Atlantic Island (7 page)

"The final topic for this meeting is that of residency. Many of you have taken occupancy of homes that are not yours. We your governing officials have graciously decided to overlook this flagrant inappropriateness while the demolitions and repairs are taking place. At a time to be determined, we will assign official and legal residences to all of you. This is all."

Tiberius stepped backwards from the podium. Mayor Lucas walked around him still looking a bit embarrassed. "Thank you Deputy Mayor Tiberius," said Lucas. "On that note, we thank you for all being here tonight and giving form to our wonderful new community. These times are scary for us all, but together we can live, flourish and triumph over this adversity. Please know that the government of Atlantic Island is doing all it can to make contact with the outside world and we will notify all of you as soon as we know anything more. Thank you, and goodnight."

The crowd dispersed back into the streets in torrents of excited conversation. Theo, despite his intense distrust of Tiberius, felt exhilarated at the prospect of things getting better on the island.
 

"Did you all hear that Tiberius guy?" asked Bill. "He looks like a bat. I didn't like the threatening kinda crap at all."

"Maybe it's good to have somebody in charge who isn't scared to keep violent people in line," said Michelle. "I haven't felt too comfortable with all the craziness we've seen, but Tiberius knows how to take control."

"I'm just excited to sign up for the science crew," said Ryan. "Finally a chance to help get us off the island!"

"You mean our new country," said Kylee. "Don't you think it's a little fast to be giving up our US citizenship?"

"I think they just want people to feel there is some sense of normalcy," said Theo. "Mayor Lucas means well, at least."

They walked on through the masses of people finding their way back to what they now knew were temporary residences.
 

"What about Mark?" asked Bill, "I didn't see him or Jamie anywhere."

Theo considered this for a moment. "We'll probably have a few days before we have to sign up for any of the committees. Let's take some time starting tomorrow to really focus on tracking them down. Now that people have been around the island and are over the shock, they might be willing to help us or at least give us an idea if they've seen Mark and Jamie around somewhere." He put a hand on Bill's shoulder. "We aren't giving up on them." Bill nodded soberly.
 

All in all, Theo thought, it had been an interesting night. He was glad they had attended the meeting. Just to see so many faces, to be part of a throng of thousands of people, made him feel normal again. Even if none of those people had been holding up a smartphone aimed at the podium, it was still a better feeling than he had experienced in weeks. For the first time in a long time, something other than Kylee had given him hope. Just the same, he moved alongside her and put his hand on hers.

The day after the town hall meeting, the teens set out on a mission to find their missing friends. Theo observed that many more survivors were out in the streets, perhaps emboldened by the previous night's gathering. He had become accustomed to seeing crowds in line for food but it was rare to see many people outside with no particular purpose.
 

Unfortunately, nobody seemed to have information on Mark and Jamie. Many people they came across had also lost friends and relatives and were at as much of a dead end as Theo and his friends. Bill was slipping back into his moodiness and Ryan's attempts to liven the atmosphere with humor were falling flat.
 

At lunch, the teens sat on the beach overlooking the endless blue waves. Every time they sat like this and watched the ocean, Theo became more convinced the water was a brighter blue than it had been prior to the Event. Of course, he had no way to make a direct comparison.
 

"Hey, kids!" a voice called from the boardwalk. They turned around and saw Officer Menendez waving from a distance. They walked over to him and took positions on the stairs. The officer, his uniform now boasting a small patch in the style of the new Atlantic Island flag (Theo wondered where these things were being printed), looked cheerier than when they had last seen him.

"How are you guys holding up?" he asked.
 

"We're doing okay," Theo said. "Glad to see that the mayor has things under control."

"You and me both, buddy," said Menendez. "You all figure out what jobs you're gonna sign up for? We need some good recruits at the precinct!"

"I figured I might give that a shot," said Kylee. Theo felt his jaw drop a little and closed it, embarrassed. Menendez's eyes had widened.
 

"You?" he asked. "Not what I would have expected, but that's great! Welcome aboard, kid.
 
So, what brings all of you out to this part of town?"

"We're looking for our friends who went missing during the Event," said Bill.

"And no luck?" asked Menendez.

The teens shook their heads. "We've asked around town and nobody can help," said Theo.
 

"Well, I've got some news that might point you in the right direction," said Menendez. "The hospital near the convention center is finally open to the public."

"What do you mean?" asked Kylee. "That place has been barricaded since the Event. We assumed it was too damaged and was scheduled to be knocked down."

"Nah," said Menendez. "I mean, it had some problems but those have been fixed. A ton of wounded got brought in there after the Event. The deputy mayor thought there'd be too much chaos if people were told to look for the missing at the hospital." He looked ashamed. "We were told to make it look closed. In the interest of security, you know? Now they've got it under control and visitors are allowed. Sorry to say that quite a few they brought in didn't make it. I hope your friends made it through."

Theo swelled with hope. He couldn't wait to get over to the hospital. He saw that his friends were just as eager. They quickly said goodbye to Menendez, who asked them all their names again, paying more attention to them than he had in the past.

"I wish you guys the best," he said. He turned to Kylee. "I look forward to seeing you around the department. The rest of you all feel free to look me up whenever you want. Just keep your distance from the casinos. I imagine some of them might be operational soon but others are government offices. Either way, Deputy Mayor Tiberius doesn't want young people getting too close. Worried about troublemakers and all that." Menendez's face showed that he himself was not too worried about troublesome teens.
 

Theo and his friends shook Menendez's hand and hurried off in the direction of the hospital. When they arrived, a small line had formed in front of the desk. Clearly word had not yet spread that visitors could inquire about the patients. Theo approached the desk when his time came. A heavyset woman sat at the desk. Theo wondered just how large a woman she had been before the reduced rations had slimmed everybody down.
 

"Who are you looking for?" she asked. Theo gave the names of his friends and she typed some things into her computer. Though he knew the computer was operating on an internal network and had no connection to the Internet, Theo felt a sense of calm at the appearance of a device so rooted in the world he had known before the Event.
 

"Your friend Mark is in Room 403. Take the elevator at the end of the hall to the fourth floor and make a right."

Theo felt lightheaded as happiness washed over him. "And what about Jamie?" asked Kylee, looking nervous.

"She was discharged a few days ago. According to this," the woman pointed at her monitor," she has been staying in the room with your other friend. They a couple, I take it?" Nobody responded. "Okay, I get it, none of my business. You all go on and see your friends."

They signed in quickly, thanked the woman at the desk and made their way to the elevator. Theo was concerned to see that the elevator denoted the fourth floor as "ICU."

The smells of sterility and various cleaning agents filled Theo's nostrils as he stepped out of the elevator. It was a very short walk down the white tiled floor to room 403. Without knowing he intended to, Theo took a deep breath and held it as he stepped inside.
 

The beeps of the machines and the ragged sound of artificially controlled breathing told him that his friend was in bad shape before his eyes even focused on the sad form in the hospital bed.
 
Mark's face was swollen on one side and covered in yellowing bruises.
 
His head was wrapped in gauze. One leg was elevated in a large cast. The rest of Mark's body was under the blankets but Theo could see the tubes keeping his friend alive.
 
Jamie was sleeping in a chair in the corner. Her arm was in a sling and she also bore fading bruises on her face, but nothing compared to the extent of Mark's injuries.
 

Theo and the rest spread out around the hospital bed. Their faces, Theo observed, were all grim. Bill reached out and put his hand lightly on Mark's arm. Bill's jaw was tight and Theo knew he was trying very hard to keep his composure.
 
For several minutes nobody said a word. The quiet seemed to stretch on forever, as if time had lost all meaning in that small room. All that mattered was the series of machine noises that collectively meant that Mark was still alive.
 

After what seemed an eternity, Jamie stirred. She rubbed her eyes and looked confused at the crowd in front of her. "What…who?"

Kylee stepped toward her. "Jamie, it's Kylee. Michelle's here."

Jamie's eyes opened wide and began to fill with tears. Kylee and Michelle embraced their friend. Theo felt a pang of jealousy as his friend was still unconscious, and immediately hated himself for it.
 

"Oh my God," Jamie was saying over and over. "I thought you were all dead!"

"We're fine," said Kylee, taking Jamie's hand. "We've been so worried about you."

"We've been here for a long time," said Jamie, "and Mark's been like that for a while so it's just been me and…" she broke into sobs again and her friends held her silently for a while.
 

When Jamie had composed herself, she looked up at the boys standing by Mark's bed. "He'd really be so happy you guys are here."

Theo walked over to her. "Can you tell us what happened to you? I mean it's okay if you aren't ready to talk about it."

"No, no," said Jamie, "I'm so ready. Just to be able to talk to people other than the nurses and doctors is amazing. Just give me a second to organize my thoughts."

The teens found places to sit or lean around the room. Bill stayed by Mark's side. Jamie sat for a minute resting her head on her hand as she recollected her experiences. Finally she spoke.
 

"I guess the last time we saw most of you guys was when we were back at the motel. We were in the back room and the rest of you were in the front…well, Kylee, I know you and Theo were outside, right?"

Kylee nodded. "That's right."

"Okay, so then the Event happened. Did you guys know that's what they're calling it around here? The Event?"

"Yes," said Michelle. "It's the official term for it now."

"So the Event started. The building was shaking and that noise… well, you all know that part of it. We sat in the corner behind the bed and waited. After a while, Bill came in and said that Michelle and Ryan had left to try something with cell phones. He really wanted us to leave but Mark was determined to stay put. I thought he was right."

Theo's eyes betrayed him and he stole a glance at Mark, motionless on the bed. He felt anger at his friend's stubbornness and again punished himself internally for his runaway emotions. He looked at Bill and Ryan, and he could tell he was not alone in feeling these conflicted sentiments.
 

"So we stayed," Jamie continued. "I don't really know how long we were there, but it was long enough that the windows along the back wall started to crack from the building shaking. Some of the glass was falling into the room and Mark said we'd better knock the windows outside while we could before they really exploded on us."

She showed them fading scars on her hand. "He was right, you know. There was already enough glass in the room that I cut myself. I didn't even see it there." She paused again, thinking. "Anyhow, Mark tossed a lamp through the window and was pushing the remaining glass outside when we heard a scream through the opening."

She looked around at the other teens. They were all listening intently. "A woman was screaming. She was in a room down the hall from us and she had a baby. She was scared to death and didn't think she could leave the room. " She pointed to Mark. "Mark was so brave. He didn't hesitate a second. He took my hand and said 'We need to help her.' So we did."

"The woman had yelled to us what room she was in. We left our room and ran down the hall. This was the first time I could really see those lights and the waves and everything." She trembled as the vivid memory came back to her. "As we reached the room we heard things falling and breaking. Mark was sure that pieces of the concrete were breaking off the motel. Anyway, we reached the woman's room. She was so scared and her baby was crying.
 
We led her to the stairs and helped make sure she didn't fall as we all came down."