Nine Minutes by Jacqueline Druga

Author:Jacqueline Druga [Druga, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-23T22:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN – BASIC MATH

“When?” I asked.

We had gone silent after Ezzie’s departure, no one really wanted to talk or play with the recently remembered phones.

It wasn’t what I signed up for.

Granted, no one signed up for an all out nuclear strike, but in my mind, my daughter’s survival was forefront and all I cared about and wanted to care about. Now I was faced with emotions I didn’t need or want.

Had I not let them into the basement, I wouldn’t know Ezzie. I wouldn’t know the tragedy of how she dropped her baby. I wouldn’t know what fear smelled like and panic, or what radiation sickness looked like.

I probably eventually would.

If it was just me and Macy, it would be different.

Or just those of us who ran for the restaurant.

We brought the reality downstairs with us, I was the one who suggested it, championed for it, and now as we lived in it, those strangers became our problem as well.

“When?” Adina repeated my question. “As soon as we can. It’s been two days. The longer we wait the safer it is up there, but the longer we wait the harder it will be to turn back some of the effects.”

“There are other threats,” Ted said, then paused to cough as if he choked on his words. “Up top. I mean.”

“If people are up there,” Adina said. “They are no threat.”

“How do you know?” Ted asked.

“Because radiation kills. Up there they are fully exposed. You can get a lethal dose quickly, or slowly over time. The medication we need will stop our bodies from absorbing the radiation. One of them helps us eliminate it,” Adina explained. “Our bodies can repair radiation damage, but not as fast as our bodies get damaged. Look at it like a slow running faucet going into a sink with a sluggish drain. Sure, some of the water goes down, but the sink will overflow eventually. The same applies for radiation.”

“So, this medicine.” Mark said. “Is like the drain cleaner.”

Everyone at that moment, whooped out ‘aw mans,’ and ‘come on.’

Mark looked clueless, “What? What are you … oh, oh stop. That was not a dig on Ezzie, she …” he pointed at Adina. “Brought up the clogged drain.”

Van waved out his hands. “In any event, you’re saying we need to go. Head to the hospital to get what we need for radiation sickness.”

“Yes. But we need medication, we should get it. It’s dark and damp, all of us are sniffling and coughing.” Adina nodded. “The stuff for radiation is foremost. I’d say Children’s, but it’s too far and too big. You want to be out there for a minimal time. Radiation doses are measured by absorption per hour. Like I said before radiation has a half life. The more hours that pass the lower the radiation.”

“So, like …” Van said. “In a few hours, it is lower by half?’

“No,” Adina shook her head. “It’s tough to explain. It’s a math thing. The best example I was given was there was roughly one thousand roentgens of radiation per hour in Hiroshima.

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