Page 24 of Once Upon an Apocalypse

“Did you…is Hayden okay?” My voice shakes as I ask this question, not really wanting to hear the answer if she has one.

“I don’t know. New York City was hit hard. Few survivors made it out. That we know of. What about Jonah and Sarah? All the folks back home?”

The quick change of subject leads me to believe that my mom has no hope that Hayden made it out alive. She probably never expected to see me again, just as I had stopped believing anyone I loved was still alive. But my mom survived. We found each other.

“Prom night was rough.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, honey.”

“Jonah and I got out. It was just us for months and then we…got captured. And Jonah he…”

My hesitation must have made my mom think the worst, that Jonah died because she starts crying and says, “I’m so sorry you lost Jonah.”

“He’s not dead. He’s just different. Being in that place changed him. It changed me too, but…I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about everything that happened there just yet.”

“That’s okay, honey. Come here.”

We hug each other again, but someone interrupts before we can resume our sobbing fest. “Excuse me, Cathy, but we will need to ask the girl some questions now.”

My mom turns toward the man who entered my hospital room and gives him a look that would scare a viper. “The girl is my daughter, and I will let you know when she is ready to answer your questions, Norman.”

“Cathy, we put it to a vote and agreed that we need to ask first before we can trust her. It’s been four and a half years since you saw her. You don’t know what’s left of your daughter.”

“I can trust her,” my mom says with such devotion.

“But can we all trust her? Please, Cathy, do not make me use force.” Norman pushes his chest out in a show of dominance that makes me laugh. I can’t help it. My laugh deflates his confidence instantly, but before he can accuse me of anything, a tall, dangerously handsome man steps forward.

“Calm down, Norman. We also agreed to give Cathy a moment with her daughter.”

Amos. I remember him being flirty, kind, straight to the point. I see the latter now, but the flirty and kind has gone out the window. He’s all business here, barely sparing me a glance. But at least he has some manners.

“She has had her moment,” Norman snaps back at Amos. Big mistake.

Amos puffs out his chest, and when he does, Norman shrinks back. “Do not for one second think you hold all the power here. We voted. Cathy gets to have some time with her daughter before we interrogate her.”

“Interrogate?” I ask.

“Yes, girl. Interrogate. We need to know everything you know about Dr. Gabriel Tuwile.” Norman attempts to walk into my room, but Amos grabs him by the arm and growls.

“No one goes into this room unless Cathy says it’s okay. Do you understand, Norman?”

“Amos, this is not what the five of us agreed on.”

“No. You didn’t agree to this. Jeremy, Anna,” Amos calls to two people I can’t see from my bed. “What did we vote on? Can you remind me?”

“To give Cathy time with her daughter,” a female voice responds.

“And Cathy will invite us in when she’s ready for us,” a man says from behind Norman, who huffs as he pulls his arm from Amos’ grasp.

“Fine,” Norman says, then stomps away like a toddler.

Amos looks at my mom to apologize for Norman’s behavior, completely ignoring my existence. He even bows his head to avoid my stare as he closes the door.

“Are you and Amos close?” I ask my mom.

“Yeah. We are good pals. He was a professor here when shit hit the fan. I don’t think I would have survived without him.”

“A professor? Where are we?”

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