After

After a virus tears apart society there are few places to find friends

Ruby crouched in a patch of leafy plants digging for edible roots. The monotony of the work kept her from thinking too much. Eventually she would pull up something that was malformed and discolored, and that’s when she’d start wondering how much longer the hundred or so left of them at her camp would survive. Every time she went out it took longer to find food. She had to go further than ever this time, to the edge of a forest she’d never seen.

She heard rustling from the trees and snapped to attention. Was it an animal?

She should try to catch it.

Ruby crouched near a bush for cover when something broke free from the trees.

It was a person. A beautiful, healthy person.

“Stay away,” she said.

He smiled at her, “Don’t worry I’m not infected.”

“But I am.”

 

His name was Isaiah. His people lived in the woods and were full of health and energy. It was like there were no viruses, no parents in comas…no worries at all. They grew their own food and raised their own animals. They had a leader who handled problems like needing more seed or…permission to use the antiviral serum.

Isaiah seemed certain they would be granted permission and he was right. Still, Ruby felt uneasy around Head Leader Wolff. Was it the pause before he smiled or the glint of something dangerous that filled that pause before he masked it with a warm smile? Isaiah took her to what looked like an old lab, and she no longer cared.

“We don’t really have a need for this,” he explained removing a vial from a refrigerated case. “It’s just a precaution.”

She cradled and stared at it like it was her first born child. “So everyone at here is immune?” she asked in a daze. 

“Aren’t you immune too?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “I told you I have high tolerance. I can still function and I’m not contagious but… it’s not real immunity. The virus might attack my cells at any time.”

“That must be so frightening…Once, I saw what it can do to someone. No one else knows how awful it can be… Except our Leader.”

Ruby examined the lab and found they could fabricate enough of the serum for everyone at her camp. Watching the rhythmic movement of the machines she realized just how exhausted she was and nodded off to sleep.

She awoke to find herself covered by a soft blanket Isaiah must have brought. She smiled at his sleeping form in the chair next to her. Then she noticed the watch he wore. She had barely touched his wrist when he woke up yawning.

“I’m sorry I was trying to see how much longer ‘til daybreak. The virus put my parents in a comma and they could wake up for the first time in seven years.” The hope that she had found fully dawned on her as she said it.

“We don’t have to wait,” Isaiah said.

“What do you mean?”

“The vials are ready. We could travel all night and get there by daybreak.”

“It’s safe?”

He shrugged, “You know nothing survived that’s a threat to us, and the stars give plenty of light. I’ll just let our watchmen know.”

 “So… you’d come with me?”

He smiled, the answer was obvious.

 

As dawn broke Ruby cried out, “I can see the building!”

 She ran toward it. “It’s�"” her voice cracked before a choked sob escaped her throat. The camp was a smoldering mass. A nauseous smell hit her as the wind blew their way.

            “Wait,” Isaiah called but she couldn’t hear him.

Ruby shouted the names of her friends as long as she could before choking on the smoke. Isaiah pulled her clear of the building.

“Look,” Isaiah said pointing. “Parker? Benson? What are you doing here?” Isaiah asked.

Parker spoke quickly, “We came to find you.”

            “What happened?” Ruby asked.

Parker shrugged, “We just got here.”

He nudged Benson. “Yeah, what a terrible accident.”

Isaiah watched them suspiciously his lips pursed as he held onto Ruby. She leaned heavily against him and he worried what the wrong word might do to her.

“An accident,” she mumbled, “But they’re so careful.”

Benson put a hand on her shoulder. “Like Leader Wolff says, careful is better than kind because all it takes is one mistake.” He paused and glanced at Parker who was frowning. “We should get help. You better stay with her,” he added to Isaiah before they ran off.

            “I can’t leave them like this,” Ruby said.

Suddenly she pulled away from him into the building. The rubble was cooling but black smoke hung around making it difficult to see. Isaiah found her again on the other side of the building. She had found a shovel and was digging.

“What are you doing?”

“This one’s for Erin because she liked to watch the sunrise from a window over here.”

“Ruby…”

“Will you please just help me?” She pleaded. He looked at her ash smeared face. Tears were running tracks through the grime. They both were a mess. The whole thing was a mess.

“Ok,” he said softly.

 

It was getting dark again by the time they finished. They were small graves filled with pieces of what were once her friends.  Isaiah leaned against a tree and she leaned against him.

“I’m so tired.”

He held her hands on top of his palms. Her palms were burnt and cut, from grabbing shovels that were still hot, clawing out mementos she recognized as important the people whose bodies were now marked with the objects. He hoped that her fatigue had become more powerful than her despair. But suddenly she turned around and faced him.

            “You’ve been quiet�"I mean, I just feel like you wanted to tell me something a few times today, but didn’t.”

He looked away. “It wasn’t a good time. You should rest. We both should.”

She shook her head, “I can’t, not until you tell me.”

He looked into her prying eyes. People didn’t have this look in his town. Desperation, they had never known it and he didn’t know how to resist it.

“It’s just, Parker and Benson were the watchmen I looked…but I couldn’t find them… They wouldn’t have had time to get back to village, find out we were gone and catch up to us.”

“They said they didn’t see what happened.”

He was silent.

“Would they do something like this?”

She turned around and stared over the remains of what happened that day.

“I think they would do anything … Leader Wolff asked them to do.” Her face turned stony. “What are you thinking,” he asked

Tears fell slowly against the force of her will. “He’s going to pay.” She turned back and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Will you help me?”

“I will,” he said surprised how easily the answer came. “We’ll need others too. 

She nodded. “Then I’ll be patient and one day soon, he’ll understand he shouldn’t have done this.” She leaned against him and closed her eyes. “I think I can sleep now. Sweet dreams Isaiah.”

“Sweet dreams Ruby.”