Tom flipped a couple of switches and spoke into the monitor’s microphone. “Rick, Granny B says to stop licking on Jackie’s face. You do know there are cameras and microphones all around the ranch. Hey, take your hand off my sister’s butt.”
Tom laughed so hard he couldn’t control himself. He stopped laughing when he saw the frown on Sam’s face. “That was a bit funny, but you took it too far. Rick loves her, and now he’s embarrassed.
Tom kept a straight face and started to defend himself when Sam placed her hands on her hips. “I see now why you could never be in a serious relationship.”
Sam stormed off and left Tom wondering what he’d said that was so bad. He thought, Damn, these women need an instruction manual and interpretation on what they mean when they speak.
*
Chapter 26
Southern Oregon –The bunker at the Clark ranch.
Sam tapped Tom on the back. He turned and almost broke out laughing. Her pant legs were rolled up, and her shirt was too long. “We never planned to add anyone to our group. Grandpa was adamant about that, so we don’t have extra sizes in clothing. I guess those are Jackie’s clothes.”
“So, now you’re making fun of me? At least, you’re giving Jackie and Rick a break.”
Tom still didn’t know why she was mad. “I’m sorry for my childish sense of humor.”
“I ain’t mad. Granny B’s clothes were too small, and well, Jackie is bigger than me. She has a figure to die for.”
Tom snickered. “Not that you can tell it now, but you have a very nice figure also. I love your figure.”
Sam pulled Tom close and hugged him. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me. I hope you can see more of my figure.”
“Me too. There just isn’t enough privacy around here.”
Sam exhaled. “I guess you don’t hate me anymore.”
Tom mentally kicked himself for never knowing what to say. “I never hated you. I just didn’t know your circumstances and how hard your life had been. I guess we need to add some better fitting clothes to the scavenging list. I like you better in tight-fitting clothes.”
Sam gazed into Tom’s eyes for a few seconds, then shook her head. “Jackie and I’ve been working on a list, and she asked if you had any input. Here’s the list.”
Tom loved her beautiful green eyes but didn’t feel the tingle. He wondered what caused the tingle with Kate but not Sam. Then he thought about something his grandfather had once told him.
Tom scanned the list. “Great start. We need to add some medical supplies. Kate and Granny B have put a list together. We’ll check out pharmacies and doctor’s offices, but they’ve probably been looted by now. We’ll also check pet supply stores and veterinarians. Antibiotics for fish are the same as human antibiotics. FISH-MOX is Amoxicillin 250mg, FISH-FLEX is Keflex 250mg, and FISH-PEN is Penicillin 250mg. Oh, put a book on identifying medicine on the list. Many animal medications are the same exact pills as their human counterpart.”
Kate heard them talking. “Better stock up on pool shock to disinfect your water, plenty of spices to make bland food taste better, bows and arrows, and salt.”
Tom nodded and smiled at Kate. “You apparently know something about prepping.”
“My dad and uncle were preppers. I didn’t like the whole idea but couldn’t help learning after being exposed to them for twenty years. We had all the usual supplies, stocked pond, gardens, and an arsenal,” Kate said and exhaled.
Tom wondered what had happened. “Why would you leave all that preparation to go to the Clark ranch?”
“Dad was proud of his preparedness and let it slip at the local bar a year ago. Two weeks after the shit hit the fan, a mob of people showed up on our doorstep, demanding food. We sent them away, empty-handed, and they came back and torched our home. Dad and Mom were killed in the firefight.”
“How did you escape?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I was at my uncle’s place a few blocks away when we heard the gunfire. We arrived just in time to shoot a few of the bastards. We didn’t know that a second group had gone to my uncle’s house. When we returned, they were loading everything he had into carts. My aunt and cousin were on the front lawn, dead. We sniped at them and then bugged out. My uncle took me to a friend’s home just as they were heading to the Clark ranch. You know the rest of the story.”
Tom shook his head and frowned. “I’m sorry for your loss. Even good people go bad when they can’t feed their kids.”
Sam interrupted. “We’d better get moving if we’re going into Ashland tonight.”
Tom took Sam away from Kate. “Who said you were going to town with us? It’s too dangerous.”
“How do you think I’m going to learn this survival stuff if you don’t let me watch what you do and give me training? Besides, you’ll need me to help haul stuff back from town.”
Tom knew she had him pinned down. “Let me bounce it off Jackie and Rick.”
Granny B heard their comments. “She’s right. She has to learn quickly to survive. Protect her as much as possible, but she needs to start carrying her own weight.”
Ashland, Oregon
Tom sat in the back of an abandoned Transit van in the Rite Aid pharmacy parking lot. His sister and Rick were still a bit put off by Tom’s comments over the microphone. They were mainly embarrassed they’d been caught making out in the woods. “Please forgive me for having fun with you two. It seemed funny at the time, but I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I guess
