mercy ; peter ballard

7. s p a c e s o n g

march 24, 1986

"hey, dustin, this is eddie the banished. you there?" eddie called through the walkie. "dustin, can you here me?"

everyone was passed out in the wheeler's basement, exhausted.

"dustin?" he tried again.

nancy springs up. bea lay comfortably on the floor near max but not even a boom box could wake her. she just wanted to be next to her in case something happened to her.

nancy carefully grabbed the walkie, trying not to wake bea.

"hey, it's nancy," she reported, groggily.

"wheeler! hey. um, i'm gonna need a food delivery, like, really soon, unless you want me going out into the world."

nancy thought about it for a second. "no. no, no, no. don't do that. just stay where you are, we'll be there as soon as we can."

"yeah, yeah, yeah," he answered, quickly. "listen, um...can you pick me up a six-pack? i know it's stupid as shit, drinking right now, but a cold beer would really calm my jangled nerves."

nancy turns her head and looks at the couch. max wasn't there. nancy began to panic. "uh, hey, i'm gonna have to call you back."

she quickly lowered the walkie antenna, walking over to dustin. she grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him. "dustin!"

"hm?" he groaned.

"wake up! aren't you supposed to be on max watch?" she scolded.

dustin rubs his eyes. "yep. yep, yep, yep. sorry."

"okay, then where is she?" she asked, gesturing to the couch.

"she's right there...a second ago. i swear, i just dozed off for..." he looks at his watch. "...an hour," he whispered, anxiously.

nancy runs upstairs, spotting max in the living room. she stops.

"morning, guys!" mrs. wheeler exclaimed. "everything okay?"

"yeah," nancy breathed out. "yeah, everything's okay."

"i think it's so sweet that you guys are sticking together like this."

"could try sticking together at a different house for a change," mr. wheeler added on, flatly.

nancy walks over to max as mrs. wheeler rolls her eyes. she looked to dustin.

"you know you're welcome anytime," she smiled, holding a plate and spatula.

"totally. you're like family," dustin replies. he gestures to the food. "may i?"

"absolutely!" mrs. wheeler hands him a plate.

"yeah, why not? take us for all we're worth," mr. wheeler reacted.

"okay," dustin smiled, taking as much food as he wanted.

meanwhile, downstairs in the basement, bea rested. she found herself in the lab.

"beatrice," he called.

"no," she gasped, bringing a hand to his cheek. "you're dead. you're not real."

"hi, bea," he spoke. "i missed you."

"i don't get it."

peter smiled, "you don't have to get it, dear. come home to me."

"no, this is impossible! you died in the massacre!" she cried out, huddling her arms around her head.

"happy thoughts," she whispered to herself. "happy."