The Second Diary: Chapter 2

By the Author of Dear Diary: It’s Me, Jessica

Dear Diary,

It’s me, Jessica.

We were making dinner on Dad’s outdoor stove when HAM Guy walked up.  He looked concerned, maybe even worried.  He sat down on an open camp chair, sighed, and began.  

City HAM Guy had a girlfriend.  And she was pregnant, due in the coming week or so.  City HAM Guy did not have any medical training and neither did anyone in the city he knew of.  There was a rumor of a doctor but on the far side of town in an area controlled by a violent gang who were very demanding of payment.

HAM Guy then looked up at Rae.

“Chicken and biscuits!  Just because I am from the South does not mean I know anything about birthing babies!  Momma put the fear of God into me as a teen bout getting pregnant.  Besides, even at a young age, I knew I was not the mothering type.  More like the big sister type,” she glanced at me and gave me a wink.  

Diary, I could not agree more.  

“Me,” Jack said, “Basic combat first aid, not a proper medic.  That leaves Daniel and Savannah.”  He crossed his arms and looked into the stove’s firebox, eyes thinking.  

When Jack and the small team went to the city to get antibiotics, it took them three days hard hump on foot to make it back.  It was also not as late into winter and they had longer days.  

I mentioned horseback.

Jack noted only a few people in the militia knew how to ride horses effectively and two of them were Rae and I.  Mr. Miller’s team of Percheron’s and flatbed would be doable.  

Rae said she would not be sure Mr. Miller or others with horses would be willing to let us borrow them in fear of someone taking them for their own use or to eat.  A horse was now a very valuable commodity.  Our Constitution and Bill of Rights even included an amendment about horse, livestock and food thieves of what HAM guy called “of the capital punishment kind.”  A length of rope and a tree were involved.  

Dad was going to Mr. Miller’s tomorrow to work.

“No harm in asking,” Dad said with a shrug.

“We need to ask Daniel and Savannah what they think.  They have a say in this.  Can’t just make decisions for them,” Rae said.

“Right,” Jack nodded.  “I will go to Four Corners tomorrow to talk to them.  I’ll come up with a plan for a small, light, fast-moving group to make the trip.  Figure over four or five days to get there if the weather is good.”  He then looked at HAM Guy, “Next time you are on the nets, tell our friend we will do what we can but no promises.  He might have to deliver the baby with assistance over the radio.”

HAM Guy just nodded and thanked Jack and the rest of us.

Diary, the idea of delivering a baby with help over a radio, I’m not sure how I felt about that.  

Entry two

Seeing as how I knew Savannah from the days before the power went out, it only made sense for me to go with Jack and Rae to Four Corners to ask her and Daniel for what Jack called “The mission.”

Diary, most of the time Jack’s wording was short and straight to the point.  But all the military “jargon” could be really annoying.  The even more annoying part was some of it was beginning to rub off on me, and I know it . . . grrrrrr!  

The humps to Four Corners no longer seemed like a obstacle or chore.  Not sure if it is that I’ve been making so many humps to Four Corners or the Miller’s but now I actually enjoyed it.  We would sometimes talk about the time before the power went out.  Sometimes about life now.  Other times, we’d joke around with each other.  Sometimes we made the hump in silence, keeping our thoughts to ourselves.  I often wonder about some of my classmates and where they are now.  Are they even alive?  I don’t like to think about that, but it is a real possibility.  It is our new reality.  The same goes for our extended family.  We have family to the far North and to the South.  My aunts and uncles and cousins in the North, how are they dealing with winter?  The shorter growing season?  My grandparents in the South, and they were on a number of prescriptions for various health conditions.  I mentioned this to Mom once.  She said we can only deal with what we can that is in front of us.  We can think of our distant loved ones and hope for the best, but at the same time, there is no matter of wishing that will help them.  She hoped one day, the power would return and we would learn they all were alright.  

Four Corners had extended their East gate further East, past the corrals that held the livestock to protect them from possible attack.  

As always, Tom and Collins greeted us as we passed through the gate.  

There were more people there who slaughtered and processed livestock.  Others tanning hides.  Some shearing, cleaning, and carding wool for yarn.  People from Four Corners would come to barter and trade for cuts of meat, hides, wool.  Sometimes they would exchange for cured and smoked meat, pot pies, grilled and spiced meat skewers, tanned clothing or knitted socks, mittens, hats or other clothing.  Others would trade for bread, vegetables, and milled grain.  Trade and barter had become such a business that Sean hired Yellow Teeth Bob to record deals at the East gate while Sean continued his recording at his shack at Four Corners.  

My winter boots should be ready now, and I could stop in to pick them up.  

First we stopped at Sean’s shack to ask about where we could find Daniel and Savannah.  Sean said things had been quiet for the past week or so, and we could find them at their own first aid shack on the South side.  Sean asked why.  Jack explained how City HAM Guy help them get the antibiotics and he needed help. Sean was a bit hesitant.  Four Corners needed their own medical people even if it was a former Paramedic and one in training.  He came with us to talk with Daniel and Savannah.  

We found Daniel and Savannah at their shack, reviewing some of the medical books we brought them.  I explained the situation to them.

Daniel started, “I wish I could help, but I am in my mid-fifties.  I was scheduled for double knee replacement surgery two weeks after the power went out.  College football injuries have taken their toll.  I can’t make that kind of trip to the city on foot.  By the end of the day around here, I am done.  Another year or two I will be walking with a cane maybe a walker.” 

He then looked at Savannah.  “It has to be you.  I have been drilling delivering a child into you, knowing full well that at some point, I may not be around, or you would have to make a trip like this.”

Diary, Savannah looked absolutely terrified.  

“Savannah, you can do this,” Daniel said.  

“And,” Jack added, “We can have our HAM Guy, hook up to city HAM Guy on the radio net with Daniel on the comm to assist you.  See about using a horse and carriage to get Daniel to HAM Guy’s place.”

Rae was the one who helped Savannah,

“Savannah, at some point in time, you were going to have to do this.  If you haven’t noticed there are a few pregnant women here in Four Corners now.  They are going to need help in bringing their babies into this world.  That help is going to be given by you and Daniel.  Daniel will be on the radio to help and whatever help we can give.”

“Jack,” Sean said with a degree of steel in his voice, “Not sure I like this idea of yours.”

Daniel interrupted,  “Sean, she needs to learn not only from books but from experience.  I know.  I have done it.  The back of an SUV and in an elevator.  This will be a learning lesson.  There are others here who are going to need her, her knowledge and experience.  It has to start somewhere.  Let us use this time to get her that experience.”

Sean crossed his arms but did not look happy.

“Aye, I hear what you are saying, but I still don’t like it.”

“Neither does she.  But it is a fact of life if she is going to be in the medical profession,” Daniel looked to Savannah.

That is when Savannah nodded.

“Okay.  I’ll do it.”

Entry three

We spent the next hour trading for provisions for the trip.  Jack had several mason jars of blackberry moonshine.  In return, he got two large bags of dried beef jerky, a five-pound cured and smoked ham, and six loaves of “lard bread.”  Lard bread does not sound appetizing, but Jack said it was bread made with lard and chunks of smoked ham.  It was very calorie dense, which is what we would need on the hump to the city and back.  If we could afford it, we would leave some of the provisions with City HAM Guy and his girlfriend.  She would need the extra calories as she would be nursing a newborn.  

We stopped by to pick up my winter boots.  Jimmy had me try them on.  There was a bit of room in the toe area.  He nodded and said to wear a thin pair of socks and then a thick pair over them to take up the space.  There should be enough room for me to grow into them.  Jack asked Jimmy where he learned to make boots.  Jimmy laughed and said as a teen, he worked at a boot shop re-soling boots and other repairs.  Once he got the idea of how shoes and boots were made, it was actually simple.  He had to use a leather punch and stitch set to sew the different parts and the sole together.  It took some time to make a pair.  He asked us to be on the lookout for a manual cobbler stitching machine.  I asked what one looked like, and he gave me a description.  I think I would know one if I saw one.  

We stopped back at Daniel and Savannah’s shack to drop off the provisions.  The plan was to hump it back home, get gear we needed and then get back to Four Corners before nightfall.  At daybreak the next day, we would start the trek for the city.  

As we made our way back home, Jack told us of his plan.  City HAM Guy said in the winter, most people stayed where they were and did not venture far from where they called home.  Jack expected it to be the same on the road.  Jack knew where City HAM Guy lived so we would go straight there.  We would not be dealing with a gang, so we would not be loaded down with weapons, ammunition, and other tactical gear but just a bare load out.  We may not have been in as good of shape as the team Jack took with him into the city, but with a lighter load, we should make it in four days.  It was cooler, even getting down into the thirties at night, but no snow. 

We would have to wear layers.  We could wear a tee shirt and a long-sleeved base lay shirt if we had one.  Performance material or wool was best, but we were to use what we had.  Then a sweater and a outer shell, preferably one that was both rain and water proof.  Hat and gloves.  Three pairs of socks.  Good boots.  A good-sized backpack.  Sleeping bag.  A water bladder.  He had extra if someone needed it.  There was a creek that ran down into the river at Four Corners they found when they were making it back from the city on foot the first time Jack and his team went there.  We would have opportunities to resupply water.  Jack would carry a gravity water filtration unit.   If we had a good knife, bring it, but if not, that was okay too.  He would bring a camp stove that ran off white gas. 

We just needed to bring a bowl and utensils, preferably camp style.  If we did not have those, he had extra.  He had two three-person tents.  Rae or I would carry one, him the other.  Rae, Savannah, and I are in one, and he and the dogs are in the other.  He felt they were ready for the mission and be of use.  We would divide the food between the five of us.  In case something happened, everyone would have food on them.  Rae said she had her canned meat and root vegetable stews for two in a mason jar.  All they needed was re-heating in a water bath.  Jack said he could do that.  We just had to pack them so they would not break.  

Jack thought that covered what we needed.  If not, he said we would just have to “improvise, adapt, overcome!”  

Diary, I am not sure how I felt about that.

Entry four

We made it back to Four Corners just as the stars began appearing in the East sky and the sun faded in the West.  Despite it being past their shift, Tom and Collins insisted on standing watch on the Eastern gate till we made it back.  Relieved of their post, they walked back with us to Sean’s shack.  Sean was sitting on a log, plucking his banjo, entertaining a number of people who had gathered there around a small bonfire.  Seeing our arrival, he stopped and walked up to us.  

“Aye, Jack.  Still not keen on this idea of yours.”

“Understood, Sean.  But we owe him.  He helped us.”

After a moment, Sean nodded and said, “Aye.  That is something we need to keep to.  Examples of character to the youngsters.”

He nodded in my direction.  “She is doing well by that measure.”

Once again, Sean made me blush and smile. 

“I’m doing what needs to be done.”

“Aye, lass, you are.”

“Jack,” Rae said, “We need to be off to Daniel and Savannah’s shack.  We still need dinner and to set up our own camp to sleep tonight.”

“Yes, Rae, you’re right.  Need to do final check of our loadouts, too.  Sean, we need to go.  Thank you,” and Jack offered his hand to Sean.  

“Aye, Jack.  Godspeed.”

We set up the tents and distributed the food into each of our packs.  We topped off our water from the river.  Everything was ready for tomorrow.  

Diary, it was odd.  As I lay there in my sleeping bag in our tent, I thought I should have felt some kind of anxiety or fear.  

But I didn’t.  I just felt like this was something I needed to do – that we need to do.  Tomorrow morning, we are going to be past Four Corners and go to the West. 

On the open road. 

To the city.  

Diary, I think it feels right.