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By the Writer of Expensive Diary: It’s Me, Jessica
Discover the earlier chapter right here.
Expensive Diary,
It’s me, Jessica.
Once we arrived on the support station, there have been a few dozen folks gathered outdoors. Somebody mentioned Sean was inside with Daniel and Savannah. A couple of minutes later, Sean got here out.
“Aye, Jack is awake. He remembers what occurred to him. He made a joke about getting shot. He’s going to be high-quality. However Daniel says he wants relaxation and quiet. Jack thanks everybody for his or her concern, their ideas and their prayers.”
A number of folks evenly clapped, others gave a thumbs up signal as they went again to doing what they had been doing earlier than.
Sean walked shortly to the place Nate, Dad, Rae and I had been standing.
“Rae, Jessica: Jack want to have a phrase with you.”
Nate and Dad mentioned they’d return to Nate’s to work on the logistics of constructing the water wheel and to satisfy Dad there when Rae and I had been completed.
Sean led us into the small support station. The entrance room had cabinets with some medical provides, mattress sheets for makeshift bandages, two posters on the partitions. One of many inside organs of the human physique, the opposite of the skeletal construction. There was a small desk with a camp chair and a small cot beside the desk towards one wall.
Sean pulled again a curtained doorway main into the again room.
The room was bigger however not by a lot. The mattress within the heart was wood, had a precise mattress, blankets and pillows. A folding chair and one other camp chair had been on both aspect of the mattress and a small wood desk to the one aspect. There have been small two home windows, one on the again Western wall and the opposite on the aspect Southern wall.
Daniel was serving to Jack right into a half sitting up place whereas Savannah held up a glass of water for Jack to drink out of.
“Small, sluggish sips Jack,” Daniel mentioned as Jack drank. “Can not have you ever aspirating and dying of pneumonia in any case you been by way of.”
After just a few extra sips, Jack nodded he was completed.
Savannah put the water glass on the desk, whereas Daniel gently lowered Jack again.
Upon seeing us, Daniel stood up. “Take our seats. Be simpler for him to speak to you. Jack, preserve it brief. No State Of The Union addresses.”
After Rae and I sat down, Jack gave us a slight smile. “Hello,” he merely mentioned in a quiet, tough voice.
Rae took his hand, “Hello again at ya.”
“Samson and the puppies-”
“We already took care of them. Samson is staying with Jessica, and I’ve the puppies with me. They’re behaving nicely, getting fed, watered, and walked frequently.”
Jack checked out me, “You’re going to make Samson fats, Jessica.”
“I’ve in the reduction of on the treats and am ensuring to stroll him.”
“My gardens-”
“Rae and I’ve watered them. Your jalapenos are trying good.”
“I would like you to enter my basement. There are three five-gallon buckets, with lids, a cork in the midst of every lid, a size of plastic tubing popping out of the cork, after which going right into a beer bottle crammed with water. You need to see slightly air bubble come out of the plastic tubing from the bucket after which into the beer bottle crammed with water each twenty to thirty seconds. That’s blossom honey fermenting. If you happen to see the bubble, that’s good. No bubble, that’s dangerous. On the alternative wall are racks of magnum wine bottles on their sides. These are elderberry wines, ageing from final fall. Examine to see if the corks are nonetheless in them. Cork popped out, which implies they had been nonetheless fermenting, and the CO2 compelled the cork out.”
“If the corks had been compelled out, is there something we will do?” Rae requested.
“No. I ought to have completed it proper, however every so often, even I mess up,” he grinned.
“The subsequent neighborhood militia coaching will not be for an additional two weeks. I hope to be there, but when I’m not, inform the senior veterans to provide you with a coaching plan, take cost, and perform the coaching plan of the day. Assist them out the place you possibly can.”
“We’ll,” Rae reassured him with a squeeze of his hand and a smile.
“Rae and I took cost of your card membership. It’s a whole lot of enjoyable!”
“Good. Okay.” His eyes grew heavy. “I believe I have to take a nap. Thanks.”
He was asleep earlier than we left the room.
Entry two
As Rae and I left the help station, Sean was sitting on a log in entrance of his shack, plucking on his banjo, and waved us over.
“How is he?” Sean requested.
“He’s sleeping. We talked about just a few issues he wished us to take care of, made a joke or two, after which obtained sleepy,” Rae answered.
“Aye. It takes greater than that to take away ol’ Jack from this mortal coil. Jessica, we’re assembly up with Jamal and his bunch for commerce tomorrow. Jack usually goes, however he received’t be for awhile. It’s my first time going and Jamal’s met you. You’re a acquainted face. Would you be prepared to go along with us?”
I assumed for a second. 4 Corners and Jamal’s group have traded just a few instances now, with no points.
“Certain. I’ll carry Samson and the puppies, although. Rae, you coming?”
“I believe I’ll.”
“Aye! We depart right here within the morning for a midday assembly.”
Rae and I left Sean to search out Dad. Dad was not too thrilled on the thought of us going, however I reassured him it will be high-quality. He nonetheless regarded skeptical.
Entry three
Rae, Samson, the puppies, and I arrived within the morning.
4 Corners was already a buzz with the same old vitality.
A small group of individuals gathered on the bridge who had been going to commerce. Some had backyard carts, procuring carts, a youngsters’ wagon or two, others had packs on their backs. Mr. Miller and his flatbed weren’t there.
Rae and I checked our packs one final time for provisions for the day and water for ourselves, Samson, and the puppies. We additionally checked our rifles.
We set out shortly by way of the barrier and throughout the bridge over the river. Sean, Rae, and I had been within the entrance. A number of of the 4 Corners militia had been on the flanks of the group, and a few had been on the rear.
The hump was uneventful. As folks pulled or carried gadgets, it was a simple stroll, not a compelled march. It was truly enjoyable as I’ve grown so accustomed to strolling at a speedy tempo. We had been capable of chat with Sean and others with out being out of breath.
It was cooler than it had been the previous few days, overcast, with grey clouds suggesting rain, perhaps within the afternoon or that night.
We arrived on the assembly place slightly earlier than midday. Most sat down, drank water, or pulled out a snack to eat. I watered Samson and the puppies and gave them just a few hunks of jerky. Rae and I pulled out some inexperienced onion-sausage corn muffins and washed them down with a pull of water.
Sean ate a sandwich of rustic, thick-sliced bread, buttered, with a thick slice of ham and farm cheese he traded for that morning.
Simply as we had been ending, we might see Jamal and his group arising the street. They, too, had backyard carts and procuring carts with gadgets to commerce.
As Jamal walked as much as us, he smiled at me,
“Rambo, good to see you once more. I see you introduced satan canine with you.” He regarded down at Samson and the puppies. Samson sat however was trying intently for a canine. The puppies had been on all fours, however they too had been on guard.
“Samson, puppies, simple,” I ordered. The puppies sat down, however all of them continued to observe.
“Jamal, it’s good to see you as nicely,” I smiled and provided my hand to him. “And that is the Mayor of 4 Corners, Sean. That is our good pal, Rae.”
“Aye, good to satisfy you, Jamal.”
“Good to satisfy you, Mayor,” as they shook fingers.
Rae gave Jamal a agency handshake. Jamal regarded down as they shook. “What’s within the water at 4 Corners that appears to make such sturdy ladies?”
“Oh, honey,” Rae mentioned in her deep southern accent and smiled. “That has at all times been there.”
Jamal chuckled as they broke their handshake. Round us, the 2 teams intermingled, in search of who had what to commerce. A number of from each teams knew one another from earlier commerce conferences, whereas others had been new. It didn’t take lengthy earlier than trades had been being made, and the vitality turned extra relaxed; some even engaged in small speak. Others mentioned future commerce of things, wares, and meals.
Jamal and Sean exchanged information. Sean talked in regards to the go to from the governor and her story. The return of the gang, however Sean not noted that Jack was badly damage and mentioned he sprained an ankle, and could be laid up for just a few days.
“We had a gaggle present up a day in the past, on horseback, with some wagons.”
“Non secular folks,” I requested, involved it was the stays of the cult we fought with.
“No. Nomads, seeking to commerce.”
“What number of?”
“Oh, I might say thirty or so. A lot of the males had been on horseback, however just a few ladies too. That they had a flock of sheep, goats, a dozen or so cattle. Chickens, geese, and geese had been in cages as they traveled. Horses they rode and used to tug their wagons. Guarded and nicely armed, however pleasant sufficient to do enterprise with.
“Physique armor? Machine weapons? Radios?”
“Nothing like that. Largely gentle semi-automatic weapons like what we’ve. Some lever-action rifles. A number of shotguns.”
I nodded.
“Had these humorous spherical tents they put up in minutes. They arrange pens for the livestock in minutes, too, for the night. They arrange in one of many close by parks for the livestock to graze. It was like a small city on horseback popping up in lower than an hour. It was superb to see. Heads up, although, they had been asking a few bridge over a river that method,” Jamal nodded previous our shoulders towards 4 Corners.
“You assume they might be a risk?” Sean requested severely.
Jamal thought for a second.
“Except one thing modifications, the sense I get is they’re heading for some place. I didn’t point out 4 Corners, however mentioned we heard there have been communities out this fashion. I did say we had some come to town seeking to commerce. That appeared to place them extra comfortable. I can have our HAM man preserve your HAM man within the loop, let him know once they depart and what path they had been heading.”
“Aye, Jamal. Be a lot appreciated.”
Entry 4
On the finish of the hour, everybody appeared to have completed their enterprise and had been able to make the journey again house. We thanked Jamal and promised to maintain one another knowledgeable by way of the HAM guys.
“What do you assume?” Sean mentioned to nobody specifically.
“They don’t sound hostile. They’re seeking to commerce. Being hostile is dangerous for enterprise,” Rae provided.
“Aye. There’s that.”
“They don’t seem to be the gang,” I mentioned. “They’ve their whole lives on horseback, in wagons, and transferring their meals sources with them. They’re very uncovered. The gang wished to take and dominate. The cult wished to take and dominate. Rae is correct. This group is seeking to commerce for what they don’t have.”
Sean nodded and regarded considerate.
“However,” I continued, “In the event that they do come, and I believe we must always plan as if they’d, it will be solely sensible to be, as Jack would put it, on the prepared. Now we have an elevated place on the barrier and chute on the bridge. We might,” I nodded to Rae, “carry the neighborhood militia only for numbers. That alone would give us a virtually three-to-one benefit. They might by no means get previous the bridge and begin a combat inside 4 Corners? They might be surrounded. They may get off just a few pictures earlier than somebody shot them within the again.”
“Jessica,” Rae mentioned, “Now we’re trying just like the hostile ones.”
“Simply saying there may be nothing improper with getting ready as a lot as we will for the unknown.”
“Aye. You might be each proper. We shall be prepared. If they arrive by way of, simply as we did with the governor, we’ll meet with them and speak. Then determine.”
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead will not be solely a former Marine, but in addition a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He at the moment resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast along with his spouse and canine. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, often hogs, cows and generally geese. He grows numerous veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal taking pictures, and is at the moment increasing his woodworking abilities.
