Land of Fire_An EMP Survival Thriller by Rebecca Fernfield

Author:Rebecca Fernfield [Fernfield, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Redbegga
Published: 2018-08-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Bill watches as Jessie and Clare help Clarissa up the cottage stairs. When he’d taken Clarissa to the hospital he hadn’t expected to be back so soon, hadn’t imagined she wouldn’t stay on a ward being cared for by doctors and nurses, but the hospital was in crisis. There was a drastic shortage of staff, no porters, no cleaners, no cooks, very few nurses and only a handful of doctors. The only staff there were people who lived locally, had got trapped without transport, or made heroic efforts to be there and keep the place running. One doctor had managed to get a couple of old motors running again and there was a pool of staff coming and going, rotating shifts. They were syphoning petrol out of the cars stuck in the hospital carpark by jimmying petrol caps open with crow bars. Their efforts were impressive, but there would be hell to pay once everything was up and running again. Although, as the doctor had said, there was no evidence, no CCTV or mobiles to capture the ‘offence’. Those were the kind of people the world needed—true heroes who pushed for the extra mile.

Water glugs from the barrel in the kitchen, mugs sit neatly lined up on the counter, and Stella fills the kettle as Bill walks through. Her eyes are still red from crying.

“You alright, Stella?” he asks as he pulls up a chair. More than weary, he needs a rest. He may look a bit like Thor, though he couldn’t see it, but he certainly didn’t have the super hero’s boundless energy. He’s knackered, needs fuel in his belly, a cup of tea, and by the whiff coming from his armpits, a bloody good wash. He’d sort that as soon as he’d had a brew. Stella remains silent though she nods as she puts the kettle on the hob, her head bowed.

“She’ll be alright, y’know, your Mum.”

Stella nods silently and sniffs.

“She will,” Bill continues. He hated to see her cry. “The doctor said she needs to rest and just take paracetamol for the pain. She’s bruised and sore but she was lucky—the tree softened the … fall.”

“But her lung!”

“Well, the doctor said it was punctured, but not by her ribs. They’re fine—just bruised. The doctor re-inflated-” Stella grimaces. “Sorry!” He tries again. “The doctor fixed her. She just has to breath deeply to make sure she doesn’t get pneumonia.”

“Are you sure?” Stella sighs as her body relaxes and she spoons tealeaves into the pot. The spoon tinkles against the teapot as her hand trembles.

“Yes, that’s what the doctor said. We just have to make sure she takes deep breaths. The lung should heal in a few days. You and Clare—you can help look after her.

“She should be in hospital though.”

“I thought so too, but if you could see the state the hospital’s in, you wouldn’t think that. It’s all but shut down. The doctor was confident that she could come home. She’s better off here—with you.”

Stella nods and sits down.

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