The Second Intelligent Species: The Cyclical Earth by Dale Langlois

Author:Dale Langlois
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 1481052713
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2013-04-10T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Dazed and Confused.

Moving automobiles from underneath underpasses used more fuel than I wanted to waste, but it was the only way to continue to Buffalo. Several times the wagons needed to be unhooked to maneuver the fork truck. Many miles had passed from the last blockade and we were rolling smoothly, when we noticed some of the burned vehicles had more damage than others we had seen along the way. I turned the light of the fork truck in the direction of the vehicles. Two cars were flipped on their sides. The skeleton of a semi came into view with only the chassis remaining. Apparently the truck carried some volatile fuel that exploded during the fire. I was so busy looking at the damage, I missed the crater created by the BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion—something I learned when I was in the fire department). Whatever the rig carried created a hole in the blacktop nearly four feet deep.

The fork truck shuddered as it tried to skid to a stop. The trailer’s weight pushed it ever closer to the crater. The nose of the truck dropped and momentum abruptly ceased. Everyone in the train lurched forward, some nearly falling out entirely. Some of the supplies tipped over and landed on one of the children.

The sudden stop caused me to slam my head into the windshield. The force of my skull impacting the Plexiglas windshield caused the nearly indestructible material to break in half. I fought unconsciousness by thinking about how much the others depended on me. I needed to stay awake. I grabbed hold of the levers that raise and adjust the forks to avoid falling off entirely. The fork truck stalled out. I couldn’t prevent it. Stunned, I sat back down on the seat and struggled to ask if everyone was all right. Before I could muster the ability to speak clearly, I heard a now familiar voice.

“What to fuck are you doing?” Sarah screamed.

All the children were crying. I managed to turn to see the nurses doing their assessments of each patient.

Eve was screaming, while the others were only crying.

“I fell on her when he stopped so quickly,” Sarah said, trying to put the blame on anyone but her. “I think her arm might be broken.”

I heard other things, but was having a difficult time staying conscious.

The next thing I remember was Beth shaking me. “Nick, Nick… Are you all right?” She shined a flashlight in my face.

“What happened?” I was groggy. I knew Beth was talking, but couldn’t clearly understand her.

She was checking my pupils, and though the light was hurting my eyes, I was unable to resist her. She turned my head from right to left looking into each ear.

I was tired and needed a nap. I didn’t care about the fork truck, the children or anyone. I just needed a nap. All I remember is Beth helping me to the ground with the sound of a child crying in the distance.

In a state of semi-consciousness, I heard Beth’s voice.

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