JR’s skin around her eyes was red and puffy from crying and dabbing at tears. After their orders came, they ate and finished in record time. They discovered neither had much appetite. It was JR’s turn to drive, but Sam said he felt good and would continue driving another two hours or so till dark when they’d stop for the night. Sam’s second cheeseburger and half of JR’s were saved for later.
Outside the restaurant, an employee chased a young, gray dog away from the entrance. She yelled and kicked at the malnourished pup without success. The border collie scurried away with its tail tucked between its legs, then fearfully returned when the young, overweight girl turned back to enter the building. The smell of food cooking was strong and irresistible.
JR approached the dog and squatted on the sidewalk. In a low, soft voice, “Come here pup, I have something for you.” She unwrapped both sandwiches, tossed the lettuce and tomato, wiped off the excess condiments, tore a piece off, and extended her arm. Two minutes of coaxing got the response she wanted. The dog’s head jutted forward and anxiously snatched the bit of food from her fingers before retreating several feet. Another piece was torn loose and offered. “Come on fella, come here.” The pup cautiously slinked to her and repeated its snatch and retreat action.
Several people chuckled good naturedly as they walked by. Sam stood patiently near the entrance doors twelve feet away smiling. Without uttering a word in leaving, he stepped back inside the building, but not into the restaurant.
With the last bit of food in its mouth, the dog stayed close enough for JR to stroke its long, gray and white hair. Sam stood five feet away when he spoke slowly and softly, “Here’s a bottle of water and two cold ham sandwiches. Hold the dog with one hand and stretch your right arm back. He moved slowly and placed a sandwich in her hand. The pup struggled during the transfer. Then Sam waited. Passing the second sandwich he asked, “So what’s his name going to be?”
She pondered that as the dog drank more water from her cupped palm. “Smokey fits him, don’t you think?”
Fifteen minutes later, JR, Smokey, and Sam were exiting the parking lot heading north. The storm was closer; lightening flashed from the dark clouds and thunder boomed loudly close behind it. Smokey was still a pup but nearly full grown. He laid on the seat with the center console raised and was stretched out beside JR with his head on her lap. After being watered and well fed, he was asleep in minutes. JR stretched her left arm to lay her hand on Sam’s right arm as he drove. “Thank you. I guess I needed Smokey to sooth my maternal instincts after losing Breyna. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I pray to God I never again have to do anything approaching that.”
Sam nodded wistfully. “Me too. But maybe there is a God who works in strange ways; ya think? I hope you know border collies shed continually and need to be exercised hard daily. They don’t normally do well when confined and inactive.”
“I’ll keep your precious truck cleaner than it’s ever been, and we both need exercise after riding all day or we’ll soon be pudgy.”
“Yes, mother.”
They rode in silence until Sam said, “The experience with Breyna supports how I guessed the zombies crossed the oceans to arrive here. People who were contaminated by zombie matter on their hands may have absorbed it through their fingernails, cuticles, or cuts or scratches through the skin. That could be a much slower process. It might take several days or over a week for them to turn. Once they got off a plane and joined with family or friendly acquaintances, they might have been misdiagnosed with a common cold, the flue, or some minor infectious disease. As she was lowered into the grave, Breyna was snapping her teeth at my arm. She had almost completed the transition. Our timing was close, too close really.”
The radio was turned low, barely above the noise of the heavy duty all terrain truck tires. After contemplating Sam’s opinion JR added, “We were wise to not confiscate the weapons used by Breyna’s family’s convoy. We don’t know if washing them in gasoline or boiling them would make them safe once contaminated. I guess over time we’ll learn more through experience if we live that long.”
The temperature dropped sixteen degrees from the previous evening as they continued north.
Lights were on at an RV and camping trailer lot as they left the highway and approached. Several customers had their rigs parked out front as Sam parked. Smokey was left in the truck before they entered the store and got directions to a small mattress display area. Sam wasn’t surprised as he paid an outrageous inflated price for a new mattress for the camper’s bed.
On the road again, rain started slowly
