dust by Druga Jacqueline

Author:Druga, Jacqueline [Druga, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: GreatOne AS
Published: 2011-02-27T23:00:00+00:00

18. Over Coffee

Tammy’s news precluded a chain of unexpected occurrences that made for a very eventful day. The first of which was denial of what she told us. It bred arguments and anger. Burke was insistent that even if what Tammy said was correct, hell or high water he’d move us through—blasting both barrels if he had to. And while Tammy grew irrational with Burke—defensively calling him immature names—Rod kept insisting on a peaceful route, logically stating that the military couldn’t possibly have every road blocked. Somehow Rod’s reasoning was buried and unheard beneath the quarrel of Burke and Tammy. They veered so far off the subject of going to the cabin, we couldn’t steer them back. It went from one storm to another.

Rod’s magical sinuses were absolutely correct, and he made no attempts to hide his gloating when it started to rain. The cleansing waters arrived with a vengeance. Lightening cracked, and the thunder vibrated the walls. The rush of the storm blared, yet for as violent as the weather was, it had an opposite effect on us. A calm took over and we sat and listened to the rain as if it were a form of entertainment.

Then Nicky started to cry. It started as whimpers, a series of which none of us paid any attention. They grew into sobs, which transformed into wails. Loud and shrill she screamed out, like a baby with colic. She locked herself in the bathroom and wouldn’t come out. We thought that while she napped, she was hit with a dream that brought her out of her happy world and back into a reality she couldn’t face. The crying wouldn’t stop. It was continuous. Finally Burke had enough. He dismantled the hinges of the bathroom door, not to find out what was wrong, but to get her to quiet down. It was then we discovered why Nicky agonized.

Flesh eating sores, the size of dimes, doused Nicky’s hands. They spread across her fingers, her palms. Her lips had blistered, and she was lethargic from the ulcers in her mouth and on her tongue. There was nothing we could do to help her. Anything we had that would even remotely help, Nicky was unable to swallow. We were able to move her to the other small bedroom. As the clock ticked, her sobbing lost its steam, and we knew eventually she would exhaust herself and fall asleep.

We hoped.

I believe it was the first time ever that Rod and Dan totally agreed on anything. Tammy camped on the first floor of Mark’s house. She didn’t want to stay in the basement shelter; she saw no reason to be cramped. Rod along with Dan insisted that Nicky be moved to the first floor. Keep misery together, sickness in one area. Just on the outside chance the two of them had something other than radiation poisoning, they would be at some distance from those of us who were healthy.

Craig remained silent. My guess was he agreed with Rod and Dan, but out of loyalty to Nicky, wouldn’t say.

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