Tony Littlejohns: The Hoffmann Plague

None of us knows what the future will bring, but I’m really happy that we’ve met all of you lovely people. We’re going to have hard times ahead – I think we all know that – but it’s going to be a lot better now that we’ve got each other to rely on for help. We all bring something different to the table in terms of skills, knowledge and experience and we’re going to need all of it if we’re to survive the difficult times ahead. Here’s to us!’ He raised his glass.

They all raised their glasses. ‘ To us! ’ they repeated.

Over the next month winter tightened its grip and the temperature dropped below freezing regularly at night, with thick frosts covering the ground in the mornings, although there was no snow. Bill said it was the coldest they’d had at the farm for several years. Jamie and Jane were thankful for the smaller size of their new home as it was much easier to heat than the bungalow would have been in that weather. They still went there to collect salt, but less frequently now because of the temperature.

On trips into town they began seeing a few people here and there; the first they’d seen in Bexhill in over eight months. They stopped to talk when they could – or when people allowed them; some were wary of strangers and hurried on their way. Most were friendly, though, and they spent time talking with them: some were former refugees from the army camp, but others were folk returning to their homes after nearly a year away. These people had fled the town at the start of the plague to live with family or friends in rural areas: some said they would stay but others were returning just to collect things left behind in the panic.

Their four army friends had been busy with improvements at the house and they saw them regularly as they were just down the road. Harry and Maria dug a well in the garden, lining it with bricks, and built a covered structure around it with a bucket and winch. Maria had let her hair grow since arriving and without the severe crew-cut and army battle-dress she looked stunning, especially in the tight jeans and sweater that she often wore. Jane caught Jamie looking at her behind on one occasion and nudged him playfully in the ribs; he looked at her and just shrugged and they grinned at each other.

By the end of January Jane was looking rather big and had a distinct waddle to her stride. She was getting tired more frequently and finding it harder to do some things now, which she hated. Tom and Karen turned up at the farm one afternoon with a surprise for her. Knowing that Bill and Emma had mains power, they had driven to the Conquest hospital at Hastings and brought back an ultrasound machine so they could give her a scan. Jane was very moved by this and hugged them both, saying how grateful she was. She could imagine what horrors they must have seen at the hospital. They went into the spare bedroom at the farmhouse to conduct the scan and Karen told her that the baby looked healthy and everything seemed normal. Jane was relieved beyond words to hear that as she had been so worried in recent months.

‘Do you want to know the sex?’ asked Karen.

She thought for a second. ‘Yes, please.’

‘You’re going to have a daughter,’ she said, smiling.

Jane smiled and then burst into tears, hugging them both. She walked back across the yard with a little smile on her face. When she got inside Jamie and Megan were sitting expectantly on the sofa, holding hands.

‘Well,’ she said, grinning, ‘everything looks normal and healthy. We’re going to have a baby girl!’

‘Oh, wow!’ said Megan. ‘I’m going to have a sister!’

Jamie just sat there speechless, with tears rolling down his cheeks.

In the first week of February the weather worsened and they had a few days of heavy snow. It settled to around two inches deep on the ground, but in places had been blown into drifts over two feet deep. It looked like Max had never seen snow before as he was running around madly in his excitement, while Megan and Sally made a snowman in the top yard, complete with an old hat and scarf.

Jane’s back and neck had been giving her pain for a while and Jamie gave her regular massages using some ointment Zoe had made, which helped ease the pain somewhat. Tom told her he had painkillers that would be safe for her to take if the pain got too bad, which she thanked him for but declined. Karen also spent time with them on several occasions, going through breathing exercises and procedure for when she went into labour. They told Megan over dinner one evening that the baby would have her name as a middle name, which made her smile and feel proud.

‘Annie Megan Parker,’ she repeated a few times, liking the sound of it.

By the following week the temperature had risen a few degrees and the snow started to thaw, turning the yard to slush. One morning, Jane came out of the kitchen and paused to look at Megan sitting at the table, surrounded by books and writing in her notebook. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and she reached up with her left hand to tuck it behind her ear, as she often did. Jane smiled to herself, thinking once again how lucky they were to have found her and that she had survived the shooting and recovered fully.

Megan sensed her watching and looked up. ‘What?’ she asked, a curious smile on her face.

‘Oh… Nothing, honey. I was just… I don’t know; feeling grateful, I suppose, for having you in our lives.’

‘You’re not going to get all slushy on me and cry, are you?’ she asked teasingly.

‘I might,’ Jane smiled. Megan grinned and tutted, rolling her eyes theatrically.

Jane went up to her and kissed the top of her head. ‘How’d you like to come and help me choose some clothes for the baby and get some other supplies?’

‘I’d love to, Mum. I’ve nearly finished my writing – won’t be long.’

Jamie drove them into town in the Land Rover, leaving Max with Sally and Peter. They visited the pharmacies in the town centre first, picking up all the nappies they could find, along with other supplies they would need. They took everything that was left on the shelves and Jamie also broke into the store-rooms, where there was more stock.

Snow-drifts had piled in the shop doorways on Devonshire Road, which, along with the broken glass in some stores, made it look even more like an abandoned ghost-town. There wasn’t a great choice for baby clothes there, though they found some. After that they drove to the retail park, where there was a better choice. It was the first time Megan had been there since the shooting and they were both a bit concerned about her, but she showed no signs of distress.

They went into M&S, where Jamie left the girls to look at baby clothes while he got some new things for himself, including some nice woollen jumpers, then it was onto Next and Boots for more of the same. Before entering each store Jamie stood outside listening for a while with the sawn-off on his shoulder, but there were no sounds of anyone else there. When they’d finished and were loading the bags into the truck they heard vehicles approaching.

Two vans appeared, drove into the car park and pulled up by Tesco’s. Jamie took the sawn-off from his shoulder and held it down by his side, while Jane did the same with hers and cocked both barrels in readiness. Megan looked worried and moved close to Jane, putting her arm around her.

Three tough-looking guys climbed out, followed by two women. Two of them had L85A2 rifles over their shoulders and Jamie realised they must be ex-army, so he waved and said hi. Two of the men approached them and as they got nearer he recognised one as having been the guard on the gate the day he’d taken Megan to the army camp, so he relaxed somewhat. He in turn recognised Jamie, remembering that he knew Miller and Cunningham, and his demeanour changed as he also relaxed. They re-introduced themselves and shook hands. The guy – Baker – whistled to the other three and waved for them to come over.