3 | We Who Survive the Apocalypse | ✅

Chapter 23 - Crazy Can Get You Places

Rogan retreats back to Mara as hastily as I'll allow him, refusing adamantly to let me tend to his leg. His limp is pronounced, but I know better than to push him anymore tonight.

Doyle comes into the living room and plops down into the worn out armchair by the couch. Without a word, he closes his eyes, and within minutes his breathing becomes slow and steady with sleep.

I check on Seth again, gently waking him up and asking him how he feels. He seems a little better now, but is still exhausted. He glances around before asking, "where's Izzy?"

"She went to Finley, to get the doctor," I tell him, and when his eyebrows knit and he opens his mouth to probably scold me for letting her go, I continue, "I tried to stop her, but you know Izzy."

"Yeah, can't do a thing with her," he murmurs.

"Look, you rest, I'll wake you up when she gets back," I say.

"If she gets back," he says, but I shake my head.

"When she gets back. You know Izzy."

+++++

I pull back the dusty curtains on the front window, and see that an icy drizzle has begun to fall. Although it's cloudy, I can tell the sun is up now. I hope Izzy will be back soon. If she does come back. I know she's crazy enough to do it, but, really, how far can crazy get her?

I see Hudson hurrying through the rain toward the house, so I go over to the door and open it for him. He ducks inside, water droplets rolling off his hair and clothes.

He's out of breath as he says, "guess what I just saw on the road."

"What?" My mind immediately jumps to a herd, or the people who captured us.

"Izzy's truck, driving back this way," he shakes his head, "she's insane."

"Are you sure it was her truck, and not some of those guys?" I ask.

"She has a very distinct way of driving."

"That she does."

+++++

It takes a few minutes for the truck to pull up in front of the house, sloshing mud under the tires and billowing exhaust into the cold air.

I watch from the window as the passenger side door opens, and a woman steps out, holding a large bag. She seems vaguely familiar, but she's not the doctor I remember.

Then the truck is turned off, and Izzy hops down from the driver's side, a backpack slung over her shoulder, and the two head toward the door.

I look back at Doyle, who stands just behind me, and he's shaking his head in disbelief, as is Hudson. I can't believe she actually managed to get there and back, even if she didn't bring back who we were expecting.

Seth is awake now, sitting up on the couch, and he says, "I wonder how many people she threatened to get someone to come."

"Probably everyone," Hudson mumbles, just as the door opens and the two of them step inside.

I get a better look at the woman as she pulls the hood of her jacket down. She's middle-aged, with black hair pulled back in a ponytail and sharp, perceptive eyes.

"Hi," Izzy says, as if she's just come back from a trip to the store or something, "I brought you a midwife."

The woman gives us a brief smile, then asks to see the patient. Hudson shows her to Mara's room, the door is closed behind her, and he sits in the armchair beside the couch.

"How did you do it?" Doyle asks the question we all want the answer to.

Izzy shrugs. "I asked. Getting in would've been the hard part, but fortunately they had a newbie on the wall who let me in after I cut my arm open and —"

"You cut your arm open?" Seth asks, shock written all over his face.

"Yeah, that way they'd take me straight to the doctor. What did you think I was gonna do? Go in there, guns blazing, and abduct the guy?"

There a short pause before Seth says, "Kind of."

Izzy rolls her eyes. "That wouldn't have worked. Anyway, the doctor couldn't come - would've drawn to much attention - so he sent Eve, the midwife, with me. And he's been training her, so she can fix you up, too, Seth."

She steps further into the room, and settles onto the floor in front of the couch, setting the backpack down in front of her. "I brought some food, too. What little I could grab, anyway." She pulls out two loaves of bread, more peanut butter, and a sack of potatoes.

"This is a little?" Doyle says in disbelief, picking up the sack of potatoes.

"Well, they've got tons more food than this," she replies, "I also brought something for you two crazy kids." She pulls something else from the pack, and tosses it to me.

I catch it, and Doyle and I both realize what it is at the exact same moment. He turns pink as she says, "You know. To prevent any accidents. Because I can't keep getting midwives for people all the time."

I can't help but laugh. A box of condoms was the last thing I expected to receive. Not that it's a bad thing, of course. If we can just get alone for long enough, that is.

"Anyway," She continues, turning to Seth, "how're you holding up?"

"Better," he replies, and reaches out, wrapping his arms around her shoulders before she has time to push him off.

Her nose crinkles in disapproval, and after a surprisingly long embrace, she pries him off. "Okay, okay, chick flick moment's over."

+++++

So, yeah, I am still alive. 

First, I had writer's block, then I was lazy, then I got sick, then I got better only to get sick again, then I was a procrastinator getting hooked on a new TV show, and now, here I am, at long last, with a sort of boring chapter.

But anyway...I hope you liked it 😂

Ahhh, it's good to be back.

Even though I'll probably disappear for a month...again. 

Sorry I'm awful. 😬