The Regulator (Complete First Draft)

Chapter 41: Nick - Normalcy

“So, you think this is a good idea?” Gavin asked. He lifted a large barrel of water on top of a table in the mess hall. Nick stood up on a table and poured a bunch of apples into it.

“Whaddya mean?” Nick asked.

“I mean... this whole Halloween thing, you think it’s a good idea?”

“I mean, it’d be nice to just relax for a bit. We can relax, the kids can relax, just have a relaxing night.” Nick said. He jumped down off the table and started walking towards the other side of the mess hall.

“Oh come now.” Gavin said, almost mockingly, “That’s not what you think of all this, be honest.”

“I mean... maybe I find it a little silly. We’re in an incredibly dangerous situation, and Andrew want’s to throw a loud, crowded Halloween party like nothings going on.” Nick said, stopping and looking back at Gavin. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea, it really is a nice thing. I just... I just don’t think we should be doing it right now. I’m just more shocked Monica and Brad ok’d it.”

Gavin sighed, “Monica’s weak, like Andrew. They both want things to go back to normal as quickly as possible.”

Nick gave Gavin a weird look as he picked up a bag of candy and placed it in the middle of a table, “Oh, I don’t know about that. Andrew doesn’t want things to go back to normal, he wouldn’t be training his group with weapons if that was the case. He just wants his group to be able to act like kids.”

“Ah, because he want’s that sense of normalcy.” Gavin said, grinning and pointing at Nick.

“What are you getting at? I don’t really understand.” Nick said, inquisitively, sitting on the table and looking at Gavin. Gavin took a breathe and began to pace around the room.

“Despite how he acts, Andrew is not interested in creating any sort of colony or survivors camp where we are. He just want’s to keep his kids alive long enough for the apocalypse to end, Monica the same. And they both have Brad wrapped around their fingers.” Gavin said, gruffly.

“Well, isn’t that we all want? Our old lives back?” Nick asked.

“Son, you know our old lives are never coming back. Andrew and Monica are delusional. You and me... we see the truth. We see what’s going on in this world and we see what has too be done. Andrew and Monica... they don’t. And Brad doesn’t either because of them.”

Nick pondered what Gavin said for a moment. Andrew did always seem to only do what he needed to do. He didn’t prepare, and he didn’t push for a change. He only did what needed to be done to survive, everything else was left alone. Nothing was done in preparation.

“I don’t know, Gavin. Andrew training his kids and stuff... I think you may just be taking this whole Halloween thing a little too out of context.” Nick said, scratching his beard and standing up. Gavin huffed.

“Trust your gut feeling. It’ll make you a better leader.” He said, before walking out the door. Nick watched him leave, but then returned to setting up the rest of the Halloween party. Alone.