Once they finished unloading, Liz pulled Sarah to the side. “Go easy on him, will you?”
Sarah kept her voice low. “I’m not as mad as I was. But I still want him to think it, you know?”
Liz smirked. “Trust me. I know.”
“Right,” Sarah said, and she cleared her throat. “Well, I should get everyone ready for that… funeral.” She walked away, leaving Liz and Cole alone.
“Is there anything I can do to make her forgive me?” Cole asked.
“It’s just going to take some time,” Liz answered.
Cole nodded, disappointed, but he dropped the subject. Once the rest of the supplies were loaded, Liz left the main building and was intercepted by Susan and Kurt Johnson with their newborn.
“Hey, guys,” Liz said, glad to see a friendly face. “How are you?”
Susan had recently given birth right after the EMP’s detonation. Their child was born healthy but recently had a bout of neonatal sepsis; however, they had managed to find some antibiotics, and the baby was doing much better. It was a rare victory considering the times.
“We’re doing great,” Susan answered even though there was no sign of a smile. Both parents looked exhausted from their efforts of handling the infant, and Liz didn’t miss those sleepless nights.
“We actually wanted to talk to you about something,” Kurt said. “With my leg getting a little better and me being able to walk around, I want to start pulling my weight.”
“And even though I’m still dealing with the baby, I want you to know that I can help out with whatever you need here at the facility,” Susan said. “After what your family has done for us, we want to repay the hospitality and the kindness.”
“That’s great,” Liz said, and she racked her brain for any jobs the pair could handle in their current state. “We’re actually trying to have a small ceremony for Marty’s wife, Ali, and Ted Bartman.”
“That’s terrible what happened to them,” Susan said, their newborn cooing in her arms.
“I can’t believe those people managed to come back here,” Kurt said. “Anyone associated with The New Order are animals.”
Liz nodded. The fact that it had been Ben’s brother who had attacked them had been kept a secret from the rest of the community. Only the immediate family knew that Ben’s brother was part of The New Order that had declared war against the country.
“We’d be happy to help with the memorial,” Susan said.
“Great,” Liz said. “I’ll send my daughter over to your portable to fill you in on the details.”
Kurt and Susan again thanked Liz for her help, and as they walked away, the baby started to grow fussy, probably ready for another feeding.
But after the Johnson family had gone, Liz felt the guilt wash over her. She and Ben had assured everyone that they were safe here, but the truth was, they were still very much at risk. She had been hesitant to lie, but she understood the necessity.
The lie was needed for stability. They were already walking a fine line of keeping the peace, and it would take only the smallest incident to push everyone over the edge and throw their community into chaos.
Armed with a small notebook and a pencil she had dug up from one of the offices in the main building, Sarah started making the rounds to see who was willing to help with Ali and Ted’s memorial service.
It had been a few weeks since Ted and Ali’s death. Sarah disagreed with her mother over having a service so long after they had buried the bodies, but she understood what her mother was trying to do. It was important for everyone to honor those we had lost, especially now.
The world had been turned upside down, and it was important for people to remain in touch with their humanity. Paying homage to the dead allowed some of that civility to return.
Once Sarah had finished speaking with Kurt and Susan Johnson, shouting over the piercing screams of their newborn son, the only person left for Sarah to talk to was Marty Schwartz and his two daughters.
Sarah had put off speaking with Marty because she knew he was still taking his wife’s death incredibly hard. And it didn’t help matters with Marty blaming her adopted father, Ben, for Ali’s death. Marty had isolated himself and his children over the past few weeks, but she could still feel his icy demeanor whenever they crossed paths in the facility.
Sarah took a breath before she knocked on Marty’s door. When the door opened, it was Marty’s daughter, Isabel, who answered, and Sarah was slightly relieved.
“Hey, Izzy,” Sarah said. “Is your dad here?”
Isabel nodded and kept her voice down to a whisper. “He’s sleeping.”
Sarah looked past Isabel and into the dark portable. The interior was a mess, filled with empty food packaging, and there was a slight stench of body odor radiating from the inside. Not that everybody smelled like roses these days, but this was particularly strong.
“Okay,” Sarah said. “You need anything?”
Isabel shook her head. “I’m okay. But it would be nice to go outside and play for a little bit.”
Sarah’s heart ached for the kid. As hard as Marty was taking his wife’s passing, his daughters had also lost their mother. “Why don’t you grab your sister and go outside and play for a little bit,” Sarah said.
Isabel’s eyes immediately lit up. She smiled and hurried inside to grab her sister, Maya. The girl looked like she’d been sleeping and rubbed her eyes. She squinted out into the late morning sunlight.
“Easy,” Maya said. “I’m still tired.”
Isabel practically yanked her sister outside. “It’s so nice out.”
Sarah was about to tell the girls not to venture too far, but before she had a chance, an angry voice bellowed from inside the portable.
“Girls, get back in here now!”
Marty emerged from the back of the darkened interior. Half of his face was still shadowed in darkness, but the small sliver of expression Sarah caught was enough to make her retreat a few steps.
The
