Nuclear Calamity

Chapter 2: Melbourne

My head pounded intensely in my head, making me feel like it was going to explode. Nausea hit me like a truck and I turned over in my small cot throwing up large chunks into the trashcan sitting next to me. The bright lights of the bunker made my eyes hurt, instinctively I threw my arm in front of my face. My eyelids started to flicker and my breathing became shallow. The world started to fade as bile rose in my throat once again. But this time I didn't have the energy to turn over. My body forcibly lurched forward as I threw up a slick green and red liquid all over myself, the smell of iron consuming the air. My head fell back onto the pillow, the movement making my head swim. My chest started to hurt and I could feel my heart rate slow to a sickening pace.

I'm not going to make it.

I closed my eyes, waiting for my time to come. But then I heard a noise. The bunker door opening, my parents finally made it back.

"Dad", I croaked.

My mother and father came creeping down the stairs. My father was holding my mother by the waist as she trips over herself. Her long brown hair was dirty and tinged. She had clumps of something in her hair that I couldn't identify. My dad looked up at me as the pair landed on the last step. His face was covered in patchy skin burns that flaked around the edges. My mother fell out of my father's grasp and crashed onto the floor. My father followed close behind and collapsed onto his hands and knees, his body lurched as he threw up all over the rough concrete of the bunker.

"Dad.... what happened", I coughed, pain slamming me in the chest.

"Don't worry son, I got your meds", My dad wheezed. He stumbled as he stood up, staggering his way over to me.

He collapsed beside my head and started slowly caressing my hair. His breath was shallow and rigid. He started smiling through his rough state and tears welled in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white pill bottle labeled antibiotics. His hands shook as he opened the bottle and dumped two pills out onto his hand and put them in my mouth. The texture of the pills were rough and the taste was nauseating . I almost spit them out but my dad reached over to the table and grabbed a glass of water, he lifted my chin and poured the water into my mouth. The pills hurt as they slid down my throat.

"There you go son, you'll get better soon".

My dad started crying slightly as he brought his head to mine. I could hear the distress in his cries. It hurt me down to my core to see my parents in this way. The only people I've had in my life dying while I lay back. Unable to do anything. My eyes grew heavy and I soon fell fast asleep listening to my father weep silently.

Xavier woke with a start, heart pounding in his chest, so hard he could feel it in his ears. Tears fell from his eyes as he took several deep breaths to take in his surroundings. The morning sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the bedroom Xavier slept in.

Xavier wiped his eyes as he caught his breath and threw the covers off of him. He turned to his right and placed his feet onto the carpet and pulled his knees to his chest. He rocked slowly trying to regain his bearings but he couldn't get the image of his parents out of his head. He stood up and ran over to the door throwing the chair blocking it out of the way. Xavier ran to the sink in the bathroom and tried turning on the sink. But to no avail, the water didn't come. In his frustration, Xavier tried turning both knobs on and off again, getting angrier as he did it.

He soon gave up and sighed deeply, looking up at himself in the mirror. But looking back at him was his father, the burns on his face growing bigger and bigger. Xavier punched the mirror and cracked it. Blood dripped from a cut on his hand. He ignored the pain in his hand and turned to face the bathtub. The boy climbed inside and curled himself into a tight ball. He wept silently.

Go away, please, just go away.

Xavier stayed in the bathtub for much of the morning, until his mouth grew dry from the crying he was doing. He crawled his way out of the bathroom and walked into the bedroom. He opened his backpack and pulled out an unlabeled bottle of water. Taking a sip, the smooth refreshing water trickled down his throat. Xavier placed the bottle on the ground next to him and picked up a can of ravioli nearby.

He headed out into the kitchen and fumbled through some drawers until he found a spoon. The boy ripped the lid off the can and placed the metallic lid on the counter. He slowly started eating the ravioli, still tasting decent besides being cold.

Sometimes I miss electricity.

Something caught Xavier's eye as he was enjoying his breakfast. He held the spoon in his mouth as he reached down into the drawer and picked up a brochure for the city of Melbourne. The boy ate another spoonful of ravioli and opened the brochure.

Inside was a map of the city, there was a church, a hospital, and a local park with icons on the map indicating where they were. The city had intricate city roads and a large city hall near its center. Xavier admired the map and charted out courses in his head of the routes he could take to each location.

"If anything we're to happen to us, you have to keep moving. Don't stay in one place too long, or the radiation will get you".

A lone tear fell from Xavier's eye and he sniffled slightly. The voice of his father caused him great unease. He finished the can of ravioli and put the brochure into his pocket. The cut on his hand scraped the inside of his pocket, causing throbbing pain. Xavier searched through the drawers once more in search of a bandage. When he couldn't find one he searched in the cabinets under the drawers and found a small first aid kit tucked under some metal pots.

He took the kit into the room with him and sat down on his pallet. He opened the kit carefully and placed a bandage around the cut on his hand, wiping up any excess blood.

Xavier gathered some supplies for the day inside his backpack. Just enough to get him through the day, but not enough to weigh him down. He threw on the radiation suit checking to make sure the screen under his waist was still lit. He made his way out of the room and started towards the front door.

As he passed the garage door he paused, Xavier turned slowly towards the door and went inside. He walked awkwardly through the dark to the tool shelf in the back. The boy grabbed an old rusted screwdriver off the shelf and held it in his hand. He paused just for a moment, fiddling with the smooth plastic grooves of the tool in his hand, and tossed the item into his bag.

Xavier moved the dresser from in front of the door and exited the house. Starting out on his journey for the day.