Six Days With the Dead by Stephen Charlick Page B

short sighted bureaucrat had condemned many of his countrymen to Nuclear devastation for the sake of light for another few days. So now storms could seemingly come out of nowhere, affected by strange air currents from far across the globe.
    ‘ Bit close today,’ Nadine said, struggling with the large bundle she was carrying to the cart. ‘Thought you could do with taking a few extra bottles of water and I’ve got a mattress roll for Emma. It’s going to be bad enough travelling in that thing in her condition, might as well make her as comfortable as possible.’
    Her lank brown hair was already sticking to her forehead in the growing humidity.
    ‘Now we’re not going to have to deliver this baby are we? You did say she had a few weeks left, right?’ Liz asked, as Imran relieved Nadine of her burdens and stashed them in the cart.
    ‘ Who knows?’ Nadine replied, shrugging her shoulders ‘A baby comes when a baby comes. Look, perhaps I should just come with you?’
    Charlie put his hand up in front of her, stopping her before they could have this argument again.
    ‘No, we’ve been through this Nadine. As the only person with any medical knowledge here, even if it is only theoretical, we can’t afford to lose you if anything goes wrong. You stay put.’
    ‘ But I just...’ she tried to say but Charlie cut her off.
    ‘ I know you just want to help. But we all have our jobs around here and yours is to keep that crazy brain of yours safe. We may really need the knowledge you’ve crammed away in there someday and it’ll be no good to us if you’re out there, a walking rotten corpse,’ he said, pointing towards the main gate and the dead world beyond.
    He could see she knew he was right. Nadine certainly wasn ’t a fighter and her presence would only put the others at risk protecting her.
    ‘ Hmm.. and who’s going to look after me if I get sick,’ she said, with a frown, realising the argument was over before it began ‘There is one thing I need you to do though, please ask around if any of the Outposters have anything resembling pain killers. I don’t envy Emma going through child birth without them and I’m not giving her alcohol to knock her out. I don’t know what it could do to the baby.’
    Nadine had brewed up a harsh alcohol from some mashed up apples with a bit of honey. Leaving it to ferment, the hooch that it became was barely one step away from paint stripper but it did the job if they needed to dull someones senses. Charlie had insisted the alcohol be locked away, he didn’t want anyone getting any ideas about partying while they were on watch. 
    ‘ Also and I know it’s a long shot but if you see a willow tree can you bring me some of its bark,’ she continued.
    ‘ What for?’ Imran asked.
    ‘ Willow bark contains the same chemical components as aspirin. I wouldn’t use it on Emma but I’ve discussed it with Lars and he’s willing to give it a try on his arthritis. Its ant-inflammatory properties should really ease the pain in his hands.’
    ‘ Will do,’ Charlie said. ‘How much do you need?’
    ‘ No idea, I suppose the more the better,’ she said ‘Anyway, I’d better get back to the books. Want to make sure I can get that baby out in one piece,’ she smiled. ‘Well, good luck, come back alive, we really need the three of you here.’
    Giving each of them a brief hug, Na dine fled the growing humidity and escaped back to the cool corridors of Lanherne. As Liz watch the brilliant woman disappear inside, she realised she didn’t know if it was her fighting skills Nadine was referring to or the fact she was of child bearing age. They had had this discussion before. For the community to grow and have a real future, all the woman that could, should try to get pregnant. The Sisters were all too old, Anne was too young and Sally had told them she was unable to have children. That only left Alice, Nicki, possibly Nadine though at her age a pregnancy could be risky and