Chapter 31
Chapter 31
It takes us two days before we head back out for the containers.
The people we pulled from the boats on the neighborhood lake were all very sick and weak from the sun, heat, and lack of food or water. Most of their parents were lost trying to find supplies for the group. Of the seven adults still with the group, four are heavily pregnant women, one is an old woman prone to seizures, and the other two are older men who are not that steady on their feet. I put Carol, Sophia, and the teen girls from near the campgrounds to help look over everyone for any wounds. We set them all up in the living room and nearby bedroom that was once Ethel's.
It is just too many people for our one house to hold so clearing our safe zone became the first priority. Most of us worked on clearing the area. There were only a few dead hidden inside one house. I transfigure the metal wall into collapsible planks and stack them incase we need them later. This leaves our safe zone with five homes on large plots of land, a small play park furthest from us, and a bit of land that we can clear and plant.
Then it came time to divide everyone up. The werewolves wanted to stay together, 'pack mentality' showing through but I had to refuse for now. We have more kids than adults and while most are teens, they still need looking after and the werewolves are currently the best option I have for that right now.
It takes some arguing and me snapping at them, "The world of before is OVER! Like it or not, We help each other now! That is what we do! If you are not going to help then GET OUT!"
It worked. I didn't have to push anyone else to help after that. They talked and hashed out the details and decided who would take which homes. I know that Antonio made a list, double checking that everyone will have a place to stay and the adults will be evenly spread through. I know there is a copy in our office, at Merle's request, as well as a copy of the guard roster. I'm glad that they are able to sort it out amongst themselves without me having to micromanage everything.
In our home is our core group plus a few others. Emma and Sophia will continue to share their room. While they were hesitant at first, they have become fast friends since meeting. Carol and Easton are staying in the room next door that used to be Kayla's, mostly because it already has the crib and baby clothes setup. Asher is still staying with me in the room on the other side of the girls room.
Merle and Daryl have seperate rooms that had belonged to men before. Danny took one of the guest rooms downstairs across from the office. The two upstair masters, as they each have an ensuite and were owned by couples, went to two of the pregnant women, Amber and Bailey. Each of them has the youngest of the kids present with Amber having a four year old and Bailey having twin six year olds and a one year old. They have their kids either sharing their room except for Bailey's six year olds who have taken the last upstairs room. Asher was nearly squirming in delight at having more kids his age to play with and almost wouldn't go to sleep in his bed.
The older woman with the seizures, Debra, has taken Ethel's old room. She was a nurse before her stroke left her with a shaky memory and even shaking hands. The sunroom is clear but she suggested turning either it or the last guestroom into a medbay like area. If nothing else, we will set it up for the deliveries since she should be able to help as a stand-in midwife.
An entire day is spent getting everyone moved into their homes and either resizing or Transfiguring furniture. Three of the other homes have generators that just needed to be refueled and turned on. Malcolm says they are making a shopping list so when we send out groups they will know what to look for which will help.
Merle and Daryl take me out to the shipping center for containers. We're barely out of the gate when Merle bumps my shoulder with a teasing, "So, now we got fresh meat, who ya got ya eye on?"
Daryl snaps out a warning, "Merle."
Merle waves a dismissive hand at his brother, "I'm jus curious what flavor our friend here prefers, is all."
When I don't answer right away, he nudges me again, "Well, who ya like outta tha newbies? Any caught your eye? Ya don't wanna wait too long to make yer move."
"Are you asking if I fancy someone?"
"Fancy!" He errupts into loud laughter, slapping the wheel with one hand and snorting out, "Yeah, kid, I'm asking if ya fancy anyone."
Daryl ignores his brother, preferring to stare out at the scenery as we pass. Merle let's his chuckles petter out before nudging me again with a teasing, "Come on an tell 'Ol Merle. I want tease ya none."
"Liar," Daryl mutters, throwing him a half challenging, half amused look.
I shrug, "I haven't really thought on it much."
"What'd ya mean ya ain't thought of it much?" He sputters incredulously, "A man's got needs, Hell!, a woman's got needs, ever body knows that. It's healthy! There ain't no shame in it neither."
"He'll tease ya but he don't mean no harm," Daryl adds. "He aint half tha bastard he pretends ta be."
Merle scoffs, "It don't bother me none if ya like em dark or with a dick. I just wanna know cause I'm nosey like tha."
"He is a nosey bastard," Daryl adds agreeingly.
"I'm a bastard but I'm a nice bastard," Merle says as if imparting wisdom, "and a guy like you has gotta have girls linning up for miles."
The thing is, I haven't thought of it. Not now or really before. There's always been some danger lurking or someone trying to kill me. I tell them as much.
"Ya mean yer a virgin?" He asks incredulously, "How?"
I shrug my answer which seems to baffle him somehow. Daryl has turned to lean his back against the door and is staring at us both as if we're one of Aunt Petunia's shows. It's not like it's a bad thing, me being a virgin. I mean, I'm only sixteen. It's normal for people my age to not have dated any. I tell them as much, a bit more defensively than is necessary but they're making a bigger deal of it than it needs to be. Not that it helps any. Merle, it seems, has decided that I'm in need of his advice and so spends the rest of the drive talking. It wouldn't be so bad but he goes into detail. Very graphic detail that has my face burning red and Daryl grinning at my misery. There's no stopping him once he gets going so I suffer in silence through the drive. It is informative, even if its embarrassing, so I do pay attention. Not that I'll thank them for this particularly traumatizing memory. At least Ron isnt here to witness this.
We reach the container yard and run in to a problem. It's not survivors this time. Oh, no. It's just that this area was difficult to get to and now we're facing a massive herd barely held by the chain link fence.
"Any ideas, Hoss?"
I throw a frustrated glare at Merle that he doesn't even pretend to notice. Giving it up as a bad job, I sigh out, "We don't have enough bullets and if I use magic then I'll be too tired to shrink many containers."
"Could we lead em somewhere?" Daryl asks doubtfully.
"Where could we lead them?"
"What 'bout one o tha warehouses?"
"Could it be done safely?" I ask because if they say it can then I'll trust them.
Merle hems and haws for a bit before agreeing that it could work. We would need to check warehouses first and be sure the way is clear enough for it to work. We don't want to go far, in case leading the dead isn't an easy task, so we start at what is closest to us.
The nearest building we can get to is all heavy machinery, old and well used that seemed to be a drink bottling plant. Daryl and I stay in the building, keeping doors open on far ends of the building that Merle will navigate through. The truck will not fit, obviously, but Merle swears he remembers passing a motorcycle that he's positive will do the trick.
I start to worry when fifteen minutes turns to a half hour. What of he couldn't get the motorcycle to run? What if he ran into a herd? What if....
A little past the hour mark is when we hear the rumble of the engine along with booming shouts and loud guitar strums of music. It takes another ten minutes as the sounds get steadily louder before he finally rumbles up the ramp and through the open warehouse door. He revs the engine, holding it in place as the dead stumble and crawl up the ramp. He waits until they're close, until they can almost touch him, before letting the bike jump forward several feet. Then he stops and waits for them to get closer.
The herd is large and a bit spread out. He circles inside the building, leading them on a winding path to get more inside. Even then, he has to leave out the far door before the last has stumbled inside this one. Daryl closes the far door and starts banging on it with something metal, creating a booming echo that urges the dead on. I don't have to wait much longer to close this door.
A small blue four door car pulls up with all windows down and Merle frowning in the drivers seat. He flicks away a nearly full length cigarette with a snappish, "Took a while to find a workin bike."
I climb in the back, enjoying the peaceful drive to the container yard. Then we work through the afternoon to get as many containers shrunken as I can manage. I don't bother emptying them. If we don't want whatever is inside then it will just be extra weight to hold the containers in place. I don't keep count of how many we get but if Merle's whistle is anything to go by it must be a lot.
We get back to the gate as evening is setting in. Dinner was hours ago but Carol kept a plate set aside for us. I barely are my food before Daryl led me to stumble upstairs. I don't remember reaching my room and if I dream, I don't remember it.