Life After Z

Chapter 40 - Cooper

Everyone was doing something to help around the community center. Everyone but me. After I busted open one of my stitches climbing up the ladder from the pool area, Ivy banished me back to the medical room to rest. She efficiently and with very little conversation patched me up again and hooked me up with more IV antibiotics because she had several cases that could only be administered this way from when she raided the hospital for supplies. She then ordered me to stay put while she went to show everyone else how they could actually contribute.

Meaning that I have spent hours laying on my back with nothing to do other than replay what went down between Lucas and Everett this morning while feeling completely useless. Those two throwing down the gauntlet and each declaring that they were going to fight for Ivy only cemented my intention of not acting on the growing admiration that I had for Ivy. So I wasn't upset that they were getting to spend time with her and I was stuck here. I was upset because the very last thing I ever want to be in this world is dead weight.

And that is exactly what I have been reduced to.

Dead weight.

I heaved out a breath and reached out to open up the cabinet that lined the wall by the gurney. Inside I found an impressive amount of medical supplies. I toed open the one farther down and again found the entire thing to be jam-packed with so much stuff that I didn't recognize half of it. If we had still been in the truck and found a stockpile like this on a supply run I would have nearly cried in joy.

These kinds of supplies didn't exist anymore.

Even with the majority of the population walking around as Zs, medical supplies had been one of the first things to be completely ransacked. I don't know if all of it is in places like this for the few survivors that are doing well or if most of it got used up in the first few months of the apocalypse but I do know that the contents of this room were valuable. The kind of value that people won't think twice about killing over.

And this was just one room within Ivy's sanctuary. If you consider the greenhouse, hot water, power, and library this place is a zombie-apocalypse gold mine. The only reason someone hasn't killed Ivy and taken this place for themselves is that they haven't found it. Allowing the Zs to stay in the bottom level is great camouflage but without any active security, it would only be a matter of time before trouble sneaks up on us.

Trouble like those pirates that tried to jack our truck and we left alive. Jen told them about Ivy having fresh food. There is no way in hell that they don't come back sooner or later. And I was betting on sooner. I busied myself thinking through the issue of security and when Ivy came back with a salad in her hand, I had some working ideas about what we could do.

"Hey, how are you feeling? I was hoping to find you asleep. The best thing you can do right now is rest. Your body is using up a huge amount of energy to heal. The process will take longer if you refuse to sleep," Ivy said and there was a warmth in her voice that had been missing since the night I betrayed her. I ignored the twinge of hope that warmth evoked within me and kept things professional.

"I have been thinking about security. Other than the Zs downstairs and keeping watch when you can from the observatory, what kind of security measures do you have in place here?" I asked and she raised her eyebrows but answered my question.

"I have welded large metal sheets I found at this art studio down the block to all of the doors on the main level and boarded up all of the windows with two-by-fours. I also have weapons and ammo hidden in strategic places throughout and Milo knows how to tell the difference between the dead and survivors. He is the one that altered me when you guys drove into town that first day."

I looked down and sure enough, the wrinkly face of the shar-pei was glued to Ivy's side and giving me the stink eye. Well-trained dogs were worth their weight in gold in high-risk situations but right now it seemed like this one was more worried about us intruding on Ivy's safe place than looking outside for dangers. The other little dog didn't seem to have Milo's instincts or training.

"I would like to try to set up security cameras," I told her and the air of leadership I had earned through years of military ops seeped into my voice. "Both in the community center and around the town. I also want us to think about escape routes, emergency supplies, and maybe even some boobie traps for anyone trying to gain unwelcome entry. I have sniper training and I want to set up a crow's nest to give us the advantage in the event we are outnumbered."

Ivy took a seat and pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth as she considered my suggestions. Asking permission for something like this felt odd. I had been in charge for so long, it was weird to have to run my ideas by someone else instead of just figuring out the best way forward.

"There is a security office on the first floor. I assume some of the stuff we will need for the security cameras will be in there. There are cameras throughout the second floor, but I have no idea if they are working or not. The thought of using them did cross my mind, but I couldn't get to the security office because of the dead. It was just too risky on my own," Ivy said, almost sounding like she was trying to explain why she had failed to do something.

I rolled to my side and then carefully sat on the edge of the gurney. I looked directly into Ivy's eyes and told her in a gentle and sincere voice, "Ivy, what you have accomplished here is nothing short of amazing. I am not trying to criticize you or the security of this place. I just want to do everything in my power to keep us safe. Now that it is more than just you, we will be able to achieve things that weren't possible on your own. I will make a plan to scope out the security room and we can do a run to find anything else we need. However, I do believe that we need to take extra precautions sooner rather than later."

Her brow furrowed and her hand dipped down to sink into Milo's fur. "Why?"

"Those men will be back," I told her seriously. "We need to be ready when they do."

Ivy sat back and studied my face for a moment before asking, "You think I should have let Everett kill them?"

I reached out and placed my hand over hers. She surprised me when she instantly turned her hand over and intertwined our fingers. "I think that you did the honorable thing and I support your decision. At the end of the day, we have to be able to sleep at night. But I also think there will be consequences. We don't have the luxury of burying our heads in the sand about this. They were part of a larger group of dangerous and selfish men. They will be back. We need to be prepared."

Ivy squeezed my hand and I saw fear flash through her expressive brown eyes. "Alright. Let's get prepared," she said in a voice that didn't portray any of that fear.

God, there is nothing better than a brave woman.