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Lifting a conscious person was harder and easier. Marge could wrap her arms around their shoulders, but she could also cry out in pain—which was awful. Thankfully, she was a petite woman, and they were able to get her to the truck quickly, though Mercury didn’t like to think about the pain every bump in the torn and rubble-covered highway would cause her.
Nathan was a lot bigger and heavier than his partner. The broken ribs were agony—so much so that almost as soon as they lifted him, Nathan passed out.
“’kay—fast.” Mercury grunted under the effort. “Get him in the truck before he comes to.”
The women struggled but managed to heft the big man into the bed. Jenny had to climb in to help Mrs. Gay slide him the rest of the way, but once he was loaded, Sadie and Gemma joined them and made quick work of rearranging the tarps so that they covered most of Marge and Nathan and Jason. The mother and daughter squeezed in on either side of the wounded people, ready to give them help and support. They pulled the tarp up around their shoulders and nodded that they were ready.
“There’s not much more room back there without dumping the suitcases,” Jenny said after she helped Mrs. Gay from the truck bed.
Mercury nodded at the young teacher and then turned to the crowded truck bed. “This is going to be a hellish ride for you.” She closed the tailgate securely. “Stella will try to avoid holes and such, but—”
“We know,” said Marge. She lay beside Nathan, half propped up by Jenny’s backpack. Her hand rested on his shoulder, though he was still unconscious. “It’s a fucking disaster. Nothing you can do about it. Tell Stella we’d rather get to shelter fast than have her pussyfoot around.”
“I hear ya!” Stella called from the half-open window.
“All right, if you need something, bang on that rear window and we’ll stop,” Mercury slid back in the cab beside Stella, with Jenny and Mrs. Gay close behind her.
“Glad to get outta here,” said Stella as she put the truck in gear and gave it some gas. “I will try to be as careful as possible, but I agree with that woman.”
“Marge,” Jenny said.
“Yeah, I agree with Marge. We need shelter. Fast.”
“Is that what your gut’s telling you?” Mercury studied her friend’s profile. Stella’s intuition was epic. It was one of the things she appreciated about the older woman—that she’d lived long enough and was self-aware enough to trust her gut—and to follow it.
“Yes.”
Mercury nodded and squeezed Stella’s leg. Her friend navigated through the pack of vehicles. Several of them had shattered windows and slumped figures inside. Mercury kept her gaze averted, but she noticed that Mrs. Gay stared at every one of them. Her lips moved as she clutched her crucifix and prayed soundlessly.
Once they were clear of the vehicles, Stella increased their speed, though she was definitely not going as fast as she had before there were wounded people in the bed of the truck. Mercury glanced back through the rectangular window. Sadie and Gemma were hunkered down with Marge and Nathan, who had regained consciousness, and Jason, who had not. No one looked up at her.
“How are they doing?” Stella asked, not taking her eyes from the road before them.
“They look alive,” said Mercury.
“I hope they stay that way,” said Jenny. “It was horrible the way Todd died.”
Stella’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were colorless. “The whole fucking thing is horrible.”
“Language!” said Mrs. Gay.
“Uh-uh!” Stella snapped, still not taking her eyes from the road. “Here’s the deal, Karen. I won’t tell you how to talk or think or act—and you will show me the same respect.”
“Well, I don’t like—” Karen began, but Stella cut her off.
“No. This isn’t up for discussion. I’m not pandering to your provincial bullshit during a fucking apocalypse. If you can’t be more tolerant, I will stop this truck right now and leave you by the side of the road.”
Karen sucked air. “The—the others wouldn’t let you.”
“Sure we would,” Mercury said.
Jenny snorted a laugh that she covered with a cough. Mrs. Gay’s lips pressed into their familiar narrow line, and she shifted so that her back was mostly to the three of them. For a moment Mercury felt incredibly light. What Stella had said to Karen Gay was something the narrow-minded woman had needed to hear for decades. Maybe some good things will come out of this mess…
“That group is not far ahead.”
Stella’s words pulled Mercury out of her head, and she focused on the highway. Probably a little over a mile in front of the truck, the group of people had stopped and turned to face them.
“I see ’em. Well, we know that none of them are so badly hurt that they can’t walk,” Mercury said.
