After the End - Chap 5, 6, 7 & 8

Chapter 5

Paige, Skye and Aragon made a list of various ideas to protect the boy and the members camp. All agreed that this would need to be voted on at a meeting the following night. For now, Aragon, and, hopefully, Randy and James, would take turns on a night watch.
One thing was made clear, Riley had answers for them, as to what had happened before the biological bombs had fallen. They needed the boy’s help to understand. Though he was only nine or ten, at most, he was intelligent and seemed to care about the survivors in this camp. Aragon felt that he could convince the child he’d be safe, and welcome.
“Where will he sleep? I don’t think the kid’s cabin would be safe right now, not until we know who we’re dealing with following him.” Paige asked the other two.
“We are crowed here, besides, he knows you and Randy best.” Aragon replied.
“Randy likes the child, but I don’t know that he’d be ready to play guardian to a young boy. Remember the chickens?” Skye commented. A couple months before, Randy had built a pen for wild chickens James brought back from a hunting trip. But left the door open after feeding them, allowing the chickens to run lose and causing a funny commotion. The younger members of camp made a game of catching the loose birds and returning them to the pen, locking the door behind them. Now, they were under the care of those children.
“I agree. I told him earlier that he could stay with me. I don’t mind at all, but my cabin is small for two people.” Paige said.
“We might get Jack to trade cabins with you. His is a bit bigger, and we might want him on the edge of camp if anything happens. I’ll talk to him about it later.” Aragon replied, knowing he would have an easy time working with Jack on the matter.
“That would be fine with me. I’d even be a little closer to the kitchen.”
“Okay then. I don’t know that we can do much more right now, so I am going to walk around camp, make sure we don’t have anyone sneaking around. Who ever it is may not know that Riley has left.” Aragon commented, then left the cabin.
“Are you sure you want a little kid under foot all the time?” Skye asked, thinking of how busy Paige got running the kitchen by herself.
“No problem. He helped out earlier in the kitchen and seemed to enjoy it. Besides, I think we have a love of books in common, that’ll help.”
“Anytime you want to borrow some books, let me know.” Skye said, gesturing toward an overfilled bookshelf, and the volumes stacked on a small table next to it.
“He’ll like that I think. How soon should we start him in your school lessons?”
“Once he’s settled in we can worry about that. The kids are studying nature right now, no heavy topics. He won’t miss any math or hard science for a few days.”
“You’ll need more supplies for class, right?” Paige asked.
“Yes. Pencils, paper and the usual, any textbook Randy comes across.”
“Okay, I’ll make sure he gets them. Is there a school marked on your map?” Paige inquired, pointing at the map still spread out on the larger table.
“Actually, there is, just south of town a couple miles. I don’t know why we didn’t think of that before. Hmm.” Skye said, staring at the map, tapping a long slim finger on the school’s location.
“I’d better go, dinner is in a few minutes and I want to make sure Meg and Sam are doing okay. It can get hectic.”
“I’ll see you there in a little while. Bye.” Skye said, waving good bye to her friend, before turning to the map for a closer look.
* * *
James made the last step onto solid ground, before Randy pummled him with questions about Riley.
“Calm down. He’s hurt, but I don’t know how bad yet. If you look upset, he’ll be upset.” James said, as he turned his friend away from the rock slide, “I need you to tear your shirt into long strips, about a two inches wide, got it?”
“Sure, why...”
“Just do it. After that gather up a bunch of long, thick, sturdy branches. Keep Riley talking, and calm, but do not walk over those stones to him. You move the wrong one and he’ll be hurt worse. Okay?” James said, his eyes never leaving Randy’s.
“Strips of tee shirt, big sticks and talk nice. I got it.” Randy said, a sense of purpose replacing the frightened look on his face.
“I have to go find some thing. I won’t be too long.” Then James began to scan the forest around them, his eyes locked on a spot and he moved quickly away. Shouting back over his shoulder “Gather some thin vines too, if you can find any.”
“Got it, boss.” Randy thundered, already tearing his shirt into strips and looking around for strips. “Hey buddy, how ya doin’?” he called out to Riley.
“I’m alright, that you Randy?” a shaky voice replied from behind the huge rock some twenty feet away.
“Yup, it’s me. We’re gonna get you out soon. Okay?”
“I’d like that, I can’t feel my legs.” Riley called out, a little more steadily.
Randy froze as he heard the words ‘can’t feel’, his mind flashing back to a farm accident years before. His city cousin had come to the farm for a summer and the two boys enjoyed playing in the hayloft as much as possible. Until one August night, while playing tag, his cousin fell through the bale door in the floor, and hit the concrete floor and stall rails below. His first words after a blood curdling scream had been ‘I can’t feel my legs.’
“Randy? You still there?” Riley yelled after a long silence.
“Uh, yeah, right here buddy. I ain’t leavin’.” Randy answered back, hoping he didn’t sound scared himself. He can’t be crippled, not again. Randy thought to himself. Then he pulled himself together, hung the fabric strips on a nearby branch and began to gather sturdy sticks of all lengths, unsure which James wanted.
“Thank you, Randy. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”
“Ain’t no trouble, we’ll get you out and you’ll be just fine. Good as new, I promise.” Randy called out, snapping limbs off of trees with a rush of adrenalin. “You like to play checkers, kid?”
“I play chess more, but checkers is okay.”
“Well, I ain’t played chess You teach me how?”
“Sure, I can...” the sentence interrupted by a yelp of pain, “teach you.”
“Stay still. You okay?” Randy said, having snapped straight up when he’d heard the yelp.
“I can feel my legs a little. They hurt.” Riley said, whincing as he spoke.
Just then, James returned, his arms full of broad leaves with roots attached. “How is he?”
“His legs are startin’ ta hurt ‘im.” Randy said quickly.
“That’s a good thing, Randy.” James said, setting the plants in a pile below the hanging strips of cloth. He picked up a few plants and gathered up all of the strips in his other hand. “Bring a few of the longer, thicker sticks, then walk exactly where I do.”
Randy did as he was told and followed James onto the rock slide. “We’re comin’ to get you Riley. Stay still, okay buddy?”
“I will. Hurry.” the boy began to plead, then muffled another yelp.
“Hold still Riley. Tell us if any rocks move as we get closer, okay?” James said, in a calm, caring voice.
“Nothing yet.” Riley told him.
“Good.”
James and Randy made a wide half circle below the rock pinning Riley, then came to his side.
James saw fresh blood trickling on to a rock below the boy’s leg and shook his head. “Can you reach your legs without moving too much?”
Riley sat up just a little and was able to reach his calf.
“Good. Hold this to your leg here.” James said, placing the torn leaves on the bleeding cut.
“What is it?” the boy asked, without hestitating to do as he was told.
“Plantain. It’s good for...” James began, while wrapping strips higher on the boy’s thighs.
“Good to stop bleeding, infections, and ulcers.” Riley finished for him, with a smile.
James smiled broadly and nodded, looking in the boy’s eyes as he did, then finished what he was doing. Randy stood over the two, balanced awkwardly on the last two rocks James had stood on. He didn’t understand a lot of medicine, but trusted James without question, and apparently so did Riley.
“Okay, Randy, do you think you can move that rock away?” James asked.
“No problem.” Randy said as he carefully crossed above and behind Riley on the hillside and stood over the rock. “Where do you want it?”
“As far down hill as you can get it.”
Randy bent down, bending his knees and reached around the large rock, filling his arms with it. “Ready?”
“Do it.” Riley said, then clenched his jaw in anticipation of pain.
Randy picked up the rock, stepped just to the side away from the boy, and began to take a few halting steps down the rocks, until he was below the boy. Then he grunted and threw the large stone as far down the slope as he could. It cleared the bottom of the slide, some thirty feet below.
James kept his eyes on Riley’s legs as the rock was moved away. He almost turned white when he saw the full damage. Cuts covered both legs, most minor, except for two large ones where the pressure of the rock had cut into each leg. He quickly covered the with leaves and strips of cloth. The worst injury was to Riley’s lower left leg. A small piece of bone poked through the skin, mid calf, and marked a nasty angle were there shouldn’t have been one.
“WOW!” Riley shouted, then realizing the pain in his legs he yelped loudly. James kept the boy’s chin up, preventing him from seeing anything. “Randy, help hold Riley still here a minute. I need to get this taken care of.” the trapper said, meeting Randy’s eyes and giving him a smile then looking quickly at Riley then back to Randy. Randy gave an understaning nod, then sat behind Riley, resting an ankle under the boy’s head for comfort.
“So you still going to teach me ‘bout chess?” Randy asked, cupping the boy’s chin in his large hands, blocking a view of the damage.
“Yeah. Sure.” Riley said, trying not to cry.
“Okay, Riley. I need you to listen.” James said, once he had treated the cuts, and set some sticks and strips of cloth next to the boy’s legs. “I have to move your leg. It is going to hurt a lot for a second, but then it will feel a little better. You have to tell me if it doesn’t feel even a little better. Got it?”
“It’s broken?” Riley asked, shocking the trapper and Randy. “I’ve seen movies, westerns, I know how they fix it.”
“Yeah, it is buddy. You okay with this?” Randy asked, the big man himself feeling queazy.
“I can take it. Just give me a stick or something to bite on. Whisky’s out though, huh?”
“I like you Riley, you’re tough and smart.” James said as he put a small green stick between the boy’s teeth. “I’ll do it quick as I can. Randy, hold his leg still up here.” he said pointing.
In one quick, smooth motion, James had pulled the boy’s broken leg down and straight. The bone disappeared back into the skin, leaving a small cut not quite an inch wide. Riley groaned loudly, teared up a little, but never let go of the stick in his teeth.
Quickly, James wrapped the cut in plantain leaves, secured him with cloth and began to stabbalize the leg with long sturdy sticks, tying them with the last of the cloth.
Riley spit out the stick, and panted,”It feels some better. But it still hurts.”
“You ever break a bone before this?” James asked.
“No.”
“Well, you did really good. Really good.” the man said patting the boy on the arm. “It will hurt for awhile, but you’ll be okay. Now we need to get you out of here. Randy?”
The mountain of a man had turned his face away, and was breathing loudly through his mouth.
“Are you okay, bud?” James asked.
“You done?”
“Yes.”
“I’m okay then. Don’t break nothin’ else kid. Okay?” Randy asked the boy with a weak smile.
“Are you going to throw up on me?” Riley asked, laughing just a little and trying to move to the side.
“Nah, I seen worse.” Randy answered, but quickly looked away from the splinted leg. “Want me to carry you out?”
“If you aren’t going to faint or something.” Riley giggled, wincing just a bit from the pain.
“Let’s go then. We’ll have to stitch up a couple spots back at camp, but you should do fine with that.” James said to the boy, smiling broadly at the child’s bravery.


Chapter 6

Riley spoke very little as Randy carried him carefully through the woods back to camp. He tried in vain to ignore the pain in his legs, instead focusing on the way the setting sun looked through the trees. The bright white light fading into reds and oranges, then nearly pink and purple. But even the beauty of the sunset could not erase the worries from his young mind.
He knew he had been lucky to be found, or he would have died, trapped under a rock he could not have moved. Yet, he felt that he may have be bringing trouble to his new friends.
How would Randy and the others react when they discovered he was being chased by people bent on killing him. Would these new friends understand his innocense and desire to right his father’s wrong? Or would they simply hand him, broken and helpless, over to his enemies, thus possibly saving their own lives?
“You’re awful quiet, buddy. Are your legs hurting you a lot?” Randy asked, smiling thinly at the boy in his arms.
“Yeah, they hurt.” Riley replied, his thoughts interrupted.
“We’ll give you something to help with that.” James said. “You are handling this quite well. Really bravely.”
Riley considered blurting everything out then and there. Telling them about the experiments, the failures, the deaths, and all of the cruel things his father had done in the name of science. However he said nothing, hoping he could find a way to tell them without causing more trouble for everyone. Then he saw his opportunity...
“This is an awful heavy pack you’ve got. What’s in here anyway, a kitchen sink?” James asked, adjusting the burden on his back.
“Uh, no - no sink. Can we stop for a minute?” Riley asked, reaching toward his leg, to adjust the splint that was rubbing his hip.
“Sure, buddy. Let me set you down over here.” Randy placed the boy on a growth of deep green moss, under an old maple tree. “That okay?”
“Good. Thanks.” Riley mumbled, trying to decide how to start to tell the two men the truth and risk being left were he was.
“Have some water, Riley.” James said passing a canteen, that he pulled from his own pack.
“Thank you.” Riley drank deeply, thinking quickly, then said, “I have to tell you something before you take me back to camp. Maybe you won’t want to once I tell you.”
“You can tell us anything. We’re your friends.” Randy replied, settling down next to the small boy.
“I am being chased by people who want me dead for what’s in that pack. And it is why some of the others at camp are scarred.” Riley began, in that low, quiet voice he had when he was first brought to the camp.
“Riley, I might be able to help you here,” James interrupted,”we know who your father was. And I think I know what he did.”
“You do?” Riley asked, looking directly at James, the pain in his legs forgotten momentarily.
“Yes. Your father was Riley Gallinger, Sr., head of the vaccine testing department at the CDC. Right?”
“How did you ...” the boy began, stunned.
“Because of your note that you left in Paige’s cabin, you signed your whole name.” James began, then looked down at his own feet as he continued. “My parents tried to sue him and the government after my sister and I were made ill and scarred from the vaccines we were given at the clinic on the reservation. They lost, even with a good lawyer. They tried to appeal it, but the government won again, saying that all vaccines carried risks, and only the native americans were showing adverse reactions. They claimed it had to do with our DNA or something, though they were vague on this point.”
“It wasn’t because of your genetics,” Riley said, tears welling up in his eyes, “You were the first humans the drugs were tested on and they hadn’t perfected them.” He took a deep breath, hastily wiped away the tears and continued. “The natives in the first rounds of tests were killed by the drug. My father had mixed so many deadened diseases together that the people’s bodies were overwhelmed.”
“They made people sick to keep them from getting sick?” Randy asked, trying to understand what the boy was saying.
“No. The researchers used parts of the diseases, that weren’t supposed to make people sick, but make their bodies immune to the disease if they came into contact with a live version of it. Do you see what I’m saying?” Riley asked, watching Randy’s mind try to grasp the idea. “Kinda like the chicken pox vaccine.”
“Oh, okay, I think I get it.”
“This time they tried it with deadlier diseases, right?” James asked.
“Yes. Things like ebola, small pox, and even some other stuff, like sarrin gas and cyanide. There were over twenty parts to the vaccine, all things the government felt they were at risk of being exposed to if a dirty bomb were dropped on this country.” Riley stopped, wincing, and held his badly wounded leg for a moment.
“Riley, we’ll help you against who ever it is that is after you. Right now though we should get you back to camp so we can take care of you.” James said.
“Not yet, you need to know who is after me.”
“It’s okay, we’ll deal with them when we have to.” James said standing up and shouldering the packs.
“They have guns, and they are trained, by the military.” Riley said, the fear obvious in his voice.
“The military? It doesn’t exist anymore. Does it?” Randy asked, believing that the military had ended when the dirty bombs had wiped out most of the population of the country and world.
“Part of it does, soully to protect the secrets in my pack, and to restart the government. I am supposed to take my father’s place.”
“Look, it’s clear you’re a smart kid, but ‘take your father’s place’?” James said, his full attention on the boy.
“It’s true. I may only be ten, but I was genetically selected to be very intelligent. My father knew how to manipulate my genes, and he made sure I was taught everything possible to take his place, if and when the end came.”
“That ain’t possible.” Randy said, beginning to laugh at Riley’s little joke.
“Randy, I’m not lying. Both of my parents are in the genius range of IQ, they just eliminated the parts of my genes that would possibly lower my IQ. Science is full of things that most people don’t and wouldn’t want to know about.” Riley stared straight at Randy, unflinching as the slow-witted giant took in what the small boy was saying.
“Oh.”
“Okay, Riley, I believe you. And I think I speak for everyone when I say we will help you and keep you safe.” James said, attempting to put on a comforting smile, “But for now we have to get you fixed up. Let’s go.”
Randy stood up, slowly lifted the boy into his arms, and the trio continued on to camp.
Once they reached camp Randy took the boy back to Paige’s cabin, while James went to get Aragon, Skye and Paige. They would need to get Riley’s injuries taken care of and then discuss how they could help the boy.


Chapter 7

The evening passed quickly for Riley and the others. The boy’s broken leg seemed to be straight enough to heal properly and his many cuts were stitched back together under Skye’s steady hand. Paige made a compress and a tea to soothe Riley’s discomfort and he soon drifted into a fitful sleep. Randy took a chair near the boy’s bed, refusing to leave him alone, when the others left to talk.
“So there are people coming after Riley?” Paige asked Aragon and James.
“Yes, it seems Riley was part of his father’s plan and these people want him back to continue the work his father started,” Aragon said, as he and the others walked to the fire pit in the center of camp.
“What’s left to continue? Nearly everyone is dead,” Skye wondered out loud, as she sat down on a log near the fire.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it is important to these people chasing after Riley,” Aragon took a seat next to Skye, absently wrapping an arm over the tall blonde woman’s shoulders. “I think we should be ready for the worst though. Riley told us that they have guns. We don’t.”
“We know this terrain though,” James said, motioning to the valley and surrounding mountains, as he slowly circled the fire and added wood to the low flame. “We can still defend ourselves and Riley.”
“I think that’s your area, James. Can we make traps or something?” Paige asked while she scooped hot coals under a small rack with an old coffee pot setting on it.
“Yeah, those are easy. But we need to start soon, they know he’s here. A night watch is our first concern.”
“He’s right. I’ll take first watch, circle the camp, keep an eye out,” Aragon said.
“One person walking around is good, but I think we should have two people on guard at a time, just in case,” Skye added. “Maybe one person could sit up high somewhere, where they can see over the whole camp.”
“Excellent idea, Skye. I’d say the kitchen roof or the tractor shed, they are the tallest,” Paige said, swirling cider in the old pot as it warmed.
“We’ll want at least three shifts, so no one gets too tired and misses something. Skye would you want to sit on a roof while Aragon walks around?” James asked, settling onto a log near Paige.
“Sounds fine to me. Should we put small fires around the edge of camp, light things up a bit?”
“Good idea, we’ll gather that up in a few. We’ll need to get help for the last shift, if Paige will roof sit while I walk on the second shift.”
“What about Randy and Jack? Paige can stay with Riley and Randy’s size will deter any early morning attempts to get at the boy,” Aragon suggested, reaching his cup out to Paige for some warm cider.
“Good. I’ll go get Jack, see what he thinks,” James said as he left for the builder’s cabin.
“This is good, Paige,” Skye said, sipping cider from her mug, “Something new in it?”
“Yeah. I found some mint growing out behind the kitchen. I asked Meg to transplant some tomorrow.”
“It is good,” Aragon agreed, “We’ll need to keep something brewing for the night watches. Can you handle that?”
“No problem. Randy found some coffee on his last trip to town, that would be good incentive, huh?”
“Coffee? You’ve been holding out on us?” Skye teased, as she passed her mug for more cider.
“Only for a couple days. There isn’t much, just three small cans. It would be gone in a day if I served it at breakfast.”
“Hang on to it for the watches. We don’t know how long this will go on,” Aragon stood up, added wood to the fire, and walked over to a pile of tree branches. “I wonder if we could make torches out of these, for the edge of camp.”
“Sure. Wrap cloth soaked in old oil and fuel on the ends, it should work,” Skye replied nodding her head. “Randy has that kind of thing in his shed.”
“I’ve got to go get more cider, everyone is going to start showing up for a story and we have a lot to talk about tonight. I’ll be right back.” Paige said, standing up.
“I’ll help you.” Skye said.
As the two women walked off toward the kitchen, James returned with Jack to the fire.
“Jack, how is the new cabin coming?” Aragon asked the tanned and muscled man. His hard work appearance betrayed his twenty years of life.
“Pretty good, the twins are catching on quick. They slack off after lunch, but for being only fourteen they do okay.”
“We’d all slack off working with you, man,” James said, thinking of how much easier it was to trap wild animals for meat, than to try to keep up with ‘Jack - the one man construction crew.’
“He’s right. How would you like a reason to sleep in a bit in the mornings?” Aragon said as he handed out last of the cider.
“Sure, James said you needed guards at night. What’s going on?” Jack sipped the cider as he studied Aragon’s face.
“Well, a lot possibly, but nothing at the moment. If you can hang on a few minutes, I’ll tell everyone at one time, when they are gathered.”
“Okay,” Jack said, then turned toward James “I had an idea last night - how about a smoke house? I’m sure I could have one built in a few days time.”
“That’s a good idea, but I was going to see if you could help me with a shed for tanning and storing furs.”
“We can do both pretty easily,” Then Jack cocked an eye at James and asked, “You gonna try to break my hand again if I let you drive the poles into the ground?”
James turned red, embarrassed over the memory of the first time the two had worked together building the kitchen, which was then just a shelter for the original twenty three survivors. They had arrived in the valley at the end of the previous summer and had to build a shelter quickly to stay warm in the cold winter nights. This meant everyone pitched in, regardless of their prior construction experience. James had none, along with most of the others. Jack taught them all the basics and as much as possible gave them jobs he thought they could do well. Looking at James’s sinewy muscles and weathered hands, it seemed the man would be good for pile driving poles. As it turned out, James could shot a running deer at great distances (or so he claimed minutes before the mishap), but he couldn’t hit the top of a five inch wide pole with any accuracy at all. Luckily, Jack’s hand was only bruised, which only slowed him slightly, bringing him closer to everyone else’s natural pace.
“No. I won’t hit you again - I’ll be holding the poles while you drive them.”
“Then it’s a deal. How about helping me sew together a fur blanket?”
“I can do that,” James said. “How about one for you and Skye?” he asked Aragon.
“Huh? Oh, sorry, sure, she’d like that. I am trying to think some things out. I’m not sure everyone will like the news tonight.” Aragon continued to stare into the fire as he spoke.
“Just remind them that we all needed help in the past year, and Riley is no different,” Jack said.
“Yeah, and Randy seems a bit attached to the kid, so I’d like to see anyone tell him ‘no’,” James said.
“It’s good to know I have your support, and that of Paige and Skye,” Aragon said looking up from the fire. “Well, here they come. We’ll see how it goes.” Then he stood and began to greet the other members of camp as they took seats around the fire. Paige and Skye had returned with more cider to heat up and passed a tray of mismatched mugs and cups to everyone.
Once everyone was seated Aragon asked for their attention, then began to address the group of thirty six souls, minus Randy and Riley.
“As I’m sure everyone knows by now, we have a new member in camp. His name is Riley and he is ten years old. Randy found him out on the highway this morning,” Aragon began, watching everyone’s reactions as he went. “Because of circumstances beyond his control, he left camp after lunch, believing it would be best for all of us if he was not in our camp. James and Randy found him a couple miles into the valley, where he was hurt and trapped in a rock slide.”
“Is he okay?” Sam asked.
Relieved that she was concerned and not, yet, protesting; Aragon answered the woman who had that morning spoke out against Riley, “Yes. He is in some pain from a broken leg and numerous cuts, but he is a very strong young man. I believe he could contribute a lot to our group and the camp itself. But first, I need to tell you a little about his past, why he fears for us and how we can help him.”

Chapter 8

As Riley began to open his eyes, he felt lost. It was the first time in almost three weeks that he was not waking up, covered in morning dew, cold and shivering, under neath a bush or hidden in a small cave.
The light in the small cabin came from a lone candle, flickering on a table near the other bed. Randy sat on the edge of that bed, turning the pages of what looked like a picture book.
Suddenly, Riley remembered where he was, how much his leg hurt and why he couldn’t stay.
“What time is it?” the young boy asked, his voice a bit raspy.
“Oh, hey, kiddo. How you feelin’?” Randy asked, setting the Betty Crocker Cookbook down on the bed and moving to Riley’s side.
“Sore, but I’m okay, I think.” Riley cautiously lifted the edge of the blanket so he could see his leg by the dim light.
The sticks that had first immobilized the leg, were now replaced with smooth wooden slats, that were secured at his hips, thigh, knee and lower shin. Bruises, nasty and already a deep purple, almost black; covered most of his lower leg. Bandages covered a few spots, some with a hint of dried, dark blood, spotting the covering. Smaller wounds were shiny with some sort of salve protecting them, but otherwise allowed to air.
For a moment, Riley’s stomach turned, but he got control quickly, and asked again, “What time is it?”
“Ah, well, we don’t have no clocks. The sun went down ‘bout an hour or so ago -I’d guess nine-thirty. Why? Got a date?” Randy laughed a moment, then realized that Riley was deep in thought. “What’s wrong? You hurtin’ a lot?”
“No, Randy, I’m okay. I’m going to have to leave though. It’s not fair to put you and the others in jeopardy.”
“You ain’t leavin’. Not like this.” Randy carefully replaced the blanket over the boy’s leg and took a glass of water from the upended crate at the head of the cot. “Here, drink a little.”
“Thank you.” Riley drank deeply at first, then stopped as his stomach rolled again. “Okay, maybe I can’t leave right now, but I’ll have to soon. The people chasing me aren’t going to stop until I’m back with them. Or at least my pack is.” Riley began to look around the cabin, and in a near panic asked, “Where is my pack?”
Randy stood up and reached up into a small space in the rafters, where boards created a sort of shelf. From behind a pile of clothes he pulled out the pack. “Right here, safe as a piglet wit ‘er mamma.”
“Oh, okay. Leave it there, for now, I guess.”
“Are ya hungry?” Randy asked.
“No, not really. My stomach is a bit queasy though.”
“Paige said that might happen. Here try this.” Randy handed the boy a second glass, taking the first back and setting it on the crate.
“What is it?”
“Dunno. But it works. Drink up, slowly Paige said, too fast and you’ll puke.” Randy watched as Riley first studied the murky, thick liquid, then sipped. His face contorted at the first taste and he eyed Randy. “Yup, tastes like shit, huh? It does the trick though.”
Once Riley had downed half the glass, he handed it back, and propped himself up on his elbows a little higher. “Where is everyone?”
“At the fire, having a meetin’. They’ll figure out how best to help ya outta yer trouble.”
“I need to be there. Can you carry me? Please?” Riley asked, knowing a good puppy dog look would work on the giant frowning at him.
Randy debated with himself a moment then replied, “Ya sure?”
“Yes.”
Randy shook his head and pulled the blanket back off of Riley. “You’ll have to sit up, so I can get the blanket ‘round ya, it’s cool out tonight.”
Riley carefully, and with Randy’s help, moved his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. The slats bracing his injured leg kept his foot a couple inches off of the floor, but pushed on his hips. He squinted tightly, but made no noise about it.
Randy wrapped the blanket over the boy’s thin shoulders, and carefully picked up the child. As he neared the door, Riley reached out and opened the latch. Randy did his best to take Riley through the door, but still managed to knock the injured leg on the frame.
“Ouch.” Riley let out quickly before he could stop himself.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You okay?” Randy said, stopping dead in his tracks and watching Riley closely.
“Yeah, it’s okay. You can just tell me if you don’t like me though.” Riley began to laugh, and eased Randy’s worry.
“I’ll be more careful. I promise.”
“I know. It’s okay.” Riley laid his head against a rock hard shoulder and studied the camp as Randy carried him to the fire and the others.
“... they followed his trail across the river ...” Aragon had been saying as they neared the fire.
“Hey, you alright, Riley?” Sam asked as she arose and hustled her large frame over to Randy and the boy.
“Yes. I’ll be okay. Thank you, Sam.” Riley smiled, masking the stabs of pain as the woman touched here and there on his splinted leg.
“Let him be, Sam.” Randy said, in his normal booming voice.
She looked at him, sneered for a split second, then faced Riley, “You can sit on my big pillow over there. The logs always put my legs to sleep.”
“It ain’t the...” Randy began, but Aragon quickly interrupted,
“You should be resting Riley. You won’t heal properly if your up and around already.” He gave Randy a stern look. Randy shrugged his shoulders slightly, but said nothing.
“It’s okay. I really want to be here while you all talk about this. I think I should still leave.”
“You ain’t leavin’ cutie. You’re one of us now,” Sam said, then took Randy’s elbow, smiled a little and said, “Set him on my pillow, so he’s comfortable. Okay?”
Randy let the woman have her way, and set Riley down on a large pillow made of old work plaids, and stuffed with rags. The space next to Sam’s pillow was unoccupied, as was normal, and he sat down next to Riley. Sam sat on the other side, after a bit of effort to lower herself to the bare ground.
“I don’t like this Riley. You have to let us know if you get tired, or start to hurt. Understand?” Aragon said, giving the child a look of doubt.
“I will, sir. I am okay though. Whatever you gave me for the pain is working well.”
“That, would be Skye and Paige’s department. If you need more, let them know.”
Paige had run back to the kitchen while Riley was settling on to the pillow, and had gotten him a mug. Now she handed it to him. “It’s warm cider. Would you like to try some?”
“Thank you.” Riley took the mug, and said “It smells really good.” Riley took a sip and thought for a moment he’d found heaven in an old chipped mug.
As Paige returned to her seat, Aragon returned to telling the others how James and Randy had found the boy after he had run away from camp that afternoon. While he spoke, the others around the large fire pit watched Riley, Randy and James; expressions of worry, fear, and in the end, relief crossed their faces.
“Now here’s where things get a bit more complicated. Riley has told us that there are a group of people, with guns, that are after him. Riley feels that he can not stay with us, thus putting us in danger. James, Jack, Skye, Paige, Randy and I feel it would be best if he stayed.”
“Wait, no one here has guns. How are we supposed to protect him, much less ourselves against these people? And what did that kid do to get chased?” a voice from the back said over of groups mumblings.
“May I?” James asked Aragon, as he stood up.
“Okay.”
“We may not have guns, but we do have an important advantage over the people chasing Riley,” James began, “We know this terrain, and I know it best of all of us.”
“They’re still GUNS, James!” the same voice shouted now.
“Relax a second, Tom. We are going to start night watches, tonight. We will also, as a group, decide on some other safety measures we can take to defend our home. Riley, how many people are after you, do you think?” James asked.
“There were only sixteen of us at the lab. I don’t think more than three or four, at most, would have been allowed to come after me. Maybe only two, they probably don’t see me as much of a problem to catch. I was the youngest, smallest and physically weakest of the group.” Riley looked directly at Tom as he spoke.
“Do you know what kind of guns they have?” Tom asked, a little calmer.
“No. I’m not sure. If I had to guess, I’d say pistols. There were some in the labs, as a defense the scientists never had to use. They could have found larger weapons, that the guards had carried at sentry posts, but the handguns is most likely.” Riley answered in a calm even tone.
“I can get us guns, if Aragon wants me to. This is farmin’ country, and all the farmers have ‘em,” Randy said.
“We may do that, Randy. But only use them as a last resort. The world was in enough trouble before, I don’t think it would be wise to start it up again. Does everyone agree with that?”
“Yeah.”
“Sure, okay.”
“But we may need them.” Tom said over the others.
“Okay, we will have Randy, James and Tom go to town and the surrounding farms tomorrow to collect up some guns and ammo. I will tell you now that I will keep them in a safe place, unless a person is on guard duty. This brings up another question. We need two people for each of three shifts, to watch out at night. We have tonight covered, but I don’t want to exhaust these people with doing it every night. Anyone want to volunteer to help?” Aragon hadn’t even finished asking when every hand in camp shot up into the air, including Riley’s.
“Okay then. Skye, can you pass a sign up list around, and organize it, let everyone know what night time?”
“Consider it done. I’ll go grab some paper now.” Skye got up and jogged over to their cabin.
“Paige, would you like to tell these people about their surprise?” Aragon said, a rare bright smile crossing his face.
“Well, I’ve been keeping a bit of a secret. I have coffee for each person who is working a shift. There is only three small cans, maybe we can find more ... Randy?”
Randy nodded with a smile to match Paige’s. For a moment he didn’t hear all the cries of joy the others were making at the thought of coffee, it had been months. Randy could only see the woman he secretly loved, giving him a smile. He decided then and there he would really talk to her about his feelings for her.
Riley’s low groan broke the giant’s fascination, and he turned to see the boy wincing.
“Paige, Riley needs more stuff.” Randy’s voice thundered over the groups happy cheers. Suddenly, they all fell silent, watching Riley and remembering that coffee wasn’t the real issue.
“I’ll go get it, you see how bad it is,” Aragon told Paige as he ran for the kitchen.
Paige was at Riley’s side in a few long steps, Sam moving as quickly out of the way as she could.
“How bad is it?” Paige asked, stroking the boy’s hair out of his face.
Randy held his hand, engulfed in his own, and rubbed the boy’s shoulder with his other hand.
“It’s starting to ache, a lot.”
“Do you feel any sharp, stabbing pain?” she asked quietly, the whole camp silently gathered in a large circle around the boy.
“No,” Riley said between his teeth.
“Okay, good. That means the bone isn’t pinching anything. Aragon will ...”
“Here,” Aragon said, handing a tray to Sam, who was kneeling behind the boy. “Hold this, will you.”
Sam only nodded and held the tray of plant material, bandages and other meager medical supplies.
“Okay, let me see his cider, Randy,” Paige said, as she tore a piece from the plant on the tray. While Randy held the mug over Riley she squeezed a sappy substance into it, then took the mug and gave it a quick swirl. “You drink this Riley, it will ease the pain a bit. I’ll put more on your leg to get at the pain immediately. It may hurt a bit, while I’m touching it. You ready?”
Riley finished his laced cider in one long swallow and said, “I’m ready.”
No one around the boy spoke as Aragon carefully unwrapped the bandages, revealing gouges with crude stitches of fishing line holding them together. Meg, quickly putting a hand to her mouth and the other under her swollen belly, stepped back from scene and Tom followed her back to their seats. Randy focused on Riley’s eyes, quietly whispering ‘Just look at me.’ Paige worked quickly to put the plant’s sticky sap on each cut, using a cotton swab. Then she asked Skye for some warm water. In a minute’s time, Skye returned with a mug holding the warm water. Paige quickly dumped some out, leaving just a little bit in the bottom of the cup, then she began to squeeze all the sap possible from the plant into the cup. She gave the mix a stir, with the wooden end of the cotton swab, then asked Sam for a cotton ball. Sam handed it to her, and Paige dabbed the whole of Riley’s lower leg, and knee with the mixture. Aragon wrapped the bandages back around the worst wounds and smiled at the boy, who was dividing attention between his leg and Randy’s whispers.
“Okay, give it a couple minutes and you should start to feel better. But I think you had better go back to bed and rest,” Paige said, as Sam took the mug and swab from her.
“I really want to be here to talk about all of this, though,” Riley pleaded, using the same puppy dog look that had worked on Randy.
“Everyone in favor of finishing this talk tomorrow, so that Riley will rest ... raise your hands,” Aragon said, rising up and looking around at the group’s worried faces.
Again everyone in camp raised their hand.
“That settles it. Off to bed you go. Randy, can you carry him?”
Randy nodded, but fell backwards when he tried to stand.
“I’ll carry him for, buddy,” James said, stepping forward.
“Yeah, okay,” Randy said in low voice, embarrassed at his own weakness.
“Okay, Riley. Ready?” James asked as he gently slipped his hands under the small boy.
“Yeah, um ... I just want to say thank you to all of you. You are the nicest, bravest group of people I’ve ever met,” Riley said, wincing only a little as he spoke.
“We’re a family, Riley. And you are part of it,” Sam said, wiping a tear from her eye.
Her words caught everyone off guard for a moment, then they began to nod in agreement and said good night to Riley.
James carried Riley to Paige’s cabin, while Randy slowly stood up. Paige offered him a hand, and he took it, more out of a desire to hold her hand than a need to be helped up.
“Uh, Paige,” Randy said quietly, as people began to return to their own cabins.
“Yeah, Randy.”
“I wanted to know if I could stay at your place tonight. You know, to keep an eye out for Riley. Okay?” his voice was a bit squeaky, which made Paige smile brightly.
“Sure, I think Riley would like that.”
Randy held Paige’s hand until they reached her cabin door and he let go only to open the door for James and Riley. Paige then slipped in to make sure Riley’s bed was ready.
Once Riley was comfortable, and James had said good night and left, she turned to Randy and said “I don’t know if any one mentioned it, but you’re on third shift tonight, to keep an eye on camp.”
“Okay, I’ll sit up with Riley until then.”
“No you’ll need some sleep, too,” Paige said in an almost motherly tone. “I need to go make some coffee for the first shift. Why don’t you sit up with Riley for now, maybe read to him, and when I get back, you can go to sleep.”
“When will you sleep?”
“I’ll take a catnap, until second shift, that’s my turn. Then I’ll wake you when I get back, okay?”
“Okay then,” Randy replied, reaching for her hand, but missing it as she turned to talk to Riley. He frowned but said nothing.
“I’m going to run out for a few to make coffee. Do you want anything to eat or drink?” Paige asked Riley.
“I’m not hungry, but that cider was really good. Could I please have more?” Riley asked.
“No problem. And you, Randy? Want anything?” Paige said turning back to the giant behind her.
“I could eat some lef’overs for you, if there’s any. And that cider is good,” Randy said, smiling just a little, waiting to hear one of Paiges’ cracks about how much he would eat if she let him.
“Okay. I’ll be back in a bit with some drinks and food. I still have your two steaks you missed at dinner time, Randy.” Then she handed the man a book and left.
“I guess I’m supposed to read to you, ah ...” Randy slowly turned pages, unsure what to do. He pulled up a chair next to the cot, and gave quick glance to Riley, who laid in the bed with a knowing smile. As he returned his attention to the meaningless scribbles on the page, Riley said,
“Here hand it to me, I love to do the characters voices a certain way. I’ll show you.”
“Ah, okay, if you don’t want me ta read it.”
“I’m sure you’d do fine, it’s just a habit for me, my parents never had time to read bedtime stories, so I’ve always read my own,” Riley replied as he took the book of fairy tales from Randy.
“Okay, I bet you read real.”