Humanity: After It Happened Book 2 (18 page)

NORMAL SERVICE RESUMED

Penny died in her sleep ten days later, kept comfortable in medical with liberal pain medication. Dan suspected that Kate had helped speed things along with the morphine. He never mentioned it, but liked to think that she had and was grateful for it.

She was buried during a small ceremony, in a patch of woodland overlooking the lake where bluebells grew. Everyone sat through a sombre evening meal, before Dan broke out a few bottles and poured lots of glasses.

He stood on a low table in front of the television and raised his glass.

"To Penny" he said, holding his glass up as tears rolled down his cheeks. The assembled survivors, a true cooperative society as envisaged by the few he first brought together, echoed his words.

The following morning saw the mood no higher, and routine tasks were given out. Dan sent Lexi and Joe out together to gather all the 'how to' books they could find in a library not far away.  Neil made a fuel run with Steve running protection, and a logistics team went with them to clear any more supplies still in date.

Mike had continued with the solar power project having requested the rest of the warehouse contents be brought back. Two scaffolding towers sat proudly in the space that now saw sunlight as Jay had cleared almost a dozen trees with the help of some of the newest recruits. Dan had never learned their names, other than Pip who grew healthier by the day. Pip had loved to read before, she said, and set herself up in the library where she read and sorted the books into order.

Mike and Carl were busy providing electricity to the farm, with further plans to do the same for the gardens. That included the cottage on the edge of the now blooming walled utopia.

Maggie and Cedric spent a lot of time there, having cleared it out piecemeal. Dan was invited to look at it when he stopped to see their progress one day. It was a lovely place with a large garden and three bedrooms. They had hot water there courtesy of the solid fuel burner, with electricity they would have power to the large shower in the wet room.

Their formal request to move there came in spring, and was agreed by the council. Before Dan could raise objections from a safety perspective, Marie asked if they were not overly and exposed without protection. Their firework alarm system was extended and a CB radio was to be installed in the house as well as the gardens itself. Dan also insisted that Cedric keep possession of a Remington shotgun and ammunition. These caveats satisfied, they moved in as soon as their solar panels and additional hot water tank were fitted.

They were probably the happiest people there. Even happier than Leah, who had become bored with endless training and no live deployments. Even after he had explained that, no matter how good she was, she wasn't going out alone until she was older. Dan's thoughts of getting her a short wheel based Defender were shelved for now despite him having recovered the right vehicle; he didn't want to risk a teenage strop where instead of going to her room and slamming the door to play loud music, she took a vehicle and automatic weapons.

In truth, her accuracy and range drills were second only to a few. She could spar well; removing knives from would-be attackers was easy for her. She was fit and strong, but still he couldn't allow himself to send a child out to fight on his orders. He loved her like she was his own child, which in a way she was, and his feelings of responsibility made him hold her back.

The farms and gardens were producing fresh meat, eggs and vegetables. Soon there would even be salad. In fact, the only department to be under strength was Ops. One of the refugees saved was very ill when he came to them, but when he healed he formally requested an interview with the ‘OC Operations’. Dan showed the written application to Steve, who also recognised the military jargon for 'officer commanding'.

The man was sent for immediately, and Leah found him helping in the stores.

He knocked before entering, despite the door being open, and Dan stood with Steve as he said "Come in"

He extended his hand to the man who was stood rigidly to attention.

"At ease, man!" Said Steve, playing the second in charge perfectly.

The man relaxed a fraction, allowing his shoulders to drop an inch. He was tall, but very spare like he had been starved. Dan put him at about thirty, but the worry lines in his face could be betraying a younger man.

He hesitated, then went to shake Dan's hand displaying his own which was missing the two smallest fingers and part of the hand. Thick burn scars were visible on his right arm and at his neck.

Dan sat, inviting the man to do the same. Three cups of coffee were poured by Leah before she returned to her desk and tapped away at her laptop, pretending not to listen.

"What's your story, soldier" Dan said as he blew in his drink.

The man looked at him, realising he had completely given himself away.

"No Sir" he said, offended "I was a Royal Marine. Corporal"

"In that case" said Dan "accept my apologies, and call me Dan. At the most formal I accept 'Boss' from my lot"

"Ok Dan, I'm Richard. Rich if you like"

The Marine saw Steve looking at his hand "Helmand. Pyrotechnic IED. Got me sent home with two boxes that used to be my mates. Last man only survived because us three took the brunt of it"

Dan nodded, lost for empty words often used to pacify someone's sacrifice for a now utterly pointless loss. He had met a few people injured by improvised explosive devices, and knew that the scars ran so much deeper than the visible layer.

"After that?" Steve asked.

Rich sagged a little.

"Medical discharge. Six weeks counselling on the NHS for the PTSD. Then the booze. Wife left and took the money. Ended up homeless for a time."

"And then you were captured" Steve asked.

"Yes. Captured and beaten. I hurt one of them badly when they took me. They woke me." He said simply. Waking a soldier by surprise was one thing, startling a Royal Marine with PTSD was another entirely.

"Tell me about your time there" said Dan in an interested tone.

"I was sick a lot of the time. No booze. Made me bad for weeks." He offered. "I let myself down. In my day I could've taken that Bronson character."

Dan doubted him slightly on that.

"So." He said “How can I help?"

Marine Corporal Richard straightened in his seat, becoming more formal.

"Sir. I'd like to offer my service to you" he said.

"It's Dan" he said patiently "and I've got some concerns"

"I'm off the drink, that's the only good thing to come from that" he said forcefully. "I let myself down and I need to make up for it"

There was fire left in the man. Dan saw that and he wanted it, but not at the risk of others.

"Maybe so, but there are other issues you will need to address. Namely the PTSD; what if I gave you a gun and the first time you heard a bang it set you off?" He asked rhetorically before continuing "We have a counsellor, and you will see her twice a week until she gives me the clearance to give you active duty"

Richard nodded.

"You will also undergo physical training until you are fit - and I warn you she" he said pointing at Leah "will outrun and outgun you now. She's thirteen" Leah smiled as her pretence of being busy cracked. "Her mile and a half is down to nine minutes and her range scores are almost as high as mine."

"After that" Dan said "you will work from here manning the CB and cleaning weapons. You will be our quartermaster until we are both independently satisfied of your return to active duty status. So, tell me Marine; are you still interested?"

Without hesitation, Richard replied "Yes Sir'

"It's Dan, Boss to my lot at best" he repeated patiently.

"I'm in, Boss" he said, looking him directly in the eyes.

Dan offered his hand again "I'll let you know where to be then, Rich"

ANY EXCUSE

Like an excited boy, Dan went to find Marie. He felt a bit pathetic and exposed when he spoke to her, but this was a perfect excuse for some alone time.

He found her room door ajar, and knocked.

"Hello?' Came the voice from inside.

'It’s Dan, are you busy?" he said, trying to sound casual.

"No, come in"

He walked in to find her sat on her bed reading a book. She pulled her glasses down her nose and regarded him warmly. They had seen more of each other since she joined the council, and he liked that.

"How can I help?" She asked. "You haven't shot someone again have you?"

"Funny” he said "No. I've just had a rather damaged Royal Marine ask to join and I need your help"

Marie put down her book and patted the bed next to him. He hesitated and she said "Do I smell?"

Dan blushed, and mumbled that she didn't. "Have you brought your wolf?" She asked mockingly. Ash seemed to betray him utterly with her and played the puppy when she called him.

"No. Just me" he said quietly.

"Well come in then"

He sat with her, and explained the meeting he had just had with Rich. He realised halfway through that she must know some of this already, and in better detail, but he carried on with his story to cover the fact that he was sat in bed with a woman he found irresistible but aloof.

"So, can you work with him twice a week for the PTSD and the alcohol issues?" He asked.

"Yes, but I want you to promise he won't have a gun until I say he's not likely to kill himself with it" she said.

"Agreed" replied Dan.

"Good. Now, where were you based?" She questioned him lightly, surprising him with a subject change.

He rose from the bed, concerned that he was being analysed. "Thanks for your help. I'll send Rich to you soon" he said from the doorway as he turned to escape.

“Hey!” she snapped “Come here and sit down”

With no idea why, he did as he was told.

“Now.  I know you were in the job, so tell me the rest” she said as she closed her book and took off her glasses.

He told her some and she extracted the rest expertly.  He didn’t tell her everything though, he wasn’t ready for that.

WHAT NEXT?

A week later Dan and Marie took a walk around the grounds of the house.

"It's not so much the PTSD" Marie explained "It's more survivor's guilt but hugely intensified"

"We've all got some of both, to a degree" he reasoned.

"True" she answered "but what most of us don't have is massive underlying trauma like Rich does. Think about it; he's maimed, he sees two friends die in front of him, his career is over.  All of this after years of active service. That's just the beginning, he then goes into self-destruct and spirals into a completely different person"

"Hence the wife jumping ship, as they do" Dan interjected bitterly. Marie raised an eyebrow but let it slide, for now.

"Yes. He's alone and the only thing he has to do is replay the bad things over and over. I'm amazed he's still alive" she finished.

"So the question remains; will he get better?" Dan asked.

She thought for a few seconds, not about the answer but about the explanation.

"Yes. In actual fact, our situation may bring about an almost complete absence of symptoms given the right stimulus" she said. Rich was a unique story to start with, even before it happened. She firmly believed that he was a natural survivor; he'd been shot at, blown up, burned, crippled, abandoned, abused and beaten. Still he refused to give in and die.

She explained all this to him, and suggested that a gradual increase in responsibility for him alongside careful progress of talking therapy would give him a purpose.

"With duties, responsibilities and a reason to get up in the morning and be useful, he will get better quickly. As to the long term effectiveness of him as a soldier, I simply can't say yet"

Dan thought on what she had said. "So you agree that he should follow a daily routine of physical training and rehabilitation, then be given more responsibility in Ops without being armed and sent out?"

"Exactly" she said "I'd like to see him every other day. If all else fails, then repeating 'it's not your fault' at him will at least do some good"

"Ok then" said Dan, and walked along in silence next to her. He liked spending time near her, and selfishly used official reasons to capitalise on it.

Ash loped from the trees to his left, effortlessly sliding towards them. He nuzzled his huge head into Marie's crotch, making her squeal and tell him off for being a dirty bastard.

Dan smiled, keeping his thoughts private.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked wistfully, stopping to light another cigarette.

He did the same.

"We let Chris and the others do what they do; within a couple of years we should be almost self-sufficient. Andrew is happy enough with the stores, pending the arrival of another twenty-three people to feed. All in all, we're doing ok but we still need to stockpile as much as we can to survive half a dozen winters. I know it seems a bit childish, but I want to stockpile more weapons too; bullets won't last forever, so we either learn to make them - which is dangerous and difficult - or we have alternatives for the future."

He finished his small speech, and stood there in silence.

"That's cute" she said "but I meant us as in you and me, not us as in the whole group"

Heart thumping and colour rising in his cheeks, he didn't know what to say. She filled the silence for him, and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"One condition" she said seriously, drawing away "that beard's got to go!"