"Joe, I need to see your face," Becky said walking up, "now hold still, this is gonna hurt." He gritted his teeth as she first cleaned and then poured peroxide directly over the wound. When she was done with that, she taped it up as best she could, and kissed him. "Don't leave me, Joe," she said.
"Wouldn't, and couldn't," he replied, "and don't want to either." He turned to Delbert and helped him to his feet as the four of them walked to the Durango. None of them spoke of leaving Bill behind. They didn't like it, but they all realized they had no choice.
Joe turned the truck around and eased up onto the roadway. It was clear in both directions, and his eyes swept over the drying smear of blood in the road, that was now drawing flies, as he turned right and headed out of Gothenburg.
By the time they were under way again, it was late afternoon. The road ahead was clear, and after several miles of checking the rear-view mirror and seeing nothing, Joe began to relax a small amount. The mood in the truck, however, was somber, and no one seemed to be able to strike up any conversation and keep it going for more than a minute or two, before it fizzled.
~ 3 ~
By night fall, when they had reached a small forest preserve outside of Grand Island, the two women had somehow managed to overcome the mood, and were talking excitedly about stopping and being able to get out of the truck. Their mood helped to swing Joe's mood around, and Delbert, who had more than a mild buzz from the whiskey, was sleeping with his head in Peggy's lap.
Joe pulled the Durango into the park, and drove down next to a small stream and parked. Becky and Peggy began to search for wood to build a fire as Joe helped Delbert from the truck.
"How are you feeling, Dell?" Joe asked.
"No brain no pain," Delbert responded, "but I 'spect I'll have a hangover tomorrow."
"Well go ahead and have one," Joe said, "long as that helps you get through the night," he said pointing at the bottle. "But make sure it's a small one, Dell, because tomorrow I need you wide eyed and bushy tailed, there's no telling what's ahead."
"Yeah, today was sure fun," he said glumly.
Joe helped him sit down at an old green picnic table, before he went back to the truck and unloaded the camping gear.
They had picked up two additional tents, and he debated about whether or not to set up the third one. Peggy settled it when she walked over, by telling him not to bother. "I'd prefer to have Dell next to me," she said slightly embarrassed, "well, in case he wakes up in the night, or his leg bothers him," she finished.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that neither Joe nor Becky intended to make any objections.
Peggy had met Delbert back in Texas the day after the bombs fell, almost at the same time she had met Bill. She and Delbert had just been drawn to each other, there was no other way to put it, and although their age difference was vast, it didn't bother either one of them. It had bothered Bill a great deal however. He had been of the opinion that since he had found her first, she belonged to him. It pissed her off, and the tension between them had been growing steadily.
She was sorry that Bill had died, and had at first even felt guilty about it, but she didn't now. It could have been any of them, she realized, it could have been Dell.
She was through making pretensions about how she felt too, she realized. She had been embarrassed, not only because she was afraid Becky and Joe would disapprove, that was only a small part. The big part was Bill. She had become accustomed to his cutting remarks, and had braced herself for one, before she had realized it wouldn't, and couldn't, come. She walked over and squatted down beside Delbert.
"How do you feel, Dell?" she asked.
"I'll live, Hon, you worry too much," he said smiling. She kissed him quickly, and then straightened up. "I'm going to help Becky with dinner then. If you need me say so, okay?" Delbert nodded his head and smiled once more to reassure her, and she turned and walked away.
Joe walked over, handed Delbert a cup of coffee, and then sat down next to him.
"You know much about Nebraska?" Joe asked, once he sat down.
"Not a lot," Delbert replied, "came through a few years back driving truck, what's on your mind, Joe?"
"Well, how big are some of the other cities we have to pass through, for starters, and, I guess, what do you think our chances are of getting into Iowa in one piece?"
"Probably ought to stay away from the cities," Delbert answered. "Even if it takes longer. I know a couple of ways around, cheat routes I used a couple of times when I knew I was too heavy for the scales. If we're careful, real careful, we should be able to do it, but I ain't about to drop my guard none, none at all," he finished.
"Me either," Joe said, "me either, not one bit."
"How'd that gal of yours learn to shoot that way?" Delbert asked, "I never seen somebody react so fast in my life."
"Rough life," Joe said, "I imagine she'll tell you someday. I'm damn glad she can though...Looks like Peggy can handle herself pretty damn well too, Dell," he finished.
"Oh yeah,
