrun with those creatures,” he continued.
“Zoe, Gus lit it on fire.
There were just too many of them and it was too close to our little shack
here. We had to leave you here for about an hour to take care of the
problem.”
“They’re gone though,
right?” I asked.
“You bet darlin’,” answered
Gus. “All gone.”
I nodded, and shoved another
spoonful of beans into my mouth. “Ok.”
“Slow
down, Zoe. It’s been two days since you ate,” said Boggs as he
took the bowl away from me. “I’ll take you outside to get cleaned up.”
“Gus, can you finish cooking the
bacon?” asked Boggs.
Gus nodded. “Ya
sure. Leave the door open so I can keep
an ear out, ok?”
“You bet,” said Boggs as he
helped me to stand, my legs weak. We walked together to the narrow door
and he led me out into the still gloomy weather. In the Pacific Northwest
gray days can linger. It wasn’t raining now, but the many trees that
overhung continued to drip water and the sky was overcast. Boggs left the
door open and we walked around the corner of the building, where the guys had
fashioned a hanging curtain meant for privacy while camping. A small
hand-held shower was attached to a water pump that was fed by a portable
propane line. Boggs helped me to a lawn chair that sat
nurse. We got lucky. Your hip got infected, Zoe, badly. He
had to lance it.” Boggs’ eyes were welling with tears.
“Boggs? What’s wrong?”
He sniffled and hung his
head. “I was so afraid, Zoe. Afraid of losing
you. Having to hold you down while he cut you like that…”
I used my elbow to sit up a bit
more. My hip stung. “C’mon Boggs, you can’t get rid of me that
easy.”
He tried to smile. “I’m
glad.”
“Thanks for taking care of me,
Adam.” I hadn’t called him by his first name in a long time.
He scooted closer to me and held my hand.
“You’re all I have left,
Zo.” He squeezed my hand in his and I fell asleep again.
When I woke, Gus had
returned. He had come back with a carload of split wood and some
supplies. The small woodstove had a cast iron Dutch oven and a skillet on
top and the smell of baked beans and frying bacon pleasantly filled the
air.
“Morning, Glory,” said Gus.
“Hey,” I said weakly.
“What’s all this?” I asked, slowly sitting up.
“Breakfast,” answered Boggs.
“Gus here was kind enough to scavenge a house nearby.”
“By yourself?” I addressed Gus, my tone full of concern.
He winked at me. “Don’t
sweat it. I’m fine. No harm done. Now let’s take a look at you .”
He came over and knelt next
to me and felt my pulse. “Much better, darlin’.”
He touched my forehead and nodded. “Good, fever’s down. But I want
you to keep taking the pills, ok?” He handed me a large capsule, half
yellow and half brown. It smelled funny.
“What is it?” I looked at it
skeptically.
Boggs answered. “Just the antibiotic, Zo.”
I put it in my mouth, trusting
Boggs fully. He handed me a bottle of water and I swallowed the
pill. Gus brought a plastic bowl full of beans and weenies over to
me. “Try to eat something, and then we’ll help you get cleaned up.
I brought one of those camping showers back, and a change of clothes.”
I took the bowl and spoon and ate
hungrily. I hadn’t realized canned beans and Vienna Sausages could taste
so good.
“If that stays down ok, we’ll try
some bacon,” said Gus.
“Where’d you get bacon?”
“The house I came across still had
electric. Found it in the freezer,” said Gus.
I noticed they were both clean
shaven and wearing new clothes. “Are we going there?” I asked
with my mouth full. “To the house?”
“No, darlin’. The house is gone,” said Gus.
“What do you mean?” I asked, not
understanding.
“When I went back for a second
load it was overrun with those creatures,” he continued.
“Zoe, Gus lit it on fire.
There were just too many of them and it was too close to our little shack
here. We had to leave you here for about an hour to take care of the
problem.”
“They’re gone though,
right?” I asked.
“You bet darlin’,” answered
Gus. “All gone.”
I nodded, and shoved another
spoonful of beans into my mouth. “Ok.”
“Slow
down, Zoe. It’s been two days since you ate,” said Boggs as he
took the bowl away from me. “I’ll take you outside to get cleaned up.”
“Gus, can you finish cooking the
bacon?” asked Boggs.
Gus nodded. “Ya
sure. Leave the door open so I can keep
an ear out, ok?”
“You bet,” said Boggs as he
helped me to stand, my legs weak. We walked together to the narrow door
and he led me out into the still gloomy weather. In the Pacific Northwest
gray days can linger. It wasn’t raining now, but the many trees that
overhung continued to drip water and the sky was overcast. Boggs left the
door open and we walked around the corner of the building, where the guys had
fashioned a hanging curtain meant for privacy while camping. A small
hand-held shower was attached to a water pump that was fed by a portable
propane line. Boggs helped me to a lawn chair that sat
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