Radioactive Chapter Five
Zac sat in the driver's seat of the tour bus on the clogged up highway. Isaac his older brother had gone outside to check on the situation and Zac was stuck in the bus with the kids and Taylor. The kids were all asleep and he doubted Taylor was though they hadn't heard a peep out of Taylor since leaving the hotel. But then again Zac doubted he'd talk either if he had watched his son die.
Standing from his seat he walked to the back some where he found Taylor sitting on a couch. Taylor seemed like he was out of it but Zac sat down beside of him anyway. "Hey," he spoke as he put a hand on Taylor's back trying to comfort him and bring him back to reality. "How are you doing?"
"How do you think I am doing," Taylor spat out as he turned to look at Zac once he came crashing out of his thoughts. "I had to watch Viggo die because Ezra accidentally fell while holding his hand and I could only reach one of them in time," he whispered as his voice cracked some. "I should have done like Isaac and just carried them both."
Zac frowned as he listened to Taylor talk, "Hindsight is twenty-twenty," he said knowing that at the time Taylor hadn't known anything bad would happen to Viggo. "Don't beat yourself up because Ezra still needs you," he nodded knowing Ezra would probably feel guilty later too. It was Ezra who had fell.
"I'm no good to Ezra," Taylor muttered feeling like a failure. "Natalie should have just taken all the children with her. At least they'd probably all be safe and alive. She could keep them all safe along with herself."
"Y..you think she is alive still?" Zac asked as he raised an eyebrow. He didn't mean to question that not when Taylor was already feeling low but the world just seemed to be falling and there seemed to be deaths left and right. Zac was almost afraid none one else in their family had survived and he was sure they would never be able to live up to the promise they had all made to meet up once they had left the state. At this rate there would be no leaving the state.
Taylor sighed at Zac's question, "I have to have hope she is," he nodded trying to smile but he was sure he failed. While he was trying to have hope in her being alive there was a tiny nagging in his head that she wasn't alive. That she had died just like Viggo.
Before either of them could say anymore though they both looked up as Isaac came back on the bus and back to where they were sitting.
"There are a few people going to a Quarry not far from here," Isaac spoke not even giving his brother's time to ask questions. "It's bad out there. The city must have fallen," he frowned trying to forget the site of Napalm being dropped from helicopters. "I think we should go to the Quarry at least for a few days and try to regroup. Get ourselves together."
Zac raised an eyebrow at Isaac saying he thought they should go to the Quarry. "What about meeting up with our family?"
Isaac scoffed at his words, "If they are like us it's gonna take them days to get out of Georgia," he spoke stating what he knew had to be on all of their minds even if Zac wanted to play dumb. "I just think we need a break for a few days," he said as he eyed Taylor. He may have been more worried about Taylor than himself or Zac. It was Taylor who had lost a child. He needed time to come back from that.
"Fine we'll go," Zac conceded as he watched Isaac eye Taylor. "But you can drive us."
"I don't know how to drive this thing," Isaac whined as he crossed his arms.
"And neither do I but I had to learn today as well," Zac replied as he too crossed his arms not moving from where he sat beside Taylor on the couch.
Taylor watched his brothers, "If one of you doesn't figure out who drives I will drive."
"Fine, I'll drive," Isaac gave in not wanting Taylor to drive. "I know what cars to follow anyway," he muttered as he turned and headed to the driver's seat. Starting the bus up he watched as the RV he knew one of the people who was going to the Quarry drove away. He'd follow it and hopefully not kill everyone on the bus in the process.
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Zac got off the bus once it was parked at the Quarry. It had been a bumpy ride but luckily Isaac had gotten them all there in one piece it seemed. Looking around he watched as other peoples cars came to a stop and people got out. He was sure he heard someone mention starting a camp fire as it was dark and beginning to get cold. It was October and in the coming months it would keep getting colder.
"Zac!" a voice yelled out his name and he turned his head his eyes growing big as he saw Avery getting off of the RV that Isaac had parked beside.
"A..Avery," he muttered as he ran to her and pulled her into a hug. It felt good to see her again. To know she was alive. To know more of his family was out there because if she was here then surely to God so was the rest of her group which meant Kate was here.
Hugging Zac, Avery smiled to herself feeling a little better now that she knew more of her family was alive. The people in her group that were left weren't the only ones. Pulling away she looked at him as tears filled her eyes, "I never thought I'd see you again."
Zac nodded knowing he had felt the same, "I never thought I'd see you again either," he smiled as he looked at her. "I..is Kate here?" he asked feeling scared but deciding to bite the bullet and ask.
Avery nodded her head yes, "She has probably headed to where the camp fire is but she's here. Mac and Zoe too," she added on as she ran a hand through her hair.
"And Natalie,River, and Dad?" Zac asked almost feeling scared to know.
"They didn't make it," Avery whispered as she looked down away from him.
Zac closed his eyes at her words, "Taylor's going to flip," he muttered as he opened his eyes after swallowing a lump in his throat. "V..Viggo didn't make it either," he spoke before frowning. Taylor's been down since then.
Swallowing a lump in her own throat Avery was about to speak when she heard someone calling her and Zac's name. Turning she felt some relief as she saw Jessica even if her older sister was covered in blood.
Making it to where Zac and Avery stood, Jessica smiled at both of them. She knew she may have felt hopeless in the van earlier but now seeing her family made her feel hope again. Maybe the other groups had fared better than her own. Maybe everyone else was alive.
"I never thought you guys would be here," she spoke as she shook her head. "Things went to shit for my group," she frowned still feeling sad over losing her people. Joe's death was the hardest for her at the moment because she was sure she'd be with him forever. He had been reason to want to keep going.
"Same with ours," Avery nodded as she looked at Zac. "Zac's seemed to do better. They only had one death but it was Viggo," she frowned not sure how Taylor would handle the news of Natalie and River's death on top of that. "My group lost Dad and Natalie and River."
Jessica frowned hearing that their dad was dead too and the moment she heard Natalie and River had died she knew Taylor was going to lose his shit when he heard Penny was dead as well. "I lost Mom, Joe and Penny," she spoke feeling horrible again. The joy of seeing her living family having faded.
Zac cringed hearing the deaths in Jessica's group. Now he knew both of his parents were dead and that Taylor had lost everyone but Ezra. "You girls should go tell Taylor the news together," he spoke knowing it may be better that way. "He may need extra the support," he sighed before pulling both of his sisters to him. He just wanted the contact with both of them. He liked knowing that they had made it. That even with the deaths and loses they had all suffered that at least some of them had made it and they were all together again for now.
Pulling away from them Zac smiled, "I have to go find my wife," he said before turning and walking away from them. Following the voices of people talking away he found himself arriving at where some people were working on building a campfire while others just sat around.
It wasn't hard for him to spot Kate. She was sitting beside Nikki who it seemed had found Isaac and her boys just fine in this group of people. Going over he sat down beside Kate. "Mind if I join you?" he asked smirking some when she turned to look at him, shock evident on her face. Of course Isaac had probably forgot to tell her who all had made it.
"Zac?" Kate asked as she heard her husband's voice and turned to look at him. "It's really you?" she asked shocked that he was sitting beside her. Yes she knew Isaac had made it but she still had been so scared that Zac had been dead. That she'd never see him again.
"It's really me," Zac spoke before reaching over to pull Kate into a hug. "It's really me," he repeated as he closed his eyes. It had never felt better to hold Kate in his arms and to know she was safe, to know she had made it back to him.
Kate felt tears sting her eyes as she hugged Zac. For once she didn't care if people saw her break down. At least this would be a happy break down. She had her husband back. She had her husband back and for once since this all started she felt safe. "I'm pregnant," she whispered without even thinking. It just seemed to come out so easy.
As they hugged Zac felt his world slow some when Kate said she was pregnant. Pulling away he looked her over, "R..really?" he asked raising an eyebrow and when she shook her head yes he smiled some though he was sure there was a bit of sadness there. Her being pregnant now was still a good thing because she was having a baby they both wanted but this wasn't the type of world he wanted to bring a baby into. But right now he didn't want to think of the downsides. Hell the world could be back to normal by the time the baby was due anyway though Zac knew that was probably wishful thinking.
"I'm scared," Kate spoke when Zac didn't say anything other than really. "I'm so scared to be pregnant right now."
Hearing Kate say she was scared Zac put on his brave face and decided to be the supportive brave husband she needed. "It will be fine," he told her as he took his hand in hers. "We found each other when odds were against us. Things will be fine with the baby too."
Zac sat in the driver's seat of the tour bus on the clogged up highway. Isaac his older brother had gone outside to check on the situation and Zac was stuck in the bus with the kids and Taylor. The kids were all asleep and he doubted Taylor was though they hadn't heard a peep out of Taylor since leaving the hotel. But then again Zac doubted he'd talk either if he had watched his son die.
Standing from his seat he walked to the back some where he found Taylor sitting on a couch. Taylor seemed like he was out of it but Zac sat down beside of him anyway. "Hey," he spoke as he put a hand on Taylor's back trying to comfort him and bring him back to reality. "How are you doing?"
"How do you think I am doing," Taylor spat out as he turned to look at Zac once he came crashing out of his thoughts. "I had to watch Viggo die because Ezra accidentally fell while holding his hand and I could only reach one of them in time," he whispered as his voice cracked some. "I should have done like Isaac and just carried them both."
Zac frowned as he listened to Taylor talk, "Hindsight is twenty-twenty," he said knowing that at the time Taylor hadn't known anything bad would happen to Viggo. "Don't beat yourself up because Ezra still needs you," he nodded knowing Ezra would probably feel guilty later too. It was Ezra who had fell.
"I'm no good to Ezra," Taylor muttered feeling like a failure. "Natalie should have just taken all the children with her. At least they'd probably all be safe and alive. She could keep them all safe along with herself."
"Y..you think she is alive still?" Zac asked as he raised an eyebrow. He didn't mean to question that not when Taylor was already feeling low but the world just seemed to be falling and there seemed to be deaths left and right. Zac was almost afraid none one else in their family had survived and he was sure they would never be able to live up to the promise they had all made to meet up once they had left the state. At this rate there would be no leaving the state.
Taylor sighed at Zac's question, "I have to have hope she is," he nodded trying to smile but he was sure he failed. While he was trying to have hope in her being alive there was a tiny nagging in his head that she wasn't alive. That she had died just like Viggo.
Before either of them could say anymore though they both looked up as Isaac came back on the bus and back to where they were sitting.
"There are a few people going to a Quarry not far from here," Isaac spoke not even giving his brother's time to ask questions. "It's bad out there. The city must have fallen," he frowned trying to forget the site of Napalm being dropped from helicopters. "I think we should go to the Quarry at least for a few days and try to regroup. Get ourselves together."
Zac raised an eyebrow at Isaac saying he thought they should go to the Quarry. "What about meeting up with our family?"
Isaac scoffed at his words, "If they are like us it's gonna take them days to get out of Georgia," he spoke stating what he knew had to be on all of their minds even if Zac wanted to play dumb. "I just think we need a break for a few days," he said as he eyed Taylor. He may have been more worried about Taylor than himself or Zac. It was Taylor who had lost a child. He needed time to come back from that.
"Fine we'll go," Zac conceded as he watched Isaac eye Taylor. "But you can drive us."
"I don't know how to drive this thing," Isaac whined as he crossed his arms.
"And neither do I but I had to learn today as well," Zac replied as he too crossed his arms not moving from where he sat beside Taylor on the couch.
Taylor watched his brothers, "If one of you doesn't figure out who drives I will drive."
"Fine, I'll drive," Isaac gave in not wanting Taylor to drive. "I know what cars to follow anyway," he muttered as he turned and headed to the driver's seat. Starting the bus up he watched as the RV he knew one of the people who was going to the Quarry drove away. He'd follow it and hopefully not kill everyone on the bus in the process.
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Zac got off the bus once it was parked at the Quarry. It had been a bumpy ride but luckily Isaac had gotten them all there in one piece it seemed. Looking around he watched as other peoples cars came to a stop and people got out. He was sure he heard someone mention starting a camp fire as it was dark and beginning to get cold. It was October and in the coming months it would keep getting colder.
"Zac!" a voice yelled out his name and he turned his head his eyes growing big as he saw Avery getting off of the RV that Isaac had parked beside.
"A..Avery," he muttered as he ran to her and pulled her into a hug. It felt good to see her again. To know she was alive. To know more of his family was out there because if she was here then surely to God so was the rest of her group which meant Kate was here.
Hugging Zac, Avery smiled to herself feeling a little better now that she knew more of her family was alive. The people in her group that were left weren't the only ones. Pulling away she looked at him as tears filled her eyes, "I never thought I'd see you again."
Zac nodded knowing he had felt the same, "I never thought I'd see you again either," he smiled as he looked at her. "I..is Kate here?" he asked feeling scared but deciding to bite the bullet and ask.
Avery nodded her head yes, "She has probably headed to where the camp fire is but she's here. Mac and Zoe too," she added on as she ran a hand through her hair.
"And Natalie,River, and Dad?" Zac asked almost feeling scared to know.
"They didn't make it," Avery whispered as she looked down away from him.
Zac closed his eyes at her words, "Taylor's going to flip," he muttered as he opened his eyes after swallowing a lump in his throat. "V..Viggo didn't make it either," he spoke before frowning. Taylor's been down since then.
Swallowing a lump in her own throat Avery was about to speak when she heard someone calling her and Zac's name. Turning she felt some relief as she saw Jessica even if her older sister was covered in blood.
Making it to where Zac and Avery stood, Jessica smiled at both of them. She knew she may have felt hopeless in the van earlier but now seeing her family made her feel hope again. Maybe the other groups had fared better than her own. Maybe everyone else was alive.
"I never thought you guys would be here," she spoke as she shook her head. "Things went to shit for my group," she frowned still feeling sad over losing her people. Joe's death was the hardest for her at the moment because she was sure she'd be with him forever. He had been reason to want to keep going.
"Same with ours," Avery nodded as she looked at Zac. "Zac's seemed to do better. They only had one death but it was Viggo," she frowned not sure how Taylor would handle the news of Natalie and River's death on top of that. "My group lost Dad and Natalie and River."
Jessica frowned hearing that their dad was dead too and the moment she heard Natalie and River had died she knew Taylor was going to lose his shit when he heard Penny was dead as well. "I lost Mom, Joe and Penny," she spoke feeling horrible again. The joy of seeing her living family having faded.
Zac cringed hearing the deaths in Jessica's group. Now he knew both of his parents were dead and that Taylor had lost everyone but Ezra. "You girls should go tell Taylor the news together," he spoke knowing it may be better that way. "He may need extra the support," he sighed before pulling both of his sisters to him. He just wanted the contact with both of them. He liked knowing that they had made it. That even with the deaths and loses they had all suffered that at least some of them had made it and they were all together again for now.
Pulling away from them Zac smiled, "I have to go find my wife," he said before turning and walking away from them. Following the voices of people talking away he found himself arriving at where some people were working on building a campfire while others just sat around.
It wasn't hard for him to spot Kate. She was sitting beside Nikki who it seemed had found Isaac and her boys just fine in this group of people. Going over he sat down beside Kate. "Mind if I join you?" he asked smirking some when she turned to look at him, shock evident on her face. Of course Isaac had probably forgot to tell her who all had made it.
"Zac?" Kate asked as she heard her husband's voice and turned to look at him. "It's really you?" she asked shocked that he was sitting beside her. Yes she knew Isaac had made it but she still had been so scared that Zac had been dead. That she'd never see him again.
"It's really me," Zac spoke before reaching over to pull Kate into a hug. "It's really me," he repeated as he closed his eyes. It had never felt better to hold Kate in his arms and to know she was safe, to know she had made it back to him.
Kate felt tears sting her eyes as she hugged Zac. For once she didn't care if people saw her break down. At least this would be a happy break down. She had her husband back. She had her husband back and for once since this all started she felt safe. "I'm pregnant," she whispered without even thinking. It just seemed to come out so easy.
As they hugged Zac felt his world slow some when Kate said she was pregnant. Pulling away he looked her over, "R..really?" he asked raising an eyebrow and when she shook her head yes he smiled some though he was sure there was a bit of sadness there. Her being pregnant now was still a good thing because she was having a baby they both wanted but this wasn't the type of world he wanted to bring a baby into. But right now he didn't want to think of the downsides. Hell the world could be back to normal by the time the baby was due anyway though Zac knew that was probably wishful thinking.
"I'm scared," Kate spoke when Zac didn't say anything other than really. "I'm so scared to be pregnant right now."
Hearing Kate say she was scared Zac put on his brave face and decided to be the supportive brave husband she needed. "It will be fine," he told her as he took his hand in hers. "We found each other when odds were against us. Things will be fine with the baby too."