Jacqueline Druga - What Tomorrow Brings

“How is she?”

“She’s hanging on, but she’s been seriously injured, Macy.”

Macy sniffed and nodded. “I know. I knew when he left with her.”

Deana could only imagine what Macy was going through. Macy looked drawn and gaunt.

“My son?” June asked. “How is my son?”

Deana paused before saying anything. “He’s sick, as you know. Probably a lot more sick than you thought. That’s why I came. I’m here to get you. You should come with me,” Deana said. “There isn’t much time.”

During the time that Kit spent inside Harland’s shelter, she had a hard time distinguishing day from night. She relied heavily on a clock to tell her if it was morning or evening. Still, she had trouble and got confused. But there was no problem whatsoever knowing it was nighttime when she arrived back at the bunker after a full day’s work at the hospital.

She herself checked in over one hundred and forty people. When Abe arrived to bring her back, the line was still long.

He didn’t speak much about what he did, only that they were preparing the school gym and already didn’t have enough supplies for everyone.

So many didn’t get a bed, or cot. They ran out of sleeping bags and the sick were laying on the wooden gym floor covered by coats and anything else they could use for blankets.

They were hopeful and optimistic that when aid arrived the next day, they would bring enough supplies. It was heartbreaking that those who sought comfort, for their final hours, or days were left to find it on a hard cold surface. Some were so sick, they didn’t even notice.

It had been one week since everything happened and during that week, Kit went from in shock, to indifference as she sat in the shelter unaware of the extent of other people’s injuries.

Then after several hours, she spun into depression. The enormity of everything slammed her. How precious human life was and it was discarded so easily by people with a chip on their shoulder.

The United States launched as well.

For the differences everyone face, they all were the same. Struggling, destitute and dying.

Everyone was dying. Just some more quickly than others.

Kit slept a good bit of time. She didn’t know if Harland came back at all.

Fully dressed and ready to go back out, Kit waited on Abe.

He finally stepped into the main room. “Bathroom is free if you need it?”

“No, I’m good. I showered last night,” Kit said. “There’s coffee left on the burner in a pot if you want the rest.”

“Thank you,” Abe walked to the stove. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Kit embraced her cup with both hands. “No.”

“No? What’s going on?” Abe sat down with her.

“Everything. Yesterday. Going back.”

“You don’t need to go back.”

“Yeah, I do. We’re alive and healthy.”

“Actually, you’re not,” Abe stood her. “You are still suffering from that head injury.”

“I’m fine. Compared to everyone else, I am really good.” She sighed. “What’s next? That’s what keeps going through my mind. What’s next? This time next week, the following week, so many people are going to be dead. What happens then? How do we process it? Do we bury the dead, or just leave them be and go to another place.”

“I don’t think anyone has thought that far ahead.”

“They should. There should have been a plan. There was a plan for localized natural disasters. Terror attacks. Hell, there is a list of Presidential and FEMA directives that lay out in detail everything that would be done in case of all out global catastrophe. How to keep the government going, keep a portion of population alive. Yet, there is probably not one that say what the plan is after.”

“I’m sure there is,” Abe said.

“I’m sure there isn’t. Want to know why?” Kit asked. “Because no one believed it was going to happen. They should have. Right now everyone is preoccupied with helping the sick and injured, or being one of the sick and injured. What about after? Where do we go? Do we fraction off, start making our own communities. What are you going to do after the last person dies?”

“Find out where my brother is. Where they evacuated him and if he’s safe. Then… help you find who you need to find. That’s all I have to do.”

“That’s probably what most people will do,” Kit said. “Searching for families. We will be a society of nomads, moving from place to place looking for loved ones while fighting for scraps of food.”

Abe exhaled loudly and shook his head. “Wow, you are really deep in thought on this.”

“I am. What about these people that will suffer long term? This isn’t Hiroshima, Nagasaki or any war torn city, there’s no United States to go in, bring aid and help clean up.”

“We don’t know that,” Abe said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… we don’t know what’s out there. We got our missiles off the ground, who is to say they hit. Who is to say there isn’t another country waiting for the chance to come in and clean up what they won.”

“Can that happen?”

“It’s possible.”

Kit stood. “I could see that happening if a few bombs fell, but we’re talking thousands. There’s no dusting off so easily.” She took her cup to the dishpan. “Okay, I’m gonna try to shake this mood before we get to town. These people don’t need someone mean and miserable taking their names and determining if they go Red, Blue or Green.”

“It’s okay, Kit, it really is to feel this way.” Abe placed his hands on her shoulders. “You’re thinking ahead. It’s mind boggling because there is no precedence on this. There’s no way to predict an outcome. Why don’t you make it easy on yourself?”

“How would I do that?”

“Think ahead, but only until tomorrow,” Abe said. “One day at a time, because you don’t know what each day will bring.”

A military truck rolled loudly by them just before Abe and Kit parked in front of Central Medical.

“I guess they’re here,” Abe said. “That’s a good thing.”

“More hands, maybe? Then I can go searching for my son and brothers.”

“Look, I will make it a point, one way or another to go to Elcort today, as soon as I can. If they aren’t here, they have to be there. I’ll come get you.”

“I appreciate it.” She opened the truck door. “Good luck.”

“You too.” She stepped from the truck and let another military vehicle pass her. She watched it move down the street, a few people were in the back.

Someone spoke over the loud speaker, giving directions on where to go. Kit didn’t need directions, so she didn’t pay much attention to the details of the voice.

“If you have a Two card, please look for the station marked Two. If you have a Three…’

He repeated his words.

Kit walked inside, expecting the worst. So many more people, she could only imagine how bad the line was. Immediately she saw Harland. He didn’t look too bad for someone who had been working nonstop. Although his blue scrubs were soiled.

“There you are,” Harland said. “Did you get some rest?”

“I did. Thank you. Am I on check in?”

“Not today.”

“Those of you with the number One, please report to the emergency entrance.” The voice continued in the background.

“How long has the announcing been going on?”

“About two hours. I stopped listening,” Harland said.

“So what am I doing?’

“A lot of these people have already been screened and placed on trucks. They are using a numeric system. Three being our red. I need you to make sure people are in the right places. Double check the card they are wearing around their necks.”