Anthony Newman: American Survivor

“Sorry for being such an asshole.”

“Joe you aren’t an asshole. You need to respect that others can contribute and become strong enough to survive,” Jane added.

“Well, that was a wakeup call. I’m an asshole and just need to find the local Asshole’s Anonymous Meeting to practice the twelve steps to learn how to behave around women. Perhaps they’ll have an instruction manual for women that I can use to keep from stepping on my dick all the time,” laughed Joe at his own sarcasm.

“Very funny asshole. I thought you might be salvageable, but now I don’t know. Besides, if there were a book you men would never read the damned thing,” Jane said in frustration.

“Girl, please close your eyes and get some rest before we head back to the cabin,” Joe said.

“I got to pee. Help me out of the Jeep.”

“Make it fast. I also need to move you to the driver’s side,” Joe said.

Joe dozed off and slept on and off until midnight. He woke with a start, felt Jane lifting his shirt, and saw her red light shining on his chest.

“I thought you didn’t like me and now I find you trying to sneak a feel. Do you want me to flex my chest muscles for you?” Joe asked.

Jane replied, “Again with the smart assed, wise guy routine. I wanted to borrow the field glasses you always have hanging from your neck. When I ran my hand across your chest to find them, you winced in pain. I lifted your shirt and saw a nice black and blue impression of the field glasses on your shirt. What happened?”

“I found the men that were following us, and we traded shots until they were dead and I was on the ground. I thought I was dying for half an hour. I guess I bruised some ribs. I’ll be fine in a few weeks,” Joe said.

“Everything will be fine in a few weeks. Will those dead men be fine in a few weeks?”

“Nope, I guess they are on their way to hell where I sent them. I say stuff like that, so you won’t worry. I guess it’s what you call being overprotective,” he said.

“Holy crap we just had a breakthrough. That was the first step. You actually admitted that you had a problem,” Jane said.

“Now who’s being the smart ass,” he replied.

The drive back to the cabin was painful but uneventful, as Joe wound his way south then back toward his neighbor’s cabin. He stopped a couple of times to make sure no one followed them, which gave them a chance to talk.

“Jane, all kidding aside, I do appreciate you schooling me in how to respect women’s abilities and treat them as equals. Hey, isn’t that one of the twelve steps?”

“I’m sorry that I was so blunt, but if you want to get back in good with Cobie you need to treat her as an equal and not try to shelter her from life,” Jane said.

“Well, like I said, I’m not interested in seeing any woman right now, but the advice you gave me can’t hurt,” Joe said.

They pulled up between the two cabins and when Joe killed the engine Jane pulled him to her, gave him a kiss, and said, “Joe you might need to be housebroken, but If Cobie doesn’t let you catch her you can knock on my door anytime.”

He kissed her and said, “I’ll keep that in mind, and you can go scavenging with me anytime. I need someone to help watch my back.”

Jane patted her side and said, “You can watch my backside anytime.”

It was 4:30 am when Joe parked the Jeep by the cabins. He went around to the other side and helped Jane from the Jeep. He picked her up and carried her to the front porch while enduring the pain from his ribs. He didn’t see Cobie and Cloe running to them from the other cabin when he heard, “Are you two okay?”

“Jane took a bullet to the back, but she… well let her tell you,” Joe said.

“I’ll be fine in a few weeks. Joe got to play doctor; he removed the bullet and stopped the bleeding. He is my new hero,” Jane said to Cobie.

Cloe bumped into Joe in an attempt to hug him when Jane said, “Be careful Cloe. The big man has some sore ribs.”

Joe took Jane up the steps to the front porch as the others came out the door all talking at once. He sat her down in a chair and collapsed on the porch in pain. Cloe helped him to set up and sat down beside him.

Jane’s son asked, “Mom, what happened? You were gone two days.”

Jane held his hand and said, “We had a few problems but nothing we couldn’t handle. Joe and I make a great team, but it appears we have a thing for attracting bullets and bad men.”

Ginny and Butch helped Jane to her bed while Cobie and Cloe helped Joe to a chair where Cobie asked, “Joe, what happened? Are you okay?”

“Some meth heads tried to rob us. They shot first, and we got rid of them. When we were about to leave, we saw car lights approaching and headed back here. They shot at us several times. I had Jane drop me off so I could keep her safe and ambush our pursuers. I got them, but Jane was ambushed about a half mile from me. That thug was killed by his own men when they accidentally ran over him in the dark. That’s all I got for now. Help me back to the Jeep so I can get some rest,” an exhausted Joe said.

“No, I’ll get you some blankets and your sleeping bag from the Jeep so you can lie down on the porch.”

“Mom let’s take him to our cabin,” Cloe begged.

“No, he’ll be better with the others,” Cobie answered.

Cloe fetched the blankets and sleeping bag and set them down beside Joe. She gave him a gentle hug and had tears in her eyes.

“Get some rest, and then we can hear the rest of the story tomorrow,” said Cobie as they walked away to their cabin.

“Cobie.”

“Yes, Joe.”

“I’m sorry for being such a dick head.”

Joe watched the two go as he sat on the porch in pain. He tried to get comfortable, but sleep eluded him. He couldn’t be mad at Cobie for being independent and cautious about whom she let get close to her because she was just doing exactly what Joe had done. He started to feel lonely and sorry for himself when, like an epiphany, it came to him what he had to do.

Joe struggled to lift his backpack and began the trek to his cabin. He left his portion of the supplies behind and walked as fast as the pain in his ribs would let him.

Dan watched Cobie abandon Joe on the porch and then walk away. He felt that this was a horrible way to treat the man who had helped them so much. He was shocked when Joe rose up and walked into the woods. He wanted to stop Joe and take him into their cabin but knew the man had decided to leave and wouldn’t change his mind.

The walk to the cabin was the worst hour of Joe’s life. He stumbled in the dark and fell twice tripping over roots. He carefully stepped around his traps and nail boards to enter his cabin. Joe didn’t like strong drugs but found the bottle of Lortabs he’d scavenged from town and took two before crashing on the couch. He slept without moving until after dark the next day and only woke up then to use the bathroom. He took two more pills and drank two glasses of water before sleeping for nine more hours.

Joe woke up and walked to the bathroom. He stopped to see himself in the full-length mirror, which was hanging on the bathroom door. He saw a dirty, unshaven man who was thin and hard looking. He had lost forty pounds and gained muscle since he didn’t have the junk food, and walked everywhere. He also saw a man who had a new goal in life.

He took a bed sheet from the linen closet, cut it into six-inch wide strips, and used them to bind his chest tight. This helped reduce the pain and made his life bearable for the tasks ahead of him. He cleaned his leg wounds, applied the usual antibiotics, and covered them with bandages.

Joe didn’t feel appreciated, or loved by Cobie, so he vowed that morning to get away from Cobie until he could clear his head. He had to get away from her because when she was near, he wanted her and needed her like no woman before. He felt that she acted as though he was only needed to protect her. He decided to use his spare time to sneak into the cities nearby and see if any were still functioning with at least some law and order.