Chapter Twenty-Two #4
“According to these documents, the president knew about GI-27’s escape from the lab, its behavior as a super-virus out in the wild, and the catalyst, and still chose to go down into the tunnels without warning the American people of what was to come,” Maisie says.
“The administration predicted over ninety percent of the American population would die, and they said nothing. They did nothing.”
I swallow. “Did…you two know?”
Dad looks up from the briefing, his face pained.
“Not the whole story, no. Our level of clearance knew about GI-27’s development and its inadvertent release, but the official government message down the chain was that it was a nasty stomach virus.
The impact on the country would be similar to COVID-19—more disruptive in the short term, maybe, but less deadly. ”
“We tried to contact you to warn you,” Mom says, reaching her hand out to mine, “but we couldn’t put anything in writing.”
I think back to the many missed calls from my parents last Friday, or Z Day, as they called it, and my stomach twists. “I’m sorry. I should’ve answered.”
The corner of Mom’s mouth quirks up sadly. “We understand why you didn’t, son.”
“It’s not just the zombies and the Canucks we have to worry about.
There’ve been rumors of a new settlement rising in the West. They’re calling themselves New Oregon—can you believe it?
” Dad huffs. “A bunch of hippie vegan environmentalists and homesteaders putting out calls on the airwaves to come join their new country.” Dad air-quotes “country” and shakes his head.
“They’re reporting the whole city of Portland’s basically fine!” Mom’s hands tighten into fists around her cutlery. “Damn hippies.”
Maisie and I exchange a look. Maybe Portland next? I ask her with my eyes.
I do like hippies, she seems to reply.
Dinner’s cut short when Mom and Dad’s walkie-talkies start buzzing.
“We’re needed, I’m afraid,” Mom says. “But this was the nicest dinner we’ve had in ages, apocalypse and all.
” She walks us to the door, where she clasps both of Maisie’s hands in hers.
“Thank you for helping Everett find his way to us, Maisie. We will always be so grateful to you, and welcome to the family.” She turns to me next, cradling my cheek in her rough palm.
“Son, we’ll have to watch The Substance another time. ”
“You’ve got it, Mom.” I smile, finding that I really mean it. I haven’t been able to care about horror movies these last few years, but the idea of watching them with Mom and Dad is so novel, so strange, so hilarious, maybe I could enjoy them again with their help.
When I shut the door to our barracks a few minutes later, I heave a deep sigh of relief.
It was nerve-racking to introduce my parents to Maisie.
I was so worried they’d relapse into the old, tyrannical versions of themselves and say something to offend her.
The urge to protect her, even when it’s clear she needs no protecting, feels as earnest and urgent as the need to touch her. To hold her. To prove that she exists.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but that went well?” I walk over to her, but her eyes are flustered, refusing to land on any one place for more than an instant before flickering away again. I frown, lifting her chin. “Hey. Maisie. What’s wrong?”
“Everett, I’m sorry about your parents’ job offer, I can tell you want to stay, but I need to see Gramps and make sure he’s okay, and more than that, I can’t be a part of some quasi-military—”
“I don’t want you to be. I don’t want to be, either.”
“—new government, even if I am in leadership, and, wait. You don’t?” Her eyes finally land on mine, tentative and hopeful.
“I don’t want to be anywhere you’re not—I meant that.
” I tuck her hands in mine and bring them to my mouth, pressing my lips softly to each knuckle.
“If that means living in a bunker, or working on a farm, or visiting every city in the Zombie U.S., I don’t really care, as long as I’m by your side.
” I run my cheek down the smooth skin of the back of her hand, feeling her warmth, her life, as if it were my own.
“When you leave, I want to leave with you. I love you.”
Maisie’s breath hitches in her throat, and she smiles, as radiant as the moon. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Then I’ll say it again.” I drop to my knees in front of her, whispering the words into our joined hands.
“I love you, my Maisie. I didn’t know my heart still worked until I met you, and now I love you so much, it feels like it’ll stop all over again from the weight of what I feel.
” I wrap my arms around her hips, pressing my face into her lap, breathing her in.
“I can’t survive without you, and I mean that in every sense of the word. ”
“I’ll do my best so that you’ll never have to,” Maisie says. Her hands dive into my hair, holding me to her. “I don’t know what I’m doing, or what it even means, but I love you, too, Everett. So much.”
“It means everything,” I murmur into her, holding her tight. “It means the whole goddamn world.”