I hear the screen door creak open and snap shut behind me. I hear the footsteps on the porch and on the stairs. I feel someone set down on the step beside me. Well, it's not Luci. Far too calm.
I sit up and open my eyes. I look to my right. Charlie. My best friend. My right-hand gal.
"I went through everything we picked up last night. We got a bottle of painkillers, 3 boxes of canned food, 3 bottles of rubbing alcohol, a case of baby formula, 4 boxes of bandages, and a box of matches."
"Not bad. Everywhere is ripped cleaned nowadays."
"Yeah, but we need to find a pharmacy Zel. Our meds are low."
"We can go on a run today. How Owen?"
"His ankle is swollen and he's pretty bruised but the doc says nothing's broken."
"We stayed too long last night. He never would have gotten hurt if we would have left as soon as we were done. There was nothing more to scavange. That pack would have missed us. What if he'd gotten bit? He is all that Luci has."
"Zel. Breath. It isn't your fault. No one got eaten and Owen will be fine in just over a week."
"Good. We can't afford to lose anyone else. Our people couldn't handle another loss."
"It's ok Zelly. Everyone lived. Though as tired as you were when we got home I wasn't sure you were going to."
"I know. I don't even know how I got upstairs and got my shoes off."
"Once we got Owen inside and got Doc with him Peter carried you to your room. We didn't think you had enough energy to walk yourself up the stairs."
"Honestly you're probably right. All I remember after we got in the car is standing above my bed and falling into it. Did Pete take off my shoes too?"
"He said you knocked out the second you hit the bed. He took off your shoes and jacket."
"Jesus. It sounds like I went to a kegger and did too many keg stands. And honestly, it feels like it this morning too."
We share a laugh.
"Good. We can't afford to lose anyone else. Our people couldn't handle another loss."
"It's ok Zelly. Everyone lived. Though as tired as you were when we got home I wasn't sure you were going to."
"I know. I don't even know how I got upstairs and got my shoes off."
"Once we got Owen inside and got Doc with him Peter carried you to your room. We didn't think you had enough energy to walk yourself up the stairs."
"Honestly you're probably right. All I remember after we got in the car is standing above my bed and falling into it. Did Pete take off my shoes too?"
"He said you knocked out the second you hit the bed. He took off your shoes and jacket."
"Jesus. It sounds like I went to a kegger and did too many keg stands. And honestly, it feels like it this morning too."
We share a laugh.
Creak, smack. Luci comes bounding out of the house. Skipping across the porch and wiggling her way between me a Charlie. She sits down and looks up at me.
"Zelda, is Owen going to be ok?"
"Yes, sweetie. He just messed up his ankle. Dr Stevens said he'll be on his feet in a week."
"When can he come out and push me on the swing?"
"Not for a while cupcake." Charlie answers. "How about I push you?"
"OK!"
Luci jumps up and runs toward the swing set. Charlie gets up and walks after her.
"Hurry Charlie!!" Luci yells. She's already made it to the swing and is sitting down.
Giggling from the sight of Luci yelling for Charlie to go faster, I get up and grab my cup and go into the house to wash it.
I walk upstairs and go check on Owen.
I tap quickly on the door 4 times with my knuckle. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
I tap quickly on the door 4 times with my knuckle. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in"
"oh Hya Zelda."
"So chipper for an almost broken ankle. Maybe I do know where Luci gets her enthusiasm from... How ya feelin'?"
"Like I fell off a roof." he says laughing.
"It wass not a roof, it was an awning. Much lower than a roof." I say jokingly.
"At least we kicked that pack's ass."
"Yeah, we did. 25-30 of the dead are nothing for us!"
"We could have taken on 60 more!"
"Ok now. Don't get carried away."
"Ok. 40."
"Maybe. But seeing as you fell if there were 40 more you would have been eaten."
"Fair point."
"I'm taking Charlie and a small group out to look for some meds. So Luci is probably going to come up here with you for the rest of the day. Have fun playing board games all day."
"I have been wanting to play Monopoly so that is perfect. Thanks for checking in on me Zel."
"Of course Owen. Ms Dorthy told me to tell you to send Luci down if you need anything. I'll send her up when we leave."
"Thanks, Zel."
I grab my bag and my gun from my room and head downstairs.
"Peter, Vic, Martin. We are going on a med run." I say as reach the bottom of the stairs. "Meet me outside in 10."
I walk out on to the porch and see Charlie and Luci playing in the playhouse we built for Luci a couple years ago. God, it doesn't feel like we have been here that long.
"Charlie! Med run! 10 minutes! Luci! Owen wants to play Monopoly with you!" I shout across the yard.
Luci comes running toward the house. Charlie trudges behind her.
"He really wants to play?" Luci asks excitedly. I can see her little hands shaking.
"Yep. He's waiting for you."
"Be careful. Good luck." She says hugging my waist.
She let's go and zooms into the house.
The team walks out of the house as Charlie walks up.
"What's the plan boss?" Charlie askes.
I pull an old map out of my bag and walk down the stairs and over to the truck. I unfold the map on the hood.
"Ms Dorthy says there are pharmacies here, here and here. I say we try them all then circle back. Maybe we'll get a haul half as lucky as last night. We can also stop anywhere in between that looks interesting. Like it might have something worth looking for."
"Sounds great." says Charlie
"Wait!" I know that voice anywhere.
I turn around and see my dad running down the porch steps.
"You can't go without a hug!"
"Ok, dad." He wraps me in a hug. None of us wants to say it but every time we leave on a run we risk not coming back. "We won't be gone long."
"Watch for packs. And make noise before going into a building. And... I don't need to tell you all of this." He says with a little half smile. I can see the worry on his face.
He pulls out of the hug with his hands on my shoulders. "Just be careful. I love you."
"I love you too dad." I hug him again.
"Alright. You gotta go. Be careful kiddo."
He stands on the porch steps as we get into the car and waves.
Charlie puts the car in gear and starts up the driveway. We drive the 3/4 of a mile to the gate and Vic hops out and opens the gate. I don't know what we would do without our tall walls and big metal gate. Charlie pulls out and Vic shuts the gate behind us and jumps back in.
She drives another 1/8 of a mile and turns onto the main road.