Road Trip

Chapter 4

"We should avoid big towns and cities." Wolfe argued as they drove past a sign for London.
"But we could go to the West End! All the theatres would be abandoned and I could sing on the stage!" Poppy begged.
Wolfe shook his head grimly. "London will be crawling with walkers. We aren't risking it." He turned off the motorway. "Plus, we have a job to do."

David was sat on the floor where Wolfe's hammer usually lay, (The hammer was precariously balanced on the cushion pile) and had been quiet for most of the journey, picking at his nails and cleaning his guns, but he piped up. "What job?"

Poppy looked at Wolfe. "Do we tell him? It's not like it's a secret or anything?"
Wolfe shrugged. "Go ahead."

"We think we may have found the cure for the infection." Poppy announced.

David stared at her, his eyes wide. "No way..."
"Yes way!" Poppy laughed with delight. "It's in that cupboard up there."
David sat in awed silence. "How..."
"It was in an empty science lab. I thought it was tea." Wolfe chuckled. "So now we are taking it down to Edinburgh science labs to get it duplicated."

David was quiet for a long time, so only the rhythmic rumble of the engine was audible. "That could save the world."

No one said a word, revelling in the enormity of that reality.

"It'd take a while, mind." Wolfe was the first to shatter the quiet with his gruff voice.
"But still." David scratched his head.

Poppy wrinkled up her nose. "I hope you don't mind me asking David, but when was the last time you had a wash?"

David said nothing, but looked unsure.

"I think you should have a shower when we park up for the night." Wolfe chuckled. "It can't feel nice being that grimy."
David's expression didn't change. "I guess you get used to it. How have you guys kept so clean?"

"We just break into houses and use the bathrooms." Poppy said, gnawing at a hangnail.
David laughed, but they were serious.
"No ones using them, and we could use a wash now and again. What's the harm?" Wolfe tapped the steering wheel with his fingers as they drove further.

Poppy's hangnail ripped off, taking a slither of skin with it. "Shit!" She winced as it stung. She cradled her bleeding thumb and began to suck the blood out.
"What's up?" Wolfe was concerned.
"I was trying to fix my nail but now it's bleeding and fuck it hurts..."
Wolfe looked over at it. He laughed. "Come on Pop, you've battled through much worse than that!"

Poppy scowled and hit him, catching her throbbing thumb on his jacket. "Owwww!" She yelped.

David watched them intently, laughing. "How did you two meet?" He queried.

"Met at Uni. She was doing Art-"
"Textiles." Poppy corrected him.
"Textiles. And I was doing English. I graduated last year, Pop would still be studying if it wasn't for the apocalypse getting in the way and messing up our plans." Wolfe turned onto another motorway, ignoring a small crowd of walkers shuffling down the roadside.

"Wolf-ee..." Poppy whined. "I'm hungry..."
Wolfe rolled his eyes. "Not long now. We aren't far from the seaside."
Poppy folded her arms and stuck out her bottom lip. "We were at the seaside YESTERDAY!" She moaned like a spoilt child.
"Yes we were, but the sea surrounds us, because Britain is something called an Island." Wolfe responded in a patronising voice. "Besides, there's a pretty little cove round here that I've wanted to show you for a while."
Poppy stuck her tongue out, much to the amusement of David.

After trundling along several dirt tracks,  Wolfe found what he was looking for. A deserted cove with a small, secluded cottage at one side. The sea crashed onto barnacled rocks that would be rock pools when the tide came out. The surrounding cliffs were covered in heather and the sand was soft and white.