Runaway World

New Philadelphia

     Feeling hungry, Andrew left his wife to watch over the children while he went to the canteen to bring back some snacks.

     As he left the ward he heard echoing voices coming from somewhere and went to investigate. They were coming from another ward just a short distance along the corridor, which he was surprised to find was in just as poor a condition as the one he'd just left, with only around half the lights working and the privacy curtains drooping where they'd pulled loose from some of the hooks they were hanging by. What disturbed him most of all, though, was a line of bullet holes in the wall. Not recent by the look of them, but no attempt had been made to repair them. Either to intimidate the civilians or because no-one could find either the time or the energy to perform a simple maintenance task. Considering the generally dilapidated state of the entire complex, Andrew tended towards the second explanation.

      Curious, he explored further. He found more signs of neglect and decay, as well as more soldiers standing guard on every corner. He wondered whether they were normally stationed there or whether they'd been posted because of the New Londoners. Although they watched him warily, they made no attempt to stop his wanderings until he came to the main entrance where two of them moved to bar his way.

     Andrew went as close to the doors as they would let him, close enough to see people strolling past in the corridor outside. Like New Londoners, they were wearing one piece coveralls, decorated to individual taste with scenes and patterns reminiscent of the old world, but here and there were men in military uniform carrying weapons, walking arrogantly and deferred to by the civilians. Andrew watched them for a few moments until one of the soldiers on guard grew impatient and signalled with his gun for him to go back the way he'd come. Andrew knew better than to argue and did as he was told.

     He got curious stares from everyone he passed, whether they were hospital staff or patients dressed in white hospital gowns, but no-one spoke to him, not even when he asked a nurse for directions back to his own ward. She would only point before hurrying fearfully away as if afraid that even that brief communication would bring dire consequences down upon her.

     The snacks in the canteen turned out to be fruit, sugar sweets and biscuits of algae bread wrapped in banana leaves. Andrew got a tray and piled it up with enough to quell the hunger pangs of all the New Londoners until they were given their early afternoon meal. Other customers were paying for their snacks with metal coins, but when he smiled apologetically to the cashier she just waved him away.

     Arriving back at his ward, he was delighted to find that most of the adults were now awake and sitting up on their beds. Only James, David, Stacey and Azindaba were still asleep, but Andrew was confident now that it was just normal sleep. They would wake up if he shook their shoulders, he thought, but he didn't put it to the test. Their bodies were exhausted from fighting the infection and they needed to rest.

     He left the snacks on his bed for anyone who wanted to eat, but only Valentina seemed interested. Everyone else was too concerned for their children. Philip and Joe were standing on either side of Stacey's bed, looking down at the little girl, while Lungelo and Halona were watching over Izindaba. A surgeon had sewn up her injured leg and performed a proper repair of her torn artery but the infection had hit her harder even than David and Stacey and she would probably be the last to wake up. Neither of her parents had time for anything as mundane as eating while they waited.

     A soldier entered the ward, looked around at the New Londoners and then came over to Andrew. "Which of you is in charge?" he asked.

     "I am," Andrew replied. "What can I do for you?"

     "General Wayne wishes to speak with you. Will you come with me please?"

     It was clearly not a request, no matter how politely it was phrased, so he nodded and turned to Susan. "Look after the kids 'till I get back," he said. "I hope I won't be long."