G Hopf - Sanctuary

“But we’re not done looking,” Eric hollered from upstairs.

“She’s not here! Let’s go!” he yelled.

Gordon needed to take a break to stretch after doing so much driving. He didn’t know if his legs and back were aching from sitting or from the blast.

The sun had just made its appearance over the eastern horizon and with it he hoped for another day without incident. Every time he saw the sunrise, he would make a point to say a quick prayer, hoping he’d see it set that day.

The first twenty-four hours of the drive had been successful, easily clearing over three hundred miles. But even given that, driving in the new world was slower. Weather and road conditions were problems before but now those were compounded by abandoned vehicles, road bandits, and the inability to stop just anywhere. The start of their drive was slowed due to the heavy rains. Fortunately for them, it hadn’t turned into snow and the temperatures didn’t drop below freezing. At the current rate, he hoped to pull into Cheyenne in three or four days.

Christopher began to stir but didn’t quite wake up. He had offered to take on some of the driving, and Gordon was thankful for that. Gordon grew excited about the prospect of getting relieved from his driving duty. Not wanting to wait any longer, he ran over a clump of debris, jolting the vehicle.

Everyone in the Humvee woke suddenly.

Christopher, now wide awake, asked urgently, “Is everything okay, are we okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine, accidently hit something,” Gordon lied. “Since you’re awake I need to take a break and rest. You mind?”

“No, not at all, pull over wherever you think is safe,” Christopher said, stretching.

“Where are we?” Cruz asked from the backseat.

“Somewhere east of Bend. We’re making good time,” Gordon answered.

Normally, Gordon wouldn’t have driven through the night, but he didn’t want the trip to take three times as long. And in some regards, the dangers on the road came at all hours.

“I haven’t seen anything for miles. Probably anywhere on the road is safe to just pull over,” Gordon said as he began to decelerate.

“Can’t we find a building that might have a bathroom?” Cruz asked.

“Is that a serious question?” Gordon asked.

“Yes, it’s serious. I have to use the bathroom,” Cruz stated flatly.

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to do what the animals do. I have toilet paper and an e-tool in the back.”

“What’s an e-tool?” Christopher asked.

“A shovel. I like to have one when I go outside. I use it to balance myself when I squat.”

“Are you sure there’s not a rest area or facility close by?” Cruz asked.

“Sir, if we approach a building I can’t just let you go in without my securing it first. That could take up precious time. You can’t expect every building you see to be safe. It’s a dangerous world out here, in case you didn’t know.”

“Mr. Van Zandt, I don’t appreciate your condescending attitude.”

Gordon brought the vehicle to a coast and pulled along the shoulder of the road.

“I’m sorry if you were offended, but I can’t take your requests seriously. I know you must be a smart man. I’m not pulling up to any structure unless I absolutely have to. It’s just best we stay from any building,” said Gordon.

Cruz thought before he responded. He was not feeling well. His body ached and he had what felt like the beginnings of a fever.

“Here’s where we’re going to take a break. Mr. Vice President, the shovel is in the back on the right. You go first, pick any tree out there. Christopher, do you mind topping us off? Any of the fuel cans in the back will work. I’m going to be on watch,” Gordon said, then exited.

The long stretch Gordon took felt good. He bent over at the waist and let the weight of his body stretch his lower back. He had picked a very remote spot on the road. The rolling and lunging landscape was heavily dotted with pine trees and large shrubs. To the east the road went on for miles, to the west he followed the road till it died into the horizon. The temperature was cool but tolerable. The gray skies could mean anything; he just hoped it didn’t mean more precipitation.

Wilbur walked up to Gordon and asked, “Can you help me? Vice President Cruz isn’t feeling too well.”

“Sure,” Gordon agreed, and followed Wilbur to the other side of the Humvee. There he saw Cruz bent, sitting on the ground, resting his back against the right wheel tire.

“You all right?” Gordon asked, but what he saw gave him the answer, and it was no.

Cruz’s skin was pale and clammy. He looked up at Gordon with swollen, bloodshot eyes.

“He’s really sick now. He had been complaining before we left but I thought he was just fatigued,” Wilbur commented.

“Let’s get him into the Hummer,” Gordon said, grabbing one arm. Wilbur grabbed his other arm and they both pulled him up and sat him back in his seat. Cruz collapsed into the seat and laid his head against a box.

“What’s wrong with him?” Wilbur asked.

“I don’t know, but you better wash your hands. The last thing I need is to get what he has,” Gordon said as he examined his hands.

As soon as Gordon sat in the passenger seat he passed out from exhaustion. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep when Christopher shook him awake.

“Gordon, wake up!” Christopher barked.

“Huh! What? What is it?” Gordon said, sitting up and alert.

“It’s the vice president, he’s gotten worse,” Christopher said, pointing to Cruz’s sickly frame in the back. Christopher had pulled them off the road.

“Where are we?” Gordon asked, looking around. The sun was still high in the sky, so they couldn’t have gone too far.

“I saw a sign a mile back that said Hines, seven miles,” Christopher said.

“Hines? Where’s the map?” Gordon asked, looking around the front of the Hummer.

“We need to find him a doctor!” Wilbur yelled at Gordon.

Gordon turned around and looked at her, then at Cruz.

Cruz looked lifeless. He hadn’t moved since they had dumped him in the seat earlier. His sweating had increased and when he opened his eyes, the whites were now almost entirely red.

“Major, in the back is a trauma kit. Grab it and let’s look through there for anything we can give him that will help,” Gordon commanded.

She jumped out and ran toward the back.

“Here’s the map,” Christopher said excitedly as he handed it to Gordon.

“Hines… we must still be in Oregon,” he said out loud as he opened up the map. “Here it is!” Gordon yelled out as he found the town on the map. “Damn! That’s a small town and we don’t know if we’ll find help there.”

Wilbur rushed to Gordon’s door with the trauma kit and handed it to him. He snatched it out of her hands and fished through it until he discovered Motrin.

“This will help with his fever for now,” Gordon said, taking two capsules and giving them to her.

Giving Cruz the Motrin was not easy. After several attempts he was able to swallow. His symptoms looked like the flu, but it was difficult to determine without a doctor’s attention. Finding one wasn’t likely.

Gordon had to find a safe place for Cruz to rest. They pulled back on the road and headed toward Hines, Oregon.

All Gordon could think was, Shit, can’t anything go right, just once?

Nelson walked back into the house feeling defeated.