JDY Fiction - Well Why Not

[Jerry D Young]

Well, Why Not? - Prolog

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[Jerry D Young]

“I’m a littlemore concerned about the human caused disasters than anything else. Financialcollapse, war anywhere in the world and even here. I need a prepper consultant.And one has pretty much just fallen into my lap. Someone with no staff to knowabout any preps done. Someone I can trust to do what I want and not give itaway.”



“And you trustme to do that?” Jerry didn’t question the accuracy of her information. She’dpieced it together. No need to try and deny it. He was a prepper, and there wasno denying that to Trish.



At least, he hadbeen. He’d eaten through his food supplies, and slowly sold off everything elsewhen he was invalided. But things were the same or worse now, than they werebefore the accident. He’d resolved to do what he could when he got a job, butthat was looking further and further out. Unless he took on the job for Trish.



Trish hadwatched the play of emotions on Jerry’s face. His color returned to normal andhe looked over to meet her eyes. “Yes. You can trust me. But do you really wantto? A couple of months of preps and gear aren’t too expensive. But the deeperyou get into it, the more you will spend as you see more things that need to bedone. In other words, can you afford both me and the preps? I can certainlygive you some pointers to get you started and then start paying you back when…”



“The last isn’tan option. I have information… from a couple of sources that I have, that badthings are going to start happening within two years. Things the American Peoplewon’t like. Things that will create massive shortages. Things that willdecimate the infrastructure.”



“Things?” Jerryasked. “Kinda slim reasons to prep.”



“Not to me. Iknow these people from my college days. They went one route, and I wentanother. But they keep me informed. Been after me for years to prepare forthings in general. Now they are adamant. They can’t be thought giving out theinformation, and them helping me get ready would compromise their security.”



“You areserious!” Jerry said. He’d developed his own sort of radar and had similarfeelings that things were on the cusp of happening. He didn’t bother asking herwho her sources were. She’d not tell him, he was sure.



Trish nodded,her eyes on Jerry’s. “I have three people I want to bring in on this. Peoplethat will be of great help if I can convince them of the seriousness of thesituation and get them into the prepping too. I’ve read that it is better tohave a group than go it alone.”



“That is true inmany cases, though not all. A bad MAG is much, much worse than no MAG at all.”



“MAG?”



“That is aMutual Aid Group. People willing to help one another when the situation callsfor it. Can be as close of a group as family, or more diverse, with the groupcoming together only when they are needed by one of the others in the group.”



“This would bethe second. I don’t have any family. And no close friends except for thesethree people.”



“And them? Dothey have family and friends that would become part of the MAG whether or notthe rest wanted them in?”



Trish lookedthoughtful. “I hadn’t really given that much thought. One is a family guy. Iguess I just assumed he’d be in it with his wife and little girl. Madge… She isfrom a big family, but they threw her out when she got pregnant in high school.She hasn’t talked to any of them in several years.”



“So she has achild. How old. And the father?”



“She lost thebaby. The boyfriend, when he found out she was pregnant, beat her up bad enoughto lose the baby. And he’s doing forty to life for murder of an appellatejudge. I don’t know the details. She can be pretty standoffish, especially withmen.



“Joanie, on theother hand… She’s pretty social. Not a party girl, but she likes to have a goodtime. No kids or steady boyfriend. But she’s always been there for me, justlike the others.”



“I see,” Jerrysaid. “And how much in the way of resources are we talking about, total forprepping, plus my wages?”



“We all do okay.I’m probably the most well off, followed by Madge and then Tarlley. He’s the guy.I don’t really know any personal details for their finances. Just that they allcomplain about the same things I do when we get together.



“Preppingdoesn’t have to be hugely expensive, but it does have costs. Monetarily as wellas psychological and lifestyle choices. You’d want to make very clear to themthat this would become a lifestyle as much as anything. Doesn’t have to affecteverything, but will affect many choices they’ll be making in the future.”



Trish lookedthoughtful. “I think I can talk them into it. So, will you do it?”



Jerry took adeep breath and then let it out slowly. “Yes. I’ll do it.”



“You nevermentioned the salary you wanted or expected,” Trish said then.



“Just figured acouple of months of work and we’d be even. I’m easily worth four hundreddollars a month.”



“But that won’tgive you living expenses,” Trish promptly said.



“True,” Jerryadmitted. “I just… If you continue to pay my expenses… say… four hundreddollars a month and I work for six months?”



“I think that isreasonable. Probably a little light on your end. But we can work out any littledetails at the end of the six months. That okay?” Trish asked Jerry, wishingshe wasn’t quite so hopeful for a yes answer.



Jerry onlythought for a few seconds. Yes. That will work. Now, first things first. Whereare you planning to set up?”



“Set up? Youmean live? Right where we do, I guess.”



“Ah.” Jerrysighed.



“Not a goodanswer?” Trish asked, seeing his impression.



“Well… A homebase of some sort is usually agreed upon for a group. Either one of themembers’ homes or some remote location where everyone meets when things startto go bad.”



“Well, theremote is out,” Trish said. “There is no ‘remote’ in New York City. I don’tthink the others would want to leave the city, anyway.”



“The city isn’tthe best place to ride out some things. Hurricane, tsunami, nuke war. Many ofthe physical disasters call for evacuation.”



“Oh. I thoughtyou meant we’d have to move,” Trish said.



“To be honest,given the money, I would be out of here like a shot.” Jerry shook his head.“Despite all the good things about this city, I don’t think it will fare wellin a major disaster.”



Ratherdefensively, Trish replied, “I don’t know. The city has pulled together prettywell, I think. Look at 9/11. I take it you aren’t a native.”



Jerry shook hishead. “Missouri. The boot heel. Came up a few years ago for a contract job. Didokay on the job and just kept working until the accident. I was on track tomove back home with a nice piece of cash to get a small farm and be a gentlemanfarmer until the collapse.”



“Collapse?”



“The thing Ibelieve is most likely to happen. That or a nuclear attack. The Russians andChinese… Well. Just because. This will give me a chance to heal up so I can geta real job and get enough money together so I can get out of here.”



Trish lookedmore than a little disappointed. Though it didn’t show for long. “I see. Well,I hope you can get what you want from this arrangement.”



Jerry gave aslight shrug. “If not, I’ll just have to find another way.”



“Look. I have toget back to work,” Trish said. She dug out her wallet and handed Jerry fourmore one hundred dollar bills. “I’d rather pay at the first of the month.You’re working month, I mean. I doubt you have much left from the lastinstallment.”



Jerry didn’tanswer, but took the money slowly, reluctantly. Trish was right. He only had afew dollars left.



“Here is my homeaddress,” Trish said, writing it down on the back of her business card. Come bythis evening and we’ll discuss getting things started.”



“Are you sure…”



Trish was pagedand she quickly said, “I’m sure. I have to go.”



Jerry steppedaside and let Trish precede him from the office. He made his way out of thebuilding, his mind in a whirl. In his hurry to get things done and out of theway, he hadn’t given much thought to what he’d need to get Trish and the othersset up. The four hundred dollars was going to have to stretch a long way.



He began walkingto a place he’d seen advertised on a billboard recently. It was an outfit thattook older computers, refurbished them, and resold them for a small profit. Allhe needed was something that included WiFi capability so he could get on theinternet at the residential motel. Even as decrepit it was, it did have WiFi includedin the weekly rate.



Jerry finallyhad to stop and rest, and then take a bus the rest of the way to the computerplace. His back just wasn’t up to that much walking. When he arrived it didn’ttake him long to find a computer that would do. Nothing like the one he’d ownedbefore the accident, it did have everything he had to have. He’d like to get aprinter, but for the next best thing, he got an extra used thumb drive he couldprint to and then give to Trish to print out, or do it at an office and printshop.



When he was backto the apartment building he paid for another month’s stay. He thought abouttaking one of the morphine pills when he got back to his room, as his back wasreally bothering him, but decided a hot soaking bath and then a nap would bebetter. He might just need those pills sometime in the future.



He wound upsleeping longer than he intend and woke up hungry. There were enough thingsleft in the apartment to put together a quick meal. He was going to have toreally stretch things during the month.



One of the fewthings he’d managed to hold onto during his recovery was a set of three thumbdrives filled with his emergency preparation files. With his fingers mentallycrossed, he fired up the computer and once it was ready he checked each of thethumb drives to make sure nothing was corrupted. They were all fine and thedata was intact.



Jerry worked onthe computer until it was time to head for Trish’s place. He shut down thecomputer and put it in the cheap nylon case that had come with it. He checkedthe time and the address and sighed. If he was going to be on time he wouldn’tbe able to take the bus. He’d have to spend the money on a cab.



But he was ontime, early, actually, and had to wait for a few minutes for Trish to show up. Shelooked a little frazzled. “Sorry if I’m late. There was a gang fight and I hadsix bodies to log in.”



Trish handedJerry her computer case as she dug into her purse to get her keys out. A fewminutes later they were inside. “Have a seat,” Trish told Jerry. “I’ll be outin a few minutes.” She disappeared into a bedroom and closed the door.



Jerry lookedaround and sat down. The small living room was decorated conservatively. Jerry tookout his computer and began to pull up files he would want to refer to for thisfirst consultation meeting.



He looked upwhen he heard the bedroom door open and close a few minutes later. Trish hadchanged out of her office attire and wore a pair of faded jeans and an NYU teeshirt.



“Much better,”she said. She saw the computer on Jerry’s lap and added, “I was going to offeryou my old laptop. For some reason I didn’t think you would have one.”



“Well, actually,I picked it up after I left the morgue. I managed to save all my data when Ihad to sell the one I had.”



“Out of thatliving expense money?”



Jerry nodded.



“Well, I thinkit best if we set up an expense account for you. There is no reason for you topay out of pocket for things that pertain to the preparations we’ll be making.”



“I don’t think…”



“Just bring thereceipt next time and I’ll reimburse you.” Trish wasn’t going to let Jerry talkher out of it and it was pretty obvious to Jerry.



“I’ll keep theexpenses down to the bare minimum.”



“Well, I don’twant you shorting on things. I want this done right. Not on the cheap.”



Jerry frowned.“I wasn’t implying…”



“I’m sorry,”Trish said. “It’s been a trying day. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”



“Oh. I see. Noharm, no foul.”



Trish smiled inreturn. “Thank you. I get rather… less nice… when I’m not feeling well. Imissed lunch and my blood sugar is low.”



“We can put thisoff,” Jerry said. “You need to eat something.”



“Yes. I do.There is a place down around the corner. Would you mind doing some of thediscussion over a pizza and pitcher of beer?”



“Sure,” Jerryreplied. “I haven’t had pizza or beer in a very long time. And don’t worry.I’ll pay my half.”



“I wasn’t…”Trish started to tell Jerry she wasn’t worried about the price of half a pizza,but cut herself off. It was important to Jerry that he pay his way. “Okay.Dutch it is. Let’s go before I pass out.”



Jerry set thecomputer aside and waited as Trish found her purse and slung the long strapover her head to hang down one side. “I guess I’m ready.”



Jerry held thedoor open for her and then stepped back so she could relock it. It was apleasant evening and Jerry was feeling fairly well as they walked down the busysidewalk. Trish noticed and commented. “You seem to be moving quite a bit betternow.”



“I walked quitea bit and was really feeling it when I got home. A hot bath and long nap inlieu of the morphine.”



“That’s good,”Trish said. “Morphine is great for what it does, but it is a double edgedsword. I’m glad you didn’t get hooked. It happens way too often.”



“I read up onit. That is the conclusion I came to, as well.”



“Well, here weare,” Trish said after they turned the corner. She held back slightly to allowJerry to open the door for her. It was busy, but they were able to get a tablewithout too much of a wait.



They ordered aloaded medium and pitcher of draft. Jerry poured them each a glass and he tooka sip. “Ah, that tastes good. I don’t drink much, but a beer and pizza justkind of go together.”



“Yep. I gothooked in college. There was a small mom and pop Italian place that made the bestpizza. And they got their beer from a local micro-brewery. Not too expensive,especially since they would cut you off if they thought you were drinking toomuch.”



“Sounds like anice place.”



Trish sighed.“It was. Not there anymore. The husband died and the wife just sold off theplace and went to a managed care facility. She didn’t last long. They’d beentogether for sixty years.”



“Ah. Too bad.But that is how it works sometimes. Two become one and one can’t live withoutthe other.”



“Exactly,” Trishsaid. “Very insightful.”



“I read a lot,”Jerry replied, slightly embarrassed.



“I used to,”Trish said and sighed. “Now it is about all medical and morgue related. Ihaven’t been to a movie in months.”



“Can’t rememberthe last time I went,” Jerry said, looking thoughtful. “Not a big movie fananyway. Mostly the action adventure stuff and some science fiction. Not thethrillers. Monsters. I’m an old B-movie monster movie fan.”



Trish smiled. “Ikinda like the romantic comedies. Typical, I suppose.”



There pizzaarrived and the two dug in. Both were obviously hungry and it didn’t take longto finish the pizza and beer. “Not quite enough,” Trish said as Jerry countedout his portion of the check. “How about some ice cream before we go back?”




Copyright 2012

[Jerry D Young]

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[Jerry D Young]

“Okay,” Trishsaid. “You aren’t going out into that.”



“I’ll get a bus.I won’t be out in it for long.”



“No. Get a cab.And get a receipt. I’ll reimburse you Saturday.”



“But…” Jerryjust couldn’t seem to win an argument. Trish was already calling a cab company.



When she putdown the telephone she went over to the desk where she’d placed her purse. “Ipicked up a prepaid cell phone for you. Call me Friday night and give me thedirections to your apartment and I’ll pick you up. I’m going to try to geteveryone to go to Tarlley’s for the day. He has a small place that might workas the meeting center you mentioned. I’d like you to see it and give youropinion.”



Jerry hesitatedbut finally nodded and took the phone. “Okay. Just add it to the tab.”



Trish was goingto try and explain that she considered it an expense, but kept silent. Jerrylooked depressed as it was. He obviously hated to be taking things from anyone.So she said, “Okay.”



There was a honkand Jerry headed for the front door of the house and out into the falling rain.



Jerry worked thenext two days, getting current prices and availabilities of a multitude ofitems. He spent several hours in various major food stores and little mom andpop stores getting prices of common grocery store foods.



He was up earlySaturday, ready to go as he and Trish had arranged by phone the evening before.Making sure he had the money he had left, and the laptop and extra thumb drive,Jerry was ready when Trish pulled into the apartment building parking lot.



Jerry looked thevehicle over as he approached. The beautiful British Racing Green Jaguar lookedready to pounce. Jerry walked over and put his computer bag behind thepassenger front seat, sat down, and buckled in.



“Nice car,”Jerry said.



Trish lookedover and smiled. It was a genuine complement and not the put down she sometimesgot for driving such an expensive and luxurious car.



“Yeah. I likeit.”



Jerry’s glancehad taken in the tight blue jeans and form fitting blue cotton shirt. Trish’shair was loose and flowing rather than in the bun he’d seen her in before.



“I’m glad youwere up to getting this early of a start,” Trish said as she maneuvered up offthe city streets and onto a thoroughfare. She handled the responsive car well.She did push the speed limit a bit, Jerry saw. They were only passed a fewtimes and passed hundreds on the way to the Tarlley’s.



“Is Tarlley afirst name or last?” Jerry asked.



“First. His lastname is hard to pronounce. And long. He hails from a long line of Spanishroyalty, according to his family tree. I think he plays it up some, but he is agood guy. Though he can get a bit jealous. His wife is a real Spanish beauty.She’s perfectly happy and in love with Tarlley, but when he sees someone try tohit on her, he goes into that Royal Protector mode. Makes it very clear thatCarmalita is his wife.



“I don’t knowwhat he is going to be like when their daughter, now five, grows up. I wouldn’twant to be a guy wanting to date her.”



“Well, there isno problem from me. I’ve pretty much sworn off women. No offense.”



“None taken.”But Trish looked over at Jerry for a moment before putting her eyes back on theroad. “I take it you’ve had a bad experience…”



“Rather not talkabout it. But yes. Very bad.” Jerry looked out the side window and went silent.



Trish decidedshe’d better do the same. Curious, but not too invasive. She could wait. Guysalways wound up telling the sad tale.



Jerry sat upstraighter and began to survey the area they were passing through. No longerstructure on top of structure, this area was much less densely populated. Therewere even front and back yards that required mowing more than ten minutes. Eventhe occasional place with an acre or more of ground.



“Tarlley livesin that tan Mediterranean house over there,” Trish said, pointing to a ratherlow, sprawling house surrounded with manicured lawn. He thought he saw thesigns of a fountain in the open atrium of the house.



“That looks likea beautiful place.”



“Oh, it is. Youcan’t see the pool from the road, but there is a large in-ground pool with poolhouse and a huge outdoor kitchen for entertaining. Tarlley doesn’t throwparties very often, but when he does, it’s a humdinger.”



Jerry smiled. Hecontinued to check over the surroundings as Trish maneuvered off the thoroughfareand down onto the city streets. A few minutes later and they were pulling up tothe three double wide doors of the garage. There was a parking area that didn’tblock the garage, with two vehicles in it. Trish pulled in next to them.



“The Fordmini-van is Madge’s, and the Chevy Sidekick is Joanie’s,” Trish told Jerry asthey got out of the Jaguar. Walking up to the gate in the atrium wall, Trishadded, “Tarlley has four cars, a boat, and a motorhome. That six car garage isfull, but with enough space for him to work on them himself. He has all the tools.”



“Trish! So goodto see you again,” said the tall, bronzed skinned man that opened the gate. Hishair was jet black and combed carefully back and the moderate length tied up ina ponytail.



He looked atJerry and extended a hand. “You must be Jerry. Our expert. Welcome to my home.I am Tarlley del Ontiveros de Zaragoza.”



“Thank you,sir,” Jerry responded, with a very slight, but perceptible bow that was more ofa slight nod. The heel click was muffled with the hiking boots he had on, butTarlley saw it and smiled.



“Come in, comein! Out of this heat!” Tarlley held the gate open and Jerry waited for Trish togo through before he did. The tall walls that formed the atrium with the ellshaped house were covered with glazed tile. And with the set of fountains inthe center of the atrium, it was fully twenty degrees cooler inside thanoutside the walls.



But they passedthe fountains and entered the house proper. The three women shared cheek kissesand hellos as Tarlley and Jerry stood silently by. Trish finally turned aroundand introduced Jerry to the two women. Madge nodded amicably, but Joanie gavehim a good once over. Until Trish nudged her.



“Hi,” Joaniereplied then, taking Jerry’s proffered hand. “You’re looking pretty good for aguy with a broken back.”



Jerry had tosmile at her youthful enthusiasm. “Well on the mend. I’ll be back to my oldself in a few weeks.”



Joanie didn’tsay anything else, but Madge finally spoke. “Are you sure we need all this…survivalist… prepper… nonsense?”



Trish started toprotest, but Jerry spoke first. “Not at all. I don’t do the ‘survivalist’thing. I’m a prepper and that is what I’m here to teach. To those that want tolearn. Participation is strictly voluntary as far as I am concerned.”



His voice hadbeen light and level, and all eyes turned to Madge.



“Well… Okay… Iguess… Trish really seems to think we need to do this, so I’m game. Up to apoint.”



“And I,” Tarlleysaid, ushering everyone into the spacious living room. “Have become more than alittle concerned with the way things are going here in this nation and abroad.I count myself lucky that I decided on this house design when Carmalita and Idecided to build. We’ve not had a single problem with robberies or invasions,and they are becoming almost commonplace in this area. We are fairly securehere.”



Jerry wasnodding. “It is a good design for a house for a prepper. Does it have abasement?”



“Small. Just underthe main part of the house for mechanicals and some storage. There is nooutside entry.”



Jerry noddedagain. “I see you have a pool.”



Tarlley smiledand went to the sheer curtains covering one of the windows, to give full viewof the large patio and pool. Three more tall walls enclosed the area and therewere a couple more fountains running to keep things cool. The outdoor kitchenand seating area were roofed with canvas awnings.



“It is abeautiful place,” Jerry said.



“Not so nearlyas beautiful as my wife.” She lived up to the statement when she entered theroom. “Carmalita, Mr. Jerry Rastman. Jerry, my wife, Carmalita. Again Jerry didthat not quite bow and heel click. He didn’t offer a hand. Carmalita did herown very slight curtsey in acknowledgment.



“Little Anaceliais at a friend’s house for the day. We thought it best so we could concentrateon the lessons Mr. Rastman has for us. Can I get anyone anything before westart?”



There were headshakes all around, so everyone found a seat and the others looked at Jerry. Hedidn’t squirm, but it was close.



Jerry took adeep breath, let it out, and began to go over the things he’d told Trish, witha bit more detail. And the group had many questions that Trish hadn’t thoughtto ask the first time, but was glad the others did.



The group brokeup for a bathroom break and the light lunch Carmalita had ready for them,waiting in the refrigerator. They ate out on the patio, and were quitecomfortable with the fountains and the shade they were under.



All eyes were onJerry when he got up after eating, and began to look over the house and wallsin detail. When he turned around a few minutes later and saw all the eyes onhim he reddened slightly. “Just checking a few things… for security aspects.”



“And yourobservations? Is this a good place for everyone to meet in the event of adisaster, as Trish has suggested?” Tarlley was obviously eager for the answerhe expected from Jerry.



“It does havemerit for everything except violence,” Jerry said, joining them at the tableagain.



Tarlley looked abit shocked, but it was Joanie that spoke up. “But with these walls! And thewhole house! It is stucco! Bullet proof, right?”



Jerry wasshaking his head. “No. I’m afraid not. I thought at first the walls were solidconcrete block with stucco over them. But they aren’t. They are simply woodenframed walls with a good coating of stucco. Excellent for privacy and tocontain the atmosphere comfortable in extremes of heat, and certainlybeautiful, but far from bullet proof.”



“I see,” Tarlleysaid. “I gave no thought to bullets when I had the house built. Not so good,huh?”



“Pretty goodagainst fire. And pretty good concealment, so they can’t see what they areshooting at, but can still shoot through randomly.”



“Do you reallythink we’ll have to deal with that?” Madge asked, looking uncomfortable.



“It is allscenario specific,” Jerry explained. “Might never come under fire, or it couldbe daily occurrence for a while.”



Madge wasshaking her head. “I don’t like the idea of guns.”



“It iseveryone’s personal choice,” Jerry said, “as far as I am concerned. It will beup to the group to decide if any weapons are needed or wanted and who has themand doesn’t. I can give advice on what to get for various situations, but theactual selection, if any, will be up to you all.”



“Can we notdiscuss guns any more now?” Madge pleaded. “I don’t think I want to be part ofa military group.”



Jerry lookedover at Trish and she shrugged slightly and then said, “We can discuss thatamong ourselves some other time.



“No atomic bombstuff, either,” Madge added a bit forcefully, having had the weapons discussiontabled.”



Again Jerrylooked at Trish and she shrugged again.



“As you wish,”Jerry replied. All the early stages aren’t too specific to any disaster. “Theyare the basic needs that apply to everyone. And with that said, the homes willneed to have similar set ups. Only when really needed for a wider spreadsituation would everyone need to meet here. Or some other designated place ifthis one isn’t suitable.”



“There is somuch to take in,” Joanie said with a sigh. “How much money are we talkingabout?”



“From about oneand a half times your current food budget up to as much as you have you want tospend. All of this preliminary stuff is fairly reasonable. The exceptions thatI mentioned earlier call for a savings plan if they aren’t immediatelyaffordable. And the needs here for…”



Tarlley smiled.“Just call me Tarlley like everyone else. I find no insult.”



Jerry smiled andnodded. “Thank you, Tarlley. The needs and possibilities here are differentfrom those for Trish, and I assume you and Madge,” Jerry said.



Jerry continued,“I don’t really know what kind of dwelling the two of you live in,” meaningMadge and Joanie.



“Apartment,”Joanie said. “Fifth floor of seven. In building three of nine.”



“So it is anapartment complex then, not just a lone apartment building? A pool or otherservices?”



“Two pools, oneof which is a kiddie pool. Workout gym, an open kind of park area. Prettysmall, though. Good for a family or two to picnic. Has two charcoal burners.That’s about it.”



“Has possibilities,”Jerry said. “Mixed commercial and residential or residential zone only?”



“Mixed,” repliedJoanie.



Jerry lookedover at Madge.



“I have a smallhouse on a small lot in a small gated community. No basement. It is strictly aresidential area. It is quiet. I’m not sure I really need to do anything.”



“I see,” Jerrysaid. “What about hurricanes? Tornadoes? Floods? Blizzards? And any number ofother things that could happen?”



Madge frowned.“Well, I suppose. But in the city like I am, there won’t be any tornadoes orhurricanes. They can’t happen in a city the size of New York.”



“Well…” Trishwas saying, looking at Jerry.



“That is awidely held belief. I don’t follow it. Tornadoes and hurricanes can happen inand to large cities, New York City included. History has shown…”



“Those were alla long time ago, weren’t they? The ones you were going to explain. Things aredifferent now.”



“It is really amoot point,” Jerry said. “Getting ready for the things you think could happengo a long way to preparing you for things you don’t expect. I believe that justgetting the things I listed earlier will do for most of the things you willwant to prepare for.”



“Oh,” Madgesaid, somewhat mollified. “That doesn’t sound so bad, then. I thought you weretalking about underground doomsday bunkers and things like I’ve seen on TV.”



Jerry smiledslightly. “Those shows have been a double edged sword. The doomsday angle getspeople to watch that might not watch a program about Prepping 101 that doesn’thave massive quantities of food and plenty of guns, and a deep bunker. But theygive a misleading impression of what is really needed to be prepared for mostthings. Preparing for a true doomsday event will be costly, time consuming, andmight never be needed in our lifetimes. Hopefully people will figure that outas they watch those shows.”



“So we don’tneed a bunker or anything to survive?” Madge asked next.



“Didn’t saythat,” Jerry quickly responded. “You will need one to survive some scenarios.But those are much less likely to occur than situations where you just need tostay home, live on your preps for a few days or weeks, and then get back tonormal.”



“Okay. I guessI’m in, then,” Madge said, relaxing significantly.



Trish and theothers congratulated her and then looked at Jerry to continue. Before he could,Carmalita suggested they go back inside.



For the nextthree hours Jerry shared his thoughts and opinions on preparing for the basichuman needs that would apply to almost all disasters. Tarlley was graciousenough to print off copies of the information and supply lists that Jerry hadset up and transferred to the extra thumb drive.



Madge was thefirst to leave, citing an early evening appointment, and then Joanie, aftergiving Jerry and Tarlley effusive thanks for their help left. Trish talked afew minutes to Carmalita, thanking her for the lunch, while Tarlley showedJerry the basement.



“This haspotential for a medium length stay shelter for up to ten people or so, ifmodified, equipped, and supplied.”


Copyright 2012

[Jerry D Young]

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[Jerry D Young]

“One of the bestexamples, though the decision hasn’t been made about them, is using military ormilitary cloned firearms, in particular the M-16 and M4 5.56 rifles andcarbines. At the time they were adopted, we were fighting a war in terrain thatprecluded shots beyond three hundred yards most of the time. So a three hundredyard cartridge was selected in a platform that was to be lighter to carry andfeed.



“But themilitary didn’t get away from the heavier caliber weapons. Those soldiers usingthe M-16 and now the M-4 were backed up with much more powerful weapons thatcould shoot harder and farther than the general issue weapon.



“When it comesto preppers, depending on the lighter caliber weapons, without the support ofthe heavier weapons puts one at much higher risk than needed. There is a needfor short range firearms in prepper defense armories, but in general, the morepeople that have the heavier calibers, the more likely they are to persevere,especially against those that are into the issue weapons clones, due to therange and penetration of the heavier caliber versus the range and penetrationof the 5.56. What the 5.56 can do, the .308 can do for the most part, plus the.308 can do much that the 5.56 can’t do.



“The sameapplies to the 7.62x39 in SKSs and AK-47 clones, and 5.45x39 in the AK-74clones. Okay for an army. Not the best first choice for preppers, in myopinion.



“For field use,for those that can’t use the heavier caliber rifles well, something in 5.56makes sense. But for unskilled shooters whose only weapons use will be shortrange defense, there is another weapon and caliber that does as good or betterjob than the M-4 clones in my opinion. That discussion can come later, ifweapons choices need to be made.



“Now, where werewe before I got on the soapbox.”



The other’slaughed, even Madge, and Trish said, “Wal-Mart and such. Cheaper alternatives.”



“Oh, yes. Well,I’ll just reiterate what I said before. “Go for the best quality you can thatmeets the needs of the item in question. Consider the fact that it might haveto last you the rest of your life, in difficult circumstances, if you wind upneeding it.”



From there, theywent over Jerry’s lists of preferred vendors and specialty items that they’dnot covered with the basic Prep 101 items. By the time they were ready to breakup and head their separate ways, the shopping lists were completed and eachperson had the responsibility of getting one or more of the items, makingpurchases for the group for a given item to get a discount where possible.Everything was to be shipped to Tarlley and Carmalita’s since Carmalita wouldbe home to sign for it, and they had the space to store the items until therest could pick up their items the next weekend.





But, fate beinga fickle fellow, there was not a single item delivered by Tuesday. And Tuesdaywas the day that things happened that would have put the ordered items to gooduse. The only real ‘break’ was that the group was together to celebrate Anacelia’ssixth birthday. Unfortunately, not at the family’s home. They were out toAnacelia’s favorite pizza place, usually only visited when the family was doingsome shopping closer to the city center.



It had taken anincredible amount of persuasion on Carmalita and Tarlley’s part to get Jerry tojoin them. He’d been asked to put together a small kit for Anacelia since shewanted to be a part of what she’d been missing, when the grownups had theirmeetings.



So Jerry wasthere long enough to hand over the brightly wrapped gift to Carmalita. And justlong enough to get caught in the middle of a terrorist attack. He was about toleave the restaurant, but still had his back to the entrance when a loud boomsounded and the glass in the front of the shop blew inward.



Jerry’s back waspeppered, as was Carmalita’s, with shards of glass, though his body hadshielded her from the worst of the explosion. He was thrown into her, butmanaged to grab her shoulders and catch his balance before knocking her down.



There werescreams from all over the restaurant, as well as outside. “Anacelia!” screamedCarmalita. She dropped the package and worked her way toward the booth wherethe others were, still calling for her daughter.



Jerry took themoment to grab the package, almost being trampled by the other patrons’ maddash to get out side. He bulled his way toward the booth and found everyonecrouched down, partly under the table of the booth. Tarlley had Carmalitawrapped up in his arms, and Carmalita had Anacelia likewise.



Everyone lookedscared. Jerry was about to speak when the lights went out. Anacelia and Madgeboth screamed. The others were close, but managed to not scream, but they alldid exclaim.



“Everyone staycalm,” Jerry said. He handed Anacelia’s gift to Trish in the dim light comingthrough the shattered windows. “Open that up and get the things out of it.”



“My present!”Anacelia cried. “That’s my present!”



“I know, LittleMiss,” Jerry said. “But your present, if you will allow us to use it, could bea very big help right now. It is very important.”



Anacelia bit herlip for a moment and then softly asked, “Can I open it first and give thethings to you?”



“Of course,”Trish said, handing Anacelia the gift after getting a nod from Jerry.



“I’m going to gocheck and see what is happening. I advise you to stay right here until I getback. This could be anything. An accident, even.”



“But…” Madgesaid.



“He’s right,”Joanie said. “He knows what he is doing. Let him do what he thinks would bebest.



Madge, trying toget out from under the table eased back. “Okay. I guess.” She looked at Jerry.“You’d better not make this worse.”



Jerry ignoredthe silly comment while the others just stared at Madge. “What?” She asked.“He’d just better not.”



Sensing therewas nothing they could say to convince her otherwise the others turned to watchAnacelia open the package. The first item out of the large box, after the wrappingpaper was removed with the help of her mother, was a wind up flashlight. “Wow!”Anacelia said. But she quickly handed it to Trish.



It was gettingvery dark so Trish wound up the flashlight and turned it on. The beam lightedthe pale faces of the group, but there was not another soul in sight in thepizza shop.



“Everyone left,”Madge said. Maybe we should go, too.”



“No,” Tarlleysaid. “Jerry said stay here. That’s what we are going to do. What else is inthe package, Honey?”



Another “Oh,wow!” was followed with not one, but two one-half liter bottles of water. Shehanded them off and dug into the box again. “This says I have to give it toyou, Daddy, before I open it.”



Anacelia handedher father the smallish box. He opened it and saw the Swiss Army Knife. “Honey,I think Jerry wanted you and me to learn how to use this together. It is alittle too much for you by yourself. Okay? When we get out of here, I promiseyou can use it, with me helping.”



“Okay, Daddy. Iguess that is okay. You said Jerry was pretty smart.” She next out of the boxwas a whistle, followed by a small signal mirror. Anacelia handed each item toone of the others in rotation. Except for the next time. It was a bicyclehelmet. Carmalita immediately helped Anacelia put it on.



“Here is anotherone that says Daddy or Mommy should help me with. It she gave to her mother.



“A Bic lighter.Honey, just like your father, I’ll help you with this later. Okay?”



“Okay, Mommy.” Anaceliawas back in the box already. “What’s this?” she asked, holding up the P-100dust mask still in its original packaging.



“That’s a maskso you can breathe when there is a lot of dust in the air. I don’t think youneed it right now,” said her father.



So Anaceliahanded it off. Next out was a pair of swimming goggles. “Are we going swimming,Daddy?”



“Not right now,Honey. I think those are like the mask. In case of blowing smoke or dust.”



“Okay. A packetof tissues. For runny noses, Mommy?”



“That’s right.”



“What arethese?” Anacelia asked, removing two small rectangular plastic packages.



Trish leanedforward and said, “One of those is a space blanket, and the other one is aponcho.”



Anacelia’s eyesgot huge in the light. “I can sleep in space?”



“No, Anacelia,”Joanie said with a laugh. “The space blanket is just something to keep youextra warm in cold weather. And the poncho is keep off the rain.”



“Oh. Okay. Can Ihave these now?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at her mother, as sheheld up two boxes of juice, a packet of trail mix, a packet of jerky, and asmall bag of hard candies.



“I think theseshould wait. They are all part of an emergency kit. You might need them later,”Tarlley said. Little did he know how prophetic that statement was.



“Wow!” cameagain when Anacelia picked up a cell phone with a note attached. “What is pre…prepaid?”



“That means itis already paid for so it can be used without having any money,” Carmalita toldher daughter. “I’ll hold on to that for you.”



“Okay, Mommy.” Arubber change purse was in Anacelia’s hand. “But I have money, Mommy.” She heldup the coin purse to her mother.



“So you do. Anda note, it seems,” Carmalita said. “A ten, a five, five ones, and some coins,plus a note to taxi drivers to get her home and they will receive a reward.”



A zip-lock bagwith a pair of warm gloves and a knit cap came next. It had a note on it, too.“Add underwear,” Anacelia said and handed off the bag to Trish.



“What’s this?”Anacelia held up a small bottle of gell and a round plastic case with somewhite paper in it.



“That is toiletpaper and Purell hand sanitizer. To clean your hands when there isn’t any soapand water.



“That’s smart,” Anaceliastated and reached into the box again. “Wow! My own first aid kit! I know yousaid we were getting a really big one! I have one of my own, now. But it is alittle one.”



“That’s good,”Tarlley said. “Just what you need for scrapes and bumps.”



“Yeah. I getbumps a lot,” replied Anacelia. She looked at Trish, Joanie, and Madge. “I falloff the swing sometimes.”



The otherssmiled at the matter of fact statement.



The rest of theitems didn’t really interest Anacelia at the moment. ID cards, city map withhome and relatives’ addresses marked. A list of safe houses and number for ataxi company.



Finally a smallback pack came out of the box and Anacelia said, “That’s all. Wow! I like thispresent.”



Tarlley helped Anaceliaput on the back pack at her urging. Most of the things went back into it,except for the flashlight and whistle. “Put this around your neck, Ana,”Carmalita said, handing her the whistle and lanyard. If you get lost, you blowthat every so often until someone finds you. Okay?’



“Okay, Mommy.”



Suddenly, fromthe darkness outside Jerry’s strained voice came to them. “Carmalita, could youtake Anacelia somewhere in the back for a few minutes. And Tarlley, I could usea hand. And whoever has the flashlight, keep it pointed the other direction.



Trish andCarmalita both hurried to do as Jerry asked, and Tarlley hurried forward tojoin Jerry. Tarlley gasped when he saw Jerry half supporting, half carrying aNew York City police officer.



Tarlley took theofficer’s other side and they carried him to a table near the booth the threewomen were at. “Trish. Could you see what you can do? I’m going to find theplace’s first aid kit.”



It took only afew moments with the flashlight for Trish to determine that the officer was acandidate for the morgue and not a doctor. The man lifted an arm and his handgripped Trish’s sleeve weakly. “Get out while you can. Get out. They arekilling everyone.” The man’s hand slipped and Trish felt for a pulse. There wasnone. The police officer was dead.



Jerry camehurrying back, but slowed, and his shoulders slumped. “Too late?”



“Way too late,”Trish said. She made sure the dead officer’s eyelids were down and then turnedto Jerry. “It would have taken a trauma team to save him, and perhaps not then.What is going on? Did you find out?”



“Did he sayanything before he passed?” Jerry asked.



It was Tarlleythat replied. “Just to get out. And that ‘they’ are killing everyone. Who isthey? And what are we getting out of?”



“I was hoping hecould explain further. But when I found him, he was already almost out of it.But here goes:



“Some defenseagency got word that there was going to be an attack on New York City thisevening. But they didn’t know what or exactly where. Officer Creyton there gotinstructions to start clearing the streets and to move everyone toward theirclosest perimeter of the City. And not to use the subways. They were being shutdown. This was not long before I got here.



“Creyton hadjust started working the area to our west, getting people moving when theexplosions were set off. He told me there was a whole ring of devices… dirtybombs… set off, and we’re in the middle of it.”



“Dirty bombs!That’s radiation! I saw it on TV!” Madge was close to hysterical.



“They are dirtybombs, but their range is limited. In a large circle around the financialdistrict.”



“But we’re notthat close to the financial district!” Joanie said.



“Yeah. But we’restill inside the circle. And according to Creyton, there are either terrorists,or foreign troops inside the ring, too, and they are just killing everyone theyrun across.”



“But why?” Madgeasked. “Why would they do this? And who is it?”



Jerry was shakinghis head. “Creyton didn’t know. Only to get people away from the financialdistrict. And to expect running into armed perpetrators. Which he did. He saidhe’d just turned a corner several streets away and half a dozen uniformed menopened fire on him. He went down and was apparently unconscious because theydidn’t finish the job, but kept going the way they were heading.



“He was up,trying to use the radio when I found him. The radio wasn’t working. Or, atleast, no one was answering. He told me what I’ve told you, as I helped himback here. I ran across several bodies a couple of streets over.”



“So we’retrapped here because of you!” Madge cried. “We could have gotten away if youhadn’t told us to stay.



“Some of thosebodies came from here. Recognized one woman that was wearing a tiger printdress, and saw the uniforms of a couple of the servers here.”



“I saw thatwoman in the print dress,” Tarlley said. “And she is dead now?”



“Very,” Jerryreplied. “It looked like they just cut them down as they were running away.”



“But we mighthave made it!”



“Yes. Might,”Jerry said. “But I wasn’t going to risk any of you without knowing what wasgoing on. We’re alive and we’re together and have at least an idea of what isgoing on. Why, now. I don’t know why. But there is a reason. So we need to getout of here and head for the nearest gap between two of the dirty bombs.”



“No. We’re safehere. You said so yourself,” Madge insisted.



“We were for awhile. The perps are headed in this direction apparently. I don’t’ know whythey want everyone dead, but they don’t seem to be taking any prisoners.Creyton said he heard mostly foreign languages being spoken by the group thatgot him. At least two different languages, neither being Spanish or English,but he didn’t know what.”



“So we need togather up some supplies and get ready to go. Water, mostly. And a large knifeor two from the kitchen.”



“Why theknives?” Madge asked.



“So far Ihaven’t seen any signs of the perps messing with the women, but it is a high probability.I thought you all would feel better with at least something in hand to protectyourselves with.”


Copyright 2012

[Jerry D Young]

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[Jerry D Young]

He crawled overto the sidewalk where a minivan had run up on the sidewalk and into thebuilding. Jerry squirmed around until he was partly under the minivan and asprotected as he could get.



Keeping theGlock ready, he pulled the second spare magazine and put it on the sidewalk infront of him. Just before he passed out he saw and heard several helicopters,flying just above the buildings, go by. They were definitely US. “Here comesthe cavalry.” Then he was unconscious.




Well, Why Not? - Chapter 3



That is wherethe military assault team found Jerry, twenty minutes later. A call went outfor a medic, who called for an emergency evac.



When he opened his eyes Jerry saw the canvasoverhead and decided it probably wasn’t heaven or hell. “More like a MASHunit,” he muttered. He took a quick mental check of his body. Everything seemedto be in place, but with a restriction on his left thigh. “The one I took thebullet in.” Another mutter.



A uniformednurse was suddenly looking down at him. “I see you are awake. How’s the pain?”



“Not much pain,”Jerry said, analyzing the ache in his thigh where the restriction was. Hewiggled his toes. So far, so good. “Nope. Not much pain. Can you tell me whathappened. After I passed out, anyway?”



“No idea. Theyjust brought you in with a gunshot wound to the thigh. Nicked a minor artery. Fortunatelyyou were brought in before you bled to death, but it was close.”



“I meant theothers? Any word on the group I was with?”



“Sorry,” thenurse said. “We’ve been handling casualties from all over. Don’t know anydetails of where you were when you got shot, or anyone you were with.”



“Oh. Okay.Hopefully they made it to safety.”



There was thesound of a man clearing his throat and the nurse looked around. “I think thedetective wants to talk to you,” the nurse said and hurried away.



“Jerry Rastman?”asked a man in a suit and tie. He was holding up a badge case and Jerrysquinted at the name but couldn’t make it out. Just the fact that it was a NYPDLieutenant of Detectives.



“Yes…”



“Mind telling mewhat you were doing with a uniformed police officer’s gun and equipment? A deaduniformed police officer. One…”



“One James Creyton,”Jerry said.



“Yes. You killhim?”



“No, sir,Lieutenant. The bad guys shot him while he was trying to get people toevacuate. I got him to the doctor that is part of the group I was with. Therewas nothing she could do, she said.”



“Why did youtake his gun and gear?”



“Didn’t want itto fall into the wrong hands, plus I perceived there was a need to be armedwith what was going on.”



“What was goingon?”



“I don’t knowfor sure. Officer Creyton said, before he died, that he’d been ordered toevacuate his area and then told the doctor to get out and get out fast. Thatwas when I was looking for a first aid kit in the restaurant.”



“So that madeyou think you might be in danger of your life?”



“Someone shotthe officer and was apparently still about, so yes. I didn’t realize the scopeof the event until later.”



“Oh, really? Andwhat scope is that?”



“I don’t knowfor sure. Just speculation on my part. I was hoping you might be able to tellme what went down. And where the rest of my group is.”



“Don’t knowanything about a group except what you’ve told me. Doesn’t look good for youright at the moment.”



“I didn’t killhim! I suspect you’ll find, if you don’t know already, that he was shot with anAK-47. That is what the others I saw were carrying. And I’m pretty sure youdidn’t find an AK anywhere around where you found him in that restaurant.”



“Perhaps this socalled group you keep mentioning can verify your story. Who are they?”



Jerry took adeep breath and released it. “They won’t be able to help. I was out scoutingwhen I found Officer Creyton. He was already mortally wounded when I got himback to the restaurant.”



“Still, I’d likethe name of those in that group.”



Jerry hesitated,but none of them had done anything, so he reeled off their names and Tarlleyand Carmalita’s address, and then Trish’s address. “I don’t know where theother two ladies live.”



“Just what sortof group was this?”



“I was teachingthem how to prepare for disasters.”



“Survivalists,you mean. People out to bring down the government.”



“No!” Jerry saidadamantly. “Preppers. People just wanting to learn how to get by during naturaldisasters and such. Something like what has just happened, too. Only they justhad a few hours of discussion and haven’t received any of the supplies ordered.Not that they would have done much in this situation, it being in New YorkCity.”



“I take it bythat you mean no illegal guns.”



“No guns,period, seems like.”



“So you wanted agun for your own protection and took it after you killed Officer Creyton.”



“I think perhapsI should get a lawyer before I answer any more questions.”



“Why would youneed a lawyer if you are innocent?”



“You keepimplying that I killed the officer and I didn’t. I used his equipment toprotect myself and the group from whoever those terrorists were.”



“Tell me whatyou know about terrorists. How do you think it played down? Don’t need a lawyerfor that, do you?”



Jerry hesitated,but with the spirit that most innocent people have to cooperate, decided totell the detective what his thoughts were.



“A series ofdirty bombs, around the financial district. Do as much damage as possible andkeep people out of the dangerous area based on the radiation. Then bring insome equipment, open up the banks and other financial establishments’ vaults inthe area to clean out the bullion known to be stored there.



“Give the USanother black eye, terrorism, and get enough untraceable financing to carry onwith more terrorist acts. All they have to do is melt down the gold, pour itinto new bars, and go from there. Billions of dollars. Makes bin Laden’sfinances look feeble.”



“You seem toknow an awful lot about this. Perhaps I’d better bring DHS in on this.”



Jerry shook hishead. “I did not kill the officer, and I had nothing to do with the attack. Itwas just an educated guess, based on some of the things I saw, and what officerCreyton told me. It is just a theory. You haven’t said if I was correct ornot.”



“Not my place tosay. Now, let’s go over things again…”



“Sorry,detective. Not without a lawyer this time.”



“Think that willhelp?”



“It sure can’thurt. You’re ready to try, convict, and execute me for something I didn’t do.”



“You’ll behearing from me,” the detective said, closing the notebook he’d been using towrite down whatever it was he was writing down. “The staff here has orders tonot let you leave without my okay. We’ll get to the bottom of this, and if youare involved, you’ll pay the price of killing one of my compatriots.”



Jerry justlooked at him until the detective left. When Jerry moved his leg he groaned.Now his back and leg were both hurting. He waited for a nurse to approach. Shewas checking each patient’s IV bags, if they had one.



“Any chance ofseeing a doctor to sign me out?”



“See a doctor,perhaps. Sign you out, no. It’ll be at least one more day before you can getaround with that leg, even with a walker. A wheelchair, perhaps, if you canarrange for one.”



“How aboutsomething for the pain?”



“I’ll get thehead nurse over to evaluate you.”



It wasn’t thehead nurse that came over, it was a doctor. She was wearing captains bars. “So.Pain meds wearing off?”



Jerry nodded.“Not just the leg. I had serious back trouble recently, and everything that hashappened has aggravated that.”



“I see. You arein pain now?”



“Yes.”



“Level, zerobeing no pain and ten the most intense pain you can imagine?”



“Only about 5, Iguess, but it is constant in the back and throbbing in the leg.”



“I’ll have thenurse increase the drip slightly.”



“Thank you. Canyou tell me what happened? The detective that was here thinks I murdered apolice officer.”



“Don’t knowanything about that. You were brought in here by lead elements of a responseforce for terrorists on the ground. The bullet nicked a small artery and took achip out of the left femur. You just need time to heal, with no use to speak ofwith the leg. Where you take that time is up to others. I’ll care for you here.But there are many wounded, from the explosions, radioactive elements, andgunshots. As many or more dead than just injured. I’d say you were a lucky one.I have to see other patients.”



Jerry sighed andnodded. Seemed like everyone considered him bad news. Thankfully another nursedid come by, adjusted the drip for the pain medication, and noted it on hischart at the foot of his bed. She never said a word.



Rather thanworry about things he was unable to do anything about at the moment, he let thepain medication relax him into sleep.



He had no ideahow long he’d slept, though it was again dark. He also didn’t know what wokehim up. “Must be feeding time,” he decided when he saw the other patients inthe ward having a meal. But that was before he knew someone was behind hishead, doing something to the bed and IV support.



“I’ll have thisloose in a minute, Mr. Rastman. Get you out of here and into a civilianhospital. You’re being transferred.”



Jerry started toask about the detective’s orders to keep him where he was, but didn’t mentionit, just in case there was a screw-up and he was going to be able to get out ofthe place, in mostly one piece.



But there wasthe detective standing at the doorway in the air supported tent. He wasfrowning, but let the nurse push Jerry through the door without a word. Acivilian ambulance was waiting, and the two attendants took over, moving himfrom the military gurney to the one the ambulance carried. Jerry barelygrunted. The IV was transferred, the driver of the ambulance got in front, andthe other climbed in back and closed the rear door.



“How youfeeling, dude? Pain okay? Breathing okay?”



“Yep. Pain hasfaded since they upped the meds. I don’t know what they are giving me.”



“I do,” said theattendant. “We’ll have you to the hospital in a while. The closest ones aretaking the worst cases and the ambulatory and semi-ambulatory are being farmedout to hospitals further away from the attack site.”



“Does anyoneknow what happened? I saw some terrorist…”



“Yeah. Bunch ofthem. They got stopped in their tracks just before they got away with all thatgold. Media, through the military, was showing some of it on the air. Palletafter pallet after pallet of bright, shiny, gold.”



Jerry saw thewistful look on the attendant’s face. “Gold fever. Probably going on all overthe place,” he thought to himself. His stomach was growling and he was anxiousto find out what had happened with the others. He thought they’d made it pastthe terrorist okay and it was a straight shot then to the police and militarycordon lines.



The motion ofthe ambulance, having to go slowly due to the heavy traffic, put Jerry back tosleep with the help of the last of the IV bag of pain killer. He woke again whenthe ambulance stopped.



Groggy now,coming down off the pain mediation, Jerry looked around. He was hustled inside,into an elevator, and then down a hall to a room. The hospital nurses helpedthe ambulance crew transfer him to another gurney, settled him in, unhooked theIV, but left the access in the back of his hand, and then left.



He really didn’twant to be a bother, but he needed to go to the bathroom and get something toeat and something to drink. He finally pressed the call button. A nurse came inalmost immediately. “What do you need, Mr. Rastman?”



“Bathroom,water, and food in that order.”



“It is past mealtime, but I’ll see what I can do. The ParaMedics said you missed it but youlooked out of it. Wasn’t sure you were up to eating. How’s the pain?”



“Not too bad. Ithink I can get by with something besides whatever I was being given before.”



“Good sign.Okay. I’ll see about the food and water and send in a male orderly to help youto the bathroom.” Jerry nodded and eased back. He didn’t want the pain to startup again.



Jerry was backin the bed when the nurse came in with a tray, which had a pitcher of water,cup, and plate of food.



“That was fast,”Jerry commented.



“Yeah. Patientdown the hall didn’t want it. Don’t worry, it was never opened.”



“I wouldn’tcare,” Jerry said, taking the cup of water the nurse poured. He drank it downin one long swallow.



“You carry on byyourself now?”



“Yes, I can.Thank you. Oh. I hate to be a bother,” Jerry said, looking up at the exposedcables and mount for a TV screen. “No TV?”



“I’m sorry. Itwent out this morning. Maintenance hasn’t had a chance to bring another in.Everyone is quite busy with the attack and all.”



“That’s okay.I’ll find out what happened eventually.”



The nurse lookedat him curiously, but he was already digging into the mashed potatoes and gravybeside the meatloaf.



When he finishedthe food, and half the pitcher of water, Jerry pushed the tray back, laid back,exhausted now, but only in a slight amount of pain. A level he’d dealt withbefore by just ignoring it. Jerry was asleep. Just before a nearly franticTrish opened the door of his room. She stopped, looked at Jerry in the bed, andslowly backed out.


Copyright 2012

[Jerry D Young]

But the nextmorning, Jerry was awake, eating breakfast, feeling better than he had in sometime when a knock came on the room door and Trish followed the sound into theroom.



[FONT="Times New Roman"]

[C-POP]

Thank You another great story !!!

[Bama]

great read! The story leaves you wit alot of food for thought

[Ozarks Lady]

Very good story Jerry. Thanks
Nancy1340

[peddler1]

very good. You have a great gift.