Branches fell to the ground around him and he returned fire, the double ought buckshot finding its mark, doubling the boy over as he dropped to the ground in a tangled heap.
“Help me,” the girl screamed behind him and he swung around expecting to find another attacker in the depression with them. Instead he saw the crown of a baby’s head as it emerged from between her upraised legs.
“Don’t let him fall on the ground,” she shouted as she pawed at the ground with her hands. He was keeping his distance, his finger still sore from being nearly broken by her relentless grip.
Grabbing a towel from his pack he scooted over and gently removed the emerging baby,
“You have to make him cry or he wont breathe on his own.”
“How do I do that?”
“Smack his ass.”
“What?”
“You heard me, turn him upside down and smack his ass, you’ve got to get the fluid out of his lungs or he won’t survive.”
Pounding footsteps came from behind him and he swiveled around on his hips, drawing his revolver as he did, firing at the boy running towards him. The baby that had been nestled in his arm jumped in response to his gunfire and struggled to take a breath, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Quickly he suspended the child by his feet and slapped his bloody bottom. Amniotic fluid was ejected from his mouth and he cried in a shrill voice with his eyes screwed tightly shut.
“Give him to me,” she said as she reached for the child.
Todd wrapped the baby in the towel and handed him to his mother as another contraction slammed her onto her back and a second baby’s head emerged.
“There’s another one,” Todd said as the second child emerged much easier than the first. This time he knew what he had to do and quickly had the child wrapped in a t-shirt, as he only had one towel, and suckling at its mothers breast.
“We have to cut the cords, and you have to get the afterbirth out of me,” the girl said and Todd’s stomach performed several lazy somersaults.
“Just tie them off in two places and cut between them,” she said, “after that you should be able to pull the placenta out, but do it gently.”
Todd was sweating as he tied the cords, his hands shaking so bad he was hardly able to tie the knots. Finally he managed to do what he had to and was able to put everything behind him as he turned his attention to the task of getting them out of there. He knew where an old woman lived who’d be able to help the girl heal, but first he had to get rid of those around him.
Gathering up his shotgun and pistol he filled the pockets of his jacket with shells.
“Where are you going?” she said.
“We gotta get out of here, and we can’t do that while they’re still out there.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to do what I do best, I’m gonna go out there and kill every one of them.”
“What about me?”
“I’ll be back for you.”
“But what if one of them tries to sneak up on me while you’re gone?”
Todd pulled the forty five semi automatic from his pack and after checking to make sure it was loaded passed it to her.
“Safety’s off, all you gotta do is aim and squeeze the trigger, but be careful, it’s got a bit of a kick. When I come back I’ll let you know it’s me so you don’t shoot me.”
With that he turned and vanished into the forest.
He was alone now, unencumbered with the extra weight of someone who didn’t understand the true brutality of the world in which they lived. It was time for what this world had turned him into to emerge and take the fight to them. Hands that had recently helped bring new life into this world, would now be used to reduce the population of those who dared to come after him.
As night slowly descended upon the forest he moved like a wraith through the shadowy depths. The first group he came upon didn’t even know he was there until it was too late. He emerged from the shadows with his guns blazing and three of the attackers met their end, the other two fleeing into the night as he moved on to his next target, and his next, each with the same result.
At last they were alone and he returned to the depression where he helped the young girl to her feet and cradled one sleeping baby as he led her into the forest depths where an old woman would tend to her and ensure the survival of her twin boys. As he looked down at the sleeping child he realized he could really get comfortable being a dad.
“Help me,” the girl screamed behind him and he swung around expecting to find another attacker in the depression with them. Instead he saw the crown of a baby’s head as it emerged from between her upraised legs.
“Don’t let him fall on the ground,” she shouted as she pawed at the ground with her hands. He was keeping his distance, his finger still sore from being nearly broken by her relentless grip.
Grabbing a towel from his pack he scooted over and gently removed the emerging baby,
“You have to make him cry or he wont breathe on his own.”
“How do I do that?”
“Smack his ass.”
“What?”
“You heard me, turn him upside down and smack his ass, you’ve got to get the fluid out of his lungs or he won’t survive.”
Pounding footsteps came from behind him and he swiveled around on his hips, drawing his revolver as he did, firing at the boy running towards him. The baby that had been nestled in his arm jumped in response to his gunfire and struggled to take a breath, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Quickly he suspended the child by his feet and slapped his bloody bottom. Amniotic fluid was ejected from his mouth and he cried in a shrill voice with his eyes screwed tightly shut.
“Give him to me,” she said as she reached for the child.
Todd wrapped the baby in the towel and handed him to his mother as another contraction slammed her onto her back and a second baby’s head emerged.
“There’s another one,” Todd said as the second child emerged much easier than the first. This time he knew what he had to do and quickly had the child wrapped in a t-shirt, as he only had one towel, and suckling at its mothers breast.
“We have to cut the cords, and you have to get the afterbirth out of me,” the girl said and Todd’s stomach performed several lazy somersaults.
“Just tie them off in two places and cut between them,” she said, “after that you should be able to pull the placenta out, but do it gently.”
Todd was sweating as he tied the cords, his hands shaking so bad he was hardly able to tie the knots. Finally he managed to do what he had to and was able to put everything behind him as he turned his attention to the task of getting them out of there. He knew where an old woman lived who’d be able to help the girl heal, but first he had to get rid of those around him.
Gathering up his shotgun and pistol he filled the pockets of his jacket with shells.
“Where are you going?” she said.
“We gotta get out of here, and we can’t do that while they’re still out there.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to do what I do best, I’m gonna go out there and kill every one of them.”
“What about me?”
“I’ll be back for you.”
“But what if one of them tries to sneak up on me while you’re gone?”
Todd pulled the forty five semi automatic from his pack and after checking to make sure it was loaded passed it to her.
“Safety’s off, all you gotta do is aim and squeeze the trigger, but be careful, it’s got a bit of a kick. When I come back I’ll let you know it’s me so you don’t shoot me.”
With that he turned and vanished into the forest.
He was alone now, unencumbered with the extra weight of someone who didn’t understand the true brutality of the world in which they lived. It was time for what this world had turned him into to emerge and take the fight to them. Hands that had recently helped bring new life into this world, would now be used to reduce the population of those who dared to come after him.
As night slowly descended upon the forest he moved like a wraith through the shadowy depths. The first group he came upon didn’t even know he was there until it was too late. He emerged from the shadows with his guns blazing and three of the attackers met their end, the other two fleeing into the night as he moved on to his next target, and his next, each with the same result.
At last they were alone and he returned to the depression where he helped the young girl to her feet and cradled one sleeping baby as he led her into the forest depths where an old woman would tend to her and ensure the survival of her twin boys. As he looked down at the sleeping child he realized he could really get comfortable being a dad.
The End
I
hope you enjoyed this brief foray into the world inhabited by Billie-Bob
and his friends. To read more about their adventures in a post
apocalyptic world follow the links below.
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Books A Million
Smashwords
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