He hoped she was beginning to feel better. He felt her relax further, and prayed her worries were slipping from her.
“Thank you, Uncle Joe.”
Her loving tone made him smile. “Any time, kiddo.” He playfully socked her shoulder. She socked him back.
“Oww,” he faked. They both chuckled.
“Come on,” Anna said, standing. “It’s freakin’ cold up here.”
* * *
The delicious smell of food wafted toward them as Anna and Joe made their way back to the others. Carla had been busy, putting Jared to work. They’d found a little hibachi in the basement, along with some charcoal.
Uncle and niece found Jared tending hamburgers on the grill and Carla preparing the buns.
“A hot dinner!” Anna exclaimed in delight.
Jack came out from the corner in which he’d been brooding and approached his daughter. Anna pushed the pain in her ear away and gave him a big hug. “I love you, Daddy.”
Jack embraced her, catching Joe’s eyes. Joe gave him a thumbs up. “I love you, too, darling.”
They dined on what seemed like a feast. At least compared to lately. Carla had brought mostly canned goods to their sanctuary, but also some perishables; the beef patties and buns, pre-made potato salad and crisp apples. Along with chips and soda, they ate to their hearts’ content. Jared remained close to Anna. He seemed relieved by her calmness. But she knew he was dying to ask her what had changed, but wouldn’t dare, lest he jinx her good mood.
He didn’t have to wait long. The group had finished dinner, grateful for full bellies, when she spoke, “I’ve been thinking about the ear thing.” Anna glanced around to see all watching her. “The thing is, we don’t know if it will work.”
“But honey, we don’t know that it won’t work either,” Jack countered.
Anna took a deep breath. “I guess that’s true. But I know you will all take care of me.” She meant the drowning cure, and they knew it. “Daddy, if you could do it—and Uncle Joe and Mike—then I can do it, too.”
The great hall was silent. Jack was about to speak when Anna raised her hand. “It’s the only way to be sure. I mean, if you cut off my ear,” she couldn’t believe she was actually saying that, “then we still won’t know. The waiting period could be slower. And in the end, it still might not work. I want both of my ears. I want to live as a whole human being.” She paused, looked each of them in the eye. “And, so, I choose the water cure.”
Chapter Six
After dinner, the group locked up the observatory to go get more food and supplies from Jack’s Los Feliz home. Covering each other as they scurried to their respective cars, they took out six more zombies.
Filthy business, thought Jack. How many had they killed now? Dozens, certainly. Dozens and dozens.
The trip down to the house was mostly uneventful. They swerved around a handful more of the infected gathered over what appeared to be a dog carcass.
When they reached the house, everyone piled in and locked the doors and windows after doing a perimeter and interior sweep.
Home sweet home.
* * *
“I’m going alone,” Carla was saying. She gave Jack that ‘I dare you to argue’ look. He hated that look, and stepped closer to her. They were alone in the kitchen; the others were upstairs watching a DVD movie. The cable was out, but the electricity still worked. For now.
“But why?” he asked.
“I already told you why. I want to see what’s happening out there, Jack, and I can do it better on my own. I don’t need someone breathing down my neck. Besides, you should stay with your daughter.”
“She’s in good hands with Joe,” he said, indignantly. He suddenly felt a premonition that if she left, he’d never see her again. “Let me come with you. Please.”
Carla sighed. “I need this time to myself. It will help me wrap my head around what’s happening. Besides, it will give me a chance to see if I can learn anything new.”
“I get it. And I want to come with you—”
“Accept you’re ignoring that I want to be alone.”
“Being alone, in these times, is a bad idea!”
“Just a couple of hours,” Carla insisted. “I have my radio, and you have one. I just need an hour to clear my head.”
“Where are you going?”
“The station.”
He took a seat in the kitchen. Defeated. “All right... fine. But I want you to tell me when you get there, what’s out there, and call me again when you leave. Okay? Is that too much to ask?”
Carla knelt before him, smiling lovingly. She took his hands and kissed them. “I’ll be back before you know it. Thank you, Jack.”