We Who Remain Read online

  She had no one left.

  With that thought, Liv finished her drink and poured another.

  <><><><>

  It wasn’t as if Bob was away from Mitch all that long, but he acted like it. Like a faithful pet, he hurriedly made his way to Mitch the second he returned.

  “Thank God you’re back,” Bob said.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, really, nothing, I just ….” He gave a twitch of his head to signify a point to Donna.

  “She that bad?”

  “Imagine having a list of laundry things you have to finish and not having the skills to complete a single one of them,” Bob said. “We just did an ultra sound on her arm. Mallory said to try and see if there is blood flow to her hand.”

  “Is there?”

  Bob shook his head. “Meaning, that hand has to come off before it affects her entire arm and then some. That’s what Mallory said needed to be done. Buford and George are on their way to meet up with her and bring her to Mount Weather.”

  “Then Mallory can help Donna if we hurry. Does Donna know this, that the hand needs to go?”

  “Yep. She keeps checking people over and over, expecting there to be different outcome, as if one of them will suddenly have blood flow.”

  “Definition of insanity.”

  “Speaking of insanity, you feel like chopping off a hand?”

  “What! No. You can’t be serious.”

  “Maybe a little,” Bob said. “How’s Liv?”

  “As you would expect her to be. She’s putting on this front that scares me. I didn’t want to leave her alone.”

  “Why did you?”

  “To come and get you, and she wanted and asked to be left alone.”

  “Probably so she can plan to off herself.”

  “Please don’t say that,” Mitch said.

  Bob shrugged. “Just my thoughts. You know. She lost her husband, brother, found her daughter. I’m not a mental expert. Donna is. She’s a psychiatric nurse. Let’s ask her.”

  “Ask me what?” Donna approached.

  “Should we be worried about our friend, Liv? Like maybe she might want to hurt herself?” Mitch asked. “Five days ago her twin brother died, not long ago we found her husband’s remains on the roof and an hour ago, we found her daughter’s remains.”

  “The best way to judge is to talk to her.” Donna looked beyond Mitch. “Where is she, I’ll speak with her.”

  “Oh, she’s home,” Bob replied. “Mitch left her there.”

  “Oh my Goodness, you left her alone, after all this?” Donna said.

  “She wanted to be alone,” Mitch replied.

  Donna sucked in her bottom lip. “I would keep checking on her until the phones go out. Right now, I really need both of you to help me come up with some sort of plan for these people.”

  “Where’s Beth?” Mitch asked.

  “She left to find her family.”

  “What kind of plan?” Mitch asked.

  “I guess we can’t save them. Maybe make them comfortable until they pass,” Donna suggested.

  “How long will that take?” Mitch asked, ignoring the sound of Bob choking on a reactionary laugh.

  “It could be hours, days. More than likely days,” Donna answered.

  “Can we hurry it along?”

  “Mitch,” Bob snapped. “Stop. You’ve been hanging around with me too much?”

  “Mister …”

  “Mitch. My name is Mitch.”

  “Mitch,” Donna said. “The world is on the downslide. What is the hurry?”

  “Um … the mother of all comets is coming in less than two weeks, a lot bigger, a lot closer and with probably a bigger repeat performance,” Mitch said. “We also have a convoy to meet in Virginia.”

  “I’m sure you can still meet up with that convoy.”

  “Yes, we can, but you need that convoy sooner. There’s a doctor that can help your hand before it’s too late.”

  “I can’t think about me. At a time like this, none of us can be selfish,” Donna replied.

  “I hear you,” Mitch said. “But it’s your hand. It could end up being your arm. These people aren’t gonna be around for long no matter what we do. So yeah, be selfish on this one.”

  “No. We can’t.” Donna said pleasantly. “Now let’s not go back and forth. We have people to help and work to do.” She turned and began walking away.

  Mitch glanced over to Bob, who peered at Mitch from the tops of his eyes.

  “Donna,” Mitch called out. “It’s not my work.”

  She turned around. “It’s everyone that survived this job.”

  “No. Sorry.” Mitch shook his head. “I’ll help you for a little while, I said I would, I told Liv I would help with what I could. But not for days. I have to get back to Liv, we have to get ready and we have to go.”

  “Are you telling me that you’ll leave me here to handle this alone?” Donna asked.

  “You’re not alone right now. We’re here to help,” Mitch said.

  “Until you have to go to the convoy.” Donna nodded. “I’m not going to argue. I’ll take what help I can get.” She turned once again and walked away.

  Mitch turned to Bob. “Was I wrong?”

  “You could have had more tact. You just didn’t sound like you.”

  “You’re right. I was okay until you mentioned Liv, and now I’m worried.”

  “Go home,” Bob suggested. “I’ll stay.”

  “No. No. Donna does need our help, and I want to do as much as I can while I’m here. Besides, I’m sure Liv is fine.”

  “I’m sure she is,” Bob said. “She’s a strong woman. She’ll get through this. We’ll be there. We’ll help her.”

  With an exhaling, ‘yeah’, Mitch followed Bob as they trailed behind Donna.

  Mitch took stock in Bob’s words. They would help Liv get through, but first they all had to get through this day.

  Unfortunately, the days wouldn’t get better because the world was a mess. What they were dealing with in the hospital was only a fraction of what they’d have to deal with for a very long time to come.

  14 – WORLDS COLLIDE

  Though getting comfortably numb with alcohol was Liv’s initial goal, she quickly changed her mind.

  Burying her emotions and feelings under a layer of booze wasn’t going to help.

  Being clear headed would.

  She wanted absolutely no confusion with her thoughts.

  She sat in that chair for an hour, staring at photographs, reading Danni’s text messages and looking at the pictures she took moments before she had died.

  It was heart wrenching.

  Losing Mark was bad enough but losing her child … there was no bouncing back from that. No amount of time would ever fill the hole that imploded in her heart the second she saw the purple sweatshirt.

  It was a pain that was physical as well as emotional. One no amount of screaming or crying could even lessen it. Not any time soon.

  Could she live with the pain and go on?

  Yes, Liv was strong.

  Did she want to?

  No.

  In fact, it wasn’t the pain as much as it was did she want to live in a world without her child.

  There was nothing, absolutely nothing left in the world to make it worthwhile. To make her shoulder the agony and step by step, day by day trudge on.

  Nothing.

  That was reiterated when she stepped out her door.

  An empty, quiet street.

  Everyone was so neighborly, always having some sort of event or something together.

  Except Liv. She had refrained, she just wasn’t social.

  What were their names?

  That was the first thought Liv had when she stepped out of her house. From her small porch she could see the remains scattered about the lawns. An impromptu comet watch party had everyone out and about. Tables with food were still set up, folding chairs and coolers. Her next door neighbor even had a keg.<
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  Liv knew them when she had seen them, but she never bothered to know their names.

  She would bet Mark or Danni had known them.

  They were different people, better people. Liv always was about being in her own little world. Now that world was small, with Liv being the only one in it.

  While the pain of losing what remained of her family all in less than one week was tremendous, Liv felt stronger than she had in a while.

  Clear headed and at peace.

  She knew what needed to be done.

  After sending a text to Mitch to let him know she was fine, she got into her car and backed from the driveway.

  Liv was careful not to look too closely at the road, the last thing she wanted to do was run someone over even if they weren’t alive.

  Bleep.

  Liz gazed down to the text.

  ‘Thanks for touching base.’ Mitch’s text read. ‘Try to rest. I’ll text when I know how long I’ll be.’

  Texting and driving in the world twenty-four hours early was wrong, now, what did it matter. There were no other drivers on the road.

  She lifted her phone and replied. ‘Ok’

  Bilkos Drug Store was a local store in the residential area open twenty-four hours and Liv was certain they were open the previous night, comet or not. There would be no doors to break. Electricity was still on and access would be easy.

  She parked out in the lot. Just outside the front doors where two piles of remains both topped with the signature blue smock of Bilkos. She was careful not to disturb them. The automatic doors slid open as she approached, and Liv went inside. It was cool, the air conditioning running at full force.

  It was a habit more than anything, Liv grabbed a hand shopping basket and moved about the store with it latched to her forearm. Not that she needed anything, but she was there. She grabbed a couple candy bars, an ice tea from the cooler, then a carton of cigarettes from behind the counter.

  As she moved about the aisle, Liv tossed other items into her basket. None of them were what she usually went to Bilkos for. But eventually, that one item she sought out would make its way into the basket with everything else.

  There was no doubt in Liv’s mind.

  <><><><>

  “I hate you, Ollie.”

  Ollie cringed. His head hurt, pounding like he hadn’t felt in a long time. His neck and back hurt as well. Yet, even in the pain all he could hear was his girlfriend’s voice, the night before.

  “I hate you. One half hour, you can’t hold off one half hour.”

  He couldn’t. When she said that to him, everything was already spinning. He was seeing doubles, and his balance was off. Another minute he knew he’d either hurl or be on the ground.

  He groaned in pain and opened his eyes.

  “What the hell?” Ollie said. He wasn’t in bed, hell, he never even made it into his apartment. No wonder his body ached. He was on the floor leaning against his apartment door.

  Jesus. Maybe he was the loser she claimed him to be.

  He tried to justify her words as a woman who was angry.

  He’d be angry with himself, too. Ollie had steadily began to drink when he finished his shift at nine pm, when he arrived at the comet party outside his building, he was already smashed.

  He tried to keep going, pretend he wasn’t that hammered, but at some point he had enough and had passed out.

  Unfortunately, it was right before the comet came.

  “I have to go,” Olli said to his girlfriend Sharon.

  “To the bathroom?” she asked.

  “No inside, I can’t … I’m gonna pass out, I think.”

  “Can’t you wait? The comet is coming.”

  “I know. I know. I can’t.”

  “Sure you can,” Sharon smiled. “You look fine. Have some water.”

  He took the cup from her hand and downed it. “That’s not water.”

  She huffed at him. “No, it was beer.”

  “Shar, I … I have to go. I can barely see.”

  “Then sit down.”

  “I’ll pass out. I’d rather not out here,” Ollie said.

  “Ollie, you have to stay, you know what the psychic said. She said if we watch the comet together our beings will be merged together for all eternity.”

  Ollie covered his mouth as he belched. “I think I’m gonna throw up.”

  “Way to make fun of romantic words.”

  “It’s not the words, I need to go inside.” Ollie turned around, lost his balance, gained it and moved toward the door.

  “Fine. Go!” She waved out her hand. “I hate you. You couldn’t hold off one half hour. You’re a thirty year old loser, Ollie, a basement dwelling, dead end job, fat loser!”

  “Hey!” Ollie argued. “I like my game store job, thank you. And I am not fat. Just have a … fluffy dad bod.”

  “You don’t have a child. You can’t have a dad bod without a kid.”

  Ollie nearly tripped walking up the stairs.

  “I made myself look special for you!” Sharon yelled.

  And she had. She made them matching blue comet shirts. Hers was tiny and sparkly. He appreciated it and would try to make it up to her, but he had to get to his apartment.

  He made it down the first portion of the stairs to his basement apartment, then slipped and slid down the rest.

  At the bottom he stumbled to a stand and looked down the long hall. His apartment was at the very end.

  The narrow corridor swayed and shifted and Ollie held on to the wall, staggering all the way to his door, which seemed like a mile away.

  At some point in that final journey, he blacked out.

  Ollie woke up with a hell of a hangover headache, a sore back and what looked and smelled like vomit down the front of his comet shirt.

  “What the fuck is wrong with me?” Ollie grunted. He stood to his feet slowly and when he did he heard the thump. He looked down to see his phone. His eyes throbbed when he bent down for it.

  His door was unlocked and he opened it, stepping inside, looking down at his phone as he did to see if maybe Sharon had called or sent a text.

  But all he saw was the time.

  “Twelve o’clock!” Ollie screeched and shut his door. “I slept out there that long?” He wondered what the hell was wrong with his neighbors leaving him out there like that in the hall. He wondered how many of them took pictures to post on social media. No one even tried to wake him.

  He had to be at work in an hour, but Ollie needed to get himself together. He hurried to his tiny kitchen, stuck a coffee pod in the machine and while it brewed he guzzled a bottle of water.

  It lumped in his stomach and Ollie held back vomiting.

  Even hung over, Ollie felt like the king of mini multi tasking. He dialed the phone, opened the kitchen cabinet, pulled out the ibuprofen and placed some in his hand. “Hey, Rich,” Ollie said, “Hope you get this message.” He tossed the pills in his mouth and took a drink of water. “I’ll be about twenty minutes late. My super wants me to help clean up after the comet party. It’s a mess out here. Be there shortly.” Ollie hung up.

  The coffee was done and Ollie grabbed the mug, sipping it all the way to the bathroom.

  A shower would help.

  Coffee, pills, water and a shower, that’s all he needed. Ollie would be good to go and able to face the day

  It astonished Ollie that not only was he on time, but he felt better. He still had his headache, but it wasn’t as bad. His body absorbed all that water, hydrating him enough to have energy.

  Seeing that he already called in late for work, he could stop at a fast food place and grab a sandwich on his way there.

  He refilled his coffee into a travel mug, shouldered his back pack and phone in hand, he left his apartment.

  He watched the bars on his phone to get a signal. Somewhere between the door of his apartment and the halfway point Ollie never had a signal. He guessed it was because there were no windows nearby.

  As soon as
he saw he could place a call, he dialed Sharon.

  Phone to his ear, listening to it ring, he walked up the stairs to go outside.

  As soon as he pushed the doors, he heard a cell phone ringing. He moved his phone from his ear, shrugged and listened as Sharon’s voice mail answered.

  He noticed that oddly, the cell phone outside stopped.

  “Oh, that was weird,” Ollie said, then walking to his car, he looked at his phone to try to call again. Just as his fingers hit redial, his foot slid on something and Ollie nearly fell.

  He peered down to an Orange Football Jersey covering a mound of some sort of pink substance.

  “Oh, come on, really?” Ollie shouted. “Someone puked out here and didn’t even clean it up!” he shouted. “At least I had the decency to puke on myself. Goddamn it.” He shook his foot, rubbed it a couple times on the pavement to clean his shoe, hit the dial button and walked to his car.

  When the phone rang in his ear and outside again, Ollie took notice.

  At his car door, the phone slowly slid from his ear and across his cheek as he turned around.

  The phone rang, but that wasn’t all he noticed.

  Everywhere, across the parking lot were piles of clothes surrounded by a vomit looking substance.

  He had been so focused he didn’t notice.

  The red plastic cups rolled a bit when they caught the slight breeze.

  What the hell was going on?

  He took a few steps toward the sound of the ringing cell phone. Ollie didn’t have to go far to see the sparkly comet shirt, Sharon’s shirt, it, too, along with the blue shorts were on top of one of those piles.

  He stumbled back, turning left to right.

  No cars.

  No sounds.

  No people.

  When the thought of ‘no people’ hit him, he looked at the mounds again.

  “No. No.” he shook his head then slapped his own face. “Wake up. Wake up.”

  Ollie wasn’t dreaming nor was he in some sort of drunken delusion.

  Something terribly wrong occurred. He like everyone else hurriedly entertained the thought of a terror attack or biological weapon.