Learning To Live (Zombie Overload Series) (7 page)

Sighing,
I climb over the back of the front seat and sit sideways with my back
against the door. I watch Jake for a few minutes, saying nothing and
waiting for him to speak, but he doesn't say anything either. I guess
he just wanted me to come up front and sit with him.

Eventually,
he turns his head, sees me staring at him, and raises a brow in
silent question.

Keeping
my voice low so I don't wake Will-or to be honest-so he doesn't hear
the topic of the conversation, I tell him, "Jake, please. No
more. I can't do this. Please respect me enough to stop this and just
be happy for me,"

Jake
shrugs and gives me his sexy trademark grin-No!
No.
Not
sexy.
Not. Sexy.
Then he says, "Not sure what you mean. I'm happy
for you that your husband's alive. Why wouldn't I be? All I wanted
was sex. It's been awhile"

Oh,
damn!
That hurt.
Ignore it, Canada.
Let...it...go.
Besides, that makes more sense that him telling me he loves me. I
guess some guys never outgrow using that line to get in a girl's
pants.

"Then
what's with the extreme dirty looks at Will? He hasn't done
anything."

"What?
No dirty looks. Honest! I'm just worried about him. He doesn't look
good."

I
want to believe him, but I saw those looks and they weren't
"concerned" looks. But what can I do about it if he is
lying? Except shooting him, not a damn thing.
Don't think I won't
be keeping an eye on him, though.

I
nod at him, letting the subject drop, and relax against the door. But
I continue watching him, trying to figure him out.

Jake
reaches over and lays his hand on my thigh.
What the hell?

"What
do you think you're doing now, Jake?" I ask him in a low, even
voice.

"Well,
you were going to have sex with me until
he
showed up and
ruined it. I still want it."

I
jerk my leg away. "You, Jake, are an asshole. There is no
frikken way in
hell
I'll ever have sex with you now. So either
find someone else, or try the do-it-yourself method, but keep your
damn hands off me."

Jake
sighs and puts his hand-which was creeping back over to my thigh-back
on the steering wheel, his face turning to stone. Will moans and-with
my heart slamming into my throat, terrified he heard us. I turn and
look over the backseat. He's still asleep, but he's holding a hand
over the area where he injured his ribs.

I
climb back over and sit on the floor next to where his head rests on
the seat above. Bringing my arm up, I brush his hair off his
forehead, shocked when I feel the heat coming from his body. It
scares the hell out of me.

Pulling
the medical supply bag toward me, I search and find some fever
reducer and throw in a couple antibiotics. Waking Will, I hand him
the pills and some more water. He's back to sleep within seconds of
taking them.

I
try to remember if you're supposed to keep feverish people cool, or
warm them and let them sweat it out? I should have been a nurse like
my other family members!
Oh, for crying-out-loud!
Mentally
smacking my forehead, I pull out my phone and jump when Will's hand
covers mine.

"Who
are you calling?" he asks me.

"My
mom. You have a fever and I need to know what to do."

"No.
Don't call anyone. Just in case."

"Just
in case? Just in case what, Will? What the hell are you saying?"
I ask him, my voice rising in volume with fear and dread.

"Honey,
I've been through hell. My body is all kinds of screwed up and now
you say I have a fever. I might not make it back. I don't want the
boys to go through losing me again. I wish I hadn't found you now, so
you don't have to go through this again. You understand, don't you?"

"NO!
You're going to freaking make it. Don't say that shit!"

He
just lies back, saying once again not to call anyone. I try
desperately to come up with another way of getting the information I
need. I have to know how to save my husband. Then I have a thought
and my mind screams at me to
text
her!
Will won't even
need to know that I've asked her.

"Don't
text her either, Canada," Will's voice scares the shit out of
me.
I always loved the fact he knew me so well. Now? At this
moment? Not so much!

Oh
my God!
I'm such an idiot!
And yes, that
has
been
established already, I know.

Grabbing
my laptop, I turn it on, praying the internet is still on and that I
can get a signal in this part of Missouri.
It
is and I can.

I
type in the search engine bar
"What
should I do for
someone with a fever"
and the results show that
both
options are recommended, depending on which site you go to.
Well,
shit.
Let's not make this easy.

I
decide to go with the option of keeping him cool, since it's easier
with it being cold as hell outside and all. I ask him to sit up and I
help him remove his shirt. I also turn off the heat to the back and
then wet another rag, placing it on his forehead. Settling back on
the floor, I watch him. Then my thoughts take me somewhere I don't
want to go.
What if he gets pneumonia from being so cold?
Shit! Shit! SHIT!

I
shoot up over the front seat right next to Jake's face, startling
him, and he jumps.

"Shit,
woman! You scared the hell out of me!" Then he sees the panic on
my face and his expression turns to concern. "What is it? What's
wrong?"

"Jake,
Will has a fever. I looked on the internet and one site says keep him
cool, but another says keep him
warm
. I chose the keep cool
option but what if he gets sicker from being cold?
What do I do,
Jake?
"

"Well,
first of all, calm down. Second, why didn't you just ask me in the
first place? I
am
in the military, remember? I do have to know
basic survival and first-aid. Keep him cool for now, give him some
fever reducer, and check his temp again in a half hour. He'll be ok."

Right. Ok.
He knows what to do. Ok. Will is going to be ok...Wait!
I
recall the looks and Jake's attitude toward Will and start to worry.
He's not telling me this just to kill him off, is he?
No, he wouldn't do that...would he?

I
turn back around and sink to the floor, fear churning in my stomach
like hot lava. My mind is spinning like mad. The paranoia is
overwhelming!

Will's
arm moves and his hand rests on my cheek, gently rubbing. I raise my
head and our eyes connect His love for me is right there, clear for
anyone to see. I never have to question
his
feelings for me. I
cover his hand that is still caressing my cheek with my own hand and
smile at him.

"I
love you, Canada," He softly tells me.

"I
love you, too, Will." I lean forward and brush my lips against
his. Then he smiles and closes his eyes.

I
vow to myself that I'll keep him alive. No more fear. No more
second-guessing myself. No more relying on others when I'm uncertain
of their true motives.

And...no
more Jake!

Feeling
mentally stronger and more in control, I lean forward and remove the
rag from Will's forehead, using it to wipe the rest of his face and
the back of his neck. Wetting it again, I place the rag back on his
forehead.

Going
through the bag of medical supplies, I finally
find
the item I prayed was inside. I place the thermometer in his mouth
and when it beeps, pull it back out out and check the digital screen.
A hundred-and-one point nine degrees.
Ok, could be worse. Not too
bad.
Now to just get it down from there.

I
give him more water to drink and then make sure he's comfortable.
Turning and looking back over the front seat, I ask Jake how much
further to Snowden. He tells me we should arrive in just a few
minutes. Trying Bianca's cell, I still receive no answer. Climbing
back over to the front, I start preparing myself for the fight we
will surely be facing very soon.

Reloading
both of my handguns, I place one next to Will, just in case. I warn
him the bullets are for the
zombies
, not
him
. Little
joke that was
so
not a joke. Just wanted to put that out
there, but hoping for reassurance that he won't do anything stupid,
especially after his little speech about not making it back alive.

He
assures me with a laugh that none of those bullets have his name on
them.

Feeling
better that he has no plans to take his own life, I pull out the
sniper rifle, Jake's rifle, and my shotgun. I fully load each one and
place them on the floorboard next to my feet.

I
look up just in time to see the "Welcome To Snowden" sign.
As we enter the town, we find ourselves in a residential area and can
already see the undead. There are at least thirty or so scattered
here and there just down the first few blocks. We drive through
slowly, looking for the house Bianca described.

After
five or six blocks, we come to the business part of town. The road
runs left to right in front of us. We sit at the blinking stop light
and look both ways, trying to decide which way to go. A couple
zombies start heading toward us but we ignore them, knowing they have
no chance of doing any damage to us.

I
tell Jake that Bianca had said she was headed to a nearby gas station
so that is what we should look for and I also remind him she was
coming from the other side of town.

He
starts forward, leaving the business area, and we drive the streets,
looking for the house or a gas station. Finally, we see a gas station
a few blocks away. Passing it, he drives further up the street and a
large green house with white trim appears just a block away. I see
Bianca's car sitting in the street...along with a shit-load of the
undead.

With
fear and dread, I search the zombies to make sure Bianca isn't one of
them. I don't see her,
thank
God
! Yes, I realize not
seeing her doesn't mean a damn thing, but hope is hope and I'm not
giving up hope so easily anymore. I look at Jake and he looks back at
me.

"You
ready for this?" he asks me.

"Of
course. I'm a freakin' pro at this shit now."

Jake
gives me a big grin and says, "That you are, my sexy bad-ass
woman."

Will
growls deep in his throat. My grin instantly disappears as I realize
exactly what Jake had just said and that it was loud enough,I
suspect, just for Will's benefit.

I
pick up my handgun and sniper rifle. Pointing the handgun at Jake's
head-don't tell my kids I did this-I say, "Shut up, Jake, and
put your big girl panties on. Let's kill some of these bitches."

He
gives a slight nod. I climb over the backseat to help Will sit up so
Jake and I can get up and out the hatch without stepping on him.

Will
grabs my arm and stops me. He tells Jake to go on up, and with a
"screw you" look to Will, Jake goes after glancing back at
me.

"Be
careful, Canada. I mean it. No stupid chances. And don't be doing
anything stupid with Jake, either."

I
open my mouth to argue with his comment but he stops me.

"Just
do what I said."

I
nod and lower my eyes to my lap.

"One
more thing," Will pauses and I raise my head. "If I die and
turn, kill me. And don't be stupid about it. You did it once. Just
this time...don't miss. Promise me, Canada.
Promise
me."

Shit...SHIT!
I stare at him, my mind racing with words of protest, but I know he's
right. It's something I will have to do.

I
nod and whisper, "I promise."

I
give him a long kiss and he holds me tightly against him until,
finally, I pull away and tell him I have to go. He nods and I stand
up and reach for the hatch.

Looking
back at him, I say, "Just do me a favor. Don't die."

He
gives me a thumbs-up but the sad, defeated look on his face is going
to stay with me for a very long time.

I
give him a weak smile then climb up and out onto the roof. I get into
a shooting position, bring the rifle up, and look through the scope,
targeting the first zombie. Pulling the trigger, I start taking them
down, one by one.

Jake
takes out the ones closest to the truck. After several minutes of
this, I'm almost thrown off the truck-if it hadn't been for Jake
grabbing onto me, I would have been-when the truck is rocked back and
forth. Looking down, I'm shocked to see the amount of zombies
surrounding the truck, all very determined to get to Will and the two
of us on top.

Pulling
out my handgun, I help Jake with the ones doing their best to get
inside to Will-though the windows
should
hold, I'd rather not
take the chance. One by one they go down. Finally, the area around
our truck is cleared-for the most part-and I get back to sniping the
ones closer to the house. When I've got them down to a more
reasonable amount, Jake pulls the truck forward as I continue
clearing the zombies.