Waiting For Sunrise

Whining and warbling, the atrocious radio was failing in its duty as a communications device. Cyrus rolled over, covering his head with a pillow to cut out the bursts of harsh static and other unappealing noise. The back of his skull was buzzing, and no amount of fantasizing would drown it out. Enough was enough. He threw his pillow on the ground.

"Layla, honey, give it a rest."

Whiiiiiiiiiiir

"Please. I'll do anything. I'll rub your feet. I'll stop implying that Linda is fat. I'll even apologise to someone. Anyone. Just let me have five minutes of peace!"

Her heavy lidded lashes obscured her eyes, and he could barely see her irises glide over, focusing on his briefly. But then her gaze dropped back to the radio dial as she continued to tune it. Lately, talking to Layla was like talking to a brick wall. Before that it was more like shouting in a canyon. At least there was an echo, back then.

Click. Layla lifted the microphone, holding it just below her chin. "Fisham. Fisham come in. Over."

"They're not going to answer us."

"Fisham. This is Layla. Report. Over."

The static was merciless. It wasn't that Cyrus didn't want to know the people at Fisham were okay. Well. He only really cared about Rena. But each failed attempt to reach them just disappointed him more. Not that he was worried.

"Fine. Ignore me. Why am I even here? Lily's giving me the cold shoulder - which I probably have Rena to thank - and you don't listen anymore."

"I listen," Layla said in that calm, rich voice of hers.

"Yeah? Seems to me like you are ignoring me." He stood up and crossed his arms.

"I listen to what you will not say."

Cryptic. Figures. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, yeah. You're a riddle." He lowered his hand and looked at the seams of pink light along the entrance flap. "The sun hasn't even set."

"I asked Linda and Lily to readjust the solar cell to face west."

"Ah."

There wasn't much to add to that. He made his irritation known. Instead he paced, trying not to rip open a blood pack then and there. They had to ration their supplies. No room for boredom sipping. He looked Layla up and down, but she was already in her winter gear, ready for when they could safely emerge. Getting ready would be something to do, at least.

Outside the tent Lily adjusted the flat, shiny panel again, so that the rosy glow of sunset rested on it. She heard the cauldron bubbling and fretfully abandoned the cell to stir the contents. She gave it an experimental sniff. It at least smelled edible.

Linda returned with an armful of more firewood, just in time. Without being told, she wedged the drier pieces in, careful not to bump the pot.

"Hey... I dun remember huntin' today. What're you cookin', Lil?"

Lily looked up and smiled. "Leftovers."

"Ugh! Not more lemming soup!"

It was hard to now feel a little offended by Linda's scrunched up nose and clear disgust in her voice. "Don't worry, I spruced it up!" Lily said, trying to inject the situation with a bit more positivity. She gave it another stir, letting the woodsy aroma waft.

"With what?" Linda eyed the pot dubiously.

"Spruce!" She held up the scoured outer bark, where the cambium had already been scraped off.

Howling winds filled the silence between the two sisters. Linda finally ended it with a heavy sigh and she sat down by a steep snowbank.

The dying light of the sun was quickly fading, its beams slipping over their heads. Lily looked up at the edge of the coulee they nestled in, the shadows growing longer. She then remembered the solar cell and jumped up to attend it. But no matter how she turned it or held it, the shade was too great.

As Lily set it back down, she heard a staccato of clipped voices from inside the tent. She moved in closer, holding her breath to listen.

As the words became clearer, she smiled.

"...repelled the raiders."
"And losses? Over."
"Three dead. Five incapacitated, countless injuries, and..." the voice hesitated, "...one taken." Another pause. "Over."

"Who? Over."

"Ashton Fisher."

Lily's smile dropped off her face like rotten fruit off a tree. "No!" her hand went to her mouth.

"Whats wrong?" Linda stood up, face apprehensive.

"Shh!" Lily held up a silencing finger. Linda walked over, and also leaned close.

"Understood. We're en route south. We ran into difficulties in Goldilocks and were run out of town. Over."

"We need all the help we can get. We're down too many. Over."

Things went very quiet. There were whispers, but she could not discern any words until Layla spoke up again.

"We will consider it. Quest signing off. Over."

More whispers. Lily took in a deep breath, bringing up her shoulders. But before she could dramatically barge in, she heard the bubbling of the pot again.
"The soup!" She rushed over, calming the angry vittles. Linda, however, remained by the tent, hands akimbo and stature showing defiance.

"Hey! HEY! We hear you in there! Got somethin' to share with th'rest of us!?" Linda's voice roared.

"We hear you hearing us!" Cyrus shot back.

"Come on. Sun's not directly shinin' no more. Get out here 'n talk to us!"

There was a momentary pause. The tent swayed slightly, and the canvas rippled moments before Cyrus tentatively poked his head out, squinting. "Hmmm needs to be just a bit darker." He zipped back in, fastening the flap tight.

"He dun seem burnt at all. Did he?" Lily whispered.

"He's just bein' a baby," Linda shot back. "I swear they're making this whole 'sunlight burns' thing up."

"We have a choice before us. Return to Fisham to assist, or continue our journey," Layla intoned from the other side of the canvas.

"I feel terribly about Ash. Such a sweet kid. But what can we really do?" Lily asked as she kept stirring the pot. It would be done soon. Well maybe not done, but somewhat edible.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"What can we do? Help rebuild. Help clean up. Stage a daring rescue of the snot-nosed trouble maker." Cyrus paused in his list. "So I vote we keep moving south."

Incredulity swam in Lily's head as she looked up from the pot. After exchanging looks with her sister, she walked over to the tent as well. "We ain't goin' back, but not for the reasons Cyrus gave!" She crossed her arms. "I dunno how to say it. Like, I know if I go back, I wun have what it takes to leave again. It's hard bein' out here."

There was silence from the tent, and Linda slung an arm around Lily's shoulders.

"Same. I hate bein' out here. I wanna keep it short as possible."

"Yeah, besides, so long as Fisham still has Rena on their side, they'll be fine. I know she'd stop at nothing to recover the shrimp. They do have Rena right? They would have told us if Rena was one of the fatalities, right?"

"I know not."

"Then ask!" The exasperation in Cyru's voice was a little over the top.

"Quest to Fisham. Quest to Fisham. Over."

"We're here, over."

"Rena. Is she alright? Over."

"Yes. Over."

"I see. You've managed without us before. We will continue our mission south. Over."

"Ah... understood, over." The man on the radio sounded disappointed.

"Quest out."

Another silence followed and Lily walked back to the pot, stirring it in a slow daze. She knew that she was being very selfish. But as much as respected the people of Fisham, she was not one of them, and could not find it in herself to care more for them than her own well being. That's how everyone was. Do what one can to survive, and ignore the suffering of others. Yet there was something deep inside Lily she never understood, something that told her that the world didn't need to be that way. She lifted up her ladle and blew on it, as if she could send away the nagging thoughts with the steam.

"Food's ready as it's gunna be. We should eat'n start packin'. Sun'll be down by then."

Rena was greeted just outside the gates by her eager pack. Filibuster and Blarney were hopping and barking, while the wolves were far more sedate as they sat, wagging their tails slowly. She did a quick head count. All accounted for; no fatalities.

"Alright boys. Lead the way."

The pack spread out, and Rena followed Blarney's lead.

When Blarney and Filibuster stopped, they whined and licked their lips, puppyish eyebrows raised pleadingly. Pleading for understanding as their ears twisted back. Filibuster pawed at the snow and Blarney lifted his nose and took a sniff.

There were several sets of sled tracks, heading off in oblique trajectories. Rena knelt down to examine them further. One was deeper than the other, implying a heavier load. One also did not come with foot traffic, human or animal. Did these people have access to a snowmobile? She couldn't remember how long it had been since she'd seen one. The solar augmented snowmobiles came a long way to overcome the hurtle of long winter nights over the last two centuries. But with no factories to manufacture their highly specialised parts, repairs were impossible.

That didn't matter now. What they used to get around was immaterial. She just needed to discern where Ash had been taken.

Rena stood up again and took a deep breath. "What would throw off your scent, boys?"

The other wolves stood in the distance, keeping watch. Blarney and Filibuster chased each other's tails and then whimpered again. Blarney thrust his nose forward down the track with many footprints. Filibuster wagged his tail and tilted his head towards the deep grooves. Ash's scent went both directions.

"They knew they were being tracked by scent. They must have split and had someone take Ash's clothes with them," Rena said out loud, trying to sort it all out in her mind. But she didn't dare think that something more nefarious had happened. Would they be so brutal as to cut off a finger or toe just to throw her off?

Rena squinted and opted to go with the more populated tracks. They'd likely be traveling slower, and if they did not have Ash, they'd at least know something.

Rena whistled to her pups and jerked her head in the direction she was following. But just to be sure, she concentrated on the deeper tracks as she looked to Hokum, focusing on the wolf with all of her might. Hokum stood up, ears erect and sniffed. Touching her primitive yet wily mind, she focused again on the tracks. Hokum let out a yelp and began running along the other path, while the rest of the pack followed Rena as her loyal entourage to try and find the scavengers.

Nel sat by Peter's side, staring hard at the two bumps in the blanket. His feet. Although her hand was in his, she couldn't look at him. She had failed in her duty to protect both of her children.

Nel looked at her empty lap where Maple's head had laid. But she grew weary and staying by an unconscious man's side, even her father's, was a bit much to expect out of her. So she sent her daughter out on chores to keep the girl preoccupied. It also helped to not have Maple keep airing her theories of what Ash was doing right that moment. Maple's voice was shaky even as she thought up little stories of her brother's antics among the scavengers, and how he'd be worming his way into their hearts or how he'd be outsmarting them. She was much kinder to her brother when he wasn't present.
There was a twitch in the blankets. Pressure. Nel's eyes darted to her hand, feeling Peter squeeze briefly. She squeezed back, and he wiggled his fingers. With a flutter, his bleary eyes came open. It took all of Nel's willpower not to jump to her feet, lean over, and grab his face to plant a large kiss on his lips. His dry lips. Instead she reached for a glass of water to have it ready, in case he asked.

It took Peter a moment to really look at her, to see that flash of the man she knew.

"Nel? You're okay..."

"I'm here, anyway," she said as she touched his brow gently. He smiled.

"I promise I wasn't being a hero."

"I'm not so sure about that, Peter," Nel answered, a weak grin forming.

"How're the kids?"

Nel felt her heart break all over again. Echoes of Ash's screams and muffled calls for help fading away came back to her vividly. She couldn't see Peter anymore, just a pair of solid wooden doors, barring her access to her boy.

"Nel. What happened?"

It was too hard to say the words. Her mind was full of so many images and feelings, but no actual words would form. The few she could coalesce stuck in her throat. And the more apprehensive she saw Peter's face getting, the more her heart raced and the more stunned she became. Soon tears were streaming down her face, and it was his turn to reach up and stroke her wet cheek. He didn't need to ask her again. HIs question remained in his hazel eyes.

Nel had no idea how long she sat, paralysed.

"Oh Peter, you are awake!"

Nurse Stokes's voice startled Nel. It was a relief. Peter took his hand off of Nel's cheek, and she wiped her face on her sleeve. But that didn't remove the puffy eyes. Sarah looked between the two of them, her own cheeks going a bit rosy.

"Ah, I am sorry for interrupting, I'll come back later."

"No it's okay. I want Peter to get the best care." He'll need it. Nel was certain he was thinking the worst, and was being saintly in his patience with her. He always was patient. Sometimes it infuriated her, it almost felt as if he was holding it over her. But today, it was a blessing. Nel stood up, gave a long slurpy sniffle, and walked out. She heard Peter calling her back, but she could not face him again. He was awake, and that was what mattered.

Peter stared at the empty doorway his wife disappeared into, stunned and filled with dread. He then looked to Nurse Stokes who checked the bandage on his neck. Suddenly he became aware of the intense pain and felt his whole body seize, locking in to try not to agitate it further. It felt as if his skin were being torn off afresh as the clotted blood enmeshed in the bandage peeled away.

"Looking good. No infection." She wrote something down in a small book then continued checking other vitals.

"Sarah..."

"Yes Peter?"

It hurt to talk all of a sudden. He knew he needed to hear it from Nel. But as patient as he was trying to be, the thoughts of what happened was tearing him up inside. He needed to know, and he didn't care who the information came from.

"My children, are they alright? Nel, she... she... left without telling me."

Her brow furrowed. He stared at her chin. Dimpled from a deep frown, lower lip quickly tucked in. It seemed as though she chewed on it for hours. "It's not my place to-"

"Just tell me."

"Well your heartrate is high enough as it is, that's not what we want right now."

"Because I'm thinking the worst. Tell me!"

Another long pause as she put a cuff on his arm. The pressure made him want to scream. Normally he barely noticed the feeling of restriction around his arm. He found himself panting in rhythm with each puff of the pump. He stared at Nurse Stokes's hand as she kept squeezing.

"Maple is alright. But Ash was taken."

Peter blinked his dry eyes, only then realising how scratchy they felt. It took a moment for the words to make sense. And then all the questions slammed into his brain at once, and he needed to slow down and consider which one took precedence.

"He was taken? By Cat and them?"

"Yes."

"What is being done to get him back?" If he kept asking questions, he at least felt like he was doing something other than lying in a hospital bed while his son was out there, in heaven knows what sort of condition. Cat always seemed fond of him, so maybe he wasn't being treated too badly. But it may have all been a ruse. His mind ventured to some dark places and he quickly tried to free himself from them, waiting for Sarah to answer and give him something new to focus on.

Her reassuring smile gave him an iota of hope.

"Rena is on it."

The relief was palpable. Perhaps because the air was easing out of the cuff as he let out a sigh. "Rena will do everything she can. I know she will." Peter stared up at the ceiling for a moment, then closed his eyes. He still felt powerless being in this bed. He regretted trying to stop Art by himself. He should have taken the intel that the newcomers were behind the raid to some of the real fighters.

"I will be back when you aren't grappling with bad news to check your blood pressure again," Sarah said. She then paused. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Water."

Sarah passed him a mug of water from a nearby tray.

"Thanks."

"Ring the bell if you need anything." Sarah pointed to a chord hanging down by his bed. Peter nodded.

Left alone with his thoughts, Peter wasn't sure if he would get any rest. All he could think about was how he could have done things differently to protect his family. At the very least he was gratified in knowing he was right to place his loyalty in Rena. He wasn't sure if anyone would be more suited to track his boy down than her and her pack.