If Tomorrow Never Comes

A Mushroom Cloud ( I )

A day of fire and hell began in the most ordinary way.

The baby's cries echoed through the house. He wailed, as he did every morning, an alarm for his exhausted parents. An announcement to the household: 'I have decided it's time to rise and shine.'

"Nate," the woman rolled over in bed, a mess of drowsy eyes and bedhead, "wake up. It's your turn to get him."

The man laying beside her gave a deep groan in return, still half-asleep. She watched his brow scrunch and his eyelids stay firmly shut.

She sat up and stretched, "Yeah, I thought as much. You're lucky that I love you." She kissed his cheek before sliding out from under the covers.

On the way out of the room and into the hallway, she heard the whir of an engine chugging to a start.

"Good morning Codsworth."

The robot finished switching itself on and focused an eye stalk on the pajama-clad woman. His voice was unnaturally cheerful.

"Good morning, Miss Nora. I hear young Shaun has awoken."

"It's hard not to hear him." She joked.

"Such loud noise for such a small lad to make. His lungs certainly are powerful. Shall I put the kettle on?"

She smiled, pushing open the door to the baby's room, "That would be great. Thanks Codsworth."

The scent of lavender and baby powder filled her nose. Multicoloured toys lay scattered across the floor — rattles, teddies, building blocks. The boy's crying continued. Nora stepped carefully between the objects, like a game of hopscotch, until she reached the crib.

The baby quietened at his mother's touch. As she stroked his head he began to sob once more.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Shhh," she comforted him.

Nora reached up and spun his mobile. He kept on wailing. A thought came into her mind.

"I know! Your favourite cow. That'll make you feel better, little guy." She looked around.

It sat proudly on the dresser; a scruffy, well-loved thing. One ear was missing, and the tail, but it mattered little to Shaun. His sobbing stopped as he took it in his small hands.

Nora smiled down at the boy.

"Kettle's boiled!" Codsworth chimed from the kitchen.

"I think that's our cue, Shaun." She picked up her baby, bouncing him in her arms as they made their way towards the bustle.

Natural light shone in through the windows; the sun outside bright yellow against the cloudless sky. The Mister Handy glided around the room, humming along to the radio. The television created a blanket of white noise in the background.

She picked up the newspaper with her spare hand, skimming over headlines. Photos of soldiers heading off to battle and their wives proudly waving them off lined the front page. The real horrors hidden from the people back home. The trauma, the gore, and the loss all but forgotten in the public's mind. Nate wasn't the first, and wouldn't be the last to have suffered at the government's hand.

"War. Always war. It's all they'll write about anymore. All that phoney talk of patriotism and glory. It never changes," said Nora.

"Oh, dastardly business. Too much fighting for my tastes," Codsworth poured a cup of coffee and sat it down, "But, of course, we're lucky to be safe and sound in Sanctuary Hills, mum. You needn't worry yourself with those things."

Nora let out a small murmur of recognition, but not quite agreement. She picked up the coffee and took it, and the baby, to sit on the sofa.

A news programme was on TV. The reporter sat and spoke to the camera, "And now for a brief look at the local weather. This weekend, unseasonably warm temperatures continue with a high of 56."

Nora yawned and watched, barely registering the words being said.

Codsworth chattered in the background, "When Mr Nate wakes up, I could prepare the three of you a lovely picnic. It's the most beautiful day outside. The neighbours are mowing their lawns and Ms Rosa's boy is running up and down the street again. He really is a pest, that child. I know young Shaun won't act so foolhardy when he grows up. He's going to be a clever lad, I can already tell. That reminds me, I really must tidy his room. I'll finish up my work inside then tend to the flowerbeds in the garden, mum."

Bang. The sound of a cup smashing to the ground tore Codsworth from his thoughts. Broken ceramic and coffee splattered across the wooden floor, a twisted crime scene. Nora sat frozen above the mess, her eyes glued to the television and clutching Shaun tighter in her arms.

"Everything alright, mum?"

She didn't hear a word. Her attention was completely on the screen.

The newscaster continued, "Followed by... yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions... We're... we're trying to get confirmation... But we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations... We do have... coming in... confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania. My God."

Nora's mind ran a thousand thoughts. As the television screen switched to the message 'Please Stand By', she turned to Codsworth in shock.

"Get Nate! Now!"