Second {Z Nation}

Chapter 9

Season 2, Episode 1 [The Murphy]

     The nuke hits and the blinding, white light reaches us, snapping me out of whatever state I was in. 10k and I turn towards the back window of the van, behind us is a huge mushroom cloud, where I assume the lab used to be. Doc even lifts himself up to look. Barely seconds later a wave of dust and debris starts to chase us, and it's gaining at an alarming rate. 

     "The tunnel!" 10k tells Warren, pointing to a tunnel that goes through the hill nearby.

     Warren takes the turn without letting off the gas and we fishtail into the concrete tunnel, but the shockwave catches our back end and I can feel us tilting, I reach up and brace myself on the roof of the van as 10k grabs me with his left hand and pulls me close to him, shielding my body with his. I wrap one arm around him and use my other one to press against the ceiling as we turn mid-air and smash into the pavement. My body can't handle the shock of the impact and my eyes close, no matter how hard I beg them not to.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

     When I wake up 10k is on top of me, squashing me- but with his arm still around me. I roll him off of me and cough, my lungs thankful for air, no matter how debris-filled. I sit up and my head starts to throb, I press my foot against the back doors of the van and kick, the first time it doesn't budge, the second time it creaks and the third both of them fly into the street. I roll over and look at 10k, both of his nostrils are trickling blood and his face is covered in dirt, dust, and scrapes- but he looks fairly alright.

     "10k," I say as I shake his shoulder- when he first doesn't wake my heart speeds up. "10k?" I ask, worriedly, but he stirs and I sigh.

     "Huh?" He grunts as he sits up slowly.

     I sigh and grab the duffel bag from the back of the truck and toss it out into the street. 10k gets up and helps Doc out of one of the windows. "Ah, ah, ah!" Doc winces, gripping his gushing shoulder as 10k helps him stand. "Ow, ow, watch the shoulder," Doc warns him.

     I throw the duffel over my back along with my own bag and join Warren where she stands as 10k and Doc stand and walk over. Beyond the short tunnel white stuff falls from the sky, but I'm pretty sure it's not snow in the summer.

     "Holy shit," Doc remarks about the white. "Is that snow?"

     "No, it's ash," I say solemnly.

     "Radioactive fallout," Warren adds.

     I groan and reach up to rub my throbbing temple, but as soon as my fingers touch the surface of my skin they come in contact with a warm, sticky substance. I draw my fingers away and look at them- they're covered in blood where they made contact with my temple, I wipe them on my pants and continue to watch the ash rain down as I follow the feeling of a drop of liquid down my temple, my cheek, my jaw and down my neck where I stop it before it reaches my collar bone.

     "Let's get going," I say, taking a step towards the exit of the tunnel.

     "What part of radioactive fallout didn't you get, kid?" Doc asks me, putting a hand on my shoulder to stop me from going further. "Unless you want to grow a second head."

     "We should rest here until it clears up," Warren advises.

     "Alright, boss," I nod to her.

     The others walk back to the upturned van while I stay standing, staring at the falling ash. Soon someone comes over and stands next to me, we stand in silence as we watch the grey flakes fall down like snow, deadly snow. I sigh and look to my right where 10k stands, his eyes trained on the falling ash, that is until he senses me looking at him and looks at me.