thing.
“Aisha,” I said, trying to make my voice sound stern. “You have to promise me, you’ll stay out of trouble. I can’t keep one eye on the party and one eye on you. I mean it.”
Her eyes softened. “Jim, I’ll do anything the adults say.” I don’t think she really wanted to go out alone. Her face said that. I admired her bluffing.
“Don’t worry,” Tanya said. “I’ll keep one eye out for her.”
“Okay,” Rachel said, not frazzled. “Why don’t we all get back to work?”
Jake and Ashley got up and left without a word, while Maddie and Tanya went off with Aisha, leaving me alone with Rachel.
“You too, Jim.”
“Have you thought about what I asked?”
“Yes. It’s stupid.”
“Or a cure for the zombie virus. So you either come with us or give me some blood. I prefer the blood. I don’t want you to become a laboratory experiment.”
“The blood will probably coagulate or go bad before you even give it to anyone.”
I rolled my eyes at Rachel, who could be painfully stubborn. “Doc, come on.”
She didn’t look happy.
“We can go to the pharmacy and do it right now. They have blood test kits and we have anti-coagulates to keep it from going bad.”
“You know everything in this store.”
I needed something to keep my mind off Cameron.
She let out a long sigh. “Fine, one tube of blood, that’s it, especially since I have to do it myself.”
“Good enough,” I said.
“You promise to be careful on this trip?” she asked. “Don’t stay in places that have bodies and if you have to handle a body use gloves.”
“I told you before, we’ll be careful.”
Rachel almost smiled. She touched my cheek then headed to the pharmacy.
Chapter 8
I was always a lark, so I woke at dawn and made sure the truck was correctly loaded and comfortable. Only Ashley joined me. The rest woke later. Most of them started the day at 8 but today everyone but Princess, who was still in on duty, woke at 6 to see us off. Maddie gave us a big breakfast at 6:30 which everyone except Princess attended. She didn’t say goodbye to anyone except me, I found a short endearing note written in elegant hand on my pillow.
‘ Do not die.’
I was surprised she left a note.
Rachel seemed more depressed than usual. She didn’t say much and moped around.
Dave would drive first with Annemarie next to him. Tanya wanted to do it, but Dave didn’t want her to, telling me it would be better if Tanya rode with me. This was going to be a tough trip if they never wanted to be together.
At seven, we were ready for goodbyes and to get on the road. Dave said his goodbyes and climbed into the cab. Five minutes later while we were still finishing, he started honking until Rachel told him to knock it off unless he wanted to bring every zombie in the vicinity. Harlan stood at the gate, with his rifle out, ready to open it and let us free. When I asked him about his family, he told me they were all dead.
I hugged everyone, leaving Rachel for last.
“Hi,” I said, and hugged her.
“Hi,” she said.
“Can you do me a favor?”
She looked around. The
“Aisha,” I said, trying to make my voice sound stern. “You have to promise me, you’ll stay out of trouble. I can’t keep one eye on the party and one eye on you. I mean it.”
Her eyes softened. “Jim, I’ll do anything the adults say.” I don’t think she really wanted to go out alone. Her face said that. I admired her bluffing.
“Don’t worry,” Tanya said. “I’ll keep one eye out for her.”
“Okay,” Rachel said, not frazzled. “Why don’t we all get back to work?”
Jake and Ashley got up and left without a word, while Maddie and Tanya went off with Aisha, leaving me alone with Rachel.
“You too, Jim.”
“Have you thought about what I asked?”
“Yes. It’s stupid.”
“Or a cure for the zombie virus. So you either come with us or give me some blood. I prefer the blood. I don’t want you to become a laboratory experiment.”
“The blood will probably coagulate or go bad before you even give it to anyone.”
I rolled my eyes at Rachel, who could be painfully stubborn. “Doc, come on.”
She didn’t look happy.
“We can go to the pharmacy and do it right now. They have blood test kits and we have anti-coagulates to keep it from going bad.”
“You know everything in this store.”
I needed something to keep my mind off Cameron.
She let out a long sigh. “Fine, one tube of blood, that’s it, especially since I have to do it myself.”
“Good enough,” I said.
“You promise to be careful on this trip?” she asked. “Don’t stay in places that have bodies and if you have to handle a body use gloves.”
“I told you before, we’ll be careful.”
Rachel almost smiled. She touched my cheek then headed to the pharmacy.
Chapter 8
I was always a lark, so I woke at dawn and made sure the truck was correctly loaded and comfortable. Only Ashley joined me. The rest woke later. Most of them started the day at 8 but today everyone but Princess, who was still in on duty, woke at 6 to see us off. Maddie gave us a big breakfast at 6:30 which everyone except Princess attended. She didn’t say goodbye to anyone except me, I found a short endearing note written in elegant hand on my pillow.
‘ Do not die.’
I was surprised she left a note.
Rachel seemed more depressed than usual. She didn’t say much and moped around.
Dave would drive first with Annemarie next to him. Tanya wanted to do it, but Dave didn’t want her to, telling me it would be better if Tanya rode with me. This was going to be a tough trip if they never wanted to be together.
At seven, we were ready for goodbyes and to get on the road. Dave said his goodbyes and climbed into the cab. Five minutes later while we were still finishing, he started honking until Rachel told him to knock it off unless he wanted to bring every zombie in the vicinity. Harlan stood at the gate, with his rifle out, ready to open it and let us free. When I asked him about his family, he told me they were all dead.
I hugged everyone, leaving Rachel for last.
“Hi,” I said, and hugged her.
“Hi,” she said.
“Can you do me a favor?”
She looked around. The
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