Black Sun by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 42

Looking into the darkness of the abandoned mall, Ryan wondered what unfortunate surprises may be lurking. Taking a few steps inside, he felt the cold that likely permeated the air throughout the mall. Stepping back out, Ryan checked Abby again for a pulse. Having quickly found one, he would have more time in order to get her to safety and picking her up to a standing position, he led her into the frigid darkness where he hoped to find a solace of warmth. After all they had been through, Ryan was now deeply in love and could not bear the thought of losing her. Before the disaster struck, he was readying himself for the taking of his life. Without Abby, there would be no point in continuing, and he would likely find a way of making his escape from what would quickly become a life of painful solitude. But this was something he could not afford to think about, as there were higher priorities at hand.

Abby’s condition was worsening, and she was nearly unable to walk. With her weight drawing her towards the floor, Ryan reached underneath her and scooped her up in his arms. He was not a well-built man, but he would expend every ounce of energy to get Abby to safety before she became completely unconscious. If she drifted off, there would be little hope of saving her. But one thing was certain, if she recovered, they would be well-prepared with summer and winter clothing and the mall should have what they needed.

As Ryan carried her through the mall, he began to notice that the heat was far worse on the side facing the sun. Speeding his pace, he headed for the other side of the mall, where he hoped the air would be cooler. The difference was startling and as he carried Abby into the slightly cooler air he saw another camping supply store. This one appeared to be untouched, indicating that looters had not pillaged it. Assuming this store also had a store room, Ryan remembered Abby’s reaction to being in the dark and alone. This would not happen again, but he would have to be sure that they remained unseen should anyone else enter the mall. But presently, what Abby most needed was water, and in a camping store there should be plenty at hand.

Carrying her to the back of the store, Ryan set Abby on the floor and raised her feet to get more blood to her head. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered.

Kissing her on the forehead, he noticed how pale her skin was. Ryan wasn’t close to being a doctor, but he assumed that her symptoms strongly suggested heat exhaustion and if he didn’t act quickly, she would likely die. He didn’t know if she had heard him, but after making sure she was still breathing, he sought out what he needed and returned with two sleeping bags. The camping store seemed to have everything he required, except for one thing – hope. Some things can only be obtained through one’s own efforts – creating success or allowing failure. And failure was not an option.

Rolling out the sleeping bags, Ryan unzipped them and laid them out on the floor and picking Abby up placed her carefully on it and wrapped her snugly. Putting a hand on the top of her head, he noticed how warm she was and decided that he use cold packs, hoping to speed her recovery. Unzipping the sleeping bag, Ryan laid her out on her back. Gathering several cold packs from the store’s first aide aisle, Ryan packed them in her armpits, in her groin, and around her neck. Now, it was just a matter of time. She would either live or die. Ryan was also fearful that if Abigail did survive, she might up with some degree of brain damage. The brain can only take so much stress.

As time passed, Ryan noticed Abby taking a deep breath as her eyelids fluttered. Although he found himself in quiet celebration of what seemed to be her emerging recovery, he began to realize that her condition could take a downward spiral at any moment. Sitting up, he added two more cold packs, hoping to cool her a bit faster. Abby took another deep breath as her eyes opened and began scanning the room. Ryan’s reaction was immediate and, kissing her on the forehead, spoke in a gentle tone. “Hey, you awake?”

As her breathing became more regular, her eyes opened wider as she continued to drift up into consciousness. After a few minutes, she tried to sit up but was quickly eased back down as Ryan feared she might, again, lose consciousness. “You can’t get up just yet,” he said. “You got really sick. I thought I was going to lose you.”

Moving in towards her, he gently kissed her lips. “I love you,” he whispered.

Unable to speak clearly, Abigail returned his affection with a smile and mustering some strength asked for water. Ryan knew she needed to be hydrated but too much water could make things worse, so he would provide her with only sparing amounts until she was to stand on her own. After that, they would begin looking for food; something more substantial than camping food.

As time passed, Abigail continued to improve and eventually was able to sit up and hold a conversation. This began with two questions: ‘What happened?’ and ‘Where am I?’. Ryan explained their circumstances as he allowed her to drink more water. Soon, her color returned as she regained her senses. But having lost track of time, she inquired about how much time had passed. “Is it getting dark yet?” she asked.

Other than stepping back outside, there was no way of knowing if the day had transformed itself into night. However, Ryan did notice that the mall had become significantly cooler and assumed that nightfall was upon them.

“I think so,” he replied. “It’s starting to get cold in here.” Abigail leaned back against the wall and took another drink of water.

“Thank fuckin’ God,” she said. “I don’t ever want to go through this shit again.”

Now, she realized that there was something she had previously not noticed.

“Um, why am I naked?” she asked.

He answered her question by informing her of the need to keep her cool, and removing her clothing seemed to be an added way to accomplish it. Abby grinned teasingly and asked if anything else had happened during her lapse of unconsciousness. “Um, I don't think so,” he replied.

To this, Abby slipped her arms around him and kissed him on the mouth.

“Oh, that's too bad,” she said. “Maybe later I can cool you down.” Ryan smiled, realizing that after being dragged to death’s door, Abby was finally back. He also realized his true feelings about her as a tear slowly crept down his face. It wasn’t necessarily an outpouring of emotion, but for a man, a single tear spoke volumes and Abby was quick to notice.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

His usual clear voice began to stammer as he tried to choose his words carefully. Ryan was not one for emotional expression, but they had been through a lot together and had developed a strong bond. He successfully held back what would have been a torrent of emotional pain as he wiped the solitary tear from his face. This prompted more of Abigail’s concern. “Ryan, what is it?” she asked.

As he put his arms around her, he could, once again, feel his emotions rising to the surface. But he needed to be strong, and pushing back an impending emotional deluge, responded with a forced casual voice.

“I…I didn’t think you were going to make it.” His response was more than just words and compelled another tear to well up. Abby kissed him gently on the lips and reassured him of her recovery.

“Listen,” she began. “I’m not going anywhere. So you’re stuck with me, got it?”

She smiled broadly while trying to gain Ryan’s confidence that everything would be okay. Forcing a smile, he hoped she was right. But they still had a long way to go, and he knew that anything could happen. That was just the way life is. The universe is filled with randomness, and it is this that often stands as a threat to the decisions one makes and occasionally, the continuation of life itself. Existence is fleeting and Ryan had experienced that first-hand, and although he found it distasteful, it was a reality he found himself forced to deal with.