Chapter 37 Firstborn

 >>> 3 weeks later <<<

April nervously swallowed the tablets and washed them down with water. Even when they were little, she had stood in front of her siblings. Even though she was only two minutes older. Liz and Mei had been born at the same time and they actually hung out together all the time.

 Sue was different, she was with her mom more and April, she had periods where she was with her mom. 

Now that they were grown up, you could still see that. Liz and Mei hung out together, worked together. 

Sue took after her mother and was a psychologist in the civilian sector and herself. 

On the surface, she had tried to do her mom's job, but she couldn't handle the lying and constant politeness. She had tried to work in one of the task forces, but she had become increasingly annoyed. While her siblings went out into the world, April had explored the North Block. The ruins, the nature, but also her need for other people. 

So many guys and girls she'd fucked only to leave the next morning and show off later. But she felt empty. She was easily annoyed by Liz and Mei, and she knew it was nothing bad. Her mother said she was a fiery creature. 

When Mei sent her the photos of her and Liz's orgy, she suddenly felt lonely. She had gotten excited, but when she calmed down, she felt lonely. They had done something together. 

Then as now, she was very attached to her father, but she didn't show it so much now. She hadn't shown it much as a child either. 

When Liz had called her three weeks ago about her father. She had dropped everything and gone straight to him. She had been shocked to see him asleep. Liz had told her that he was exhausted and needed to sleep and that their mothers needed to keep him under control. She had wondered what she meant by that, but when she saw the three of them, she understood. 

April had been the first and only one in the room when he had woken up. He had been so confused and drowsy and had caught the transformation Liz had told him about. It had taken him minutes to clear his head. 

She had felt helpless and had simply clung to him as she had done as a child. He had held her close and fallen asleep again. 

Then, two days later, he had woken up properly, his eyes clear, and had kissed her forehead. In the meantime, Mei and Liz had confessed to her what the photos were all about. She hadn't blamed them, she had been jealous. 

Her father's birthday was coming up and fell on the same day as hers. 

April had the idea to find out more about her father and told Liz and Mei about her idea. 

A trip to the States, to his home town. Now they were faced with new problems. They knew roughly where he came from, the USA was clean of infected people, her father had organized a big hunt for infected people. 

That was part of the training of the infantry, but also of the special units. The radioactivity wasn't so bad anymore either, there were still areas you couldn't enter without a protective suit, but there were enough habitats again for the new settlers to go to.

The big problem was that the three of them didn't want to leave their father alone with their mother. So Liz asked him if he could come with them. To April's astonishment, he said yes. 4 days later they set off. They drove to Sandpoint in Idaho. 

They were all wearing civilian clothes, but had their weapons with them. The weather forecast predicted winter with snow. The town had been hit pretty hard by the outbreak. 

The hard core of survivors lived there, but also settlers who wanted to start over. Many parts of the town were uninhabited, but the town center was full of life. They pulled up outside a restaurant in an old SUV.

They went inside, it smelled of nostalgia. April thought it looked like one of those TV movies you could see on the net. They sat down at an empty table and a waitress came up to them, she was around 50 and long past her prime.

"What can I get you?" she chewed on a piece of gum.

April looked at the menu.

"I'll have scrambled eggs with bacon and orange juice."

"Me too," came from Mei and Liz.

The waitress looked at Alex, who was sitting there in what he called his original form, yawning heartily. Technically, he'd only been properly awake for a day and a half and Earl thought he'd stay that way for a few more days. 

"I'll have a large coffee," he said, lighting a cigarette. 

"Okay, I'll be about ten minutes." She left.

April looked around, the store exuded 80s charm, her gaze lingering on an old election poster. 

"Liz, look, it looks like Dad." 

Liz looked. The poster showed a man in his sixties, in a fine suit, with a proud, stern expression on his face. The resemblance was real. 

Alex blew a cloud into the air. Mei took a photo with her cell phone. 

The waitress came with the drinks and put them down.

"So, what brings you here? We always have new faces and tourists ..."

Mei looked at her.

"We're going on a sightseeing tour, he's showing us where he grew up."

She looked at Alex, who took a big sip of his coffee. 

"He's from here?" She blinked. 

Liz nodded. 

"The last time he was here was twenty years ago." 

"And nothing's changed," Alex muttered, taking a drag on his cigarette.

"Twenty years ago..." she repeated. "Bob! Do you know anything about a local who was here twenty years ago?"

An almost bald man stuck his head out of the kitchen window.

" Let me think, yes that was the guy back then, with a pack of kids with him. We thought he was staying here, but after a week he was gone again."

She looked at him, then at Alex.

"That's right, there were four of them."

Alex sipped his coffee again. He pointed at the poster.

"Is he still alive?"

" Uh yeah, old Miles , that's our mayor."

Alex grinned.

" Twenty years ago he said he wouldn't do that shit."

"Well, after he blew his predecessor's head off because he got infected, he grudgingly accepted the office."

Alex continued to grin. 

The waitress left again and after ten minutes brought the food, guests came and went, but it was manageable. An overweight sheriff came in, April wondered how he'd got the job. He wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked around.

"Whose car is that in front of the diner?" 

Alex raised his hand.

"Mine, why?"

" Parked wrong, the lights are broken and the tires are worn. "

Alex looked at Liz, who shrugged her shoulders.

" You were driving, you said ..."

Alex took a drag on the cigarette butt and stood up.

" Keep eating..." 

The sheriff was busily writing tickets and, after a quick step, handed them to Alex, who took them and skimmed over them.

" 2900 ? " he looked at the sheriff. 

Liz had to laugh, Mei took a photo of Alex and the ticket and sent it off.

The sheriff looked at him confused. 

"Why are we taking a photo of this?"

Alex put the ticket in his pocket, but April grabbed it and looked at it.

"Holy shit, look at this, Liz. A squad's coming if you don't pay." 

Liz leaned towards her.

"What? You mean one of those kicking in the door and yelling and shooting tasers and using irritant gas?"

April nodded and Liz's eyes lit up.

Alex's cell phone buzzed and he looked at it, saw John's face on the display and picked it up, the sheriff wanted to say something.

"Jo!" 

April could hear John say.

"Why did Jannet show me a picture of you with you and a parking ticket?"

"Nice, isn't it? I just got it from" Alex looked at the sheriff's name tag.

 Sheriff Thorston, can I get you anything? "

"Yeah. Come by my old office later and pick up my stuff. The code for the safe is the same as my phone number."

" Ohh, I've always wanted to go to Salt Lake City. "

"Can we still go to Vegas then?" came from Liz.

Alex nodded. 

April looked at Liz, who smiled. 

"I know a casino there where you can win antiques. "

"What do you mean by antiques?" mumbled Mei.

"Weapons, games consoles, comics, clothes..."

Mei looked at her. 

" Uhh game consoles..."

Alex had hung up and looked at Sheriff. 

" Can I pay for the things at the town hall?" 

" Yes..."

" Good." Alex looked to the three that were ready, then went to the counter and paid with his card. 

"Hey, wait a minute, do you realize there are immigration checks? You can't just drive through the States like that."

" Hhmm yes, I know that." April stood up and burped. They left the diner, got in the jeep and drove to city hall. They stopped in the parking lot, got out and entered the building.